Epic fail!

I have to admit the title of this blog entry is largely based on my failure to keep my blog updated, I am almost tempted to delete the whole blog and start again to hide my embarrassment, however at least for now I will take a deep breath, shake my head ever so slightly and endeavour to turn over a new leaf - well in my blogging habits at least!

So the story since I last blogged...

Milo

New addition, in the form of Wilbur the hamster, new job moved house, moved in with a boy, more new additions - this time in the form of brothers Archie and Milo.

Archie

Milo steals Archie's food

Me and Deborah Harkness!

Got to meet the very lovely Deborah Harkness author of A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night and The Book of life an amazing trilogy. Not going to lie I loved the books so much that I was a little awestruck and Deborah couldn't have been more lovely. Even got a picture!  

 

 



Completed studies and graduated! Yay :)  Having not actually studied for a long time (writing fiction does not even compare!)  I am not going to lie this was challenging but we did it, and am actually proud of all of us and made some amazing friends on the way.



Graduation day was made even more special...

 

 ...and obviously it goes without saying there has been baking...

So the year ahead promises to be equally as busy, wedding planning, the cover for my first novel now underway and fingers crossed publication is not going to be too far away! Lets just hope I manage to blog a bit more!

  

bump back down to earth...

Totals...Twitter 9 Tweets ... Facebook...1 status updates ...blog entry...one in progress...actual productive writing of my novel...2500 words and finished 1st draft, Cups of coffee...1 Cupcakes ...1
Music mostly on my itunes this evening; Westlife, Ed Sheeran, Christina Perri.

Today has been a bit of a roller coaster, it's the first day of my holiday from the day job and I've planned nothing except a birthday dinner but that's not until next week so I thought it would give me ample time to sit and focus on meeting my self imposed deadline to finish the first draft of the novel I am currently writing.
Then today this happened...

Well, it happened in as much as I went to the counter and purchased them. I am sure you will agree it is a fine looking breakfast? I then sat and wrote like a woman possessed and something happened. Amazingly I finished my first draft a week early and ended up with cramp in my hand for my efforts but it was well worth it. I then walked around in the sunshine with a cheesy grin on my face feeling very pleased with myself. Not only does it mean I get to crack on with my edits now but I get my wall back...

Admittedly its not a great picture but what you are looking at is my storyboard of sorts. I got tangled in time lines for this novel so the easiest way around it for me was to map it out with the different characters and plot lines to make it more simple to manage and it worked too. Now I have a big empty wall and need to find something to put in it's place.

If this wasn't exciting enough I am getting to grips with Twitter (I think!) and last night joined in with a chat to Deborah Harkness who wrote my favourite book of the moment, A Discovery of Witches http://deborahharkness.com/ I will willingly admit I have read it more than once and also gave it to my mum for mother's day and she read it in three days and had the same reaction as me that she was gutted she had finished it and we're not able to read the next instalment until it's release on 10th July this year. I was very excited that I got responses to my questions, hopefully one day someone will have the same reaction to something I have written? I can live in hope!

Then this evening while celebrating my achievements...





Red wine. Of course!
Mid first glass I look at my phone and have received a text from my mum. She tells me her auntie had sadly passed away this morning. Right off I have to admit I have not spent much time with the relative on my mums side of the family as many of them live near the top of Scotland and I have only ever been as far as Gretna Green for a friends wedding. But of course I was saddened to hear the news and just makes you realise that no matter what is happening to you in your life good or bad there are always others worse off. From the nice things that my mum has said about her auntie she sounded like a lovely lady who had endured a difficult life at times but treated those she knew and met with immense kindness. So tonight and through this difficult time my thoughts are with those left behind. A somber note to leave it on this evening but I feel it's only right to stop here.

Procrastinating much?

Writing...Twitter (5 tweets so far...if you include re-tweets 9) Facebook...one status update...blog entry...one in progress...actual productive writing of my novel...two pages of A4 in my notebook (and aiming for more this evening!) Cups of coffee...1    Cupcakes ...1 (phew thought I'd have to change my blog title!)

So a day with a little more productivity than yesterday, thank goodness! Have reached 95,000 words and am aiming to have second novel completed at around 100,000 words. I really need to finish this soon so I can have my wall back (I have a wall planner with a story board time line blue-tacked to my wall at the moment, I'd really like to put a picture up instead!). I had planned on writing lots and being very focused but have to say Twitter is becoming pretty addictive, I don't even know these people but they have so many interesting things to say! When I've tired of Twitter, obviously I needed to check Facebook...then Youtube...

above were just a few...then time to adjust my itunes play list...oh and Twitter again.
If that wasn't enough I have been totally engrossed in reading "A Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness, again! Not sure why I do it to myself I enjoyed it so much that I was gutted when I finished to find out that the next instalment is not due out until July...so obviously I had to visit Amazon and pre-order my copy.
Then a visit to a supermarket to buy things that I probably didn't need anyway, then I actually wrote two pages in my notebook (I hand write first I like to see the words on paper) then rewarded myself by having a shower and writing in my blog.
The result, I'm feeling pretty guilty I wasted my day and only have two pages to show for it, back to my day job tomorrow and another 13 hour shift so I'm going to aim to get up half an hour early to write without distraction before work...I will let you know how that goes!