Flowers and things

I'm posting another photograph this morning because this was the one that inspired the flowers on Friday and I meant to put it up then. I have this picture as my desktop at the moment (I keep changing them) and it was taken in the Isle of Wight around Easter time last year. The primroses were snuggled in a hedgerow and not visible unless you were looking for them - but aren't they beautiful?

I'm busy at the moment doing character studies for my new hero and heroine. I have an outline for a story but it will need a lot of development before I send a synopsis off to my editor. I don't even have names for them yet.

I thought I'd post photos of flowers today - something to brighten up the frost and fog that we have around this morning.

I spotted this field of poppies from the motorway some time last year and persuaded my husband to get off at the next junction and go find them. The photo doesn't really do them justice.

The pansies and crocuses were taken in my garden.

News

Not so good news. My editor doesn't think my latest story is achieving its potential and has suggested I put it aside and start something new. So it's back to the drawing board. On hindsight, the fact that I didn't carry on at a pace with the rest of the story while waiting to hear from her should perhaps have told me that I hadn't quite hit the mark this time. Perhaps it was having my wonderful holiday in Florida and then Christmas that affected the flow. At least that's my excuse!

So it's back to the drawing board (another name for my plot file)

And I'm off to my Art Group now which will give me inspiration in a totally different way.

Disappointment

Still waiting for news from my editor so the writing went very slowly last week. About 2000 words in the whole week! I usually do that in a day - when it's a good day, that is. And today I shan't do much as I have a chiropodist appointment this afternoon.

We were expecting delivery of a new fridge freezer on Saturday, waiting in the whole day, finally phoning to find out where it was, to be told the order had been cancelled!!! By whom? No one knew. And it certainly wasn't us. To add insult to injury they claimed to now have none in stock. We had ordered it by phone and paid by credit card - but had that been cancelled too? No! They promise to deliver when they have new stock next week - but no way. We have cancelled this time and ordered it from somewhere else. But I'm keeping a check to make sure they cancel the credit card payment.

Having got that off my chest I'm going to sit down with a strong cup of coffee and spend quality time with Robynne and Kendel. I know they won't do the dirty on me.

Orkney

Todays photos were taken in the Orkney Islands which are a group of islands lying off the north eastern tip of Scotland. They have a magnificent history and during World Wars I and II the Royal Navybase at Scapa Flow played a major part.

We spent a holiday there a few years ago and what surprised me most was the lack of trees - possibly because they are very windy islands . Nevertheless they are beautiful in their own way.

The first of the photos is the airport!!!

Slowly, slowly...

It's a quiet week so far. The writing's going slowly - very slowly - I'm always afraid to really knuckle down and get on with it when I'm waiting to hear whether the first chapters meet with approval.

Last night I cleaned out my sewing box - which was absolutely bulging. I threw half of the stuff away, old buttons, bits of trimmings, bias binding, etc. Stuff you keep just in case! The lid will close now and it's all tidy again. But for how long? I used to do a lot of sewing, I made all of my own and my children's clothes, but I'm afraid I don't do very much these days.

The waiting game

The first three chapetrs of Robynne and Kendel's story, together with a synopsis, have now gone to my editor. Fingers crossed she likes it. I'm going to catch up with a few jobs around the house while I'm waiting to hear from her - although I might do just a page of writing each day so that I can keep it alive in my head.

Our bedroom badly needs redecorating so I have colour charts propped up on pillows trying to decide which colour I like. At the moment it's in shades of green which has always been my favourite colour - but I think it's time for a change. Maybe browns, or maybe - I've been thinking about this - one wall in a deep purply berry colour. The thing is it's not a very big room and I don't want to overpower it. What are your favourite bedroom colours?

Foto Friday

Well, here we are, the first Friday of 2011, and as promised here are the first of my photos

taken during the recent snow we had here in England.

Isn't this tree absolutely gorgeous?

Below is the same area without the snow and is home to hundreds of deer. Although you can visit and never see any. This was a lucky photograph.

Working Wednesday

I finished chapter three yesterday - and now I need to work out the rest of the plot in more detail before I send these first chapters to my editor. I preferred it when I used to let the story develop as I went along - I don't like plotting - things always changed anyway.



Wednesday is usually my art morning - but I had a phone call last night to say that the heating has broken down in the hall where we go - so no painting today. Which means I can get on with my writing. After I've been out to post some letters, and after I've ironed the washing I did yesterday! I was late getting up as well - due to a late night staying up to watch a James Bond film. I'm not a particular fan of James Bond but my DH likes to watch them and I hadn't seen that particular one so I joined him.



Don't forget Friday is now Foto Friday - so I plan to upload one of my 'snow' photographs. I'm glad the snow's gone now and hope it does't come back. It's actually raining today and it's not very warm - except here in my nice cosy study.

New Year Plans

That's it, another year over. A brand new year to look forward to. With all the hopes and aspirations that go with it. Last year I vowed to blog every day but it didn't work, so this year I'm aiming at three days a week.



Motivating Monday - when I hope to tell you my plans for the next five days.



Working Wednesday - a report on my progress.



Foto Friday - I have hundreds of photographs on my computer so I thought I would share some of them with you.



So - as it's Monday today my plan is to finish my third chapter and get it off to my editor. I'm actually struggling with these first chapters so I hope it doesn't bode ill for the rest of the story.



On the wall in front of me as I work is a quote by John Steinbeck - which says:



Write as freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or re-write until the whole thing is down. Rewrite in process is usually found to be an excuse for not going on.



Mmm! Rewrite is an excuse for not going on! I rewrite a lot, I like to correct as I go along. Maybe I should change? Just get everything down swiftly.



How about you? What is your writing process?

Christmas

Wishing You a Merry Christmas

and

A Happy New Year

I don't imagine I will be doing much blogging until after the New Year so I would like to wish all of my readers and everyone else who visits my blog much happiness for Christmas and everything you wish for in 2011.

The snow has gone in our area - for the time being! The forecast isn't too good, though. And I have completed the first two chapters of my new book - which I am now happy with. Another one chapter and then it will go to my editor.

Tomorrow night we're going to eat out Chinese style - celebrating my DH's birthday. It won't be his actual birthday but it's close enough. I've bought him something he's always wanted - a telescope. I guess he'll be praying for clear skies when he's allowed to open the box. Every day since I bought it he says, 'Can I open it now?' He's still a little kid at heart - and I love him for it.

Weather

Every leaf on every bush in the garden is rimmed by frost this morning. And now the sky has turned blue and the sun has come out and it's like a winter wonderland. Cobwebs against the fence, draped over the bird table, all thick with frost. The snow on the garden glistening.

It's very beautiful but I'm glad I'm tucked up in my nice warm office contemplating some hot climes spent with my hero and heroine.

How about you? What's the weather like in your part of the world?

Festivities

Aren't I a good girl? I went on my treadmill yesterday for the first time in months. I need to get down the excesses of Thanksgiving ready for the excesses of Christmas! The snow seems never ending here in the UK, though it's blue skies today and although it was well below zero overnight our weatherstation says that it's now 5 degrees centigrade outside. I've not tested it, though my DH has ventured into town - well wrapped up I hasten to add.

We decorated the house indoors yesterday evening - I couldn't believe we did it so quickly. My DH fetched the box out of the loft and in no time everything was done and the box put away again. I wasn't in the mood - but I'm glad it's done. The only downside is that the tree lights - which are an integral part of it - have stopped working. They were OK when DH tested it, but after I'd trimmed the tree they didn't work. So whose fault was that???