Blog

Have you seen my new wonderful cover picture on Facebook. This was taken by my talented sister and it gives me a thrill every time I look at it. I thought I’d start this blog by recommending a couple of blogs which I regularly find of interest.  Helen Yendall’s excellent http://blogaboutwriting.wordpress.com/ and Sally Jenkins’ http://sallyjenkins.wordpress.com/,… Continue reading Percolation

I imagine this is the question some of you might be asking, or maybe you haven’t noticed that I’ve been gone :-(. Sunset at Llandanawg Beach, North Wales                                           When my mother broke her hip in April, I didn’t realise the impact it would have on me. I don’t necessarily mean in time, but the… Continue reading Where Have You Been?

The Easter holidays came and went. My editing stalled, but my new writing output increased. We had a fantastic few days in Wales with Ellie Swoop (hubbie was working). It was cold, but sunny. For the rest of the holiday I spent a fair amount of time transporting my now 10 year old to see… Continue reading Time Moves On

I thought I’d show you a picture of my chaotic workspace today. This is where I sit for hours pondering manuscripts. The button editing is going well. If you look closely you can see my two jars – one for half hours completed and one for half hours to be completed. No prizes for guessing… Continue reading My Workspace

I’ve always been good at starting stories, but not so hot at finishing them. I have files full of starts just waiting for an ending. Having wailed my dissatisfaction with myself to my writing tutor, Sue Johnson, she came up with a ridiculously simple way of solving the problem. Her suggestion was to write the… Continue reading Writing up to the End

I love writing. I hate editing. In an attempt to increase my editing productivity, I am trying a new system – the button productivity method. My estimate for a first pass at editing my RNA New Writers’ Scheme novel is one hundred hours work. I have painstakingly counted out two hundred buttons into a jar.… Continue reading Don’t Laugh – Button Productivity

Those of you who follow my blog will know that my step-father died recently. I can’t believe that it is only two months this week since he passed on – in a lot of ways it feels longer. My own father died from complications due to his multiple sclerosis at 58. Multiple sclerosis is the… Continue reading Multiples

You know those mornings when you are rushing to get out and have every minute planned? I got the car out of the garage today and came in to find a little boy in tears at the bottom of the stairs. ‘My head hurts.’ You go through the usual scenarios. Is there something he doesn’t… Continue reading Going with the Flow

My Mom is nearly 80. She always has a book on the go and so I decided to so some research and ask her a few questions about her reading habits.     Mom in her late teens.  Were you encouraged to read as a child? When I was at school and the air raid siren… Continue reading An Interview about Reading Habits with my Mother!

I haven’t read as many books this year, but I think that may have something to do with the fact that I have been writing and editing more. Or is the fact I’ve been tired and only managed a few pages before going to sleep? I record comments about the books I read and then… Continue reading My Top Twelve Books from 2012