Bad Month for WritingOh, no! It’s time for the 5 Year Project monthly update.
Sadly, I’ve not achieved much over the past two months, from the point of view of writing. Family and life events have taken all my attention. Continue reading “September update: mostly moving”
What I’ve learnt from writing guest posts for other people.
This year I’ve written three guest blogs, and contributed a small section to a fourth one. I thought it would be useful to reflect on the process and consider what value, if any, came from writing these pieces. The posts were all based on my coastal walking adventures, but covered a number of different topics:
Most of my attention over the past few months has been focused on getting my non-fiction book, Walking the English Coast, ready for publication.
I’m taking part in Misha and Beth’s Five Year Project and my five-year goal is to write a novel and get it published.
Most of my attention over the past few months, however, has been focused on getting my non-fiction book, Walking the English Coast, ready for publication.
And there are several other projects I ‘ve been working on. Here’s an update:-
I’m making progress on my non-fiction book, Walking the English Coast, with an anticipated publication date in June… maybe.
I’m taking part in Misha and Beth’s Five Year Project and my five-year goal is to write a novel and get it published.
But this month my entire focus has been on getting my non-fiction book, Walking the English Coast, ready for publication.
My original intention was to publish this book in May, ready for the summer hiking season. That deadline has, of course, slipped. Maybe it will be published in June… maybe.
Continue reading “May Update: 5 year writing project”
The passage of time has really helped me to take an objective view of my novel. Now I know what to do and am making the necessary changes.
I’m taking part in Misha and Beth’s Five Year Project and my five-year goal is to write a novel and get it published. This is my update on progress this month with my novel, The Reluctant Scribe.
My most recent – and most helpful – critique was by a retired professor of English literature. She suggested my character needed more reflection and more internal dialogue in certain places. And she thought the ending was too abrupt (another reader made the same comment).
I printed off the whole thing and read it through again. It’s 5 months since I last did this, and the passage of time really helped me take an objective view. The final decisions made by my main character seemed obvious to me at the time of writing, but with the benefit of distance I realise that the story would be made stronger with more exposition.
Showing is great. But sometimes you have to do a little telling too!
Ruth Livingstone 