The Time of Year

I love this time of year, when the sun shines and everything in the garden starts to blossom.  The recent weather has inspired me to get out and walk in an effort to get fit and lose some weight. 

Exercise is something I find easy to put off, let’s face it there are plenty of other things to fill my time, but the weather has definitely helped.  I certainly don’t enjoy walking in the cold and wet. 

The only problem with the amount of blossom that’s around is that my hayfever has kicked in, and as well as a horrible cold that I have inherited from my lovely husband, you could say that I’m feeling pretty sorry for myself at the moment.

I had a busy old month writing wise last month.  I submitted my novel to two agents, after it came bouncing back alarmingly quickly from the first one I sent it to, and I made two short story submissions (not much I know but it’s a start).  I also started to revamp another novel aimed at Mills and Boon and entered it into the competition they are running in association with Prima Magazine. 

This month I’ve been working on another two short stories and have started an assignment for the Article Writing and Freelance Journalism course I began last year.  I must admit I’m finding it a bit tricky.  I have plenty of article ideas but its targeting them to specific magazines that I’m having trouble with.  

My procrastination is such that I have spent a lot of time this month researching different magazines, but still haven’t settled on any.  I need to pull my finger out and make a decision soon. 

For now though, I think I’ll blame it on the cold and make a decision when I’m feeling a bit more like myself again. 

Unpredicatable

At the moment my life is very unpredictable and I'm struggling to plan any writing time.  Or rather I plan it and then life happens to get in the way.

Now that I am working three days a week (which could soon become four), a large part of my daytime writing time has gone.  

My freelance work is also picking up, but it always comes in when I'm least expecting it.  I sit down at my computer with ideas brimming for a story, I have a quick check of my emails and low and behold there is work to be done.

I can't knock it though, at least I'm getting some work.

At the moment I'm doing some audio transcription.  Years ago when I was a secretary, my boss used to record onto a cassette, which then when into a player which had headphones and a foot pedal plugged into it.

My boss then was based in London, while I was based in Chester and every day he would dictate his letters and then post me the package containing a tape.  Initially this was in the days before email, so I used to type out the letters print them off and fax each letter down to him.  He would then make any amendments and fax them back.

Well how times have changed.  On the promise of receiving a regular amount of work, I purchased some software which converts files into audio. On receiving an email, I download the file, plug my iphone headphones into my laptop and I'm good to go.

I'm a pretty fast typist so I've been trying to do this without the use of a foot pedal.  It's do-able but a bit fiddly so I have given in and purchased a foot pedal.  I'll see if it any easier when I type my next report.

So, what with all that, I haven't managed to do much actual writing recently.  I have been editing a novel wot I wrote though. It's in its fourth draft now and I'm hoping with some final tweaks I'll feel ready to start sending it out to agents.  Its a long job though, with little light at the end of the tunnel, so I may just have to write a story to break it up a bit.

Yesterday, to get away from it all, I decided to go for a walk down the Greenway which runs through the city and starts near to where I live.  At the entrance to the Greenway (on a farm) is a new cafe, so after my walk I decided to test it out.  And there I sat, writing away with no interruptions from technology (or my husband).  What bliss.  The only down side was drowning out the noise from the rest of the people in the cafe and several very loud children.  Ah well you can't have it all.

Have a good weekend everyone.  

Catching Up

Well the good news is I survived half term last week and life is back to normal again.

It was the first time in a while that I've had to go out to work during the school holidays and finding out at the last minute that the football school the boys usually go to wasn't on, was a bit of a worry.

But thankfully friends rallied and as I only worked two days I managed to reciprocate their kindness later in the week.

The boys had a great time, they went bowling, to the cinema, on sleepovers and football in the park.  My eldest even managed bouldering - that's indoor rock climbing without ropes to the un-initiated like me. I even managed to persuade them to do a spot of homework!  

I didn't get much else done mind you.

Well, we've collected up all the sponsorship for our walk and we raised £267.10 which I'm really pleased about.  I've banked the money and Charlie has written up the project so all is well.  I'm going to carry on with the walking though - just as soon as I can get down the Greenway without my wellies.

At the moment I'm trying to edit some old stories and generate some new ideas because I feel that I need to create something new (editing feels more of a chore sometimes). I need an injection of enthusiasm!

Watch this space.

Take care all, hope you're having a good week.

Scoot!

It seems that children where I live have lost the ability to walk. It’s true!

Even though it’s a village school, a lot of children travel to school by car – they may only live around the corner, but they can’t walk too far – obviously!  If it’s raining they might get wet, if it’s windy they’ll get cold – bless ‘em.

The result is a nightmare of traffic congestion, usually enhanced by really bad drivers, I hasten to add, and parking rage. I kid you not.

So, for those who have chosen not to go by car, what do they do? Ask their charming offspring to walk? Oh no, no, no.  Because children can’t walk, can they?  No, they scoot. 

There’s one narrow pavement on the road up to the school.  It’s full of people, and now it’s full of maniac children, trying to go as fast as they can, with no sense of direction or consideration for others.  I have lost count of the number of times I’ve had a scooter wheel in the back of my leg, or had to jump out of the way before being run over. By a child.  And then the long suffering parents, have to carry the scooters home, once their children have been safely (or not so safely) delivered to school.  (Serves ‘em right). 

Let them walk! I say, but no one’s listening. Especially not one woman I saw the other day, who parked her car a few metres from the school gate, let her children out and then opened the boot to get the scooters out.  Metres, I repeat metres!  Make them walk!  What is the hope for the future I wonder?

Grumpy old woman signing off now.