Pandemic. Covid19. Masks. Washing hands. Social Distance. Death rates. Covid Cases. Prime Minister's announcements. Lockdown. Job losses. Economic Crisis. Stay Home. Cheer for the NHS. Food banks. Captain Tom. Fundraising. Regional lockdowns. Black lives matter. Herd immunity. Schools & University returns. Social bubbles. Pubs close early. Elderly. Virus carriers. Mental Health matters. Sanitizer.
These words and phrases are just some of the things that have been in my brain, and probably everyone else's thoughts, since about February this year. 2020 will be written in the history books of the future. As a compulsive writer I started a new notebook in March and wrote in it each day thinking this event was too big to cope with. Writing my thoughts down has long been a way of safeguarding my mental health - once its on paper it's out of my head and therefore I can get on with the day. I have now begun a second notebook as the situation has continued far longer and devastatingly than I could imagine. But adapting to a new way of being, I turned days into opportunities to rest, read, write and walk. My four favourite pastimes.
Zoom's, Skype and FaceTime have become a 'norm'. Ordering food and any other needs on-line I am now adept at. You may have thought that as a writer I would have by now become a published author. I have not been idle, everyday new challenges abound and both novel 1 and 2 have been attended to. I have also had on-line workshops to attend. Here's my progress report -
- I had a letter printed in The People's Friend Magazine and a book review published in the SWWJ journal. Yay.
- I have read and reviewed lots of books on this blog site, Goodreads and Amazon.
- Novel 1 - I had a very good meeting with Laura Williams, Literary Agent via Blue Pencil Agency zoom conference. Having sent Novel 1 to several publishers/agents over previous years, this zoom inspired me to revamp my synopsis and covering letter which, together with the first 50 pages, has gone off to her for her consideration to accompanying me onto publication.
- Novel 2 - that fact that I've sent Novel 1 off to several publishers/agents and received rejection letters has not put me off. However the time it takes to do each submission delays me getting on with Novel 2. Each submission is unique. Each covering letter, synopsis and manuscript has a unique requirement from the publisher/agent. So many words, include this, single/double spaced manuscript, first three chapters, first 5,000 words, first 50 pages etc. etc. So work on Novel 2 gets delayed. However, I can report I am back on it and up to 40,000 words. Ideas are scribbled on notepaper and although I pencil in times to be in my garden cabin to write, other things creep in and now I am having to limit my zoom workshops as, as useful as they are, they are a distraction to ACTUALLY writing.
Here's some of the zoom meetings I have attended:
- Tamworth Writers - weekly
- Writing for Wellbeing - monthly
- Facebook Live & Tamworth Bookclub - meet the author events
- Society of Author events
- Society of Women Writers & Journalists events
- Writing West Midlands events
- Writers & Artists events
- Swanwick Writers Summer School events
- Birmingham, Derby & Bristol Literary Festival events
The advantage of Zoom meetings is not having to travel to venues! But of course the downside is that you don't meet people in person and I'm quite a sociable person.
My next blog will be about the walks I have done during this year - A Year to Remember. But in the meantime here are two 'pause for thought' pictures:
