On the eve of NaNoWriMo...

...I am writing this little post...

Picture representing my emotions at present.

I have never been so scared and excited in equal measure about something I want very much. Excited because I am passionate about the idea and the world I have created, but scared that it will all go wrong, which could (SO) easily happen.

I have BIG goals for NaNoWriMo this year and am looking to finish around the same time I did last year (on the 15th November) or maybe even earlier. I am totally prepared and the dreaded 8 page long document I needed to work out is COMPLETELY sorted and has even grown an entire page - it is now filled with lines and plot changes and little ideas to add in that I hope will give the book real life.

I will probably be writing weekly updates of my progress but this could change to daily - we'll see how I get on.

Also HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I find it immensely appropriate that NaNoWriMo falls the day after this holiday.

I am off to pray to the writing gods to ask that they are kind to me this November...

Until next time.

Er, wow

Tweetgasm

I had a very happy Sunday last week over on Twitter. After I asked her to Retweet that my book was free, an author I love (see my review for one of her books *here*), sweetly not only sent me these TWO gems on Twitter >>>>, but also downloaded my book! It's made me want to buy her books in bulk and sit there hugging them close to my chest! Even though I still haven't heard from anyone who has downloaded my book, someone must have liked it enough to go on and buy the second book in the series, CHANGES: A SHORT STORY COLLECTION! I am noticing more sales generally - I mean my 'more sales' are hilariously small and could probably only buy me a small packet of blueberries but for someone who closely monitors her sales, there has been a noticeable shift. A few weeks ago I started playing around with keywords on Amazon KDP (something you fill in when you are publishing a book with them) and I am wondering if by doing that, I have made it more visible somewhere. I will keep tinkering with things to see if it continues to make a difference to sales ... but after November because, of course, NaNoWriMo is nearly upon us. This week was very busy for me but in a lovely way. I read through my manuscript again in preparation for November then made some more notes. The document is now well over 5,000 words and 8 pages long and MUST be sorted out by next Sunday...yay. It's been looked at a little and when I get into it, it's fine but I think the sheer size of it is daunting. BUT today is the day to get really stuck into it and I vow to have it sorted ASAP ... after I have looked at some pygmy goats on YouTube.

Until next time (I'M STILL WELL BTW!!)

I feel so dirty

The time has come to take the bull by the horns (a phrase I don't agree with literally - leave the poor bull alone) and start trying to sell my books for real (EW!). I can't describe how much I don't want to do this but anyone who has sold a fair few books on kindle have gone about it in a less bohemian ('bohemian' meaning to do absolutely nothing) way than I have. I don't have a proper marketing plan and am going to wing it but know that whatever I am doing to promote my books, I'm feeling slightly nauseous about. I used to sing and people said 'It's all about networking, darling', and the same applies for this too. I just want to write but I need to be realistic and without putting in the work to promote them, my books will remain unsold.

It's been a little busy my end recently and I have taken on a lot of different things that are time-consuming but fulfilling and, to me, incredibly important to do with the illness I have had over the last two and a bit years. From next week I will be really getting down to working on the manuscript that I am going to be rewriting for NaNoWriMo this year and slowly ideas and different thoughts about the book are whirling around my mind to the point that I am so excited for November. That being said, it could all turn out to be a disaster so we'll see how it goes. I am reading it again tomorrow to inevitably make a million more notes.

SO, back to filthy book selling: WEIGHTING TO LIVE is free for the next five days on Amazon and I would absolutely love to get some more feedback. So far I have had a few people on twitter say they really enjoyed it and have had no negative feedback YET ('yet' I do acknowledge is very important to add in). I have also had one suspicious-looking 5 star rating on Goodreads that I fear has more to do with the person wanting a free book than liking the damn thing - plus another woman who won my giveaway recently and has now marked her status to 'currently reading' my book *clutches worry beads tightly for support*

Its got to be said that all the drama above is wonderful drama and I feel very happy with what I am doing.

Until next time (if I haven't made myself sick with disgust over all the book promoting).

Coming out ... so to speak

It's official, I have graduated from Jane Seymour TV movies to full-on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

I regret nothing.

I have just come back from a weekend away in London seeing my friends - I am still well and seem to be even better than I was before. It's hard to tell whether the healthy diet is helping but I think it might be! What I am going through is still relatively new so there is little information out there and it's difficult at times guessing what will happen from day to day. But I suppose all of us only have today in the first place and nothing is a guarantee ... I will stop along that corny vein before I get out of control (like all my posts from the last two months tbh).

The most underwhelming photo of
Golders Hill Park ever taken.

At the weekend, I also started telling my friends that I have been writing as the only person who knew up until then was my mother and my best friend who only found out two weeks ago! Most of my friends that I told seemed to be completely unsurprised by this, which was nice. It would have been awkward if they looked troubled by the news and said something along the lines of 'Well that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. What were you thinking?!?!' I spent Saturday night with my friends doing karaoke then the following day, walking around London; including a trip to Golders Hill Park which was perfect as the weather was warm and sunny with the trees all turning to gold.

Penguin Clothbound Classics.
TOTAL. BOOK. LUST.

I then went to Waterstones and lusted after some classics <<<<

In preparation for NaNoWriMo this November, I have been slowly getting back into work mode and writing a plethora of to do lists and organising my life before I reread the original manuscript probably early next week. The more I think about the task in front of me, the more excited I become. I will let you know how I am getting on next week sometime and if there is not much to report on that front, I will tell you all about Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

Until next time.