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.

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.

Chin up and say "cheese."

Had a visit from the press today. Re the day job I'd organised for a press release to be sent to all the local papers and someone came to take pictures today. What a nghtmare. I actually felt sorry for the poor photographer because when he got into photography he probably hoped he'd be photgraphing Kate Moss or Angelina Jolie but instead the poor lad got me and Dave. When he told me to lift my chin up, Dave (the wag) asked "which one?" Oh he will suffer for that.
It better do the job I meant it to cos if I go through this public humiliation for nothing I will not be a happy bunny.

NRIMH going into storage.

NRIMH is going into storage - so to speak.
I've been struggling to move it forward for a while and this evening I was sitting curled up on the end of the sofa when something (or someone) told me that it's not working.
A few months ago I was full of enthusiasm for the project but I don't feel that any more. What I do feel is that I don't know where it is going and I don't see any way of working the problem out. Not at the moment anyway.
So for now it's going into storage and I'm going to concentrate on other things.
On a different note - Am I the only person who is getting heartily sick and tired of the snow. Well not the snow as such but the ice that the compacted snow has become. Any of you that are up at 6.45 in the morning please spare a thought for me taking my life in my hands to walk the dog before I go to work. God love him he can't understand my squeals when he pulls. He's not the sharpest tool in the box but he sure is pretty.

Should have remembered number 13

I meant to make the most of my "writing morning" honest I did but just for a change the morning disappeared and before I know it, it's time to shuffle off into the kitchen and cook. Luckily for me I love cooking so that's not a chore. But I had intended to write and I haven't so I am a tad disapponted. I have looked up a couple of markets only to discover that they are both (might have been three) closed for submissions. Yah boo hiss!!! However having said that one of them is still open to competition entries and I think I already have a piece written that would fit it rather nicely, thank you very much.
Yesterday, in honour of the impending new year I tried to come up with 100 things that I wanted to do before 2011. This is not as exciting as it might sound and would have included things like finally get round to sorting out the cupboard under the stairs. However thinking of 100 was proving a bit tricky so I decided to bring it down to 50 and then to 20. Yeah, I know, I clearly don't have much ambition for the coming year. Anyway, I finally gave up on number 17.
Reading them back, I realised that everything as encapsulated in number 13. My whole life is right there in number 13. I should have had it in mind this morning.
Number 13 reads, "Stop thinking and start doing."
Amen to that.

There went another one

So I guess that was Christmas.
Hope you all had a good one.
Mine was wonderful. The nest was full again and we laughed loads and there was a house full of happiness (sounds like an advertisers dream for a chocolate advert.) Christmas lunch was a triumph even if I say so myself and I do and everyone liked the presents that I'd bought them. Even Number 1 Son declined to take the receipt for the stuff he'd been given when it was offered. Whether he'll ever wear them is a different kettle of fish though.
I love Christmas but for me its over now. I've worked between Christmas and New Year for the last 8 years so its not a long break - though I do get 3 days off instead of 2 this year. But even before that once Christmas Day was over I was always ready to get back to "normal."
I don't mean to be a Scrooge but I'm just giving you all a little insight into the way my mind works.
Now that I've spread the Christmas Joy I think I'll make a cup of tea and have another handful of Quality Street.
For those of you still enjoying the Fetsive Season I insist that you continue to have a Merry Christmas.

Seasonal felicitations

It is 04.09am on the morning of Christmas Eve. As was pottering back from the bathroom about an hour and a bit ago I noticed that it was snowing heavily again. I've spent most of the time since then laying in bed wondering
a) will I get to work (the wheels of charity retail keep going right up til Christmas Day.)
b) will I get back.
c) MOST IMPORTANT will Number 1 Son make it for Christmas Lunch?
So in the end I decided to get up and do something.
I decided to come here and wish you all a very Merry Christmas (see got to the point eventually.)
I hope that the season is everything that you want it to be and that you enjoy it with those that you love around you. For those of you that are missing a loved one I wish you peace.
Hoorah I've started to yawn, maybe I'll be able to go back to sleep - as long as I don't look through the window at the top of the stairs and see that it's still snowing!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!

Still here

Not much writing going on around here at the moment. There's too much going on with that Christmas thing that's just around the corner. I know that shouldn't be an excuse but it's a fact. I will try to do better next year.
I did do some planning during for the next section of NRIMH the week and I have a story for Womag2Weekly that is a work in progress so actually on reflection that's not too bad considering all the other things that are floating around in my head.
And on top of all those floating thoughts there's been the snow to contend with. We probably have 5 or 6 inches at the moment and the local roads aren't pretty but at least we're not snowed in as long as we take them very slowly and carefully. I had to go shopping (no I HAD to - we were running out of stuff) and it took me three times as long to drive the first mile and a half as it did the final three miles.
Anyway, just thought that I would check in and confirm that I am still alive and kicking.

Any ideas?

Please can someone help. I'm getting so annoyed with myself because I still can't comment on certain blogs - Olivia's and LilyS's to name but 2. The thing is that I have absoloutly no idea why. There's probably a very good chance that I've clicked something but God only knows what. Or does He? Does anyone else have any idea what I have done.
BTW Hope you're feeling better soon Lily.

Any ideas?

Not a total write off.

Normally after I've walked the dog, Sunday mornings would be when I sit down with a cuppa and write because the house is quiet and I am on my own - even the dog normally disappears but today was different. I had to give today over to the day job and while I'd rather have been doing what I usually do on Sundays it wasn't so bad. I was on my own for the first 2 hours so I just pottered around doing things that needed catching up on.
So no writing today. I could be doing some now but as its after 11pm and like I said I was at work earlier I thought I'd give myself a break.
I actually want to write a story for a particular magazine and am currently trying to come up with an idea for that. Maybe I'll have half an hour brainstorming some ideas.
Wouldn't want the day to be a total write off.

A message for Olivia

Is anyone else having trouble posting a comment on Olivia Ryan's Bolg? I haven't beed able to comment on the last 2 posts and I don't know why. Any ideas?
maybe I'm having computer trouble of my own Olivia.
And while I'm on the subject. Has anyone else's followers pictures disappeared mine have and I can't see any on other blogs but I fear it may be a problem with the geriatric laptop.

Congrats

I apologise for being late to the party but what with the day job and everything life's a bit manic at the moment. I just wanted to publicly add my congratulations to Karen on her great news of bagging an agent. I'm sure that the book deal is just around the corner and I for one can't wait to see it on the shelves.
Do you keep wanting to pinch yourself just to make sure you're not dreaming?
Couldn't be happier for you. You deserve it.

Answers on a postcard please

That would be a metaphorical postcard of course.
When writing a first draft do you
a) Get it all down as quickly as possible and worry about errors later
or
b) revise and review as your going along?

Bless Him

I think that I've mentioned here before that I don't give what I have published to Himself to read as they're not his cup of tea - not enough murder, mayhem and intrigue.It's not something that bothers me and don't give it any thought. So imagine my surprise when over breakfast he picked up my contributor copy of The Weekly News which arrived yesterday and read my story. Better still, he laughed at the punch line. Bless Him.

Would be interested

I know that the Weekly News can sometimes be hard to come across (I haven't found a copy yet) so you may not have seen my story "Just the Job," that was in this weeks issue but if any of you have I'd be interested to know what you think. I don't show my writing to anyone but editors and occasionally Jan so I rarely get feedback.
Having said that, if it's not a publication you would normally get please don't feel obliged to buy it on my account.

Distracted again

I was sitting in my chair, laptop on my knee, coffee by my side looking out of the window instead of preparing the submission I should have been doing when look what popped into my garden (see top right hand corner of trellis.)
I nearly had a heart attack when it first appeared because it just leaped (I originally wrote "leapt" but the spell checker corrected it) out of the trees but isn't it cute. I'm not sure the birds would agree as they didn't get a look in for the ten minutes that it was there.
The dog wasn't as impressed as I was though. He never even opened an eyelid.
Fantastic! Just what I need - another distraction. Nonsense! life is short - enjoy the good stuff when it happens - even the little things.
It's not a great picture or even a good one but considering it was taken through 2 panes of glass and sleet its okay.
In conclusion I will just point out that I have completed the submission that I was working on and it will be posted in the morning. Who said you can't have everything.

Just the Job and Christmas shopping

My story "Just the Job" is in this weeks Weekly News. Yay!! I haven't seen it yet so I don't know if its been changed much but I'm told it's definately there.
On a different note, Himself and I did the bulk of our Chritmas present shopping today - presents that is. Just another couple to get. Hope they're not expecting much this year because I've (I'll not say "we" because I know I'm the skinflint) have cut back this year. I'm personally trying to reinvent the notion that its the thought that counts.

Is that the phone ringing?

I have to be honest and say that my mobile phone rarely rings especially when I'm at work. The Hogs used to ring it sometimes and tell me to get off the phone when I was talking on the land line but that's about it. So it was a bit of a surprise when it rang today especially as there's not a great signal in the basement. Anyway I digress - sorry. My mobile rang this morning and when I answered it, it was someone from Prima magazine saying that an article that I sent them has been shortlisted for a competition that I'd forgotten that I'd entered. Well it was April when I sent it to them after all.
I know it's only shortlisted but I've never got that far in a competition before so I'm feeling ever so slightly chuffed with myself. So now I just have to wait for someone to get in touch with the results.
Come on - fingers crossed everyone.

This post over on Olivia's blog got me thinking (no wonder I've got a headache).
I think that writing is a casserole. You take the basic ingredients and then you add this or that to taste and you let it cook for so long or maybe a bit longer depending on your oven or the way you feel. Writing, like the casserole is an extension of you and the way your feeling on that particular day. The casserole is made up of what you've bought from the grocer or what you've got left over in the fridge. Likewise what you write comes from what's going in in your head and what research you've done or what it is that you want to say.
When the casserole comes out of the oven or the piece of writing is finished, it may be perfect it could be okay or maybe the only place for it is in the bin. Either way you'll have learned something. Perhaps you realise that you have found the secret to perpetual success in which case you carry on doing what you did or you try a new recipe.
Like the casserole writing is not a precise formula. It is not cake.

A bit more about me.

Those of you that have known me a while will know that in blogland I was originally known as "Gonna be a Writer" and all I talked about was writing and what I was doing connected to it. Well I have decided that the time has come to share a bit more. For a start the name of the blog has changed so maybe the content should expand a bit. Not that I think it will make the blog any more interesting because I am one of the most boring people on earth (officially) but I think that the time is right. So here are a few "interesting" (I laugh) things about me.
1. I work in charity retail though I probably shouldn't mention the charity. Suffice to say its a biggy.
2. As well as writing I love to cook. I'm more of a savoury girl but I can bake when the mood takes me.
Can't think of a third one so we'll have to stick at a couple.
Told you I was boring.

Postal strike over

Its good to know that the postal strike is well and truly over. On Tuesday lunchtime I submitted a story to a magazine that I won't name only to have it returned to me today - less than 48 hours later. Oh bottom!
On a happier note though at least we won't have to worry about the Christmas cards we post not getting there on time.
Every cloud has a silver lining as they say.

Some hope?

In my last post I mentioned that for a few years before I tried to get serious in 2006 I submitted probably a story a year without any success. One of those stories was recently accepted for publication and I have asked myself why.
The truth is that when I looked at it a few months ago I could see why it wasn't accepted the first time round. I don't remember who I submitted it to because I didn't keep records in those days but I can almost guarantee that it was sent to the wrong market.
But despite all the things that I could see wrong with it I still liked it which is why I decided to play around with it a bit. I looked at it and saw what it for what it was and decided on the "right" market for it. Then I tweaked the word length, took out the cliches, gave it a better ending and hey presto.
I think that a lot of the things that I wrote in the early days was cliched. I would say that was my biggest failing back then. But I can see that now so maybe there is some hope for the stories that were dumped unceremoniously into the "archived" file.

Best year?

This post over on womags blog got me thinking and prompted me to have a look at my own submission spreadsheet and I noticed several things that have also made me think. (Note to self - spend less time thinking.)
1. My first paid acceptance came in November 2006 (8th to be precise so i just missed the anniversary.)
2. In the first three months of submitting "seriously" (I'd sent out about 1 a year for a few years before 2006) I had 3 stories accepted. (God I must have thought I had it made - if only.) sadly the next acceptance did not come for another 10 months.
3. In terms of pieces accepted 2009 has so far been my best year - currently sitting at 4.
4. Since 2006 I have submitted 116 pieces of work which includes everything even poems and article pitches and of them 14 have been accepted = 12% success rate. In 2009 I have submitted 33 dfferent things and like I said have had 4 pieces accepted which oddly enough = 12%.
So much for it being my best year to date!!!

All Russian to me

Anybody else getting comments left in Russian. It can't be good and God knows what they're offering me but I'm sure I don't want it.

Is 1 page too short?

I'm taking a leaf out of Karen's book and getting my own book ready to go out into the big wide world. I have gone over and over the synopsis and covering letter polishing them til you can see your face in them. However my dilemma and you knew that there had to be one is that my synopsis is only one page long. Am I really doing it justice in one page? But it says everything that needs to be said and gives all the relevant information about the story (I think) so I really should leave it alone - shouldn't I?
Anyway, I forgot to buy a padded envelope when I was out this morning so it will probably be off either tomorrow or early next week.

How very odd.

Can't remember who told me about the google alert thing but I thought why not and occasionally I get an email that someone has googled me. Except it isn't me of course - it's usually a doctor in Dakota. So when I got an email saying that there was a google alert I gave it a cursory glance as I usually do (just in case)only to find out that it was me afterall. Someone had googled this blog, the full address and everything. How very odd

Problem solved

Remember the problem I had with the words I needed to find , well the answer came to me last night just as I was climbing into bed. I now know how to the story to the length I need. I'd just pulled the duvet up to my chin when the metaphorical light bulb went on and I knew what I needed to do. I had a note pad by the bed but sadly not a lamp so I had to hope that it was still in my head this morning. Luckily it was.

A different editing problem

Normally I have to edit down. That is to say that I usually have to trim the odd word or phrase here or there to make a story fit a word count requirement. Just for a change I have the opposite problem today. I've typed up my first draft only to find out that I am 500 words short. Now that's a sizeable chunk. The problem isn't so much the padding out but padding out without waffling. This could be a problem.

When oh when...

will I ever learn.
Picture the scene.
During the week I started to type up the short story that I had finished a day or two earlier wuth the plan of polishing and getting out a few days later. About 400 words in I hit a snag. There's something about the story that's not right. It's just a paragraph but it's an important one that's central to everything that comes after. So I tweak a bit here and then a bit there and I'm still not happy so eventually give up on it and go to bed. As it was about midnight then and my alarm goes off at 6.30 it seemed like a good idea.
However I digress. This morning when I am walking the dog I tell him my plans for the morning. I am going to check emails and see whats happening in blogland and be ready to get back to the story by 9am. It's a good plan. So at 10 o'clock (trivia and surfing got the better of me) I opened up Word and got to work.I have to be honest, I'd thought about how I was going to reslove this issue a lot and I hadn't worked it out. yet when I read through the 400 words that were already there 200 more flowed quite naturally from my fingers and hey presto they problem is solved in less than five minutes. And what do you know, I had to come right over here to blogland (now 10.10am) to tell you about it.
So in answer to my own question of when will I ever learn the answer is now.
A. Don't force it. If forty odd years of life have taught you nothing it should have taught you that you always work better on gut instinct. Give it time and the answer will come.
I should also try and learn to not be so easily distracted.
Back to the story.

Loses the raffle again.

This has nothing well very little to do with writing but I was here so I thought I might as well tell you.
There are 3 things that I need (okay want) to do today.
1. Write up a short story that I finished the other day.
2. Go into the kitchen and be a domestic goddess - cooking and baking for England.
3. Iron.
Decisions decisions.
After careful consideration I have decided that I can type up the story later when I'm on my own and won't be interrupted and cooking would be beneficial to everyone (in the house not the world obviously.) It would fell the house with (hopefully) nice smells provide (potentially) delicious things to eat and will fill the freezer. So cooking it is. Might even stick a bit of Il Divo on at full blast just for fun. Sadly once again the ironing fails to win the raffle.
Apart from needing to get on with stuff (as usual) there's not a lot happeneing on the writing front. A couple of editors promised to get back to me in a couple of weeks time but I'm not holding them to that cos we're all busy people and I'll hear from them when I do. This writing lark has taught me patience if nothing else.

What will be will be

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice on what I should do about my facebook issue and I just wanted to update you on what I had decided to do.
Basically it is in the title of the post. I have decided that so what if certain family members get to "meet" some of the writers I know? So what if they find out that I keep a skeleton called Writing in the wardrobe? It's part of who I am and what makes me the person I am and I should embrace that.
I'm not going to announce over the family airwaves that "I write this that and t'other and have been published here there or wherever" but if it should come out over time then so be it. I think that the reaction from some will be why do you bother and what do you think you're going to achieve by it but you know what that's fine. I bother because I enjoy it and I'll achieve whatever I can.

An award

Thanks to Jarmara for giving me this award, I really appreciate it. One of the rules is that I pass it on to someone whose blog I think is fab so I pass this on to Karen. Thanks for all your support - yours too Jarmara.

What to do?

Is my secret life about to be disclosed?
A close family member who knows nothing about my writing "hobby" has invited me to become their friend on Facebook.
I don't use Facebook much but I have been told more than once that I should especially if I want to publicise myself as a writer.
It would cause massive offense if I didn't say yes.
Hhmmm, what to do?

A delay in submission

I've been working on revising my synopsis and cover letter and I think that they are just about there - wherever that is. But then I got to thinking that maybe I shouldn't bother sending it out yet because it's bad enough that they will be stuck on a slush pile for a while without it being stuck in a post office backlog as well. Maybe I'll just hang onto it - at least for now. Or maybe I should rethink the people that I was going to send it to and look out for agents that accept submissions by email.

A Very Special Guest

So the "Heaven Can Wait" virtual book tour has made it to the North East. I'm happy to welcome all visitors to the blog and to those of you that haven't been here before, help yourself to tea and coffee and the cake is in the cupboard.
I wondered if the reality of getting a book deal was how Cally had dreamed it would be. So without delay please allow me to hand over to the very talented Cally Taylor and she can tell us.

The Reality vs The Dream
When Colette asked me to write a guest blog post about the reality of becoming a published author compared to the dream I scratched my head a bit. My journey to publication has been particularly lucky. I wasn’t rejected by hundreds of agents, nor was I rejected by hundred of publishers but the reality is a bit different to how I’d imagined it so here we go – my top 6 differences...
The Dream: #1
Writing and editing your novel is the hard bit, after you’ve got an agent/publisher you’re pretty much done
The Reality: Every agent worth their salt will ask you to make some changes to your novel before they submit it an editor. If you’re lucky, like I was, the changes won’t be enormous or require you to completely re-structure of your book, but you will have to do some more work on it. When you get a publishing deal the editing continues. My editor also asked me to make some changes, as did my paperback editor and once that’s done there’s the copyeditor’s edits to look at too...
The Dream: #2
When you get a publishing deal you’re instantly rich and can swan around all day in your dressing gown, maybe tapping out a couple of hundred words before bed
The Reality: Very few authors get the kind of six or seven figure advances you read about in the press (the reason they’re big news is because they’re so unusual!) and you’re unlikely to earn enough to give up your day job. Life continues just as it did when you were writing your first novel only now there’s even more stuff to fit in after work/at the weekends!
The Dream: #3
Writing your second book will be easier and quicker than writing the first one
The Reality: Unless you write a book using exactly the same structure and format as your first book it’s not going to be any easier. I decided to use a completely different structure and multiple points of view for my second book and it’s like learning to write a novel all over again! You also have less time because you have to balance writing your second book with editing and promoting your first one and doing all the boring author stuff like registering as self-employed and filling out lots and lots of forms for VAT, National Insurance and the like.
The Dream: #4
You’ll be invited to lots of glamorous parties/dinners/awards ceremonies
The Reality: In a year I’ve had one lunch with my agent, lunch and tea with my publishers, was invited to their annual author party and attended the RNA (Romantic Novelists Association) awards ceremony. The lunches were yummy, the party was glamorous and the awards ceremony was amazing but it’s not like you’re swanning down a red carpet every weekend, hobnobbing with celebrities and getting freebies left right and centre (I had to buy a ticket to attend the awards ceremony). The reality of being an author is plonking your bum down on your chair and putting your fingers on the keyboard, day after day, night after night. Sometimes, if I’m dedicating a whole weekend to writing, the only person I’ll hobnob with is the postman (and then I’ll be in my dressing gown rather than trussed up in some fancy designer frock!).
The Dream: #5
Because people say lovely things about your book you’ll be filled with inner confidence and all your writerly wibbles/wobbles and insecurities will disappear
The Reality: I’m sorry to say that writerly wibbles and wobbles don’t disappear. In fact they get worse! When people say lovely things about your debut novel you feel an internal pressure to make your next book as good, or better – and worry that maybe you’re a one book wonder and will never write anything publishable again!
The Dream: #6
Landing a publishing deal will make your life perfect
The Reality : The last year has been the most amazing, magical year of my life and I’ve laughed and cried with joy but I’d be lying if I said that landing a publishing deal has made my life perfect. I still have the same stresses and worries as I did when I was unpublished – bills, relationship/legal/property problems and bad hair days (the postman has witnessed a lot of them!) to name just a few - and saying “I’ve got a publishing deal” doesn’t make those stresses magically disappear.
But would I do it all over again given how the dream compares to the reality?
A million times, yes. Yes. Yes.
Cally Taylor – author of supernatural romantic-comedy “Heaven Can Wait” (Orion Paperback)
www.callytaylor.co.uk
www.twitter.com/callytaylor

Keep 'em crossed

Okay, so I have just submitted the first of the ideas that I came up with on holiday. I have sent it to an editor that I have never worked with before so I hope that I have pitched it right. Fingers crossed because in my bid to earn enough from writing this year to pay for next years holiday so far we're having one night in a hotel (not including travel.)
I always hope that things I submit are accepted - what would be the point otherwise? But I really like this story.
So, fingers crossed everybody.

Just had to tell you

I just had to tell you what just happened.
As is my habit, most nights I spend between 10.30 and midnight writing. It's a bit of an odd habit but c'est la vie. Well I thought that I would check my emails before I started and I saw that I had an email from the lovely Jill Finlay. I had that butterfly thing going on in my stomach before I opened it and then the disappointment thing when I read that my story had been rejected. So I was feeling sorry for myself and three or four minutes later another email from Jill popped into my mailbox. This one said to ignore the first email and that in fact my story will be in the Weekly News at some point in the future. Yay!!! I'll let you know when I find out when it's going to be in.
One other thing, Jill will be starting maternity leave next week and Billy Higgins will be taking care of things in her absence.
Okay, so I've now only got 52 minutes to work on the short story that is my current project do best get on.

Progress report

I did indeed walk the dog once it got light and I have to say that was a very pleasant experience. It was just getting light, there was a gentle frost and mist in the valley - very atmospheric. And luckily for me I caught sight of the boxer from up the road before my dog did because he has an eye for the ladies and she is a particularly pretty girl and a bit of a flirt. If they'd managed to get together I'm fairly certain it would have had an embarrassing end for all of us. But I got him on the lead before he saw her so the worst that happened was that I had to drag him home.
Once home and with a cup of tea in hand I set about working on the story that I told you about earlier. I have to be honest and say that it was quite difficult to get started because I thought should I have a look to see if anyone else has blogged, should I check my email etc etc. It's Sunday morning for goodness sake and I'm not going to get any emails that can't wait so I forced myself to get on with it.
I am happy to report that I have had a very productive couple of hours and that all of the words for the story are now down on paper courtesy of the pink pen (not my real pink pen which ran out of ink before my holiday and the shop had to order a refill but the back up.) All that remains is to type those words up either later today or tomorrow, then leave it for a few days before applying a bit of spit and polish and then submitting hopefully by the end of the week but certainly no later than the end of the week after.
Sadly the pink pen has to go back in it's box now as I've got a pile of ironing higher than Kilimanjaro.

Something new

Remember the ideas I had when I was on holiday? Course you do - I've harped on about them often enough. Anyway, one of those ideas is what I would describe as sinister. I've never written anything sinister before so I was wondering if any of you out there that do write "darker" stuff have any advice. Any of you that have read anything that I have written will know that it will be totally alien to me.
I'm up early today because Himself had to be at work at 6am and by the time he'd finished banging and clashing around the bedroom (sorry sweetheart but you did) I was awake so I thought I might as well get up and so far I've answered 3 emails answered an online survey and commented on four blogs. It's still dark but when it gets light enough I'll take the dog for a walk. Then when I get back I'm going to work on that story that I started the other day. Who knows I might even finish it. I'll let you know.

It can happen

I just want to add my public congratulations to Cally Taylor on the publication of her book Heaven Can Wait. I know that most of us aspire to one day be where she is today and I'm sure that Cally will be celebrating with us on that day. So lets all join in Cally's celebration today because she has shown us that it can happen.

1st idea under way

I am happy to report that I have started working on one of the ideas that I got when I was on holiday and what's more I am very happy about the way it is going. The first draft is only maybe a third of the way through so there's still a long way to go but so far so good.

Back from Heaven

Here I am back in the real world after a week in Heaven (not literally of course - my aspirations aren't that high) and I've come back with six or seven ideas written in my notebook. It wasn't a week for writing but these notions popped into my head so I made a note of them. Hopefully at least one of them will come to something. And then there's the synopsis rewrite of course which if I'm honest I had completeky forgotten about.

Eye opener

Yesterday I had a bit of an epiphany about lots of things (I realise that you can't have a "bit" of an epiphany because you either have one or you don't but you know what I mean) and one of those things was my book. I think that BTL is a good story and I'm happy with the way that it is written. Okay so it's not Shakespeare but then very little is. When was the last time that you saw any of Bill's work in the the Times best sellers list?
However the synopsis is weak.
During my epiphany I decided that I had to be honest about lots of things and while it would not be appropriate to bare my soul at this time about all the other things I need to be honest about, I can come clean about my writing. I should come clean about the writing, if I don't then what is the point in this blog?
So my admission is that the synopsis is weak. I can see that now.
It'll be something to work on after my break. I doubt I'll get chance to look at it before because I've not packed a thing yet - in fact most if what I want to pack is still in the ironing pile. And I must go shopping so that I can leave food for those that aren't coming with me.
Anyway, first job when I get back - make that synopsis stronger.
See you all in a week or so.

Oh no!!!!

Sacre Bleu!!!! Devastation. The pink pen has run out of ink. Lucky for me there's a little shop nearby where I work that sells refills.
In the meantime I'll have to use my back up pink pen which isn't half so pretty but still writes pretty well.
On an happier note, it's only 6 days and counting until our anniversary trip. I will be making a few notes when I'm away for research purposes and have got a new notebook especially for the occasion (I do love a pretty notebook) but it is a holiday and can't be written off against tax. Oh wouldn't that be fun!

This that and t'other

I pink pen has formed around 1500 words this morning (go pink pen!) and I'm fairly satisfied with that for a Sunday morning. I'll do some more later.
After I'd walked the dog I made a pot of tea and set myself up on the end of the sofa with paper and my pink pen and worked for a couple of hours. In that time I drank the pot of tea, ate a few grapes and wondered if I could be bothered to go into the kitchen to get something with chocolate on it. I managed to talk myself out of the chocolate because I don't want to get into the habit of needing it to get the creative juices flowing. The hips are big enough as it is.
Anyway, I'd reached a natural break after those 1500 or so words so I put that to one side and have allowed myself a little time for answering emails and blogging before I go and start roasting potatoes.
I had a look back at archived posts wondering what I was doing this time last year and the year before that. Turns out it was pretty much what I am doing now except that 2 years ago was when I had all that rubbish stuff going on in my life. I read a few of the coments that were left to various posts and I noticed that people were visiting and commenting then that haven't commented for ages so maybe they're not around any more. Or maybe they don't visit here any more. Maybe I'll look them up and see that they're still around.
I've got a nice little break coming up in a weeks time so my head is full of that at the moment. I have to sort out a lot of stuff at work before I go and there was a lot going on there this week without the fact that I start my holiday on Thursday night. I have loads of washing and ironing to do (always a joy) and currently have no cases. They were lent to someone in February and I haven't seen them since. I have been told that I will have them by the end of the week. I'm really looking forward to it as I feel the need for a break.
We usually have a holiday around this time of year so I thought I might set myself the challange of paying for next years break from what I earn from writing. Good job I didn't do that this year because we wouldn't have made it to the end of the road and back. No to be fair to myself I probably earned enough to pay for a night in the hotel - maybe even a night and a half.
Yes, I'm going to do that. Right here and right now I challange myself to earn enough from writing to pay for next years holiday.

NRIMH Update

Just thought I'd let you know how the first draft of NRIMH is coming along. Not bad at all is how thank you very much. Well is it the first draft or the second? Mmmm good question. I write it in long hand with my pink pen and then I type it up. That is how I know that it is currently just under 15,000 words long. I'll be working with the pink pen for the next few weeks, well make that the next week, then I'll be having a week or so off doing anything at all other than relaxing and then I'll get the pink pen out again.
I'm working on a section of the story at the moment that concentrates on character J. Some of you may remember that J is the character that I wanted to dislike but found that I had sympathy for. I wonder if I'll still feel the same way when they have developed a bit more.
Maybe I'll get one of those widgety things that shows the world how it is coming along.
I know it's not much to post about but it's all I've been working on this week.

Not going to the wire

A month or two ago I suggested an article to an editor which they said they were interested in (always a good start.) However they had changed their requirements and my article would need a bit of tweaking to fit them. They said that if I was willing to do that tweaking they would like me to resubmit in the new year. Of course I was more than happy to tweak and that is what I have been doing this morning. I am happy to report that I have the word count where it needs to be and I think that the tone is right. And it's not even the end of September yet. Hows that for beating a deadline.
BTW well done to everyone running in The Great North Run today. JD I was there with you in spirit.

Any very short markets?

Are there any markets still out there for 300 - 400 word stories? I can't think of any. The reason I ask is that following the addition to the WIP folder that I made earlier this morning I thought that I should work on something that is already there. I chose something that was in one of my black note books because I could remember exactly where and when I wrote it. I was in a restaurant waitning for Himself to arrive and we were having an early dinner before we went to the theatre. Anyway, the crux of that matter is that I have typed up everything that I wrote in the note book and while it isn't quite finished it's only 246 words. I do like it so I would like to try and place it if I could but if not I'll regard it as a writing excercise.
Either way it won't be wasted. I mean apart from anything else it gave me something to do in the restaurant so that I couldn't see the faces of the people who I'm sure thought that I'd been stood up.

Light bulb moment

I was out in the fields early this morning walking the dog (pretty idylic scene actually, nature, sunshine etc) and talking to him (like you do) when I had a light bulb moment. You know one of those moments when something seems like the best thing you ever thought of in your life.
Not having a notebook with me (whyever not???) I had to keep the thought in my head until I got home. I managed to do that which isn't at all impressive when you consider that the field I was in is about 50 yards (sorry I'm an old fashioned girl and don't do metres) from my front door and we were on our way home when the lightbulb went on.
Said idea is now written in one of the four notebooks that I keep in my bag along with what I was thinking when the lightbulb illuminated itself. Note how I didn't say "lightbulb went on" twice in 2 sentences - didn't want to repeat myself.
So this brilliant idea is now in the WIP system (God help it) along with a few hundred other things. I just hope that it doesn't get lost in there.

The pink pen writes again

The pink pen went to work yesterday on a short story for the first time in a while. I've spent a lot of the recent months on BTL and NRIMH which has involved working with the computer rather than the pen. I'm not sure where the story will end up because it's different to my usual stuff. I do have a market in mind but I'll need to see how it turns out.
I must say that I enjoy words developing from the nib of a pen much more than them appearing at the tap of a finger tip. It was fun to get the pen out again.

Correct etiquette

Looking as I am at agents I am a little confused by how or rather to whom I should address my submission. When I look at a particular website to check adresses and such like it usually says something like "Submissions Dept." Is it okay to just send it to the submissions department or should I be trying to work out which agent would be most interested in it and address the submission to them?

Just to clarify

The second sentence of my previous post should not have had the word "week" in it. Instead it should have read "year." I have sold three stories this year not this week.

Number 3

I sold another story today. I got the email this morning and it felt great. Its the third story that I've sold this week and my first in four months. Just as well we weren't relying on it to eat.
I mention the sale here for two reasons. Firstly because this is where I tell the world of whats happening with my writing and secondly because I believe that most of you will be happy for me.
I know that some may read this and think that three sales is nothing to boast about and there may be some truth in that because I know that it is way less than what some people have achieved this year. But by that same token I also know that it is three more than some others have sold and for that I am grateful and thank my lucky stars.

Way to learn a lesson

I have to confess that I'm not a great planner when it comes to writing. I know where I'm going to start and I know where I want to finish and how I get there is a journey. However today I have learned that I should make at least some notes as I'm going along.
My current project is in seven definite parts and I'm writing each part with my trusty pink pen and then typing it up, changing the odd word or phrase here and there as I go. This morning I have been working on typing up the second part.
I was typing away quite happily until my fingers tapped out a sentence. As I hit the full stop I suddenly thought, "Hang on a minute, that can't be right."
I thought that I had got a timing issue wrong. I thought that what I said had happened couldn't possibly have. So I had to spend half an hour trawling through what I had already written trying to work it out.
It turned out that my timing was right and I'm pleased about that because I thought that I must have worked it out before I actually wrote or at least hoped that I had.
So this morning I have learned two valuable lessons.
1. Trust myself.
2. Make more no make that some notes.
Time for a cup of tea I think.

An anniversary

Eight years ago today I started my first real attempt at a novel. It never really got off the ground and stalled at 45,000 words. Back in those days I wrote very infrequently and had never tried to get anything I'd written published apart from one thing a squillion years ago when I was 18. I'd gotten the idea when I was walking the dog in he morning and then emailed my American friend with a couple of questions to start the research. A few hours later two planes flew into the Twin Towers.
I still have the book (DC) on my computer and in fact looked at it fairly recently. You may remember that I commented that I'd found it and thought that it might not be totally dead in the water. A few years ago Catrin Collier very kindly had a look at it for me and said that she liked the writing but wasn't quite sure what market it would fit into (story of my life) and I took heart from that. It is thanks to that that I set DC aside and started BTL which as some of you may know was recently completed and is currently looking for a home.
Thanks Catrin.

A new me!

I bought myself a diary today and in it I wrote the date that I need to resubmit an article that a magazine has shown some interest in and the deadline that I have set myself for finishing the first draft of NRINH. This is something that I have often threatened to do but up until now haven't got round to.
I find that my attitude to writing has changed since I stopped hiding behind "Gonna be a Writer." I am more organised and I'm doing more of it.
I'm enjoying being me.

Divided loyalties

When I first started to write NRIMH I sympathised with character S. They were my downtrodden Victorian heroine (so to speak - not set in Victorian times) they were the character that was going to evoke strong emotions from the reader. So why is it that 10,000 words in character J is now the one I want to put my arms around and hug? This is so wrong. Character J is the reason that character S is the she is. Character J doesn't deserve my sympathy or affection.
At least with BTL I knew where my loyalties lay.

A very small crumb of comfort

I had a short story rejected this week which is always disappointing. They'd had that particular story for about 3 weeks but they still have one that I sent almost 3 months ago so I'm hoping for more from that. At least it was something back from an editor. I'd started to think that the post office were tossing everything in the bin rather than delivering them where I sent them. It had been ages since I heard about anything so I took small (very small) comfort from this.
I find the waiting very difficult and in some ways worse than rejection. Okay I know that no news is good news and while you're waiting to hear about something there's still hope for it but if something is going to be rejected I'd rather just know so that I can deal with it.