How can you influence your writing?

Yesterday evening I battled through the fog to my writers circle in St. Albans. We were having a workshop where we were actually asked to write. This doesn't often happen. More often than not, we hold manuscript evenings where we read and discus each other’s work. However this was not the case. The instructor had brought in a morose picture with a girl holding what looked to me like a giant bag of Fish & Chips. I found the picture quite depressing. Other members of the circle found they could make comic pieces from this image, mine was far from comic. Then after tea break we listened to a piece of music. More depression! The music actually made me angry and I wanted to walk out. I forced myself to stay and write something. What I wrote was powerful but angry and very dark. Much removed from the children's writing I love doing and want to achieve in.
We discussed how visual stimulus and musical stimulus can influence your writing. Many of the writers said that they might use this method to help them develop their work. For me, well, I think if I want happy thoughts and I'm feeling a wee bit down it might work, but I don't think I want to experience the dark side again.

What to do when it's flat.

I hate days when writing that you spend a day working on a piece of work only to finish, read it and find it is flat. That has happened to me today. I've been working on a short story for the Writers News magazine. The theme, bullying. I'd previously written 500 words and had another 1000 to go. I wrote on oblivious to the dead boring story I was writing. By lunch time I'd finished. Stopped had lunch and read the story back. Oh dear! what drivel. I'd written a peice with no emotion, no action and nothing to make the reader smile. Some would say it was a complete failure, but maybe I've managed to get rid of the drivel which will alowe something good to come out. At least that is the hope.

Kitten escape!

My new kitten (7 months) called Inky, has decided that she should be allowed out side just like my other cat (9 years) Mischa. Unfortunately, Inky isn't street or garden wise yet. She has been out wearing her harness and lead, and has been shown around the garden many times. However this morning she took it upon herself to leap over the top of Mischa and out to FREEDOM. There is me, out in the frozen garden in my PJ's to get her back. It isn't as if she won't be allowed out, but as she doesn't yet answer to anyone but herself she might just get lost and she is too beautiful to lose. Thankfully my son joined me, and in the end Mischa came out and Inky allowed me to pick her up and bring her back in. Only to dart out again later, sneaking between my feet and the door. Once again I got her back. She now has a collar and I've been searching for a name barrel for her, but I've been unable to find one today. I'll have to be brave over the next few days and take her out before breakfast and dinner to get her used to being out alone and when she should come back. Had we not have been on a main road, she would have been out already.


Here are pictures of my lovely girls.



Mischa sultery and sophisticated.
Inky's just scatty.











Mischa and Inky

Another knock back but I'm

Well this morning that dissapointment hit again. I wasn't shortlisted for the Times Chickenhouse find an authour competion, however nor were another 1995 competitors. The five selected were very impresive. Many people were disapointed that there hadn't been a longlist before the shortlist was announced. However I feel it is better not to know if you're entry came 2000th.
This has not discouraged me, because I'm in this for the long haul and will not be put off I just need to get my children's work underneath the nose of the right agent or publisher. In that lies the hard work that is continuous.
I'm currently finishing Wybird (7-9) having Out of Body read and about to submit Starmite my competition entry to agents/publishers. Looks like I'll be working hard over the halfterm.
I've recently had some good critiques for my work and this has inspired me. I think this has helped me to perserver. One publisher likes my writing and would like to find a book from me that she can publish, but she doesn't do fantasy...I need to find a storyline and characters that will stay away from fantasy and I might stand a chance. Until then I'll carry on with the fantasy in hope that someone somewhere will fall in love with my work.
I girl can dream, can't she?