Summary: Lots of lessons learned this week – not least that Weeknotes is an excellent way to track progress. This is because, by the time Monday came around again, and I was compiling my notes to post, I had completely forgotten everything I had done and learned earlier in the week! Monday: […]
Category: Blog
Positive Rejections
Rejections are an inevitable part of being a writer, at least if you have any ambition to see your work printed by anyone other than yourself. But there are different types of rejections, and some of them can have beneficial consequences. I’ve been actively trying to get my short stories published since the start […]
Weeknotes – S01E03
Summary: I’ve been a bit all over the place this week, finding it difficult to settle to anything, and not feeling as if what I’ve been doing is particularly worthwhile. Still, recording it all for Weeknotes shows me that I am getting things done, even if it doesn’t feel like it. Monday: I had […]
Weeknotes – S01E02
Summary: Weirdly, I think I’m missing having a big project to work on. I’ve been doing writing-related stuff, but I haven’t felt very focused or motivated this week. Perhaps I need to pick my next novel and throw myself into it… Monday: I spent the morning going through all the stuff I […]
Constant Reinforcement
I got back from NAWG Fest yesterday, after two days of workshops, q&a with agents, and lots of chatting with other writers. I didn’t learn anything new. But it was still a valuable (and highly enjoyable) experience because there was a lot of reinforcement of things I already knew. As humans, we develop […]
Weeknotes – S01E01
Someone my husband, Dave, knows started a project called Weeknotes, whereby he puts together a summary of what he’s done at work each week and posts it online. Other people have started to do it too, and I wanted to join in. I wasn’t overly enthused about compiling Weeknotes for my day job, but I […]
A Balanced Life
At the moment, I am struggling with finding balance in my life. I work in an office four days a week, and often have several social engagements throughout the week and at the weekend. So, it can be difficult to find time to write. It helps a lot that I have several writer friends […]
Second Draft Done!
Yesterday, I experienced a profound sense of accomplishment. The four-month writing period of the Six Month Novel Programme is coming to an end, and I actually finished writing the last scene of my current draft about three weeks ago. That felt pretty great, not least because it happened on a writing date with a […]
Felixstowe Book Festival
Last weekend, a few friends and I went to Felixstowe Book Festival. This was my third event of this kind, and probably my favourite so far. NAWG Fest in September last year was an intensive two days of excellent workshops, with a couple of author talks thrown in. Tremendous fun, but very tiring. Chipping Norton […]
Same Lesson Every Time
I didn’t write anything all last week. Then, I had a tiring, somewhat stressful but ultimately enjoyable weekend away at a gaming event, getting home later last night than planned. And I’d completely forgotten about my dentist appointment this morning. All I wanted to do with the rest of today was sit on the sofa […]