Monday 30 November 2009

The Never Ending To Do List

Can’t believe it is nearly a month since I last did an entry. Time just seems to be flying past at the moment. Jamie changes so much from day to day (see: http://grumpymumtobe.blogspot.com/) and there is so much to learn and adapt to. It must be good for my brain on some level!!

Today I was given an extra few hours when the event planned for this afternoon failed to happen as my friend was ill. So I used the time to go through the December editions of Writers News and Writing Magazine – as I do every month – and look up interesting Internet sites referenced in the magazines, copy articles I thought were particularly relevant, and I then made a note of competitions I might enter if I have any spare time….

A couple of good websites I came across today were; http://www.be-a-better-writer.com/ with Pearl Luke, and http://www.writingforward.com/

And I understand what the Grumpy Old Bookman (Writers News’ December 2009 http://www.writersnews.co.uk/ means when he says: ‘The best advice I can give you is to do the job of novelist (or any other kind of writer) because its fun. Expecting it to lead to ‘success’ in the worldly sense will only cause heartache’. This echoes what Pete and I discussed at the Scribes meeting with Bead Roberts i.e. no point doing anything unless its enjoyable. Writing should be seen as a hobby and then you won’t get hurt!!

Having a couple of quiet hours has spurred me on to go back to my To Do list I put together at the beginning of November. I intend to get up early tomorrow and spend the day working through the writing resources recently collected; to file them away for the time being, and also contemplate where to go next. I shall report back how it went in a few days….

Thursday 5 November 2009

One Quiet Thursday Afternoon..

First must say a big 'Thank You' to the Anonymous person who posted a comment to my last entry. Your response really meant a lot.

Having a good afternoon today. Been pretty pleased with myself the last few days as Christmas is just about sorted and so is the house. As Nanna has Jamie every Thursday afternoon I have been able to sit down and wade through all the piles of 'interesting stuff' I seem to have acquired recently. My Writing Magazine and Writers News arrived this morning but I am leaving them until I have cleared the decks (and they are a good night time read once Jamie is asleep!). I have just bought myself a book from the Mills and Boon Black Star Crime imprint to see what they are like and whether I could perhaps try my hand at one. (I believe they are shorter than mainstream crime novels). What I have left myself with now is a pile of 'filing' to put away in my writers cabinet which unfortunately currently resides in the nursery. I plan (am hoping to) spend next Thursday having a clear out and eventually (fingers crossed finances-wise) the cabinet should end up somewhere more suitable. And as for my ever increasing 'To Do' list, I have streamlined it. After severe meditation decided 'Who Cares if it doesn't get done?' In fact, the simple task of saying that actually makes me more likely To Do it!!

That's all my piles and my photos sorted in one afternoon - and 2 blog entries completed (not to mention the small amount of hoovering and washing I have also done).
Well Done Me!