Response to Meet Sam

Hey all!

Ms Ann Marie Dunne, a teacher in my school, St Aidan's CBS, recently finished reading Meet Sam and showing it to all of her grind students. She had a few things to say, not many of them bad.

Firstly, she loved it. Her words, not mine. So far no one has said they didn't like it, which is a good sign! Following up on that, she said, "There are things I would do differently, but I suppose that's the difference being seventeen and thirty five, and being male and female." That was all yesterday as we had a not-so-emotional farewell; we know already that we'll be keeping in touch, and that she's yet to see the end of me in that school.

Earlier today, we had a short chat further about the book. The only real problem she had was the ending. Not the plot, but the way it was told. Up to the last two minutes (the last chapter), the story had been told, but not by me, if you understand. It read like a novel, not like an author telling a story. The last part then, blew it. It's the difference between a publisher/agent saying yes or no as far as I'm concerned. The book changed how it read for a sort of "I'm the author, let me wrap everything up now," kind of way. I agree with her fully!

So, that's one major focus point for me when I'm editting. I have to change that last chapter to make the story rounded, one voice - the earlier one, not the last one.

In relation to the movie, one Samantha Priestley regarded it as being hilarious. Extremely positive feedback considering the age, sex and cultural differences between myself and the movie makers, and Samantha. She's got quite a few years on us, is quite the opposite sex to us, and lives in Sheffield, not Dublin. So it turns out the movie is more diverse than we first thought!

In relation to Samantha, you can find her novel, Despite Losing it on Finkle Street here. It's an amazing book, well worth the read. You won't soon forget it! (word of warning: there are very few copies left, so you need to be quick!)