New year, new words... I hope. (Can it really be February already?) I'm in that weird place I haven't been very often in my creative writing career -- between novels. And it shows, because I don't quite know what to do with myself. The "completed" novel has been with readers for feedback for the past … Continue reading Journal: In search of new
I finally sent the novel I’ve been working on to some writing friends for feedback. Huzzah! Now I’m shaking in my snazzy red boots. It’s amazing how my mind flipped after clicking ‘send’. Before hitting ’send’, I was pretty happy with the general shape of the draft. I’ve been dying for someone to read it … Continue reading Journal: shaking in my boots
Festivities Almost 20 years ago, I made a Christmas Advent calendar. I spent hours on the decoration, which is created from cut-up pieces of coloured paper, and it came out better than I ever imagined. Behind each door is a compartment for little daily surprises in the lead-up to Christmas. For the past decade or … Continue reading Journal ~ Festivities, finishing and The Force Awakens
I am lying on the couch doing nothing. At least, I was before the urge to tell everyone about my state of nothingness rose to the fore and I grabbed my computer out of the bag that’s never too far from my side. Nothing. Mulling. Daydreaming. Writing in my head. This is one of the … Continue reading Journal ~ Lying on the couch doing nothing (and why it’s important)
Last time I checked in for Sunday (er, Monday) Journal I was tearing my hair out, but the past month has been looking up. Reasonable progress on my novel revision, another TWO weekend retreats to Phillip Island... a bit too much 'dayjob' work though. On the writing front, I've spent a fair deal of time … Continue reading Sunday Journal: Progress and the career juggling act
I talk a lot about how much I enjoy the novel revision process. And I really do. I love building the story up and out and working in the detail, weaving the strands together, making them sing. As with nailing a well-tuned harmony, there's a thrill in getting it right. But... sometimes it can be … Continue reading Monday Journal: Revision rumblings
Inspired. Energised. A wee bit daunted. That's how I feel right now. It's been one of those weekends. A fabulous weekend -- don't mistake me. But my mind is now spinning like a wind wheel. Bright and shiny? Yes. But spinning oh so very fast. The weekend started with a most satisfactory cafe writing session, … Continue reading Sunday journal ~ Infinite possibilities (Oh, my!)
Gosh, another month has passed already... it's been a busy one. I'm still juggling creative endeavours with paid freelance and contracting work -- but as the latter gains momentum, the whole balance is becoming trickier. Business momentum is good -- yay! Displacement of writing time is not -- meh... I'm longing for a writing retreat … Continue reading Sunday journal ~ push and shove
Today I bring you a very short snippet from my work in progress, courtesy of the Lucky Seven game. I've been tagged by Liv Rancourt, who posted a snippet from her quarterfinal entry in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award -- Hell... The Story. Mine is still very much a work in progress, unpolished and raw. … Continue reading Lucky Seven – snippet from the WIP
I've been writing steadily over the past two weeks. That is, I've been putting in a couple of hours most days, mostly in cafes. I've been treating 'creative endeavours' (including 'cafe writing') as another client in this new freelance/self-employed life of mine; another client with its own timesheet category. Not only does this log the … Continue reading Sunday journal ~ the other client
Ellen Gregory 