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.

Number 1....away

I sent my first submission out yesterday to a market that I would DEARLY like to crack this year so fingers crossed. It's a story that I wrote sometime last year but never submitted, I don't know why. Probably lethargy and procrastination got in the way - as usual. But that was in 2009 and this is not. This year I'm going to try and knock those babies on the head.
having said that, it's snowing again and those flakes have a very hypnotic effect. I could sit and watch them for hours.
Just kidding.

Just the way I am

Those of you that followed this blog in 2007 will know that I went through a dark period which thankfully I got through. 2008 was better but had it's dodgy patches for different not half so important reasons. 2009 was better still and I am feeling optimistic about 2010, but then I am one of life's eternal optimists and my glass is always half full. It's an attitude that's got me kicked in the teeth on more than one occasion but it's just the way that I am.
I only had 4 short stories published in 2009 so there's room for improvement there. I am however acutely aware that it's getting harder for us all to get work accepted and that I had 4 bits more than some people and I am very grateful for that. I still have 8 stories out there though so there's still hope for them giving me a good start to 2010 (told you I was an eternal optimist.)
On a different note I am finally going to bite the bullet and send BTL out to agents. It'll never get anywhere sitting in a metaphoric drawer.
Some of you may have read here the other day that I was mothballing NRIMH (my 2nd attempt at a novel) and I'm sticking to that but I am very excited about another project (NMBK.) Can someone who is better at grammar please tell me where a full stop is supposed to go when it's next to a )?
Anyway, we had snow again overnight which meant another walk in it this morning with my beloved Zachary. Isn't he cute?
Two cups of tea later I can now feel all of my extremities again and its time to get to work.
Here's to a great 2010 everyone.