University Challenge?

I received my first challenge from my University today.

As I've mentioned previously I have taken a life changing decision to go to University at the grand old age of 53 to study for a degree in Creative and Professional Writing......gulp
What was I thinking, I'm not sure but this is probably the last chance I will have to make a success of my writing.

Anyway, today I received a letter from the Uni asking for my choice of modules.  The letter states that I should pick modules up to the value of 20 credits.  No problem you would think, so did I but then I read the guidelines on the completion of the module entry form where it is talking about 50, 60 and 70 credits.  Confused, I certainly am.

Am I really cut out for this if I'm already stumbling at the first block.

All I can say is, it's going to be an interesting three years!

More Soon - Chez x

'Bloody Scotland'

Just received an email to tell me that my competition entry for the Bloody Scotland short story competition didn't make the shortlist.  Am I upset, yes because I thought I had a chance.  The email arrive a little late, due to the wonders of modern day communication I had already found out via Twitter.  The story was one of three that I'd sent off a couple of weeks ago.  As I said, I am a little disappointed but these are the first competitions I've ever entered, and next time I enter this one I will remember to at least mention Bloody Scotland.  Lesson learned!

More Soon Chez x

#twittersilence

I have a twitterpage; https://twitter.com/Chez49 and I'm also on Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/cheryllwriter.rawling . I don't tweet or post very often, but I do check up on both sites daily.  I have always found social networks friendly, useful platforms with which I can find out about the things I want to know about; writing competitions, festivals, new books, and authors. They also make it very easy for me to keep in touch with my friends.  I've learn't and am still learning an amazing number of things from people I would never get to talk to in 'real' life.  It is such a shame that it's being spoiled by the mindless activities of some people.

I don't want to read tweets from idiots, (trolls, I think they're called), threatening to 'rape' a woman because they don't agree with her campaign and/or politics or threatening to bomb another person because of their religion/beliefs.  Nor, do I think that social network sites are a place for bullying and intimidating other users. If I disagree with a campaign I will ignore it, the same with politic's.  If someone is getting on my nerves I can stop following them or unfriend them, I won't even read their tweets or posts.  I don't have to verbally abuse or threaten them, they are allowed to voice their opinions just as much as me.

Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can hurt you too.   OK, so words can't physically hurt you but they can cause a lot of mental anguish.  If a 'faceless' follower on twitter threatens you, you have no idea who s/he really is, how close they are to you or if their threat is really serious and that is frightening.

I have decided to be silent on twitter today, I don't think people will miss my tweets, but I do support the right to be able to voice my opinions without the fear of abuse or threats.  I also feel that twitter should manage the site better and not allow these idiots to ruin, what for most of us is, a site full of friendly, informative and helpful people.

More Soon - Chez x

Happy New Year

A very happy, healthy, prosperous, mind blowingly successful New Year to all of my readers.

I'm now an ex housing officer and am about to embark on my writing career.  I've had loads of fabulous support from my family, friends and ex colleagues and I've received a lot of advice from published writers.  The best advice they give is to:- WRITE. 

The time has come to motivate myself and get on my computer everyday.  So I've laid down some ground rules for myself.

1. My writing day will begin at 7.00am and end at 2.00pm or until I am satisfied with my word count.
2. I will not answer any correspondence, text, tweet or go on facebook until the end of my writing day.
3. I will not turn on the televison until the end of my writing day.
4. I will write at least 1000 words per day.
5. I will make an effort to attend all my writing group meetings.

I'm still actively involved in Crime Warp and am lining up some authors to interview.  Just found out that Ann Cleeves is following me on twitter (Very excited), so I may build up the courage to ask her!  Recently interviewed Mel Sherratt, who was absolutely fabulous.  I'll post the full interview on here tomorrow.

More soon - Chez

5 working days to go......

Just 5 working days to go until I finish work.  I officially leave on 31st December but I have some annual leave to take.

I'm taking a big chance, leaving work to write full time but it's now or never.  I'm never going to get this opportunity again.  The redundancy payout isn't too bad.  I will just have to see how it goes.  One thing, I'm never going to finish my novel whilst working full time!

That being so the novel is starting to take shape.  I have two people who have offered to read the draft.  I'm going to ask my friend Sheila if she'll read it too.  She's very good at constructive criticism.


Crime Warp is looking fab. Hopefully we can publicise it at Harrogate this year.  Am going to ask Liz M to design some flyers I can distibute at Crimefest (If I go).

I'm waiting to post my interview with Mel Sherratt, as soon as it's posted on Crime Warp I put it on this blog.  I'm beginning to really enjoy interviewing authors.  Crime Warp is teaching me a lot of skills and giving me more confidence in my writing.

More Soon - Chez.

I'm a techie

I know that calling myself a techie may be stretching things a bit, but I have just posted my first two articles on the Crime Warp blog, and in the correct categories!  I've also posted a successful link on Twitter, (I hope we get hundreds of hits, it really is a great site).

I've realised that I hadn't posted a link on here, so here it is:

http://thecrimewarp.blogspot.co.uk/

I hope that everyone reading this will use the link to have a look, my friends have put a lot of hard work into this and it would be nice if they were rewarded with a few hits (Even better if there were some comments on the posts).

So happy reading and more soon - Chez

Dreams may come true

I made a decision today that I really must blog more.  I completed my writing course, it was fantastic, I learnt so much..... Much appreciation to my tutor Alex Davis.  Completing the course helped make up my decision about my job.  I have decided to take voluntary redundancy and concentrate on writing, scary I know but I feel the time is right.  Procrastination is no good for the novel.

Had a really busy weekend last weekend, Friday saw the book launch of my friend Kirsty Fox's first novel, Dogtooth Chronicals, at the Nottingham Contemporary.  The event was titled 'The thrill of waiting up for the end of the World' and was a great success.  I was there with the rest of the Notts Writers Group to witness this momentous occaision.

Saturday saw me at the Nottingham Contemporary again for Sillitoe Day, a fantastic day in celebration of the wonderful Nottingham author Alan Sillitoe.



Whilst there I met up with another wonderful Nottingham author Derek Buttress, who wrote a fantastic book, Broxtowe Boy, which is sadly now out of print.  I did manage to track a copy down and Derek graciously signed it for me (It is now my most treasured possession).  Derek also gave me a copy of another of his books, Sing to me, he truly made my day.

I have so much more to say but my novel awaits

More soon
Chez

Where did that year go?

I am shocked to realise that over a year's gone by since I lasted blogged.  So to get you up to date; my novel is nowhere near completion, my husband took up birdwatching and I've been out with him most of my spare time (I know I'm making excuses), so to re-motivate myself I'm taking a fiction writing course.  The reason I'm doing this is that as of the 20th April I will be on 90 days notice of my job ending and I've decided to become a full time writer (until the redundancy money runs out) and instead of dabbling like I have been doing I intend to learn the craft.  The course is mainly short story writing but I hope that it will lead me on to taking a degree in creative writing next year and I am going to finish writing my novel.

I've already booked myself on to creative thursday at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival this year.  I went last year and it was fabulous.  I had intended to pitch my novel in the Dragons Pen this year but as I haven't reached my goal and finished it in time I will pitch next year definately.

I'm off to Derby Library on 19th May to do a one day crime writing workshop with Zoe Sharp.  Guess which gendre I chose to write. 

I will keep you posted on both of these events - can't wait!

Anyway I'm off to access the key components of Alan Sillitoes 'The Loneliness of a Long distance Runner'.

More Soon - Chez

Where is my Kindle

Had the day off work today because my Kindle is supposed to be delivered.  It's ten past two and it's still not here. C'mon driver hurry up, can't wait to download some books.

Why have I bought a Kindle.  I love reading, have heard rumours that Waterstones may be closing, can't get ten books in my handbag and I haven't got any storage room at home for the books I already have, let alone buy more.  Wasn't that bothered about one but my friend bought hers into work and let me have a  play and it was absolutley great.  Favourite books I will still buy but this way I can read them on kindle and have the hard back copies in pristine condition on my bookshelves..

Went to listen to John Harvey talk about his latest book last wednesday.  I really enjoyed it.  He was very funny and gave out a lot of writing advice (I really do need a white board).  He was such a nice man.  I have found that about a lot of authors, met Nicola Monaghan and Derrick Buttress at an event to celebrate the life of Alan Sillitoe and they were lovely too.

My husband has bought a new camera and is now trying very hard to get the perfect shot!  it would be great if he became the next David Bailey because I could give up my job and write full time.

More Soon - Chez

End of a long week

Haven't blogged all week because I've been busy planning out my novel, which has been harder than I thought it would be.  I've only completed the beginning, still got the middle and the end to go.  Still I have completed the character sketches for all my main characters and written my story profile.  (Here's me thinking you just sat at your computer and wrote the book, there's more to this writing game than I thought lol).

Haven't actually wrote any more of my novel yet but I already know that I'm going to re-write most of it.  I plan to look at it later to see which of my dahlings I can salvage and which I am going to murder. 

I also planned to go out on a couple of walks this weekend but the weather has been so awful, very wet and grey, that I didn't bother.  Which is all well and good but I do need to shed a few pounds and I'm not going to do that sitting at my computer.

It's hard to make people understand that a lot of writing time is actually taken up with thinking about what you're going to write.  I think I upset my family (who I love to bits) last week by telling them I was not to be disturbed.  Luckily for me there's been plenty of rugby and football on the telly this weekend so my hubby as had something to keep him occupied, same with my son and my daughter has a new dog that she doesn't want to leave in her house on it's own so they've not bothered me too much, and I haven't had to offend them by telling them to leave me alone.

Anyway this blog is distracting me from working on my novel

More Soon - Chez

Monday, monday

Today was just work, work, work and I don't mean writing.  Have done very little writing today that wasn't connected to my day job. 

Read a really good post 'Running our races and becoming winners' by Jody Hedlund on her blogspot regarding work/life balance or rather writing/family time balance, really think I need to look at my work/writing balance.  One of my colleagues suggested I try job share, if only, it really isn't an option in these present economic times, but one day

I've decided that I need to set myself daily writing targets.  My target for tomorrow is to write up the article I planned out on saturday and try to do at least 800 words of my novel.

I also read Nicola Morgans blogspot which is full of really useful advice for the newbe writer but I did find myself wondering am I good enough at the moment, am I writing the right book?  Personally I think I can write.  Whether I writing the right stuff I'm not sure.  I love crime and mystery novels I read them all the time I am going to read a lot more of them so I'm fully conversant with the gendre.  And I am going to persevere with the articles but I'm not delusional.  I don't know if I'm good enough at this moment in time but I will be.

More Soon - Chez

Second Day - Lazy Sunday

I've had the most uninspiring day today, couldn't seem to get settled on anything.  Worked for a couple of hours on my novel, which seems to be coming along nicely but I didn't get much further with my article.  Hubby caught me watching the IPlayer on my laptop so the cats out of the bag on that.  Going to read some more magazines tonight to get some ideas.  Just feel like I've wasted a day.

More Soon - Chez

The end of the first day

It's been an interesting day.  I told the kids yesterday that I didn't want to be disturbed this weekend because I wanted to write and of course they ignored me, in fact I think I got more phone calls off them today than I did last saturday.  Even so I managed to plan out an article and write a letter that I am sending off to a well known mag.

Am going to relax now and read a few magazines, you never know I may get a few more story ideas.

More Soon - Chez

Getting Started

Why have I set up this blog ?  For years I've messed around with bits of writing, but never had anything published.  I sent a few short stories to magazines (I have the rejection slips) and have a half completed manuscript for a novel I started but never finished and now it's time to get serious.

The problem was I didn't take time to learn the craft and, as I've found out, writing is a craft.  I was never going to get anything published because I didn't do my research.  The stories I sent in weren't suitable for the magazines I was sending them to so they were bound to be rejected.  Years ago I did take a creative writing course but the tutor wasn't very inspiring and I found that it knocked my confidence in my writing rather than build it up.  All this sound like a lot of excuses for not actually knuckling down to doing the writing (and it is) but all that has changed, now that I've hit the big Five O I have signed up for a home study course (I work full time) and this time I will be published!

I've read lots of books, two of the most inspiring for me have been Stephen king's 'On Writing' and Jane Wenham-Jones' 'Wannabe a writer?' and I'd like to thank both those authors for giving me the courage to put pen to paper.  I've converted my back bedroom (My kids have all flown the nest) into a writing room, I found the TV too distracting downstairs, and banned my husband from entering.  My writing room comes complete with kettle and tea making stuff so I don't have the excuse that I have to go downstairs to make a cuppa (not had time to get a mini-fridge or wine yet but that will come) and I'm ready to start my journey.

More Soon - Chez