Novel Racer - JJ

Where to start with today's Novel Racer, JJ, http://tea-stains.blogspot.com/?
Maybe with the porn star name incident. How she knew this twist on life I won't venture to guess - but you take your first pet's name and then your mother's maiden name and voila you have your porn star name! I won't repeat mine here..........too embarrassing for words. So with that little introduction here's JJ in her own words:

"I’ve wondered all my life about what I should do for a career. I’ve never stopped looking in the recruitment pages of the newspaper. It’s interesting to think it might have been obvious all the time, but I resisted writing because my mum encouraged it, and I didn’t know if I wanted it for her or me.

My few years in conventional employment were spent in an archaeological charity and a university, while beginning and aborting writing novels. While I was at home with small children I was offered the chance to broadcast some talks for Radio 2’s Pause for Thought. I wrote and recorded around 6 or 7 talks in total, got paid and had a day and half away from babies.

When my second child was two I realised I was going stir crazy so I started a part-time foundation course in Art and Design, which led to a full time degree in Fine Art, specialising in Sculpture. I discovered while making art that I didn’t need to write, and since not making art, I learned that I positively need to write. It seems I need one or the other.

I’d been lurking in the shadows of Kate Harrison’s blog for a long while, and I took the plunge and emailed her about joining the novel racers. It has been an enormous support in preventing me from declaring my crapness and quitting again."

Budapest is still lovely although the temperature has dropped thanks to a wild storm that blew through early evening. I have been taking it very slowly and just enjoying wandering through the city. I spent several hours in the National Museum yesterday. I find it fascinating to see what partings they choose and what their subjects are. Why? Well, it reveals what parts of history are most important to them them for one and two looking at the subject matter shows the focus of the Nation. So what was feeling coming out of the museum? Well, there seems to be a huge emphasis on the individual as the portraits were stunning. The landscapes were beautifully rural. What I walked away loving was the beautiful wooden carved altar pieces. Stunning.

So you may have noted there is a new progress meter on the side bar. Why you ask? Well, I am still undecided about how to proceed with A Cornish House but I know what I need to do with August Rock. Then there is the matter of the Daily Mail Novel of the Year prize, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/books/authors.html?in_article_id=443515&in_page_id=1826. Now I know I haven't a hope in hell of winning but it does give me a target. The deadline is July 2nd. Now I know that A Cornish House is a better novel than August Rock but there is no way I can whip that baby into shape by 2nd July however it might just be possible with August Rock. So I hope to be sharing with you the struggle to rewrite August Rock for the fifth time. If any of you have any insights into rewriting then please share. Any one else taking a stab at the Daily Mail competition?

One final note, fellow Novel Racers, I need your profiles.......please send them. Thanks :-)