It’s September, ALREADY. I can feel the summer leaching away through the gaps in the grass on our lawn. My skin tone is starting to fade to its natural pallid state. School (gulp) starts again on Monday. And perhaps that is the biggest wrench. “Hooray!” One half of me cries, “I get my writing time… Continue reading Melancholy September
Tag: #amediting
2nd novels, hide and seek and unexpected inspiration…
This week I discovered the best hiding place for hide and seek; tucked up and contorted on the window sill, hidden behind the curtains in my children’s bedroom. It took them ages to find me. AGES. And, whilst holding my breath and keeping as still as possible so as not to give the game away (I'm… Continue reading 2nd novels, hide and seek and unexpected inspiration…
No! Not that, anything but that…
I have a somewhat rare flaw as a writer, and that is my lack of exposition. WHAT? I hear you gasp, your jaws collectively thudding to the floor. Surely you can’t have too little exposition? Apparently, you can. I have long been wary of exposition. I’ve heard the warnings from agents about avoiding an exposition… Continue reading No! Not that, anything but that…
The creative leap to happiness
Man, oh man, I forgot how much I love this writing lark. And not just any writing, but shiny new writing. More specifically still, the initial draft of a short story. The buzz of spewing words onto a page and not having to worry if they’re the right words, the perfect words, because it’s a first… Continue reading The creative leap to happiness
Normally, I like silence…
Normally. When I’m writing, for instance (hence the reason Hubster International wears headphones to watch TV; I can’t write with noise.) But when the silence comes from agents, the silence is unbearable. I thought it was bad when it was just my initial submission I was waiting on, or rather the much anticipated, gut-punching rejections… Continue reading Normally, I like silence…
Those gosh-darn deceiving looks…
I had the joy of visiting Germany this week for a very brief, but very wonderful, trip to attend a friends’ wedding. It was awesome; great weather, great company, great food (German food is my FAVOURITE of all) and so much dancing I developed blisters on the soles of my feet. I love that country… Continue reading Those gosh-darn deceiving looks…
When your head isn’t quite your own
My fingers are itching to get stuck into something new. Well, not new, per say, but different. I‘m in the somewhat enviable position of already knowing what my second novel will be about. I know the characters, their back-stories and, er, future-stories (Is that a thing? I have either coined a new term or… Continue reading When your head isn’t quite your own
Too many hours in this day…
Ah, children. They seem to have the opposite problem entirely to that of writers: they often think there is too much time in one day. I had to disappoint my son with this very thing, earlier this afternoon. Sitting patiently in front of the turned-off television he looked up and asked if he could watch… Continue reading Too many hours in this day…
Being objective when it comes to subjectivity…
There’s been one factor surprising my friends and family more than any other recently and that is the reality of editing a book for agents. I have four editions of my manuscript; the one I use for my initial submission and three others edited in accordance with the advice from the agents I’m currently speaking… Continue reading Being objective when it comes to subjectivity…
Celebration, pride and a whole lot of tears
The post-Winchester blues have truly set in...but with a slight difference this year. Last June, after my first attendance at the festival, I felt really sad for a few days that it was over, that I was no longer surrounded by all those wonderful writers, teachers, agents, friends. Mainly, it had to be said, because… Continue reading Celebration, pride and a whole lot of tears
