Thursday 7 January 2016

Getting Back Into Routine...

The first week back after major holiday times is always difficult for me. My regular routines are not all quite back in place yet.

So I'm easing myself back into the writing process this week.

I've dug out the short story I need to revamp for sending off. I must get my editing pens out and mark up the manuscript for changes- among them taking out repeated words in close proximity. Distance really does help the editing process.

At the moment I'm judging one of the quarterly prose competitions at the writers' club. So it's actually helpful I haven't completely slipped into full editing mode yet.

After the session I did on character bios (last year) I agreed to judge one of the members competitions on this subject. I wanted to be able to believe that their character could be out there, and those who have taken up the challenge have done well. I just need to finish the comments and print them out so they can be returned at this month's meeting, and the winner announced.

Then I have an entry to do for the club's winter prose competition. The words are swirling around my brain in quiet moments, so that will get done before mid-March when it has to be submitted.

There I was thinking I was being lazy... :D

Working time...









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Thursday 31 December 2015

Happy New Year To All...

I hope your Christmas went well, and if you were in countries where severe damage was done by flooding or tornado's I wish you a better 2016.
Happy New Year

The town where my mum-in-law lives was flooded too, but fortunately she was further away so stayed dry. The hotel we sometimes stay at was flooded and will be closed for a few months...

With the fast approaching new year I'm eager to get back to writing, but it won't be until next week when family members are back at work, or college, before I'll have enough quiet.

Besides working on my 2nd draft, I've also promised Patsy Collins that I will submit a short story to a woman's magazine.

I did write a story for a competition at the writers' club a few years ago, and intended to revise it to send off to Woman's Weekly- as it would fit their style, but as I've been concentrating on my longer works it never got done. So that will be on my agenda this year.

So to my 2015 word count total: 28,795. There's probably another 2,000 words from various pieces that I've written for the writers' club quarterly magazine, which I didn't include in my total, and must do in 2016.

(In 2014 I managed 26,043 words, excluding my blog posts.)

I need to improve on that total in 2016, and get more work sent out.

At least the word count continues to be going in the right direction-up. I need to get more organised and prioritise more.

Well that's it, my last blog post for 2015. I'll be back to normal routine next week.

Happy New Year.





Image courtesy of franky242 & www.freedigitalphotos.net