Monday 19 November 2012

Well, yes, indeedy!

Quite quite excited by the fact that Wish You Were has made the Festival of Romance New Talent award shortlist!

It's a shame the organisers weren't quite organised enough to give the correct author name, but we know who we are.


Romantic fiction?

We had some discussion about this.  Dr F sent me the details of a couple of writing competitions a little while ago:  The Festival of Romance New Talent award and a competition to win a publishing contract with Piatkus EnticeSince Wish You Were isn't finished the latter was beyond us, but I couldn't see what we had to lose by sticking the first chapter in for the former.

Gary was sceptical.

"It's not romantic fiction."

"What do you mean it's not romantic fiction?  It's romantic and it's fiction, how can it not be romantic fiction?"  I was feeling a bit bolshy that day.

"Well, it's just not.  I don't read romantic fiction and I'd read this."

"I should think so, you wrote it.  Alright, if you don't want to call it that, what do you want to call it?"

"It's fiction.  Contemporary fiction with a love story.  Or middlebrow holiday fiction if you have to.  Like One Day.  In fact, that's a good description of it - One Day if they got married."

"Grrrrrrr."  As I said, bolshy.  "One Day is totally and utterly, without any doubt at all, romantic fiction.  They were just clever enough to put a smart cover on it instead of a pink fluffy one.  After all, it was written by a man and it wouldn't sell if they were honest about it." 

"Hmmmm.  Maybe."  Clearly not convinced, but nice enough to allow me my little victory.

"So, shall I enter it?"

"I can't bring to mind a reason why not."

So we entered the first chapter of Wish You Were for the New Talent award.