Traveling Again

Well, I left the UK on Monday and arrived here in the wee early hours of Tuesday. Tomorrow morning I fly back to the UK. My life is crazy, but I wouldn't changed it. The picture is what I flew back for...

RNA Winter party

Starting this blog from the end of the evening! The party for me ended in fab Italian restuarant in Pimlico - a great finish to fabulous evening.

It was just a wonderful party - the atmosphere was abosultely buzzy. So many people and not enough time as ever and of course complicated by the fact that I now know more and more people and had DS1 in tow. In order to keep him happy I handed over my camera so I appologize that i feature in many of these photos!
Many of my other photos are over on the RNA Blog and here's a link to Janet Gover's blog for shoe photos (including my H&M Jimmy Choos!) from the Winter Party and launch Party of LOVES ME, LOVES ME NOT. Couldn't take shoe photos because I wasn't in charge of the camera and didn't want ds1 to get slapped in the face :-)

I Am Alive But Not As You Know Me

Life is a bit crazy at the mo. Writing has ground to halt. Flat hunting in London is full on and of course there was the H & M Jimmy Choo sale to contend with.........All these things pile up on a writer!

I realized while not writing that Pilgrimage needs to be written in first person - worrying as that is not normal for me. So when i begin to write again i will be writing in first person - I think.

Tonight is the RNA Winter Party and I can't wait but am in a quandary...what to wear with my new Jimmy Choos? n(and new green head!)

Progress, Links and a Party

Life is beyond crazy, but I am writing and only just a little behind on NaNoWriMo. As of last night, my word count for Pilgrimage was 11,294. I am totally enjoying the experience, but just a touch worried that my voice is a bit different in this one. It's early days yet so I will not panic until I finish the first draft.

Here are some fabulous links:-

Author Sarah Duncan has begun a blog and let me tell you each post is a gem... from NaNo tips to how an editor helps a writer to make the story better http://sarahduncansblog.blogspot.com/

Rick over at The Writer and the White Cat (no he didn't borrow Snowy but has one of his own) has been doing a fantastic series on the Dragons of Creativity which has been superb. This post is a summary and please go back on read some of this brilliant insights into the writer's mind and creative process.

The last link for today came from the marvelous JJ. It was on First Acts from the Literary Labbut the whole blog is worth mining for great writing tips.

That's it for now - head back down to catch up with NaNo.

Oh, the big drinks do went really well. There were the deans from Mt. Holyoke, Smith, Barnard, Wellesley, and Bryn Mawr and alums from all the schools except Bryn Mawr. The range of ages (graduates from '58 through '08) and occupations was fabulous and it reminded me again of the joy of a liberal arts education and the freedom of an all women's one

Down To Work - Honestly

NaNoMo began on Sunday. I'm already way behind but with good reason, well at least I think so. The first isn't so good though. I had a devilish hangover from Halloween which definitely slowed day one down. However the other reasons are sound - my chicks were leaving after half term break. It was good holiday but filled with more illness than I have seen in a while. DS1 came home with a the chest infection from hell and it took the better part of two weeks to clear it. DS2 came home with a cold. DD came home with a cold and nasty cough that took ages to clear. Then I picked up a stomach virus (no not the hangover) which then passed to DD and finally on DS2......... Sunday was a lost day really with hangovers and packing and so on....Monday was more packing and airport runs.........

So I am a bit behind but the house is in silence except for the warring cats. My chicks have fled and DH is on his way to Cape Town. There are no excuses not to crank up the volume of those words....except the drinks party I'm hosting for the admissions deans and alums of Mt Holyoke, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley and Barnard on Friday night on my own without the capable hands of my able DH to help!

To date I am at 2,314 when I should be at about 3500 for two days of writing....so I am off for now. Thank you for all your words of support in the previous posts. I will try and comment during writing breaks today :-)