What's Up Wednesday - 3rd July

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What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Erin L Funk and Jaime Morrow . It's a brilliant way to tell the bloggy world what you're up to, in both reading and writing and anything else that's going on for you.

It's broken down into four headings:

                    1. What I'm reading
                    2. What I'm writing
                    3. What else I've been up to
                    4. What inspires me right now
 

What are you waiting for? Head on over to join in!
                                              

                  

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What I'm reading:

Picture courtesy of http://www.amazon.co.uk

So, I'm still reading the first Game of Thrones book, and in a week I've only got through about 100 pages. However, I've discovered a great book club that's going to help me get motivated and get through not just this one, but the next three too. 

Check out my blog post tomorrow for more news on this!

 

What I'm writing:

Ready, Set, Write! goals, week 2:

1. Finish first draft and do first revisions for short story competition in July.  

So, I haven't quite finished the first draft but I'm getting there. Only another couple of hundred words to go ...

 

      2.  Continue more thorough planning and make a good start on Camp NaNo project.

 

My planning has been going really well for my Camp NaNo project, it's going in directions I hadn't thought it would that's for sure.

We're now on day three and I've only written 245 words, but tomorrow night I'm planning on a proper catchup session while the husband is at the gym ;-) 

 

      3.  Write and post something again for the Writer Wednesday Blog Hop.

 

Due to unforeseen technical difficulties from the week before, this weeks Wednesday Blog Hop is an extension of the previous week so I didn't write a new story for this. 

However, it was my turn to contribute to the Collaboration Challenge, and if you missed it you can check it out here. 
 

 
        4.  Do 30mins free writing every day.

In the past seven days I've managed to do a stint of free writing on five of them. I've quite pleased with the effort and hope to continue with it. I was a bit concerned on the first one as it was very introspective, concentrating more on my thoughts on the writing process and how I'm doing. Since then though, my free writing has been much more fiction orientated and I'm sure I'll be able to take some ideas from them in the future.

 

Goals for week 3:

1. Finish and do revisions for short story competition in July. Possibly submit, eek!
2. Keep up with my 800 word a day target for my Camp NaNo project.
3. Write and post something again for the Writer Wednesday Blog Hop.
4. Continue with 30mins free writing every day.

 

What else I've been up to:

 

Things have been busy in the non-writing part of my life. My husband was best man at his friends wedding last weekend, we had the best day and it was great to catch up with friends we haven't seen for too long.

Some friends had flown back from Australia and when we said our goodbyes it was quite emotional. We know we'll see them again but it could be next year or it could be in five. All I know is our children will be much bigger the next time we all get together.

What inspires me right now:

 

I'm inspired by all you lovely bloggers out there! There are a few cover reveals going on and coming up, and I'd love to be a part of that with my own. It's spurring me on to get my WIP done so I can have something to reveal to the world.

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Believing in the story - An IWSG post

This post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group. A great place for sharing all those insecurities we writers have, and for offering advice and support for our fellows. To join in head over to Alex J Cavanaugh's blog, you can check out what other people are posting about and sign up yourself too. Enjoy!

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I began writing a short, 1500 word story last week which I am planning on submitting to a competition. When I started out with the story I was quite keen on what I'd planned, and the first half of the story flowed quite easily. 

I had a break before writing the second part though, and since picking it up again doubts have tried to creep into my mind about whether it's actually any good.

I have had this before in the past, and it's largely responsible for my long list of unfinished stories. The idea seems great when I get started but after a while I begin to doubt it's suitability or quality.

I'm pushing on through with this story, and I plan to submit it just to see what happens. If it's interesting enough for the competition judges then that's great, and if not I'll leave it for a while and then go back to it to see where improvements are needed. It's a good feeling to know that I'm breaking down another one of those barriers that have been holding me back in my writing.

Does this ever happen to you? How do you get over it?

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Express Yourself - Fourth of July Celebrations!

         
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The Express Yourself meme is a weekly jaunt brought to you by Dani at Entertaining Interests and Jackie at Bouquet of Books. At the beginning of the month the girls will post a gadget with a list of topics, something different for each week. Make sure to head on over to either of these blogs to check out the details more fully and see who else is taking part.

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This weeks topic of conversation: What are your plans for the 4th July if you celebrate, if not, what do you have planned this week then?

I have no particular plans for the 4th, but on the 5th I'm going to see Bon Jovi at Hyde Park. I'm pretty sure I have mentioned this in previous posts, but I'm SO EXCITED!!!

I'm also looking forward to seeing my buds on Saturday who I haven't seen since Easter. We don't get together very often, but when we do it's the same as old times and as though we've never been apart.

Oh, and of course, Bon Jovi!!!

Picture courtesy of www.razorgator.com

What are your plans for the weekend?

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Collaboration Challenge

It's time for my contribution to the latest installment of the Collaboration Challenge, which I have put up over on my new fiction blog.

This challenge has been put together by Carrie Sorenson and has been running for the last four weeks.

The story so far has come from the following writers:

Part One by Carrie Sorenson

Part Two by Nicole Pyles

Part Three by Tena Carr

Part Four by Leonard Suskin

Part Five is by me!  Check it out!

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Friday Celebrations! - 28th June

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This post is part of the 'Celebrate the Small Things' blog hop hosted by VikLit, and is for celebrating even the smallest of victories during the week. Head on over to her blog to check out more people taking part in this hop, and to sign up yourself too.

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This week I'm celebrating:

• My parents have just picked my daughter up and have her until Sunday. Woohoo! We have a wedding tomorrow and so are enjoying a child-free weekend. Don't get me wrong, I love her to bits, but it is nice to have some time off!
• I managed to sit for a solid hour yesterday and get some planning done for my Camp NaNo project. I don't know quite how I managed it, but I'm hoping I'll be able to do it again.
• I managed to write half of a short story while sitting through a three hour science seminar (ssshh, don't tell anyone ;-)). I didn't think I'd get any time to start it, but now it's progressing I'll push to get it finished this weekend.

How about you? How has your week been?

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What's Up Wednesday!

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What's Up Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Erin L Funk and Jaime Morrow . It's a brilliant way to tell the bloggy world what you're up to, in both reading and writing and anything else that's going on for you.

It's broken down into four headings:

                    1. What I'm reading
                    2. What I'm writing
                    3. What else I've been up to
                    4. What inspires me right now
 

What are you waiting for? Head on over to join in!
                                              


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What I'm reading:

Picture courtesy of http://www.amazon.co.uk

A Game of Thrones - George R R Martin. I've been itching to get on with reading these books for months. So many people I know have been raving about the television series, and as I've started watching it I've really enjoyed it too. I'm currently half way through the second series, so quite a way behind, but I need to catch up before someone spoils it for me.
I usually prefer to read the book(s) before watching the film/series, so I'm going to crack on with the books even after I've caught up. 
I shall have the upper hand over those who wish to spoil it for me, mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!




What I'm writing:


Ready, Set, Write! goals, week 1:

1. To outline and produce a first draft of a short story for a competition deadline in July.

I didn't think I was going to get around to doing any of this, I'd write one plan but then     change my mind, then rejig it back to the first one, etc. This indecision was putting me off. However, a three-hour meeting today at work gave me the opportunity to think a lot about it and I actually managed 900 of the 1500 words for a first draft, so I'm half done with this goal. 

    2. To begin planning for a project I want to do as part of Camp NaNoWriMo in July. 

I have started planning for this project, although I haven't done as much as I would have liked. Still, a start is a start, and more than I've done before. I realise from what I have done, that I'm going to need plenty more if I'm to make a good start with this next week. Only a few days left, eek!

     3. Write and post something for this weeks Writer Wednesday Blog Hop.

Done! This was the first post on my new, fiction-based blog over on WordPress. If you haven't been over yet, you can check it out here. 
Thank you to everyone who has already visited, I hope you enjoy more stories to come.

Goals for week 2:

1. Finish first draft and do first revisions for short story competition in July.
2. Continue more thorough planning and make a good start on Camp NaNo project.
3. Write and post something again for the Writer Wednesday Blog Hop.
4. Do 30mins free writing every day.

 
What else I've been up to:

My spare time has mostly been spent catching up with Game of Thrones, both reading and watching. I have also been trying out yoga classes, and I'm surprised at how satisfying to have a proper stretch of muscles I didn't even know I had. I'm looking forward to my next class.

What inspires me right now:

I've been reading an article in the latest issue of Writing Magazine about Elizabeth George, who created the Inspector Linley crime novels. I was surprised to read that she was 39 when she had her first novel published, proving that it's never too late to get on with your writing. I'm only 31 now so there's hope for me yet!


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Express Yourself - Music of your life

                    
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The Express Yourself meme is a weekly jaunt brought to you by Dani at Entertaining Interests and Jackie at Bouquet of Books. At the beginning of the month the girls will post a gadget with a list of topics, something different for each week. Make sure to head on over to either of these blogs to check out the details more fully and see who else is taking part.

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This weeks topic of conversation:  What band, singer or group would be featured most in your  WIP/life?


This is quite a toughy really. I enjoy music and the kind of stuff I listened to when growing up was the likes of The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dire Straits, Queen.

I then moved onto Skid Row, Metallica, Megadeth, but my favourite that has remained throughout is Bon Jovi.

Picture courtesy of
www.mcfc.co.uk

By the way, I'm going to see them in two weeks.  Woohoo!!!!!!

How about you? What music has sustained your life?

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