New Year

After a long break from the blog in the mad rush in the run up to Christmas I am back and trying to get back to work. Theoretically as the snow is falling outside it should be the ideal time to stay indoors, get cosey and work on my stories. Instead I've found the dark, cold days are leaving me feeling low and longing for Spring! To help beat this I have begun free writing again, and stopped worrying so much about creating the perfect piece of writing.

Here's an interesting article from author Matt Haig that made me realise that there are a lot more of us that go through the dark times, but we can come out the other side...

http://www.booktrust.org.uk/writing/online-writer-in-residence/blog/509/

I love looking at opening lines of books, it can be the make or break stage on whether it grips you enough to read on!

Here's 100 best opening lines from children's books according to stylist magazine:
http://www.stylist.co.uk/books/100%20best%20opening%20lines%20from%20children%27s%20books

Simon Says!: Where Do You Write?

Simon Says!: Where Do You Write?: Where do you write? This is a photo of my desk, where some of my writing is done. It's where most of my administration stuff is tackled: ...

Random

Spring cleaning has turned to summer cleaning in our house, hence a un-writerly summer! I have been working on a couple of ideas for children's novels, and I did enter the Greenhouse Funny Prize, but alas, I wasn't funny enough. Next big goal to work towards is getting my entry ready for the Mslexia Children's Novel Competition, it's almost ready just a few more tweaks to go.

http://www.mslexia.co.uk/whatson/msbusiness/ncomp_active.php

I'm going to have to start writing down some of the random nonsense my children ask me, they come up with some fantastic ideas. My 11 year old often looks pensive then fires off questions at me, the other week it was "Do moths have hearts? If they had hearts like ours their chests would explode in seconds!"

The things that trouble a young boy's mind!

Jane Wenham-Jones' book Wannabe a Writer is free on Amazon Kindle today :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wannabe-Writer-hilarious-informative-ebook/dp/B008J0BTGW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342902221&sr=1-1

womagwriter's blog: Public Lending Right petition

womagwriter's blog: Public Lending Right petition: Please take a look at this petition to protect the organisation which handles Public Lending Right in the UK, and sign it if you agree with...

It's been a busy time since my last post, with birthdays and a funeral and life in between! Life definitely gets in the way of writing. My daughter Poppy, at the tender age of 5 will be making her first entrance into the world of writing very soon. She is having a review of a Babar the Elephant book published in the next issue of Anorak magazine for children. I shall post as soon as I receive a copy.

I've started work on another children's book. This time I'm aiming to have it ready for The Greenhouse Literary Agency competition, who are looking for something humorous. I'm surprised I've never actively attempted humour seeing as my biggest inspiration to write from an early age was Roald Dahl.

I must go and finish my writing for Wombourne Writer's Group tonight. I've had a month and as usual it's a last minute affair!

For a bit of inspiration here's Roald Dahl's writing chair...