Some days are better than others…

Some days really are better than others. So here is a quick update of my news over the past couple of weeks:

Since I have been back at work, I have been trying to settle in. Some of my colleagues say that it doesn’t even feel as though I have been on leave for six months. There is only one new person at the ooffice… but a few of the old staff have left, so I miss their presence.

I also miss Abby! But she’s having such a great time in care, that I really needn’t of worried like I did. But I do feel as though I’m missing an appendage of sorts. I’m pleased that she did have a good routine already set in place, and that with the help of my Mother in Law – we taught her how to take a bottle. She seems to be happy as to be away from me during the day.

Abby has been the utter centre of attention for everyone as we have had lots of family visiting over the past couple of weeks. Was really lovely to see them all, and for them to finally meet Abby for the first time. I can’t believe she is now five months old already! Motherhood is sweeping by very fast.

I had my very first car accident yesterday morning… What a great start to the week! A chap was pulling out of his driveway, and didn’t see me driving past, and smooshed my passenger doors with the nose of his great big Mercedes. So this afternoon I have to go and pick up a rental car to tide us over while ours gets fixed. (What is really annoying is that we only just sold my husbands car on Sunday, so I could have been using that!)

I have started catching the train to work, and each time I feel utterly elated at the amount of writing work I am accomplishing again! After 6 months of basically having a break from it, I am now immersing myself into my writer’s world for at least an hour per day. And it is FABULOUS! I’m smashing through my editing during my dedicated train time. Feels amazing.

One of my Critique partners has moved to China, so that’s a bit tough. Gonna be awesome for her – and it will start to feel a bit better when she’s back up and running online again.

Another Critique partner is about to release her next book, which is exciting!

Anyway – I better get back to the Evil Day Job (which is actually going quite well) and earn my keep.

P.s. Can’t wait to get this damn book off my desk and onto the desks of publishers.

 

Up, up, and away!

Blimey the year is passing so quickly!

In two weeks I am back at work after being on maternity leave for six months. Can’t quite believe it myself.

When I first went on maternity leave I had all of these goals and plans that I would work towards achieving while Abby was still young and sleeping lots. Lets just say that didn’t quite work out!

I knew that it was going to be tough going having a wee baby – but I didn’t expect her to only sleep in 45 minute stretches during the day. Hence why I haven’t achieved many of my writing goals this year. However, having Abby around has been totally awesome, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. Now she is starting to sleep for a couple of hours in the morning, so I’m getting much more done around the place!

Going back to work will be a shock to the system though! But it’s going to be great to see all the awesome people I work with again. My husband is now working in the area where we live, so that means that I’m going to be travelling in and out of town on the train, which I am really looking forward to. I used to travel on the train a few years ago, and the amount of writing and ideas that I generated was amazing. So I’m hoping to get back into that groove again. Fingers crossed.

So…. Abby is going into care when I go back to work, and this means that she’s in training at the moment. Going to sleep without a feed, and also taking a feed from the bottle. This has been a huge struggle so far, but we seem to be having little successes every now and then – so we’ll just keep on at it. That daughter of mine loves her cuddles and feeds with me… so I’m not surprised she’s being defiant about it!

I have been reading a crapload of books lately too. I think this will also slow down when I get back to work, but it’s been great. Since my writing outputs have been slow, it’s really given me some awesome ideas to work and play with for future books of mine. I’m looking forward to getting them out there!

And on that note… I should probably be off. Abby will wake again shortly, and I will once again be entertaining her. Having a daughter is a pleasure. Being a writer is awesome. I only wish that I could do both full time. Going back to work pays the mortgage. Here’s hoping I win Lotto on saturday!

What’s everyone else been up to lately?

 

Having a little faith…

Something is once again stirring within me. I would like to say that it’s the ‘writing bug’… but it feels as though it’s more than that. It’s more like a primal urge that is getting my creative juices flowing again. The fact that our new daughter is starting to sleep now is probably another thing that is prompting this change within me.

Many things have been circulating through my mind over the past six weeks. What projects I need to complete, what books I need to edit, and what books I need to plan. Believe me – the list seems to be continuously growing. I guess that is what creative people do though– they constantly generate and process new ideas. I know that there are many things that I really need to complete before I start the next new thing.

In January this year I started writing Tijuana Nights. I hadn’t been writing properly for a long time due to my addled pregnancy brain… and I loved writing it. I loved sinking my teeth into new territory, and exploring old and new ideas that I had been stewing on for a long time. And then I had to stop that project because I need to give birth to our daughter.

The other day I was talking to a friend, and she was telling me about her book success. Then she turned around and said, ‘I just know Talent will make waves in YA once you are ready to put it out there.’ Yet another project that I need to complete. I really need to complete this one. It’s been hanging around for far too long. Besides – there is going to be a lot of editing and rejigging once I finish writing the trilogy. All that aside – it was really lovely to hear my friend say that about those books. Really lovely. She has faith in the trilogy.

I also need to do one last edit on The Mediterranean Source. Some readers may remember that I did a really big edit on it in November last year. Well – after that I sent it out to a couple of readers and they provided some seriously valuable feedback on the book. This is the last lot of feedback that I think I will incorporate into the book before submitting it out into the world. But yet this is another task that I need to set my mind to completing.

But I have faith. I have faith that I will finish off these things. I also have faith that whether or not they are ever published in the future, I know that I will be happy within myself just for being tenacious enough to get through these enormous projects. And I also have faith that one day in the future… my daughter may just pick up one of my books and read it. Whether or not she enjoys it will be another story all together.

 

A quick update

I know that it has been a couple of weeks since I last posted, but life has been busy!

I am nesting, and trying to get this house in order before Bumpkin arrives on the scene… which isn’t that far away now, and believe me when I say this – getting the house into tip top shape is a very big job. I am also still working my Evil Day Job… and trying to make it through that each day during the week, even though I am working from home one day a week from now till I go on maternity leave. I’m the size of a large baby elephant, incredibly tired a lot of the time… mentally unstable during other times… I can’t sleep properly… and I’m pretty much living on the edge. And… just to top it all off, I have started writing a new book.

Oh my god. Yes, I know. I’m nuts to think that I can do all this at once… and this is possibly another reason why I haven’t blogged in a while.

But, the world hasn’t stopped rotating just because I’m about to have a baby, and have a lot on. No… the creative mind is a strong one, and I best be using it to its full potential while I can.

Writing Tijuana Nights was always on my agenda for 2012. I didn’t quite expect it to happen this quickly into the year… as I thought that I would still be doing research at this early stage of the concept. But after thinking about this book for the past 18 months or so, I figured that a lot of the research and plot development, I had already done. There was really no need to delve hard into research when I knew how to start, I knew my characters already, and I knew how I wanted this book to end.

This will be the first book in a long time that I am not going to completely plot out. I have a lot of it already… except in the ‘inbetween bits’. So… I’m going to wing it. I’m already writing chapter three, so the ‘winging it’ seems to be working for me right this moment.

On the other side of life, I have been painting our unborn child little animal pictures, and just today, we have been painting its room. It’s going to look really good once this room is sorted out, and everything is in there. And to think that it will all be done and dusted by the end of next weekend. Scary stuff!

I’ll make sure I post photos of it once we have completed it for you all to see. And on that note – I better get cracking. I have skirting and doorframes to paint before dinner, and then a second coat to paint after dinner. Where on earth do I find the energy?

Insanity. I’m telling you.

As an end note – I found quite a good article on Writing while Pregnant, that some of you may find interesting. Au revoir!

 

 

Monday Musings

Well, this morning I get to sit here in my stripy jammies and dotty dressing gown, with my big doggy slippers on, and write my Monday Musings post. My Mum is here at the moment, and since she is here for such a short period, I thought that I would take the day off and spend some quality time with her.

I did get up early though to get in some uninterrupted editing time, and catch up on the emails. So… what’s on my mind at the moment?

1. Editing and revising. Oh yes, this will be on my mind for quite some time, I fear. No, it’s not a bad thing… in fact, I love it. I cannot understand how people hate editing and revising. Okay – if I was under a tight deadline, then I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t be so happy about it. But I’m not, so I’m good. I’m getting through it slowly. I need more dedicated hours and time to it though, and then I will get through it faster than I currently am. I just want this last revision and edit – to actually be the last major one on this book. And when I finish, it’s going out for a final read for some nit picking, and then I’m going to start submitting it to publishers.
2. I only ever considered getting an agent once… and I put that notion out of my head when I decided to approach the smaller publishers first who accept unsolicited manuscripts for consideration. Once upon a time, a very long time ago – I dreamt of publishing with one of the Big 6. I still dream of that, but I am definitely in no rush. For me, it will be approaching the smaller publishers first and hopefully publish with them. I don’t want to try and tackle approaching a huge publisher straight off the bat… Since this is a career for me, I want to build it up. If I make it to one of the Big 6 one day, then I will know that I have succeeded with my publishing dream. Dream – not goal.
3. My Mum bought me the most gorgeous book yesterday. Seriously. It’s a children’s book called….. ‘It’s a Book’ by Lane Smith. Here is a short video clip about it… J http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4BK_2VULCU

 

Monday Musings

I can’t quite believe that we are already at Monday. Again.

I have never been a good Monday person. For some reason though, I can usually get up and out of bed without too much of an issue. By the time I hit Friday though, my mind and body is over the fact that I actually have to go to work for a 5th day, and I procrastinate my way out of bed to the shower. Then I procrastinate in the shower, until my husband boots me out, and after all that procrastination, usually we are running a few minutes late by the time we leave. It’s awesome.

So… here are my current musings:

1. Snow. It’s snowing at the moment! I’m from the great South, so I seem to have a positive affiliation with
   

   Wellington Snow!

   snow. Mind you, down there when it snows hard, we all get days off work to snuggle up at home, and ‘chill’ out Up here, there is absolutely no such luck. The dumping is not heavy enough… it melts to nasty slushy stuff, and the wind chill factor forces you inside because it’s a little miserable out there. But at the moment, I am still enjoying the fact that it’s on the ground. I can just imagine that all my work colleagues are going to be moaning about it though. Hehe.

2. Editing. My editing plan is up and running, and now I just need to get stuck in and implement it. Marvellous. I’m really looking forward to having the final product sitting my hands in all it’s glory. One day I will write a post about how I edit…
3. Didn’t win $20 million from Lotto in the weekend, but I have my fingers and toes crossed to win $23 mil next weekend.  I think that would do me nicely.
4. I keep thinking that I should really take a drive up the coast a bit, and visit my critique partner. I have been meaning to visit her since May, and I still haven’t managed it. She’s only a few hours drive from my place too!! Shocking.
5. I seriously cannot be bothered with the Evil Day Job this week. There is so much damn filing that I need to get through (because I have been procrastinating on that, too), and I have no doubt that the staff are going to be on edge when I send stuff out to them to complete. Ah well. That is what pays the bills until I win Lotto. Once that happens, I’ll be able to work from home as a full-time writer, and wouldn’t that just be bliss. For the moment, it’s EDJ, and part-time writing. And this week – it’s mainly editing.

Ciao ciao for now!

 

Quitting the Evil Day Job

One of my good friends who is also one of my critique partners, is leaving her Evil Day Job this week to write full time. I have three critique partners, and they are all now full time writers. (One has three children, so she’s also a full time Mum.) I personally think that this is totally wonderful, and it means that these inspiring women can tap into some serious creative potential to achieve their dreams. They even have the time to achieve their dreams.

But for my friend who is leaving her job this week, this is where the story unravels a bit. Apart from her husband and children, she is lacking support with the real humans in her life (not the writers). Her friends and real family are criticizing her for her decision to leave work, refusing to even talk to her about her creative endeavours, and this is right royally starting to piss me off. The audacity of these people. They call themselves her friends and family? But where is the support? Or the love? Or the shoulder? No where. They appear to be more worried about how she will make money, or the recession, or things like that. Personally – it is absolutely none of their business to what arrangement she has with her money situation. What business is it of theirs? If she has some sort of way to pay the bills and live, then that is her business and hers alone.

This decision that she has made is primarily about her happiness, and her goals in life. Life is what we make of it, and if you are happy sitting around working a 40 hour week in a job that you don’t like, and getting paid sweet F.A. to do so – then fine. That’s your life. Be happy with what baskets you put your f*!king eggs in. But if you see someone taking a risk with their own life to make their dreams come true? Well – that’s just inspirational. Be inspired by this. Do not be jealous, or worry about their potential money problems!

I can’t wait till my friend has more time on her plate to create her worlds. It’s very exciting for her, and I am more than willing to give her as much support as she needs to make her dreams come true. What goes around, comes around.

So, let this be a warning to those who are not creative or to those to have no idea what being creative means. If someone is quitting their day job to pursue their dreams, then support them in achieving that. Be their shoulder to cry on, and be there to talk to them. That’s what friends and family do for each other. It is not about how much money you earn, or what you spend it on that shows your quality of life. It’s how you feel within yourself.

 

Gossip and Banter. Not the same thing.

Oh boy, here I go again. It’s one of those sessions, where I am thoroughly pissed off.

Right now, as I am sitting at my desk in my office on the seventh floor of a big building in Wellington, there are people sitting on the other side of my desk divider gossiping and moaning about other people sitting on the same floor, who are probably not that far away, trying to get an honest day’s work done.

DEFINITION:  gos·sip //  (gsp)  n.

1. Rumor or talk of a personal, sensational, or intimate nature.
2. A person who habitually spreads intimate or private rumors or facts.

intr.v. gos·siped, gos·sip·ing, gos·sips To engage in or spread gossip.

 

Why am I pissed off? Because this is destructive and unwanted behaviour from people who really should know better. The stories that they are ‘telling’ and ‘discussing’ with each other, is not positive. It is not even remotely helpful. It is what I would call “petty idle gossip.” And what happens to gossip? It turns into Chinese Whispers.

Truths are distorted and repeated… and whatever these two ladies are talking about right now, will be retold a multitude of times in a totally different context – not too far down the line.

Gossip is another form of story-telling. It is not fair on the subject, or fair on the people who really just don’t give a hoot, and because our office is open plan – they have to listen to it. 

Now banter, on the other hand, is a lot more pleasant to listen and engage in.

DEFINITION:  ban·ter //  (bntr)

• n. Good-humored, playful conversation.

v. ban·tered, ban·ter·ing, ban·ters

• v.tr. To speak to in a playful or teasing way.
• v.intr. To exchange mildly teasing remarks.

As long as you don’t hurt anyone’s feelings in the midst of it, then I think that banter is fine. Banter is another form of rapport building. Something that you can definitely play with when developing character relationships with one another.  It also provides a bit of humour and light relief to the dialogue in your writing.

What’s the moral of this story? Don’t gossip, banter instead. It’s a lot more fun, and you don’t bring people down. Instead, you start building the bonds that hold everyone together.

Once again, I have gone from being extremely annoyed, to pleasantly positive. Thank you, little blog.