Wherein I realise that it is already November�
When you’re young, time seems to pass so slowly. Summers took forever. A school day? Eons. Sitting for an exam? A lifetime in an hour. But the older you get, the faster time goes by.
Case in point…it’s November. Dude. When did that happen? Oh, I know what happened. I generally take summers off (basically, if Max is off school, I am spending my time with him and not in front of my laptop) and then there’s the madness of getting ready for school time again and…and, you know, all the things.
There are always things. Stuff to do. Days bleed into one another to where you can’t remember where one ends and another begins. The hardest thing in the world to do is to remember to stop and appreciate where you are and be in the moment (I know that sounds all New age-y, forgive me).
This past month I have been taking a breath, stopping and looking around and fitting myself back into the world. And I’m really excited, for the first time in ages.
Me and , one of my writing buddies, at our “office� today at the National Theatre along Southbank. Yes, I would have worn more makeup if I’d realised I was going to take a picture. And yes, we are fueled on caffeine.
Firstly…I’ve given up on the adult crime fiction book. It was killing me. You know that old saying about how writing is like pouring your own blood on the page? I was drained dry. A starving vampire would have walked right by me without a second look. That’s not to say I’ve given up on that character or that story. I’ve just realised (look at me using the UK spellings!!) that my voice is quite firmly fixed in Young Adult (or Middle Grade), maybe up to New Adult. After some time away, I’m planning on re-working it with a younger (still very snarky) version of my anti-heroine.
Secondly, I’ve picked up one of my middle grade ideas and I’m working on it (code name: Maxtorious). And, for the first time in months and months, the writing isn’t painful. I’m having fun again.
It’s a fantasy. There are Imaginary Friends. And pet dust mice. And, somehow, chocolate is going to help save the day. Seriously, you guys, I’m excited to be writing again and doubly so because this is a book my little man Max will be able to read. In fact, the main character is named after him. He’s quite chuffed, as they say here.
Thirdly, other exciting things that I am not able to talk about at all yet. So plllbbbbbt. You’ll have to wait and see.
