Firstly the cold that was starting seems to have made a hasty retreat so I am very happy about this. I am in fact giving myself a pat on the back for doing things to stop it in it’s tracks. Such as getting to bed at a reasonable hour on a Friday night. And actually relaxing, stopping myself from thinking about the exciting things that are happening right now so I can sleep.
In the past it has been full steam ahead, no time for sleep. Exciting things being much more …

I wrote this blog to post yesterday, however by yesterday evening “winter” had set in. With the start of a cold, my stubbornness to not put the central heating on yet and tiredness from all the excitement of this week (it’s been a fantastic week personally and in work but VERY busy!) I ended up snuggling under a blanket and vowing to post in in my lunch hour today… so here it is!

————————————————

If I was excited about writing yesterday, I’m even more excited today. In fact my head is full …

Having reached my target of a blog a day whilst I was on holiday I had a day off yesterday. But it didn’t feel like a day off. In fact if I hadn’t been busy with one thing or another right up until 11pm I would have blogged. I missed writing.
Now I’m writing more regularly I’m getting less scared about making mistakes, and accepting that not everything is perfect first time. I’m rubbish at carrying a pen and paper with me, but have discovered Evernote which lives on my Mac, …

It’s day three of my holiday. Not long after posting ‘The Holiday’ on Saturday I realised that I had forgotten a crucial part of my daily routine…

7. Go Outside
I find it quite easy when I get obsessed with doing something in the flat to forget to leave it at some point during the day. This happens quite frequently at weekends. So this is just to remind me to get outside for at least thirty minutes a day.
Now that’s out of the way I am glad to report things are going …

I have two weeks and three days off work and as I’m not headed off on holiday it is a rare opportunity to have buckets of time for myself. Come the 1st September I don’t want to realize I’ve spent over a fortnight in my pajamas having achieved nothing.
At the same time it is not about putting pressure on myself to achieve the unachievable and fill every second of every day. I sometimes have the problem of wanting to do everything now, and feeling very disappointed when 90% of it …

This week has not been a good one for blogging. Since the wedding last Saturday I seem to have only been in one of two states. Busy or tired. Unfortunately neither of these have provided the inspiration for a good blog. A couple of rough drafts floated about, but I decided they were simply not interesting or witty enough.
Tweeting my dilemma the combined responses from @gavlp @whitespider1066 @mrsemdle and @dokeeffe14 led to the blog title “Sex Tips for Thieving Northern Bastards at Weddings”, however lacking expertise in this area I …

I’ve been a bit quiet about my novel over the past couple of months. Part of this is because the time I do spend writing has been spent on blogging and getting into the habit of doing it regularly. I’ve also been struggling to decide which project to focus on.
Last year I made the decision to leave London, at the same time I decided to take the plunge and start a novel. It was fictional but the storyline was based on the things I’d recently experienced and had contributed to …

If you could do anything in the world for a job what would it be?
Writing.
If you were given £10 million tomorrow would you still want to do it?
Yes.
I started writing because it was a release. I have kept diaries on and off throughout the years. Until fairly recently, when I started seriously thinking of moving into a career in writing, the writing came easiest when I was anxious or depressed.
I think too much. I am well known for over thinking and anyone who’s made the mistake of asking me ‘why’ …

I wonder how long you have to be ill to watch all the films in the history of the world? It’s been nearly three weeks and I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface. I also feel like I need a break from movie watching so was thankful yesterday when the cogs in my brain decided to whir into action.
It’s always worrying when I get distant from my writing. Some past projects have evaporated completely. But this one I have been so excited about, unlike anything before. Being ill has been …

Writing is a scary thing. I love coming up with ideas. I love editing. But the bit in between is a huge mountain I’m right at the bottom of. Transferring those ideas onto the page is so difficult. I have a great story. I know it’s a great story. I’ve talked it through at great length with a few people and discussed the general gist and the characters with a few others. Everyone has been captivated and excited about the idea I verbalize. But putting that idea into a blank …

In my previous job I had to get up ridiculously early and I hated it. I am not a morning person in the slightest. So I was surprised to find that when it came to research for my novel I was willing to get up at 5.15am, having taken a days holiday from work. It is funny the affect that dreams and determination can have on you!
The first half (or so) of the book takes place around the area of Colliers Wood and Morden in South London. (Google Map). I …

I decided that as I have a blog anyway, I should make the most of it and diarise the progress of writing my first novel.
In some ways this has happened out of the blue. In others it hasn’t.
I have been writing for as long as I can remember. Anything factual or opinionated I have been happy to share with an audience. I’ve been known to shove articles, blogs and reports under the noses of friends and family for them to read. But my fiction has remained something that I kept …