#touchthatfire

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Part III of art inspiring writing: the moment I saw this portrait, again in the Musée d'Orsay, I knew that the Roi, the French King in Book II, would have to have a cane. To some degree, I modelled the Roi off of this portrait, although it will be safe to say that regality and elegance are not the most dominant personality traits of Ninon's brother. As we all have ample opportunity to witness these days, those in power often do not need particularly winning personalities. This is definitely a portrait the Roi would have made of himself in any case; the way he wants to be seen.

Wenn wir schon bei Kunst sind, die Literatur inspiriert: Als ich dieses Gemälde im Musée d'Orsay gesehen habe, wusste ich sofort, dass der Roi, der französische König in Buch II, einen solchen Gehstock haben muss. Ich habe den Roi in vielerlei Hinsicht diesem Portrait nachempfunden, auch wenn Eleganz und Hoheitlichkeit beim besten Willen nicht als seine bestimmenden Eigenschaften bezeichnet werden können. Dieses Portrait wäre eines, das er von sich anfertigen lässt; wie er sich sieht, und nicht, wie er ist.

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TOUCH THAT FIRE in Turkish!

Exciting news: TOUCH THAT FIRE has been sold to Turkey! Pegasus will publish it in Turkish. This is incredibly important to me; I grew up in an area called the Ruhrgebiet (it has many famous football clubs and some very good contemporary writers; not so much coal anymore, though) where Turkish is an ever-present language. I have been wanting to learn it for years, and this will be an added incentive. Besides, with the situation being what it is in Turkey, I cannot help but think about how a story’s significance changes depending on which context you put it in.

TOUCH THAT FIRE wurde an einen türkischen Verlag verkauft! Pegasus bringt den ersten Band auf Türkisch heraus. Das freut mich so, so sehr; ich bin im Ruhrgebiet aufgewachsen, also praktisch mit der türkischen Sprache, die ich schon seit Jahren lernen will. Also ein weiterer Anreiz! Kudos to my amazing agent!

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Writing Diary: Parisian Fashion. As long as there’s glitter.

Friday, 20th January 2017

9:17 AM: After a break on Wednesday to do the last edits on Book I before my amazing  editor at Blanvalet gets to work on it and to teach on Thursday, I am back to Book II today. Here we go!

10:33 AM: 700 words, so one third of today’s count. I will have to begin setting higher goals, but for now, this is good, because I still need to do some world-building and have approximately one billion e-mails to answer.

1:02 PM: The world building for book II is even more fun. Fashion, for example. I’d like for Paris to have a specific fashion style that is not at all like the English one. Let’s do capes and masks and fun things. Like glitter.

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Writing Diary: Book II

Tuesday, 17th January 2017

Today I began working on Book II, and I was relieved to see how easily I slipped back into it; into the world, and Rea’s voice. I wrote 2,000 words without any trouble at all, which is exactly what I need to be doing per day to finish this in time, so I am hugely optimistic now. It was amazing to finish the first page!

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Writing Diary: ahfdggsdbnü24b

Wednesday, 9th November 2016

Still devastated by the election of Trump, I came home after watching the election all night to find an e-mail from Thérèse, telling me that Random House had made a wonderful offer for the TOUCH THAT FIRE trilogy in a four-way auction!

Es ist, wie im Millenium Falcon die Lichtmauer zu durchbrechen. Unglaublich geil, aber auch unglaublich irreal. It doesn’t feel real yet at all.

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Writing Diary: Minor Interlude

I am actually too busy to check my e-mails every five minutes. Paris is the most inspiring place I have ever had the good fortune to live in. I have started working on a new book while I wait to hear back about TOUCH THAT FIRE. The project has no title yet, but it is an adult fiction piece and something I have been working on since 2008. It is about the Far Right, about nationalism in the twenty-first century, about the devil stealing people’s names and voices and doing mischief to warn us.

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Writing Diary: submitting to publishers

Thursday, 25th August 2016

9:51 AM: I truly have become abysmal at getting up on time. Something to change once I have moved to Paris. Anyway, last read!

9:59 AM: All clear. Really, they were minor changes. So, this is it. We should probably read through the entire ms once more just to make sure there are no glaring mistakes (I spotted a few just yesterday in the edit); maybe I could do that on the train. Let’s also see what Thérèse thinks.

It is exciting to think about the future. Thérèse has told me who she is going to submit TOUCH THAT FIRE to, and that it will take a couple of months until we will have a decision (apparently, Children’s literature is a bit more slowly-paced than adult fiction). With my imminent move to Paris, I will be busy, possibly even too busy to check my e-mails every five minutes. Possibly.

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Writing Diary: Editing with Agents = Cutting

Wednesday, 17th August 2016

Okay. Starting the day at 8:46 AM, that’s a good time. A very good time. And here we go!

10:20 AM: 100.913 words! Yippieh! 500 words, and they took me a while, but that is alright. I am getting there. I am on page 195. Cannot wait to see how much I still manage to cut like this.

It is really good going through the entire manuscript again, by the way. I have spotted a few egregious mistakes that I wouldn’t have liked to send it off with.

This may also be the first time I have used the word egregious.

12:37 PM: 99.825 words! And I was so engrossed I didn’t even notice it happen. Page 230. I feel like it is slower going now, as if there isn’t as much to cut as in the first half, but I remain optimistic. René and the Count are about to make their first appearance – I cannot wait to explore more of them in Book 2!

I love the club scene, by the way. René has just turned up – I love René. He will always be Santiago Cabrera to me.

1:37 PM. 99.490! And page 247, so lots cut. Thought every 500 words could be a milestone now. Only a few more to go, after all – seven times 500, plus a couple more for the scenes between Rea and the Prince.

1:47 PM: Oh, I have forgotten how much I enjoyed keeping this diary! Well, I’m off for cake and tea now with a friend. I wouldn’t need a break, but I take my social life very seriously. You have to when you’re a writer, I think.

4:35 PM: Until 4 at Lotte’s plus food, which was too long, but very enjoyable. Just hit 98,933 words. Going very well.

6:16 PM: 97.997 words. This really is going splendidly. I’m supposed to go to a BBQ soon. I’d much rather go on. Did I mention social life is important? It really is.

Favourite line of the day (just written, too):

We do not fit within their lines. So they make us hate ourselves. Hide ourselves. Hurt ourselves.

6:26 PM: It is no use. I need to go. I am doing well though. Maybe I can come home early today and still get some work done.

10:58 PM: We got back at around ten. It was an incredibly fun evening. But continuing to cut is also very good. I have cut an entire scene, between the Queen and Rea. I believe I can live without it very well. At 96.711 words thanks to that.

11:26 PM: It is time to stop. 96.518. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.