A Weekend In York.

This weekend I went away to York with friends I've known since school. We went on Friday and came back late yesterday. I had a ball. We laughed constantly and the weather was on our side. To say it was mid November the sky was blue and I got away with wearing just a light jacket.

York is a beautiful place so I thought I'd share some photographs of my time there, with you.

The Minster at night.

It would seem Christmas is on its way.

The Minster set against an unbelievable November blue sky.

The ghost walks of York.

York is just so beautiful.

Last but by no means least... I had to have my photograph taken with a Storm Trooper. Who wouldn't?








What is one of your favourite cities of beauty?

The Second Book.

So while I'm waiting patiently to hear back from the agent, (Guess which word in that sentence doesn't quite ring true) I thought I'd have a relaxing couple of weeks. After all I'm not going to the day job and then having to come and slave away at my home desk to complete the first book. I thought I'd be able to catch up with my To-be-read pile, which is growing, literally, by the day, and I could spend a bit more time downstairs with the family. I figured I'd do this before starting on book two.

Who was I kidding. The story for the next book in the series is nudging me in the brain day and night. It just won't go away. So two days after sending the first book to the agent for them to look at and respond to, I'm already putting together the next book in my head. Not just in my head though, oh no. I've written two pages of notes and googled a few points I need to look at for research.

I was under the misguided impression that I could try write this book and if I couldn't do it, I would go back to finish the Open University degree. That was what I said in a blog post in about October last year. Now though, now I realise I really really want to write. Stories. All the time. So regardless of what happens with this one agent, I'm sticking with it. I will do any rewrites necessary and keep submitting and I will also make a start on the second book.

I have the bug. I think I'm a writer.

At what point did you realise you were a writer and not just dabbling, that it was seriously what you wanted to do? Was there a specific point it became more real for you?

The Next Step And Waiting.

I haven't really said anything about this on my blog because I was scared to. I was scared to because I didn't want to put a jinx on anything. A jinx, can you believe that. I actually thought that if I discussed it too much the opportunity would go away.

Now I'm tentative and cautious, but a bit more willing to write about it here. After all, my blog is not only an ongoing conversation with fellow bloggers and readers, but a permanent reminder for me to look back on. A place to chart the trials and tribulations of attempting to get published. To have a novel, or further, a series of novels, out there for people to read. It is with this in mind that helped me come to the decision to finally write about what is ongoing. That and the fact that it's gone and I can't get it back. My novel is actually out there in the big wide world.

Okay, so six months ago I sent an enquiry off to an agent. I was aware the agent was interested in finding new crime writers, so I bit the bullet and sent an email, telling them what I was writing. (I am purposefully keeping this gender none specific, still worrying about jinxes etc!) I sent the first few chapters and synopsis and was then asked to send the full manuscript when I had completed it.

That was nearly six months ago. I worried I was taking too long and the request would be rescinded. I recently made contact again and informed them it was completed. It was confirmed that the agent was still happy to read it and yesterday I sent my manuscript to them via email.

I'm terrified. It's my first submission and a no thanks is expected, but I've now spent a year of my life writing this and it's going to feel personal, no matter how well I'm turned down. I'm trying to lock all emotions away as I wait and deal with what comes in a detached manner. That's the plan. But for now, it's a waiting game. Who's going to sit with me?

When To Stop Editing

As you know, I'm in that final push mode with my manuscript. I've polished and checked and polished some more, but I'm now wondering if I'm so close to it am I going to make a complete hash of it? I'm not sure which way is up anymore, or if I alter something, I wonder if I will take away what was good about it?

At what point do you know to stop editing? I imagine we can't be fully happy. Or can we? Is there a point when you know it's ok to let it go and genuinely believe that or are we doomed into an ever decreasing circle of editing?

I'm so close to this manuscript now that it feels a part of me. How do you let a part of you go?

And when you do, what happens then? You give it to someone who's going to pass an opinion on it.

*runs off to hide at this point*

Do we ever get too close or if we're still polishing it, does that mean it still needs it or are we polishing the nice shiny bit off?

When do we know it's time to let go?

It's Just.....

Yesterday I went through my manuscript looking for words I overuse. I checked each one and if it wasn't necessary it got cut. I cut over 100 of the word "just".

Really, what an innocuous word, but it had taken over the entire manuscript.

Another one I'm halfway through checking is "that".

I was also pretty bad with "yet"

What words do you overuse? Are you aware you overuse them?

Do I really want to see the answers to this blog post? I daren't check for any more overused words- I might not have a manuscript left!

Networking While Writing

Networking while writing. How do people find the time to network with fellow writers when in the throes of writing?

As you know, I've have failed miserably at keeping my blog up to date as I do this last push to completion. It's not just the lack of upkeep though. Blogging works and is important, not because of the things we write in our posts, but because of the connections we make with fellow bloggers and writers (if you're a writer and reading this).

Writing is an isolating hobby/job. It's something you do on your own. So for me, connecting with my fellow bloggers is important. It is you, yes you reading this, that are important to me. So the problem comes when you're pushing so hard at your work in progress that you can't keep up with the people you probably need a friendly word from, a cheer as you gallop towards the last hurdle of the current stage in the quest for the golden gauntlet of publication.

How do people marry up this difficulty. Spend a little less time writing? Or hope that those friendly blogger you think are so great, will wait patiently for you? Or is blogging a fickle world?

How do those crazy people (only my opinion) manage to do NaNoWriMo and then go on to socialise on the official site? I couldn't do both!

How do you write and network? Can both happen in a working persons life? I'd love your views on this.

The Wanderer Returns

It's been a while since I last came on my blog. There are a couple of reasons for this.

Firstly, because, on a personal note, I've generally had a terrible month and my blog and Facebook were forgotten about for a while. I continued in my attempts to keep moving my writing forward but there was little energy left for much else

Secondly, when I did find a place where the personal stuff had been dealt with in my small headspace, the writing took over. I've been so busy with a self imposed deadline of mid November to complete this by, that I'm going into a bit of a panic and doing little else but writing when I can. This again affects my blogging as you have seen.

The reason for this push on the writing front is when I've finished the manuscript I'm sending it out into the big wide world on submission. A scary process but one as writers we have to take.

I realised though, that I should start to give my blog some love again and catch up with everyone. So I hope some of you remember me. I'm looking forward to catching up and finding out what you've been up to.