Since I finished the last round of edits on Far From the Tree, I've been entering the odd few thousand words of it, usually the the first three chapters, into writing competitions to see how it gets on. In fact, it was the feedback from the Florida Romance Writers' Association back in November that made me realise… Continue reading Prizes and positives…
Tag: far from the tree
Keep calm and be patient…
I've never been the patient type. I tend to be someone who knows what she wants, obsesses a bit, thinks a bit and then chases something until she's got it. Sometimes that works out (I met my husband using that kind of logic and we've been together twenty years next year!), and sometimes it results… Continue reading Keep calm and be patient…
All in the name of research…
Over the summer, when I was deep in the throes of writing the first draft of Far From the Tree, I was lucky enough to be given a guided tour of the site of the local cider producer, Thatchers Cider. This is a business that remains in the family, and is into its fourth generation; a business… Continue reading All in the name of research…
I think I’ve been left-handed again…and written this book series backwards!
Being a south paw has always had its own peculiar challenges; pens in banks that are on the wrong side, bumping wrists with fellow students in the classroom, now that I'm a teacher no student being able to read my handwriting, ticking 'backwards', turning the page at a right angle, having the bowler shout 'left… Continue reading I think I’ve been left-handed again…and written this book series backwards!
Letting it go…the end of the beginning.
This afternoon I came to the end of the first draft of Far From the Tree. After six months and 28 days of near-solid writing, and close to 125, 500 words (not including the rigorous chopping along route), I think I can finally say it's finished. Not finished in the 'done and ready to send off'… Continue reading Letting it go…the end of the beginning.
Writing, the ‘old fashioned’ way!
I've been on holiday for the past week, and apart from the obvious security implications of taking a laptop to a tent, I decided just to take my most recent paper notebook with me. I also decided that, for the first time in eight months, I wasn't going to work on Far From the Tree, but… Continue reading Writing, the ‘old fashioned’ way!
Writing Process Blog Hop
A great idea whereby you get an insight into how and what makes writers write. I jumped on the bandwagon after the lovely Jessica Bloczynski did a post on her blog, which you can find here: http://maniacmarmoset.wordpress.com/ Anyone who'd like to be tagged to do this, please let me know 🙂 What am I working on? Currently, I'm… Continue reading Writing Process Blog Hop
Fantasy launch party…
Perhaps I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but after reading Ali Harris' account of the very enjoyable sounding launch of her latest novel Written in the Stars, I couldn't help but turn my mind to the possibility of a book launch party, if and when Far From the Tree gets published. I'm lucky to live in… Continue reading Fantasy launch party…
Of best laid plans and subplots…
In every other piece of writing I've done, essays, short stories, longer pieces, articles, I've always planned first. Indeed, in my professional life as an English teacher, I spend my time encouraging my students to plan first, be that a series of bullet points, a concept map or a spider diagram. And it works. Or… Continue reading Of best laid plans and subplots…
Musical influences
While I don't tend to listen to music when I write, as I find it distracting, I do tend to associate certain songs with characters in my stories, or scenes I've written. I think it's probably because I've become quite a visual thinker over the years, and fanvids were something I really enjoyed making. Now… Continue reading Musical influences
Fay Keenan 