Abruptly woken!

I had a lovely six days off and feel very chilled, hope the feeling lasts. I have been reworking one of my children’s stories and feel the plotline is now right. It will take a lot of revision and time to ensure throughout the book all areas that need work are changed this should strength the whole book.

I'm still awaiting news from my recent children’s submissions and as promised will let you know the outcome, good, encouraging or bad. Six to eight weeks is a long time to wait, but that is the usual time that elapses prior to any feedback. However I did once get great feedback after seven days, but that was for a thriller, they loved my writing style/voice, but weren't keen on the plotline. I have since then written up three new plot lines and a fourth idea along with opening chapters for the first three. Once I hear from the children’s agent, I will consider submitting these.

The digging in my garden is almost done, and the black matting, weed protector, will be put down this weekend. No more digging – Yippy!!

This week’s writing prompts are all to do with waking abruptly in the morning. Below you’ll find four prompts. Select one and write a short story between 1550-3000 words. As an added challenge for this piece of writing you are to find an outlet for your work and submit.

1. That wretched bird!
2. The agricultural burglar alarm – again!
3. Can’t you shut that dog up!
4. Go back to sleep, Henry!

Hopefully the three prompts above will inspire you. So go on, get writing. 

It all happens in the garden.

Weeks have shot passed and I've been working so hard in the garden that everything else has gone by the wayside. That I know isn't good, but the result is that the garden is looking very pretty now. On the downside, I have been nipping to the garden centre as a 50% discount week has tempted me to buying more plants. This isn't a bad thing, the bad comes when I spend even more time in the garden potting up, trimming back and tying in when I should be writing. Having said all that the fruit that I'm getting is very tasty and the pear tree has an abundance of pears, just hoping they will grow and ripen without being targeted by the wasps too much.

I now have a few days off so I will be out continuing my attack on the front garden – more digging, black matting and stone finish. Then to think of the planters and plants.

I'm also hoping to get time to write and edit another children’s book. I recently sent off two samples of my children’s work to an agent and hope to hear positive news soon. If not, some guidance.

Your writing challenge this week is to look at the image and incorporate the following in to the piece of writing.

“Why did you invite them!”
“I told you to get the smaller one, that marquee won’t fit!”
“Have you seen how much drink they have brought? It’s obscene.”

This can simply be a garden party, a wedding, charity event, a neighbourhood party, a family reunion or any event that is to be held in a garden.

The aim this week is to be humour into the writing but keeping it real. Select your characters well, drawer them out prior to using them, know how they will react in any given situation. Don’t forget to use the sounds in and around the garden. Wasps, bees, those horrid flies! Smells from surrounding areas. The local farm mucking out! The unsociable neighbour and their bonfire! How this event/party turns out is entirely up to you, but have fun with it and remember to ensure the reader see what you want them to see and feels any awkwardness and if possible laughs out loud for the right reasons.

So go on, have fun with it and get writing.