Poor neglected blog

Oops, I've been away from this page for too long. Partly because of the demands of work but also because I have been doing lots of writing. I sent off my entry for the Times Ghost Story comp earlier in the week. It was great fun to write and seriously scared the one seven year old that I read it to (Bit of a mistake that, still you live and learn (apparently).) It would have been better I suppose to have tried it out on an adult. I do have a good writing buddy Ann whom I swap writings with from time to time -I find it really useful to have someone to pass things by for fellow writerly comments. I also let my Man read stuff occasionally and he is proving to be a valuable editor.


Reading Cally's blog the other day inspired me to look through some of my old writings. I have piles and piles of closely scribbled words that have been whispering to me from underneath my desk for years. I finally got them out yesterday and had great fun reading through some of my adolescent, then studenty, then globetrotting musings. I had forgotten about some of the ideas and people that had inspired me in the past and it has set me off on a few story ideas. There was one character that I wrote about a lot about while I was a student that I was particularly pleased to meet again, she will definitely be making a reappearance.

My novel word counter hasn't budged an inch. I still love the central idea of the novel but I'm having trouble really believing in the characters and the setting (nothing major then!) I have decided to try to reboost my enthusiasm by writing a longish short story based on the central concept and seeing where that takes me.

Ooh also rediscovered my writing diary which I had temporarily lost (under a pile of work on my desk). Made me think about the difference between what I post up here and what I scribble in there. 'In there' is much more personal, experimental, I can write anything knowing no-one will ever read it - or so I thought 'til I left it in the Co-op one day and the assistant who handed it back to me a had a big grin on his face. But anyway the idea is that no-one will read it. If any one did think that the various plot outlines and story ideas were either jottings about my real life, or how I would like my life to be, it could lead to all sorts of trouble.

Good to be back! But now I'm off for more scribbling. I suddenly had an idea for the Fish Short Histories comp and the deadline is Sunday!