Skip to main content

Back To School





Yep, it’s that time again. I’m so not ready. I’ve been lazing around the house, reading, watching iPlayer and doing a bit of writing here and there.  Okay, I haven’t been doing that much writing. The majority of my summer has been about the final edit of my YA SciFi Sequel.  The main reason for this is that this book is due out in December. Just in time for Christmas presents right.


 I finished the final edit of When Rainbows Cry 2 weeks before the end of August so the book is now with the proof reader and my editor for the last bits of tweaking.  As you can see, the cover is also sorted thanks to the magnificent assistance of Jaya Prime in getting me rights for use of the original picture. I can now adapt it to my heart’s content for this and the final book in the series which I’ll start working on next year. More of that later.


There has been the odd bit of new writing but it’s mainly been notes for the future when I can focus on projects sitting in the wings.  I store all these in a folder called The Vault.  My mind is always spinning through various ideas but when I forget an idea I just check to see what treasure I’ve got safely stowed away in the vault.


Works in progress for the rest of this year and the start of next year consist of:

  1. Editing Palindrome - the prequel to Six Dead Men [SDM]. This is a novella which charts the influences and reasons why the main character from SDM becomes a policeman.
  2. Writing the bulk of the 3rd book in the YA SciFi series. This series was just crying out to be a trilogy. I couldn’t resist the call of peripheral characters asking me to tell their story too. I’m a sucker for a voice which needs to be heard.
  3. Getting stuck into the sequel to The Lonely Dragon. This is taking a bit longer than planned as it’s requiring a substantial amount of research.
  4. Playing around with side projects which tie in to The Lonely Dragon and its sequel

I’m also getting myself ready to resume my annual tutoring routine. Bizarrely, I often produce more writing in this period than I do during the 2 months I have off in the summer. I think this is because my time is limited and I know I have to get words on the page or I won’t meet deadlines. They’re all self-imposed but somehow that doesn’t matter much.  There is the immense pleasure of knowing I’ve finished a task to the highest possible standard. That’s what I’m always striving for.

The other thing which I believe spurs my writing on is that I get to mix with a whole bunch of insanely creative students who constantly provide me with new ideas and insights into how children think and behave. This is invaluable when it comes to working on the children’s books I do.

So while I’m mourning the end of the summer holidays I’m also quietly celebrating the fact I’m about to be energised and exhausted in equal measure by my assorted bag of students. 

Plans prepared and printed. Prizes at the ready. It’s back to school we go.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. It's much appreciated as is the time you take to write a comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Faetaera: Through The Rabbit Hole

  Larell’s heart was full to the brim.  His audience with Aurelia had been unexpected and full of wonder.  He was not surprised she was aware of his plans to send a force through to the other side.  Aurelia always knew everything going on in her world.  At times he thought he saw the weight of it bearing down upon her.  Then he wished to take her in his arms and carry her as well as the burdens she bore.  But of course he would never do this, merely imagine it.  It made him love her all the more.  She thought he did not know how she came by her information and he planned on keeping it that way.  It was the only way he knew to express his love for her without feeling foolish.   In the crystal lined chamber he felt her load more palpably than usual.   He knew it was simply his foolish love-sickness for his Queen but he let the feeling soak through him regardless.   Aurelia's lips twitched briefly as though she was amused.   She was kind in her tolerance of his ridiculous obsess
Post a Comment
Read more

Faetaera: A Triumvirate

  A Triumvirate Brairton’s minions slipped through a barely noticeable fissure.  The tear would close shortly.  Despite the increase in their regularity the breaches rarely stayed open very long.  To the three insidious spies, the stink of the new world was almost unbearable.  But in time the triumvirate would each become so used to it they would scarcely notice it at all.  That it poisoned them they did not know.  Brairton was not in the habit of informing his operatives of fatal consequences.  Their programming precluded any thought beyond the mission they must complete.  In this Brairton had been exact and had performed the necessary rituals himself. Each had their mission branded into their being.   They would travel together for some time but then slip off to their secret destinations one by one, never to see each other again. The threesome latched on to their individual targets and began their particular brand of individual mischief immediately. Minion one skulked off to en
Post a Comment
Read more

Aphasia - Phase 1

It was one morning of May 2021. I woke up and I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know I had a stroke. I carried on as though I was okay. I even tried to negotiate with my guest when she was leaving. I tried to talk but only mumbles came out of my mouth. She left me with a big hug. I knew something was wrong. I tried to call my cousin, Michelle. With a few grunts, I convinced her to come round to my place. In the end she came round and she was very worried. She stayed with and we had lunch together. After she left, I called my friend in Sheffield, Bev. I tried to say what was wrong with me. I couldn’t speak. She rang my neighbour, Kathy. Kathy was out with Nelson, her fabulous dog. Bev rang her so she came round. When she came to my house I was sitting in the dark. Bev said she should call an ambulance. I took the phone from her and shook my head. Before long my neighbours Lizz and Leo came to see how I was. Kathy told Leo to ring the ambulance because I took her phone. She did not know w
14 comments
Read more