Interesting times

Writers don’t have problems.

Writers have interesting experiences that inspire new stories.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself as I encountered one ‘interesting experience’ after another.

Here are a few highlights of the past three weeks:

No computer for two weeks (see previous post).

Car broke down in middle of busy road.

Car in garage for over a week.

Twisted ankle.

Broken teapot.

Coffee spilt on favourite white shirt (and no, that miracle stain remover doesn’t work!)

Mysterious and very itchy rash.

Thunder fly invasion.

Leaking washing machine.

Worrying news about a relative rushed to hospital.

Worrying news about a friend rushed to hospital.

  (Thankfully, they are both now recovering at home.)

Finger slammed in fridge door.

Delays, misunderstandings, missed phone calls ...

Jammed window catch.

Objects vanishing and then re-appearing in odd places.

Bad hair days. (It’s amazing I’ve got any hair left at all!)

Hoping for some quiet, and completely uninteresting days so I can start getting back to something like normal soon.

Holidays and workdays

After a lovely ten days away, I came home itching to get back to work. I'd written another chapter of The Novel in longhand and wanted to get it typed up while I could still decipher my handwriting. I also had some notes and ideas that might come in useful later, dozens of photos to download and sort, and I couldn't resist buying a few new books to put on my 'to-read' shelf.

I switched on my computer - and it refused to work properly. I guessed it was sulking because I'd left it alone too long.

After switching it off and on again, and doing whatever else people-who-understand-computers do to fix misbehaving machines, my resident expert decided that the only solution was to send it on holiday to the repair shop. So that means I've got to take some more time off.

Fortunately, I'd backed up all my important stuff before I went away so I should be able to carry on from where I left off easily enough when I get my computer back. In the meantime, I can borrow a laptop for essential work - such as this post - but finding my way round a different system takes a lot more time so I'll be putting most things on hold for a week or so.

Hope to catch up with you all soon!

P.S. Just received one piece of news that I can't wait to share. I've won 1st prize in the Worcestershire Lit Fest & Fringe Flash Fiction competition. (I know, I can't believe it either!)