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.
Monday 29 November 2010
Sunday 28 November 2010
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.
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.
Monday 15 November 2010
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.
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.
Sunday 7 November 2010
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.
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.
Thursday 4 November 2010
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)