CreateSpace Proof + Dark Matter Trailer

For all you WriMos out there, just a reminder that your CreateSpace offer ends in about 5 days. If you intend to make use of this offer, you better get it in quick.

I myself have finally sent off an order for a proof copy of my 2009 NaNo novel. That doesn't mean it's finished, no. It's still in it's first draft stage, with admittedly, very little revisions to it. I intend to keep it on my shelf next to my 2008 NaNo novel, as a reminder of what I have done, and am capable of doing.

Being able to hold a physical book in my hands helps me to come to terms with what I've managed to accomplish. Sometimes, 50,000 words is a little hard to visualise. Having a physical book is proof that I've written enough for a young adult novel. I just need to heavily revise it and make it read-worthy.

Flicking through the pages of my 2008 novel fills me with awe and pride. I often stop to read through passages, and it amazes me with what I can come up with under pressure. I also sometimes marvel at the way I write. These proof copies are meant to serve as a reference and a reminder for me.

It is a reference for me to compare with, to see how my writing style has improved and how my final draft would have developed from that first draft. When I edit, I will read through that proof copy and make notes for later revision.

A reminder, of the finer points of the plot. I tend to forget my plans when I stop working on my novel for awhile, and rereading it refreshes my memory and inspires new plot points.

What about you? Are you making use of your CreateSpace offer? What plans do you have for that free proof copy?

To finish off, here's a trailer for a book by Michelle Paver, due to be published on the 21st October, 2010. Introducing DARK MATTER, a ghost story that takes place in the Arctic in the 1930s.



'What is it? What does it want? Why is it angry with me?' January 1937 Clouds of war are gathering over a fogbound London. Twenty-eight year old Jack is poor, lonely and desperate to change his life. So when he's offered the chance to be the wireless operator on an Arctic expedition, he jumps at it. Spirits are high as the ship leaves Norway: five men and eight huskies, crossing the Barents Sea by the light of the midnight sun. At last they reach the remote, uninhabited bay where they will camp for the next year. Gruhuken. But the Arctic summer is brief. As night returns to claim the land, Jack feels a creeping unease. One by one, his companions are forced to leave. He faces a stark choice. Stay or go. Soon he will see the last of the sun, as the polar night engulfs the camp in months of darkness. Soon he will reach the point of no return - when the sea will freeze, making escape impossible. And Gruhuken is not uninhabited. Jack is not alone. Something walks there in the dark.

Michelle Paver has written many other novels, including the best selling children's series, Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, set in the Stone Age. DARK MATTER is a ghost story aimed at older children (16+), but in view of the success of her other children's series, it should be a book that adults will love too.

I have been offered a proof copy of DARK MATTER, signed and dedicated by Michelle herself, by her fantastic agent. It should be arriving some time soon. Can't wait! Watch this space for a review of DARK MATTER.