Sunday 11 February 2018

HAS IT REALLY BEEN THAT LONG?

So it's been ages since I last did a blog post.  What have I been up to?

I moved house three months ago.  I now having a 'writing' room.  Yaay!  This makes my writing life so much easier.  My own desk.  My own book shelves.  My own walls to stick post-its all around. 

I have been working on a new YA book which I have recently finished editing.  I have sent it to my agent and now comes the waiting.  Of which there is an awful lot in the 'hoping to get published' world.  The main character, Joe, has been in my head for some time.  I just hadn't managed to find a story to for him to tell.  I looked at current media events and how they affect teenagers.  In November I had my big idea and after sending a synopsis to my agent I ran with it.  I managed to write the story pretty quickly as Joe fitted into the story so well.  My first edit consisted of writing down the key points chapter by chapter on post-its and sticking them around the room.  I found this tremendously useful to check my time-line and narrative arcs.  Four edits later it was finished and I'm happy with how it's turned out. 

I am fortunate not to have worked for a while so have been writing full time which makes a huge difference.  I found myself writing for hours on end which was great, especially when I was on a roll with the story.  But I will be going back to working with special needs youngsters later this month which I am looking forward to.  I have been asked if could work on embedding creative writing within a local school.  A very exciting venture!  I feel very fortunate to doing something I love.  I have been putting together ideas to show how the key elements of writing creatively can enhance all subjects as well as help students to be more confident in their speaking and listening skills.  I will up-date you in a future blog.

As far as writing goes, I am planning on a major edit to a book I wrote a year ago.  It's a good story, with strong characters but it needs more work to move it into an 'I can't put this book down' category. I have done some research and will hopefully be in a position to start work on it next month.  More of that at a later date.
 
The Winchester Writers' Festival is coming around again and I have decided to book a place this year.  It was such a fabulous experience the year before last not least because that's where I was taken on by the amazing Lorella Belli.   The whole place buzzes with people who love to write.  If you've never been to  writing festival before I fully recommend it.  Check out what's on offer in your area and go along even if it's just for a day. 

Well, that's it for now.  One project finished and awaiting feedback.  And two others ready to be tackled.  It looks like I am going to be super busy.











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