I did it!

Oh the power of making a promise in writing  for all to read on one's blog. Yesterday, I vowed to change my wicked ways. I vowed to put my head down, apply superglue to my backside and get stuck into my writing. And, what do you know, I did.

It wasn't easy. I resisted. I struggled. I complained. But I persevered. And I made a vital discovery.

I was working on a chapter book that I was asked to rework. The editorial feedback was spot on - it all made perfect sense, but every time I came to one particular section of the plot, I became stuck. I couldn't find a satisfying way forward. I studied my characters' motivations, their actions and reactions. I tried a dozen different approaches, but I just couldn't crack it.

It was time for some drastic action. So I gave the whole story an almighty shake up - rearranged the order of events, changed the focus of the story slightly and voila! My problems were more or less solved.

I have had a wonderful weekend of writing. The story I have been agonising about for months has been reworked and polished. Tomorrow I may think it all sucks - but regardless, I have made REAL progress.

Thank you, oh blogosphere. Probably no one even read yesterday's promise to myself - but it doesn't matter, it did the trick. The drought is broken. And I am thankful.

Clocking up the Hours

For the past week or so, I have been on holidays from my "day job" and have been busy working on some major revisions to my middle grade novel To the Feral Tree. I have to say, that I have been thoroughly enjoying the process and have been really proud of myself, especially with the amount of energy and focus I have been able to maintain each and every day.

I'm not sure whether it is the change in routine, or whether it is because I have a deadline and a limited amount of "writerly" time to make that deadline, but I have been hammering away at the keyboard for between 8 - 14 hours each day for the past nine days (plus a few similar random days over the Christmas / New Year period). I have to tell you, this is some kind of record for me. I am the one who usually manages an hour or three, then suddenly remembers that she must mop that floor, or ring her sister, or get some groceries ...

I think it was Edison that said "success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration". If this is the case, then I have certainly put in the perspiration for this project, here's hoping the inspiration doesn't let the team down.

Nevertheless, it is back to the "day job" and I will be hopping onto the 7.10 train tomorrow, secure in the knowledge that the revised manuscript is already in my editor's inbox. Yay!

And the best part is, I am all fired up and itching to get on to my next project. Double yay!