Unintended Hiatus

I've been away from blogging for a while, but I'm now hoping to get back to it more regularly. Apologies to anyone who follows on a regular basis, and thank you for sticking with me.

There were a couple of reasons for the break, and I didn't intend to stop blogging, it just sort of happened. At the beginning of the year, I got the contract through for a non fiction self help book. It needed a fair amount of research and I was headlong into this. I got the research done and started actually putting the book together. I was two thirds through when I thought I'd contact the publisher just to check that everything was good in publishing land. His reply was less than enthusiastic and he wasn't even bothered about me finishing it if I didn't want to. It appeared that there wouldn't be any promotion done, despite what had been agreed previously.

In the circumstances, I felt that the best thing to do would be to walk away. I got a confirmation in writing that the contract was no longer valid and that all the work I had done was mine and there could be no claim on it if I were to publish elsewhere.

I'm sure you can understand how much of a disappointment this was. Especially as this is the second time I have found myself in a similar situation - a fact this publisher knew. I lost the enthusiasm for the project and, to be honest, writing. It seemed that I had just wasted six months and felt very let down. Just putting the whole thing aside for a while seemed the best option.

I haven't decided exactly what to do about that project yet. I may look for a new publisher or I may self publish. At the moment, I still don't have the enthusiasm back for that one, so I'll wait until I do and in the meantime I can just ponder over what I what I want to do with it.

I am back to writing though, well, editing. I've pulled out a novel which has been waiting for a new edit and some rewrites for a long time. I've really enjoyed getting into the story and the characters again. I enquired with a publisher some time ago about sending it in (as it's a little shorter than the standard) and they were happy to take a look. I'll check this again when it's closer to being polished and shiny. Hopefully the answer will still be 'send it in'. After that, it'll just be a case of fingers crossed!

So, again, apologies for the break. I hope your writing has been going well and would love to hear your news!

Happy Writing!

More Notes!

Writing is a little samey at the moment as I continue with the typing up of the various notebooks I have made so far for my non fiction self help book. We're getting there though. I hope. I've felt I had to force myself to carry on for longer than I really wanted to today. This could be just tiredness (late night last night - rather fabulous fancy dress party to attend!) or it could just be a bit of burnout after working at it solidly yesterday.

Either way. I've been at it since early morning so I'm giving myself permission to take a break. In truth I'd like to think this was to go off and do something fun and delightful. In actuality, it's to go and hang the rest of the washing out and then make a start of the European Ironing Mountain which has built up in my lounge having been laid low all week with a stinker of a cold. Not exactly fun but there we are. If anyone has any ironing fairies they're not currently using, please do send them my way!

Have fun in the sunshine (at last!) and happy writing!

Lost In Austen

There's no doubt about it. It does you good to get away. Having worked a fortnight without a break (including his birthday!), hubby finally managed to snatch a couple of days off, ostensibly initially to take me to a hospital appointment because I'm a wimp, but once that was done we pondered on what to do.

Sat in a supermarket car park, we put a smartphone to good use and five minutes later had a couple of nights booked in an Inn down in Hampshire. Where we are, it's less than a couple of hours drive but far enough away to feel like a break.

I'd been wanting to visit Jane Austen's house again for some time. The last time was many years ago and I knew that there was much more to see now, plus with it being the 200th anniversary of Pride & Prejudice, it just seemed right.

Jane Austen's house, Chawton

 

 

I have some more pictures to post of this trip which really turned into a bit of an Austen pilgrimage, which isn't a bad thing, including the church near her now-demolished childhood home, where her father, and then brother were rectors. It was all really fascinating, and relaxing and the latter is really the point.

 

Yes, I have a book to write, a course to finish and some articles to get together, and novels to edit but it's important to look after your health, and your relationships too. And sometimes it's nice just to escape for a day or two to give the mind, body and soul batteries a bit of a recharge.

 

Have a good week, and happy writing!