Chit Chat

[David Robinson]

Earlier this week, I was invited to an online chat by DeNita Tuttle of Author Island. For anyone who is interested in following it up, it’s a Yahoo group and you have to register for their newsletter and join the group before you can follow the chat but it can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AuthorIslandChat/?yguid=311140674

All the chatters were American, and as interested in the humour as much as the plot of Melmerby Manor, but the biggest problem with it was the timing. We began at 8pm … Eastern Standard Time, which is 1am BST. I’ve just come offline about 10 minutes ago, 3:30 a.m.

But if you ever get invited onto one of these things, don’t worry about the time, just go for it. It was a fantastic experience, not least because the correspondents are all authors. As well as the subject matter of the novel — ghosts, UFOs the paranormal in general — it was possible to talk about the actual writing, too, with an audience that appreciates what you’re saying without having to deliver a blow-by-blow description.

DeNita, if you’re reading this, a big thanks for your efforts, and to your people. They were great.