Welcome to Planet Apple...

I have been quiet on the writing and blogging front recently. There has been a couple of reasons for this. Mainly day job based, but also because my faithful laptop was on it's last legs and I was struggling to get use out of it.

On the days it decided to turn on at all, it took about 10 mins to do so, and trying to work over the loud constant buzzing it emitted was frustrating to say the least. And the most difficult part was that I couldn't type for long periods of time as one side of the keyboard would overheat to rather uncomfortable levels. As you can probably understand, I can't really write if I can't type (apart from pen to paper, of course!)


So I had a big decision on my hands... did I a) go and get myself a replacement laptop, knowing that probably in 3-4 years time I would go through the same thing, or perhaps b) get a PC desktop, a fairly decent one, with it's rather cumbersome-even-in-2014 tower, or did I go for the option that had been whispering it's way through my blood for the last few years... c) go all out and finally, FINALLY, get an iMac that I have always wanted.

It was a tough decision... and iMac was undoubtedly the favourite option. BUT, they are not the kind of this I can go out and purchase willynilly. They are expensive, so I could only justify the cost if it is something I will use enough to make it worth it, and will it have a longer shelf life than I have ever had a normal laptop last for. Also after years of being a PC user, I last used a Mac at university and that was only for design based programs (which was 12 whole years ago, would you believe!) would I be able to switch over to using a Mac or would it take a lot of adjustments.

Isn't it pretty!

I ummed, I uhhhed, spoke to a few people about it. (One person was so very against getting a Mac and that PC's are the only way to go that it only made me want a one even more! I don't give a damn if you can update the insides of a PC and not a Mac, that's not how I roll!) and eventually settled on my hearts desire and bought it. After a little fiasco regarding getting the item delivered, which I'm not going to go into as it just makes my blood boil and those of you whole follow me on twitter might remember my little drama, I now have a gorgeous computer that works.

And it's an iMac, yo!

Now, I know what you're probably thinking... does getting a new computer warrant and entire blog post?! Well, in my rather boring life, yes it does! It's a shiny new toy and very exciting. It also means I have the (working) tools to try and make a go out of getting published. Maybe now that I have something inspiring to write on, I might , ya know, be more inspired to write. For that, only time will tell, but in the last week I have managed 3000 words... and that is more than I have managed in the last few months combined!

Going forward I've got a few kinks to try and iron out... Basic things like how the hell do I copy and paste on this thing? and Where on earth do I save something? I have sort of managed to work out!
My current issue is whether or not to purchase Microsoft Office or just stick with the in-built pages app, which to be honest so far I am not getting along with that well.

Any advice on decent Word Processing and Spreadsheet programs I should/could use would be greatly appreciated?

Also, other useful app recommendations? What is all the fuss about linking iPhone via cloud? etc...

Anyway, that's enough about my shiny new Mac for now, watch this space for some more updates and blog posts soon....

Pete's not sure what all the fuss is about... and why do I sit at the desk instead of paying him attention?!

 Xx

Back in the New York groove...

Hello, hello, hello!

Well what a whirlwind it has been since I last posted, which was far far too long ago, lots going on but most of it boring so I'll bullet point it

• Crappy day job
• Puppy time
• weight loss
• crappy day job
• family issues
• crappy day job

Get the idea?! It's not been an easy few months that's for sure. But... things are getting back on track now. For one I have changed my hours back to part time, my work was consuming my life and that has never been what I have wanted out of a job/career, so I made the decision to step down and cut back to get my life back. Now I have more time to spend with Pete the puppy (yay!!) and the husband of course, more time to spend sewing and doing stuff I like, and more time to spend on reading and writing - two things I love. Believe me, I have missed this blog.

I have also recently returned from a fantastic holiday to my favourite place in the whole world... New York City. There is nothing quite like walking round the city that is so full of life of all types to really bring back your joie de vivre. Everything about this city is so raw and honest that it brought the life out of me again. I loved it. Did lots of shopping, sightseeing, walking, eating, etc!

So, to sum up... I'm back!! I've got lots of blog posts and book reviews coming up soon so watch this space.

Good to see you all again. 

Its been a while...

I know it has been a long time since I last blogged. Sorry, sorry!

The end of 2012 saw a lot of change happen in my life and unfortunately some things (like writing and blogging) were pushed to the side while I found I was extremely busy!

So what's been happening, I hear you ask? Oh... OK, so maybe you didn't ask but in case you were wondering I'm going to tell you!

Well, I guess the two biggest things are that our adoption application has suddenly started moving again (more on that in a mo) and I have re-entered the working world after 2 years 7 months. Big change.

I wasn't actively looking for a new job, but I had been thinking about getting out of the house a little more. As much as I enjoyed being at home full time, the original plan had been that I would stop working to raise our family (natural or adopted) so when neither of those things seemed to be happening, I was kinda just going through the motions and feeling more and more disconnected from the world. When I saw that my old employer had a job opening in a different department, I decided to apply on a whim and I don't think anyone was more shocked than me when a week later I was offered a position!

I took a part time 21 hours per week contract so I will still have time to write and do my own thing, although for the first 3 weeks I did work full time hours - exhausting! And surprisingly, I love it! I love having some independence again, and having my brain active all day, as well as having a reason to wear all my lovely shoes and make-up. 

So, I had finally decided to go back to work. I was convinced that our adoption application was no longer being considered as when I last spoke to the adoption team I had a very tense conversation with the head of  the team as they wanted us to consider taking an older child (age 2.5 - 3 yrs). I said no, because I felt that it wouldn't be right for us. I'm only 28 and this would be our first child, to me it was unrealistic to expect this from us. After that conversation it was made to seem that unless we agreed we would no longer be considered. It was so very disheartening, and I had made my peace with it all. 

Naturally that meant that the week I was offered a new job I also heard from the adoption team for the first time in 10 months saying they wanted to go ahead with our application after all. Typical. My husband and I agonised over the decision, but we decided to carry on but this time it would be on our terms. We won't change our minds on what is the best course for our lives, no matter the pressure we might receive, and I will work.

We met our assessing social worker for the first time in mid December. It was a very nerve racking morning and I didn't come away feeling all that confident about everything, but nobody said it would be easy. I have seen her once since then, and I will keep you updated as to how it all goes. Fingers crossed but I'm keeping my hopes under control in case it has to be put on hold again.

I have made it clear that my career is important. I gave up a well paying job, with the intention of re-starting my career after the adoption was done. That is no longer an option. I wanted to go back to work as the longer I leave it, the harder it will be to get back into it.

So, there is those two things and I have also been decorating my house, which has taken up a lot of time and still isn't done!

And that is why I haven't blogged for while! Things are starting to settle down now so I am looking forward to getting back to writing and having more time to read again.

All the best.

Xx

SYTYCW...

The Harlequin and Mills & Boon joint writing contest is well under way now, with pitches and first chapters submitted and voting has begun. 

I have not entered this year, the MS I wanted to enter just isn't ready it needs some drastic edits and there has been so much else going on that I haven't really given it the devotion it deserves. Not to mention that I missed the first week of all the SYTYCW fun suffering from the worst flu I have ever had...

But that doesn't mean that I haven't been enjoying the competition, especially getting to read some of the entries. There are a LOT of good ones (and some not so good!). 

I have read a few, mainly sticking to my twitter friends entries as it's great to support one another on our writing journey, I'm sure they would do the same if I had entered. But I have read a few others too. 

The voting started today, 1 vote per day until 11th October and here are my favourites that I will definitely be voting for...

Once a Bad Girl - Jane O'Reilly 

http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/manuscripts/once-a-bad-girl/

Fabulous heroine and a fun and quirky writing style. When the hero and heroine meet there is instant sizzle!

Maid by Day - Jennifer Satterfield
http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/manuscripts/maid-by-day/
Great set-up, I desperately want to find out more about the heroine. Well written dialogue.

One Kiss or Two - Jessica Thompson
http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/manuscripts/one-kiss-or-two/
Nice set up, lots and lots of chemistry between the hero and heroine! I loved Minty from her first incarnation in last years New Voices, new and improved in this one and still as instantly loveable.

Also enjoyed

The Midwife's Reluctant Family - Joanne Cleary
http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/manuscripts/the-midwifes-reluctant-family/

The Divorce Party - Jennifer Drogell
http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/manuscripts/the-divorce-party/

Urgent: One Nanny Required - Sophie Rodger
http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/manuscripts/urgent-one-nanny-required/


I can't wait to find out which ones get chosen to submit a full story. There are so many of them that its impossible to read them all, as much as I would like to try! It's an achievement in itself just to enter the competition, its not easy to put your work out there for everyone to judge.

Anyway, good luck to all the entrants.

Xx

Wednesday on Writing... Back to Basics

A couple of weeks back, readers, I hit The Wall...

And I hit it hard. Everything was going so well, I had finished rewriting the two chapters that I was just not happy with and the WIP was going well, I was in my stride, hammering out great word count numbers daily and beginning to think "wow, I can actually do this!"

Then it happened...

I had all these ideas, sentences, dialogue snippets, etc, bouncing around my head but I could not get them down. My brain froze, my typing fingers went on strike, my computer just sat there humming away, while my chin rested heavily in my hand as I gazed out of the window.

This wasn't the urban myth 'Writer's Block' because I actually knew what I wanted to write, and how it was going to work, there was no lack of ideas, but I couldn't seem to actually, er, write.

I was stuck. Big time. So I did what I thought would be best, I took a couple of days away from the WIP, but that only made it worse 'cause I kept thinking about it.

Cue much self doubt and I'm-never-going-to-be-good-enough thoughts.

Then there was the rare occurrence of a sunny day here in the UK. My husband was out for the day, our brand new picnic bench that hadn't been used once in the two weeks we had had it due to the non-stop rain was tempting me, and I had the ideas and the time to write. But I wanted to sit outside.

So, I raced up to my study and grabbed my research notebook, my pencil case, a notepad, emailed myself the latest version of my WIP and took it all outside with the iPad, a cup of coffee, a bottle of water, and my sunglasses.

The words came!

They flowed from the end of my pen like... well, I can't think of a good analogy at the moment but you get the idea.

Surprisingly, this has worked quite well. I managed 3000 words that day, I'm surprised that my hand didn't wear down into a stump!

My desk for that rare sunny day!

I was well and truly past the wall, I thought, until I tried going back to the laptop... then it happened all over again.

The next week I was sitting down in front of my laptop, chin firmly in hand, getting once again frustrated by my lack of words. I thought about writing with pen and paper again, but it was raining so I couldn't go outside. But I took decisive action, I switched off the laptop pushed it to the back of my desk got out the same pen and pad I had used the previous time and started writing!

It was a miracle! It happened again... I wrote for nearly seven hours straight that day. And I have been doing the same ever since.

I have been typing up as I go along, and when I type up the previous days/weeks work I do a mini-edit, but I have the basis all there in ink to help me. It's like my version of the Fast Draft.

There is something strangely soothing and organic about putting pen to paper; my ideas don't seem hindered, and I'm not so distracted by everything. Every-damn-thing! It's an almost romantic feeling. A blank piece of paper looks far less daunting than a blank word document...

And, you don't get that glaring, mocking red wiggly line underneath a word you've spelled wrong, which no matter how hard I try to ignore at that moment I simply can't. It's freeing!


Plus I love the fact that if I want to go and write outside, I don't have to take my laptop downstairs, set up an extension cord, etc, I can just go with a pen and paper. If I go out, I can take a pad of paper with me much easier than lugging my laptop about! 

I have long been one of those people with a bit of a stationary obsession, I have tons of pens and stacks of notepads. My 'gear' of choice here is a regular biro pen, I have boxes of bic-style pens in my study (my husband gets them for me from work) and it must be black ink and a cheap A4 ruled refill pad from Tesco. It may not be glamorous but it works. For now at least. Perhaps in future I will use some of the many pretty notebooks I have hoarded over the years, I'm quite partial to a moleskin notebook!

And, writing with pen and paper doesn't cut me off from technology even though I have my laptop switched off. With my friend 'The iPad' by my side I have access to the web if I need to research something, dictionary apps if I can't find the right word, email and word processing apps if I want to refer back to my WIP and, most important of all, Twitter so I needn't miss out on the virtual-socialising with other writers out there.

Perhaps one day I'll go back to writing straight to screen, but for now I'm sticking to this as it seems to help.

There are lots of writers who still use longhand - Jackie Collins for one, who always writes with a yellow legal pad and a black felt pen. Cecelia Ahern is another. Or how about J.K Rowling... All of these authors are doing something right! Not that I ever expect to be anywhere near as brilliant as those three, but I'm just saying.

In a world where we use technology for nearly every facet of our lives, perhaps sitting back and doing things the old fashioned way gives us a chance to reinvigorate our creative juices. Or perhaps, this is just the latest attempt of mine to actually find a style of writing that fits...

What's your writing style - longhand or straight-to-screen, or perhaps a bit of both? And, what are your own writing rituals?

Xx

Writing on Wednesday... What's in a name?

From the title of this blog post you probably think that I'm talking about names for characters, but I'm not.

In actual fact I'm talking about my name. Or more precisely my pen name, my nom de plume, my pseudonym, my alter ego, etc.

I don't have one at the moment, and recently I have begun to think that perhaps I a) would like one, and b) probably should have one. At the moment I tend to just use my initials online as I value my online privacy, but going forwards especially if (WHEN, not if!) I get published I'm going to need to promote myself, and I kinda need a name for that!

I actually like my name, or my first name anyway, but I also have the problem that there is already a writer/journalist out there with the same name, and my maiden name is the shared with a County and Western singer in America - not that I have a problem with sharing after all it is unlikely that a name could ever be truly unique.

But how do you go about choosing a pen name, or deciding if you should have one?

Is it a bit like that game you used to play in high school where you would determine your porn star name by the name of your first pet then your mothers maiden name, or was it your street name?

Or is it a chance to finally call yourself that name you were desperate to be called as a child, 'cause no doubt you thought your parents choice for your name was rubbish?

Perhaps you may pay homage to your favourite fictional character? Or honour a relative?

Maybe you keep your first name, or last, or use your middle name, go back to your maiden name...?

I'm quite confused, there is just so much to think about, and I constantly worry that I will chose the wrong one - what if I grow to hate it?

And then there is also the question of, well why not keep your own name? After all it is your own work.

I would love to know how you went about choosing your own pen name, or if you decided not to bother and why?

Help me! I'm a girl with no name...

Xx

Wednesday on Writing... My new toy!

Being a recent convert to the Save the Cat! method of plotting (I talked about it last week) this week I'm going to show you my brand new plot board.

Here is is -

As you can see, at the moment it is still very much a work in progress.

But what it has allowed me to do is work out firmly how many scenes and/or chapters to have and what should happen in each, as well as whether they work in the story or not. The pink bits are used for either word count or timings, I have a tendency to get my days very confused!

As a result of using the board, and actually staying away from the WIP for a while, I removed something like 5 planned scenes that I found really were not working, and added better ones in.

Behind each chapter card are cards that I have scribbled snippets of dialogue, flow charts, descriptions, etc, that relate to the chapter - I want to add that not everything is pinned up at the moment - when I'm working on that scene or chapter I take these cards down and spread them across my desk so I can refer them whilst writing. Then I pop them back up for safekeeping.

Funnily enough the girl who never plotted has written more words in two days than the last two months with the help of my new board (I was suffering a serious lack of motivation).

The board has really helped cement in my mind what needs to happen, but while I'm in the middle of a chapter I am still very much 'pantsing' it.

I have rewritten my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd chapters entirely and even I have to say they are much much better.

Yes, I'm definitely loving my new board. I just need to hang it on the wall now so it's not balancing on my stereo any more!

Wednesday on Writing...

It has been Easter bank holiday weekend here in the UK, which means that my husband had Friday and Monday off work. And typically it rained all of those 4 days, so nothing was really done other than having a nice relaxing long weekend. Of course by the end of Monday I was so ready for Richard to go back to work (!).

Anyway my point is, I didn't update this blog or do anything remotely work-like on Friday or Monday because of this. Weekends and holidays I like to relax and have a break rather than work.

I have called this blog post Wednesday on Writing and this is [I hope] going to be a regular post every Wednesday with an update or feature on writing.

Please email if you have any suggestions or contributions you would like me to feature.

***

I have been reading a few writing craft books recently, in an attempt to both improve my writing as well as kick my recent lack of motivation up it's bum!

The first book I decided to read is Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder.

Save the Cat! is a book that I have heard a lot about but never actually got round to reading. But I am so glad I have finally done so...

Not only is the book written with a fun and casual style, as though Blake Snyder is telling you all of this in a conversation, but it is also very useful. Especially if you ignore the amount of Steven Speilberg references (clang!).

Even though the book is written for screenwriters, most everything can be used by those of us writing other stuff. I have seen many authors recommending this book.

What I found most useful is the Logline, Beat Sheet and the advice on using The Board for plotting out your story before actually getting down to writing.

For me this was a revelation! I have no shame in admitting that I am a total pantser when it comes to writing, seriously... During my many years in higher education my essay plans were never longer than half an A4 sheet of paper! However I often hit walls and find certain bits that I want to include just simply don't fit or don't work, so by using The Board I hope this will help me not to hit these walls too often. Blake Snyder's rule of limiting the amount of cards used on it and structuring it round the Beat Sheet, I think, gives a nice balance. I can plot but still very much be a pantser!

I also liked Blake Snyder's honesty about writing, storytelling, and writers.

"To be a [screen]writer is to deal with an ongoing tug of war between breathtaking megolmania and insecurity so deep it takes years of therapy just to be able to say 'I am a writer' out loud"

Other great quotes that really gripped me are:

"Because liking the person we go on a journey with is the single most important element in drawing us into the story."

"A screenwriters daily conundrum is how to avoid cliche.
You can be near the cliche, you can dance around it, you can run right up to it and almost embrace it.
But at the last second you must turn away.
You must give it a twist."

So, I have done my logline and I am in the process of filling out my Beat Sheet whilst fiddling with index cards ready for The Board!

And what is really great about this book is that reading it has made me excited about writing again... hooray!


Xx

Where I work...

I grew up in an area where there are a lot of well off families, and large houses. My family was not one of them and we lived in a small three bedroom house and since there were four of us we didn't have the much coveted spare room/study that some of my school friends used to talk about. Ever since I have been an adult I have wanted, eventually, to have my very own study! When my husband and I first started looking to buy a house we were living in a modern [read: small] two bedroom flat, and the spare room doubled as a study but since it was stuffed full of books/DVD's/CD's/crap there was no room for a desk, so my one desire was to have a dedicated room that I could work in (at the time I was studying and had to keep all my text books in a cardboard box!). The house we bought, and still live, in has three bedrooms, but the third bedroom would only suit someone of borrower-size so I set my sights on that as my study! In fact it was the very first room that I decorated, and I love it!

So here it is -

Sorry, blurry photo. It was a bright day!

Sitting in front of the window is something I really like about this room. My big wall planner is this years attempt at not having to buy a diary! I like working on a laptop as I can move it easily, although this one is nearly 4 years old now, but I like it as it is a wide screen one and has a lovely big screen, it works (touch wood!) so I am loathe to replace it!

My bookcases are my favourite part of the room, I love just sitting looking at them! We have a lot of books! We have recently had a clear out, a couple of weeks prior to this photo there were stacks on the floor as well!

Any writer (and most people!) probably has a bit of an addiction to notepads and I certainly have, as well as a bit of an admitted klepto problem with post-it note pads - where I used to work they gave us packs to use at work, but they would often make their way home with me! I stack them up on the windowsill as 1, I don't know where else to put them and 2, They are within easy reach if I suddenly need them!

There are more notepads of the larger variety as well as many, many, many pens (you can never have enough!) under my desk. Note the ridiculously large Reese's mug that my husband bought but couldn't drink  anything out of because it is so big!

This box is something that I found in my parents loft when I was packing to go away to university, and my dad told me it was something he had made when he was at school, I asked if I could have it. He put a padlock latch on for me so I could keep stuff secure and I have had it with me ever since, it's a little more scratched and worn now. I keep a lot of craft stuff in it, it also doubles up as a great foot rest when I'm sitting at my desk!

My Coldplay Whatever it Takes mug is one of my favourite mugs, and it is the only mug I use when I'm at my desk! I am a creature of habit. By the way, I liked Coldplay before they commercialised the crap out of them!!

Both my husband and I are art/coffee table book lovers, we have tons of them! Damn heavy and awkward size things, but I am obsessed with them, plus they are very inspiring!

I try to aim to spend at least 3 hours everyday in my study writing or working, usually in the morning after my husband has left for work. I will often do casual writing (such as reviews, research, idea scribbles) with pen and paper sitting on the sofa in the evenings. As much as I would like to say that I write everyday, it would be a lie. But although I may not get any words down I always try to do something - be it a bit of research, or a read through etc. And always in my study! This works for me, I have high distraction levels so I find it near  impossible to work where other things are going on.

I know I am lucky to have my own space to work, I would be upset if I had to lose it (you know if 'baby' happens) but I would deal with it! The kitchen table - when I have one again - would become my new best friend until I could have my daydreamed-about garden office built!

Hope you liked the peak at my working space. 

Where (and when) do you work?

Xx

A very uncomfortable day...

I am sure any woman reading this will be able to understand completely what I am about to talk about in this post. And that is the dread monthly period, and how it can turn a regular day into feeling like hell and a normal woman into a crazy person! (Also, it's the day of the month my husband dreads as he gets the 'run to the shops' job, I have been told that buying ladies items is very embarrassing for a man!) 

I'm talking about period pain.

Yesterday I had what can only be described as a completely wasted day and, you know, it is very frustrating when your whole schedule is pushed to one side because you can't really do much more than sitting around in pain and feeling very sorry for yourself. 

I spent the majority of yesterday fidgeting in discomfort, my period pain is always in my lower back, and oddly my neck, and no matter what I tried I just could not get comfortable. I tried lying down on sofa, sitting up on sofa, laying in bed, I lasted a total of 10 minutes sitting at my desk before I was so uncomfortable that I had to go back to the sofa!

Last time I was in America I bought some over-the-counter medication specifically for period pain and other related symptoms, and they are fantastic at getting rid of the pain - it's really strong stuff - but the trouble is they make me so drowsy I lose a couple of hours being half asleep from it!

Isn't the whole thing just so damn inconvenient!

Anyway the whole thing made me think about the relation between period pain and writing - how when things aren't going right it starts as a little niggle and begins to get more and more uncomfortable until you begin to realise nothing is working! And that is a little of what I am going through at the moment with my current WIP.

What do you do when that niggle turns into something that can't be ignored or medicated, and the only solution seems like giving up and just doing nothing?

Should you delete the whole blasted thing and start again, or maybe take a break to get over the 'pain' and go back to it when your less frustrated, or just plough on and hope that it sorts itself out eventually? 

My answer - to both the period pain and the writing pain - is taking a break. So that's what I am doing.

Sometimes we all need to learn that stepping away from a situation that seems hopeless can solve many dilemmas and refresh our whole outlook on things. The trouble with writing (and period pain) is that when things are bad it seems that nothing can get you out of that deep pit of despair, especially when others around you don't really understand, and sometimes the only solution is a bit of rest.

What do you do when everything gets too much and doing nothing seems a much better idea?

Xx

A New Year could mean a New You...

Happy New Year to you all!

As we race into 2012 I'm sure you are all still recovering from the Christmas period, probably trying to tidy your house from all the celebrations, if you have children trying to bring them down from all the Christmas highs and get their minds into the new School term, and making resolutions that are days/hours/minutes away from being broken. 

There are lots to look forward to in 2012, I think! 

Well, we here in the UK have the Olympics if that's your thing (it's not mine, I plan to hibernate for the period as I live in an area where there are going to be quite a few training facilities!). We also have the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Euro 2012, which I'm sure will mean that everyone in England will get hyped up and excited and convince themselves we have a chance at winning, and end up disappointed when we are knocked out on penalties, oh the cynicism! There is also a solar eclipse happening at some point in the year, best seen by those in Australia. 

Er...

Oh, not forgetting the US Presidential Election, which I always find very exciting! It's always much more glamorous and gritty than our elections.

That's everything I can think of right now, so on that note I'm going to put my hopes and goals for the forthcoming year.

1 - Finish my 365 books in 365 days challenge (which ends in March, btw), hopefully successfully. 

2 - Complete and submit 'Upfront Centre Stage' by the end of the year.

3 - Develop and begin another MS

4 - Lost 30lb by summer - am going to Florida, I need to shift it!

5 - Have new kitchen and bathroom fitted, it's long overdue!

6 - Hope that my husband and I are blessed with the chance to have our own family, either naturally or through adoption, which we have just started the process for. Infertility treatment is also something that I will be looking at in the New Year (more on that anther time!)

7 - Most of all I wish for peace. Not world peace, I'm realistic, but a calmer world. 2011 wasn't a great year and I hope that 2012 will be the year in which we learn to live in a little more harmony with others. 

What are you looking forward to in 2012 and what are your hopes/goals/resolutions etc?

All the best.

Xx

Upfront Centre Stage on it's New Voices journey...

As we gradually near the time when the top twenty of New Voices 2011 is announced I wanted to do a quick post about my experience.

If you don't already know I have entered, with my rock star heroine story, and I have been really blown away by the level of support I have received from the romance community.

Loads of my lovely twitter followers/followees, who are also aspiring romance writers, have taken the time to read and comment on my entry, which I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I have also had four incredibly talented Mills & Boon authors read and comment. Thank you Maisey Yates, Aimee Carson, Leah Ashton and Heidi Rice, your feedback and support is very much appreciated.

The fact that the comments have mostly been positive fills me with great pride as well. Obviously I am a realist and I know that with over 1000 entries the chances for mine are very slim, especially as there are some fantastic entries out there, but the whole experience has given me great confidence to plow on and get my story completed and submit it. And, for me that's the whole point. Even the "rose bombing" 10% drop in my rating over 24 hours didn't dampen my spirits, it's truly been a fun experience and I have learnt a lot

Good luck to all of you entering, it's not easy to put your work out there for ANYONE to see, so I salute to you all.



Now that my story has got 'out there' I have some blog posts planned for more details on my inspiration, hero, heroine, research, extracts, etc, so watch this space.

Xx

New Voices writing workshop...

I attended the Mills & Boon New Voices writing workshop at Fulham library held by the fabulous Heidi Rice last night. After arriving a little flustered due to tube delays and my confusion over start time (I thought it started at 6.30pm but was actually 6pm, I should have got an earlier train!!), I sat down to listen to some great advice and honest opinions on writing for M&B from Heidi.

And here are some of my notes (that I have managed to decrypt), which I hope may be useful to some of you -

General

• When writing for M&B expect to write more books, on average the want 2 per year, so you need to have ideas. Heidi writes 2 per year, which she works around her other work, but is currently trying to writer 3.
• You should think in terms of your own likes and dislikes, as well as your own voice when deciding what to write and, more importantly, what line to target.
• Your "Writer's Voice" is what makes you and your story different.
• Don't try to copy other writers, but do think about what you do and don't like about other writers styles.
• You should always relate to things that you know. Heidi discussed how most of her heroines are London girls as that what she is and knows well, therefore this is what she likes writing.
• Different to other types of fiction, Romantic fiction is not plot driven. Instead it is character driven.
• The conflict of the story is what drives the plot forward. But don't pile in too much external conflict it needs to have well developed internal conflict.
• Internal conflict - this is what needs to be dealt with throughout the book.
• Remember that readers likes to be involved in the characters lives and internal conflict is what enables this.
• Writing for M&B will mean your books have a standard word limit of 50-55,000 words (up to around 70-75,000 words for some historical and paranormal lines) so this means you need to pack as much emotional punch as you can into a relatively short book.
• Well developed plot and characters are important in order to do this.
• The 3 most important parts of a romance are; HERO, HEROINE, INTERNAL CONFLICT.

Characters

• Always remember that readers want to step into a characters shoes (which is most often the heroine as it's mainly women readers).
• But male POV is also important as most readers now want to get involved in his life as well as the heroine's.
• Must always make your characters sympathetic, but they should not be perfect. Characters should grow as the story progresses.
• You should know your characters inside-out - think about their past, their motivations, their reactions etc.
• When writing your characters don't make them too self aware - this is another part of their journey in the book.
• Never make your characters do something without reason - always ask why they are doing this.
• When developing your characters think about the following questions;
• Name?
• What does he/she do?
• Why is he/she good at what they do?
• One word to describe them?
• Why is he/she like that?
• What is it in his/her past that has made him/her like that?
• What is their fear or vulnerability?

Hero

• Your HERO must sweep the reader of her feet! The reader should be able to fall in love with him, and most likely as the writer you will fall in love with him too!
• Most M&B HERO'S are alpha males - this is part of the romantic fantasy. But he is an archetype alpha male, not a stereotype.
• Alpha males are usually aspirational characters, so remember that what ever they do (tycoon, lawyer, policeman, rancher, prince, military, etc) they are masters at it.
• Most HERO'S are written as 'The Unattainable Man', which is another important element of the romantic fantasy your creating. But this doesn't mean you can't write hero who is looking to settle down, but you always need to think about why he is doing that and how readers will respond to him.

Heroine

• Your HEROINE is probably the most important character.
• She must be relatable, but not perfect.
• When thinking of the HEROINE'S attractiveness, don't be to tempted to make her seem like a complete stunner. She should be attractive in the sense that the hero is attracted to her, but also that she is not held back by her looks (or lack of). She must be a strong woman, but also flawed.
• Heidi said that your HEROINE must not need a man to rescue her, she must not be needy, the journey they take together is important, not just his/hers.

Internal Conflict

• Your internal conflict must be developed well.
• Always relate your internal conflict to your characters - what is going to make it difficult for them to be together?
• Every scene should include some reference to this, even if it is just a hint or a small thought.
• When using internal conflict think about the difference between men and women's thoughts, i.e. men don't usually talk openly about feelings etc.
• The subtext of the internal conflict will add to the tension and intrigue the readers.
• Heidi recommends using dialogue as a good way of bringing internal conflict to the surface. It also lifts the pace of the book.

Clichés

• Avoid them!
• Heidi talked about how it is true that there are well used themes in the romance genre. Such as; secret baby, unplanned pregnancy, marriage of convenience, blackmail etc.
• These themes are well used as they have a really good conflict, but if you are going to use one of these themes then yours must be fresh and different.
• The reasons behind any conflict must be believable and not cliched.
• Always remember that the books (with the exception of the Historical line) are set in modern times, such things as marriage for the baby's sake, and unplanned pregnancies are harder to pull off these days.
• If using a theme that is common, try to do something different with it. Heidi mentioned a book where the marriage of convenience theme was used but it was the heroine that needed it and was wealthy, rather that the hero.
• As a new writer it is especially important to come up with something different.
• With an idea think about how you can make it new. I.e. different take, fresh characters, modern settings etc.

First Chapters - New Voices relevant

• Start right at point of change or a point of action. You need to hook the reader right in from the start.
• Have an exciting moment in the first chapter.
• Try not to info dump - don't give too much backstory at the start, this should be layered in gradually over the course of the whole book.
• Captivate the readers immediately and make them sympathise with your characters straight away.
• Get the characters together as soon as possible, this is especially important for New Voices as you only have the one chapter to make an impression on readers and editors.
• Establish your emotion and internal conflict - give hints about it, enough to engage the reader but not so much that there's no mystery left.
• The sexual tension and chemistry between the characters must be immediately apparent.

Other

• Be careful of secondary characters - don't let them take over. Secondary characters add dimension to your story, but should have be a main focus. Heidi mentioned that as a general rule of thumb you shouldn't go into a secondary characters POV. And of course, if you find that you have a secondary character you love, you could always write them your own book!
• You should always stay focused on the central relationship.
• When plotting, start with a hook then immediately start thinking about your characters.
• Heidi said that when it comes to her writing/plotting style she is known as a "pantser", that is she flies by the seat of her pants when she writes. She lets the conflict and events develop as she writes. Whereas another writer may plan and plot meticulously.
• Sometimes things will not work and you may have to rethink or even rewrite parts, but that's part of the process.
• When it comes to sex, write what you feel comfortable with.
• Sex should not be a graphic description of the act. It is about emotion and intimacy between the characters. Use it as a way of making your characters emotionally vulnerable.
• When writing a synopsis remember this is a description of conflict not a description of plot.
• Be careful of using brands or celebrities in your books, and don't relate directly to real life.

It was a really informative session, and I enjoyed attending. There was a nice discussion with some great questions, although the question from one lady asking if it would be better being a "proper author" (not my words!) was, perhaps, not one of them!

It was also fabulous to meet Heidi, even though I had to rush off after only a brief chat to catch my train home.

Thanks to those at Fulham library and Mills & Boon for putting together the event, and of course thanks to Heidi.

Xx

That damn WIP...

I'm back at my desk after the bank holiday weekend here in the UK. It has slightly messed into my 'schedule' (and I use that term very loosely) but I wanted to spend yesterday with my husband since he was not at work! I wish I could say it was a nice weekend, but due to a few family issues, which I am not going to get into now, it was a little tense. Anyway, onwards and upwards.

A couple weeks back I posted about my lack of motivation for writing, if you missed it here's the link. In that post I mentioned that my husband has been setting me tasks in order to try and get me moving, and I'm pleased to say it's still working out well and I have my teeth thoroughly into my current work in progress (or WIP!) I'm currently at around 9k into it.

It's a contemporary romance set in London, and with a heroine involved in a career that is very close to my heart and one that has almost destroyed her and a hero that is suave and sexy and gloriously uncomplicated, with an Italian edge ;-). I'm excited about my idea and SO FAR it has been real fun writing it, let's hope this continues to be the case and I don't get 30k into and decide it's the worst thing I have ever seen and the only cure is for my laptop to be thrown out of the window (writers are prone to histrionics!)

As well as the tasks Richard (oh that's my husband btw!) has been setting, such as x number of words per day or develop character etc, I have also found that talking to fellow writers on twitter about writing helps, you can find so many authors on there and they are all very approachable. I also join in with some '1k in 1 hour' writing challenges on there (#1k1hr) it certainly helps with encouragement. You can usually find me on there at most times during the day and I usually write in the challenges any time in between 11am-5pm UK time.

In order to give my writing a further boost I'm also going to join in with Rachael John's 30k in September challenge (on twitter #30kinsept). Hop on over to her blog for more info on both this and on her, she can also be found on twitter and she is fab :-).

I'm going to leave you with some images that are a little bit of inspiration in my WIP.

All the best.

Now let's get serious...

It's been well over a year since I quit my job and decided to stay at home as a [cough, cough] housewife. Also I had grand plans to really focus on my writing, as well as start a family. As it turns out I don't seem to be very good at any of those things, I am a self certified terrible cleaner and my order for a family seems to have got lost in the post! As for my writing...

Just to give you a little bit of a mini history into my writing, as long as I can remember I have always been interested in writing, in one form or another. But up until recently most of my writing has been in the academic field and therefore my writing 'skills' lean more towards the formal and on many times can be very, very dry. I have worked hard over the last year to really try and make my writing more relaxed and believe me it's actually not an easy task. Starting my blog, joining twitter and reading a lot more has helped to 'casual-up' (or should that be casual-down...) my writing.

The only problem now is, well as any person who writes full time will probably know, I seem to have misplaced my drive and motivation. The way my life has gone is pretty much education to more education to full time job including part time education, so I have come to the conclusion that a life spent following 'rules' has left me institutionalised and now that I actually have the time to do something I want, I don't really know where to start.

After hearing me talk about a book idea for the past god-knows-how-many months my husband finally snapped, telling me it's great to have ideas and plans but I need to actually write the damn thing. Strangely enough he actually made sense.

However, there was still a problem, I still can't find that pesky motivation...

My husband's solution was that he took it upon himself to set me tasks for each workday last week and he would check when he got home to see if I had actually done it. And you'll never guess but it actually worked, who'd have thunk it!

Last week I managed to fully develop all my characters including their history, issues, current situation, appearance and inspiration etc. As well as decide on all locations and do all my research for particular subject areas of my story and write a plot outline and synopsis. It's scary to think that I accomplished more on my book last week than I have in the last six months. And now I am ready to actually start writing, and I'm feeling good about it.

So to those of you out there struggling to find the motivation to write don't give up! Find the way that works for you, for me I obviously need boundaries and targets, but there isn't a one size fits all approach.

Keep searching you'll find it.

I must get back to writing now otherwise my husband will start cracking that whip (and not in a kinky way!).

Xx