Chapter One ............. Eventually

Firstly I would like to thank both Lacey and Suzanne for their lovely comments - yes I should be replying to them in the comments section of the previous post but for some reason Blogger won't let me!  You may have not forgotten me Suzanne but I think Blogger has!

So the first chapter............

Cue the Pointer Sisters and all together now everyone:  "I'm so excited!  And I just can't hide it!  I'm about to lose control and I think I like it!"

Then cue me:

Sitting down in front of the computer.

Forgetting my coffee.

Justifying surfing the internet because I can't really be expected to sip super hot coffee and write at the same time.

Finding inane videos on YouTube to watch, snorting in contempt at what people are willing to screen to the entire world but then scanning the suggested videos for more.

Realising that it is now lunch time and I can't possible write on an empty stomach.

Stuffing myself Eating lots of healthy salad and falling asleep on the couch while trying to tell myself that I am  working through the "conflict issues" in my head.  With my eyes closed.  With a pillow and blankie.

Waking up and being shocked to find it's almost dinner time.

Preparing dinner all the while scolding myself for sleeping when I should have been plotting or conflicting or characterising or something.

Eating dinner in front of a blank page, doing my best to ignore the fact a semi-but-not-really interesting show is on tv.

Eating dessert (ahem of course it's fruit - strawberry ice cream counts doesn't it) in front of the tv looking for conflict ideas within the New York cop show that started after the semi-but-not-really interesting show that was on during dinner finished.

Realising that despite the nap I had this afternoon that I am actually stonkered* and that an early night means an early start and tomorrow I will really start writing.

Just as soon as I have breakfast........


Actually I did manage to get a first draft done - correction:  I got three first drafts done.  Two false starts where the beginning just didn't feel right so third time lucky and now I have a starting point for editing.

*stonkered = an Aussie term for really super dooper rooper tired.

Lazarus Calling

Bonjour! Je suis de retour.

I heard a voice crying in the wilderness...........well not the wilderness - more like cyberspace.......and it wasn't exactly crying - more like just making a statement.............and it wasn't just any old voice - it was Maisey Yates..........Okay enough! This is what she said:

"Due to the upcoming New Voices contest..."

And then everything went all fuzzy and I think I must have passed out with my eyes open and without actually losing consciousness because the next thing I remember is googling New Voices and seeing that they were running another competition.

So it's been like 19 weeks or something ridiculous since I last blogged.  Probably in blogging terms that's the equivalent to writing something hideous enough to offend every single last person on the planet and then expecting to have people waiting to read your next post - so if there's no one out there listening anymore, well that's cool, but I needed some time.

Okay so the quick story is my sister died.  We had time to prepare and we laid down some lovely memories with her but her death was still an awful shock.  I don't like to talk about it so if anyone is out there reading this, say a prayer for my family if you feel comfortable doing that or send some positive vibes my way but I'd prefer not to discuss it.  Instead I'd love to hear some encouragement regarding my writing.

See I thought that writing would be the one thing that I would be able to use as a viable distraction but it didn't turn out that way - I found it really hard to work up enough motivation to sit in front of the computer and when I managed that, what I did write was disjointed and I couldn't sustain one project for very long.

So I gave up.

I knitted and I cooked and I watched and read Jane Austen (my goto gal for literary comfort) and because of the cooking I sorta plumped out a bit a lot.  Cue the sit-down-and-have-a-serious-talk-with-yourself-about-your-diet-and-lifestyle chat.  Which was pretty awesome even if I do say so myself and now that I'm eating better and exercising fairly regularly I felt ready to start lurking around some of the sites that inspired me to start writing again in the first place (Maisey, Jackie, Megan Crane et al).

So I click on Maisey's site first and voila! I find that New Voices is running again and my first reaction is: omigodomigodomigodomigod squeeeeeeaaaaaallllllll.  Which surprised me really - in a nice way.

And now here I am, blogging again, writing again, wondering if people will remember me if I comment on their blogs, getting all psyched up to hear what the changes they made to the comp, getting all antsy about which idea I'm going to use...............

but most importantly:  I'm here.

:)