Jane Air's Dating Diary Progress blog below...**
**
26 Nov 09 Second draft is written.
30 Nov Have got some male-tester-readers on board.
4 Dec I have no idea what to make of the material.
6 Dec Hope it will be ready in a week from now. Have some artists in mind for another eflyer but it might be quicker to do it myself. More nervous about posting this than anything else I have ever written before. But it's also exciting that I can post it straight into cyberspace. I won't be providing any background notes to the diary until I see how it is received.
8 Dec Have done a rough copy of the official eflyer to go with the dating fish diary. Unfortunately, it's me doing the visuals !! Have found somewhere in town to scan the image in. Might consider offering a hard copy version through a print on demand company as a practice run for doing the national collection. I must control my nerves ! I must control my mind !
9 Dec The second eflyer will be done using watercolour pencils - I hope it will translate well onto the cyber-screen without losing too much detail.
14 Dec Am now considering pushing the Dating Fish Diary though a print-on-demand company and offering both a hard copy format and an ebook format. I downloaded an ebook last night for the first time ( ! ) and it was so simple and easy to do. I also think, a dating diary and online payment will make for excellent bedfellows ! No sneak previews, lol ! No secret peeking, lol !
17 Dec Why can't my imagination give me something warm and friendly to write about ?
24 Dec Some new eflyers to go with the dating diary at the link. Have mapped out some watercolour designs to go with the diary.
30 Dec Have just bought the publishing package so there is no going back now. I can foresee that I will have some technical issues to resolve ie, formatting and typography etc. as well as finding the time to do the watercolour visuals, so my guess is, it will be published in about 1 month's time.
3rd Jan Am in the midst of a personal transformation...
7th Jan Will be providing a site map for the dating diary as there are a few different components to it. Will also look into providing a forum for comments and reviews from readers.
9th Jan A friend of mine is now keeping a diary on me ! Am having to rest alot as the writing of my dating diary is doing my head in !!
11 Jan Have designed on paper the website layout. It's really cute !
15 Jan Difficult to estimate with accuracy when the diary will be ready and available but I should think March is realistic. New heart visual now added to my eflyers - see link.
22 Jan Enjoyment of writing my dating diary is being hindered somewhat by personal money issues. Exhaustion levels, high. Madness levels, VERY high !
25 Jan I have a vision for the colours and blends of colours for the front and back covers. Will be relying on digital technology.
30 Jan The website will be created after the publication of the dating diary. I have some beautiful and artistic ideas for the website. I have moments where I can completely detach myself from the dating diary - I sometimes wonder if it has anything to do with me at all ! Writing it is an organic process.
5 Feb I don't want to do the material an injustice by rushing it through too quickly - therefore, am giving myself a tiny bit of breathing space and changing the publication date to around March and April.
14 Feb As a Valentines Day treat, I have released one minor visual loosely connected with the dating diary. See link to eflyers below. Have nearly all the ideas in place now, the structure still to do - the hardest part.
21 Feb Have added some Alice-inspired tags for the diary...secret key...surrealism...strange dreams...strange herbs ! ) ...cracked reality.
26 Feb Am under pressure now. Am in mid production. Am going to have fun with words and try and enjoy it. It is all one big experiment to me. Unlikely to be out in March.
30 Nov Have got some male-tester-readers on board.
4 Dec I have no idea what to make of the material.
6 Dec Hope it will be ready in a week from now. Have some artists in mind for another eflyer but it might be quicker to do it myself. More nervous about posting this than anything else I have ever written before. But it's also exciting that I can post it straight into cyberspace. I won't be providing any background notes to the diary until I see how it is received.
8 Dec Have done a rough copy of the official eflyer to go with the dating fish diary. Unfortunately, it's me doing the visuals !! Have found somewhere in town to scan the image in. Might consider offering a hard copy version through a print on demand company as a practice run for doing the national collection. I must control my nerves ! I must control my mind !
9 Dec The second eflyer will be done using watercolour pencils - I hope it will translate well onto the cyber-screen without losing too much detail.
14 Dec Am now considering pushing the Dating Fish Diary though a print-on-demand company and offering both a hard copy format and an ebook format. I downloaded an ebook last night for the first time ( ! ) and it was so simple and easy to do. I also think, a dating diary and online payment will make for excellent bedfellows ! No sneak previews, lol ! No secret peeking, lol !
17 Dec Why can't my imagination give me something warm and friendly to write about ?
24 Dec Some new eflyers to go with the dating diary at the link. Have mapped out some watercolour designs to go with the diary.
30 Dec Have just bought the publishing package so there is no going back now. I can foresee that I will have some technical issues to resolve ie, formatting and typography etc. as well as finding the time to do the watercolour visuals, so my guess is, it will be published in about 1 month's time.
3rd Jan Am in the midst of a personal transformation...
7th Jan Will be providing a site map for the dating diary as there are a few different components to it. Will also look into providing a forum for comments and reviews from readers.
9th Jan A friend of mine is now keeping a diary on me ! Am having to rest alot as the writing of my dating diary is doing my head in !!
11 Jan Have designed on paper the website layout. It's really cute !
15 Jan Difficult to estimate with accuracy when the diary will be ready and available but I should think March is realistic. New heart visual now added to my eflyers - see link.
22 Jan Enjoyment of writing my dating diary is being hindered somewhat by personal money issues. Exhaustion levels, high. Madness levels, VERY high !
25 Jan I have a vision for the colours and blends of colours for the front and back covers. Will be relying on digital technology.
30 Jan The website will be created after the publication of the dating diary. I have some beautiful and artistic ideas for the website. I have moments where I can completely detach myself from the dating diary - I sometimes wonder if it has anything to do with me at all ! Writing it is an organic process.
5 Feb I don't want to do the material an injustice by rushing it through too quickly - therefore, am giving myself a tiny bit of breathing space and changing the publication date to around March and April.
14 Feb As a Valentines Day treat, I have released one minor visual loosely connected with the dating diary. See link to eflyers below. Have nearly all the ideas in place now, the structure still to do - the hardest part.
21 Feb Have added some Alice-inspired tags for the diary...secret key...surrealism...strange dreams...strange herbs ! ) ...cracked reality.
26 Feb Am under pressure now. Am in mid production. Am going to have fun with words and try and enjoy it. It is all one big experiment to me. Unlikely to be out in March.
2 March I will need to hold on tightly to all of my search engine positions in order to make sure that the dating diary is successful. I have promoted the diary far too early online but that doesn't matter now.
14 March Have almost finished reading George Orwell's 'Down and out in Paris and London'. I like its descriptive style, not too emotional, just telling it like it is. I might borrow something of this style - my character doesn't have to give her thoughts and feelings over every thing that transpires in the dating diary - just describe what has happened and move swiftly on to the next thing.
15 March My writing is being fuelled by anger. Poverty makes me angry. My dating diary will go off on a few tangents - but only so that I can have my say. Orwell was documenting his life in the 1930's - the life of a tramp - I think that's what writers should do - report and document. I am so grateful that I don't have to go through agents or publishers - that I can publish myself - I am so thankful to be living in the print-on-demand age.
18 March My imagination is getting darker and darker. I frighten myself with what it comes up with !
25 March Will use this room to rant and ramble. Am still in mid production with the text. I find writing it so difficult and so demanding. I've got all the ideas worked out - but have still to map out the structure in detail. Hopefully the writing process will speed up now that I am further down the road with it - am past halfway. Am sure there will be lots of technical hurdles ahead of me.
5th April. Have just reread 'Rapture' by Carol Ann Duffy - love poetry as a love story. Enjoyed it so much I read it through twice within two days.
6th April. Right bang in the middle of structuring the dating diary. Hopefully there won't be too many delays in getting it uploaded and ready-to-buy through the print on demand company that I have chosen. I hope to send this out as freshly written as possible. Once the structure has been finalized there will be lots of polishing and proofreading to do, then onto the visuals. Still haven't decided on who to work with to get my visuals onto the covers. No time to rest...
12 April. Am back online ( at home that is ) and have got some of my confidence back.
13 April. I can reveal that the dating diary is a satire on dating and extends abit beyond dating. Today, I have added a bit on money and debt issues. I don't go too heavily into any one issue as I like to keep the diary moving swiftly along at a fairly fast pace. There are a few odd things left to work out and a few loose ends - plus I have to write the whole thing still !
21 April. Am about two thirds of the way with the script. Am in a very strange mood - the diary is shaping up and has a life force of its own now but I seem to want to detach from it - they are only words - I need the money and that's all I want from it. Not sure if the media critiques will take any notice of it but it is eccentric and it should do OK. I need a new life.
23 April Couldn't get online all of yesterday - and 70 % of people with the same server couldn't either. I am annoyed with two of the major broadband servers - one was unable to cancel my order either though I was given a cancellation number and was only halfway through the 'cooling off' period, the other was incapable of taking an order and processing it despite my clear instructions. I am not sure that these companies realize just how many of us are dependent on the internet and have businesses on it.
7th May No internet at home. Found out yesterday that I can't use my own visuals for the front and back covers. On the plus side, the diary will be published quickly. The bulk is now written but I need to test it out.
17 May Have chosen a visual for the cover. Am back online at home.
21 May Think I have chosen a new visual for the cover - even though I was so sure of the last one that I had chosen. It's got to represent the diary so the decision needs thinking through carefully. Have still got one more push of hard work in order to reach the end, then lots of technical hurdles. I can't relax just yet...
24 May Have got a date this thursday with a soap star which is quite funny for me as my character is addicted to soaps !!!
26 May Nearly at the proofreading stage. Only small sections need work. The finishing line is in sight. Have two very strong contenders for the front cover visual.
29 May Have bought a dress - or costume as I call it from my local market today. It is a designer dress - straight from London - hasn't even got to Manchester yet, according to the stall holder. It is now the first contender ( out of three ) for me to wear for my online promotional shoots and I must say, it is showstoppingly suitable. Why should Sex and the City have all the fashion ? ( might see the film next week )
1 June Onto a more serious note, I am hoping to get the oil spill into the diary.
7 June Have been studying some of the rules of satire. I just hope that I am staying within the rules. It does state clearly that it is a satire on the back cover.
Am short on proofreaders. Will have to go through it with a fine comb myself but am likely to miss something.
Am seeing whether I can get an some kind of advertizing deal for the costume dress I will be wearing on my main website promoting the diary. There is certainly a vacancy. One PR company for a mainstream fashion label has gotten back to me.
Am the writer, proofreader, producer ( oversee production ), artist, graphics artist ( will get some help ), website creator, search engine coordinator, publicity agent, model ( costume for website ) and photography editor.
10 June Have tested some of the material out on male readers. One has doubts as to whether it will make me any money. The other called it 'surreal'. No women have read it yet.
16 June Had a positive reaction from two male readers. Have managed to get the oil spill mentioned in the diary today but in a corny way. I have weaved it into the text - it might be a mistake - who knows. Two sections left to write, then a polish, then all the technical stuff which I am not looking forward to. Am keeping away from anyone who is negative towards me or my diary.
1 July Recieved the ISBN number for the dating diary yesterday. Don't know how long it will take before it is published. Being processed...
14 July Waiting for the first revision to be processed. Am preparing some background notes for the diary as well as thinking through some of the visuals. Initially I will be the artist but someone else will need to take over from me once I find an artist. The visuals are very surreal - but they won't appear online just yet - will see how the diary does first.
23 July. Will be at least another week from now. Just found out that the email that I had sent with my first revisions had gone missing so I have resent the revisions today. It does feel like I have been killing time. Have written two interviews.
15 Aug. Taking longer than I expected to publish. Had to create chapter titles to bring the book up to 48 pages - otherwise I can't use black and white paper - only colour -which would make the book too expensive to buy. Am onto the watercolour visuals now - they are quite surreal but I might as well have fun with them. In fact, the visuals are so surreal, that they make the text seem quite normal. Will be doing a publicity photoshoot this week if the sun comes out.
22 Aug. I think the final revisions are being processed but I am worried about the whole thing - worried it might not get published for whatever reason. I am busy creating some watercolour visuals for the diary - bringing the book and the character to life on screen. I will become my own character !
30 Aug. Nearly halfway through the watercolour visuals now. Should really go on an art course but there isn't time.
31 Aug. Am tempted to write an anonymous diary blog but I have more than enough to do - anyway, I can't decide on a title. Things have happened since the diary's ending - I had in mind a sort of sequel - no text -encapsulated into one visual. Am in a dark mood over the delay in publication.
3 Sept. If the diary isn't published soon then I will need to look at finding another company to publish it.
My last two dates with men were both involved with other women and still chose to go on a date with me - just to satisfy their curiousity about me. This is the sort of thing I should of got into my diary - too late now but I guess here will do. Why do men think I have time to waste ?? Work is more important to me than dating men right now.
10 Sept. Am nervous that the diary will never get published. It's a stressful time for me. Am working on the visuals - they are getting very surreal. I am using the internet to do research.
13 Sept. 'shame you're so mind numbingly one dimensional when it comes to your obsessive diary' - the verdict on me from one of my past dates. Have now got 10 watercolour visuals to do and no room in my life for men at the moment - although my dating life has taken a more interesting turn lately.
16 Sept. Have sent final revisions to be processed.
11 Oct. Am developing the watercolours. Did abit of research into 'victorian surrealism'. Still waiting for the diary to be published. My computer has been sterilized - lost some of the background notes for future poetry collections but at least I have lots of space for this current project. Am very focused - not letting online men distract me ! I think I come across too many 'players' - better that they stay in my online life than in my real life. My fish eflyers are all swimming up the search engine - at least they are going in the right direction - onwards and upwards.
12 Oct The final revision for the front and back covers have been done - they are shockingly bright on screen - not sure how bright they will be in hard copy.
17 Oct Steampunk and cyberpunk are also influences on the cartoon blog - some truly amazing visuals online - only I am limited to my watercolour pencils and can't find my metallic ones. The cartoon blog is developing - around 22 individual visuals so far but still to draw them. The continious delay in the publication of the DD kind of makes sense for me right now as it gives me time to prepare everything. Am dipping into 'The Ode Less Travelled' by Stephen Fry - I really should study metre - the entire diary is written in poetic prose and so far, I do metre by instinct. The only poetry term I know is 'alliteration'. Will be interesting to find out whether I hit the beat or not.
30 Oct. Covers are finalized but the final revision for the manuscript is still not done. Had a letter today from a debt collection agency - in connection with a supposedly unpaid ebay fee. There is something very devious and mischevious about this company - have read some reviews about it online. Debt is an issue in the diary and I will see what happens next with this company. Getting ready to write some interview notes.
1 Nov. Rang the debt company up - it was connected to somebody else's email. Have got some basic interview notes for all media. Then some more detailed notes on standby. Got lots of online plotting to do. Strange times we live in. Hoping to get some media support before the cartoon blog comes into action. I sometimes think about pulling all my photos and poetry off line and starting completely afresh. I don't know whether I need my image anymore.
11 Nov. Have released one visual from the cartoon blog - Kissing Plenty of Frogs. It's the first time I have edited my own watercolours. It's a start. http://janeairblogs.blogspot.com/
15 Nov. Am frustrated with the continious delay in publication. The cartoon blog will help create anticipation for the dating diary but the diary should of been out in July of this year. A poster will be going up in town promoting my website and two local companies that I am now associated with. Next cartoon blog is 'Casting The Net...' - should be up within a few days time. At least I have control over the cartoon blog. Am reviewing my options in regards to the publishing of my dating diary. And am twittering like mad ! Famous people are famous because they promote themselves - time to come out of my shell - getting my jewellery ready to sell ( just in case ! )
17 th Nov. Yesterday, the final text revisions came back to me - all good but today I find that the front and back covers have deleted themselves from my account - and there is no way of retrieving them - or so I have been told. My cartoon blog will continue as normal. I am starting to think the dating diary is jinxed.
5th Dec. Am adding 5 poems to the book to bring the page count up to 70 - otherwise the book will need reformatting. Nearly there now.
28 Dec. My home office is very cold so I am not spending much time in it. Am waiting for the poems to be added. Will write a review of my first self-publishing experience. I hope that I will be able to get the ebook out while I am waiting for the paperback in the post. I am not sure that I will be keeping this kind of online diary in the future.
10 Jan. Book is now finished but am now waiting for my coordinator to make it 'print ready'. It's not even going to be published in the right year. So much waiting. A web company might be doing some websites for me.
13 Jan 2011. The Cyber Mermaid is finally published as an ebook. ( paperback soon available ). The actual process of preparing the book was relatively easy - I dont' understand why it has taken lulu 6 and a half months to process it but I will do a review on my first self-publishing experience another time.
17 Jan Created the storefront for it - http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/janeair
