Bendulosa

Flist, I need your help.

On Monday, I am going to the London Book Fair. I had originally thought I was going to try and tout my CV to YA publishers/agencies to try and get an internship/some work experience or something. But then after taking a closer look at the YA exhibitors I realised just how many agents are going to be there, and I realised maybe actually I should be trying to sell myself as an author as well?

I'm going to take both copies of my CV as well as copies of my first chapter+summary, but I'm worried it might seem like I'm disorganised or confused if I try to sell my self on both sides? Like I know I should make a list and work out which agencies and which publishers I should try for which things but mostly I'm just having a shitfit and really need some advice or talking down.

Right now, what I've decided I'm focusing on is trying to get this draft up and ready and out to agents - but this right here is an opportunity to get face to face with agents and hand them over my work - and like, it wouldn't be annoying right? I mean what else are agencies exhibiting for except to try and get new business? But would it be weird and presumptuous? How do I even start that conversation?

Like going up looking for work experience, I can kind of see how to play that, you know "Hi, I'm Katherine, I'm just finishing up my MA at Warwick, involved with the creative writing programme, set up anthology &c &c, looking to get into publishing, looking for work experience" I mean that scenario writes itself, but how the hell do I do that with PLEASE READ MY BOOK I mean seriously, I am looking for specific help here so I don't just spend this weekend crying.

Anyone?

A real update will happen at some point soon, I just need to leave this list here to keep track of wtf my stomach is playing at rn

Things I apparently can no longer digest

- wheat
- coffee
- coke
- gluten
- anything fried
- majority of junk food
- crisps
- sugary things
- soy/tofu

This is a problem because I hate food and I hate cooking so what I'm basically down to eating now is:

- baked potato with some margarine
- chopped raw vegetables
- cheese

I hate my life. I am always hungry and always have a headache but everything I eat hurts me.

I have meant to sit down and write an update post for at least two months now, but this term has just eaten me up and spat me out. Between three modules, anthology, mental health shenannigans, physical health surprises and general stress bombs a plenty, it is halfway through March and I still haven't got my act together to post.

Aaaaand now I'm going away. Just for a week, to the Lake District (aka Middle Earth). Myself + two writerly friends are holing ourselves up in a cottage in the middle of nowhere for a week, to Work On Our Novels (no seriously, it's going to be writing bootcamp, 5k a day or no dinner). When I return there will be pictures &c but for now - who wants a post card!

Just drop me a comment if you would like a post card, or pm me if you don't want your address spread to all and sundry. Also let me know if you would like your message written using Tengwar in English mode. I need to practice writing full sentences without constantly referencing the chart in the back of my notebook.

I decided that on top of all my academia I needed to make yet another commitment so I got myself a Trope Bingo card!

au: all-human	rivals to lovers	au: space	fake relationship	in vino veritas / drunkfic
truth or dare	au: cop / detective	accidental baby acquisition	genderswap	au: were / vamp / supernatural
food porn	day at the beach	FREE ★ SPACE	snowed in	immortality / reincarnation
secret child	road trip	curtainfic	accidental marriage	presumed dead
sex pollen	soul bonding / soulmates	au: apocalypse	au: neighbors	celebratory kiss

Given where my head space is at I am highly likely to fill this with Hobbit because kjdhfgjkdf all my feels halp.

Now I have successfully dealt with my major academic requirements for this week, I thought I'd do a proper intro post for all my new friends! Can I just say how lovely it is to see you all on my flist - I actually had to go back two pages to catch up this morning! It's be years since I've had to do that.

So, hi! I'm Gatty. I'm a 24 year old Brit, currently studying MA English Literature at the University of Warwick. I'm doing a lot of creative writing classes on the side, and setting up a new YA anthology. Writing is my passion, and my career goal. I primarily write YA, and am currently working on two major projects with a view to approaching agents/publishers this year. I love a good zombie apocalypse, with a dash of fantasy (urban and trad), with a particular focus on kick-ass ladies.

I can be found in other places: twitter, tumblr. AO3 and ravelry. If you want to IM just PM me and I'll give you my names :D

If you've posted your tumblr, I've probably followed you. My fic writing depends on how much free time I have/how much I want to procrastinate. I'm currently wallowing in a deep pool of Tokien feelings, so possibly expect to see fic for that at some point.

I am a bookaholic, clothes lover, cat adorer and intrepid adventurer(ish). My academic work mostly focuses on place&space, gender, travel, performance, liminality and mental illness. I'm writing my dissertation on Liminal Space, Performance and Gender in Sarah Water's Neo-Gothic novels, but the project is veering off in all sorts of directions so who knows where I'll end up when I have to hand in in September.

I'm also a giant language dork. I speak French and Japanese, with a passing acquaintance with Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch and Chinese. I've lived abroad in Japan for a year and a half, and Australia for about four months. I also move around the UK a lot. 2012 saw me living variously in Australia, London, Somerset, Oxford and Coventry. Travel Bug? Me? Shhh.

Hopefully that background will make my LJ posts more coherent! Please don't feel you have to lurk, I adore all comments :D

PS if you have a tumblr, comment here and let me know what it is so I can follow you! Also so I know whose LJ goes with which tumblr XD

Also I really need to get new icons. Recs anyone?

Of the current programme of panicked reading of all Victorian literature ever published before I have to next meet my supervisor/present/submit work, to bring you this important announcement.

Thranduil's costume for the next Hobbit film has just been released:



ADDENDUM:
Look at this magnificent beast.

Hello!

Thank you for friending me on the meme, it is lovely to have new people! As you can see, my journal has been pretty dead recently. I tried tumblr for about a year and Nope, Nope & Nope, I am back to LJ.

Incase you are reading this because I left a drive by comment on your Intro on the meme without linking to mine, find it here.

Can't wait to see you all around!

Hello all from Oz. Painfully irregular updates continue as ever. I am alive and sunning myself in the hideous tropics of Queensland. Everyone is dreadfully cheery and distain to go to the beach when it is overcast. I am taking my mottled translucent skin into their cancerous sun today, wish me luck.

It is coming to That Time Of Year (though this December Sun is rather off putting), and I am putting out the call for addresses for christmas cards. I can promise terrible Australian themed cards and likely a humorous stamp or two. Will send anywhere. Comments screened. Give me things to write on the beach!