New Post, New Look.....

I thought it was time for a facelift. But I can't afford one of those so I have changed my blog instead. Am still feeling my way round here so am hoping a fresh look will inspire me a little! I have been very slow on blogging because quite frankly this blog has been boring me - not a great sign! I wonder if I made the remit a little to narrow?

Anyway, am back now and my next post is going to be a little different. I am going to attempt to link up with Tattoo Mummy's Tattoo Tuesday - wish me luck. This feels a little bit like when my Granny got a fax machine (don't ask!)

Failure. Lots of failure.

I have failed to enter lots of competitions. Even a blog one by a fellow blogger that I was determined to enter. I have failed to keep to my timetable. I have failed to blog. I have failed to start the fiction part of my course and have pretty much failed to do any writing at all. And now it's the summer holidays. 6 weeks off with the kids - that's going to give me lots more time isn't it!!

Still, things can only go one way from here?! Here's to being more disciplined with the little time that I do have now - who knows, maybe it will work?

(On a positive note I am still gymming around 3 times a week and have successfully shifted a few pounds with a new detox regime, so it's not all fail, fail, fail round here. Although mainly it is.)

Half Way Point

Well there's no denying that I'm halfway through my self-imposed year of fitness and writing. I have tried denying it over the last two weeks but time refused to change direction for me. I thought it would be a good time to mull over the first 6 months and see what worked and what didn't. I am still such a pa.

Successes:

1. I am still going to the gym - this is probably my longest stretch ever and even on my worst weeks I think I have managed 2 sessions (apart from that week I took off to detox but hey, that was one week, who's counting?)
2. I have finished the non-fiction section of my course and am all set to launch into the fiction part which I have been predicting I will enjoy so much more and therefore spend much more time on.
3. I entered a non-online competition. And then another one. 
4. I won my first non-online competition.
5. I use twitter daily. Hey that's writing too - it's a strict discipline sticking to 140 characters you know.

Failures (yes I could call them areas for improvement but let's all be honest here):

1. I rarely manage my goal of 4 exercise sessions a week.
2. I am almost a stone heavier than this time last year despite numerous attempts to shift weight (detox, holford, detox, harcombe, detox, liver clense, detox, DETOX) 
3. I finished the non-fiction side of my course some weeks ago and still haven't attempted the first fiction assignment
4. I have hardly entered www.write-invite.com all year - saturdays are just so busy normally
5. I have only entered 3 competitions so far. My goal was 10. Alright it was 12, jeez you're fussy.
6. I have yet to stick to a workable schedule that allows me to work out, write & keep on top of house/school stuff etc 

With all this in mind, I sketched out a new schedule yesterday whilst waiting for a friend at the gym. I have divided each week day into 2 hour time slots (9-11, 11-1, 1-3) and will use one for exercise, 1 for writing and 1 for other jobs.  

Who knows - perhaps this will be the winning strategy for me. I know I need to get stricter about my writing time in particular, and look, I'm updating my blog for the first time in weeks so that's got to be a good thing? Right?!  

Quiet Weekend

We are faced with the luxury of a whole w/end with no fixed plans. How shall we spend these precious hours? Last minute city break? Educational museum visit? Impromptu party for friends?
No. Of course not. We have a mini clear of the garage. Not a proper one, just a mini one. We, you see, know how to live.

It went as well as could be expected, we have managed to forge another path through the detritus of our lives. Between the bikes and the water-pressure cleaner (that you know, we probably WILL actually use. Probably soon.) and the car boot sale pile (not sure how it is that no matter how many I do, the pile never actually gets smaller) we can now have a clear run through to the freezer. We don't need an extra freezer. Being a veggie household means there is little call for massive freezing space. We don't have any dead carcasses to hold, but we inherited it with the house and so we keep it. Full of ice and ice packs and 1 packet of samosas from a kids party some time ago. It's main role is as a shelf for our booze. I like to have a backstock of prosecco to call on in times of need (you know; parties, barbecues, fridays). We lodge them on the freezer along with the real ale (brother-in-law), sparkling water (kids) and alcopops (sister).

I'm not sure who had the bright idea of storing bottles (breakable, glass bottles) of alcohol on top of the highest surface in the garage but it was not their finest hour. Almost inevitably one of the bacardi breezers breezed on down to the floor and smashed everywhere. This helped marital relations considerably. Stretching the final threads of goodwill that the 'squashing all the tent equipment back into it's case' hadn't already snapped. Still, we have a nice clean garage now. With the slightest hint of teenager. Yes, thats right, our garage smells like teen spirit.

Another week, another plan

Writing my to-do list today (yes, an everyday occurrence without which I would possibly slump on the sofa all day watching Ellen. Ok even with which, I sometime slump on the sofa all day watching Ellen. But then I tick it off my list which makes it better somehow) I notice that for something like the 12th week running I have the entry 'plan schedule - writing/gym/house etc'

I have tried many systems this year:

a) Writing solidly for 3 days (didn't really happen)
b) Doing all jobs/gym etc in the morning and then writing from 1pm-3pm - good in theory but often interrupted
c) Committing to x amount of hours writing a week and then trying to fit it in as and when - this was perhaps the most spectacularly unsuccessful method to date

So, here I am, almost halfway through the year and still without a weekly rota that works for me. I am wondering if any of you have any top tips? I basically need to fit in cleaning the house (about 4 hours), 3 or 4 gym sessions and the writing (which I can split into course, comps and blog). I have all day free between 9 and 3 so really have no excuses. I should be on top of everything - any tips or systems that have worked for you would be greatly appreciated.  Just for info, I waste a great deal of time on my emails, facebook and twitter accounts - I suspect that my schedule should include built in time for these. And perhaps I may need to surrender my iphone??

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

I really cannot keep my eyes open today. Not sure I could even read anything let alone write it!! This doesn't happen to me often but I actually wish I drank caffeine today!  Nothing exciting happened yesterday I just went to bed a little late and then woke up really early.  I blame twitter. And wine.
I'm either going to have to grab a nap or a herbal tea. Or maybe both.

Orange and Grazia Writer's Evening

Big excitement in my life last night (well, it delayed the ironing for an extra evening) when I won tickets to the above event at the Southbank Centre.

I am following both @OrangePrize and @Grazia_Live on twitter since entering their first chapter competition last month, and they both offered free tickets to people who retweeted the event. A click later and I had two tickets waiting for me at the desk. The only problem was I couldn't find anyone to go with me at such short notice so one ticket went spare - in fact, I nearly didn't go myself as I don't live in central London and the logistics of sorting travel, child care & the aforementioned ironing nearly put me off but I'm so glad they didn't!

Kate Mosse (Labyrinth, Sepulchre etc) was hosting and for the first part of the evening she interviewed Sadie Jones (The Outcast & Small Wars).  The audience was quite small but a show of hands showed that of those attending around 90% claimed to be writers (I kind of hovered my hand half up around my shoulder embarrassingly). Kate was an amazing host - I wasn't a great fan of the book of hers that I read but she was articulate and succinct, funny and definitely inspiring. I think I might try another of her books after all. Sadie was honest and informative but didn't look as if interviews were her favourite choice of evening activity. In fact, she looked like a dinner guest wondering how the hell they ended up on Come Dine With me, but being far too polite to say so.

They were joined for the second half by an agent, publisher & another author Jean Kwok who is Waterstones featured new writer for June (Girl In Translation). She was amazing, and had a great story. She had some short story success when younger and had an agent in New York. She relocated to Holland and took 10 years to write this book - sent it to her agent, and he passed on it! She said it was such a shock, but she put the book away for a month, got it out again and re-read it and realised she believed in it. She then made a list of the TOP agents in the US, emailed the first one a query letter and had a reply within 20 minutes asking for the MS.

The main message of the evening that I took away was the product has to be good. It was fascinating to hear from the agent and publisher their perspective.  As one of them put it "I'm not looking to fall in love, but it's worth it when I do." The final section was a question and answer session which the audience made great use of! Again, they reiterated the importance of the talent, the agent stated that her job was to look after the clients she already had - finding new blood was what happened at evenings and weekends!

It was such a rewarding evening, I bought Sadie and Jean's new books and came home on the train clutching these signed copies and my copious notes! As I tweeted to Orange & Grazia in my thank you - I felt in equal parts inspired and inadequate!