End of Month Review – March

MARCH

 March has been the busiest month this year! My writing schedule filled up quicker with opportunities, I spent longer researching, I wrote two book proposals, which I have learnt take a lot longer than anything else other than the main manuscript!

I read more articles and ebooks and attempted to keep up with the  on Goodreads, I have only just started to add the titles online!

I submitted 4 pieces of writing and 2 book proposals, that is 14 pieces I have sent out this year.

I received 2 rejections and one submission approved for publication! Success! Yeh!

AWF had 97 followers, that’s an increase of 35 followers and I am grateful to you all.

I participated in the March Challenge for the final week hosted by Twowritingteachers.

It was good preparation for camp. Which is something else I signed up for.

Signed up for Camp NaNoWriMo – April to complete 50, 000 words on the main manuscript.

I signed up for a real-life workshop (as opposed to virtual ones)

March also brought us the Easter celebration and the end of BBC Television Centre.

Submission – FINAL one in March

I have spent about 5hrs today completing my final submission.

The 6th one of the month and 14th this year.

Fingers crossed

A Final Easter Slice 31/31 SOLC

 

 

The Final Slice (until I join the Tuesday challenge!)

HAPPY EASTER!

I hope you have all had a lovely Easter Sunday. Mine started with gift exchanges, I had many surprises including a chocolate egg from Mr. G.

I cooked breakfast – Hot Cross Buns with chilli… they were yummy.

Then started my final leg of research (having spent a late night on it) today was the deadline for submission.

I realised why the internet is struggling to load sites properly (including my reader on WordPress) I use Vista and was prompted to download Windows 9 – I tried three  times, including restarting and working through the security centre – to no avail.

Time to call an IT guy!

Lunch was spent with my mum sharing a gorgeous Roast Dinner and Easter Gifts, we then went to see my Great Aunty and later on my Grandma and dropped off treats with them too. Many cups of tea and coffee today.

Evening came home, shared special food with Mr G and settled down to watch one of the DVD gifts he gave me this morning. Medium Series 1 (we are both fans, we started watching it in a later series and despite checking the TV channels for Series 1 we have never found it.)

I am enjoying it so far, We switched it off a while ago and I have spent the past 3 hours editing, proof-reading and writing a cover letter and synopsis for my FINAL submission in March.

It’s the Final Countdown!

Despite hotmail changing to Outlook and my browser needing an upgrade I managed to send the email with 3 documents attached. I really need to upgrade my version of Microsoft Word/Office too.

I have researched other products for writers, word still comes out quite well in reviews. I have also completed more research on how to plan and manage freelance projects. I look forward to sharing my strategies and tips with you in April.

Oh, GMT!

I knew the clocks were going forward – I knew it happened at 1 a.m. I forgot it was last night – fortunately my PC and mobile (and TV) all update themselves. That will be why it was suddenly 3 a.m before I went to bed!

Good job tech is a few steps ahead of me huh!

Look forward to reading your slices and catching up with you all on Tuesdays.

Big thanks to Twowritingteachers for such a great challenge!

It has helped me – especially as camp (NaNoWriMo) starts tomorrow! I need to complete 1,667 words a day.

 

 

Happy Easter

Questions for Writers: Easter Egg Hunt

To celebrate Easter here is a special Easter Egg Hunt.

All I’m after is ANSWERS.

Your answers.

 

 

• Why do you write?

30/31 Slice of Life – Chores and Surprises!

I cannot believe it isn’t even 1:30pm yet, I have done so much today. I was up late researching, fell asleep on the laptop. Had to get up early to see tradesmen and meet people on the current project, then walk into town (at least the sun was shining, even if we do still need 3 layers!) I had to set up some debits with the Bank and buy a birthday card – it’s my nearly-sister-in-law’s birthday Tuesday. Mr G. had also placed an order for breakfast burgers.

I treated myself to a mooch in the bookstore before I left town with the card and burgers. People were giving out free Easter treats in the High Street from local Churches. Quite a magical, happy atmosphere for such a cold March Saturday.

I came home to a gift, Mr G. and I went to see Cloud Atlas last Sunday, I mentioned how I’d love to read the book. And guess what? There on the cushion was a flipbook of Cloud Atlas, it will be my next read – I can’t wait!

After we’d eaten we watched some of the TV programmes we had recorded during the week and then I fired up the laptop. I have to finish writing today as the schedule for this month comes to a close. I also started doing some research – but as I am currently trying to de-frag the machine other programmes aren’t running well.

Another Easter Slice

Submission Sent

I have sent my latest submission, 5th of the month and 13th of the year. I have just a two days to finish the rest of March’s writing schedule. This month has gone way too fast!

FWF – Free Write Friday – The Journey of a Suit

 

I have always had a large collection of shoes and some of them are ridiculously beautiful and truly excruciating to wear. They are my taxi-sit out shoes and can now only be worn for a social occasion where I arrive without having to drive, where the entrance is no more than a couple of metres away and once inside I am guaranteed a seat. I have shoes that have cut me on more than one outing that are now resigned to spinster modelling – looking good and staying firmly on the shelf! (One day I will deal with giving the hardly worn torturous things away!)

My most suffering tale belongs to a light coloured suit. 

It was the first suit I had ever bought, I was 23 and had recently dieted down to a wonderful size 10 after losing over 3 stone (42lbs). I couldn’t wait to wear it, sadly I only wore it twice!

The first time I wore it for a cousin’s wedding and the second time for a University interview. It survived the first outing and was dry cleaned back to immaculate coco-butter colour it was. Then came the disastrous journey to Kent. I had to take a bus, two trains – in and out of London and then a taxi – I started out before 5a.m and the bus never showed up. I had to walk home and call a taxi (pre-mobile phone) I had to wait for the next train on a now very busy morning commuter platform. It was mid-August and very hot!

By the time I made it to London, I had missed my connection. I was aware of perspiration glowing through to the outside. I was late for the interview and extremely nervous and flustered. I had dark smudges on the suit from the train and was very flushed.

The return journey was no better and I ended up on a bus replacement service that meant I had to walk on the grass verge down a dual carriageway! I ruined my shoes and got grass stains on my trousers.

I paid to have the suit dry cleaned, fortunately all the stains came out. (AND I got a place at the University.)

Later that Summer I packed the suit up and moved house. It moved to three different towns with me without ever being worn again.  On the third move I had to store lots, as it was a small mezzanine flat. twice. I had a bag of clothes I had emptied and a bag of rubbish bags/ Bubble wrap both in the loft. When I came to move again eight months later all my things were going into storage. I accidentally paid to store the black bin liners and the sack of clothes is still out there somewhere in the Southeast!

29/31 Slice of Life – Easter Slices

Had a lovely evening last night, out for a meal with work colleagues to celebrate the beginning of Easter. I felt comfortable and ended up staying for nearly 3 hours!

It was great coming home, emptying the boot of bags and bags and not having to cook when I got in.

It’s all about the small things!

 Today I am in holiday mode. I relaxed last night and started on the writing schedule before bed. This morning I treated myself to my refillable-not-acosta-coffee-cup- (they may be called Polar cups – mine featured heavily at the beginning of this blog – Backwaters to January if you’re interested) and special coffee mmmmmm mmmmmmmmm! 

I planned to boot the laptop up and get on with writing…

but there wasn’t time. I had planned to go and see my mum. For a while she was trying to book tickets for Symphony Hall as my Easter treat – but we decided we didn’t want to rush about and they only had expensive seats left. We cooked a stir fry lunch together instead and caught up!

I FINALLY posted a letter written for a dear friend that has now been in my car for 4 days, I was meaning to post it and then kept driving past the post boxes.

No excuse now I am a lady of leisure.

When work gets busy the 1^st people I don’t get to see are my family, which is foolish as they (along with Mr G) are the only ones who can pull me through the tough times! I enjoyed my time with Mum. I then went and braved the Good Friday Supermarket! Purchasing just Easter bits and gifts. I saw two friends in there too – was nice to catch up over our shopping trollies!

I had designated today as my writing day. It is now nearly half past 5! I guess tonight will be my writing time, I have several submissions to complete edits on and send. 

I need to make a few submissions today.

I have received confirmation emails for a writing workshop I am booked on for April (and then was invited on a skiing holiday! Typical!) and had my first camp email too. (I joined NaNoWriMo April Camp – see this post https://awritersfountain.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/im-going-camping/ – it’s not too late for you to join too!) I’m doing it in the hope of producing half a book manuscript. 

I put this on the backburner in February and owe it lots of word count!

I am also making a few holiday plans to keep my happiness ticking over. I hope you all enjoy your Easter weekends too.

I look forward to reading all about them.

 Happy Easter Slice

28/31 Slice of Life – Counting Down

Glad that I found the SOLC for the final week of March – today the sun was shining (the temperature is still 20 degrees colder than this time last year) but just having the extra light makes you feel better.

My work is set for the day, I am looking forward to the Easter weekend and a break. I am fighting off the tiredness today. (Already and we are only at 11a.m…) I have finished another piece for submission – I finished the final edit earlier in the week. I decided not to submit yet, I have a few days before deadline and I want to re-read and complete a final proof and edit.