The Enid Blyton Society

I thought it was brilliantly done, Julie, and yes, "too short" in a way, but on the other hand that was a good thing — it meant there was no extraneous padding and no boring bits!! Well done you, as I know from experience it's often a lot harder to keep a story short than to make it longer.

Yes - its definitely more difficult to write a shorter story! I can't manage it, as waffling is a big problem with me!

It's been attributed to other authors as well, but apparently it was originally the mathematician Blaise Pascal who once wrote in a letter: "I have made this longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter"...

Courtenay wrote:I thought it was brilliantly done, Julie, and yes, "too short" in a way, but on the other hand that was a good thing — it meant there was no extraneous padding and no boring bits!! Well done you, as I know from experience it's often a lot harder to keep a story short than to make it longer.

Thank you, Courtenay.

I guess it is a bit harder trying to keep in balance, when you know that if it were an adult book the length would be greater with much more in it. But children, especially these days with computer games etc etc, don't always want to spend a lot of time between the pages of a book, so I did have to discipline myself into remembering that the story will be read by 'todays children' and not the 'children from Enid's days', when our main interest was reading a book.

Well, books like yours might just inspire more of them to put the computer games etc. aside for a moment and discover the joy of a really good read! (Seriously, even when I was little I was rather addicted to computer games at times, but I never lost my love of reading over all — because books make you use your imagination to see and hear the story unfolding, which is an experience you just don't get from computer games or TV.)

I think that's true...although I also think there is a core of children who enjoy reading as much as children did in other generations - as can be seen by the many longer books aimed at children these days. As you say, its a difficult balance. I think you got it just right, especially for a first novel.

I have finally gotten around to ordering this and am eagerly awaiting it's arrival. Amazon had only two copies left in stock and I have bought one so hopefully they will restock as it must be selling quite well.

Hope you enjoy it, John. Yes, I noticed that only one was left in stock now. Again it's up to Amazon to keep on the ball as it were and order more!

Our local independent bookshop in Wadebridge told me they had ordered a stock, and I said I would happily sign the copies before they go on the shelves.

I'm also waiting for our Cornish Magazine - Cornwall Today, - to email me, as they have a copy of my book and want to do an interview with me soon.

Good luck with the interview with Cornwall Today, Julie. I listened to your Radio Cornwall interview earlier today and thought you came over very well. Great stuff!

Thanks, Eddie. I'll let you know when they get in touch, I spoke with the Editor yesterday. It will be in our Cornish Magazine, not sure what month, as I guess that they would have already got January almost finished ready to go to print.

To give you some idea of how far ahead some magazines are worked on, I am currently proofreading one of my regular puzzle magazines which goes on sale in April!

Yes - The People's Friend is similar - in fact over 12 months went by between accepting my first short story and actually publishing it!

Oh wow — congratulations on the Cornwall Today interview, Julie, whenever it comes about!

Rob Houghton wrote:Yes - The People's Friend is similar - in fact over 12 months went by between accepting my first short story and actually publishing it!

They probably couldn't make up their mind if it was good enough!

Well done, Julie. Cornwall today and Great Britain tomorrow!