Although I’m working hard on my third novel (in between packing boxes!), and I think it’s important to focus on your main work, I’ve found it useful to tackle other, smaller projects. It stops you getting fixated, helps you draw breath mentally and makes you use different writing muscles in your head. You use different style, voice, vocabulary and register. I find the general effect is to refresh my writing as well as my dedication.
I recently sent off an article about why I love my bit of France for the French Magazine, a lifestyle mag, and also completed a diary for the Mass Observation Archive for 12 March. Two completely different styles from my romantic adventure novels and, almost as important, from each other.
As a side note, I used the MassObs Archive when I was researching material for my MA, so I was more than happy to contribute something in return.
Happy diversification!
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I went along to the RNA Summer Party held at the library of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, Birdcage Walk, in London. The weather has been dreadful; thankfully it was a sunny, but still blooming chilly, evening.
As at the lunch in March, the atmosphere was genial, friendly and lively; the sound of chinking glasses, good conversation and laughter flowed through the room.
We duly toasted the this year’s winner of the Joan Hessayson Award – for a published novel through the New Writer Scheme – Lucy King, in absentia; she was about to give birth, which we conceded was a reasonable excuse for not being there in person.
It was fun to meet people again, especially fellow Twitterers/Tweeters, to strengthen friendships and make new ones.
Roll on the conference…!
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Confession time. 
I wrote my last two blog posts on 26 April, posted one straight away and scheduled the last one (with chocolate!) for three days later. Many bloggers do this so that when they put fingers to keyboard and inspiration flows from brain down arms and into fingertips, they don’t end up flooding the blog with a load of new musings in one hit.
But on 28 April, a massive event intervened which slammed all blog writing against the end-stops. We exchanged contracts on our house. After a trail of buyers with broken chains, we achieved sale of our lovely house with buyer number seven. Numbed doesn’t describe it. We were shocked into total inactivity to have arrived at this point. At last.
Recovering, we unearthed the long lists and big spreadsheets and the magnum opus of address changing, chucking stuff out and packing started.
I’ve tinkered with my work in progress (draft of third book) and sent off another submission to an agent for my first, read and commented on a few blogs and Twittered, but I haven’t been able to lock myself away all day and write. I am experiencing appalling withdrawal symptoms…
So apologies today to my readers for the gap and future apologies for future gaps in the next few weeks.
Must try harder…
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