Week 137 – The sum of its parts

This week has involved a lot of little bits that I hadn’t really planned for in advance.

Weeks like these are great writing weeks, because they’re so varied – but they’re also the weeks when it’s impossible to make a big stride forward in my work.

As I said on Thursday, I got an unexpected treat and went to France but there was a lot more going on than that…

I spent time with family; I held writing group and had the pleasure of welcoming a new writer to our little party; I did some work for the charity I support locally; I visited a medieval village and its castle gardens; I went out for dinner and to a club; I enjoyed Mothering Sunday with my parents and my partner’s parents over a vintage-style cream tea.

Those are just the headlines but you can see how a week like that means my mind is fluttering around like a butterfly and not focussed and pragmatic as I now need it to be.

But what’s life all about if you can’t experience all these moments?

One of my favourite songs is You Get What You Give by The New Radicals (for many years it was my getting-ready-to-go-out song) so I’m posting it here as a reminder that whatever happens to get in the way of my writing time I should make the very best of it I can.

Seize the moment – once it’s gone, it’s gone.

In other news – Book 27 on the list is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.  I read this book years ago, and the idea of a withered, malevolent, ugly painting in the attic still seems really creepy to me, so it did its work I guess!  I know it’s a story with a very clear moral at its core which isn’t to everyone’s taste, but I do think it’s worth reading if you haven’t done so.

Also – I got ‘tagged’ in a Facebook game this week.  I often ignore these but it was about 15 writers who have inspired or educated me.  This beats what character from a tv show are you type quizzes (not that I’m entirely immune to these either!) and it’s good to know people are willing to discuss writers through the social media bubble.  As an aside, I am now setting up my EJ Judge Facebook page after a couple of false starts so if you’re on there and want to have a look or ask me anything, please do 🙂

And finally – as it’s timely to talk about mothers today… I found this article about mothers in children’s literature.  I haven’t come across all these books but have to say that Mrs Weasley is exactly the kind of mother a boy like Harry might have dreamed of in his little cupboard under the stairs!

Until next time,

Happy writing!

EJ

🙂