And into the NEW YEAR.

I hope you've all had a fantastic Christmas whether that be quite and studious or outlandishly boisterous. Whichever you have had, I hope you have found time to sit and think, to enjoy and share with one or many. And during this time I hope you have taken stock of your writing and are now in a position to move forward with new projects and can see how your writing has improved over the last year. With the New Year just around the corner, I hope you have the time you need to achieve your goals for 2014 and make good progress with all your writing projects this coming year.

To help you keep your writing fresh I want you to ensure that you write for at least ten minutes every day. That may seem a very small amount of time, but as some of you are new to writing and others of you are either published and just like to visit to take a break from your current WIP this is an easy way to improve your speed and get the work flowing. You can simple write about objects, things you've heard or simply write away the foibles of the day. I find it works quiet well to keep the brain thinking fast especially if I've worked myself in to a corner or am on the way to a dead end. Try it and see. Just ten minutes can make a difference.

I am going to try very hard in 2014 to make sure my blog is posted every Friday, but please forgive me if I'm late, it will be because I am writing and time has run away with me again! I will continue to keep you updated on what is happening with my own writing and I hope you will continue to share your experiences with me. Do feel free to post your thoughts and questions on here and if you have a novel to advertise and share I would be happy to post an article on here for you. Just let me know and we’ll sort something out.

I wish you all a happy New Year and I hope 2014 will be kind to you all. 

The emotion of friendship.

So many things going on this week, and so little time to achieve it all. I had a big disappointment this week, but it wasn't meant to be, so I will find another way. I have to. I've started to think of new ways around things, which I hope will eventually be fruitful. It will involve a lot of hard work, but I've got some time coming up that I can put to good use. Wish me luck, as I will need much of it.

My father is getting frailer as each few days pass, he has a look in his eyes that is beyond sorrow. A place I can’t find him and can’t help.  I hope in some small way he will find enjoyment this Christmas.

This weekend we had our first Christmas dinner, which was really good fun. This Christmas is all mixed up with family and wonderful friends. Life would be so dull without you all. We have a lot of food left over which will feed us for the rest of the week. I’ll be making lots of experimental dinners!

One of the great parts of this time of year is the getting together of old friends and making new friends or acquaintances in unexpected places. The one that springs to mind for me was the encounter I had with an elderly gentleman I sat next to on a bench three years ago in Watford. I was waiting for my son and Stanley and I got talking. He told me all about his wife and her ills and the wonderful life they have led.  I don’t suppose I could really class him as a friend, more of an acquaintance, but it felt I had known him all my life. We would always stop for a few minutes to chew the fat! He had a wonderful outlook on life which I've tried to emulate in all things I do now. I haven’t seen him around for quite a while now, but have fond memories of his kind heart and generosity of spirit.

This week we are going to use our own experience to draw pictures of relationships, friendships and how those friendships affect us. Think back to three separate situation’s you have found yourself in and use your creativity to change the outcome. For this you will need to work with emotion. Try writing from all points of view and then decide on the POV you feel is best for the piece. Remember to write for the reader and drag them into the picture with you.

So go on, get writing. 

Christmas on a budget.

It seems to me that December has dashed in like those reindeer flashing above on Christmas night. I blinked and it is already the seventh! On the upside, I have managed to get a few gifts, but there is still so much to do and if the days keep shooting through as quickly I'm not sure I’ll be ready by the thirtieth let alone the twenty-fourth.

It has been interesting to find, whilst waiting in queues, that so many people are really cutting back this year. Likewise I am doing the same. Christmas on a minimal budget is a challenge and I hope I'm winning. Like many others. I've looked in the shops and on-line for some ideas and then re-looked and made lists and remade lists until the gifts worked within the budget, well almost!

So this week’s challenge is to write a short story intended for publication. It will be set in the build up to Christmas – Christmas on a budget. For this you are going to create characters, use all the techniques you have at your disposal and craft an amazing Christmas. Think about how your characters interact with each other and how their individual problems may be linked. It is your job to weave their issues to produce the perfect Christmas. That may not be the traditional Christmas, but it needs to be perfect for them.

So if you want snow, reindeer or hot sun and a suntanned Santa it is up to you to make it real. So go on, get writing.