The Sassi district in Matera, Italy
Well, it’s my second full day at the Women’s Fiction Festival in Matera, Italy, and it’s been very insightful. We’ve had some great panel discussions, including one on screenwriting tips for novelists, which was led by James Dalessandro, author of 1906 and who also happens to be a poet/screenwriter/director/producer. Jane Corry led a very in-depth and compelling workshop on how to better revise your novel. David Gaughran was also on hand for a very interesting presentation of self-publishing and what one needs to think about when embarking on a self-publishing project.
Lessons I’ve learned today?
- novels don’t have to have a nice, tidy ending (unless it’s a romance)
- don’t write your novel thinking it would make a great film–write it thinking this is a great story
- always read your writing aloud to make sure you have the right pitch and rhythm
- keep main characters to a minimum–readers get lost when there are too many people “on stage”
- don’t spend all day on Twitter–start a mailing list and send out updates to your readers this way
- good metadata increases discoverability
- invest in a good editor and a good cover designer
As always, there was good wine and great food to be had. 
It’s 30°C here today and I feel sapped of all energy, so I need a nap. And then I will do a little more writing.
By the way, if you haven’t heard yet, Ernessa T. Carter has a new book out called The Awesome Girl’s Guide to Dating Extraordinary Men and it’s…awesome! You need to read it ASAP!
