Personal
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Setting a daily writing goal
I used to be a really fast writer. Prolific even. Writing more than 1000 words a day was nothing for me. Especially when I used to commute to London on the train, I’d easily clock between 1500 and 2000 words a day. I didn’t really think much of it, to be honest. It was just the way I wrote.And then came the pandemic and I really struggled writing. I participated in – and finished – NaNoWriMo last November, but it was a really struggle to sit down and write the words every day.
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Reflections on 2020 and goals for 2021
2020 is finally coming to an end. It’s been a horrible year what with the pandemic and everything. But among the bad, there were also a lot of good things. I want to focus on the good.Accomplishments
In 2020, my novel The Calm I Seek finally came out! I’ve been working on that novel for four years and it’s such a great feeling that it’s out in the world now. It’s been getting fantastic reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.com, but weirdly, it hasn’t been selling that well in the UK. Maybe because it’s an inspirational romance, which many agents warned me doesn’t sell that well in the UK. I’m not particular about what country it sells well in, I’m just happy that it’s been given a good start in life.
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Writing regularly during NaNoWriMo
I won NaNoWriMo!Despite my personal challenges this year, I decided to join NaNoWriMo again this year. I’ve done it for nine years in a row and really didn’t want to miss this year. I figured, even if I didn’t win, I would have written a good chunk of my new novel.
Thanks to the unwavering support of my wonderful Nano buddies on Twitter, and the novel writing support group of the ACFW, I was able to win NaNoWriMo again this year! I built up a bit of a buffer in the beginning, as I had surgery in the third week, which really helped. After my surgery, I had more non-writing days than I had hoped, but I still managed to finish a day early.
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Publication day for The Calm I Seek
Today is publication day for The Calm I Seek. I’ve never been so excited in my life! Publishing a book has been a life-long dream of me and now, finally, after nearly 9 years of writing novels, it’s finally become a reality. Please bear with me as I squee a little.The journey to publication has not been an easy one. Getting published is a privilege, in that you need connection, money, time and luck to be able to get your book out there. Merely writing a book isn’t good enough. Agents and publishers receive so many queries, that only the very best, and the most polished ones will stand a chance. Your book also has to fit into very narrowly defined commercial categories or it will be deemed unsellable and will be passed over by publishers.
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The Calm I Seek
I have very exciting news! After years of writing and editing, I’m thrilled to announce that my novel, The Calm I Seek is going to be published on 26 November 2020. It’s been a long time coming, but all my hard work has paid off.The Calm I Seek is an inspirational novel set in the UK.
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In the trenches – a poem
In the trenches
Reloading our rifles
In the sludge-filled trenches
Our hearts racing.
When will our war end?Shells drop from the sky
Nerves shatter and feet turn black
Disoriented and weak,
When will our war end?Crimson dye leaks from our wounds
And trickles down onto the corpses below us
My vision, fading to darkness.
When will our war end?Fumbling to pull our helmets on
As a green sea floods the trench
Eyes shut, I wait for the impact.
When will our war end?Chocking and drowning
I plummet to the ground
And watch as my friends stare hopelessly.
My war has ended…By my son, aged 10
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My first rejection
A few days ago I received my first rejection. Well, I say “my first”, which is not technically true. I have sent the first chapters and synopsis of another novel to several agents who have declined to ask for a full manuscript. This was the first rejection I received after a publisher had asked for the full.I thought I would be gutted. I had not expected an email from the publisher yet (as they said it would take four weeks for feedback and it had only been three) so when I saw the email in my inbox, my heart did a little jump. I was travelling for work and alone in the office, so no one around who could see my disappointment.
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Welcome
Hello and welcome to my new site! This will soon be a place where I review books, write about my own journey to become a published author and where I can just write down general musings. I hope you stay for the ride!