Anthology Builder

THIS could be good. Although the submission guidelines 'request' that material be previously published I'm thinking I might try my luck and enter a few of my whimsical little stories and see how they go.

Excellent!

Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series is going to turn into a tv series! BRILL!

Dont Blog It

This 'rant' is soooo true it makes me cringe.

Oh the irony of this blog post.

I must stop.

I must write.

When will I return?

When weakness grips me again.

Google Docs

Just been playing around with Google Docs. I'd never heard of it before and thought it might be a good tool for writing when I'm not at home. Previously I'd just write in a Word document then email it to myself when I was done for the day, but that added up to sometimes multiple word docs all over the place, and was generally a pain in the arse. Especially if I was using Jerry as well which has to be uploaded into a word document.

I can also publish to my blog from Google Docs. How cool is that?! It would be handy if in my next job I am unable to access blogs... but I dont post very often anyway so I think I'm just stalling on the writing front by testing out groovy new tech stuff.

Procrastination is my middle name!

Testing

I Should Be A What...?

You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer

Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you're from. And while you may have some problems being "normal," you'll have no problems writing sci-fi. Whether it's epic films, important novels, or vivid comics... Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Countryside

So, I've chosen the boots I want, and the jacket I want (not the ones I was previously thinking about. I decided on one of the mens jackets)... now all I have to do is convince Mum that she wants to buy them for me.

I've succeeded with the boots - mainly because they dont sell the ones I want in the UK, only in the US, and also because they're actually quite cheap... but the jacket is a lot more pricey and may need more some kind of bribe in order to succeed in persuading her. Though, Mum is a lover of quality and these are damn fine quality jackets.

Fingers crossed. Hehehhee.

Still aint done a scrap of writing. I'm so lazy.

New Jacket

I've been viewing the Barbour website almost daily for a week now, trying to decide which jacket to buy.

I've narrowed it down to the Flyweight Wax Utility or Amelia jacket, I think. But I just dont know. I've tried on a few at lunchtimes (there is a Barbour shop just around the corner from where I work - so handy!), but they dont have the entire range.

I'm going to have to go to Harrods tomorrow.

Yay. I haven't been to Harrods since I was 9! Yikes, thats 1987... 21 years ago, when me and my family were living in the UK for a year (and when I first fell in love with England and started feeling like it was home).

And, yes, from above you can deduce that I am hitting the big 3-0 this year. In five weeks. OMG. Five weeks.

Actually, its less than that. 4.5 weeks. April 11th. 30. Years. Old.

Its freaking me out, man. Totally.

So, anyway... back to the new jacket - must keep myself occupied. Going shopping tomorrow. Should be fun. Should be. (and expensive!)

Be Adventurous!

I really like this post from over at Bookends. I think that the three points that Angie rose are excellent, and are what can make or break a book.

I dont think I could put it much better than she did, so I wont try, but I know that after a couple of glasses of JD & Coke I find that my fear (ie the side of me that makes me say "oh my god, did I just write that?!") diminishes and I start being more adventurous and seeing the potential of where my story could go.

I also think its quite important not to stick with the first few ideas you come up with and actually push yourself to the limit of your creativity. I mean, really, if the best ideas could be had so quickly and easily then why is it that most (all?) authors say writing a good book is actually quite difficult?! I've read some of the crap I've come up with at the drop of a hat, and to be honest it was utter crap. I may have had the seeds of some good ideas planted in there, but they definitely didn't flourish.

Putting in surprises is a good point, though I think it could backfire. In one book I read by Robin Hobb, right near the end she put in a surprise - it was a new race of people called the Peksies (or something like that) that she used to create conflict to keep Fitz from getting back to Buckkeep in time to see the Fool before he leaves possibly forever, and not only did it annoy me that she left the book on a cliff hanger like that, but it annoyed me that before then I'd never heard of the Peksies.

Perhaps thats not the right example for putting a 'surprise' in your story. Perhaps its just the smaller 'surprises' that Angie was meaning, ie like the dog talking back to the protag. But anyway, good or bad they will definitely make the writing more adventurous.

And I love a good adventure!

Exiting Dystopia

Went for a two hour walk with the hubs last night, through the paths in the forests and fields around where he grew up.

It was absolutely lovely.

And its the best way to cure a migraine!

We're going to make it a regular thing (which will be good for my ever-expanding waist), so I've been spending all my time looking for maps of paths and walks throughout the Kent countryside.

We've got friends who have got a landrover, so we've been out with them a few times down some pretty obscure and muddy lanes, which has been fun, but sometimes you just need to walk.

Its free, too. And we sooo dont need to be spending money!

The prize at the end of each walk is a quick stop for a quiet drink in one of the many marvelous country pubs in the region. We went to the Crown in Knockholt last night. A very quiet pub, but I love the decor.

I'm hoping that these nighttime wanderings will get my brain plotting some more coz I'm seriously lagging on the writing front. Not only that, it hasn't even been occupying my thoughts as much as it usually does. I normally cant stop thinking about the stories I want to write. They're all dormant at the moment, though.

Out for lunch now.. looking for a new jacket!

No Sleep

Migraine. Again.

Moaning. Again.

At least its Tuesday. (pub night)

Drag

Is today dragging or what?

Perhaps its because I'm at work with no work to do. I'm twiddling my thumbs. I'm all blogged out as far as reading goes.

I really should spend time writing, but with my head so full of cold I just cant think straight.

I'm so looking forward to an easy weekend. I'm going to make a raspberry and chocolate pavlova tomorrow night. I'm actually going to make two, one for Saturday night when we have friends over, and the other for Mother's Day. I've never made one before but it seems easy. Whip eggwhites, add sugar, bake, cool, add topping, eat.

I normally dont bake... Only because of laziness really, and the complete lack of interest I have in desserts. Its quite odd actually. I thought I was such a sweet tooth, but that really only applies to chocolate. And I mean just straight chocolate - not chocolate flavoured things. Pah. Choc flavoured things are fakes. Give me the real creamy chocolatiness of proper brown gold above any 'flavoured' thing any day!

...But I am going to bake tomorrow, mainly because its the first friends we're having over for dinner since moving into our new flat, and because I know they like pavlova (merengue!). I'm so looking forward to it. I'm also looking forward to receiving a package from my Mum tomorrow. I think she has sent me socks. Mums - Damn fine creatures, eh!

Right, well, I'm going to try to fill the rest of my day... only two hours to go...

The Cold Writer

I am full of cold. Sniffling and miserable.

TFIF (I dont thank God for anything!)

I'm having an easy night tonight, though I have to clean the house. I probably shouldn't drink, but I have two whole bottles of Jack Daniels and Captain Morgan and I dont want them having a party in my cupboard without me. Perhaps I'll just drop in for one or two, then pass out early.

On the writing front -

Oh my, have I been lazy! I keep trying to live by the same excuse of 'just moved house, life a mess, cant possibly write right now'... but the truth is is that time is relative and like anything juicy you can always squeeze one last drop out. There is enough time in the day. I just have to recognise it.

Poor Jerry has been gathering dust since I pathetically failed Nano last year, and I even had a hard time remembering what my damn Nano novel was about.

I've been lurking and absorbing all the info still being churned out in the blogosphere, and have occasionally left a comment or two, but generally I've been living under the radar.

I will get back to writing. I will. I must. I want to. I really want to.

I really dont want to be full of cold. *sniffle*

I also really want a decent damn job. And one within publishing so that I can stay close to my love. I hate working in crap industries that I have absolutely zero interest. I'm temping with a property company at the moment. They 'interviewed' me for the permanent position and asked the horrid question: 'Why do you want to work in property?'

rant rant rant (I've removed what I originally wrote coz I just realised if anyone at work googled my name it could come up and that wouldn't be at all good!)

Hmm... What has got into me? I wonder if its a full moon...

Grrr

Bloomsbury sux.

An agency has put me forward for a job at Pengiun though.

Fingers crossed.

Where Am I?

Here I am.

I'm still here, lurking on the net. Watching. Reading. Learning.

My enthusiasm for this blog thing has fizzled a bit, but I'm getting more settled in my new house, and we've just bought a new computer, so once I get sorted with a permanent job then I'm sure I'll snap out of my wanderings and will post something more like I used to.

I'm so excited about our new computer. Its big and fancy and it actually WORKS! Its my first time with Vista, and it seems ok. Not sure there was anything wrong with XP, but there ya go. My lap top, after crashing three times in one week, has been reloaded again and if I can manage to get myself a wireless router without parting with any precious £££ then I'll have it connected to the internet as a backup (where I can download to my heart's content without affecting the speed of the new computer - or without opening it up to viruses!).

The house is all but done. We've got curtains, but no poles to hang them on. This should be rectified by the weekend. All the fixtures and fittings are on the walls etc, except for a bathroom shelf, and the new massive mirror is being delivered next Tuesday. All we have to do now is find some bedside tables, a sofa bed for the spare room, and some dressing table type drawers or shelves that I can use by my bedroom mirror without taking up too much space.

So. Normalcy has pretty much returned. Except on the job front.

I'm working at a property consultant place doing very little work! I'm a secretary to the valuations department, but all of last week I just sat there twiddling my thumbs. It got quite boring as there is only so much surfing on the net you can do without going crazy, but at least they were paying me. I squandered the time when I could have been using it as writing time. Ah well. My muse is still on holiday.

I'm waiting to hear back about an interview I attended on Tuesday. If I get the job then I'm going to be over the moon. I hope they call soon. If not by 4pm then I'm definitely calling them! Mustn't be pushy, but hopefully I will be seen as 'enthusiastic and proactive' though I think I'll come across as pathetic and desperate. I'm sure they'll consider me though, they didn't pass up on publishing Harry Potter like every other publisher out there. Thats right. Its Bloomsbury publishing. I didn't call them. They called me. Thats got to be a good sign, right?! I put my CV out there for a job that I was in no way qualified to do, but they called me up anyway to interview me for another position. Hoorah.

Fingers crossed.

Waiting... waiting... waiting for that call...

ONLINE!

Finally. Got the internet set up at home! I think its a bit shaky, but it seems to be holding for now.

If only I had the time to spend surfing...

No Time

Back from Oz. Moved into new flat. No internet connection yet. No job. No writing done.

BUT...

No worries! Things are starting to settle down and I'm going to try to get the internet set up at home by early next week. Just bought a load of new furniture today. Hooray. Only got to paint, change the carpet, and fix the tv to the wall and we're set!

I'm so looking forward to things going back to normal. I'd even welcome a boring rut! I haven't had a chance to read any blogs or anything in the last month, let alone devote any time to writing! Ah well. Mustn't rush things. Stress is a funny thing, and I'm going to try to concentrate on relaxing and not worrying about the things I'm not doing but should be.

I got about four bottles of Jack Daniels for Christmas... thats a good start! People know me so well!

Australia

Finally moved into our new house on Friday December 14th!!!

Then jetted off to Oz for two weeks from December 20th.... Ahhh.. the summer sunshine!

Its nice to see the folks etc and be able to get online. Hopefully my bro can fix my computer so when I fly back to the UK I can get online at home.

Then I've gotta find another job, dammit! At least I've got a week's work experience at Penguin Publishing.. Fingers crossed that they take me on full time.

Update

The days keep dripping past like a leaky tap, and I'm still homeless. Martin and I are staying in a little holiday cottage (set in the delightful Kent countryside), which is lovely. Its frustrating, though, that we're having to live out of suitcases and we wont have enough time to settle into our new house before we go away for Christmas.
Hopefully we will exchange and complete on our new house before we go away, anyway, so that we can at least have the keys and partially move in.
Its taken over four months so far. We first viewed the house on the 29th July, and had our offer accepted on the 30th.

I haven't had time to get my computer up and running again, and I haven't written anything more on Jerry because there isn't much room left and I've got no where to download it to! So, book-wise I'm lagging. I've started reading 'Eats Shoots and Leaves' which is quite enjoyable. I absolutely adore grammar. I'm hoping to be able to master it one day. I'm still fumbling with it, and it frustrates me so much!!

I came up with a spiffing new book idea!! I know, I know I should finish what I've already got started, but I just cant help it. The ideas just keep pouring into my head!! I'm going to keep the title secret for a while, until I can develop the plot some more. I'm going to keep the plot secret too... just because. Its a special project that I want to keep quiet about until its fully fleshed out. I will give one hint about it though....... It contains elements of time travel. (Its set in modern day, but has a touch of the fantastic about it).

I'm feeling a little bit perplexed. I feel myself leaning towards writing fantasy themes into modern settings, rather than my favourite genre of pure fantasy (dragons, myth and magic! Not demons, vampires or YA stuff, but your classic Tolkein fantasy!). Perhaps thats not the writer I'm supposed to be. I'm still going to stick with it, though. I'm not going to give up on my 'Cloud People' (temporary title) book until I've finished it, shopped it around for about ten years, pulled it apart and re-written it, shopped it around for another ten years, used it as a level under my crooked table, shopped it around some more, and then finally used it to wipe my arse with.

Anyway. Must get on. I will return to writing in the New Year, when I start my week's 'work experience' with Penguin Group UK (YES!). Fingers crossed that they give me a full time job!!!

Re-Pitch For My Fantasy Novel

I dont know why I'm playing around with pitches. I suppose because I'm avoiding having to do any work!

[Title]: Children of the Ether, Book 1

The Kingdom is in turmoil. King Enyard has ensured that his people will subsist the Breaking through a pact made with the mysterious Ethereans, but the dragon wars are weakening the Kingdom’s defences and many are turning their favour towards his charismatic brother.

Ellusia has grown up as the bane of her people. She was the first to survive since the Breaking, and is struggling to keep secret the consequences of the pact her father made. When her brother is killed she must decide between loyalty to her father and her people before the Kingdom tears her and itself apart and falls from the sky.