25,051

And that seems to be where it wants to stop. Little bit more fiddling, but no more big chunks to add in. Still seems to fit within the usually given guidelines for children's (9-12) novels in Britain.

Query letter, incidentally, is also substantially written. I keep messing around with it, but I think it's time to stop.

Synopsis still to do. Blergh.

Most Christmas presents wrapped, now, and laundry for going home mostly done.

Today was the first day it's been really cold here (minus 2 - 5 depending on who you ask) and I had to scrape ice off my windscreen this morning, before I left for work, and this afternoon, when I was trying to get home.

Tomorrow night we're going to a friend's for mulled wine and minced pies, and to Hitchin town centre for some carol singing!

It's all so festive.

24,342

I've finished typing in everything I had. Now I just need to go back and fill in a few bits I identified on my trip through.

Not until we've been back to John Lewis to argue some more about the gift list.

Parcel, incidentally, still hasn't arrived.

Printer is finally working though, so I'm feeling a little calmer.

15,694

That's over 10k today, and over half way there.

Actually, I think it will run a little short, even when I add in the scenes I know it needs, but that's okay.

Still no parcel. Still can't leave house. It's pretty dark outside, already.

Think I might take a little break now.

12,045

But still no parcel.

Damn Parcelforce. I can't go anywhere until the bloody thing arrives - its my Mum's birthday present, and this is the only day I'll be here to sign for it!

7640

And cheese toasties for lunch

Revision Timetable

So I'm home alone, with the next twelve hours stretching ahead of me.

I've got some errands to run in town at some point, and I'm waiting for a parcel to be delivered. I want to wrap presents this evening, preferably while watching some bad tv. Same sort of schedule for the next couple of days. I need to go down to London, and I need to do some house sorting, but they're only half day errands.

The rest of the time? I'm revising.

It's midday, and I'm starting at 5132 words. It's a novel for 8-12 year olds, so it doesn't run long. Ideal length is 30k.

How far do you think I can get today?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Only ten more Christmas Cards to go! The last ten are for the people in my immedate department, and I need to make the cranberry shortbread to take in with them tonight.

I stayed up last night to finish writing the family and friends ones, while watching the Royal Variety Performance. They had the cast of Wicked! on doing a few songs from the show - it looks really good. Also they had Spamalot, so I suspect I'll have to take Simon soon.

I'm working on goals for next year. They're still nebulous, and keep being spoiled by certain items in the shiny new idea box being shiner than usual, when they're supposed to stay dull for the time being, while I do other stuff. So. Possibly a slight rejig of next year's schedule.

Of course, first I need to finish 2006's goals. For example, the Saving the Unicorns rewrite etc. I have Friday off work, as it's Simon's birthday, but as he's going to London for his work's Christmas do at lunchtime, I'll have all afternoon to work on it. And wrap some presents.

Right. Off to work!

The Close of the Year

We're heading into the dregs of 2006 now, and the Christmas rain is setting in here in the South East of England.

It's been a pretty huge year so far, what with the changing of jobs, doing up of house, oh, and the getting married. I finished the first drafts of two novels - one romantic/mystery fiction, one children's - and a few articles and bits here and there.

But I still have things to do before 2007, and the new progress bars will be going up very shortly:

1. Write Christmas cards
2. Buy and wrap Christmas presents
3. Finish type in edit of Saving the Unicorns, write synopsis and query letter and send out to selected agents

Not much, then, really. How many days do I have left?

Normal Service Will Resume Eventually

For the last few months, all I seem to have been saying is 'After the wedding, things will get back to normal, and we'll have time to actually do things again.'

Now the wedding is over? Not so much. Guess I forgot about Christmas.

I love Christmas - mostly because I have the most fantastic family to spend it with, and we always have such great fun.

As a rule, my Christmas preparations are ready by early December at the latest, allowing me to enjoy the last few weeks of anticipation without worrying.

This year, I've done nothing.

On the plus side, the thank you notes are finally finished, just in time to start on the Christmas cards.

And believe it or not, I've actually been getting some writing work done, too - mostly on a very long train trip to York this weekend, but it still counts!

More on this next post...

In the meantime, I expect Normal Service to resume for 2007.

Mrs Lydia Wickham

Or: The strangeness of being married, Part One

I’m still getting used to this marriage thing, it seems. Today I identified myself by my maiden name on the phone to a very confused gentleman that I had previously contacted under my married name.

But more that the surname, it’s the ‘Mrs’ that throws me. When people address me as Mrs, I start looking around for someone older and eminently more sensible than myself.

I feel a bit like a small girl playing at being a proper grown up.

In fact, I feel like Lydia Bennett, newly become Mrs Lydia Wickham, telling her eldest sisters that they must walk behind her now, because she is married and they are not.

Just as well that I always liked Lydia. 

Alternative Nano

Due to spending most of November in Wedding Frenzy, I've had to forgoe Nano this year.
Actually, I had to skip it last year too, although that was due to an entire month of conference frenzy, so a lot less fun.

I do, however, have my own, special, alternative Nano running.

83 thank you letters to write and post before the end of November, when it's time to start writing the Christmas cards instead.

It's not that I actually mind writing the letters; people were so very, very kind to us in all sorts of ways, and I really want to acknowledge that and show my gratitude in well written, personal notes with good handwriting.

It's just that it might take forever.

As we all know, progress tracking is always a good motivator for me, so there's a new progress bar on the right. Don't laugh. It's making me feel better.

Still Here

Okay, so I really, really meant to post before this. I just can't understand how the world can continue to be this crazy busy when the wedding is over, already.Part of the problem is that I wanted to write a nice long post telling you all about the wedding and Rome and everything, and because I haven't had time to write that, I haven't written anything.So, I'll get round to the proper thing eventually. In the meantime, I'm still here, and here are the photos to prove it:





Me and Dad outside the church


My new husband and I pretend to sign the register




















Me after the ceremony




















From left to right: My brother Kip, my Dad, my husband Simon, me, my Mum, my brother Mike

So much wedding, so little time

So, Bonnie nagged me, and so I am updating. Kinda.

The wedding is a week on Saturday. The favours have gone missing in the hands of the courier service. I'm still not sure I can fit into my dress. I spent seven hours on Saturday shopping for cufflinks. My world is askew.

Family start arriving this weekend (my cousin flies in from Toronto with her husband on Saturday - my Dad's staying with us on Friday night then picking them up from Heathrow to drive them up to Wales) and we head up North on Saturday. There is much packing to be done.

Still, there are fab plans in place! Chinese takeaway at my Aunt and Uncle's on Saturday night. Church on Sunday to hear the banns (now the vicar is assigning Simon to the correct parish, and the wedding is no longer illegal). Make up trial and pub quiz on Monday. Haircut and lunch with the cousins on Tuesday. Pre-wedding celebratory meal on Wednesday (it is not a hen night). Jo Malone facial on Thursday, courtesy of the aforementioned fantastic cousins. Manicure and pedicure on Friday, and then Lockdown.

Lockdown is my father. He's locking my entire family in the house from late afternoon Friday until the wedding. He says he can't risk any of us wondering off and being late. We're not allowed visitors, either. But, he's promised to cook, so that's okay.

Saturday is the wedding - plenty of canapes, Kir Royale, Leek and Potato Soup, Welsh Roast Lamb, Sticky Toffee Pudding (with sparklers) and cheese plates. Proper 30s Jazz band and then guitars and singing in the bar in the wee hours. My family. Huh.

Sunday, we have a family fireworks thing for Bonfire Night at my Aunt and Uncle's house.

Sunday, Simon and I fly off to Rome for the week! We're staying right by the Coliseum!

Anyway, I'm getting irrationally excited by the whole thing, and am totally unable to concentrate on edits. Instead I've been using my daily half hour to develop my next story idea, as only bright shiny objects can hold my attention at the moment! Once I'm back I'll do edits. I promise.

Other things

For some reason, it's been a really hard couple of weeks.

Partly, this may be down to autumnal health issues - Simon's been sick all this week with a cold/throat/head bug which I'm now suffering from (and complaining at least twice as much as he did).

Also, the wedding planning is kicking into high speed now, with only five more weeks to go (oh God).

Add in the new job, which inevitably involves a lot of concentration if I even want to remember people's names (something I am very bad at) let alone what I'm actually supposed to be doing.

All this is by way of saying, "The writing's not going so well."

On the other hand, I have my half hour agreement with Bonnie. This, at least, has enabled me to keep moving with stuff. I've actually used the time mostly to finish up loose ends, get some short stuff written, and plan and plot away quietly, which is more inkeeping with my limited attention span right now.

I'm also very aware that it is nearly October. It seems kind of pointless setting lofty goals for the next month, when I know that so much of it will be filled with table plans and place cards. But as long as I can keep my 1/2 hour a day, I should be okay.

Now that most of the loose ends and smaller things are finished, I need to commit to using my half hour to edit Saving the Unicorns. I'm going through the hard copy, very slowly, at the moment, although I've barely started. I also haven't brought it to Wales this weekend, so it'll have to wait until Monday. Instead, today and tomorrow will be spent getting over this stinking cold, and thinking and noting my way through a few writing issues I know I have to deal with next month.

It's frustrating to have everything moving so slowly at the moment, but at least it is still moving.

Things that are happening to me right now.

Right now, I am about to be late for work. However, I'm not going anywhere until my fiance has managed to saw his way out of the bathroom.

Seriously.

A couple of weeks ago the mechanism in the door handle broke on the door to my study, while Simon and I were outside. With the aid of a screwdriver, Simon managed to jimmy the door so we could get in, and has dismantled the mechanism so that, while we can't shut the door properly, we can't get stuck in or outside the room.

Same thing just happened to the bathroom door, except this time, Simon's inside.

Because of the way the door is set up, you need to be inside the room to do anything about it. And there isn't enough space under the door to pass a screwdriver.

I managed to get a saw blade underneath, though, and he's currently sawing through the mechanism. He thinks he's nearly there.

I'd better go give some more encouragement...

New Job

First day at the new job went well, but I was so exhausted at the end of it I went to bed before nine.

Of course, some of that may have been to do with the trek up to Wales, going out partying with my brother on Friday, shopping for wedding shoes all day Saturday (still don't have any), and shopping for clothes all day Sunday. Add in a few wedding related in-law issues, along with general wedding planning, and a four and half hour drive back on Sunday night, and I was just whacked.

On the plus side, it means I'm up early this morning and already have my half hour done.

Okay, off to the day job!

New Start

As one door closes, yada yada.

As I may have mentioned, I'm starting a new job on Monday. They sent me a stack of forms to fill in (if I go missing, my fiance mayhave bumped me off for the life assurance) one of which was a New Starter form.

The more I thought about it, the more appropriate it seemed.

I've spent the last four and a half years organising conferences, all around the globe. I worked damn hard, for long hours, many weekends, and I was very good at my job.

But you can only do that for so long. So I don't any more.

The last month has been a limbo period. I've temped, written, decluttered, thought and slept a lot. But now it's time for my life to begin. A new life, with a new start.

Other signs that my world is starting over, whether I like it or not - I need to renew my passport, as it runs out on November 6th. So I need to renew it in a new name, with a new picture, and a signature from my vicar that I will be becoming this different person in a month and a bit.

I'm heading up to Wales this weekend (luckily, as that's where the vicar is) and my mother and I are going to visit the personal shopper at Debenhams - something we booked ages ago, and that coincidentally falls now, just when I need a new wardrobe, in order to be this new person.

But it's not all coincidence. I'm making some active changes too.

One reason (among many) for leaving my previous job was that I wanted more time to write.
And I know that my stories progress if I write on them everyday, however little. Bonnie reminded me of this, and we set ourselves a challenge.

We will write for half an hour, every day. No matter what.

How hard can that be?

New regime, people.

September

It's all change over here in Katy's Wonderland.

I've just finished my temp contact at the council, and on the 18th I start my new real job, right here in town, with ordinary hours and everything.

It has a pension, health care, free Alta Rica coffee on tap, and free lunch in the restaurant!
My old job had none of these things.

I'm very excited.

The darling fiance has just disappeared in a taxi for the airport - he's off to a conference in Vermont for the week, while I sit here at home and pine.

Well, not exactly.

Lots to do today, before my cousin comes to stay tonight. There are plans for Red Dwarf dvds and Chicken Pad Thai. I do make damn good Pad Thai. And then I'll probably live on ready meals until Simon gets home.

Then I've got until Thursday to get the house / my life / everything in order. I'm up in Wales over the weekend, going to a personal shopper with my mum, and probably meeting with the florist again, I think.

And, of course, the writing.

I want to get Saving the Unicorns revised this month. And, potentially, sent out.

I've also accidentally started in on something new over the last week, which appears to be running faster than I can keep up with. I said I wanted 20k on it this month, and I'm at 14k now, so hopefully that should be achieveable too.

Oh, yeah. And I need to finish planning the wedding, as it is now less than two months away.

Right, must get dressed and go to the cash machine to get money to pay the nice man who's coming to clear out our gutters in about 45mins. It's a wild, wild life I'm living.

Very Nearly There

So, I just finished my week of unemployment. It's a weird time when I'm the slacker in the family.

Still, I have been using my time profitably. I've just finished the first draft of Saving the Unicorns, more or less. I want to go back and add in a couple of obvious scenes over the weekend, then I'll leave it alone for a little while before beginning a redraft. I'd like it to hit 30k when it's finished; I suspect it'll be around 25k by the end of Sunday, so we'll see what the read through throws up in a couple of weeks. My research tells me that anything between 20k and 40k is fine for books aimed at 8 to 12 year olds. Hopefully. It's only recently that they've started running a lot longer.

Monday, I start an ongoing temp job for the council, which will mostly involve photocopying, apparently. I've got a couple of interviews for permanent work coming up, which is good. Everything's slow at the moment because every company has vital people on holiday, I guess.
Anyway, at least we can pay the mortgage this month.

I need to get stuck back into the Snow Child rewrite. It's kind of fallen by the wayside while I got caught up with unicorns in South Wales. I also have a couple of non-fiction articles I need to work on.

But just for now, I think I'll take a break. Maybe have a cup of tea and a crumpet.
It is Friday, after all.

London

No work done at all this morning, as I've been glued to BBC News 24 watching the coverage of the foiled terrorist attacks on UK to US planes.

My Dad flew into Heathrow from Cairo around midday, and obviously his connecting flight to Manchester has been cancelled. Mum and I have been on the phone all morning trying to figure out how to get him home quickest; he's been away working for a month, and just wants to get back!

I've found him a coach to Watford that should be quicker that taking the train into the city then across to Euston and back out again. He should be able to pick up a train to Crewe from Watford, and if they're too packed, I can go pick him up from there and he can stay with us tonight and try again tomorrow.

I was all set to drive down to Heathrow, but looking at the traffic, this should be quicker for him, I hope.

I've seen a few people complaining that the security measures regarding hand luggage are too strong, but personally, I think that anything that keeps people safe has to be done, no matter how inconvenient.

In other news, I spent yesterday in London with my cousin who's down from Birmingham, having afternoon tea at Selfridges and doing some shopping. Then we met up with her brother and went to see the stage musical of Footloose. It may have been the wine in the bar beforehand, but we thought it was fantastic! My cousin Phil bought each of us a Footloose bear, complete with logo tshirt. Mine's called Kevin.

May have to watch the dvd of the film this afternoon...

Snow Child Revision

2000 words on Saving the Unicorns this morning, so now a short break, then onto the Snow Child revision.

Snow Child is a YA novel I wrote a couple of years ago, and have never got around to revising. Partly, I think, because I don't believe I could sell it anywhere. Still, I need the practice at the process of revision, and who knows what I might end up with.

I do love the story, and the characters, and the whole tone of the piece. Hopefully the revision won't be too much of a chore.

I've already been through the manuscript, over the last couple of weeks, making extensive notes of what needs changing/rewriting/tightening or just editing a bit. The first sections need quite extensive rewriting, which is what's making it so hard to start.

Still, I'm working on it this afternoon. Definitely.

Saving the Unicorns

This is a story I began last summer, that got derailed by a number of events that upset my life for a while.

It's aimed at the 8-12 year old reading group, so it's short. I'd already done about 8k on it last year, plus all the required planning, so now I just want to steam ahead and finish the thing.

I really like the story, the characters and the setting; I'm even fond of the plot. It should be a lot of fun to write.

I've just hit 10k on it, so that's 2k since I restarted it, and I'm already engrossed. Hopefully this will go quite quickly.

It can't possibly go as slowly as the Snow Child revision, but more on that next time.

August

A whole new month, and my write-on novel off my back. What joyous days!

Except, of course, that I now have a new list of things to get done in the next 31 days:

1. Finish the revisions for Snow Child
2. Write 20k on Saving the Unicorns
3. Get a job I like

I expect that somehow 1 and 2 will be much easier than 3.

Other things happening this month:

• Family weekend in Porthmadog, with a lunch at Portmeirion (Italianate village where The Prisoner was filmed) on the bank holiday
• Dinner with the cousins in London tonight
• My mum and brother to visit on Thursday for a long weekend
• Weekend with friends in London sometime soon
• Trip to John Lewis to pick out items for the wedding gift list
• Probably lots of other stuff I've forgotten about.

I think I like August. Except that now I have to go get ready to head into the office to wrangle with financial reconciliations with the boss. Only technically employed there for another 13 days...

Finished!

I was beginning to think that the end would never come, but I've finally reached it - before deadline, too! It's short, but I know it'll grow when I realise all the stuff I've skipped over in this draft.

So, all I need to do now is print the thing off, shove it in a folder for a while, until I can bear to look at it again to think about revising it, and tidy up the absolute chaos that has descended on my study, all in time to start something new on the 1st August.

But more details on that when I've cleared up, and done a small victory dance.

Yay me!

Melting at 58,000

Oh God, this heat is unbearable. And it's still only 09.45. It's only going to get hotter.

I've caved, and am wearing shorts. I don't intend to inflict this sight on anyone outside my house, so I won't be going anywhere today.

Still, got 1000 words so far. Going to go and do some housework before it gets too much hotter, then I'll plot out the next couple of scenes, I think.

Roll on autumn.

57,000

I think that this thing is going to run way short - at the moment it's looking to finish at about 65,000.

On the other hand, I know there's stuff missing - in some cases big, wordy stuff. I just don't know how best to fit it all in until the basics are finished and I start revising.

Also, there's little to no description in most scenes. I guess it could be quite a bit longer after the rewrite.

I'm at home today, and for most days until mid-August. I'm choosing to describe this time as 'garden-leave'. Technically, though, I'm working from home. Except this is only because there's nothing for me to do in the office, so it's not exactly labour intensive.

Anyway, I have a schedule for the next few weeks, which also includes trips to North Wales, Manchester and London for a variety of reasons, and high hopes that I may get some serious writing done during this time.

So. On current outline, only 8,000 words until the first draft is finished.

So very nearly there...

55,000

This thing is really starting to move!

Got an appointment with an agency tomorrow, and already been recommended for two jobs, both considerably more local than my current one. Pay cut inevitable, but quality of life should go up!

Boss took the resignation well, which is fantastic.

Off to see Pirates of the Caribbean 2 tonight in celebration.
And may have a very large drink.

What a day.

Holy Stationery Cupboards, Batman!

I just resigned.

52,000

I'm starting to actually believe that the ending is in sight. Just 18k to go, and I'm writing every day. I may actually make my August 1st deadline.

I've been working in a slightly new way for this novel than for anything else I've written for a while, but now I come to post about it, I'm noticing some similarities to a system I used a few years ago for the first lengthy story I wrote (novella, rather than novel, though).

When I started writing Making the News (and, Oh God, please somebody send me a better title) I'd just had a bad experience with full plotting before writing the novel. So I thought I'd try something different.

For the first few thousand words, I knew the basic set up, had a vague idea of some scenes I wanted to include, and, as it was a romance, knew that the hero and heroine would end up together. I decided to figure out the rest as I went along.

The only problem with that plan was that I get nervous when I don't know where I'm going, and that tends to block me up a bit.

So, about 10000 words in, I compromised.

I created a spreadsheet where I could put in the main turning points I knew, with blank spaces for the other scenes, which I filled in as and when they came to me. It meant I spent a lot of time jiggling things around, but it seems to be working okay. Completed scenes are in black, with wordcount, scenes still to write are in green. It got a bit more complicated as time progressed, and includes chapter breakdowns and wordcounts and all sorts. And it means I can see exactly where I am and where I need to go next, and how long it should take me to get there.

Now, there are just 10 more scenes to go, and I can see exactly how much I've already achieved. It's really very motivating.

But I'm still trying something new for the next one!

50,000

Now we're talking!

Had a great weekend back up in Wales - ordered wedding dress, sorted out bridesmaid's dress, had a lovely lunch with Mum and Dad at Moules-a-go-go.

My Uncle's 60th birthday party was fantastic - great food, wine, singing and company. Went on until 3am, though, so I wasn't good for much on Sunday!

It is, however, impossible to write when I'm at Mum and Dad's. People keep coming to talk to me, wherever I am. And I don't have my 'Preifet' sign ('Private' in Welsh) to hang on the door to keep people out. That works a treat at home.

Still, have now broken 50,000 - just another 20K to go!

48,000

Making progress here!

Just as well, really. Chances are that my output may go down over the weekend - too much other fun to be having.

45,000

Step by step, people.

My Dad swung by last night on his way from London back home to North Wales, and stopped for dinner and stayed the night. Simon cooked Thai Green Curry, we opened the good red wine, and Dad collected my brother's French Horn that I had to pick up from Cambridge a few weeks ago.

I'm heading home myself tomorrow, for the weekend, and must make sure I keep up this writing schedule while I'm there, however hard it is to get even a moment alone!

The plan for the weekend is shopping with Chester with my Mum on Saturday - where I will hopefully buy a wedding dress (eek) and maybe even some shoes (I want blue ones).

Then Saturday night is my uncle's 60th birthday party, which will be a lot of fun. Lots of family and friends there, and there will be music and singing and food and wine.

Back down south again on Sunday, and back to work on Monday.

Sounds quite exhausting when I write it out like that!

44,000

You know, if I keep this up, I might actually make it.

Book Review - Angel With Attitude, by Michelle Rowen

I read Michelle Rowen’s first novel, Bitten and Smitten, during what would have otherwise been a very long, very boring train journey from Cambridge to Durham. Instead, the time flew by, and I missed all the beautiful countryside I could have been watching outside the windows, because I was completely entertained by the antics, character and comedy of the main character, Sarah.

Needless to say, I was looking forward to getting my hands on Michelle’s latest book, Angel with Attitude, released earlier this week. I’m glad to report that I wasn’t disappointed.


Valerie is a fallen angel – stuck in Niagara Falls with a head cold and a determination to get back where she belongs – Heaven.

Of course, it’s never that easy. But with the help of a nine year old prima donna psychic, a fry cook witch demon summoner, a love-rat who’s currently an actual rat, and her very own Tempter Demon, Val’s certainly going to give it a try.

Once she’s finished saving the world, anyway.


What I really enjoyed in this book was the humour with which the matters of life, death and one or two in between states were handled. The characters were wise-cracking, if not always wise, but also contained the sort of emotion that made them real to me.

I loved the corruption of cliché and deviation from traditional stereotypes – for everything from angels and demons to faeries and McDonalds staff members. And I really appreciated that nothing was ever quite what it seemed; Valerie has to trust her heart and not her eyes to stay alive and figure out what’s going on.


I’d certainly recommend Angel with Attitude to anyone looking for a light hearted romp through the underworld, or anyone with a perfect lazy summer afternoon to while away in the pursuit of Heaven. Or truly gorgeous Tempter Demons.

43,000

Made myself get up early and write again this morning, and I'm so glad I did.

The scene I just wrote really starts the action that leads towards the end, even if the characters don't know it yet. It was fun to write, it flowed, and I can just feel the story coming together.

I know that this is because I've been writing on this story every day for the last week or so. I just can't seem to keep the feel of the thing in my head if I'm away from it for more than 24 hours.

So, I've said it before, but I'll say it again to make sure it is fully drummed into my head:

I have to write 1000 words of this story every day in order to meet my deadline.

Maybe I should get it tattooed somewhere... temporary, of course. Just enough to last out the month.

Getting There

I have just spent the most wonderful week at the seaside, exploring ruins and castles, shopping in craft shops, eating at fantastic restaurants, paddling in the sea, and writing. I'll try and post some pics later.

I got reasonable work done on the WIP, purely by getting up every morning and sitting down to write while having my first cup of coffee. The lack of internet access obviously helped.

I know that to finish my first draft on deadline for the Write-Ons (July 31st), I need to write 1000 words every day. It'll be a short first draft, as usual, but I know there's more detail to add in - I just can't see what until I have a finished draft!

So this morning, I got up early like I used to before life went crazy, made coffee, disabled the internet access at my study computer for the morning, and wrote 1181 words in 40 minutes.

I just hope the rest of the month is that easy!

Other news; the story I want to write next is set in Tenby in South Wales, my favourite holiday spot, so while we were there last week I took the opportunity to finish the plotting and research for that too. Simon took lots and lots of photos for me, that I hope will jog my memory about layouts and colours and details when I sit down to write it next month.

Wedding invitations are out, and lovely responses are coming in. One or two problems with family on Simon's side, but hopefully we'll get all that sorted out.

And at some point this week I need to discuss resigning with my boss...

Where I'm going with this.

I've been giving a lot of thought lately to where I'm going with all this.

You know the days where you sit up suddenly, spill your drink, and realise you've been going about things all wrong and you never notice? That's been my last couple of months.

Since Christmas, everything has been frantic. Some of it was the good frantic, some of it the awful, awful frantic. But it's been impossible to enjoy the good stuff, like wedding plans and the new house, because of the mental drain of the bad stuff.

Some of the bad stuff, like my Grandma's death, was unavoidable. But I bet the funeral wouldn't have been quite so unbearable if I hadn't had to get up at three the next morning to catch a flight to Hungary and work from six in the morning until midnight for the next week.

That's the main problem. Since our Account Director left and I had to pick up the slack (i.e. his job as well as mine, and training a new member of staff) for not much more pay, I haven't had a moment to think about anything but work. I've been travelling an awful lot, which means I haven't been able to spend as much time with my fiance as I'd like, or with my family. There's been a great deal of responsibility and expectations laid on me from all quarters.

So, suddenly I realised that it didn't have to be like this. I could get a new job, without the two hours a day commuting and the constant tenseness.

Because, I remembered, this isn't the career I want. This isn't what I want to be doing five years from now.

In fact, this isn't what I want to be doing two months from now.

So I'll finish out our current projects, the last of which is next week. I'll tidy up the books, go on holiday for a week, then hand in my notice.

Because there is a lot more in my life than this, and everything else is more important.


I discussed all this with Simon a few weeks ago, and he was both supportive and thrilled I was going to get out of something he had seen make me so unhappy lately.

Then on Monday night we told my parents, over dinner. They both thought I was making the right decision.

And my mother said; "It will give you more time to write, too. Because that's what you really want to do." Without me ever telling her that.


I have a feeling that the second half of 2006 is going to be so much better than the first.

32,000

Slow couple of weeks over here in Fictionville, mostly due to Wedding Issues, last minute trips to Frankfurt and some very necessary Sorting Out of the study and spare room.

Off to Wales again this weekend, with a very busy schedule involving wedding dresses and birthday parties.

Would be nice if I could get a chunk done during my lunchhour today before I go away... I'll keep you updated.

New Study

Another great Write On Word War today - bringing my wordcount up to just over 28k.

Obviously, major source of inspiration is my beautiful new study, as pictured. On the left you can see my pictures of New York and Narnia respectively, and above the desk my storyboard for my current story.

Also shown; my moneypot, some notebooks, photos of my grandparents and my parents, my files, my iPod, my plant pot (still waiting for the perfect plant) and my very expensive, but non-spine-damaging, desk chair.

It's all very exciting... but we need to put up more book shelves. 

25,000

That's got to be some sort of a milestone right? At least worthy of another cup of coffee, and maybe even some breakfast.

We've got another Write On Word War this afternoon, so I'm hopeful of getting this total up even more before the end of the day.

Perhaps some scrambled eggs...

Home Again

Got back home yesterday - have almost managed to stop falling asleep when left unattended for more than a moment.

Day off today, mostly. Want to get some writing done, in amongst all the other stuff. Not to mention that I'm still too tired to work up the energy to stand upright in the shower - had to have a bath yesterday, and fell asleep in it. Not good.

Did get some writing done while I was away, entirely due to the jet lag that had me up at 4am for the first few days. Up to around 23K now. Maybe I can hit 25K today... what do you think?

San Francisco

So it's like five thirty in the morning, but my sleep patterns are screwed, and I had to get up to call the office and a couple of clients in Europe before the time-zone issue became too overwhelming anyway.

So I'm bathed, dressed, I've made my phone calls, checked my emails and they don't start serving breakfast for another hour.

Guess I'd better get some writing done, then.

I'll let you know how I get on.

20,000!

Fantastic write on word war this evening!

Finally got to 20K, which is just a huge relief, especially as I know I won't be able to write much this week.

On the other hand, I still haven't packed for tomorrow... suppose I'd better go do that, then.

16,000

Everything seems so very slow on this story at the moment, and I'm getting frustrated.

I know that a lot of it is because I haven't had much time to myself to write, let alone think about the next steps in the story, and that when I have had time my brain is so fried from work that I just can't concentrate.

I also know that May will be better, and that June won't be so bad, so I still hope to hit the August 1st deadline.

Write on word war this afternoon, which will hopefully help. It would be fantastic to hit 20K before I leave tomorrow morning.

Other things to do today - painting the study (2nd coat, finally), laundry, packing, sorting out the work files to take to SF, calling the family, general house sort. And the drinking of coffee.

But most importantly, writing.

Back from Frankfurt

Urgh. A very long, very trying, very crisis-ridden couple of days over and done with, thank God.

In the office tomorrow, then driving up to Mum and Dad's in North Wales tomorrow night for the Easter weekend - Simon's already up there at his parents.

Come Sunday, Lent is officially over and I can have a glass of wine. Somebody, please, remind me not to give up alcohol next year? Seven weeks, people.

Got maybe 500 words while I was away, which just sucks.

I'm taking Gwennie the laptop home with me (in her snazzy new bag) so I have hopes of getting a decent word count over the long weekend. Although I also have family stuff, friends stuff and wedding stuff to get done. And new Doctor Who to watch. And my birthday party!

Day Off!

Oh thank God, a day off!

I was supposed to do a teleconference from home this morning, but that got cancelled too, so my day is my own.

Although, we've got a friend arriving to stay the weekend at 16.30, so I need to clean the house and prepare his room. And I have to paint the first coat in the study.

But most importantly - I need to write a lot of words! And type up all the stuff from Gothenburg that I haven't gotten around to yet.

Hmmm. Maybe I need coffee and a sandwich to help with all this...

A mere 500 words and 1 1/2 walls done so far. Wish me luck!

12,500

Sorry, I've been awful about posting this week!

I got quite a lot done in Gothenburg, bringing me up to around 12,500. Sadly it's all longhand, so I have a lot of typing up in my future. Oh well, it's good for when the brainhas stopped functioning well enough for the new stuff.

Haven't managed anything much this week - work's been frantic and I just haven't felt like doing much of anything by the time I get home. The laundry is also suffering.

Still, I'll try and get a bit down tonight. We've got a friend coming to visit this weekend, staying in my temporary study, so I'm not sure how much I'll get done then either.

Oh, and I suddenly have to go to Frankfurt next week for a very intensive site visit. Imagine I'll spend the flights sleeping.

Then it's off to North Wales for Easter, then it's my birthday, then I'm in San Francisco for the following week.

I'm loathe to set any goals for the next few weeks, as I think I might be less miserable if I reconcile myself to just getting whatever and whenever I can.

Still, I'd like to be at 30K by the end of the month...

7500

You know, I was quite convinced that I'd posted here yesterday, but apparently not! And to think that I was blaming blogger for being rubbish.

Got another 2500 yesterday, in between shopping and cooking and cleaning, before our guests arrived at six.

We've just dropped them off at the station now, so I'm settling in to try and get some more words before tea.

The first week has gone really well, actually. I think that having a deadline, even one quite far away at the moment, and having the Write On guys hovering in the back of my mind has really helped me get stuck in.

I suppose I should have some goals for the next week, but I'm off to Gothenburg on Wednesday morning and don't get back until Saturday night. I probably won't have much in the way of internet or even computer access while I'm out there, and I'll be working pretty much all hours, so it's difficult to know how much I'll be able to achieve.

Ideally, I guess, I'd like to hit 10K total tonight (which is very optimistic) and then get another 2500 over the next couple of days.

Then, while I'm away, I can concentrate a bit more on plotting and thickening the story, and perhaps get some words down if I get the time.

Maybe I should just see how I get on tonight first!

5000

This is going well.

A solid 1500 words this evening, introducing some key members of Emily's family, and getting Em and Joe on stage together again, even if only briefly.

In the real world, Simon has almost finished fixing the rotten windowsill in the study, and is now stripping wallpaper ready to start decorating.

Suppose I'd better go help him, actually.

Brussels

Urgh. Just back from Brussels. Just horrible. So very glad that meeting is over. Urgh.

No words, but in the very short space I had for thinking (about 15 minutes early this morning) I answered some important questions I had about the primary conflict.

As soon as I've had some sleep (and more painkillers) I think I should be able to make good use of this new knowledge...

But definitely sleep first.

3000

Managed to steal some time today to write Emily's first scene, and amend Joe's to fit. Everything is coming together for the opening, I think, but I suspect that there will be a lot of going back and forth and fixing bits of this story throughout.

Right, must go clean the bathroom, then start the beef, ginger and cranberry casserole going so that it's ready when Mary gets here.

Might try and get a few more hundred words down in between, though...

Study-less

I'm typing this at the writing desk in my spare room, which is clearly not in any way built to house a computer. Simon has done something with pieces of wood to make it vaguely workable, but I think my wrists might break if I have to work here too long - they're resting on rather sharp edges...

The reason for this is that, six months after we bought this house, we are finally in a position to decorate my study. We've done the lounge/diner, and the bedroom and even the spare bedroom, and now it's my room's turn. Except, while we were decorating all the other rooms, we dumped all these half-full boxes of stuff into the study. Which I now need to sort through before we can start removing wallpaper and so forth.

Still, it's easier to think in here than in the study at the moment; I don't work well when I'm surrounded by mess and clutter. And the study will be lovely when it's finished.

My wrists hurt.

2000

Okay, managed to rewrite that scene to a decent length, and improve the general content too, so I'm feeling moderately satisfied.

Hopefully I'll be able to get a decent amount of writing done this weekend, but I also need to start clearing out the study ready to decorate (I'll work so much better in there once it's clear and nice to be in!)

Then my cousin's coming over for dinner tomorrow night, and I promised Simon that we'd go in to London on Sunday.

And then I'm off to Brussels with work on Monday.

Guess I'll just have to make sure I keep the notebook with me at all times, and try to get some longhand work done...

1000

Right, dug out the first 1000 words I'd scribbled on this.

They're dreadful, but I think I know how to make this a viable scene - and at least getting in to it has made it easier to visualise the whole.

Hopefully I'll have some time to rewrite this tonight or tomorrow.

Challenged

So Michelle Rowen (http://www.michellerowen.com/blog/) challenged her readers to write a novel along with her.

In the hope of group inspiration (and public mockery if I fail) I'm in - novel deadline, 1st August.

Well, it's about time I started writing this thing anyway.

Might need to try and uncover my desk, though...