I’ve had a strange week in that my normal Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday morning off has had a bit of a tweak to help out my other half at work who needed to take Monday off. So this week I worked Monday but today as usual has been me at home with the place to myself and mistress of my own devices. As normal I’ve spent most of the day on the computer. I’ve put something together for a promotion on my writers’ website this coming weekend, placed a lost ad in the local rag for this week and caught up with e-mails and had a look at Twitter and Facebook. This latter two, essential for writers I know, gives me a constant headache. You seem to need so much time on both not only to pick up and reply but to post yourself – nightmare! It’s a plate spinning exercise that I never quite managed to get a grip on. Blogging is another thing, only more difficult as unless I have anything specific to talk about I really can’t get my head round what to write. There are so many people out there with absolutely wonderful blogs, am very envious of their skills, and of course it all helps improve your Twitter and Facebook following.
Outside the weather has been a mixture of sun/showers and blustery wind. The neighbours opposite are having extensive work done on their house and three vans have been there permanently most days with DIY SOS-type guys going in and out. Today a kitchen arrived – felt very envious as I know just how it feels to have a brand new kitchen with all fresh appliances. Oh yes and we’ve been strafed by the RAF twice with low-flying Hercules passing over just a little too close for comfort – part and parcel of living fairly near an RAF base I guess.
As I type my cat Max is still missing. Two weeks today and counting…. Still feeling upbeat as other cat owners have told me theirs have gone missing for much longer. Am glad in a way there is so much else going on in life to distract me, althought I have nights when I go to sleep and then wake up only to find I can’t get back to sleep again. The last one of these was Sunday night when I slept till 1.15 and the last time I looked at the bedside clock before drifting off again it was 3.45! And the worse thing of all was that I had to get up at 6am to go to work! However, I went through the day OK, not at all the zombie I thought I’d be. But anyway, while I was lying awake, thoughts were about Max, but then they managed to swing round to the new book. I had a start idea for it but it really wasn’t working. Not enough impact to draw the reader into the story. But as I lay there, another angle occurred to me and within half an hour I had a great beginning mapped out. I plan to begin writing this weekend and will still use the scenes from my original start ideas but put them further into the manuscript. So I guess some positive has come out of the negative which is good. I just wish that darned cat would put in an appearance!
JO LAMBERT 