Wednesday 6 June 2012

IWSG, an offer and an award!

Accepting an award is the best way to counteract insecurity, so I'm going to give you two very distinct parts to today's post.

If you're not familiar with the Internet Writer's Support Group, on the first Wednesday of every month, we share our insecurities! Just click on the logo and it'll take you to Alex's sign up page.

I am insecure this month because everyone is writing and editing, and taking part in CampNaNo or BuMoWriMo, and I haven't written anything new for a long time. At first, I was resting my novel over April because I was somewhat otherwise engaged, but it's now June... and I've only written three brand new paragraphs. As for my novel, it's still asleep, snoring its head off on the shelf. Perhaps that's the reason I can't concentrate?

Please don't feel you have to respond to my inability to write... I've already mentioned the problem a couple of times, and had lots of great advice; I've also given advice to people in the same situation. So I know what to do, I'm just struggling to get my mojo and my muse to cooperate...


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So, enough of that... now for the offer...
Michelle Gregory over at Beautiful Chaos is giving away print and e-book versions of her novel Eldala as part of her IWSG post this month - to people who are fully signed up on the Support Group linky list.

Kieran’s blood boils every time he hears about the abuse handed down by Teleria’s nobility. But years of hiding in his father’s smithy have taught him to avoid trouble. Content with being a blacksmith, the only disruptions in his well-ordered life are his disturbing dreams. It isn’t until his twentieth birthday, when he receives a mysterious letter and sword from King Arathor – the man who claims to be his real father – that he wonders if his dreams have become reality. If he believes Arathor, he will have a chance to end a twenty-year curse over Teleria, and free the people from King Rahnak’s oppression. But it could also mean giving up his quest to find the mysterious woman with whom he shares an intimate heart connection.

Please go and visit her, if you haven't already!


But, before you do...
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Here's the lovely award I was given last week by the lovely Teresa Morgan who blogs at The Wittering Woman.

To accept this award, I must tell you five things about myself, and pass the award along to five people. I've decided not to pass this award on, because I passed an award recently, and I find it so hard to choose who should get them. I think you're all fabulous... so in the best tradion of copping out, please feel awarded if you so wish!

Because the sunshine makes me happy, here are five other things that made me happy in the last few days.


  1. Today was a really fantastic hair day. The type of day when you do a double-take in the mirror because your hair looks so good!
  2. I sat in the sun, in a pub beer garden, on Monday afternoon, listening to Hubby's gig and drinking Pimms.
  3. When the sun went in and it got cold, I snuggled #2 son into my jacket to keep him warm.
  4. I had the best workout at the gym the other day - it fell on just the right side of total exhaustion, and I didn't ache the next day!
  5. I sat at watched the Jubilee floatilla on TV with my dad on Sunday. Just me, him and some sarcastic comments about the commentary - perfect!
Thanks for this award Teresa - it really made my day!

60 comments:

  1. Sunshine makes me happy too. Unfortunately, I haven't seen it in days. Fortunately, thought, there's some scheduled for next week.

    Congrats on the award and good luck with your muse...

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    1. Thanks M.J - we had torrential rain this morning, it was amazing, but I'm ready for more sun now.

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  2. Ick, once you stop writing for a while it is difficult to get back into it. :( I hope the muse comes back soon! :D

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  3. i started BunoWrimo and then copped out because there was a serious story problem and rushing ahead wasn't going to fix it. thanks again for the mention.

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  4. I don't participate in the BuNoWriMo or NaNoWri challenges or any other challenges either. I just like to do things at my own pace which means I'll have a few weeks of not writing between larger projects (when I read), then catch up in a month. It's just the way I work, but I do try to write every day.
    Hope your mojo and muse find you soon :)

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    1. Thanks Marta. I've got a few Kindle books backing up, so I think starting one of those is a good idea!

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  5. Congratulations on the award!
    I took a break after my second book and then wondered if I'd ever write again. It just took time to find the drive again.
    And sorry I missed you! I added your name to the list.

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    1. Thanks Alex. You prove the fact that writers will always write again - it is just a matter of time.

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  6. Congratulations on the award. It is always great to know more about you. The soaking up the sun part sounds great, as it is raining here.

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  7. Don't feel so bad. I'm in the same place with the writing. Usually I don't NOT write, but I haven't had a chance to in the last week. My wip is out with beta readers, and I'm afraid to start editing my new first draft which has been on vacation for a while. But this has to do with getting too involved in it, and then having to go back to editing the other wip once I get the feedback.

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    1. I can completely understand why you need to keep the focus on your wip. I hope you don't have to wait too much longer.

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  8. Didn't the flotilla bring a lump to your throat? The age of the royals, who smiled through what must have been total discomfort, sets a wonderful example of what we can hope to achieve. Okay, the poor prince suffered a set-back the following day and I understand why. I heard that hundreds of people were taken ill afterwards. All that rain and not enough time to take breaks for bodily comforts would affect the best of us.

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    1. That's why I don't tend to like large crowds - I know I'd never be able to hold on! I was impressed by all the rowers, they still looked strong at the end.

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  9. I was in a revisory funk over two separate novels for over eight months. Then, things happened in May to help me get on track.

    I wrote 8,000 words of new material in the last two days. Sometimes not working -- for an embarrassingly long time -- leads to anti-writer's block.

    Take heart, Annalisa.

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    1. I'm impressed with your 8000 words! I like the sound of anti-writer's block, and I'll be waiting for it :-)

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  10. You know, sometimes it really is okay to take a real break. Yeah, I know two months is really long, but sometimes you need to accept that. I took a break too (so I could spend most of a month freaking out). Yes it was hard to get back to it. Breaks are good.

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    1. I've taken the time to have some long lunches with Hubby (it's so good he works from home too on these lovely sunny days!), perhaps I just need to embrace them a bit more. Thanks Rena!

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  11. Sounds like a fab few days - apart from the gym part :-P

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    1. Lol - no, loved the gym part!! I accept I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to the gym, though :-D

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  12. Congrats on your award!

    I agree with Rena: writing breaks are good--and necessary. They rejuvenate us for the next bout of frantic writing. :)

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    1. Thanks Dana. I'm looking forward to frantic writing!

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  13. Sounds like you're off to a great start this summer! Congratulations on the award. :) And I'm sure the words will start flowing soon. Maybe summer will help. Everything freezes up in the winter. ;)

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    1. I had a flurry of editing over the winter, so there wasn't time to freeze up. Perhaps I'm having an unseasonal 'winter'?

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  14. If your hair looks good, then it shows you're healthy! All that sitting in pub gardens LOL. I also watched the Queen sailing down the Thames and wasn't surprised one of them got ill the next day. It was fantastic though and I'll never forget that poor choir looking like drowned rats as they belted out Land of Hope and Glory. Weren't they good? And the fly past yesterday!!! My Dad was on the Lancasters in WW2 and I got all tearful to see one over Buckingham Palace...

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    1. I missed the fly past! I completely forgot about it. But after the boats and music and fireworks, I was pretty Jubileed out. Lancasters are amazing machines.

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  15. Yes, May was such a blur, it really surprised me when I realised how long it had been since I'd written anything! I wasn't expecting the A-Z to put me so much out of synch.

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  16. I'm with you - I haven't written anything new in ages. I'm starting to feel really, really bad about that. Must. Start. Writing!

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  17. Haha, my novels spend a lot of time "resting" as well.

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  18. I am a bit dry myself, at least with fiction. But, speaking of sunshine, it's really beautiful out today in Queens, NY, and I should head out to get some exercise. Maybe that'll stir some creative juices. Thanks for the post.

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    1. Thanks for visiting - I hope you enjoyed the sun!

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  19. Ugh, i'm right there with you. I'm participating in BuNo and i haven't written one word yet. I've just been so damn busy. Sigh

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    1. That's what I fear would happen to me, if I signed up! Hope you get started soon.

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  20. even if you arent writing, i hope you are taking time for yourself! the mojo will return!

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    1. Thanks Tara. I'm taking the time to meet friends for coffee and help my sister with wedding arrnagements. Two and a half weeks to go, and then I won't have the wedding excuse anymore!

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  21. I second what Tara says. Fill yourself up with frivolity so you're stores are filled up.

    Nice on the sunshine. We have sun today, but it's not very warm ... still. Not unusual for here this time of year though.

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    1. Frivolity is such a lovely word! We're really warm when the sun's out, but freezing when the clouds come. That's England for you!

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  22. It always seems as if my hair only looks great right before I go to bed.

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  23. Congrats on the award! I know how you feel about losing your mojo.

    Allison (Geek Banter)

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    1. Thanks Allison - I hope yours isn't missing for too long :-)

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  24. Well, I hope they're having a great time so that when they come back to us they're full of enthusiasm and inspiration :-)

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  25. Just reading your list made me feel happy. Especially the Monday afternoon, sounds like heaven. :)

    Congrats on the award and thanks for the heads up on Michelle's blog, I'm not familiar with her and her book sounds great, definitely one to check out.

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    1. It was heaven, Julie... such a difference from today with its weather warnings!

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  26. I love your list. I hope you start writing again soon. Sometimes I just have to push through. I find the longer I stay away from writing... the harder it is to write. Good luck. :)

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    1. Thanks Jessica - I'm just hoping I haven't seized up altogether!

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  27. You should have no insecurities. Your book was awesome!

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  28. Sounds like you had a banner week!

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  29. Congrats on the award! And hey, I'm not writing or doing BuNo, so take heart.

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  30. Part of a support group is to let you know you're not alone and I can definitely relate to going for weeks without writing much. It's a challenge to get back into it. Thanks for stopping by my blog and see ya next month!

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    1. Thanks Jennifer. I think I'm seeing the end of my tunnel - another couple of weeks and I'll be itching to write again - fingers crossed!!

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  31. Better late than never (from IWSG). First, congrats on the award. I have that one, love the photo!

    Next, we all get into writing funks, it will pass. I'm doing the August Camp NaNo and I'm terrified!!!

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    1. Thanks Donna - I'm starting to emerge from my tunnel. Good luck with Camp NaNo!

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