It’s the summer.

What on earth could that mean?

Sunshine? Beer? BBQ’s?

No.

Six weeks of empty leisure time for The Three Year Old. Ergo a lot less writing time.

It’s a challenge writing with a child. I have tried early morning writing – mind crystal clear, eyes just about focusing- from 6.00 until 7.00 am. Then I hear ‘mummy the light has come on’ and it’s time to finish.  By breakfast, I’m flicking my cheek bones, shocking myself into existence. Evening arrives, and after a day of play and chores and whatever else, I’m done. It doesn’t help The Three Year Old resists going to sleep at all costs, more often the case I don’t sit down to write until 9.00 pm – by then the imagination has taken leave but I still try to push on through. I think it’s important to just write.

So with this lack of wordage time, I have been blogging and writing a lot less. In fact, I have taken the whole summer off from my main blog. The focus has been/has to be on the novel – a good thing. Every evening I have been pushing myself to write words, even if it’s only one hundred. And these last few weeks I experienced an emotional blockage which really impacted on my will to write and quality of writing. But it’s safe to say the men in brown overalls have been and gone and said blockage removed – it’s amazing how stress fudges the flow of words.

I am a slow writer, lucky if I make 1000 words in a day. So far, this summer I have managed about 1000 words a week, not great but better than an empty page. I originally set the aim of writing my first draft by the end of this year. Now I understand this isn’t a realistic goal. I am pleased to say that I have written about 25,000 words, so 50,000 by the New Year might be doable.

So what am I actually blathering on about here? What’s the subtext? I think it’s obvious – I’m shutting up shop until the autumn. I will see you mid September upon my return from The Writing Festival in York. I am going for the full three days. I can’t wait. There will be agents and publishers – I shall have to brave the (thank less) task of networking. I also have a one-on-one with a book doctor and agent arranged. Not nervous. Absolutely not.  No. And I’ve entered a couple of competitions with extracts from Four Gigs. Not holding my breath obvs.

So until then, tatty bye.

I will miss you.

I shall also miss the font on this blog.