Sorry I've been so slack guys. Busy couple of months, but things are quieter now. I'm FINALLY finishing off my mermaid and will have it away to Selwa by the end of the month. Doing my final edits and just loving the story, wishing like hell that I'd had it away to her much sooner. It's such a fun read and was a delight to write - pity it had to be in bits-and-pieces. But I've got a better plan for next year and "Beauty and Mr Beast" won't be half as hard to fit the schedule around. This year was a year of adaptation for me, learning how to fit in lots of workshops and manuscript assessments around my writing. I wasn't always as successful at that (fitting in my writing) as I'd wanted to be, but now I've got a handle on how it all works and have realised I'm just as successful at workshops and assessments as I am at writing, I won't be so stressed about it. Not sure why I should be surprised about that. One of my daily affirmations is "I am effortlessly successful at everything I do." Oh well, guess I not only have to say it, I have to believe it too!

Hope everyone is doing well with their writing projects. Anyone want to do a 'before the end of the year' update?

Lou

Well, I'm 25 days late, but the Mermaid is going to the post office today (in 7 hours when it opens) and I'm really looking forward to moving on and starting the next book!

The final read-through was lovely, such a funny, poignant story. I've really enjoyed working on it and can't wait to start Beauty and Mr Beast. However, I have a Research Masters to finish first, so I'm on to that next. But I'm sure Isabella and her beast will be lurking around in the back of my mind, waiting to pop out.

Hope everyone else is moving on with their writing and having fun!

Hi Louise,

You're not the only one who has been slack in the posting department. I think 2006 was definitely one of those years for me I was more than glad to slam the door on. It's been a learning year creatively speaking. There was good in the bad though. My partner moving in (still learning to share space & get writing with him around) & Year of the Novel have been highlights. Trying to accept compliments about my potential is also something good to be learning.

Alas I didn't make the end of year deadline for Dr Kim's workshops but I have learnt to except I'm only human. Or, rather I'm still learning and accepting that. I've learnt to trust my instincts given I rebooted the entire POV of my story about 10 days before the final workshop. I now have the Year of the Edit as my deadline to be ready for the rewrites

I've also learnt that when I'm emotionally challenged I am not a writer who can use the pain/angst and channel it productively into my writing. Rather I freeze completely. I had a total block for 2 months. The block spilled over into ALL aspects of my life. I didn't get much done of anything. Been a very long while since I've felt that way. Didn't like it and would like to hope I can learn ways to get around it IF there would ever be a next time. I looked at the record of writing days & would like to invert the days writing to days not writing this year.

Going away at the beginning of January helped re-start me. Writing my mermaid story by the Pacific - good de-blocker. Only to get a severe case sunburn on my lower legs. Was literally bedridden for a week & am glad I'd never been that badly burnt before in my life! Only now can I sit with feet on the floor or do much walking so annoyingly I had to hold off actually putting the amendments in til just last weekend. Only to have the computer "perform illegally" and therefore lose all the new work (for some reason it didn't take from my last save). I was not a happy bunny!

Now it's preparing Aiden for the commencement of high school & of course living with someone consumed with Awards preparation. Saturday night at the cocktail party is a good time to ask him "who are you again?"

So writing wise - finish the 1st draft by end of February then freezer it til the workshops. Also start toying with ideas for the next one.

Nicky

I think most of us had a 2006 of stop-and-start with projects, Nicky. So don't feel bad. I think you're doing incredibly well considering you've had such changes in your personaly life and health issues. I've had nothing like that to contend with and I still took me a year longer than I initially thought it would to get the mermaid book away!

Still, it IS away and I'm looking forward to hearing what Selwa thinks of it. I'm currently writing book two which has been retitled "Beauty is the Beast". It's quite different to what I'd thought it would be, but much funnier and really quirky (which was how the Mermaid ended up) so the books will really be a match, which is nice. Still no idea what book three will be, but I'll come up with something. I always do!

Hope everyone else is going well with their projects...?

Boy - the road to life sure is rocky. Seems like everyone is living their life and sometimes being pulled into the darkside of their fanciful mind. Thats always a nice touch.

Hi Nicky. Good to see around again, even though its been awhile.

Lou, nice to see you you are also going through Masters - fun isnt it? (thats sarcasim)
Hows this for an idea for book three "Snow White and the Eighth Dwarf". Its always been a favourite of mine, wondering what an eighth dwarf would be like. Nah, i'm just joking, its too early in teh morning to take me seriously.

Back to work...

Hmmm, I am thinking about it, Timna. Good idea

Yes, life and writing seem intertwined, and sometimes one has priority, and sometimes the other. When you're parenting, life always gets priority, but my guys are 19 and 17 now, so I'm coming to the end of my parenting time (which is sad and sweet), so the balance will swing back to writing in the next couple of years and I'll have much more time to devote to it. I'm sure that will keep me so busy I don't have time for the 'empty nest' thing.

Fingers crossed.

So, an update: I'm enjoying "Beauty is the Beast" and doing a few workshops. Had three "away" weekends in a row this month - Maleny, Bundaberg and Townsville, which was fun but then I got a cold

So, I'm glad May is more "at home" and of course I'm really looking forward to Mothers Day. I usually get homemade pancakes in bed, and this year we have real maple syrup (none of your imitation stuff!) So that should be fab.

How is everyone else going?

Can't believe we're over the 'end of financial' year milestone.

So much happening in my life - lots of workshops, manuscript assessments, tutoring retreats, working on Foldworld again.

I've got a "full and fascinating life" (refuse to use the "B" word that rhymes with dizzy). Hope you guys are getting time to write and enjoying it when you do!