This framed quote sits on my writing desk. Today does feel like a magical day so I thought I'd share the blurb for my next book 'Retreat to the Lakeside Cottage' to be published in August 2024. The story is set during a writing retreat which can be a magical experience for writers ... Welcome to the Lakeside Cottage . . . A place to write, where inspiration awaits . . . Five authors have gathered at the idyllic Lakeside Cottage for a retreat, with the promise of peace and dedicated writing time. At least, that's the idea . . . Retreat organiser Rula is there to edit, surrounded by like-minded souls. An interloper, especially one with whom she has a past, was certainly not part of her plan. Eve has a bad case of writer's block, despite numerous bestsellers under her belt. Can she find new inspiration? Or will she get drawn into the dramas that unfold around her? Alice has a deadline looming but is seemingly more interested in anything but writing. And where does she keep disappearing to? Daphne is an experienced self-published author, but might she be more unconventional in other ways too? And then there's Brontë, the complete novice. She's a mere scribbler, not a 'proper writer' like these other women, and she feels totally out of her depth. As the collective word count grows, and their personal stories interweave, each woman finds herself drawn in unexpected and life-changing directions. Preorders are available via Amazon or bookshops.
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19/4/2024 0 Comments Writing groupsLast night I joined my third writing group, in recent years. Many followers would ask why I’ve chosen to join another group, when I already attend two? Each group is very different in nature and personality so delivers a unique vibe for those attending. As a creative person, I need and rely upon external stimulus to thrive. Purely listening to other creatives be it authors, writers, poets, playwrights or musicians discussing their projects, reading their work or sharing experiences boosts my own creativity. When you work at home each day, in an isolated bubble, the creative energy flags so I have to make a conscious effort to boost my own energies. I don’t always read or share my projects. Last night, I listened to others sharing their work and receiving constructive feedback. A vital but daunting process for any creative but also the audience. I used their feedback to self-question my own project: do I do that? Have I included that? Would my work benefit from such an addition? I always take a note book to jot down ideas which appear during the session or relevant instructions regarding improvements that I can mull over. You never stop learning in this game! This writing group is further afield from home, has a healthy history spanning over sixty years and accommodates many genres, creative formats and publishing experience. Thankfully, the frequency of their meetings is weekly, so I have more flexibility regarding attendance on weeks when my other groups hold their monthly gathering. It’s no coincidence that my energy levels and creativity are sky high this morning – making for an interesting day! Last weekend’s London Writers’ Salon 24-hour writers’ sprint did me the world of good, as I have a deadline nearing (1st May). So much so, I could do with something similar this weekend so I’ve concocted a plan. As part of the ‘LWS tiered membership’ writers have access to ‘The Cabin’ - a 24 hour a day Zoom writing room which is constantly ‘on mute’ where writers gather and work, in silence. I regularly drop by 'The Cabin' each day between attending LWS’s scheduled daily sessions (8am, 1pm, 4pm and 9pm UK time). Most writers will say ‘hi’ or ‘bye’ via the chat text and then knuckle down to their work – there’s never any interruptions and as always, you can have your camera on or off. My camera will be 'on' throughout my sessions - I feel accountable that way! My plan: On Friday, 19th April from 8pm GMT, I’m going to embark on a personal mini-writers’ sprint. I’ll be writing in ‘The Cabin’ from 8 pm till midnight. Then after sleeping, I need my sleep, resuming at 6am on Saturday morning until at least midday. There is a regular LWS session at 9am on Saturdays so I’ll be disappearing from 'The Cabin' to attend the main session but will return to ‘The Cabin’ straight afterwards. I'm going to 'log' my progress for each hour in my diary and work as I see fit on Saturday afternoon. If anyone wishes to join me, please do. Why not decide on your own specific goal/times/project/submission and join me! I’ll be sticking to the pattern we’re used to: top of the hour start, set an intention, work for fifty mins, quick break and repeat. You’re accountable only to you but it helps to focus when others are present. My intention is to work on my current project and plod, plod, plod. And drink copious amounts of tea! I hope to see you and remember to type ‘hi’ in the chat box! UPDATE: Friday 19th April - 8 o'clock till midnight - an editing session for me. I'm delighted to say I had the company of 12 other writers - all busy on their projects. It was so satisfying to know others were hard at work too. It makes such a difference to write/edit alongside others. 'Thank you' if you attended and I hope the words flowed for you. Saturday, 20th April - the local church clock just struck 6am ... let's make a start! UPDATE: I worked until midday then took a few hours off before returning to my desk until 8pm. I managed seventeen hours and edited a shed load of words. Thank you to those who joined me throughout the weekend - your company helped immensely. Since childhood, I've always been the tortoise and never the hare - when parents compared me to my sibling. I'm proud of that fact so nothing changes when it comes to me participating this weekend in LWS 24-hour writing sprint. I'll be plodding at my desk doing what I can, as I can, when I can. I'm not aiming to do the full 24-hours around the clock, I need sleep but I am doing nothing else from 8pm tonight. Marathon or sleep - my only options!
My current project is nearing completion so this event is perfectly timed for me to take full advantage and work alongside other authors from around the globe. Between each on-the-hour session there's a small comfort break so I'll be grabbing the opportunity to stretch my legs and grab a fresh cuppa. My book is the fourth in my Lakeside Cottage series set in Hawkshead, Cumbria. The previous three books ran along the lines of cottage booking, fun and delight as expected, conflict and chaos ensued amidst the love, laughter and life within the situation. Book four begins in chaos due to a double booking of the cottage. But it's a big cottage, sometimes people have big hearts and solutions are easily found ... or rather, they should be! The LWS marathon kicks off at 8pm tonight which happens to be 8am in Tonga! We'll chase 8am across the time zones: Tonga - editing session Wellington, New Zealand - editing session Port Vila, Vanuatu - editing session Melbourne, Australia - editing session Tokyo, Japan - sleep Singapore - sleep Chi Minh, Vietnam - sleep Dhaka, Bangladesh - sleep Male, Maldives - sleep Port Louis, Mauritius - sleep Antananarivo, Madagascar - editing session Berlin, Germany - editing session London, UK - editing session Azores, Portugal - editing session Cape Verde - editing session - my 9th hour The South Sandwich Islands - a research session for a new project Buenos Aires - fresh writing on a new project (a break from editing) New York, USA - my 12th hour - editing session New Orleans, USA - editing session Mexico City, Mexico - editing session Vancouver, Canada - editing session (My back is aching) Anchorage, USA - editing session - my 16th hour!!! A boat near French Polynesia - editing session Honolulu, Hawaii - my 18th hour - the final hour of editing! My back and shoulders are arching but I did it! Eighteen hours of the twenty-four hour writers' sprint. I've manage to edit a shed load of words, completed a little research and written a few thousand words on a new idea. Not a bad way to spend a weekend. It goes without saying, I'm taking tomorrow off! Woohoo! I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be visiting Mere Green library in the coming weeks. It's a free event - which I'd encourage any avid readers or aspiring authors to attend. Booking is essential due to limited seats and space. Please see the flyer for the library's contact details in order to reserve your seat. The reason I highlight avid readers and aspiring authors is because that's where I started my writing journey ... as an avid reader. I've had the 'reading bug' since I was a small child and it has continued ever since, apart from a slight AWOL period during my late teens. I have no excuse for that time - I just remember I wasn't reading. Thankfully that changed within a year or two. Now, I read everyday, morning and night, in what was my nan's Parker Knoll armchair. My faithful dog, Teddy joins me on every occasion and we lose ourselves amongst the pages. I have a couple of poetry books kept alongside my reading chair, which I delve into every few days. My current reading book is updated on the 'Home page' along with my current audio book. Remember I'll happily sign your paperback books after the author talk! To celebrate their fourth birthday, London Writers' Salon are holding their annual 24-hour writing sprint via Zoom this weekend (Friday, 12th through to Saturday 13th April 2024). We will be chasing ‘8am’ across the time zones starting with Tonga at 8pm UK time (3pm ET, 12pm PT and 5am AEST). The event is free of charge. To participate, simply visit the ‘Eventbrite’ booking link: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-24-hour-writing-sprint-a-day-of-writing-around-the-world-free-tickets-863379861407?aff=TwitterAdVid1 I’ll see you there, not for all of the 24 hours but for a fair amount, as I’ve a book to finish so it’s the perfect opportunity for me to work alongside others. See you on Friday night! 5/4/2024 0 Comments Write-inToday, I attended a write-in session alongside other authors. It may sound strange, but I jumped at the opportunity given the amount of time I sit alone and write. We each came prepared with laptops and notebooks to quietly work on our manuscripts. The six authors meet at half ten, organised lunch for one o’clock and predicted a departure time of three o’clock. There was a mixture of genres in the room, some writerly chat between coffees and many words written or edited.
Its days such as these that helps to lift the spirit of any writer, as it gives you a chance to be productive and mingle with like-minded people. Discussions about current ideas, arising difficulties and potential plot twists were all aired and shared, along with a giggle or two. Some might say the effort to attend isn’t worth the duration spent together but I assure you that it is. If I could attend regular write-in sessions such as these I definitely would - purely for the social interactions alongside productivity. Within a few hours, my creative batteries were fully charged and I returned home eager to continue at my desk. 3/4/2024 0 Comments WaitingFor the telephone to ring.
A seasonal invite to arrive. An engineer to appear: morning, noon or night. A timely response to a desperate application. For that one special person to pop the question. For a reason to stay. Or the signal to cross. A heart felt rejection - an opportunity lost. A life changing delivery swaddled in pink or blue. Dreaded results - confirming what you already knew. A minute here. An hour there. Entire weeks labelled as null and void. A patient life sectioned by chasms. Eternally longing, hoping or believing. To wait, or not to wait - the question of our time. 3/4/2024 0 Comments ResearchI’m at the editing stage of my current project which means only one thing – my brain wishes to seek interest and excitement elsewhere. This happens to me every time I’m finishing a book so I’ve made a conscious effort to accommodate this ‘need’. Each day, I’ve set aside time to explore potential ideas for future books. Watching, reading and listening to others explain the skills of their craft whilst I make copious notes purely to pacify my brain and remain on-track with my current project until my deadline.
So far, it’s proved a worthy exercise and hopefully will be useful in the coming months if a potential plot develops from either topic. If not, I’ll have learnt something new in life - which is never wasted! 3/4/2024 0 Comments People watchingThere’s a downside to every job role. Some are obvious from the outset - others are subtle and somewhat hidden until you’re fully submerged within the role. A trait of an author has always been ‘people watching’. Our instinctive habit of watching others in public places, consciously noting their mannerisms, behaviours and subtle interactions which we squirrel away for later recall. People watching used to be fun, making me smile on many occasions as I spotted small gestures, moments of tenderness, a connection or a secret smile exchanged in public. This habit once filled me with delight but lately, people watching has become a downside to my job - as things have changed. I’m noticing moments that I’m sure weren’t meant for my viewing, for anyone’s viewing in fact. Tiny interactions which occur in a fleeting second but which convey a negative message, a feeling or a prejudice towards another. Whether it be intentional or pure accident, the after effect is visible. And spotted by close observers, such as me. I’m not sure if it’s the ‘times’ we’re living in or simply ignorance and lack of basic manners but I’m witnessing behaviours that I would never include in a book. Tiny micro-expressions of aggression and arrogance which seem to flare so readily aimed towards others, total strangers in many respects. It saddens me. Makes me question what’s happening to society that we should openly display such irritation towards another who happens to wander across our daily path. The negative reactions are so swift, usually non-verbal - blink and you’d missed it but they are there. Reactions which I find difficult to describe seem to be occurring more readily and with an ease that seems almost tragic to our own existence. I used to write in public places, cafes and libraries but recent observations have distracted me from my writing, filling me with sadness and an instant desire to withdraw to my desk. As a species we seem to be losing the ability to truly connect, to empathise or show kindness towards others. I’m hoping this current trend is simply a phase that will pass as readily as it seems to have appeared, enabling ‘people watching’ to return to the guilty pleasure it once was. |
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