Sunday 13 October 2024

Better later than...?

Never...

Or is it?

I say that because today went pear shaped very quickly.

Not in a really bad way but in a series of oh blooming 'eck' sort of things.

For instance.

I put the washing in the machine...

turned it on...walked away. 

Time to make a coffee, pick some carrots for dinner, drink coffee, tidy up, and once the washing was finished and drying, start to write a blog.

 


About, of all things, trying to juggle time to sit down and finish the latest WIP, in between doctors, dentists, shopping, not ignoring my other half etc, etc.

I noticed my laptop needed charging, took it into the study so it could get a bit of boost while I sorted the washing and drank my coffee. Then I'd be set up.

Meanwhile the vacuum cleaner got stuck under the sofa.

I helped (as in gave probably not very useful advice to my other half) to get it moved.

The washing machine beeped it had finished the wash. I went to get the washing out and...

ARGH

I noticed the dosing ball was sitting on the work surface. 

Full.

I could imagine it laughing and saying...


That load of washing sure got wet. I did it again.

Went to get my laptop so I could write a blog and get stuck into my almost finished wIP.

Only to find I hadn't plugged the blasted thing in.

I plugged it in!

As it was on around 10% charge and the study not tne warmest place, I gave in and went to get the veg ready.

Ah...

Those lovely potatoes from the garden we'd been using?

All gone.

Took a very deep breath and cussed under my breath.

We went to the nearest supermarket seven or eight miles away. At least it wasn't closed.

Got the potatoes!

Gave in and went for an alcohol-free spritzer.

Came home, and here we are.

So the blog I was going to do, is now on hold for another time.

Watch this space,

Hope your day was better,

happy reading,

love Raven xxx

NB all illustrations courtesy of Pinterest


Sunday 6 October 2024

This blog is brought to you by:-

the sound of me tearing my hair out as I reread my two Christmas stories, and find stupid typos and contradictions.


(source: pinterest)

Hopefully normal service will be resumed next week.

Why do I think that?

Because by then they will have been checked, corrected as best I can, and sent to my editor to groan over.

Until then, very sorry, all I can think of is brids not birds vice not voice and a very rude word instead of cant.

Let's hope your reading is more understandable,


love, Raven xxx



Sunday 29 September 2024

Is that it?

 Okay, that's a bit of an ambiguous title, I admit it. But it's how I feel this week.


(source: pinterest)

Or, I should say, how I felt.

I'd only got 5k left to write on my WIP. 3 now but I have worked out the ending so that's for the next couple of days.

Then I realised I was doing the dreaded what next, urgh...stuff.

Which on reflection was a bit daft. (okay, a lot daft) I had a book to finish.

But I still had a niggle of 'when what?' 

Trying to get a clear head and buck up,  I decided to tidy up my iPad and delete stuff that was no longer needed. So filled with zeal I opened pages.

I discovered over 30k of a medical I'd started, subbed and had it rejected so fast, I doubt they'd looked further than my name and said 'nah', she doesn't write medical stories.

Which was true in the fact that I hadn't before but...

Anyway, I started to read it.Half an hour later, I remembered what I was supposed to be doing, so put it to one side.

But you know? I'm going to finish it after this Christmas story is done and dusted. Even if it doesn't get subbed, I will have the satisfaction of writing 'the end'.

Plus, as I prepared the paperback for New Beginnings of Bryony Bennett (out 10th October, New PB cover, will show it as soon as I can) I got the idea for another story set in the same area, featuring one of the minor character who was in a couple of the books set there.

Maybe I need to call them a series?

Watch this space

Happy Reading,

love Raven xxx


Sunday 22 September 2024

There'a an awful lot of de-ing going on.

 To say nothing of de-ly, de-and, de-so, and of course,the dreaded de-ing.

It's that time again.


The time where I'll probably shorten this story by about 1K,

By being ruthless and taking out all those useful while you're writing your first draft words, but totally unnecessary in the finished book.

Those darn words ending in 'ing' or 'ly'. Plus, those other words we use, often without thinking. Such as, and, so, and when.

When I do my read though I'll probably find a lot more. 

Some are necessary. Needed to make the sentence flow. Those I keep.

However, others are not. I know it, the reader knows it, and they can be a big turn off.

Therefore I'm turning them off before they turn any readers off. 

Argh.

Procrastination central.


(source: pinterest)

I couldn't find my 'arghhh' pic so this is as good as...

I know it needs doing. The book needs fine tuning, actually, so do I. Or is it a kick up the you know what I need. Metaphorically speaking.
My muse has been awol, and to my shame I've let it be.
But now it's time to shake it up. 
 
Tell it to behave. Get ride of those lazy words, find alternatives or rearrange the sentence.
I know the book will be better for it. Those darned words are often used to bulk the wordage.

Naughty.

Let's just hope it now meets the required number of words.
Happy reading—
Without too many ings lys, so and when and whatver my favoured word of the story is.

Love, Raven xxx


Sunday 15 September 2024

This week I bit the bullet...

...and managed (I think) to do a few things I've either not achieved since my knee op or been too scared to try.

Yes, I am a wuss. But I'd decided to make sure I felt confident before I tried something and failed.

That might sound negative but it isn't. 

I was also conscious that I needed to be certain I wouldn't make things—i.e. the recovery of my knee any worse.

I felt I needed to think about the pros and cons—but not too much or I'd never do anything. 

(source: freepik on pinterest)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting I should do the hokey cokey or any similar thing. Try to do the in-out bit or the knees bend. Although bending my knees is on my lists of exercises and I do them—albeit not with the hokey cokey actions. Maybe I should?

Nor do I intend to try to climb the stairs backward—that was definitely not on my to try list.

What was were things I'd have taken for granted pre dodgy knee, and found harder to do once the darned thing gave me gip. (Standing on one leg, walking in a straight line one foot almost touching the other etc, etc.)

The hospital gave me a great list of exercises, and I can now do them all. Some a lot easier than others. It also advised about when to try things, and gave reasons why. 

Therefore this week I have been trying the three month stuff and with great pleasure can say unless I know I'll be walking a lot, or uphill I don't need my crutch or a stick any more. It does come handy for the up and downhill stuff though and i'm not too proud to think, 'ah, better take one today'.

I can walk downstairs one step after another. I honestly didn't think how difficult that would be and how, the first time I followed with my dodgy leg not on the step I'd put my good leg on but the one below, how bleeping sore it would be. But now as long as it's not a giant step I can do that. It might not be a fast journey but I can do it.

(source: pinterest)

I say so long as it's not a giant step because the other week we had a few days in a fisherman's cottage in Norfolk (UK) The stairs were so steep, it wasn't easy to go up and down one step at a time, let along one after another. I accepted defeat gracefully.

I don't need the painkillers very often, but accept if I do need them, to take them and not hum and hah until the pain is so bad I've lost an hour or two where I could have done something I wanted to do. I use my cool pack as often as recommended (ok maybe not quite that often now) and boy does it help the swelling, and take those ten minute to chill. (In more ways than one.)

And perhaps something that matters more in some ways—less in others—I've got back on a roll with writing. A slow roll, true, but the enthusiasm is back, I hope the ability is as well, and I've got a new ohh maybe a story about *** could work list.

I call this week a win win.

Long may it last.

Now, I do realise this post is a 'ohh it's all about me', post and feel free to ignore it, I won't mind. (Not too much anyway.) However, I really wanted to share a bit about where I was. Because it's amazing what the body is capable of. I'm celebrating and I wan't to share my happiness. Form a computer navigated op under an epidural to today. From the weird sense of not being able to move or feel sensation in my legs, but in my feet, as the epidural wore off, to getting out of bed unaided, getting on and off the loo, also unaided, to climbing the stairs and so on, my words of wisdom (?) are slowly but surely, you can do it. I did, and when I saw the list of what to do when, I was eh? Not a chance. But there was, there is and here we are.

Happy reading,

love, Raven xxx

Sunday 25 August 2024

It's as good a title as any

Gone Fishing 


Not actually gone fishing, but made a list of must do...

Finish WIP

Dust because the great-grandchildren of the dust bunnies are complaining there's no room for them.

Finish WIP

Finish emptying the box of who knows what that hasn't been opened since we moved Only 3 1/2 years not bad. Last time we moved I found  box still sealed from when we moved 30 years before! Oops. (It was at the back of the upstairs storage in the garage though. I found my nutcrackers in it.)

Finish WIP

Check what's in the fridge—should sardines smell so strongly?

Finish WIP

There seems to be a bit of a theme here. Housework and writing.

Stroke my new cover for the book due out on 30th

Finish WIP

Cuss and try to sort out how to get my Katy Lilley book errors fixed and get it up in paperback

Finish WIP.

So on that note, I'll reintroduce myself to the lovely long-suffering wine-bearing husband, and promise to be back on here soon.

Take care,

Happy Reading,

Love Raven xxx




Sunday 18 August 2024

Snacks, support and shelving the story

 Three things I've thought a lot about these past weeks.

Why?

Three reasons.

Not being as hungry as usual. 

Not being as mobile as I usually am.

Not 'feeling' the story is on the right track.


But then there is this...

I realise how lucky I am to know that for every reason I have a positive conclusion. Or a least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.


At the moment, I can see all three things are, up to a point, intertwined.

Snacks...The snacks are important to the other two reasons.

I took a while to regain my appetite after my op. I like snacking while I write.

I couldn't have snacked without support from the lovely husband feeding me what I fancied.







Don't judge me. It worked.

And friends...

Support both from the lovely dh... and from friends.  Some who who are no longer with us


But who I can still 'hear' nagging me, cuddling me and egging me on


And those friends both home and away, who chat, help, are truthful honest and caring. You all know who you are. you are honest and tell me what's needed, not what I want to hear. you support me.


Even if it is 'yes, delete it'



That's when I shelve the book for a various number of reasons...
Too long/boring/floundering, and I can't get into the ending.
And then, once I know my three s' are in line, I can carry on. Eat properly, use the support wisely, and know i've shelved the story until I feel it might be worth looking over again.

Happy whatever,

Thanks for being here,

love Raven xxx