As we enter September, it strikes me that we’re a somewhat in-between period.
The summer months have just ended, and publishers know that mid-year is a quiet period for book sales. This seems almost paradoxical, as a lot of people like to take a book for the beach. The one big event we’ve seen – I use the term big loosely – is book one of The Thursday Murder Club being released as a motion picture.
On the other hand, we’re also a little too early for Christmas. That’s the perfect moment to release autobiographies and memoirs so people can buy them for stocking-fillers. Two of the most anticipated titles are from Dolly Parton and Margaret Atwood.
And on a local level, the Edinburgh Fringe packed up more than a week ago, while the fledgling Dundee Fringe doesn’t start for another ten days.
Yet there’s plenty to keep me busy at the moment. I can’t recall a time I’ve had so many short story ideas; not just idle concepts, but fully-formed outlines that can reasonably be written at some point. At last count, these comprised three standalones and a series that will likely have six parts.
The only real barrier is finding the time to actually pen them, and I suppose this in-between time is the ideal opportunity.
Gavin Cameron 