My daughter Rosie (in the blue top) playing football & closely marking her opponent (so closely that they look like they’re holding hands in this photo!)

My last few posts have been author interviews – which have been fun and informative – but I’ve missed having a chat with you all.

I’m still busy writing. I’ve started a new WIP whilst awaiting the next round of editing for The Divine Pumpkin. I’ve also sent the publisher two more novels to see if they are interested, so my writing life is jam packed, and I love it. Writing truly makes me excited, even if it’s hard going at times.

Rosie (daughter #2) trains every Saturday and plays a match every Sunday in the under 15yr girls’ team. We get very involved watching the team play, especially as they are really bonding as a team now. This is a passionate interest for Rosie, something I feel we all should have, whatever that may be. It keeps us sane.

I’m avidly reading, and joining Goodreads is a must for all writers. It’s a great way to connect with other readers and writers, and a way to share recommended books to read. This author lark takes up a lot of time!

Facebook is still a foe to me. I have fits and starts with it. I feel so much closer to people on Twitter, whereas FB seems to be like an alien planet to me but one I must persist with. Again, authors need a fan page on FB so it’s another must for us all.

The sunny weather has lightened my disposition so that I can inject a bit of humour in my writing – I’m trying not to be too dark in places, although the dark side will inevitably rear it’s ugly head from time to time.

Daughter #1 is going to a chemistry lecture tonight at Cambridge University, and daughter #2 is on her way home, so I must evolve into the mother role until I can tap away at the keys again later this evening.

Welcome to the new followers – I appreciate the support from you all.

Happy Word Flow One & All.

Word Game Pics from Windygig.

I find myself in the position of editing one novel with an Editor, and having sent in two more synopsis to the publisher to see whether they like one or both novels. So where does that leave me now? Book one comes out in May and book two and three may or may not be liked, but they are already written, so the plots are already worked out.

I was contemplating waiting for the publisher to get back to me, but that leaves me with little focus. “Write a short story,” I hear you cry, but believe you me, my skill at short story writing is minimal, I’m far too verbose for such writing. I do dabble with them, but that’s not where my heart resides.

I have a leather-bound notebook with ideas for future novels, and a box which contains articles and paper cuttings to fuel inspiration. The thing is, I have a lot of ideas, so where to begin?

Some ideas may already be over used by other authors, and others may not hold enough power to last a whole novel.
Some ideas just don’t feel right for right now. When I jotted them down, I had a flutter in the heart, but today, they leave me cold.
Some ideas have been lurking around for so long without enticing me before now, so maybe they should be moved to the bottom of the pile to mature like a fine wine.
Some ideas need a fair amount of research as I know little about the topic, and perhaps I’m not ready to commit to such a mammoth task.

But some ideas keep yelling “pick me, pick me” and so I give them another look. They get my creative river flowing, but I only need one for now. One. That’s enough to start the journey into another fictional world.
And that is a very exciting prospect. I love creating characters and the world they live in, and I hope that readers will one day enjoy soaking up my words and worlds.

Happy Word Flow One & All.

As the writer and creator of a fictional world with fictional characters, it’s important to know each character well, otherwise they are less believable to the reader.
An ancient African proverb states that, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. This means that every individual is influenced by the people around them; how they interact, how they view the world, how they view themselves – the list is endless.

In order to get to know my characters, I use large note cards to write down not only the physical aspects of each person, but also their personality traits and any common phrases or words they use, to distinguish each person to the reader. As I write, other personality traits may emerge, so I note them down as believing I will remember them all has failed me in the past. I also note their ages and birthdays – as a birthday party can be a great backdrop for gathering numerous characters together. I also note down what a character likes to drink and what hobbies they have. I may not use every detail I have noted down, but I do at least get to know my characters well – whether I like them or not!

If you would find it easier, you could make a list of questions to answer regarding each character. For example, what is the character’s weakness? who do they turn to when they have a problem? who or what makes them angry? what hurdle do they have to overcome in life? how do they relax? These are just suggestions and only a few at that, you’ll use many more to make your character well-rounded.

Welcome to the new followers & Happy Word Flow One & All.

Sherry Foley’s new novel ‘Switched in Death’ is released today. Here is an interview with Sherry, talking about her writing experience and process. I would like to thanks Sherry for taking the time to participate in this interview, and wish her all the luck in the world for her novel. Enjoy!