You may have caught my last post of 2019 where I reflected on how last year went. As I welcome in the new year it’s time to set new goals. Oh my, some of these are big!
I’m always looking for ways to improve myself and to start the year I am changing up how I set goals.
Publishing – Jewel of the Sea
This is the big project of 2020. I have no idea how long things will take me as I have no benchmark to compare it to. I’ve set these deadlines to help keep my on track but I will need to check progress often to adjust deadlines as I figure out what is realistic.
Here is my rough outline of all the different things that need to happen if I want to release my book by June. I have a feeling that these goals are rather ambitious but there is no harm in trying.
JOTS = Jewel of the Sea; DITS = Diamond in the Sky
General Writing Goals
Here are my everyday writing goals.
Social Media
Blog (Word Press): Aim to post once or twice a week.
Instagram: Aim to post to feed every other day.
Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr: Continue to share links to my content on these platforms.
News letter: Aim to send out my newsletter at least once every other month.
Writing
Jewel of the Sea: Aim to publish my novel by June. See info graphic that breaks down activities required to achieve this.
Diamond in the Sky: Finish writing first draft in full. Start editing.
Festivals: Attend festivals:
London Book Fair
Felixstowe Book Festival
YALC
Bradford UK Indie Lit Fest
MK Lit Fest
Wow-Con
World Indie Warriors: Continue to be part of this awesome group. I loved making their brochure and if they’d allow me to do this again, I would love to do this.
Personal
Crafts: Make time at least once a week:
Planner: try different methods of managing my time and goals to find a method that works for me
Pocket letter: write another pocket letter
Scrapbook: Do at least one page
Crochet: Finish Aria’s blanket… I know, I feel awful that I haven’t finished it yet. I just need to tuck in the loose ends.
Read more: Last year I set the bar low at only 6 books. This year, I am going to double it and aim for 12 books. I know that isn’t many to some people but with everything else I have planned… I have got to be realistic.
Development
Editing course: Complete the Self Editing course provided by Willow Editing
Resource book: Buy and read a book to develop my writing craft.
What are your goals?
I shall review these throughout the year. I will likely need to check in on my big goal every month but the general goals I’ll do once every three months.
Here is an update on how I have progressed towards the goals I set in September 2019 (towards achieving my annual goals set in January).
Social Media
Blog (Word Press): To continue to post at least twice a week keeping to my content schedule as much as possible.
I am so proud of myself for keeping up with this goal. Even during NaNoWriMo I managed to post twice a week.
Instagram: To maintain the new connections I have made and continue to engage with them and share content about my writing.
My posts have slowed down but I am still posting regularly. Recently my post have been every two days.
Twitter: Continue to share links to my content on Twitter and connect with writers on the platform.
I took part in #RevPit and was one of the winners. I keep meaning to write a blog post about it. Basically, winners get to email their first 5 pages and query letter to an editor. The editor then tweets about the ten submissions they have with advice on how to improve – this advice is useful to all writers so worth following the hashtag. The next day, winners get an email to let them know which tweets were about their work.
I did Boost My Bio for Pitch Wars then forgot to enter the main competition for a mentor – OMG I was so cross with myself (serious understatement). It had been a busy weekend with two book festivals!
Facebook page: To brainstorm how I can use this to connect with more writers.
I haven’t done anything new to my page but it is getting more traffic. I have also been active on World Indie Warriros Facebook page. I did my first Live via their page. Then during NaNoWriMo, I did three live write-ins and I’ve hosted a midweek chat in December.
YouTube: To be brave and get in front of the camera and start sharing video content.
I’m not sure I understand the change in terms for YouTube videos so I’ve not pushed myself to do this but I am super proud of myself for getting in front of the camera (see Facebook above).
Tumblr: Share Instagram and Word Press content to this platform.
This happens all the time as my other sites are set up to automatically share there.
Newsletter
I sent out my second newsletter at the end of October. This also included a full guide on using Hashtags on Instagram. My next newsletter is due out at the end of December. Click here to sign up.
Enter into the Wattys. Put novel out to Beta Readers. Take part in September’s #PitMad. Work on my query letter.
I entered Wattys but wasn’t a winner. I also entered Wattpairs Mentorship Challenge on Wattpad but wasn’t chosen to be a mentee. My Beta Readers went quiet… I didn’t let these things halt my progress towards my dream.
At the end of December it will be 10 years that I have been chasing traditional publishing. I have decided it is time to be brave and self publish. With my birthday money I have booked an editor and taken that first step towards making it happen.
Re-plot novel, edit existing version and write ending.
I edited the first few chapters and updated Diamond in the Sky on Wattpad. I then used Save the Cat to plot and develop the remaining chapters. Then during November, I worked on this novel for NaNoWriMo. I managed to write a further 45k words, bringing the book up to 60k words. There is still more to be written but I am so pleased with my progress and I know how it end now.
Red Dresses
#NewYearNewNovel start a new novel for 2019
This is the new novel I started in April this year. I plotted out the first few chapters and wrote the first 15k words to see how I got on. I really enjoyed this novel. I envision it being a steamy new adult romance. I definitely plan to return to this project at a later date.
Tinsel Tiger (picture book)
Research publishers and Literary Agents and pitch events to consider querying. Consider whether to commission an artist to do the images and then self publish.
I haven’t had any time to make any further progress on this project so it has taken a back seat.
Other
In October, I volunteered to write the World Indie Warriors brochure, ready for December.
I planned to have the brochure completed by the end of October so it would not distract me during NaNoWriMo. It turned out to be really hard to get all the details required from all the creatives involved.
During November, there was still missing information I was chasing. I set aside Sundays to make time to get it finished and I managed to get everything by 1 December 2019.
It was my first time creating a brochure and it was a steep learning curve but I really enjoyed doing it. I wish I could do something like this everyday for a living. You can view the World Indie Warriors brochure here.
I also attended WoW Con which is an online Literary Festival run by Write Mentor. I also paid for a one-to-one via Skype with a Literary Agent. I intended to write a blog post about it but just haven’t had the time.
Make time at least once a week: Planner: continue to use Carpe Diem planner; Pocket letter: write another pocket letter; Scrapbook: Do at least one page; Crochet: Finish Aria’s blanket for her birthday.
I haven’t found anytime for crafts. I haven’t been using my planner, written any letters or created any cards. I haven’t added to my scrapbook or finished Aria’s blanket.
I did attend the Festive Planner Meet in Felixstowe. I can’t even begin to express how amazing it was to spend time with these girls doing crafts for a few hours. It had made me feel motivated to do more crafty things in 2020.
For Christmas, I have brought brown paper and festive stamps to decorate it with. That counts as a craft, right?
Read at least four and a half books by the end of September (annual goal 6 books)
I’ve exceed this goal and read a total of 11 books. I will be sharing a post in early 2020 with a collection of all the book reviews posted in 2019.
I have also read The Practice Boyfriend by Christina Benjamin (review scheduled for January 2020) and Crown of Conspiracy by Kara S Weaver (review scheduled for February 2020) and Trust Me by Maddie James (review scheduled for March 2020).
I have also signed up to Net Galley to be able to review new releases. I will write a review on how I get on with the site and I’ll post about any books that I manage to read (time is always my biggest challenge).
Development
Writer courses: Continue to take advantage of any free courses that come my way if I have the time to do these.
I desperately want to enrol on Page Malcolm’s courses, especially her author academy, but it is beyond what I can afford. I keep missing her live videos as they are when I am asleep but I always try to catch the replay as the content is valuable.
I am also incredibly lucky that Willow Editing has given me access to her self-publishing course to beta test it. I started it at the end of October but then had to stop due to NaNoWriMo. I intend to make good use of this during December. She is so friendly in the videos she actually gets me excited about editing which is you knew how much I hate editing then you’d understand how awesome she is.
Resource book: Buy another writing help book. I am considering the Emotion Thesaurus.
I haven’t ordered any resource book but my wish list has got longer. lol!
What’s next
I am really pleased with what I have achieved this year and I’m feeling positive that 2020 is going to be even better. I am actively pursuing self-publishing and I love being part of World Indie Warriors.
How did your goals go this year? Are you feeling positive about 2020?
Here are my favourite photos from the Christmas Photo shoot at Little Wattsits Photography.
My kids really don’t like sitting still to have their photo taken. They are growing up so fast that it upsets me that I don’t have more good photos of them. So, I booked them in for a professional photo shoot with my favourite photographer.
My kids were not playing ball and post shoot I was convinced there would be no decent pictures. If you read my NaNo Diary you will know why I am surprised these turned out so well. Trust me, it is a Christmas miracle Aria allowed me to put the bow in her hair and didn’t rip it out in protest.
As usual, the photographer has blown me away with her photo magic. I hope you enjoy these special photos that mean a lot to me.
I won’t be posting on my blog during the Christmas break and I won’t be as active on social media. Instead, I will be busy making memories with my friends and family.
I hope your holidays are filled with magical moments and smiles and that you get to lose yourself in a good book.
I took my son to the library to exchange his books (or renewal and get more books). Whilst he was struggling with the dilemma of choosing his new books and returning books he loves, my husband pointed this book out to me. I have always wanted to write a novel about faeries so this was to be a fun read and research into how someone else has done it.
The MC is a boy called Ethan Chase. I don’t read many books with a male protagonist so this was a refreshing change and it was done well. Skip to my final thoughts it you don’t want any spoilers.
Beginning
Ethan is aware fae exist and has a troubled past with them. In the opening chapters he shares how they are dangerous and the result of their interference in his life has lead to him being expelled from schools and blamed for a fire he didn’t cause.
Ethan is starting another new school. On his first day, he stands up for a boy being bullied, Todd. Nobody else can see that Todd has long furry ears but it is because he is a half-fae. Ethan doesn’t want to be friends with Todd as he distances himself from all fae. He also doesn’t like Todd’s wee fairy companion.
Ethan also attracts the attention of Mackenzie, who wants to interview him for the school paper. He tries to push Mackenzie away as anybody that gets close to him always gets hurt but she is persistent.
Middle
A deadly new type of fairy are consuming fae and half-fae. Todd asks for Ethan’s help. At first Ethan doesn’t want to get involved but he takes pity and agrees. Unfortunately, Todd is taken and now the creatures are coming after Ethan. Ethan is at a martial arts tournament where Mackenzie is trying to get his story but during the tournament the deadly fae come for him. Nobody else can see them. Ethan runs. Mackenzie follows.
Ethan needs to keep Mackenzie safe. He makes a choice to use a special object his sister gave him to transport into the fae world. They are greeted by a cat, Grimalkin, who knows the way to the Iron Kingdom where his sister, Meghan, is queen. The journey is dangerous but when they arrive his sister wants to keep him safe. They are sent to a room to ‘rest’ but feels more like prison. When Ethan and Mackenzie get the opportunity to escape with the help of Keirran.
On their mission to rescue Todd, there are a lot of truths uncovered which I won’t go into. Their are fights. There were some very interesting characters along the way. I liked Kierran’s love interest and the exiled queen and the cheeky little gremlin.
They travel to the earth and are attacked again. They manage to escape to the in-between and learn how serious the problem is. They visit Hyde Park to follow a lead but things get worse for the gang when the nephew is taken prisoner.
Something I really enjoyed was the slow burning romance between the Ethan and Mackenzie. There is plenty of conflict between them and good reasons why they hold back. I couldn’t wait for them to get together.
The Ending
The build up to a battle where Ethan has to save his friends (and nephew) was worth it. There were also some reveals that I hadn’t seen coming and I liked that the supporting characters were well developed too.
Finally Thoughts…
There were a few times Ethan annoyed me. He blames himself for Todd being kidnapped but I didn’t really see why it was his fault, after all, Todd was a fairy and hung around with the fae. Ethan made it clear that doing that meant trouble was inevitable. I got that he felt responsible for what happened to Mackenzie but she wouldn’t leave him alone. She did bring it on herself too.
What I loved was how all the characters were well developed. You could easily tell who was speaking and they all had rich backstories. There were plenty of magical creatures and I loved the world building especially the ‘in-between’ world.
I hadn’t realised the book was part of a series (it’s book 5 in the Iron Fey series). I was really pleased when I discovered that as I wanted to read more. I wonder if some of the things that didn’t click with me is because I need to read the other books. For example, I want to know more about Meghan and why she is the Iron Queen and why Ethan holds so much resentment for the Iron Fey.
On Saturday, 30 November 2019, I attended the Suffolk UK Planner Meet up.
What sort of planner girl am I?
I felt like a fraud going because I am the worst planner girl. I aspire to be organised and I love stationery, so the planner girl world really appeals to me but I am so disorganised that I can’t plan. Ironic – I know!
But, I went to the first Planner Meet (April 2019) for Suffolk UKPA. We had afternoon tea and I hoped to get some tips from experienced planner girls to help me get started. The women I met were so lovely that when the invitation for the next meet came up I thought… Why not?
What happened at the meet?
I confessed that I am failing as a planner girl but the ladies didn’t shun me. They welcomed me and we chatted about life, drank tea and enjoyed the nibbles provided.
The hosts, Ellen and Laura had prepared a craft activity for fun. Laura (Instagram: @the_do_it_all_mum_uk) had bought wooden discs, some twine and Christmas napkins from Poundland. This was an incredibly simple activity with impressive results. I love my new Christmas Decoration and can say “I made it!”
Ellen (Instagram: @ellenbeemakes) brought her Etsy store to us. It was great to have a browse through her stock and be able to ask her questions. Ellen has a great YouTube channel to support creatives with using her products or other crafts. She is a crafty mastermind.
Ellen and Laura also put together a goodie bag for attendees. The video below shows what was inside and will help you discover her YouTube channel.
If that wasn’t awesome enough, the event also included a swap table. People brought with them stickers and other stationery that they didn’t need to give away for others to use. I helped myself to a pad of paper for Noah, some stickers and washi tape.
Here are a few pictures of what I came home with.
Some of the women brought their planners and generously shared how they use them. I fell in with a planner by Becca (Instagram @simplyhobonichi). Her planner looked like something out of a magazine. It had a beautiful personal feeling like a scrapbook. This is the sort of planner I aspire to create. She kindly told me about her favourite pens and let me take pictures to send to my husband to form part of my Christmas wishlist.
I’m so happy that I attended. It was a lovely break from my kids (and if you’ve read my NaNo diary you will know why that was needed). Being with these women made me feel rejuvenated. I would definitively be interested in going again.
If you want to find out more about meets, join their Facebook group, Suffolk UKPA.
I love being part of World Indie Warriors. They have been one of the highlights of my 2019. The members are incredibly supportive and creative. They have encouraged me to push myself to try new things and above all, believe in myself.
We have been chatting online for a while. We meet via video on Zoom. And, some of us have even met up in person. Together we are developing a community on Facebook to support more Indie Creatives.
One of the projects we are working on is to create a brochure with products by Indie Creatives. We want to make discovering products and books by indie creatives easy. The brochure can be downloaded or printed, and is accessible to anyone interested
We needed someone to create the brochure. Guess who volunteered? Me!
It was a bigger project than I anticipated. I had to juggle it around my other commitments and doing NaNoWriMo, but I pulled the first copy together in time for the deadline.
The December edition is another great resource for gifts during the Holiday season. You can discover the brochure on the World Indie Warriors website. Please visit: https://worldindiewarriors.wordpress.com.
We welcome all indie creatives and want to support each other. If you are self-published, an artist, a musician or any type of creator, pop along and find out what we are all about. You won’t be disappointed!
We also want to connect with small businesses that provide services to support indie creatives. We love getting to know book bloggers and product reviewers.
For the November 2019 NaNoWriMo there was a new revamped website. I am going to start with how I got on using it and how it affected my NaNoWriMo experience.
Wrimo Buddies
All the old information had transferred over except connections. I sent invites out to those I remembered and added some new ones I made via other social media sites. If you would like to add me, I am Redfae on NaNoWriMo.
Forums
I still feel the social side of the NaNoWriMo site isn’t really working for me. I can’t figure out the forums but I didn’t have much time to explore them. Maybe they will get easier to navigate as the site develops.
Stats
OMG! I love the Stats. I used to have to create spreadsheets to record where I was with my word count and calculate if I am on or off track and how many words I need to do to keep up but the new website does this for you and can tell you cool facts like when and where you like to write.
I found it really motivating to see my overall progress It helped to visually see when I was falling below the line and knew I needed to step up the pace.
You can choose between a bar of line chart. In the above chart you can see my overall progress. I started off ahead of target but after an unfortunate week and a spell of not writing, I struggled to stay on track and then fell behind target. The rest of my NaNo progress is trying to get back on track. On a positive note, you can see that I didn’t give up and the line does keep going up even if it’s not as steep as I needed.
The last few days I really pushed myself to catch up and managed to write 6k on the final day! That was my best daily word count all month. This bar chart really highlights the days I skipped. Those days were detrimental to me reaching 50k, but sometimes I need to take a break for my own well being and I didn’t want to burnout.
Here are links to my weekly writers diary for you to learn more about how my NaNo weeks went (click on the picture):
Here are the last final two days of my writers diary:
Fri, 29 Nov
I dropped Noah off at school. I then needed to call the doctor about Aria’s shoulder making an odd popping sound (they booked me in for a call back). I had to call Very because they had sent me my order twice and charged me twice – no thank you. Once that was done, I decided to take Aria to a local playgroup as she missed out last week. I kept my phone on so I could hear if it rang.
When I was about to leave the playgroup I saw I had a text from the doctor’s surgery to say they had tried to call but there was no answer and I needed to call if I still wanted to be called. It was odd because there was no missed call on my phone. I rang to get put back on the waiting list. Although Aria isn’t in any pain, I want her to be seen as she is always doing crazy stuff all the time and I worry she may have hurt herself and just not let us know.
Finally, I got a call back and had to accept an appointment when Aria usually naps. I dreaded I was in for a grizzly afternoon but she wasn’t too bad at the doctors. In fact, being sleepy probably helped as she wasn’t tearing up the place. The nurse that saw her wasn’t concerned about Aria’s shoulder and said to keep an eye on it. If Aria appears to be in pain then take her straight back otherwise hopefully it will go on its own (I’m to keep an eye on it for 1 to 2 months).
I then did school pick up and as Noah was trying really hard to be good, I took him to a local sports club that he has been banned from (by us) for four weeks. Noah got so excited at the class that he was bouncing off the walls, crazy, embarrassing, very naughty. Needless to say, the ban is back.
We got home and had dinner. Then I got on the PC and forced myself to write although I was still quite upset about earlier and feeling a little put out that I am so far behind and unlikely to make 50k. I am now aiming for 40k. I did pretty well and ended the night at 39k. I feel motivated that I can meet my new goal tomorrow.
Sat, 30 Nov
My husband let me have a lay in which I used to write an impressive 2k, on my mobile phone, in bed. It made me feel great knowing I have achieved over 40k today when I thought it would be impossible as I have a very busy day planned. One appointment cancelled, giving me a little more breathing space.
My husband took Noah to get his hair cut. Then, I took both children for a Christmas photo shoot. I booked it because I really struggle to get nice pictures of them. They are both full of energy and struggle to stay still.
Sadly, Noah was still in his silly mood. He was photo-bombing Aria’s pictures and running in-front of the light and casting shadows. He was messing around with the props and climbing all over the furniture and trying to touch the very expensive camera. The photographer polite and patient with him but I am not hopeful that we managed to get any pictures – I now have to wait and see. Once out, I asked Noah why he did it. He was ‘excited’ and he wanted more pictures.
Aria was no angel either. She didn’t want to stay on the set or sit still – this is the reason my pictures of her are a blur or she’s half out the shot. I really felt like giving up and then I saw a cute picture of her on my phone that I took on holiday. I posted it to Instagram and it shared to Facebook. One of my friends commented “She’s gorgeous but she would look even prettier without the dummy x”. It broke my heart. I thought it was a cute picture and I was being judged for allowing my baby a soother. People are always judging parents and I was at breaking point. I wanted to send her the study on Sudden Infant Cot Death that showed dummy use reduced cot death by 90%. Yeah she might not look pretty with it, but she’s happy, she’s safe, she’s sleepy and I have a photo of her. But, I didn’t fight back. I was exhausted, feeling like a terrible mother and I just cried.
My husband gave me a prep talk and helped me feel better about myself. They are both going through tricky stages. Noah will learn to control his energy. Aria is just running everywhere and climbing everything because she’s discovered she can and the novelty will wear off – hopefully, soon before she hurts herself.
I got on the PC straight away and decided to write to see how close to 50k I could get. I finished at 45,062 words. It might not be 50k but I a damn proud of myself.
World Indie Warriors Live
Another massive achievement for me was going live on Facebook. I did on the World Indie Warrior Facebook group and hosted a live write in. It was lots of fun and really motivating.
I don’t know about you but Monday are meh. But, getting online and chatting with other writers reminded me that I am not alone. I am part of team. This indie community is so supportive and we cheered each other on. We shared what we were working on and I read out samples of their projects that they share with me (including some very steamy scenes).
As I completed chapters during NaNoWriMo, I posted them to Wattpad. You can read them here in my novel Diamond in the Sky. I warn you it is a real first draft!
I’m really pleased with the progress I have made and can see me finishing this novel. NaNoWriMo estimates it will be finished by 5 December but it needs to be more than 50k to be done.
I am going to continue writing it whilst Jewel of the Sea is getting edited. That’s right! I paid for an editor for my birthday and I am taking those first steps to publish my debut novel. Wish me luck.
I created this cover in Canva using an image from Unsplash.
People say I’m hard to buy for but its codswallop! I’m passionate about my writing making gift buying a doddle… if you understand what writers want.
If you are looking for ideas to gift the writer in your life you’ve come to the right place.
Stationery
Writers can never have enough notepads, and pens. They are easy to buy for all budgets and tastes.
Under the Rowan Tree: This fabulous little indie store has a wide range of stationery. You can sign up to the subscription box (the gift that keeps giving) or buy a previous box, box of the month or a gift set taking the guess work out of what to get.
Ellen Bee Makes: There are plenty of lovely stores on Etsy where you can buy handmade custom gifts. Ellen’s store sells lots of crafty bits but specialise in stickers. These are great if your writer keeps a planner, diary or needs some ‘fun’ motivation to get organised.
Bookish
This had to make the list because writing and reading pretty much goes hand in hand. You could buy a bookmark, book light, book thumb, book stand or book holder.
Euphemia Bloom Books: For a truly beautiful and unique gift, check out this store for book sleeves. These are the most stylish way to keep a book safe from getting damaged in your bag.
Amazon Gift Voucher: With a range of options for different needs and occasions, Amazon couldn’t have made it easier to gift book money. The voucher can be used on anything! Or, if they have a Kindle (or the app), you can gift them Kindle Unlimited giving access to over a million books for free.
Goodreads: Okay, this is not a shop but if you are really smart, check out your writer’s account to discover which books are on their wish list and surprise them. Keep receipts encase they have already been bought – book lovers have a habit of buying books… a lot.
Keep Warm
Some people think socks are boring but when I am busy writing I can lose track of time and my feet get cold. I’m always grateful for socks. Other great ideas are slippers and finger-less gloves to keep writers toasty.
Zazzle: The fuel of most writers is caffeine. It keeps their imagination alive. Support their creativity with a quirky writers mug or thermal flask (for writers on the go).
The Literary Tea Company: This company has blended tea to match popular books. They even have a collection of book inspired diffuses that can be used with any loose tea. There is bound to be (or not to be) a tea to peak the interest of any literary fanatic.
Self Care
Writers often cram writing into every spare minute of their day, pushing out unnecessary things like eating, sleeping and taking care of themselves. Force your writer to stop. Buy them an experience to get them to take a break.
Spa Day: Find a spa that is nearby and buy them a spa package. Force them to relax for at least half a day. The relaxation will rejuvenate them and they’ll return home with a whole new novel plotted out.
Able and Cole: You can gift your writer a recipe box or one of the other organic boxes . This will encourage them to eat healthy (not just a pot noodle or toast). There is plenty of choice from fruit, veg, fish, meat, smoothies, soups, slow cook, chocolate, hampers or the essentials. Check you know their dietary restrictions.
Digital Gifts
Today’s writer needs to keep up with technology. If they publish they will be expected to market themselves and although typewriters are beautiful they are not practical.
Kindle: This is the most popular eReader for a reason. Many writers have the app on their phone but it’s nice to have a tablet. If they already have one, you could look at getting them a case to keep it safe.
USB Flash Drive: Back it up, back it up. Many writers have learnt the hard way the importance of saving their work to multiple places. This is a very practical gift that could protect the writer a lot of misery if their computer/laptop dies.
I hope the above ideas have helped you come up with the perfect gift but if you need more ideas please check out my posts from last year (low/big budget).
Low Budget
Gift ideas for anyone looking for non-expensive gifts. Perfect for stocking fillers, secret Santa, or ‘just because’ gifts (click image below).
High Budget
Wow! Can I be your writer friend. This is the more extravagant list with big price tag ideas for when you want to splurge (click image below).
World Indie Warriors Brochure
More details coming soon. This catalogue is one to look out for. It is packed full of products to buy from indie creatives and gifts writers will love. I’ll write a post about it soon.
Another busy Friday. At drop off I chatted to the mums who are organising Noah’s joint party (it’s there kids birthday too and our kids are all friends). We got nattering about what was left to do and who was doing what. Luckily, I didn’t get asked with anything -yay!
I was then late for play group and in desperate need of cat food. So, I decided to do a Sainsbury click & collect order so I didn’t have to traipse around the store – I really don’t enjoy shopping. I also needed a gift for a party Noah was attending after school and added it to my order. I was feeling super savvy as I sat back and enjoyed the rest of my morning.
Then Aria came with me to an afternoon work Christmas meal. I couldn’t make the evening one, nor could some of my colleagues so we decided to have our own mini get together. We went to Shelly’s which is a student run service restaurant. It enables the students to get valuable experience alongside their qualification. The students handled Aria amazingly. She was a terrible rude customer, pointing and shouting nonsense words. They played catch with her cracker that she kept tossing and demanding back. They cleared up her mess as she nibbled food, then threw it on the floor. They did it all with a smile and kept my little diva happy. Aria embarrassed me as expected but the students really impressed me.
Aria fell asleep in the car and I had a few minutes to pack a change of clothes for Noah before the school run. I picked Noah up and we went to collect my order from Sainsbury’s. When we arrived I was told the phone lines were down and they couldn’t process my payment. We waited 20 minutes before I had to go to get Noah to his friends party. My fabulous plan quickly unravelled. I had to apologise for not having a gift but hopefully bring it at pick up. Luckily when I returned to the store the problem was solved and the guy who greeted me couldn’t apologise more.
I then rushed home to let my husbands best friend in. Then I was back out to collect Noah.
I wasn’t able to use the computer so I wrote on my mobile, writing over 2k.
Sat, 23 Nov
Today has been busy. I tried to return a baby sling to the sling cafe but it’s closed so I have tried to find out where to return it now. Instead, I headed into town and delivered a bag of clothes to H&M to receive £5. They were all things I couldn’t sell I.e stained or odd socks. They break the fibres down and use them to make new clothes for their conscious collection. It’s the first time I did it and loved how simple & rewarding it was.
The afternoon flew by and before I knew it it was time for Noah’s party. It was lovely to see all the children playing together – we really didn’t have to do much. Plus people wanted to play with Aria so I got to sit down – such luxury. I was grateful to Chloe & Helen, the two mums that shared hosting the party. They really are a blessing in my life.
We got home late with the kids (past their bedtime). By the time they were tucked up I didn’t feel like writing and broke my writing streak. I was disappointed in myself later. I should have written something, even of if it was only a sentence.
Sun, 24 Nov
Today, we had family visiting. We hurried around to get out and see them (met up at my mum’s home). There is something wholesome and lovely about being with people you’ve known and loved your whole life. We got Aria home for her nap and then I spent time talking to my husband. NaNoWriMo has left him feeling a little neglected. We also got on the computer together to do a little Christmas shopping.
We had a lovely day but the time flew by and when I finally got the kids to bed and was able to sit at the PC, I didn’t feel like writing. Oh no, I was ready to procrastinate! First I browsed online shopping sites making wish lists I never intend to buy. Then when I open my word document, I had to stop to get a snack, then a drink, then another snack. I was chatting on social media. Until, I realised what I was doing and stopped myself. I managed 1k before bed. I needed a lot more!
Mon, 25 Nov
Today flew by. I ran around after a tiny whirlwind trying to keep the house in order. When Aria finally napped I had too much to do that I didn’t have time to write.
After school, my family cane over to visit and Noah made them his first ever mug of tea (with supervision).
I had trouble getting Aria to sleep but once she they both went to sleep, I jumped online to host my live write-in on World Indie Warriors Facebook group. We did two 10 minute sprints and it got me in the mood to write. One of my friends sent me a steamy extract from her novel which was rather distracting but I still managed to write 1.5k.
Tue, 26 Nov
Today was my long day at work and everyone is talking about getting ready for Christmas and I am not ready.
Once the kids were in bed I spent the evening browsing online and deciding what to buy.
I write zero words. Boo!
Wed, 27 Nov
Today is my short work day, but I get no lunch break and as soon as I finish it is a mad rush to get the kids.
Today is my mum’s birthday so we popped over after school pick up to see her.
I didn’t get to write until the kids were in bed. I made sure I did.
Thurs, 28 Nov
Today, was my long day at work. It was an odd day. I saw a student I hadn’t expected, and I didn’t see the student I planned to see. I had a bizarre lunch but managed to write 500 words.
I was glad to get home and see my family. Once the kids were in bed, I relaxed in the bath. My husband was surprised to find me in the tub and not writing. I explained I am not going to make 50k. He gave me a mini prep talk. I got on the PC and ended up with 1.5k.
Week one total
To be on track I need to have reached 46,666 so I am behind.
Finishing the second week my grand total is: 36,567 words.
I’m 14k behind with only 2 days left. Although it is possible to write 7k a day it is unrealistic for me. I have a really busy weekend coming up so I will only get to write in the evenings. I’m going to push for 40k though. Wish me luck…
I picked this book up at YALC and had no idea what I was getting myself in for. I was attracted by the cover, the blurb and the offer of a free tote bag.
This book is set in a fantasy world where people live on Island and are plagued by dangerous spirits.
There are people with the ability to control the spirits but they hide their power. If you are found out you are given a choice – join the queens guards and lose your identity or go to a deadly island where if you manage to survive you become an heir to the throne.
Beginning
The story starts with the MC getting married but her wedding goes horribly wrong when the celebrations are over run by spirits killing her guests. It’s so bad that the MC can’t run and hide, she stands up to the spirits and fights, revealing her hidden power.
She knows the guards will come and take her but her fiancé convinces her to runaway with him. He doesn’t want her taken like her sister a few years before. If they get caught, he persuades her to choose to be a guard as he can’t bear to think of her being hunted and killed on the island.
Middle
The lovers are tracked and caught and the MC is forced to make her choice. In that moment, hating the guards for attacking her injured fiancé, she chooses the Island. She can’t stand the thought of being one of them.
After a brief training session, where she makes two friends, they are taken to the Island for the test. The last cohort all died casting fear and doubt in the women’s minds. As the first women reach the shore, the spirits instantly start killing them off.
The MC manages to escape and hide by swimming underwater (a special skill she has). Whilst surviving, she runs into one of her friends and they team up against the spirits. This isn’t encouraged as it will make them a greater target to the spirits.
Together they uncover a secret about the island that sheds light on why everyone died during the previous test. They decide they must escape the island to inform the Queen.
The Ending
I’ll try not to spoil it. All I’ll say is there were plot twists I didn’t see coming. I was really impressed with the ending and all the lose ends were tied up brilliantly.
Finally Thoughts…
I loved this book so much that it is my favourite book for 2019! It has set the bar high.
I had no idea it is part of a series as it is a complete story but now I know, I want to read the other titles.
The book is described as a Fantasy version of Hunger Games and that’s a pretty good summary.
I highly recommend this book. If you’ve not read it yet, you really are missing out. Go order it now!
JOTS = Jewel of the Sea; DITS = Diamond in the Sky
