Love Hate Relationship

I love writing! I LOVE it!

I hate writing a synopsis, covering letter, and a blurb for my book. Argh! (Luckily the synopsis was written a while back).

Would you be interested if you read: 

Sophie Trewyn has a wedding to attend, and no one to go with, until her colleague convinces his best mate, Adam Reid to go with her as a favour.  All he has to do is pretend to be Sophie’s boyfriend. Sophie’s concerns about her handsome stranger disappear as they get to know one another. But all the pretending, the kisses and caresses, Sophie starts to wish it were true. But with some surprises in store, will Adam regret saying yes?

This is my blurb so far!

And what do you tell a publisher when you don't actually have any writing history, apart from a few letters!? Because I've failed miserably at trying to get a short story published. I have tried, but not very hard. Really. I ended up concentrating on finishing my novel... because that's where my passion was.

Plus, they all want different things, so I think it will be a case of putting one package together, sending that out, then working on the next. I'm sure it will get easier. lol! And how many should I send out to first? 

There has been no news from the Novelicious competition. I should be made aware by 24th April. Well, it's the 20th, and I'm not holding my breath.

So then I worry, does this not bode well for The Wedding Favour?

I know, I know, I've got to accept the rejections - it's part of the writing process. And I suppose to get them, you've just got to put it out there. But I can't help thinking, should I just go bang my head against a brick wall, or something. Stick it in the oven? I mean, I'm sending it out there, knowing it's going to hurt (maybe because there is a tiny doubt in my mind that I won't become a published author, that I would never be that lucky in life). 

Well, at least it's Friday!

I won't get much writing done this weekend. I'm going home to see my mum, and visit my nan who is poorly. (I originate from Sunny Staines). My husband is running the London Marathon on Sunday, so we're going along to show our support. But after this day there will be no more excuses, my life needs to start moving forward. It's going to be hard work and very messy, but I want to get the tough bit over with, so I can eventually see the light at the end of the tunnel. (And I'm not talking about writing here). Life will be better on the other side.

So, Monday, does my new life start?

Not Only Dr Who Manages Time Lines.

With all the worry of getting words written for Perfect Isn't An Option, I've forgotten about preparing the submission of The Wedding Favour.

There isn't enough time in the day! 

But the kids are back at school... so I might, might, just get some more stuff done during the day.

Admittedly, I did enter it into a competition, so I can't really do much now, although 24th April isn't too far away. But I could at least look at some of the publishers requirements and put a submission pack together, right?

So, trying to write 7000 words for Perfect Isn't An Option this week (I've done 1000 words so far) and where possible, start drafting blurbs, letters etc. Argh!

My wall, right in front of me!

What I have been doing is my time line for Perfect Isn't An Option, making sure it's not wibbly wobbly timey whimey... stuff.

As you can see by the picture, I've printed off four months and decided to fill them in as a calendar. It was easier to work out how many weeks have passed. I've even thought I should put a Halloween scene in. And as Steve has been in the States for 15 years, should I give Thanksgiving a mention?

(I thought I'd share that I have a Robbie Williams calendar and I've moved my two favourite cards up to make space for The Time Line. One is a motivator to leave the housework alone and keep writing).

I have also another sort of time line in an A4 notebook, spread across two pages (so that's A3). This is helping for 'history' before the present day of when the book takes place. I'm going to add in the filmography into this, so I can know what Steve's mother saw before she died, and things like that, because it does get referenced.

Admittedly, this means less words have been written as it's taken some time to figure this stuff out and go through what I've written so far, but it does mean my novel is taking a better shape - I'm a stickler for things being right - and (hopefully) generated plot bunnies for additional scenes that are required.

For example, in One Day - which I forgot to add in the review as a nit - something threw me out of the book momentarily, and I did get annoyed for a bit. Unless Dexter was unsure of his mother's true age, (she could have been the sort to lie about it, thinking about it) she died at 49. Dexter, at the time, was around 29 - I think. (I've just spent 20 minutes trying to find this for certain and have failed lol!) This is fine, but he has a 34 year old sister...(at the time his mother is ill - I found that bit of info!) If I was working this out correctly... Hmmm... This makes his mum 14-15 when she had her - which is doable, but you don't really get the impression she had a teenage pregnancy, especially as his father is supposedly a much 'older' husband. I do hate it when writers don't do the maths!

Yes, so there's me, making sure if something happened two weeks ago, I making sure I don't have my character think it was a month. Which I did have, but it's changed now. 

Do you hate it when you spot something not quite right with the timings? Things like age or dates? Does it throw you out? Do you sit there working it out?



Right, with that, I'd better get some blinkin' words written!

Book Review: One Day by David Nicholls

 One Day by David Nicholls

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've decided to give it five stars just because I really never wanted to put this book down. I wanted to know what was happening, where Emma and Dexter would be with their lives one year on.

It is going to be very hard to review this book without giving spoilers.

This book does not have a traditional happy ending. If you're looking for a happy-happy ending, then you shouldn't really read this book. But I will say, however, I was happy with the ending of this book. It did leave me satisfied, albeit a little sad.

When Dexter is pretending to read Wuthering Heights, as it's a book Emma has given him to read, I realised that this is possibly a modern rendition (and a twist) of Heathcliff and Cathy.

It was really cleverly done, taking in the history of the 80s and the 90s, (making me a little nostalgic in places), each chapter is the same day, one year on.

Dexter is a obnoxious, self-centred git, pretty much throughout this book - well until he grows up and matures lol! - but he has some very loveable moments too for me. (We all love a bad boy). You just know, however hard he tries, he will screw it up. If he'd just taken that step earlier, when they holidayed as "friends" (this chapter had me laughing so much!) I kept thinking, he'd be happy.

The author manages to switch point of views without it being jarring.
My only tiny nit was sometimes it lacked some speech tags - I realise sometimes that was deliberate, but other times I got a little lost on who was talking. But it's tiny nit pick.

For those that have read, would love to discuss this book.

So glad I read this before watching the film (I'm not even sure I want to watch the film). This book had me laughing and crying.

Right, I hope I haven't given too much away. I don't know if it deserves five stars for breaking the rules in romance... although, in some ways, it doesn't. That's all I'm saying.




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Positive Feedback

Drinkie to celebrate!

So far I've added another 14,000 words (approximately) to Perfect Isn't An Option, since starting in March (26th March to be exact). I've been writing for 17 days, and I've missed a few - due to going out of an evening! (Hey, a girl needs to socialise). So I'm doing rather well - I think - nearly hitting my 1000 words a day goal.

I'm thinking of Becky Black here as she likes Stats. 

Anyway, I thought I would share this with you all. I sent the first chapter of Perfect Isn't An Option to my Writers' Bureau tutor for my 7th Fiction Assignment. And this was the feedback I received yesterday:

"You've made a very good start. Try writing a brief summary of each chapter - it will help you to keep on track as you continue with it.

I really enjoyed reading the first chapter and it came across strongly that you enjoyed writing it.  I'm eager to read on, which is just the response you need from a first chapter.

Your fiction writing skills are impressive. This reads like it has been produced by a professional writer – by which I mean there were no false notes struck. You make the reader feel they are in safe hands – I could imagine picking this up in a bookshop and reading the first few chapters and being tempted to buy it.

You introduce the main characters to us here, and give us enough detail about them for us to begin to see what sort of people they are and the issues the plot will revolve around – but you still leave plenty more for us to find out as we read on. It’s good not to let too much away to start with, so we have to keep reading!

A really good set up of the story line in your first chapter, so the reader knows exactly what Steve and Ruby are planning – now you just have to make sure there are plenty of twists and turns and difficulties in the way of true love before the happy ending!"

Yes, it put me in a good mood that day, too. Maybe I am okay at this writing lark?

And she's right, I really am enjoying writing this story. I'm having some fun with it.

I know the tutors are supposed to be encouraging, but they provide a critique too, and she's been pretty tough on me on a couple of other assignments with my short stories, so this was great to read. And to be honest she didn't need to be so appraising if she'd hated the chapter.

I've sort of got an elevator pitch for Perfect Isn't An Option. It goes a bit like this: Celebrity A-Lister hides behind Mediocre Man disguise to find true love. 


Would you read it?

If only I could make one as good as that for The Wedding Favour.

Good Friday

Happy Easter!

Friday is always a good feeling, isn't it? The end of the working week, the beginning of the weekend. Well, it is if you don't work the weekend (like I will be).

I thought I'd give you a round up for the week. Not much writing has been achieved during the day, as the kids are off, and I've got to entertain them. Plus, even on occasions when they're playing nicely, I just can't sneak off and start writing as I know if they come to me, I get really stressed, and start getting cross with them - because I want to be writing and don't want interruptions. Which is hardly fair on them. So I've been saving the writing until the evenings, but I have managed to get some reading of The Wedding Favour done and fixed the edits that I see. I'm aiming at four chapters a day, and I've got the last three left now. I suppose then I have to start looking at the synopsis, etc. Argggh!

Lunch on Sandford Station

I did enter The Wedding Favour into the Novelicious competition, so may have to hold off sending it to publishers until the 24th April now. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not, having to wait longer, but then, you never know, it might come somewhere in this competition and it would have been worth the wait. We will see. Fingers crossed, please!

As you can see by the word count, I'm 50% through Perfect Isn't An Option - so I've been getting some writing done in the evenings! I'm not sure it will actually make 80,000 words but I need to set up a time line, so that I don't get muddled with what happened when. It's more for Ruby and Steve when they were younger, and his filmography. And also, it takes place over 2-3 months, so I need to keep track of everything in relation to running up to Christmas.

The troublesome trucks at Sandford Station

Over the Easter Holidays, the kids and I have so far had a 14.5 mile cycle ride along the Strawberry Line - Yatton to Winscombe - with Grandad Ron (Monday), watched Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, made rice crispy cakes, (Wednesday) and with the weather changing, even played the odd board game (Yesterday - it was too cold to venture out, plus it means I end up spending money). Today, their dad should be taking them to the cinema to see the new Pirates movie, meaning I'll get my run in and hopefully some writing done.

Last night, I watched Limitless with Bradley Cooper. He starts off looking like a drug addict and a tramp, but soon sharpens up his image. With him on screen 99% of the time, I was in Bradley Cooper heaven. Well worth a watch - just for his blue eyes.

Happy Easter everyone!