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| Life's been a merry-go-round lately |
Yes . . . I know . . . it’s been months since I last posted.
Shame on me!
Suffice it to say, I’ve been busy. I mentioned in my last
post that I’d been working on a proofreading course. Well, in May I learnt that
I’d passed with distinction (yay!) Since then I’ve been hard at work, setting
up a proofreading business alongside my tuition business. I’ve also been on
holiday (Czech Republic), visited various friends and family and had family
staying with me. Last weekend was the first weekend in a long time that I
didn’t spend with young children around. It was bliss!*
One thing I did do last weekend, however, was attend the RNA
Birmingham chapter meeting. I’m so pleased I plucked up the courage to sidle up
to the group on the library steps and say, “Erm . . . you wouldn’t happen to be
romantic novelists, would you?” Because it turned out that they were (phew!)
and they were so friendly and welcoming that I was soon wondering why I’d stood
like a lemon for so long, trying to decide if they looked like romantic
novelists or not.
Although I already attend a writers’ group that’s more local
to me, it was lovely to meet fellow romance writers and hear news and advice on
the specific genre I write in. It was also a great encouragement to hear of
others’ successes and think that I could achieve that too, as long as I keep
trying. I’m already looking forward to the next meeting.
Finally, I got my MS back from the NWS and I’ve been going
through the comments, wincing in some places and feeling a warm glow in others.
It’s been interesting to see that the parts of the novel I was less satisfied
with are also the bits the reader picked holes in. If I’m honest, those are the
places where I let plot take precedence over character and even though I could
see that my characters wouldn’t act that way, I was too committed to the plot
to change it. Definitely food for thought! Whether I’ll be able to translate
the excellent advice into a more successful second attempt remains to be seen .
. .
*I do love kids, honest. But my eardrums needed a rest.
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