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| The entrance to a new pestestrain walkway/cycle path |
So, what have I been doing since I last blogged? Well, since finishing my poetry challenge I decided that it was high time I finished one of the novellas I've been writing. I chose to work on the dystopian one I began last year, and yes, I've completed the first draft. Hang out the flags! It needs a lot of work, some scenes will need a re-write and the ending probably needs more work.
In the last throws I decided to go at it in Bruce Willis style - all guns blazing (Die Hard is my favourite movies). I just sat down and wrote without really thinking, and strangely it worked. I found myself with different exit statagies for my characters as things fell into place. I wrote the final chapter in one almightly splurge and refused to stop until it was done, afraid I would lose the momentum. Now I have to leave it for a while to settle.
The other novella is set over a Christmas period and I think that will have to wait until at least October. I can't get into it yet. Besides, another year won't matter. This has been on and off for about three years already.
Since completing my poetry challenge I have writted only two poems, both on the same day. I've not even typed them up yet. They sit in my note book.
With yet more rejections I'm not really submitting anymore. I know this sounds awful, but I can't be bothered. At some point I will look into self publishing, but I'm not ready yet. I've cancelled one writing magazine subscription as I barely read it anymore. What I have been enjoying instead is writing my travel blog over on WordPress, though travel is out at present, I have been using archive pictures about trips in the past. In the last couple of weeks I've also been exploring local places. Because I have to walk everywhere (we don't have a car) I have to make sure I allow myself the energy and time to walk back. So walks between two and three hours! It's been wonderful. I found a great field of horses I didn't know existed adjoining a park where my boys used to play Little League.
I enjoy finding out the history of places and writing about them. I'm an avid photo taker, just ask my Facebook friends! I can honestly say that since lockdown I've taken far more photos than usual. I take loads in my garden, always looking for new angles, something unusual, and in the last few days I've been cloud watching. I've been reading The Cloudspotter's Guide along with The Cloud Collector's Handbook (both my the same author).
I am now jogging every other day. Some days it takes an effort to get going, but the weather has been so good that being out early (anywhere from 6.30 - 7.30am) is brilliant. I've been running for six weeks now, and no it doesn't get any easier. I split the park into five sections, with the first section being the longest run without stopping. The legs are doing well, but the lungs still heave. The other four sections are short sections. At some point it might be good to try and join two together, but for now I'm happy my knees haven't given up and I'm able to maintain that first section goal.
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| The park where I run |
Every Monday I avidly watch Grayson Perry's Art Club and I always do a picture on the theme of that week, even if it is rubbish, my picture, not the theme. At the moment I seem happier working with pencil, pen marker, felt tips and coloured pencils, and sometimes charcoal. Here are my last four pictures.
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| Rizzo |
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My book pile is reducing dramatically, and I found a pile of poetry books/magazines while I was delving into drawers and cupboards. I think soon I shall be adding books from my wish-list, especially as I have only around four novels left to read. Everything else is non fiction, but rather long non fiction!
Oh, and the songwriting course is going well. I have completed the fourth week of six, have put a melody to the tutors words, recorded it on my laptop and uploaded it to Soundcloud - so proud! I got some good comments. I have written lyrics for my own song and have tried putting it to a melody, but still working on that. This has taken me way back to those days of writing in my bedroom at home. Very strange feeling.
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