Random ramblings

Think I might be finally coming down with that flu bug that's flying around though having said that I actually feel better than I did half an hour ago so maybe not - who knows. Maybe I'm just looking to peg the blame for my inactivity on something.
I have a couple of assignments that need to be completed but I just can't seem to put the metaphoric pen to paper. Luckily for me the deadline isn't 'til next week so hopefully I'll have got my head in gear by then. On top of that I really and I mean REALLY want to get back on with BTL and NMBK.
I have a bit of a dilemma with the first one because I have polished it to death but I am wondering if it would be better and more commercial (seamless reference to my last post) if I changed it - pretty much completely. I had some interest from an agent earlier in the year but they wanted the whole thing changing so that I came at it from a different angle so at the moment I am toying with giving myself 3 months to try and change it and see what the outcome is. Do you know what? I wasn't actually toying with that until I wrote it without really thinking about it but now I think that it is something that I will do. The only issue now is finding the time to do it.
So the old year is almost done which I always find very sad but the new one is yet to come and that always gives me a lovely feeling of expectation. Anything is possible just before a new year. having said that "anything" invariably involves some bad stuff too so lets hold off the celebrations just yet.
I thought that I would share the best and the worst of 2010 with you and the owrst came very easily - I lost my mother-in-law very suddenly. She just didn't wake up one morning and that was horrible. At the moment I can't think of anything worse that happened in 2010. The best however is proving a bit more difficult. Oh come on woman - something really good must ahave happened this year. Why is it then that I really can't recall it at the moment? I think that is probably a reflection of the society that we ;ive in. No can't think of the best thing that happened to me in 2010 but if any of you can remember me telling you about something good can you please let me know.
Okay so I am rambling now so I will shut up.
Anyway - here's to a happy New Year everyone.

A little thought

I'm starting this post with a bit of trepidation because I really don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about why I am writing it. The aim of it is to pass a comment, a reflection if you will and is definitly not an attempt to get you kind folks out there to say nice things about BTL. I am not trying to provoke flattery from anyone.
Okay so now we've establishe dthat maybe I should get on with it.
Himself (best husband in the whole world) bought me a book for Christmas that a film I have been known to enjoy on occasions was based on. I will not be naming names here but suffice to say that the film falls into the "romcom" category and the book therefore is "chick-lit." His research had told him that the book was much better than the film and contained "a lot more." Okay then, methinks, I'll give this a go, a little light entertainment over the festive period.
Okay so lets cut to the chase and get to the heart of the matter. As a piece of writing, well how can I say this, its not that good. Mrs Wilkinson my old English teacher would be shivering in a corner if one of us had handed it in. No hang on that's not fair because obviously the writing is grammatically correct etc etc but to me it just doesn't seem to flow. Its all a bit stilted - he said she said but how on earth is anyone feeling sort of thing.
But here is an author who has written and published more than one book and sold the film rights to one of them so she must be doing somthing right. And she is - she is commercial.
Which brings me back to my thoughts on BTL and my writing in general - maybe its just not commercial enough.
Just a thought - and here's another one.
Can we stop eating yet?

Reflections

I have half a cup of tea left and am feeling reflective. It must be that time of year again.
Its been a funny old year and not all the ha ha variety.
Writing wise, the ability to write fiction seems to have deserted me but that's okay as I've been trying my hand at more journalistic/feature type stuff which is what I wanted to do for a living when I left school so to a certain extent I'm living the dream.
I only had one short story published this year but all that I have out there are two stories with Jill Finlay and one to an American market that I think may have gone bust. They were all sent in September and while I haven't given up hope on them, they are at the back of my mind and will be a bonus if anything comes of them.
Non fiction wise I had my first ever travel feature commissioned by a magazine this year which was quickly followed by another. Yay (I thought) I'm on a roll - only to be informed by the editor that they are changing style and have enough material in stock to see them through to that change. She said that she would be in touch when they had more work for me but so far I haven't heard anything. I also had several pieces in the local paper mainly around work and what was happening there - sort of promotional stuff - which gave me great satisfaction. Latterly I have been writing for an American outlet and that seems to be going okay but doesn't leave a lot of time for the book that has gone back into the drawer.
However I have to say that I am more than happy with the way that the writing year hss turned out. It didn't take the direction that I hoped it would at the beginning of the year but life has a way of doing that. Maybe I'll look back on what I wrote when I was feeling reflective last year and see just what I did hope the year would turn out like.
I don't know what I want from 2011 other than we get through it in one piece. Writing will be what it is and I'll enjoy the ride most of the time (hopefully). I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully make more time to work on the book because I have too much time and effort invested in that to just give up because I haven't found anyone who believes in it as much as I do - yet.
Anyway, the tea is now gone and I have presents to wrap and stuff do do in the kitchen so I will wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I'm hoping to have all my men with me on Saturday and that will make me happy - I hope that something makes you happy too.
One final thing which I wasn't sure I was going to add but once I've typed it its said and it will have to stay said.
Lou, I miss you, we all miss you and you are the one red bauble amongst the silver ones on my Christmas tree.

A bit naughty

I'm not going to apologise for not being around for ages because it sounds insincere when I say it all the time. I am though.
i have been busy writing non fiction with a bit of success which is good for the morale and the pocket. However, do you know what? I have done something very naughty. No - calm down its nothing like that - I've decided to give myself the day off - or at least the morning. Usually on my day off during the past few weeks I have written an article or researched one but today I just can't seem to concentrate so I have decided that I'm taking some time off. I'm not sure if I'll manage a full day because like I said previously this non fiction lark is a bit of an addiction at the moment but I'm definitly having the morning.
I am going to make a cake, some curried parsnip soup (for lunch after I've walked the dog) and try to find a trashy Christmas movie to watch which I may well sleep through.
Sounds like a plan to me.
Oh and while I'm doing it I will be keeping my fingers crossed that these dinner plate sized snow flakes that are falling from the sky don't decide to stick because I was hoping to travel south on Sunday to deliver Christmas presents.
Oh and by the way - I had a rejected story returned through th epost the other day - ya boo hiss!

Apologies from a bad blogger

I feel like I have been a very bad blogger recently and I feel the need to explain myself.
I have developed a bit of addiction. Luckily for me its just to writing. In the hours before bed time when I used to answer emails and blog I now write, in the morning with breakfast when I used to do the same I write. Its good because I enjoy it but it does mean that I have forgotten to do the other things that I enjoy sometimes.
I am concentrating on non fiction these days as some of you may know and I love the discipline of it. I really enjoy the research. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy fiction anymore just that I am concentrating on other stuff at the moment.
Anyway, enough of that.
We're now enduring our 7th day of heavy snow and frankly I am heratily sick of it. I didn't get to work on Monday and had a struggle to get there on Tuesday and Wednesday. Today is a day off but I have just heard that the person covering for me hasn't got in and so the place is closed. I haven't had the nerve to ring my boss and tell him yet. I'm looking forward to walking the dog this afternoon though because it is very pretty and he loves it. It is very funny. Having said that if it could all have disappeared by the morning that would be fab.

I know somebody will know

When I say that I want to know this for a friend - trust me I do. It is not a euphemism for anything.
This morning, unable to get out of the village because of the snow I was talking on the phone to a friend who is also stuck at home about our relative "hobbies." Now she has more success than I do and asked me if I knew how much she was allowed to earn from her "hobby" before she had to declare it to the tax man. Well, never having earned more than a few hundred pounds in any financial year it wasn't a question I could answer but I said that I knew a group of people that would know.
That is your good selves in case you didn;t recognise the description.
Any offers?
Stay safe every one. This afternoon I have to trek through the foot of snow to the nearest shop to get supplies. It's only 4 miles - uphill.

Sorry

...for not being around lately but I just wanted to pop over tonight and tell you what I've been up to.
I have been writing every day with the exception of Saturday's which are a working day for me (day job) and I don't write on a Saturday evening because that's an evening to spend with Himself, Strictly and X Factor. I've been writing a lot of non fiction and through research for said writing I have learned a lot of stuff that I didn't know before.
Sadly I haven't found a lot of time for writing on the book and I need to work out a way of fitting that in. Maybe I need to do what my friend jan does with excercise and schedule it into my diary.
So things are looking good writing wise for me at the moment. I know that it's not very interesting (what I've been up to) but its just the way it is.
The best thing that I have learned this month is discipline and finally I have some as far as writing is concerned.
That makes me happy.

Still here

Its been a while since I was here but I just wanted to reassure you all that I am still alive and kicking.
I had a bit of a trauma on Saturday involving losing power, electricians and a "redundant circuit" but luckily for me I went to work after I called the electrician and it was fixed by the time I got home.
On the writing front I have found that since I changed direction away from the short story I have become more focused and I have found a writing discipline that I haven't had before. I am writing every day and that is something that I haven't done before. I fond that I am in a routine now. I find that I'm barely surfing the internet either these days unless it is for research. I couldn't tell you the last time that I went on facebook. Also I am really sorry that I haven't checked out other blogs recently. I'm going to try and get on top of that tomorrow. I would do it today but its almost midnight and I'm thinking that I should go to bed.
Okay so that's it really. Just wanted you to know that I am well and I am really happy with the way things are going at the moment. I could do with more hours in the day though if anyone knows where I could find some.

Another rule

I added another rule to the rules of engagement and that is to be honest with yourself about why you write.
I write to be published - and I want to be paid for it.
I know a lot of people that say that they just write for themselves and that is absoloutly fine. Every now and then I write poetry for myself. But when it comes to prose be it fact or fiction I do it to be published. Its not a grand scheme to get rich because God knows I'd be wasting my time there but more far a personal satisfaction that someone has chosen to publish what I have written and validates that by paying me for it.
As a teenager I had two carrer aspirations. One was to be a journalist and the second was to write a book or maybe even two or three or four - you get the idea. Maybe this is just my way of living the dream.
So rule number 2 - be honest with yourself.

Decision day

This lunchtime at work I was sitting by a window just watching the world go by and with my mind wandering something blindingly obvious came to me. As regular visitors may remember I have mentioned more than once that I never feel like I have enough time for writing all of the things that I have on the go. Well nothing has changed in that direction and to cut short a very long thought process I have decided to give the short stories a rest at least for a while. I haven't had a lot of success with them this year which in itself can be very disheartening but I have had more non fiction published than ever before. So that is what I am going to concentrate on for the next few months. Well that and my book which is my real baby.

Again and again

So I managed to underwhelm Norah again - twice - in one day. I only sent one of them on the 15th of this month. That being the case, I'm hanging onto the fact that she has had one of my stories since mid-August.

Found it

I won't bore you with every one of these that I write but as it's my first here is my article on ehow.

another update

Just popped over to let you know that there was an email waiting for me this morning to say that my article has been accepted. Yay!!!
I have another one to do and as I have a few days to get that in I think I'm going to do it at the weekend and probably time myself to see how long it takes.
I'm not sure where the article will appear just that it's somewhere out there in the black hole called the internet - probably the How To website but I'm not sure.

e-article update etc.

Just thought I'd pop over and update you on my foray into the magical world of the e-article. I now have a follower on Helium even though I have only wrote 2 articles which is a bit weird but I am embracing the experience and on Sunday my bio was approved by Demand Studios meaning that I could claim my first assignment which I duly did. I submitted that article (about Kalo card readings) on Tuesday and had it returned for some rewriting. According to my friend who writes for them regularly this is standard practice and I shouldn't worry about it. Anyway I made the changes and resubmitted last night. When I first submitted it I did so about 11.30pm on Tuesday night and the re-write request was waiting for me by the time I got up. There was no such email this morning so I don't know if that is a good think or not.
Should they accept this article I will be paid $15 for it which is a below minimum wage return for the amount of time it took me (probably about 2 hours) but I do hope yo get quicker if I continue on this road. Finding an assignment that I can write about is very time consuming but having said that I have claimed another assignment this morning and it was much quicker.
On the fiction front, I am re-engaging with NMBK and have polished a couple of short stories one of which I subbed the other day. I haven't started any new short fiction for a couple of weeks. I have however come up with a couple of ideas for articles so I need to buy a 2011 diary and pop a couple of deadlines in there.
It's all go.

Not a page turner.

Well I've been accepted by Helium and Demand Studios and have written a couple of articles for Helium and tried to write one for DS but apparently the review I made to my bio hasn't been cleared yet so I can't write anything yet. So allow me to tell you what I've found.
Helium seems easy to write for, both of the articles that I wrote have been accepted but then I don't see how the aren't. It was like you write, you post and it's there. As yet I haven't been able to work out how you get paid. My friend who does this type of writing to pay the bills since she lost her job said the same thing so she doesn't write for them much so I might follow her lead on that one for now.
As for Demand Studios they pay regularly and quickly but I have been struggling with the articles that they want. One of the gems yesterday was Beer Faucet and Shank Assembly. What????
Needless to say I feel like I hven't got very far on the sites themselves but things that I have read on there have started trains of thought for other things.
This internet writing lark may be the future but give me a page you can turn any day of the week.

Rule number 1

I have come to appreciate that the markets available to us (or is that we) writers is a small one. Okay, so I'm a bit slow on the up-take what can I say?
I read an article the other day about someone who writes for websites and said that these were the future. A friend of mine has written articles for websites since they were made redundant a year and a half ago and seems to be quite successful. They're on holiday at the moment so I can't pick her brains but I just wondered if any of you had any experience of this outlet.
Rule number one of my "Let's do this thing" philosophy is Always be on the look out for a market.- that number is subject is subject to change as and when I come up with more rules.

An anniversary

Today is a special day for Himself and I. At 3pm, 28 years ago this very day, he and I tied the knot in St Marie's Cathedral in Sheffield. How can that be? 28 years is a ridiculous amount of time. Having said that my parents were also married in that building though it didn't have the exalted title of "cathedral" then and in February they will have been married 60 years - now that is ridiculous. However what my own anniversary means is that this place here, this county, this village will have been my home 28 years tomorrow. We spent our honeymoon here at home so I left my parents home spent one night in a hotel and then took up residence here in the North East. And to think I can remember telling Mary Elliott (girl who was in my class) that I couldn't imagine living anywhere other than Sheffield. Funny how life turns out isn't it?

I'm back from .....

...the beautiful city of York and I am happy to report that I had a wonderful time. Being a Yorkshire girl born and bred it is a kind of spiritual home and I feel so much better for bathing in it's glory for a couple of days.

P.S.

As regular visitors may know it is a rule of this blog that once it has been written it has to stay so I just want to add something to my last posting. To any editors or any one else that may be reading this with a view to commissioning my words of wisdom - I am not messing about at this - I take what I write very seriously - it's just that I am lacking a bit of direction at the moment. I need to get my mojo back.

Honesty needed but not just yet.

October is a time of relection for me. For those of you that were around when the "ugliness" was hanging over me you may remember that it happened in October so I do spend a lot of time "thinking" aound this time of year. So that is what I've been doing for most of the hour and a bit sice I woke up. To be honest there's not a lot else to do at 5.30 on a Sunday morning.
I thought that I would look back at what I was writing on here last year. After I'd done that I went a year further back and so on until I got to 2007 when I first started the blog. I maybe should point out that I only looked at the month of October and not everything that I ever wrote.
It was interesting that in 2007 and 2008 I used to write a list of what I had done the week before and then one of what I was going to do the week after. It was all pretty mundane stuff to be honest. I'd given up making the lists by last year. What scared me a bit - well not scared because that's ridiculous - but what I noticed was that some of the stuff that I was writing on there that I was "going" to do I still haven't done. What am I messing about at?
We're having a few days away this week so I know that I won't get much done until after that but maybe the time has come to re-evaluate what it is that I am trying to achieve from this hobby of mine. If it is just an enjoyable distraction that I do for myself just because I enjoy it? That is fine but something tells me that that isn't all I want from it. I need to be honest with myself because if I can't be honest with me then there's no hope and do something about it. I think that I sometimes say to myself that even if I don't succeed at least I'll know that I've tried. But will I because at this moment it seems to me that I've just been messing about.

11 days left

I know that for a lot of us, time off from the day job makes us happy because we can spend all of our time writing. I know this because I have had holidays like that myself. But this time I gave myself permission not to write and it feels great. Much as I love it I have also enjoyed not doing it. Does that make sense? It's not that I haven;t written at all, I have tinkered with a few things, submitted a story and queried another but there has been nothing major. I have also been thinking and thats part of the doing.
I am just relaxing and I can't believe that I have only had 3 days off so far. I am so chilled.

Weird feeling and empty banks

This is a bit weird.

It's 7.10am on a Monday morning and I'm still sitting in my dressing gown and the dog hasn't been walked. It can only mean one thing.

NO WORK TODAY - HOORAH!

Actually no work for two weeks unless you count tomorrow afternoon when I have to go in to complete the stocktake that I completely forgpt about when I booked these two weeks.

It just feels so odd. I haven't had two days off together since May so the prospect of 15 of the little blighters is mind blowing.

Anyway, sadly I have to report another rejection from Norah since the last time I posted. She had three of my stories and now that the second and third have both been returned all hope lies with story number one which if my memory serves me correctly she has had around two months. But at least you know where you are with a rejection. I much prefer it to the "if you haven't heard from us in so many monaths" approach because even after the deadline has expired I'm still wondering if they might be running a bot behind schedule so maybe there is still hope.

These two weeks won't involve a lot of writing as there are lots of little chores around the house that need to be attended to plus we'll be having a few days away next week but I'm hoping to fit some in. The story banks are running a bit low and need to be refilled.

Once again.

Well I managed to underwhelm Norah at TaB once again. I just can't work out what it is that she is looking for. Maybe one day (deep sigh.)

Interesting time ahead.

I was flicking through a very old newspaper yesterday when a very small article caught my eye and I immediately thought that it would make a fantastic base for a story. I think that it would be too long for a short story if that makes sense - so I'm thinking a book. The trouble is that it will involve a LOT of research and that is something that I haven't really done before.
It should be interesting if nothing else.
By the way, if anyone has any advice in this department I really would appreciate it. I will need to research life in a certain period so that I can develope the characters and the research a certain event.

This and that

Okay, so what has happened since the last time that I was here? Well I got another rejection but that came as no surprise because if you remember the last time I got a rejection I said that I knew what the problem was and feared that the other story that they were holding had the same one. Clearly it did.

I've also been "getting on" with a few of the things that I mentioned the other day. I have submitted 2 stories and have another just waiting to be dropped into the post box. I've also done some research on a couple of articles and even looked at a possible agent for BTL. I'm just not sure if I'm ready to let that baby fly yet.

Thursday is usually a good writing day for me but I fear that won't be the case today. I have to go out at one o'clock and will be out for the rest of the afternoon. Before that I have to walk the dog and as I've been up since 5am I might try and fit in a nap. I hate waking uo early because I spend most of the time tired enough as it is but when I've been up early I'll be no good to anyone after about 6pm. I might get an hour or so's writing in tonight if I can stay awake that long.

Right so I'm going to print off the cover sheet that I forgot to do when I printed the rest of the story out yesterday and post my latest mini masterpiece off as I walk the dog. Did you see that? Two birds with one stone. Now if I could only sleep walk the dog I'd be laughing.

All quiet in the pink pen front

The pink pen has been very quiet for the last week or two. I've been working hard on the day job and have been too tired at the end of the day to do much writing. Sadly that is what pays the bills so has to come first.
I have done a bit of work on NMBK but that must have been about a week ago so that hardly counts and I did come up with a story for my writing group but apart from that, not much else that I can recall.
I had an idea yesterday for a piece of non fiction so I am going to try and start the research on that this week but of I'm honest I'm not sure of the market. It's a light hearted piece that is written not quite in bullet point form but with a short piece written about several things about the same subject. I've written similar pieces before but I'm not sure if the market is still there. I also had another non-fiction idea so maybe I'll give that some thought too. The fiction success seems to have dried up a bit at the moment. What am I saying? Success has - full stop. Never mind - there's always that day job that I mentioned.
I am also planning on submitting a couple of things this week. They are stories that have been either sitting in a folder for a while or have been reworked after rejection but I think they are worth an outing.
I've just checked and I currently have 10 pieces out there but three of them are with TLFF and are coming up to the 3 month deadline so I can probably kiss an acceptance from them good-bye and another one has been with Allas since March. I queries that one a couple of months ago but still haven't heard anything. Maybe I should assume that they haven't received either email and give up on that one.
Oh and of course I shouldn't forget BTL which is currently sitting in a drawer (metaphorically speaking) waiting to sent out to agents. I really should look at somewhere to send that.
So all in all I have a few things to be getting on with and hopefully when I come visiting blogland in a few days I will be able to report that I have been more productive.

mantra de jour

After following my mantra de jour i.e. be hyper critical on your writing before sending it out there I submitted a short story today so that was good. The day hasn't been a total waste then. The truth is that I have done very little else. It's a day off from the day job today and that's exactly what I did - I had a day off. Apart from going to the supermarket this morning and making some lunch for Himself and I, I have done nothing else and do you know what I feel so much better for it. I've been on a downer in general recently and today is just what I needed to recharge the batteries. Who knows - I might even potter into the kitchen to knock up some tea in a bit.
I feel like I want to start a new "big" project but I'm just not getting the inspiration? Any ideas of how to get inspired? Usually it comes to me when I least expect it so I maybe need to just hang around a but longer and wait for it to come to me. Either that or get the love back for the two "big" projects that were started and then mothballed.
I'll give it some thought.

The week so far

Well, let me see. I had another rejection - ya boo hiss and all that. On reflection though it probably shouldn't have gone out there yet. The ending was/is a bit weak. (Note to self. Be hyper critical about your babies.) No surprise really. I have another with the same editor which I have a similar feeling about and if their usual time scale is anything to go by I'll be hearing about that one in the next week or two. It's all good though - I can take it.
On a brighter note I did get paid for a writing job that I was asked to do. It wasn't a lot but it all counts.
I've just consulted my writing diary (not half so grand as it sounds) and this week I seem to have given myself a lot of submission deadlines. However bearing in mind my new mantra to be hypercritical on myself that might get whittled down while I review endings etc.
I submitted a couple of things this week but I seem to have hit a bit of a - well a rather big actually - wall as far as acceptances go. I haven't had one for ages. Just as well I didn't take that dream I had a few weeks ago seriously and hand my notice in after telling the boss I was giving it all up to be a writer.
Anyway best get on, things to do, people to see etc not to mention find time to read more of the new Jeff Lindsay (might not have spelled that right - sorry Jeff) which himslef bought for me as soon as it was released. I love Dexter Morgan.

Shortlived

That success I was on about the other day was shortlived. Instead of coming back 2 days after I posted it to Pf it came back after 3 days. There was a letter which I take to be standard that said that they didn't feel that it was exciting enough for their readers.
C'est la vie and all that.

A first

I am almost giddy with excitement.
For the first time EVER a story that I have sent to People's Friend has not been returned to me two days after I sent it to them.
Whatever happens this one is a success.

The last time I'll mention it - I promise

I didn't make it over here yesterday what with one thing and another. I honestly don't know where this week has gone. I've certainly not achieved anything of note. No that's not true actually and I am being too hard on myself (for a change.) I think that I said last week that I thought I might have set myself to many goals on my to do list and I clearly did because I didn't get a lot of things (some) done but I did get the important ones ticked - the ones with actual editorial deadlines.
So the lesson that I have learned is to make the to do lists more achievable. Why is it that in the day job I am a stickler for SMART objectives but that goes out of the window when it comes to my writing. I think that part of the reason is that I know how much effort is needed to succeed in this business and I try to put that effort in - setting goals accordingly. But the truth is that I am not Superwoman (I know - it came as a surprise to me to) and I have to accept that my time is limited. I have a very demanding full time job which leaves me mentally and physically exhausted most days and I still have a home to run. What I need to get into my head is to be more specific. Focus on what HAS to be done this week not what I would WANT to be done if I lived in that world that exists in my mind.
So there are only 2 things that I MUST do this week and that's all that is going on my to do list. Everything else will be e bonus.
Sorry to bang on about the to do list again. It's the last time I promise.
Nothing has really happened this week - no rejections - no acceptances. There are about 9 or 10 things out there at the moment including one that Allas have had since March (I think I can take it that one's a no) so there is scope for news - just none yet.

Quiet time

Maybe its because its summer but there doesn't seem to be a lot happening at the moment.
I sent one of the stories that I mentioned the other day off but on reflection I decided that the onthe one wasn't ready yet so why waste a stamp on it. I'll have a look at it in the next week or two and then send it off. I have been concentrating on the project that has the deadline of September 2nd because by its very nature it is something that I have agreed to do by a certain time - and they'll pay me for it which is even better.
I had wanted to start a short story this week but inspiration just isn't coming my way. I have also been quite harsh on myself. I was working on a couple of non fiction projects but when I looked at them objectively I realise dthat they weren't up to scratch. Once upon a time I would have ploughed on regardless with the blind hope that an editor would think that it was better than it actually was. Experience has taught me that that isn't the case and so I stopped wasting effort on them I think that the ideas are still valid but I just need to approach them from a different direction.
I had a dream the other night that I was resigning from work because I had to work full time as a writer to fulfil my commitments. I was so scared in my dream that God help me if I ever had to do that.
I've also been under a bit of a cloud personally.Don't know why - hormones probably - it gets the blame for everything else. However I am happy to report that the cloud has lifted a bit over the last couple of days.
Thats it really. Sorry its so dull.

This and that

Well that to do list isn't coming on very well. If you look at the numbers of the ten things that were on there I've done five which doesn't sound so bad but they are all the "easy" things that I have done. The larger jobs, teh ones that are going to require more actual work are still sitting on it.
Oh well the weeks not over yet.
I've prepared a couple of short stories for submission and it literally is just a case of putting them in the envelope and posting them. I think I'll be doing that tomorrow or Friday at the latest. The good news is that I've had no rejections this week but the downside is that I didn't get any acceptances either. I did receive an email from an editor the other day but it wasn't meant for me. I guess they had sent it to the wrong person - well I know they had. It was a very cryptic message.
My head seems a bit all over the place this week. I'm hoping to get that back together in the next day or two. Not sure what's wrong but then when did there have to be a reason. I just feel a bit unsettled. Hopefully that will be changed by the next time I pop over here.

What to do

I've made my "to do" list for the coming week and just for a change I think that I may have overstretched myself. Well maybe not, a couple of them are looking up things that have already been written and evaluating them so that maybe won't take too long. The main thing that I MUST get on with is the one that has a deadline to meet. That one has to be done.
This is totally writing unrelated but I must tell you because it's making me smile. I am currently as I type in the middle of a text conversation with my ex boss who is complaining about the lack of talent (amongst other things) in my home town. I've not lived there for nearly 30 years so I don't think that I can be held responsible. But maybe I can because when I worked for him I was responsible for just about everything else. Good job he's a pal. He was the first person outside my very close family and a particular friend that I told when I had my first story published. However that is the only one I have ever told him about. However there's been no text for a few minutes so maybe he's finally found something worthy of his attention.
Anyway I digress.
I'll let you know how I get on with my "to do" list. However tonight I think that the first thing to do might be to go to bed as it's almost 11pm.

My week so far

I've been trying to be disciplined with my limited writing time and although it might not look like I've been doing much looks can be deceiving.
I'm on schedule with the project that has a deadline and I started the research for the article that I am writing. Tomorrow is my main writing day and I'm hoping to get through more jobs on my list then.
I had a rejection from WW yesterday which is more disappointing because they had had it so long but c'est la vie. I still haven't heard from Allas about the story that I sent them ages ago and queried at the end of June but I'm guessing that I didn't blow Lotta away with that one and I've also submitted a couple of things.
That's it really - see you Sunday (or earlier on W2W because I will be nipping over there to comment on stories)

Turning pink

As the pen is pink I thought I'd have the blog pink for a while.

One week on

So here we are one week into my plan to be more disciplined around blogs and the internet in general and I can honestly say hand on heart that I did only visit blogland on Wednesday morning and just now (Sunday morning.) I wish that I could say that it made a difference to my output but it didn't really. No, that's not true, I did do some new stuff plus I polished a couple of things and submiutted those. So on reflection, I guess it was worth it because I did actually do something. Also it's all part of learing to be disciplined.
When I switched the computer in I did it with a purpose in mind and that helped. I went straight to the Word document that I wanted to work on and I did that. This week however I am researching a couple of articles so that will be a minefield of faffing possibilities. I also have something with a deadline of September 2nd to work on and I always find that an actual deadline from an actual editor concentrates the mind.
So that was my week and now I'm off to see what the rest of you have been up to.

A determined effort

Okay, I'm going to try this and see how it goes.
I have decided that because blogs/facebook and the internet in general is so diverting I am going to schedule it into my week.
For the next week I am only going to allow myself to look at blogs on Wednesday and again next Sunday. Usually I check it each night and I end up doing none of things that I should have been doing. Okay so I have just come up with a snag. The W2W results will probably be out tomorrow and I will want to check that so maybe a quick peak there but nothing else.
Facebook is a different animal because that is much more fluid with more going on. Having said that there is so much on there that is a waste of my time reading and the writers time writing so maybe I should not go on there either.Some of my friends (and they are friends not random people that I have befriended) write about EVERYTHING that they are doing so much so that I am surprised they ever get anything done. That really annoys me but they are my friends and I don't want to upset them. Just out of interest does anyone know of a way that I can stop getting their feed without them knowing about it? Like I said a second ago, they are my friends and I don't want to upset them.
Anyway the point of this post was to say that I am going to make a VERY determined effort not to become so easily diverted by the internet so that I can actually get on with the things that I should be doing.
TTFN

The job in hand

The plan for today after I have visited Mr. Morrisson is to prepare BTL for a foray out into the big bad world without her Mummy (just like the boys starting school all over again) and then work on the edits of the first part of NMBK. I will have approximately two and a half hours to do this and I am determined not to spend that time flicking around the internet, looking on facebook etc etc which is why I'm doing that now, over breakfast.
I must fight the hypnotic lure if cyber world and live instead in that one that exists only in my head (but in a good way.) Must focus.
I had my PDR with my line manager (actually ex but it gets very complicated) yesterday and one of the things that I said I was going to do to help me achieve my objectives was to - in the words of Jack Reacher, take care of the job in hand. I did leave out the Jack Reacher reference because said ex line manager doesn't strike me as a Lee Child fan.
So that's it - focus on the job in hand - hopefully.

Being realistic.

How's this for prolific blogging - twice in one day.
So anyway, here's what's on my mind. Remember the project that I said might not have the legs? Well I've been giving it a lot of thought and I'm not sure it would work the way that I wanted it to. You see, it was based on something that I thought I had started i.e. a screenplay. Some of you may remember me harping on about it a life-time ago. So I was going through said screenplay the other day trying to get inspiration and before I knew it I'd read it all and realised that I'd actually completed the first draft. As a screenplay I can see it very clearly. I can see the things happening in my head. Sadly I'm not getting the same feeling from the prose experience. I think it may be because to try and convey what I want to say in words is just that, a lot of words and not much dialogue to move the thing forward. So for now anyway, I'm going to stick to the screen play version.
Anybody know what you do with one of them?

Bit of a buzz actually.

There I was, in the supermarket that shall remain nameless (no free advertising here) walking down the aisle that has magazines down one said and televisions down the other when I threw a cursory glance at the magazine that someone was holding and thought Hang on! That looks familiar. Sure enough it was the article I wrote about Rome for My Weekly. As I'm not sure if MW provide contributor copies I bought one just in case. Said magazine is now sitting very pretty on the kitchen table, open at the appropriate page.
Deep joy.

Plan the plan

I logged onto the computer before 7am for something totally different which I have now completed and found myself drawn here. I read a couple of comments that had been left and then it hit me. When Suzanne wished me luck with the planning I suddenly thought that I should be good at it because I plan lots of things for the day job - usually big changes around. When that happens everything has to be planned. Where we're starting, where we're finishing and each stage in between. It occurred to me that I need to apply the same theory to this - or at least give it a go.
Anyway, must go. I should have been in the bathroom ten minutes ago.

The fog is clearing a bit

I've tried all the things that were suggested by you good folk and I am feeling a little more motivated. My concern (it doesn't qualify as a problem) is that I now want to write but don't know what to concentrate on.
BTL is in the bag as it were and just looking for a home and I have started on my second "great" work. But there is another project that I want to work on. So I decided to work on the project that is exciting me the most and that's great. However (didn't you know that there would be one) it needs planning and I struggle with planning. But it is a skill that I would like to learn.
At the minute I have the idea but I'm not sure it's got the legs to get to 70k. If I just write it I think that it might fall a bit short.
Any ideas for best practice for planning a book?

Foggy

My friend asked me the other what writing I was working on at the moment and I had to be honest and say that I wasn't really working on anything. It made me realise that I've been in a bit of a fog (for want of a better word) for the last few weeks. I just can't get myself going on anything, I'm lacking motivation.
I'm not sure why this is because God knows I have enough projects planned. Maybe I need to start a completely fresh one and hope that I can get excited about that.
I know that I'm not the first one to go through this and I'm pretty sure that I won't be the last but I would be really interested to know what others have done to shake off the lethargy.
Any ideas?

What I've done and will be doing.

I'm going to be spending the best part of today trying to get a feel for CT - the project that I started a couple of months ago and then had to put on the back burner while I fiddled around with another project. I need to try and climb back inside my MC's head. Then it will be onwards and upwards with that one.
Had a rejection (collective boo) from WW yesterday. They actually have 4 of my stories at the moment and the rejected one was the third one that I sent them. I don't know what to think about the two "older" ones. Is is a good sign or have they just not got round to sending them back yet? Who knows? Time will tell I suppose.
I've also resubmitted stories to TLFF that were sent before the new editor took over so everything is crossed for those too.
On a different note, I have a new steam cleaner which I'm looking forward to laying with later and who knows, maybe I'll watch a couple of games of football and some tennis.
It's all go.
Must get on, I've got a head to climb into.

Unlucky for some?

I realised the other day that it's been quite a while since I subbed a short short story, the BTL rewrite has been dominating my thoughts for a month or so. Well I put a stop to that lack of productivity today and have subbed two stories. One was a brand new one and the other was one that has been "reworked" as it were. That brings me up to 13 stories out there but at least two of them have been with That's Life for nigh on six months so there's not much longer for them. They do still have their if you've not heard in six months you've been unsuccessful policy don't they?
I'm planning on more subbing this week or certainly next.
I go through phases like this - I should really learn to pace myself.

A lovely award

Thanks Amanda for this lovely award. Apparantly, part of the deal for getting this is that I tell you 10 things about myself. I'll warn you in advance - prepare to be underwhelmed.
Here goes.
1. I took my last A level (Economics) 29 years ago today.
2. My maternal grandmother, had she lived, would have been 120 years old last Monday. It might actually have been 121 - my mum's not quite sure.
3. I love musicals.
4. I'm enjoying the World Cup.
5. I used to be a Playgroup Leader and helped out in a nursery.
6. My children both weighed the same and were born in the same delivery room.
7. If I've had one too many sherry's I want to eat pork pie. Thank goodness I'm not much of a drinker.
8. I had to take my driving test 7 times before I passed it.
9. I have a memory like a seive - literally. People know that they can tell me anything that they don't want anyone else to know because by the time I've had a sleep I'll have forgotten it.
10. I have a pair of lucky earrings.
Phew that was hard. Hope you've not nodded off.
Now I have to pass this on and I send it to:
Olivia
Caroline
and
Karen
I know it's not many but it seems that every other blog I visit on a regular basis already has this award.
Thanks again Amanda.

Writing and other stuff

I love the word "stuff" (when referring to things that is.)
After a chat with a dear lady with a lot of experience (20 books I would think but I haven't counted them) the butchering of BTL is on hold and I am back with the original.She gave me some sound advice and I'm taking it. Goerge is very happy to be back - for now at least.
The day job has been keeping me busy but I have managed to fit in some writing.
CT is back out of the drawer so to speak after it's sabbatical in the drawer while I had the knife to BTL. That's good because it's a project that I'm eager to get on with. At the moment no new words have been added as I'm re-reading what I already had and getting a feel for it again.
I have also been working on my short story for the writing group that I am in. It's all there apart from the end. I how I want it to end and what I want to say, I just haven't found the right words to say them with yet. I'll give that some thought today and hopefully come up with the nuggets of wisdom before tomorrow evening.
Other than that there's not been much. Oh I did receive an electronic copy of one of the travel articles that I wrote. That looks good but I'm sure it will look better on the glossy page. I need to add a "couple of lines" to the end and get that back to them by tomorrow at the latest. As I saw the email after 7pm last night and I had to email them back asking how many words they want added to the fact that I am at work today and I think we all know what I'll be doing tonight.
Speaking of work, I should really get a wriggle on. It's 7.10am and I need to leave in 20 minutes so that I can make a detour to the bank (for some cash) the supermarket (for some bread) and still hopefully have time for a cuppa before the day has to start properly.

Oh eck

Have you ever hit the send button on an email the second before you think should I really be doing this?
Please tell me you have - even if its not true because it'll make me feel better.

When less is more - but only temporarily.

The rewrite of BTL means cutting out huge swathes of the original ms which means that I write maybe 500 - 800 new words only to discover when I check the word count that I'm only 50 or so words better off than I was. Nil desperandum I'll be reaching the totally new scenes soon so that should help the word count. I'm really enjoying it actually even though it is practically a totally different book now.
Different will be good if it is better.
I think it is.

Nothing much (at all really)

Oh I was so full of angst this morning regarding a matter about the car park I use when I'm at work and wouldn't you just know that the Centre Manager that I spoke to was just lovely when I complained to her and it all disppeared. Pity the same couldn't be said for the bloke I spoke to before her who copped it big time. His ears may still be ringing.
However. Isn't it a glorious day. (Statement of fact not a question so no ? required (I think)) Sorry to anyone who hasn't got the lovely weather but we have and I'm celebrating it.
I'm going to do a spot of weeding later on which is always therapeutic and I might even make a quiche for lunch. I have some edits to do before that though. I even thought that I might iron later but I soon knocked that idea on the head.
Edits here I come.

...

Continuing the rewrite, I wrote a new scene yesterday and got to a point where I wasn't sure what to write next. I'm sure that is something that we are all familiar with or maybe not it might just be me. Anyway, I thought that if I left it and came back later it would all fit into place. Not so. I have just edited what I wrote yesterday and have come to "that" sentence and am still not sure what it is I want to say.
So for a bit of fun I thought that I'd ask your good selves. Please complete,
The tea had been made, brewed and partially drunk before Sadie asked....
I can't wait.

Momentous day?

So its a week on from my last post and I'm still waiting. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Personally I've given up trying to second guess and it'll come when it does.
In the meantime what have I been doing? Well I've been working on more rewrites as suggested by the interested agent and I'm very much enjoying doing those. It's like a new book. Also I've just been enjoying having a week away from the day job.
Its hard to get my head around the fact that this time 25 years ago I was just starting labour which didn't end until just before midnight. It was worth it though. Hopefully today will be just as momentous but not so painful. 25 years - that is ridiculous. Where has the time gone? I still remember it like it was yesterday,
Happy birthday Number 2 Son.

???

Why is it that the more you want something the longer it takes to arrive? OR is that fact that it's taking longer than last time a good thing? AND when it finally arrives will I have the courage to open it?
So many questions but so few answers.

Just catching up

I haven't visited blogland for the best part of a week and I can see that I've got some catching up to do. There are lots of places that I need to visit to catch up on what's been happening and I'll make a start on those shortly. I just wanted to apologise to anyone that has left a comment and answering those is the first thing on my list.
I haven;t been away or anything exciting like that it's just that I had to work to a very tight deadline which was exciting in it's own way.
However, mission accomplished and now it's time for a nap.

Allas turnaround

Does anyone have any idea what the Allas turnaround time is at the moment? I had a rejection from them some time ago and that took a month. They have had another of my stories much longer than that. This is the only experience that I have of this magazine so I don't know what is normal.

Found it

I re-read the letter from Prima and it didn't say that the letter had been published in "this month's" magazine it said "May's." As this is a magazine I was supposed to have read that surprised me a bit. So anyway, I got May's edition out of the pile waiting to be recycled and sure enough there at the bottom of page 136 (I think) is my letter about dating agencies and the money that is being made out of them. It was a response to an article that had been in a previous edition.
Mystery solved.

?

I received a letter today to say that a letter I wrote has been published in this month's Prima. Trouble is, I don't remember writing one and I haven't recorded it on my what to where list. I'm sure that the magazine is right so I'm very much looking forward to getting the magazine so that I can see what it was.

Almost there

I've spent the best part of three hours editing and polishing the rewritten 3 chapters of BTL and I think that I am at that stage again where I am almost tired of reading them. I know it practically word for word. I also know that I could carry on faffing with it forever - just changing things for the sake of it.
With that in mind I think that I'm going to leave it a day or two and then come at it again for a final polish and then send it off.
That's the plan at the minute anyway.

I just know that I'm going to agonise over resending these three chapters. Remember how I was when I sent it the first time. But it won't promote confidence if it tales me months to rewrite 3 chapters will it? On the other hand I want to make sure that they are right.
I also want the engineer to give the boiler a clean bill of health. It's been making some very odd noises.

I've got a couple of hours to kill before the British gas engineer is due so a spot of editing and polishing is in order I believe. The first 3 chapters of BTL are now finished in draft form so there's atill a way to go before they are ready to go.
Here goes.

Weird

I was about to say that the weirdest thing happened to me today but that's probably not accurate but it was certainly pretty weird. As some of you may know I work in a charity shop and I was there today, minding my own business, looking at an audit roll and working out the chances of making target this week when a woman came up to me and said, "Didn't I see something you'd written in Prima magazine recently?" I said that I had and she said that she'd enjoyed it.
How chuffed was I? Very.

Chapter 2 - the verdict

I have heard form Jan and the verdict is in.
The choice between the original and the new version was apparently harder this time but she has decided to go with the revised "George-less" version. Phew!!!
Lots of editing to do though but I knew that already.
Chapter 3 here I come.

Productive morning

Have now rewritten chapter 2 without George and sent it to Jan for a second opinion. I've asked her to give it the once over when she gets a chance it's still the middle of the night where she lives so she won't have got it yet (unless she can't sleep and happens to be checking her emails - very doubtful) and she is a busy lady so it might take her a while to get back to me. When she does though you will be the first to know.

Not with the pink pen

I've just popped over here from my book for a second or two to let you all know how it is going.
Well, despite my friend Jan saying that she thought that the new version of chapter 1 was better than the original for being George-less as you know I struggled to start chapter 2. But after a reminder from some of you that I wouldn't actually be killing him but sending him on a long holiday to the back of my brain (very sunny at this time of year)I managed to make a start. It was slow progress for a day or two but last night it just sort of clicked into place and my fingers have been tapping away like mad things. And the same thing this morning. I'm giving myself a couple of hours on it right now and maybe a bit more later so hopefully I'll make some progress.
One of my concerns was that I would chop huge swathes of words out because George was in them and not be able to fill them but so far I'm doing alright. My MC (female) seems to be managing okay on her own.
Maybe they should leave Christine Bleakley on her own after Adrian Chiles leaves The One Show - she'd do alright.
That's it really - nothing else to report. I've submitted my W2W story but I've been concentrating on BTL so I haven't written much apart from that though that has just reminded me that my boss wants a press release for the local paper. I'd forgotten all about that so I'd best do that today.
I'll use the pink pen for that just so she doesn't think I've fallen out with her.

More than a letter

Just need to clarify something before I move on.
The character "G" who is about to be erased from my book has a name and that name is George.
The lovely Joanne and the equally lovely Suzanne both suggested that I put him in something else and do you know what they are right. George lives and breathes in my head and one day he will find his own place on the page. I don't feel so bad about taking him out anymore.
Anyway, just wanted you to know that he had a name. I don't know why I did, I just did. It seems a bit silly now but as is my habit, once it's written on here it's written and can't be taken back so silly or not, there it is.

Onwards and upwards

I really should get on with chapter 2 but I find myself putting it off. I started it this morning and I've just wasted an hour that I could have spent working on it doing anything but. I think that the enormity of the task has just hit me. My beloved G will be no more. I'm trying to tell myself that the new chapter 1 is better for him not being there and I actually like MC better now as they're not the drip that they were before. Now that has to be a good thing.
Job for the week:
"New" chapter 2 must be finished by next Sunday.
I don't really know why I'm putting it off because like I've said the new chapter 1 is better and the ideas that I've had for the revised version of the book are quite exciting. So I should just get on and do it shouldn't I? "Dear God yes," you all cry.
Okay then, I will.
Sorry G but you are collateral damage and have to be sacrificed for the greater good. It's funny in a way because when Jan reviewed the 2 chapter 1's for me she pointed out that G actually wasn't very nice and that is just the opposite of what I wanted.
Right I'm going to shut up and get on with it. Just needed to give myself a bit of a pep talk. Thanks for listening.
Onwards and upwards.

1st chapter report and good news

Jan has reported back on chapter 1 and it appears that dear old G has to go though I'm still toying with the idea of introducing him right at the end of chapter 1 or the start of chapter 2 and giving him a much smaller role. My MC is so much stronger without him.
But now I have another problem. To get rid of him/reduce his role is quite a big job as he is in the entire book so should I
a) send the first chapter to nice agent and ask if I'm on the right track
b) work on the first three chapters, send to nice agent and explain that it means changing the whole book
or
c) change the whole book anyway.
I don;t mind changing it. It means that CT goes on the back burner and I'll spend the next six months working on it but c'est la vie, if that's what it takes.

On a different note I sold a story to TLFF yesterday. It's the first one that I've sold to them in a while so that's good and the second time I've sold this particular story so that's even better. Having said that I sent this one to them about 5 weeks ago and they've had another 2 of my stories for 5 months. Maybe I should give up on those.

Chapter 1 done

Well I've just completed the changes to chapter 1 of BTL and I have sent the old and the new versions to my friend Jan to get her opinion. I'm going to be really interested in what she has to say.
It still needs a polish but I want to get a feel for if I'm on the right track.
To say that they are telling the same story they are two very different animals.

Task of the day

I heard back from the agent that I sent BTL to the other day. She said that she liked the idea for the book but would like to see some changes made. She said that if I was happy to work on them she would be happy to look at the revised chapters. I think that she is right and I am happy to try to improve the book so that's what I have started to do this morning. The only problem is that it involves changing the influence of one of the characters which is quite a big job (in my head at least.)
I have given myself a month to get the first three chapters done.
I am still hoping to write a little of CT every day as that has its own wrting slot scheduled into my day.
Wish me luck.

Thanks ladies

Thanks to Suzanne and LilyS for awarding this to me. I really appreciate it. However I couldn't find 10 other blogs that I regularly read that haven't already been nominated. Sorry, hope that doesn't mean you want it back.

Project update

Just thought that I'd let you all know how the new project is coming along. The major project that is not the host of little things that I have going on.
Well, Wednesday will see the end of the fourth week which given my personal target means that I should have 6000 words committed to the page. I am a little behind following the false start that I had but as of ten minutes ago the word count was 4695. I don't think that I'll be far off the 6k mark and would certainly expect to be back on track by the end of week 5.
The project (CT) itself is coming along quite nicely thank you. The first three chapters (yes they have been short) has been setting the scene. Now we get down to the grittier stuff. I am learning a lot through the research that I'm doing which is interesting even though its not neccassarily information that I would have chosen to know. Needs must when the devil drives eh!
No, so far so good and I just wanted to share that with you.
Hope you all have a happy Easter.
x

Comments on the first 3 months.

Can you believe that it's April already? Where on earth has the time gone?
I thought I'd have a look at my "What to Where" folder and see what I've done in the time that has flown by. I have submitted 21 pieces of work of which 4 have been accepted, 7 not (if you know what I mean) and the rest are still technically in with a chance. There are also 3 pieces outstanding from the end of last year which I haven't heard about mainly from That's Life! (Aus) and as I've had acceptances from them after 8 months before now I'm choosing to believe that they are still in with a chance too. As 21 in 3 months averages out at 7 a month I think that's okay.
I've also started my big new project in that time - twice. That's coming along slowly but surely. It's like everything else, I wish I had more time for it. Hopefully unless there is a change in plan I will get some time on it today. Also I am now part of a writing group which requires me to write a short story every 2 weeks which is a great discipline and also the standard is so high that its certainly made me up my game.
That was it really, just thought that I would share a few random thoughts with you. Time to go and wake Himself up now so that we can "enjoy" (you will darling I promise you) our day off together.

A question

I have a story that I feel is suitable for two markets. One is in this country and the other is abroad. As I would be oferring only the first publishing rights in each country would it be okay to send it to both of them?

CT etc

Work on the new project (CT) has been hampered by the false start that I had a couple of weeks ago which I decided to "cut" last week. The 3,000 words that I had were reduced to 0. My target as of last night was that I would have 3,000 words in the bag (2 weeks * 1,500 words a week) however I only had 711 - what can I say there's been a lot going on. Anyway I am happy to report that as of right now there are over 1,800 words in that bag so it's looking much healthier. I've still got a bit of catching up to do but give me another week or so and I think that I'll be back on track.
Having said all of that I have to stop now because there is a cupboard under the sink that is absolutley screaming to be cleaned.

Just stuff

Remember the euphoria of early March when it was all acceptances and no rejections? Well those days are a distant memory. Two rejections in two days. Good job I have thick skin. Actually the rejection that I got today said that it was "really nicely written," which is some consolation. It sucks but it goes with the territory.
On a different note. I posted BTL off today which is exciting. I am however a realist and know that the chances of hitting pay dirt as it were first timw are pretty remote. But hey - nothing ventured nothing gained as they say.
Also, I sent the first chapter of my second book to my good friend J and she said that it made her want to read more. It's still a bit (lot) rough but it is only a first draft so the fact that she wanted to read more is all I really wanted to achieve at this stage.
Just wanted to share these few bits and bobs with you.

Here goes

Well, it's printed and ready to go and tomorrow BTL will be making it's way to an agent. Feel just the way that I did when the kids were starting school.
On a different note, the new first draft of the first chapter of CT is done, stronger and punchier (possibly a made up word - but weren't they all originally) this time.
Have achieved a lot today. I made a list of everything that I wanted to do and I did it. Everything is crossed off so that makes it a good day.
Anyway, take care BTL out there in the real world. And remember, Mummy loves you.

More than I thought

I had a email last night from my friend who is an artist. It was just the usual stuff you know what our kids are up to, the weather etc. We'd been talking about the projects that she's working on and then she asked me what I was up to at the minute and I started with "not much." Then I started to say what I have been doing this week and when it was in front of me I realised that it's been a fairly busy week all things considered. I have..
1. Come up with a new start for my book.
2. Pitched an idea to an editor that I've worked with before. sadly they are making some changes to the magazine layout so she didn't want to commission them at the moment but told me to sit on them.
3. Wrote a short story which is partly typed will then need an edit and a polish before it gets submitted by Thursday.
4. Worked on my writing CV in readiness for sending off with my BTL submission (deadline for sending this week.)
and
5. Submitted a short story.
I felt quite chuffed with myself after that so thanks for asking the question Jan.

A new beginning

As you may know I started a new project last week (CT) and as of last night I was 3,500 words into it. It was coming along okay but only that. It was okay. I wasn't terribly happy with it. However after much thought I believe that I have come up with a much better start. So in a few minutes time I'll be holding down the delete button and starting afresh. It means that I'm a week behind on the word count target that I set myself - well 9 days to be exact - but I'm hoping to pick that up in the next fifty and a half weeks.
So here goes.

the end of an era

The "all acceptances no rejections" era has ended. Got my first rejection of the year today. Never mind - couldn't last forever.
P.S. Anybody got any ideas on how to impress Norah at TaB?

Birthday Boy

This gorgeous little fella is 3 years old today.

Products of my ongoing apprenticeship.

My deadline for sending BTL to my chosen agent is a week tomorrow and I have spent the last hour or so working on my writing CV.
Successes to date:
14 short stories and 5 articles.
I don't know what to think about that.
Well I've thought a minute and I think that I'm happy. Seven of those hits have come in the last year and four have come since Christmas so I think that I'm getting better. Also I am producing more and I am submitting more. I now work in a more structured way. I will view my success so far as the products of my ongoing apprenticeship.
P.S. I know that there may be some reading this who have yet to be published and are wondering what I am moaning about. I am NOT moaning I promise you. There are lots and lots of people with more success than I've had and good for them. But my success is mine and I'm proud of it.

An award

Thanks to the lovely Jarmara for this prolific blogger award.
As with all awards there are rules and the rules to this one say that I have to pass it on to 7 other prolific bloggers. How on earth do I do that? There are so many of you out there. Therefore if Jarmara will forgive me I will ask that the next 7 prolific bloggers that come here pick it up. Those of you that have not already been awarded it that is.

New project

Just thought I'd take a second to let you all know about the new project that I am about to embark on - quite literally as soon as I've posted this and made a cup of tea.
It's the new book that I talked about the other day.
I've decided on the voice that I want to use to tell the story, I've come up with what I want to happen along the way and I know where I have to be in the end. It's quite fluid (one of my boss's favourite words for not set in stone) and I am sure that I'll come up with things as the characters develop but I'm ready to go I think.
I've set myself a realistic target of what I can certainly achieve on even a bad week and hopefully I will exceed that target sometimes which means that the whole thing will come along much quicker. The deadline that I have set myself for the first draft to be finished is one year from today. It will actually be the second draft I suppose because as most of you know I write with the pink pen on real paper before committing it to the electronic page. I've decided that I'm going to write and transfer on a regular basis because that's not what I did with BTL and that meant a lot of too-ing and fro-ing at one stage so I'm hoping to eliminate it this time. Plus I understand that most professionals write and edit as they're going along which is what I will be doing essentially. And if it's good enough for those that make their living doing this it's good enough for me.
Anyway that was it really - just wanted to mark this momentous occasion and announce it to the world.
I have a brand new untouched pad to start the epic on and the pink pen is primed and ready so here we go.
Once I've made a cuppa of course - that goes without saying.
Just one last thing. The working tital for this project is CT

2nd chance maybe

It occurred to me this afternoon that I'm wasting some of the stuff that I have written. Well wasted might be a bit extreme because I'm talking about the stories that are in my "published" folder. Everything in there has been published somewhere - I guess that the name of the folder was a bit of a give away. But maybe I could sell it somewhere else. I have stories that I have sold FBSR to that I could try selling to a magazine in a different country and likewise things that have been sold abroad that I could try selling FBSR to.
Definately something to consider.

One more thing

Hello again (the kettles nearly boiled by the way) I was just closing all of the windows on the computer down in readiness to switch it off and the last screen that was there was the spreadsheet where I record what os out there. I noticed something that I have to mention today because it may well change tomorrow. So far in this calendar year of 2010 I hve had no that is 0 rejections and 2 acceptances. I am willing to bet the breath in my lungs that has never been the case before. So if that's not a cause for celebration i don't know what is. Might have a biscuit with that cuppa.

Nothing in particular

Let us imagine that we have one and a half hours a day, five days a week to write. On addition to this you can also on one of those days fit in a three hour spell. It's not a lot but its all there is so deal with it (as my good friend that shall remain nameless said rather heartlessly I thought.) Anyway bck to the point - how would you spend that one and a half hours to get the most out of them. The answer is not "write" because - well just because its not.
Oh this is the question that I ask myself all the time. Its not a lot of time but it is "time" and I'm constantly trying to work out the best way of using it.
I've had a productive spell this morning. I've given two stories a final polish and submitted them. Well one by email and I'll post the other in the morning. I have also rescheduled into my diary all of the things that I haven't got round to doing yet. And to think that at one point at the beginning of February I announced to the world that I was ahead of the game and all my self imposed deadlines met. That didn't last long did it?
Does a rhetorical question need a "?"?
I also had an idea for book 2 yesterday which really should be book 3 because i have already started NMBK. However I think that this one would tie in much better with BTL and so might be a better prospect. All I have to work out now is if the story had enough legs to get to 80,000 words and if I am up to the job.
I think that my problem is that I spread myself a bit thin and try lots of different things without really concentrating on anything. But when I think of myself as "a writer" (metaphorically speaking beause I never actually think of myself like that) I think that I am just that. I don't want to be a "novelist" or a "short story writer" or a "travel writer" - I want it all. Oh my goodness was that ever the start of a slippery slide?
You've probably noticed that I am rambling but the truth is that when I'm blogging I imagine that I am with you and just talking to you so the words come out like that which is why they aren't always in the right order. But I'm sure if you were here with me at least one of you would have told be to shut up and go and put the kettle on so that's what I'll do.
Tea or coffee anyone?

C V Advice

I'm finally biting the bullet and sending BTL out into the world of agents and my chosen recipient requires a CV. My question is does anyone have any advice on the best way to set this out? Should it be a detailed list of what I have had published and where or is it better just to be general? I've written CV's for jobs before but never for my writing. All advice would be greatfully received.

Good news

I have a couple of bits of good news to report.

1. Shiny new laptop seems to work as it should although I'm struggling to get used to the cursor being in a different place.

2. Last night I sent off the article that I had commissioned and today I received an email from the editor saying that it was just what she was looking for. I am so pleased because I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to get it right. But apparently I did.

The last post

...from this laptop. You don't get away that lightly.
The good people at Dell have prmoised that the new one will be here tomorrow and this faithful old friend will be tucked away under a bed or somewhere "just in case." The internet connection is decidedly dodgy but at least I've stayed in touch with everything even if sending an attatchment has meant lots of plugging and unplugging.
What I am going to do now - well in 10 minutes after I've checked emails - is clear out what is euphamistically called my "desk" which is not a desk at all but a set of three drawers that are choc full of notebooks and bits of paper upon which are written ideas, half written stories and some finished stories amongst other things. The drawers are so full this sort of stuff that you can't open the top drawer without them all opening. The other day I bought myself a lovely big box with a lid and I'm going to sort out the mess that is in the drawers and put all of my WIP stuff in one place. It will mean a lopt of sorting but it'll be worth it. I mean who needs three different versions of the same thing or the bit of paper that has the original idea written on it for a story that was sold a year ago? Not me that's for sure.
Spring is on the way and it's time for a spring clean.
Might have a cup of tea first though.

An award from Jarmara

Thanks Jarmara for the ""Creative Writer" Blogger award" which is tucked away with the rest. I would have put it in this post too but thatnks to those flamin'gremlins I can't do that. Nor can I add links which is VERY annoying.
The rules are:
1. Thank the person who gave you this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you.
4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself and at least one outrageous truth.
5. Nominate 7 creative writers who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.
Well I've blown number 3 for a start. Also I beg forgiveness for number 5 because I'm going to struggle to find only 7 people to nominate. I want to hear everyone's outragious stories. So I give the award to the first 7 creative writers that want to pick it up.
Here are my tall or not so tall stories.
1.I had a proposal of marriage this week.
2.I speak 5 languages fluently.
3.I once posed naked for an art class.
4.Last year I copmpleted my 11th marathon.
5.I've had breakfast with Lloyd Grossman.
6.I own 106 handbags.
7. I breed homing pigeons.
So can you tell which is the odd one out?

Can anyone help?

Can anybody give me a definitive answer on how That's Life (Australia) work. I've had 3 or 4 stories published by them and the way it has happened for me is that I've sent the story in an email and 6 or 7 months or so later I've had one back from them accepting it. I've also had my fair share of rejections from them which have arrived also via email either within days or several weeks/months. However I've read in a few places that these days they "shortlist." How does this work? I have sent them 3 stories since November but haven't heard anything.

Would you believe it?

You may recall that I haven't been able to comment on my own blog for a while due to one gremlin or another. So this morning I tell the laptop that it's replacement has been dispatched by the good people at Dell and what do you know - I can comment. Maybe I should have threatened it earlier.
Off to reply to comments now before it thinks "what the hell" and packs in again.

A few days off

I'm off for four days now, well three because today was one of them and I plan on finishing the first draft of the article that I am working on and writing a short story. I have about half of the article down but I want to get it finished and then that will leave a few days for polishing and then polishing again. This is the first time I've had an article commissioned and I am terrified of getting it wrong. I have the bare bones of a story in mind but if I can get that worked on as well as the article I'll be happy.

Watch out you gremlins!!!

Himself had finally bitten the bullet, got his wallet out and ordered a new laptop. Hoorah! It's going to be a few days before it gets here but hopefully when it does all of my blogging gremlins will be gone.

Possibly on the wrong road

I'm wondering if the fiction road is the right one for me. I mean, I have had another hit and once again it is non fiction. This year there has been the article in the local paper that was for the day job, a piece that will be in My Weekly in the summer and there is a memoir type piece in the March edition of Prima. All non fiction - all since Christmas. Maybe I should concentrate on that.
The piece in this months Prima is the competition entry that I had forgotten about that I mentioned a few months ago. I didn't win but as a runner up I get a years subscription to the magazine which is not to be sniffed at.
I'm talking nonsense of course because I love writing fiction but I'm enjoying getting non fiction published too.

Another problem

Okay so now I can't comment on my own blog which means that I can't reply to comments left. Be assured though that I do read them all and as soon as this laptop issue is resolved I will reply to them all. Or maybe it will sort itself out tomorrow - who knows?

Busy doing lots of things.

Flushed with the success of selling my first non fiction piece (for real money) last week I have spent this week mainly on other non fiction projects. I have another article that I have to write but the dealine for that is three weeks away and that is still in the research stage. I have to say that I am finding it very intersting though. More so than I would have imagined. That might have something to do with the fact that I have actually been asked to do it which means that I spend my time actually doing the research rather than faffing around surfing the web and doing nothing in particular. After that, I want to work on an article that I had the idea for yesterday that will include research and talking to someone. I'll need to set my own deadline on that one.
I'm also spending time working on some short stories and I want to find time this week to pitch my novel at an editor. The only thing that seems to be suffering is the second novel which has come to a standstill at the moment.
Oh well must press on. Lots to do.

Green around the gills

Why is it that I can never open an email from an editor without feeling sick - even when I know that it's good news.
PS Has the way that you insert links changed or is it just mine that's not working. Prtobably the latter but thought I'd ask.

Goodbye old friend

It is with regret that I tell the world that my faithful old laptop has gone to that great laptop hill in the sky. I'm gonna miss that gaffer tape that held the screen together and the fact that it had to be propped up inside another older laptop. Hopefully it will be replaced later this week. In the meantime I'm working on the "emergency" laptop which can only do one thing at a time.
Having said that there aren't the little icons here that would allow me to insert photographs or links so maybe it can't cope with that.
Never mind - at least it works - sort of.

Good news

I am happy to tell the world that I have just heard from Galdys Sturrock at My Weekly to say that they want to buy an article I wrote. This is very good news as you will appreciate especially as I haven't sold a non fiction piece before.
Can't get the smile off my face.

waffle

I had to go on a long train journey yesterday so I thought I would take my notebook with me so that I could start work on a longer piece that I have in mind. I almost sent the premise off the other day and then thought "hang on, what if they want to read it and its not even started." So that was the plan but sadly I only managed that foe the first 40 minutes or so. After that the various trains were all too busy and I was stood up for part of the time so not condusive to writing. I made a start though and that's the main thing. I had to content myself the rest of the time or at least the time that I was sitting down in reading a book. Well that and listening to a never ending phone conversation between a woman and what was (I think) her young daughter about what they were going to do about 2 girls at school.
I write this only by way of a waffle because I don't really have any news but as I've been without the internet for a few days I just needed to blog even if it was for the sake of it.
My laptop has undergone surgery this morning and is currently in ICU. There are a couple more procedures it needs tomorrow and I fear it may be terminal. In the meantime I am set up on an old one which isn't quite up to the task (I'm told) but it seems to be doing okay. At least this one lets you log on.
I had a bit of a sweat on until I got everything off the old one. All the Woed documents were saved but there were some photos etc that hadn't been backed up. I managed to get those after this mornings operation.
Hope to start the planning stage of my next W2W story later. I see that someone has already posted do I need to get a wriggle on. There's a lot going on in the day job as well so I guess I'm going to be a busy girl.
Anyway enough waffle. Well done to those of you that stayed with me to the end.

Repetitive name syndrome

I've been editing a couple of short stories this morning and will hopefully submit them no definately will submit them tomorrow. Anyway, I noticed something as I was doing it and that was how often I use the same name for the characters. I don't know how many times I've called a bloke Tom. I choose to think that this is a subconcious tribute to my grandfathers who were both called that but God only knows who Molly is.

Sort of a hit

The article for the local papers that I tweaked the other day was in at least two papers that are part of the group so that's almost a hit - isn't it. Better than that though, it has resulted in two phone calls from the public about it which makes it a hit for the day job. Yay!

A little tweak here and there.

We were given a sample press release for something that is happening at work and (sorry to whoever wrote it) but I thought it was a bit wet. Well no that's unfair - it was a one size fits all, generic type thing. So I've just spent an hour or so tweaking it to be more specific to us and our needs and now that I'm happy with it I've emailed it to my contacts with the local papers. I hope it works.

Pleasures in life

The cold is feeling a bit better today so I actually managed to get my head around some writing. Writing for pleasure that is. I wrote quite a bit on Wednesday but none of it was for pleasure so that doesn't really count. That was just another case of life getting in the way of fun. I've even managed to submit a couple of things today - nothing major but just something that would keep the wolves form the door for another day if it came off.
I'm now off to the kitchen to enjoy one of the other pleasures in life for me and that is cooking. It is that time of the week again. The Sunday roast. Yum.

Christmas again

This time yesterday I was so cheesed off. I'd had a rotten day and felt like the dogs doodahs. Happy to report that I'm feeling better today. I'll be even happier tomorrow when I'm off work. I get tomorrow off in lieu for working Christmas Eve and I'm hoping to get to grips with my latest Womag2Weekly story.
Hey just had a thought - hope that doesn't mean Thursday is Christmas Day. I've not got a turkey. There's probably still a pudding at the back of the cupboard though.

I had a dream...

and it was WEIRD.
Picture the scene. I am sitting at the front of a plane and in the seat behind me is Prince Harry with a toddler on his knee, Apparently William was there too but I didn't see him. Then I was in a place with really big buildings. I don't know where it was but it did look familiar in places. Then I had to cross a bridge that was really a river and I had to step on stones to get across. Then I was back on the plane and I had to fly it even though I wasn't in the cock pit. I pulled the nose up a bit quickly which was a bit scary but managed to flatten out and we were okay. Then I was sitting down again and there was a woman sitting beside me. She turned to me and I saw her very clearly. She was probably in her 60's with a friendly face and long grey hair. I think she was wearing pink. I couldn't hear what she was saying to me but she was smiling so I hope it was something nice.
Then I woke up.
Maybe I shouldn't have had that cheese before bed.

Cold comfort

I got my first rejection today - well yesterday really but I didn't open the email until today. The editor said "Very well written but not what I'm looking for at the moment."
Somehow that doesn't make me feel better.
No, having written that has made me think about it, they said it was "very well written" (direct quote) so I know that the writing is okay I just have to find he right market.
Maybe that is some comfort after all.
I'd rather they'd accepted it though.

Passing on the award

Jarmara Falconer has been kind enough to give me this award. Cheers Jarmara.
And in keeping with the spirit of the award I must pass it on in recognition of some of the wonderful places I visit in blogland. So in no particular order (as the wonderful Mr O'Leary would say) the award goes to:

Sue who has a blog I have only recently discovered but like a lot.

Karen who is soon to be best selling author.

Olivia who already is a best selling author.

Suzanne who is a kindred spirit.


Lily because she makes me smile.

Womag because her blog is just jam packed with good advice.

Amanda who has worked so hard on Woamg2Weekly and has a great blog too.

Helen who talks a lot of sense.

Debs because her shed is fab.

and last but by no means least,

Christina because she has been so helpful.

The way I understand it you guys now give this award to places that you like to visit.

Even madder! - or is that more mad?

Here is the same part of the river (taken yesterday) but now it has snow on the ice too!

And here's Zac taken abour half an hour ago not quite up to his neck in it.



He is having a wild old time in the snow - he loves it. Personally I'm not a big fan of being up to my knees in the stuff when I'm walking him.
I had to get a push (the car not me as a person) off the end of our street onto the main road out of the village yesterday morning so that I could get to work.
I'm sure we'll all laugh about this one day. To be honest though it ave me an idea for a short story which I'm going to work on this week.
Keep safe everyone - and warm.

Madness

This is the River Wear and it's frozen. How mad is that?

Spooky or what? - What I suspect.

NMBK was to be my second "real" attempt at a book. The first draft of BTL was finished and while I was giving myself a break from it before I started rewriting and editing I started my next epic. However, NMBK was set aside in favour of what I thought was a better idea (the one I've recently mothballed) and trying to get some publishing credits under my belt.
That was the past.
The present is that BTL is now rewritten and edited to death and ready to go out to agents and I've had a few things published so I recently decided to pick up NMBK again. I've been going to do it for a while and it was in my diary to have reviewed what was already written by the 18th of this month but as I'm off work today (planned not snowbound even though we are) I thought I'd review what I've already written this morning with a pot of tea and a cookie or two.
So I opened up the book that what I've written so far is in and was surprised to find that I started it on 7th January 2007. I always date when I start something. I know its weird but there you go. That means that its 3 years old today.
So my question is: Do we need a cake? I think we do.
Happy Birthday NMBK and I promise that by the time you're 4 I'll have the first draft (at least) finished.
Gotta go - need to bake.

Silver lining from snowy clouds

I couldn't get to work today because the roads were just too bad. There was a nasty rumour doing the rounds last night that the county has run out of grit and judging by the roads this morning they might be right. I rang the boss and told her and she asked if I'd be making another attempt later on which I sad that I would. However as it started to snow again almost as soon as I'd put the phone down and has on and off all morning I don't see that happening. So I decided to give in to the elements and put today down as one of the lieu days that I'm owed from over Christmas and put the day to good use.
I've been working on something for a competition and had set myself the deadline of haveing the final edit done by Sunday so that it could go off in plenty of time. Well that's one deadline I've met this year. So I think I'll just ring the boss again (who incidentally is at home) and say that I won't be risking life and limb to get to work for less than half a day and then I'll check what's next in my diary. No need! I've just remembered that it is to review the project that will be taking over from the recently mothballed NRIMH.