A Collage for Lord Seabrook ~ Part 3

Here is the 3rd of my collage's for my next Regency romance 'Lord Seabrook Take a Bride'. This collage is a all about the rooms, namely the sitting room, dining room and ballroom.  There are a couple of other rooms I've added to the collage, but haven't named as these are not well be shared in greater detail with my next collage post.

Sandie

A Collage for Lord Seabrook ~ Part 2

Today I’m showing you four of Bella’s outfits with samples of the material and lace she has chosen.

The morning dress will be made of light blue swirl muslin and chalk blue muslin three quarter jacket. Her walking dress is made from a slightly heavier material in red with cream lace trim. The evening gown is made from rich embroidered silk and silk lace trim. Bella has chosen deep navy blue for her riding habit with military piping and buttons. Her carriage dress is a small red floral with a patterned hemline  and eggshell muslin over coat.     

Until next time.

Sandie

A Collage for Lord Seabrook ~ Part 1

Over the next few weeks I’m going to post collages I’ll be using when I start to write ‘Lord Seabrook Takes a Bride’. We are going to be working on collages at our next Hunter Romance Writers meeting as one of our topics of interest.

This collage is all about the house and the setting. As most of the story (as far as I know at this point) will take place at Lord Seabrook’s estate (name to be decided on), I have used only one house. I love Chatsworth House it has so much character, which is why I chose it for this novel. The floor plans are not of Chatsworth; I found them on another site and thought they would suit my needs perfectly. Also the pictures of the rooms are from all over the place, they just represent Regency living and the richness of the materials used to decorate a room.

Next week I’ll look at fashion with fabrics used to make dresses and accessories.

Sandie

Achieviing Goals (Not)

The goals I set at the beginning of the year are falling down around me like a stack of dominoes.

For the last two months I’ve had to ware a stupid hat at our Hunter Romance Writers group meetings, for not achieving my monthly goals. (And no I’m not posting any pictures) You would think after the first time it would be enough of a deterrent to make sure you were on track the following month. Not me. However, I just may have a better chance this month.

So, what have I been up to the last few months? Not much, both hubby and I have been unwell, and that sucks.

I have finally come up with a concrete conflict plot between my hero and heroine, thanks to a brainstorming session with my wonderful CP, Suz Hamilton.

I’ve been working on my VPA entry, although still undecided if I’ll enter. I did find out the other day I have more time than I originally thought before the contest opens. I think I have the synopsis right, or at least a lot better with the help of my Hunter Romance Writers girls. Thanks Ladies.

I’m now working on adding the introduction of the new conflict to the first three chapters.

Oh, I’m booked in for the RWA Gold Coast conference in August. So excited. Conference paid for and my breakout session picked out and booked in, hotel room booked for the week leading up to the conference and over the conference weekend. And I booked and paid for my flights the other day. So bring on August.

Until next time. Happy writing.

Sandie

2012 Goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR

New Years Day and time to set some goals for 2012. I’m not calling them New Year resolutions as I never keep those things. These are the goals I want and need to achieve this year. My best writing buddy Suz (S E Gilchrist) is big on setting goals, in fact not only does she keep track of her goals she is the minder of goals for our F2F writing group. She is also great at pushing me to reach for more when it come to what I need to achieve.

There’s that old saying writing your goals down so you are accountable, well here are my goals for 2012:

Writing:

Finish editing first 3 chapters of Lady Mounthall by 21^st January to send off to be critique by Michelle Styles.

Edit short story for anthology by 7^th January.

Finish writing and editing Lady Mounthall by 1^st July ready to pitch at RWA conference in August.

Enter Valerie Parv Awards.

Plot out next Regency romance.

Edit at least 2 of my contemporary romances.

Blog at least once a week.

Personal:

Loss 12kg by RWA conference or 31^st July.

Don’t spend as much this year.

Stay on top of housework (hate doing that).

Visit Mum at least once a week more if possible.

Spend time with my family as much as possible.

Okay that’s it for now. I’ll break these down into weekly and monthly goals I have this great new diary where I can write my goals for the year, month and week. I’m feeling very positive about this year. It’s full steam ahead.

Good luck with your goals.

Sandie

A Regency Monday Dinner

Today dinner is from the cookery pages of The Cook’s Oracle by William Kitchiner. On the menu for Monday’s dinner:

First course: Maigre or Vegetable Gravy Soup
Second course: Baked fowls, Parsley-and-butter, Cauliflower, Mash potato with Onions.
Third course: Baked Rice Pudding


FIRST COURSE:
MAIGRE, or VEGETABLE GRAVY SOUP.
INGREDIENTS:
3oz butter, 4oz onion, I turnip, 1 carrot, head celery, 4 quarts water, crust of bread, berries of allspice, black pepper, mace, cayenne.
MODE:

Put into a gallon stew-pan three ounces of butter; set it over a slow fire; while it is melting, slice four ounces of onion; cut in small pieces one turnip, one carrot, and a head of celery; put them in the stewpan, cover it close, let it fry till they are lightly browned; this will take about twenty-five minutes: have ready, in a sauce-pan, a pint of pease, with four quarts of water; when the roots in the stew-pan are quite brown, and the pease come to a boil, put the pease and water to them; put it on the fire; when it boils, skim it clean, and put in a crust of bread about as big as the top of a twopenny loaf, twenty-four berries of allspice, the same of black pepper, and two blades of mace; cover it close, let it simmer gently for one hour and a half; then set it from the fire for ten minutes; then pour it off very gently (so as not to disturb the sediment at the bottom of the stew-pan) into a large basin; let it stand (about two hours) till it is quite clear: while this is doing, shred one large turnip, the red part of a large carrot, three ounces of onion minced, and one large head of celery cut into small bits; put the turnips and carrots on the fire in cold water, let them boil five minutes, then drain them on a sieve, then pour off the soup clear into a stew-pan, put in the roots, put the soup on the fire, let it simmer gently till the herbs are tender (from thirty to forty minutes), season it with salt and a little Cayenne, and it is ready.


SECOND COURSE:
CAPONS or FOWLS
Must be killed a couple of days in moderate, and more in cold weather, before they are dressed, or they will eat tough: a good criterion of the ripeness of poultry for the spit, is the ease with which you can then pull out the feathers; when a fowl is plucked, leave a few to help you to ascertain this.
They are managed exactly in the same manner, and sent up with the same sauces as a turkey, only they require proportionably less time at the fire.
A full-grown five-toed fowl, about an hour and a quarter.
A moderate-sized one, an hour.
A chicken, from thirty to forty minutes.
STUFFING
Mince a quarter of a pound of beef suet (beef marrow is better), the same weight of bread-crumbs, two drachms of parsley-leaves, a drachm and a half of sweet marjoram or lemon-thyme, and the same of grated lemon-peel and onion chopped as fine as possible, a little pepper and salt; pound thoroughly together with the yelk and white of two eggs. Fill the craw of the fowl, &c.; but do not cram it so as to disfigure its shape.
PARSLEY and BUTTER
Wash some parsley very clean, and pick it carefully leaf by leaf; put a tea-spoonful of salt into half a pint of boiling water: boil the parsley about ten minutes; drain it on a sieve; mince it quite fine, and then bruise it to a pulp.
The delicacy and excellence of this elegant and innocent relish depends upon the parsley being minced very fine: put it into a sauce-boat, and mix with it, by degrees, about half a pint of good melted butter.
Cut two ounces of butter into little bits, that it may melt more easily, and mix more readily; put it into the stew-pan with a large tea-spoonful (i. e. about three drachms) of flour, (some prefer arrow-root, or potato starch), and two table-spoonfuls of milk.

do not put so much flour to it, as the parsley will add to its thickness: never pour parsley and butter over boiled things, but send it up in a boat.
CAULIFLOWER
Choose those that are close and white, and of the middle size; trim off the outside leaves; cut the stalk off flat at the bottom; let them lie in salt and water an hour before you boil them.
Put them into boiling water with a handful of salt in it; skim it well, and let it boil slowly till done, which a small one will be in fifteen, a large one in about twenty minutes; take it up the moment it is enough, a minute or two longer boiling will spoil it.
MASHED POTATOES with ONIONS
When your potatoes are thoroughly boiled, drain them quite dry, pick out every speck, &c., and while hot, rub them through a colander into a clean stew-pan. To a pound of potatoes put about half an ounce of butter, and a table-spoonful of milk: do not make them too moist; mix them well together.
Prepare some boiled onions by putting them through a sieve, and mix them with potatoes. In proportioning the onions to the potatoes, you will be guided by your wish to have more or less of their flavour.
THIRD COURSE:
RICE PUDDINGS BAKED, or BOILED
Wash in cold water and pick very clean six ounces of rice, put it in a quart stew-pan three parts filled with cold water, set it on the fire, and let it boil five minutes; pour away the water, and put in one quart of milk, a roll of lemon peel, and a bit of cinnamon; let it boil gently till the rice is quite tender; it will take at least one hour and a quarter; be careful to stir it every five minutes; take it off the fire, and stir in an ounce and a half of fresh butter, and beat up three eggs on a plate, a salt-spoonful of nutmeg, two ounces of sugar; put it into the pudding, and stir it till it is quite smooth; line a pie-dish big enough to hold it with puff paste, notch it round the edge, put in your pudding, and bake it three quarters of an hour: this will be a nice firm pudding.
If you like it to eat more like custard, add one more egg, and half a pint more milk; it will be better a little thinner when boiled; one hour will boil it. If you like it in little puddings, butter small tea-cups, and either bake or boil them, half an hour will do either: you may vary the pudding by putting in candied lemon or orange-peel, minced very fine, or dried cherries, or three ounces of currants, or raisins, or apples minced fine.
If the puddings are baked or boiled, serve them with white-wine sauce, or butter and sugar.


Tomorrow Mary Eaton joins us in the kitchen to deliver a healthy family meal.


Sandie

Eating in Regency & Victorian England Part 2

So, for the next week I will share with you a week’s menu for a family in Regency England.

First let’s look at some terms used in cooking, these come from Mrs. Beeton’s book on the Project Gutenberg site.

EXPLANATION OF FRENCH TERMS USED IN MODERN HOUSEHOLD COOKERY.

ASPIC.—A savoury jelly, used as an exterior moulding for cold game, poultry, fish, &c. This, being of a transparent nature, allows the bird which it covers to be seen through it. This may also be used for decorating or garnishing.

ASSIETTE (plate).—Assiettes are the small entrées and hors-d'oeuvres, the quantity of which does not exceed what a plate will hold. At dessert, fruits, cheese, chestnuts, biscuits, &c., if served upon a plate, are termed assiettes.—ASSIETTE VOLANTE is a dish which a servant hands round to the guests, but is not placed upon the table. Small cheese soufflés and different dishes, which ought to be served very hot, are frequently made assielles volantes.

AU-BLEU.—Fish dressed in such a manner as to have a bluish appearance.

BAIN-MARIE.—An open saucepan or kettle of nearly boiling water, in which a smaller vessel can be set for cooking and warming. This is very useful for keeping articles hot, without altering their quantity or quality. If you keep sauce, broth, or soup by the fireside, the soup reduces and becomes too strong, and the sauce thickens as well as reduces; but this is prevented by using the bain-marie, in which the water should be very hot, but not boiling.

BÉCHAMEL.—French white sauce, now frequently used in English cookery.

BLANCH.—To whiten poultry, vegetables, fruit, &c., by plunging them into boiling water for a short time, and afterwards plunging them into cold water, there to remain until they are cold.

BLANQUETTE.—A sort of fricassee.

BOUILLI.—Beef or other meat boiled; but, generally speaking, boiled beef is understood by the term.

BOUILLIE.—A French dish resembling hasty-pudding.

BOUILLON.—A thin broth or soup.

BRAISE.—To stew meat with fat bacon until it is tender, it having previously been blanched.

BRAISIÈRE.—A saucepan having a lid with ledges, to put fire on the top.

BRIDER.—To pass a packthread through poultry, game, &c., to keep together their members.

CARAMEL (burnt sugar).—This is made with a piece of sugar, of the size of a nut, browned in the bottom of a saucepan; upon which a cupful of stock is gradually poured, stirring all the time a glass of broth, little by little. It may be used with the feather of a quill, to colour meats, such as the upper part of fricandeaux; and to impart colour to sauces. Caramel made with water instead of stock may be used to colour compôtes and other entremets.

CASSEROLE.—A crust of rice, which, after having been moulded into the form of a pie, is baked, and then filled with a fricassee of white meat or a purée of game.

COMPOTE.—A stew, as of fruit or pigeons.

CONSOMMÉ.—Rich stock, or gravy.

CROQUETTE.—Ball of fried rice or potatoes.

CROUTONS.—Sippets of bread.

DAUBIÈRE.—An oval stewpan, in which daubes are cooked; daubes being meat or fowl stewed in sauce.

DÉSOSSER.—To bone, or take out the bones from poultry, game, or fish.
This is an operation requiring considerable experience.

ENTRÉES.—Small side or corner dishes, served with the first course.

ENTREMETS.—Small side or corner dishes, served with the second course.

ESCALOPES.—Collops; small, round, thin pieces of tender meat, or of fish, beaten with the handle of a strong knife to make them tender.

FEUILLETAGE.—Puff-paste.

FLAMBER.—To singe fowl or game, after they have been picked.

FONCER.—To put in the bottom of a saucepan slices of ham, veal, or thin broad slices of bacon.

GALETTE.—A broad thin cake.

GÂTEAU.—A cake, correctly speaking; but used sometimes to denote a pudding and a kind of tart.

GLACER.—To glaze, or spread upon hot meats, or larded fowl, a thick and rich sauce or gravy, called glaze. This is laid on with a feather or brush, and in confectionary the term means to ice fruits and pastry with sugar, which glistens on hardening.

HORS-D'OEUVRES.—Small dishes, or assiettes volantes of sardines, anchovies, and other relishes of this kind, served to the guests during the first course. (See ASSIETTES VOLANTES.)

LIT.—A bed or layer; articles in thin slices are placed in layers, other articles, or seasoning, being laid between them.

MAIGRE.—Broth, soup, or gravy, made without meat.

MATELOTE.—A rich fish-stew, which is generally composed of carp, eels, trout, or barbel. It is made with wine.

MAYONNAISE.—Cold sauce, or salad dressing.

MENU.—The bill of fare.

MERINGUE.—A kind of icing, made of whites of eggs and sugar, well beaten.

MIROTON.—Larger slices of meat than collops; such as slices of beef for a vinaigrette, or ragout or stew of onions.

MOUILLER.—To add water, broth, or other liquid, during the cooking.

PANER.—To cover over with very fine crumbs of bread, meats, or any other articles to be cooked on the gridiron, in the oven, or frying-pan.

PIQUER.—To lard with strips of fat bacon, poultry, game, meat, &c. This should always be done according to the vein of the meat, so that in carving you slice the bacon across as well as the meat.

POÊLÉE.—Stock used instead of water for boiling turkeys, sweetbreads, fowls, and vegetables, to render them less insipid. This is rather an expensive preparation.

PURÉE.—Vegetables, or meat reduced to a very smooth pulp, which is afterwards mixed with enough liquid to make it of the consistency of very thick soup.

RAGOUT.—Stew or hash.

REMOULADE.—Salad dressing.

RISSOLES.—Pastry, made of light puff-paste, and cut into various forms, and fried. They may be filled with fish, meat, or sweets.

ROUX.—Brown and white; French thickening.

SALMI.—Ragout of game previously roasted.

SAUCE PIQUANTE.—A sharp sauce, in which somewhat of a vinegar flavour predominates.

SAUTER.—To dress with sauce in a saucepan, repeatedly moving it about.

TAMIS.—Tammy, a sort of open cloth or sieve through which to strain broth and sauces, so as to rid them of small bones, froth, &c.

TOURTE.—Tart. Fruit pie.

TROUSSER.—To truss a bird; to put together the body and tie the wings and thighs, in order to round it for roasting or boiling, each being tied then with packthread, to keep it in the required form.

VOL-AU-VENT.—A rich crust of very fine puff-paste, which may be filled with various delicate ragouts or fricassees, of fish, flesh, or fowl. Fruit may also be inclosed in a vol-au-vent.

If you’re interesting in finding out more about the books I mentioned about just visit:

Google books, The Project Gutenberg or Gutenberg Australia –there are lots of book covering just about every topic you could imagine.

I hope you’ll come back tomorrow and see what is on the menu for Sunday dinner.

Sandie

Margie Lawson - Empowering Character's Emotions & Other Things

I am starting Margie Lawson’s ‘Empowering Character’s Emotions’ today, (well later tonight). I’m really looking forward to this course and hoping to be able to put the needed emotion into my characters and novels. There are a few Aussies doing the course with me, Diane Curran (who was the one to give me the push to the course on line), Suzanne Brandyn (Suz is one of my fellow NewMait members), Natalie Hatch, Shayne Collier (Shayne is a fellow Bootcamper), Chris Weston, Louise Ousby and Lesley Smith, I think that’s all of us so far.

Diane has set up a separate loop for us to be able to discuss the course between us, as well as talk about homework set down by Margie.

On the writing front, I’m moving forward slowly. I’m enjoying Paula Roe’s ‘A Novel in 3 Months’ and have managed to get myself into some form of routine. Writing a plan for each scene before I start writing each day is helping, so hopefully by the time I’m finished the editing won’t take too long in future.

‘Having Her Best Friend’s Baby’ is delivering a few surprises, like the parents from hell for my poor heroine. No wonder Lexie has issues. As for my hero, well he has enough on his plate trying to avoid his new step-mummy who has her sights set on him (this I did not see coming).
With my Regency romance, I’m really enjoying this one. Except for the fact that the heroine has changed her name three times LOL. H/H have had their first meeting and she is not impressed, he on the other hand has already started to work out ways to get the newly widowed Lady Mounthall into his bed.

I have the outlines with GMC and character charts on my novel blog if you’re interested.
Well that’s all my news for now.

Sandie

Writing by Mini Plotting

As you know I’m following Paula Roe’s, ‘A Novel in 3 Months’, you may also know that I’m a pantser, not a plotter. I may however have come across a way to be both. Twice a week Paula posts the steps she takes in getting her novel plotted and ready for writing. I’m taking those steps as well, it’s just that I’m writing as I’m plotting. Yes, so as not to upset my temperamental characters, each morning I plot (or draft) what I want to happen that day in the scenes I’m writing. So far, it’s working, I’ve had no hissy fits where my characters stop talking or just go off on a tangent of their own desire. I’m a happy girl.

I’m also a girl who is working on two novels, a contemporary and an historical, as well as editing for CC. I’ve split my days into three parts. In the morning I’m working on the historical, the aim is to complete one scene a day. The lengths vary so this is affecting my word count each day.

Did I mention I’m doing BIAW with the RWAus Historical loop? Well I am, you know what I’m like with challenges. Okay back to my daily routine.

After spending a couple of hours on my historical, I then move onto editing. I’m aiming for five pages a day. Seeing, as it is a novella of around 13,000 words, I’m hoping to have this finished by the end of the challenge. I’m also hoping to increase the word count to about 15k.

After lunch and as long as I’ve reached my five pages of editing, I move on to my contemporary ‘Having Her Best Friend’s Baby’. This is working out well, and I’m happy with where I’m going with the story line. If you would like to find out more about ‘Having Her Best Friend’s Baby’ have a look at my Novel’s Blog.

All of this has been running very smoothly, until today! Today I’ve done nothing on any of my projects. Today, I’ve worked on blogs. This blog, my Historical Blog, the RWAus Blog for ‘Cruisin’ the Blog’ and this week’s ‘Bookshelf Saturday’. Tonight, I need to sort out my office so I have somewhere for a friend who is coming to stay for a night or two. So no writing for me today.

Tomorrow is another day, and with any luck, I’ll be able to make up for my slackness today.

Sandie

Making Plans

From where I’m sitting at the moment, I don’t think I’m going to get a lot more achieved with my writing from now until the New Year. I’m lucky if I’m editing two pages a day, and that’s on hard copy, still have to enter it into the computer. With that in mind, I’m setting my goals for next year so I can work everything I need into my week.

Now, I’m not an early riser so this may take some doing, but I’ll give it a try. Here’s what my day will (hopefully) look like:

6.00AM – Put washing on, and then have breakfast

6.30AM – Check emails and respond to any that need attention.

7.30AM – Do Housework (Now that just sent a shiver down my spine, ewww). Hang out washing.

8.30AM – Have coffee and work on ‘Cruisin’ the Blog and Members News.

9.00AM – Start writing/editing day

10.30AM – Have a coffee break.

11.00AM – Back to writing/editing

12.00PM – Lunch

12.30PM – Back to writing/editing

2.00PM – Have coffee break.

2.30PM – Back to writing/editing or work on RWAus stuff.

4.00PM – Finish up for day.

There, see I’m all organised. All I need to do now is pull it off. Maybe I better start getting up early now so by the New Year my body is use to the early rises.

My goals for 2010 will be posted on the Bootcampers 109 blog on Wednesday.

Happy writing
Sandie

Mind over Matter

I’ve hit the 25K mark for NaNoWriMo, YAY. Unfortunately I’ve also hit the midway stumbling block. I spent most of today doing anything I could on the computer except write. Well except for 581 words. Better than nothing, yes, but not near enough, or anywhere near what I have been doing.

Here’s the thing, it happens every challenge. I get so far along, either in word count or in days/weeks and I hit the wall. Slow right down for a few days and then I’m right again, ready to write up a storm. Today I started thinking this is crazy, I expect it, I am convincing myself this is going to happen and of course it does. Mind over Matter. I am training my mind to believe this is how it should be, instead of fighting my way through it, pushing myself that little bit harder. So here I sit complaining about not being able to write, yet I’m writing this blog. I wrote my report for RWAustralia web team and my job description thingy. (Mind you these should have been done over a week ago.) Why can’t I write more on my story. I’ve opened the file twice and nothing! Not a thing, it’s like the characters have gone to bed and turned off the lights. Not even CC’s characters are coming out to play. I might have an early night and start fresh tomorrow, that may help.

I’m ‘Not happy Jan.’

Sandie

The Chorus sings ‘Get back to writing!’

My Guest today is Eleni Konstantine. Welcome to my blog Eleni.


Hey there, my name is Zoe and I open and close gateways to hell. Yes, I know you haven’t heard of me because my creator has neglected me since June. I mean come on, I know I look like Miss Average but this is a remarkable gift…curse…whatever you want to call what I have. Surely she should be concentrating on me?




Hold on there a sec, Zoe. I’ve been around longer than you. I’m Alex and I’ve been around since June LAST year. Yep I started out great too with my story almost nutted out. You see I am a Dream Tamer. I don’t just walk in dreams I change them. And because of that I am a wanted woman. And my hunter is my true-mate. Don’t you think that is a story worth concentrating on?






Xeni here, well actually it’s Alexandra in our world, but I’m in another dimension and Alexandra isn’t a common name. Xeni makes me fit in. I’m a Finder or a Seeker. People hire me for all sorts of jobs, and that keeps the household running while I find out what my true purpose in this dimension is. Our creator has not even worked that one out yet. Surely mine is the best story so far?



My, you ladies have a different way of conversing. I am Tasean, Princess (though don’t say that too loud) of Arestia. I have been promised in marriage to the person who wins the tournament. I hate it, but my father is right (please do not tell him); our Kingdom is too small and powerless to fight a war on many fronts, hence why we need a marriage alliance. Still I was not at fault for stumbling across a dragon who has lost her tribe. A misunderstanding has occured and while I go with the dragon willingly, my father believes I am under a spell. Not to mention the travelling minstrel we have just encountered. While he seems harmless enough and reveres dragons, there is something about him I am not sure of. I have been waiting patiently since goodness knows when. Sofian (that’s my dragon friend) tells me to be patient, but it’s not easy. Creator come back and tell our tale.



Tasean, you think you’ve been waiting long? Well let me tell you, I have been running around the creator’s head for close to 15 years. Yes that’s right, you read right – 15 Long Years. Yes she jotted down ideas, but didn’t actually start writing my story until this year!! I mean sure let my story percolate but come on… I’m Mel or as I found out Melonia. I’ve lived in the Earth dimension all my life…or so I thought. Instead I come from Beyond World. And I really want to find out what the deal is. So Creator, where the hell are you?


Ladies, enough!! You are being very rude. We are here as guests on Sandie’s blog. The least you all can do is say thank you to her for inviting us here to talk about Eleni-fest.
(Sorry Sandie and thanks Sandie for having us here, the character chorus say).
Good now hush up you lot so I talk with Sandie.

(Grumbling in background from chorus)

Sorry about that Sandie. You see my characters are bothering me. This is only the girl contingent, the guys are even worse!! You see they are right, I have been neglecting them and letting them percolate. Partly because it’s my process. Partly because I’ve been concentrating on Irini’s story (Mel & Tasean – hey no fair, we were here first).

As I was saying, but also since July, I’ve been editing, getting ready for the conference, sending partials and this past month, Eleni-fest has been happening. That is near the end. It has been a blast (although exhausting), but I’m itching to get back to my characters.
(Hooray! – the chorus cries)

And from the answers from my guests, it’s going to be hard work and harder work when (like that when not if) I get published. I’m sure my characters will help me out as well as my support team of my CP and Bootcampers who look over my work.

As a person with CFS, should I be scared of this hard work?

Actually surprisingly it doesn’t scare me. This past month I’ve gone further than I have in a long time with anything ‘work’ related i.e. writing related without the actual writing. But I can do it – and Eleni-fest has been squeezed into a month period with not much prep time, so I have been laying down the tracks just as the train is on the horizon. I hope with my stories, that I will have a little bit more breathing room.

It’s been a draining month but my need to get back to writing has been intensified. I’ve truly missed it. So I need to rediscover my process in the next couple of months…or a routine that will suit me. This all hours at the computer is not a good thing (doesn’t help also we are renovating ATM, so life here is stressful on another level) and I need to watch my energy levels. So I’m constantly learning about my process and re-evaluating.

I’m mainly a pantser.
(yes we know, cry the chorus)

But I do have notes of the general direction I’m going. Though different things happen and new characters emerge. It’s fun playing around in my fantasy worlds – whether they are completely made up or my version of our world.

All I know is that I’m looking forward to getting reacquainted with my stories and characters again, and learning more about the writing process. After all the philosopher Socrates said we are students during all our lives. And I agree – there is something new to learn everyday, to expand on, to work on.

Now, for your chance to win a mini-pack, please tell me which of the 5 stories above you think I should on concentrate next and why?

Zoe is from Gateway to Hell

Alex is from DreamTamer

Xeni is from Finder

Tasean is from The Lady & the Dragon

Mel is from Beyond World.

They are all jumping up and down trying to get your attention. Not very heroic you know!

LOL, Eleni, you characters sound like mine, so it's good to know I'm not the only one who has problems like this.

Eleni thank you and your ladies for dropping by today.
Sandie

Comments will be open until 4th November 2009 for your chance to win this gift pack.

What a Weekend

Had a busy time over the weekend. Went down and had a lovely visit with my Mum yesterday, it is great to walk in and see her so happy. She has also put on a bit of weight so that is a bonus as we were concerned about her weight before. Then last night had my daughter and grandson stay we us, played a game of Monopoly (which is still in progress), I love having my kids stay with us, it's like old times.

On the writing front, I've yet another group, this one is an accountability group, I have to write at least 500 words a day to stay in. Now I know I said I wasn't going to do any writing for the next few months, but I figure 500 words a day is not a lot and it will keep the stories I have on the go moving forward. So new plan, write 500 words a day and edit 5 to 10 pages per day. I can do that! That will still give me time to work on my Breakout Novel Homework, read and write reviews, as well as do critiques for my CPs. Oh and finish organizing the Clayton's Conference. Easy, not a problem, I'm not worried at all, I can do all this, LOL.

Anyway I wrote 511 words yesterday and 1,152 words today, so that's not bad going. Tonight I'll do some more editing, been getting a few pages done each day. I'm in a happy place at the moment with my writing, let's hope I stay that way.

Until next time.

Happy writing or editing.

Sandie