Solid Snowy Sunday

Image: Melle Plante

It took around 20 minutes from waking up to remember that I sold Stella yesterday, and that it is going to be published. It’s a great feeling, and today when I actually signed the contract, I felt like I had achieved something; an unexpected step forward at a time when it couldn’t have come any sweeter.

After some fresh coffee and a bagel, I got down to work on reformatting the Stella manuscript for the publisher’s requirements. I also started preparing the material they sent me that has to go off to the different departments: the copy editors, cover artists, and of course, the marketers.

I got a lot of that done before pausing to watch the rugby, and witnessing another demolition of the Scotland international squad. This time it was Wales, the current Six Nations champions who came to Murrayfield and humped us, threatening at one point to over-run us completely. Thankfully, they took their foot of the pedal on the last twenty minutes and we managed to pull the score back slightly.

After the rugby it was into Blood Ties. The writing is coming out slower in this period, but I’m not letting it put me off. I’m just going with it and pushing it, but not forcing it. There’s so much going on in the story it’s so hard to keep up, I’m making full use of my large notepad and the whiteboard on my wall.

I entered a competition; an especially written poem for the We’re 15! Competition at Writer’s Relief, and I got my newsletter out – late, but better than never. I also update my website – Stella has its own page already – check Stella out here.

When I finished doing all my work it was around half past ten; a full and solid day’s work writing, and it felt great. I stood up at my desk to stretch and couldn’t believe my eyes: in front of me, two inches of snow had landed silently outside my window and was still falling; the garden and surrounding area a complete blanket of white with a low mist hanging over it. It was quite beautiful, but tomorrow could be a slippery day!

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