Happy Easter/Sunday!

It’s the Easter long weekend and we’ve been celebrating birthdays as well as getting together with family, so I am pretty much on holiday today!

I will write a post after the next birthday celebration, which is tomorrow, but for now I will say good night.

For those celebrating Easter I hope you have had a wonderful day, for those who are not, I hope you have had a wonderful day too!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

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Week 190 – A day late and full of chocolate!

Well, I did say I might not post until Monday and here I am!

Here in the UK there’s a national holiday for Good Friday and Easter Monday so I’ve tried to cram a lot in over the four-day weekend. Amongst other things I’ve done community work, spent time with my husband’s family, seen my own family, spent time gardening and done some writing (well, I had to fit it in somewhere…!).

I tend not to talk about religion on this blog – everyone’s views are their own and I respect their rights and privacy – so the only other thing I’ll say about Easter itself is that I have eaten far too much (especially of chocolate – maybe for the last time) but very much enjoyed being a spectator to an Easter Egg Hunt!

I managed to watch the tv show I saw filmed; most of the contentious, political content was edited out but it still ended up as a good show. Just more middle of the road.

It got me thinking about challenging writing. My style isn’t inherently challenging: I’m not trying to change any world views with my work.

As long-time readers know that has bothered me in the past and occasionally I do feel I should push the boundaries more – be more political, more divisive, more assertive in talking about the rights and wrongs I see and feel around me.

It’s not going to happen with my current work but the longer I’m away from one thing, and the less time I have to write given all my other responsibilities and activities, the more I think I should pursue that side of me. If it comes to nothing so be it, but I have nothing to lose in trying.

Even more reason to get the whodunnit done soon, hey?!

In other news – I missed book 79: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark.  I haven’t read it but it’s a name that has hovered in my consciousness since I was at school, so I think I ought to at some point!  Book 80 is Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.  It’s never appealed to me but reading the article has piqued my interest, and I had no idea about the debate over the title, because catch-22 is a phrase that gets used and understood in everyday conversation.  I guess, like George Orwell, Heller has had an unexpected influence on English.

I’m going to leave it there for today, as I’ll be posting again tomorrow!  I hope those of you who have had a long weekend have enjoyed yourselves and made some happy memories, and for all those who didn’t – well I hope you had a great time anyway!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

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Week 140 – It’s Hip to be Ovoid!

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate Easter; Happy April 20th to those of you who don’t 🙂

We had the annual Easter Egg Hunt (confined to the house this year due to the untimely rain) and I thought you might like to see the eggs that my nieces and nephews found dotted about!

It’s been another week of barely any writing but I’m giving myself this one off without guilt – I’ve been very run down and under the weather and I needed the rest. I’ll do what I can over the next few days but even with the last couple of weeks being slow I feel I’m in an ok position to start planning the next novel.

I have however thrown a little light on the Woods novel – I’ve decided to share it, or at least parts of it, with my writing group to see whether they can give me any advice or guidance about how to develop it. The first part has gone out to the group, asking for comments to be shared at our meeting next week.  I hope they are kinder to me than I generally am to myself!

So the next few days will be a catch-up with the agents, packing all the resources I need for my retreat, and making sure I have a couple of decent folders to put all my scribbles and references into!

In other news – Book 30 on the list is The Red Band of Courage by Stephen Crane; a book I’ve never heard of and which doesn’t sound my cup of tea at all – I generally try to avoid war novels – so it’s unlikely to go on my list.  What I found interesting this week, though, is the thoughts around the next seventy are still being finalised.  I like the idea that it’s an organic thing, growing and changing over time: that’s how I find my own reaction to books, sometimes loving one I hated as a child, or seeing through the melodrama that blinded me in my youth.  Looking back at books with the eyes of an older person does make you read them differently.  Which is good really – we all want to grow and change!

And finally – As of next Sunday, I am away for a week.  I will try to blog and post where I can, but please bear with me if I miss a day or two.  I am over-excited about getting back to the retreat again – I hope it’s just as lovely even if the weather isn’t.  I’m packing my hiking boots and a waterproof!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

 

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