Writing Update for July

Hildegard reading and writing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hi everyone,

I have decided to make the writing update post a regular, monthly thing. There are a couple of reasons for this.

Firstly, it makes me accountable. If I know I have to tell the world what I’m writing/editing/blogging etc, then it will be an extra incentive for me to do some work so I actually have something worth blogging about. Saying that I didn’t have the time or just couldn’t be bothered doing anything for a whole month isn’t exactly newsworthy!

Secondly, it will give me something easy to blog about. One of the reasons for this website, other than to promote my writing, is to provide a resource on the characters, landscapes and events that I write about. I have really enjoyed re-researching these things and posting them on the site, however they are not very time/energy effective. The character profiles especially take time to research properly and order into a coherent post, time I could be using towards getting my novel edited and ready for publishing. I realise they are also fairly long posts as well and I wouldn’t want to have too many long character profiles in a row. They need to be broken up with smaller posts, such as news and article snippets… and writing updates 🙂

So before I make this post too much longer, here is a list of what I have been up to since the last time I wrote…

1. The Northumbrian Saga is still with Beta readers. This is actually partially my fault. After rushing around trying to get it ready and then sending it to a number of people as soon as possible, I realised after a week that somehow only one person received the manuscript! Thankfully, that was remedied and so far I have three people who I know for sure have started reading it. Adding to that, I have sent it away for an editorial review as well. I am hoping that I will get that back in the next week or so, then I can make the necessary changes… pushing the launch date back even more (Patience! Something I dont have, lol!) Also, for those of you wanting a sneak peak, there is a snippet of The Northumbrian Saga here to tide you over until I FINALLY get it published!

2. I am currently working on the Author’s note for the back of the novel, a short summary of the historical timeline involved for people who aren’t familiar with the time period. I have two versions so far and even though I think I am fairly happy with one, I still have the need to tinker away at it!

3. I have been super organised and written a few posts for the next few weeks so that they can be posted automatically when the time comes (including this Post). Only time will tell if I can keep up with providing these weekly installments. I may have to make them bi-weekly at some point!

4. AND, I have become more social! I have updated my Facebook page a little, I have added bazillions of pics onto Pinterest (which is an amazing community btw. So many people with amazing photos and ideas!), and something that I have more recently joined is Google+. A few followers of this site I’m sure have noticed me adding them (Thanks. I’m not stalking you, I promise!). Just like Pinterest it is an amazing community(s) with heaps of resources and forums. I’m still learning what all the different pages and buttons do, but it’s fun!

5. Oh ok it seems I need to add another AND. I forgot that I have also started writing another book whilst waiting for my beta readers. This one is the next book in the Northumbrian Saga Series and at the moment it’s a mash of ideas/notes and disjointed paragraphs and conversations. I know generally what happens from beginning to end but at the moment I’m really in the planning and research phase! Of course it continues on from the first book but what is really cool (I think) is that I have changed it up a little to a male main character’s perspective (and a Viking perspective too), so a little more roving around the English and Welsh countryside attacking the Anglo-Saxons. But I won’t say too much more, I don’t want to ruin the first book!

So that is my very ‘brief’ writing update! Longer than I had expected i know (sorry), but once I started writing I realised that I had done more than I had thought. Thank goodness (I guess) the day job has slowed down a bit. Make hay while the sun still shines!