The revolution will be written down

Eeek! How exciting! I am starting a new writing group. A writing group for serious writers, who want actual feedback and critiques and to know how to make their writing better. We are going to have subs and use the money to pay the expenses of proper writers to come and talk to us. We are going to have a name, and an email address and structure. And we are going to meet regularly! We will require commitment from people! We will, in short, be the polar opposite of any of the other writing groups that I belong to! I've already had a meeting with my fellow organiser and we want the same things, it is tres tres exciting. Right, must dash - the writing revolution will not organise itself...

jobs and frogs and phones and food (but not really any frogs)

So once again I'm at risk of redundancy, and this time I really think that I'll lose my job. On the 31st December - Happy New Year! Personally, I think I've been through enough this year and that the universe should give me a break but that's not the way it works. So I'm looking for an actual job, and I've discovered that I can do this with apps on my phone. Apps for jobs! What will they think of next? I've also signed up as a writer-for-hire on some websites. As of yet, no one has wanted to hire me but I'm going to crack on and keep trying. It's quite exciting to think that someone could want me to write their copy for them. Fingers crossed they do. I've also decided that I'm going to pitch some articles, freelance stylee. I'm really lucky and was able to speak to an actual freelancer who gave me some wonderful advice, so I'm mulling over a couple of ideas and should get them out there soon! Wouldn't it be nice to actually earn money from writing? Wouldn't managing my own time totally suit me and my pesky hospital visits? Yes and yes. I am going to give it a go. In other news, I'm having a new phone delivered today which is terribly exciting. I'm also having people over for tapas later, and I'm making it all myself. I've already made a mango/lemony-lime cheescake and a chocolate peppermint slice. Once I've blogged (and finished watching Top Chef) I'm going to make some salsa (not technically tapas I know, but hubby loves it and it's easy) and then I'm making meatballs and chicken skewers and chilli-garlic prawns and tortilla and sundried tomato and cheese parcels and grilled aubergine...nomnomnom. Laters x

Less whinging, more writing

I'm having a small dilemma. Normally at about this time (or sometimes sooner) I have my idea for Nano (http://www.nanowrimo.org/). Ideas are not my problem. I have bucket-loads, and my idea for Nano this year is an absolute blinder. I love it. It is the Christmas Eve of ideas. My problem is, you see, I love it a bit too much and I want to write it immediately. Now, I can see all you normal people out there scratching your heads and thinking, just write it now then. This is a non-problem, quit your whinging and get typing. Hmmmm. Good point, duly noted. I guess the problem really is that I'm scared. Mostly of two things. Thing one; that when I go to write it my story loses some (all) of it's brilliance and turns into a great big pile of poo. This is ridiculous. I am (at worst) a competent writer. I can string a sentence together. I know the rules. I've knocked out some half decent short stories in my time. I can probably do this. Thing two; I have never ever ever managed to write more than twenty thousand consecutive words and not get bored with the whole business ever ever ever apart from during Nano. What if my wonder story (which is a trilogy in my head) doesn't make it past the 10k mark? So when you take thing one and add thing two you get a great big bowl of irrational fear. I know I'm being stupid, which kind of makes it worse. It's like when I'm in hospital and they can't get the needle for the IV in and I cry. It's stupid. It doesn't really hurt and I've done far worse things to myself on purpose (hello foot tattoo and nipple piercings) and I know that getting upset does no one any favours, but yet I can't stop it. I guess my question really is, then, do I start to write now because I really want to? Or do I wait until November when I think I have more chance of sticking with it? Decisions, decisions... (if you want to, you can read more about my award-winning ideas and gold-standard procrastination by going here http://winningwords.org.uk/blog/ where I have been moon-blogging)

See, I told you I was ill...

So, hello again. I know, I know. It's been a while. More than a while. It's been aaaaaaages. (Here come the excuses) I've had a bit of a rubbish year. Since my last post, I've been quite poorly. I fell ill last November and nobody knew what it was, then they figured it out and I spent a month in hospital, then I was off work for four months. I've had some of my insides removed, lost a third of my body weight, yada yada yada. Let's just say it hasn't been very fun, and I haven't felt at all like writing. But now I'm better (yippee!) - I mean, I still have to go to the hospital every week for infusions. My body has stopped making some important things, which have to be replaced intraveneously (I think I've just made that word up!) and I'm really struggling to put on weight (which you think would be fun, but it really isn't). But apart from all that, I'm getting my sparkle back and I've started writing again. Not loads, but you know, bits. And I'm going to start blogging again. Regularly. If you don't see me on here at least once a week, feel free to shout at me. Being ill has its good points (guilt-free naps, cake for breakfast etc) and has also made me realise how much I want to do this. So I'm going to. So there. Watch this space...