Endings and beginnings

The end of the year is nigh!

Just realised I’ve only got 66 days to complete all my 2014 writing goals. Don’t tell anyone, but I haven’t even started on half of them. I’m also way behind with my reading challenge. (I’m reading The River King by Alice Hoffman at the moment and can’t help lingering over every word.)

But, ever optimistic, I’ve finally decided it’s the right time to do something I wish I’d done many years ago – I’ve signed up for an online course on Illustrating Children’s Books. I’m pretty sure I’ve left it too late to have any chance of becoming a professional illustrator, but it’s a subject that’s always fascinated me and I’m hoping that learning more about the technical side of illustration might be useful for my writing.

My first published stories were for children and I’d love to get back into writing for them. I have some ideas for picturebook stories where a lot of the story is told in pictures so it would be helpful if I could show a publisher some sketches instead of trying to explain it all in words. But even if nothing publishable comes out of it, I’m sure I’ll enjoy doing the course.

Oh, yes, and I’m also going to do NaNoWriMo this year.

Perhaps I’ll prove the old adage, if you want something doing, ask a busy woman!

Been there, done that

I heard this time-management idea on the radio the other day and it certainly seems worth a try. Instead of having a long to-do list that only makes you feel guilty because you never cross off all the tasks on it, spend a few minutes each evening making a list of everything you did do that day.

  It works. Just look how productive busy I’ve been!

P.S. I’ve just received this Note from The Universe:

If you take your time, you'll have more of it.

Hmm, I wonder …

Shall I? Shan’t I?

5 reasons to decline an invitation to a book launch

• It’s too far to travel there and back in one day.
• It’s not my book.
• I won’t know anyone there.
• I doubt it will be a bestseller.
• They want me to read – out loud!

 5 reasons to accept an invitation to a book launch

• What a great excuse for a weekend away.
• It’s an anthology and my prize-winning story will be in it.
• I’ll meet some new people there.
• I’ll be able to buy a few copies to show people I’ve been published in a real book.
• My first public reading – how exciting!

 So, yes, I’ll be in Worcester on 30 November for the launch of 'Fifty Flashes of Fiction’.
 Will anyone else be there?