Living and Writing in York

 

Or in Yorkshire.

We retired to York 9 years ago for many non-writing reasons, but basically because we loved the city. However, it wasn't until I got the writing bug and started exploring the area that I realized how remarkable the County was! I mean, ANY county that produces the Bronte sisters, James Herriot, JB. Priestley, WH Auden, Alan Bennett, Val Wood, Kate Atkinson, Laurence Sterne, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Frances Brody, Ava Manelo, Jane Lovering, K LShandwick and Leah Fleming has to have something special going for it.

Of course, in terms of novels actually SET in York, I give you the amazing Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, with its very Gothic presentation of the city. Going back in time, Bernard Cornwell had York – or Jorvik, feature in many of his Uhtred novels! York is such a compact city you can walk around the encircling walls in an hour – and many of the streets have changed little over the last thousand years.

No piece discussing Yorkshire and its writers could be complete without mentioning the fabulous Milly Johnson - who was presented with the Rishard Whiteley Award for giving outstanding inspiration to others within the County.

If you are in the mood for Historical fiction (or fact), a walk around the city can give you a host of plot ideas! As can the city pubs! Ghosts abound – as do real-life characters like Guy Fawkes, Dick Turpin and Anne Lister.

Come at the right time of year, and you could find the Romantic Novelists Associationtion hosting an event there too. Recently they have been holding them in the Merchant Taylors Hall. In addition, you may find a writers' conference being held at York University.

Of course, all the attractions bring a downside too. A local paper ran a piece recently entitled "Death by Hen-Party". York being a central transport hub, Friday about 3 pm., the arriving trains start to decant groups of jeunesse dorée all determined to have a good time. To be fair, they are mostly harmless, and there is usually room for everyone.

York's other claim to fame is, of course, chocolate! Terry's and Rountree's were the big players in the chocolate markets of the Victorian era.

Like many chocolate makers of the era, they were Quakers and had a very paternalistic attitude to their workforce. However, they are STILL significant players in the property market. Rowntrees even built a theatre for their workers, and the Joseph Rowntree Theatre is in vibrant and popular use today.

When writer's block strikes, take a stroll, think back and imagine these very stones being trodden by King Richard III. You can literally walk in their footsteps. Towton, Stamford Bridge, Marston Moor and Fulford, some of the most infamous and bloody battles fought in England, have been fought here!

Finally – a word about hedgehogs! Our local ones seem to have gone into hibernation already. This is early but not exceptional. We have at least three who regularly visit us and seem to come back every spring.

Hedgehog Street! A link worth clicking on!

Hedgehogs from earlier this year.

We are STILL putting the food and camera out – just in case. As it happens, we live next door to an old orchard with a large area of the untended garden. Heaven for hedgies – and they have a hedgehog highway through to our garden. My expert advisor for hedgies, Toni Burrell, says they only take about 15% of their food from what we put out – they get the bulk of their diet from what they forage.

Winter is definatly approaching. It is noticably cold at night, and the nights aare drawing in. Hibernating sounds like a good idea (if only!) Take care over the winter, and curl up with several good books. Hopefully, by the time spring comes around they will be joined by one or more of your OWN books!

Awards and Engagements!

For this week’s Blog Post I thought I’d say a few words about the Joan Hessayon Award of the Romantic Novelists Association. Many of you know about this, but it’s fallen to me, as the “local rep in York” to organise the actual event where the Award is made for the last couple of occasions.

This year’s event is different for a couple of reasons. Foremost it’s the first live RNA event for a year and a half! Because of the dreaded Covid everyone is feeling their way, getting used to meeting real people and actually talking to friends old and new in real life, and not on Zoom!

Our event takes place at the Merchant Taylors Hall, one of York’s three extant guild halls. The Merchant Taylors Guild still very much exists today, as a benevolent charity. They do a lot of great stuff, although it’s a long, long time since any member picked up a needle in earnest. We have a few less attendees than normal this year because of Covid. This does make social distancing easier, of course.

RNA Chair, Alison May, 2019 Winner, Lorna Cook,
and the previous winner, Hannah Begbie.

A candidate is any RNA member who has had their first novel published having come through the Romantic Novelists Association New Writers Scheme. I came through this scheme myself and cannot recommend it enough. As a start-up writer the support and feedback that you do get is amazing. This year there are eleven candidates, and I wish them every success this weekend.

The candidates in the 2019 Award Ceremony.

Nobody goes hungry at the York Tea!!

And THIS years winner is: Caroline Day, 

 And now on to part 2. I’ve Just Got Engaged – and So Should You!

 No, not to anyone you know, but rather Engaged With…. Yes, the word is ENGAGEMENT.

The people who read this blog will – in the main – be writers. You can divide these into three classes.

• 1.       Conventionally published, with one of the “Big 5”
• 2.       Conventionally published with one of the new, Small Publishing Houses,
• 3.       Independently or self-published.

If you are Independently published, you know you must do all the publicity, sales, and marketing on your own.

If you are with a Small Publishing House, you will also have to do all your own publicity, sales, and marketing by yourself!

And, if you are with one of the “Big 5”, you are STILL expected to do a lot of your own publicity, sales, and marketing!

So the word-of-the-day is Engagement. i.e., Engaging with your readers, your followers and the general public. In short, with anyone that you think might buy, borrow from the library, or download your book. 

And how do we find them? Social Media, I’m afraid.

People either love social media (i.e., me) or hate it. However, this is not about your feelings of distaste, its about SELLING YOUR BOOKS!

This post is going to look at just part of 1 facet of it. Facebook and Facebook Groups. Why? Because Facebook is the LARGEST social media platform by far – nearly 3 BILLION users!

And –1.8 billion people use Facebook Groups, and there are tens of millions of groups on Facebook.

https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-statistics/

Facebook Groups are your way of expanding your reach. The trick is to be selective, and only join those groups that contain fans or users of your kind of work, be it any of the different writing tropes or genres.

Big group or small group? If a group is getting 60 posts an hour, then your post is likely to be visible for a minute, tops. If it is getting 3 posts a day, then your post will stick around a lot longer. Facebook itself wants more activity directed to Groups.

“But I don’t have anything to say!”

Of course you do. Your news includes:

• 1.       When your cover comes out.
• 2.       When you get a publishing date.
• 3.       When you sign a contract with a publisher
• 4.       When you are signed by an agent.
• 5.       When your book appears in the best seller lists.
• 6.       When your book is referenced in the press.
• 7.       When you get a review.
• 8.       When you work up a new advert for your book.
• 9.       When you are having a launch party
• 10.   When you are having a blog tour
• 11.   When you are appearing in anyone else’s Blog, or on their page.
• 12.   When you are going to a writing event
• 13.   When you have been to one (especially with photos)
• 14.   When you have a new entry on your own blog or page.
• 15.   When you are meeting writing friends socially
• 16.   When you are starting your edits
• 17.   When you are finishing them.
• 18.   When you see your book on a shelf for sale.
• 19.   When your cat does something extra cute.
• 20.   Your dog, ditto!

 Always – with any of the above – include a link to the event / page, etc., and to your book.

On the hedgehog front, they have abandoned us! Hopefully they will be back in the New Year. In the meantime, we are leaving food out, just in case. We now have the fattest magpies and pigeons IN THE WORLD!!