Niagra Falls at night and first night of camping - Niagara Falls, United States Travel Blog

Niagra Falls at night and first night of camping - Niagara Falls, United States Travel Blog

Departure for the USA - Newark, United States Travel Blog

Departure for the USA - Newark, United States Travel Blog

Only 5 weeks until the trek starts - London, United Kingdom Travel Blog

Only 5 weeks until the trek starts - London, United Kingdom Travel Blog

Test - Link to my travel blog

Only 5 weeks until the trek starts - London, United Kingdom Travel Blog

Another hit and updates

This week has been a strange one but a great one.  Just after I announced my intention to take an earlier than planned sabbatical from Womag2Weekly (I shall return after my US travels in November) I got an email from Jill Finlay at The Weekly News saying she would like to buy my story Thirsty Work.  I received such a great critique from my writing group, its a crucial part of why I am selling stories and for that I thank them.  I don't know what I would do without their help and support.  As if the buzz from selling a story wasn't enough it was quickly published and appeared in this weeks copy.  I am really pleased with how it looks.

I am still editing and subbing stories despite taking a break from writing them and the novel rewrite is almost there.  I was knocked off schedule as I was off sick with tonsillitis and a fever last week but I am back to it this weekend.

A slight blog tweak

For those of you have read my blog and have done for a while, you will know me as Lily.  I picked the pseudonym when I first started the blog - for anonimity mainly.  I still find it strange when people call me Lily, not bad strange - is there a good kind?  But after much deliberation I've decided to have my real name on here,  That's all!

Happy writing

Cheryl (and for the guy in Vodafone - yes it is just like Ms Cole's name but I had it first so ner!!)
x

Massive Action Day - Saturday 28th May with Jurgen Wolff

'YOU ARE INVITED TO BE SUPER-PRODUCTIVE AND FOCUSED


on

Saturday May 28

The next MASSIVE ACTION DAY!

It starts at 9am UK time (10am on the Continent) and ends at 1am Sunday UK time.

On the day, pick something you want to work on and log on to our private website.

I (Jurgen) will stream a live video for about five minutes at the top of every hour with some productivity and time management tips and will give away some prizes, too.

You can use the site's chat window to declare a goal for the day and what you intend to accomplish in the next 55 minutes. When the top of the hour rolls around, come back and tell us how you did and your goals for the next session. Come for the whole day or just a couple of hours-either way you'll find it's a great way to focus and get lots done.


As usual, it's all free and it's all online. Here's where to sign up-and you do need to sign up even if you've taken part before:

www.WritingBreakthroughStrategy.com/MAD


Feel free to invite your friends to sign up, too, the more the merrier!

(ps: your goal doesn't have to relate to writing-it can be anything you want to accomplish).'

Cracked the womags!!!

It is with the greatest pleasure and relief that I can finally announce I have sold a story – to That’s Life! Australia. My very first sale to a Womag (to any publication actually!!)

After over a year of writing stories with Womag2Weekly I have written 20 stories, subbed 35 times and had 21 rejections. I can honestly say I never thought I’d make a sale and I was about 3 months from giving up completely. In hindsight its easy to say but I implore anyone who feels this way IT CAN HAPPEN!!!

I cannot wait to see my work in print!!!

I'm still here!

I would just like to say a big thank you to all those of you who haven't stopped following me.  I am still writing, still busy subbing stories left, right and centre (and then dodging them as they come flying back).  I'm taking a bit of a blog break as there isnt any new and exciting news going on.  Unless you count my taking three months off work to go travelling round America in August but believe me there will be more on that nearer the time. 

Hope you all had a nice Easter and haven't turned into a chocolate egg like me!!

Back soon!

Lily

x

Catching up

Wow - that was a productive weekend!  I sadly got no sun but I did manage to clear out my entire email.  From there I was able to re-organise, re-edit and re-sub 8 out of 16 short stories.  4 of the remaining 8 are seasonal so are on hold for now.  The novel isn't really coming along as well as I'd like.  I have another idea which has been burning a hole in my head for a while now and I am debating about whether to take part in Sally Quilford's writing challenge: May - You Write Your Novel.  80,000 in 80 days - not bad considering you can go around the world in that time.  If you've worked on a novel before you'll know that it can be a lonely business so the support you are likely to get is invaluable.  I coudn't have completed the initial draft of CIM without knowing that the novel racers blog was only a click away so I am huge fan of this kind of thing.
Anyway, if I decide to work on something new I will be taking part but for now I shall keep going with the short stories during the week and the novel at the weekend.
If anyone's interested in signing up for Sally's challenge you can sign up here

I would just like to mention that this weekend was down to the Massive Action Day run by Jurgen Wolff.  Jurgen ran the MAD between 9am Saturday morning until 1am Sunday with hourly tips and even giving away prizes!  I stayed on until 11pm (with a brief break for a few cheeky fat frogs).  Jurgen will be running another one in around a month or so, in the meantime you can sign up here for more information.

Winners!!

The 2 winners of ‘Rachel's Holiday' by Marian Keyes Keyes are:




The lovely Debs and Sangu.




Congratulations! Please do email me (address on my profile) your addresses and I’ll arrange for a signed copy to be sent out to each of you.

Free Book Giveaway - Marian Keyes

While I haven't been stuffing my face gleefully with pancakes today, I have been busy distributing the rest of my World Book Night books. I chose Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes and so far they have been greatly received by friends and strangers. As a special treat I have saved 2 copies of the special edition copies to give away here.

Synopsis:
'How did it end up like this? Twenty-seven, unemployed, mistaken for a drug addict, in a treatment centre in the back arse of nowhere with an empty Valium bottle in my knickers'. Meet Rachel Walsh. She has a pair of size 8 feet and such a fondness for recreational drugs that her family has forked out the cash for a spell in Cloisters - Dublin's answer to the Betty Ford Clinic. She's only agreed to her incarceration because she's heard that rehab is wall-to-wall jacuzzis, gymnasiums and rock stars going tepid turkey - and it's about time she had a holiday. But what Rachel doesn't count on are the toe-curling embarrassments heaped on her by family and group therapy, the dearth of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll - and missing Luke, her ex. What kind of a new start in life is this?

This is an oldie but a goody and I want to share them with you.


All you have to do is leave a 'pick me' comment by 8pm Sunday 13th and a copy shall wing its way to the 2 names I pick out of a hat.

This competition is open to all.

Back on

So my relationship with dusty old novel was rekindled (FINALLY I hear you cry) last week.  It truly is a very rough piece of work and pre OU and writing group Lily had a lot to learn.  I'm loving rewriting it though but feeling quite depressed at having to spend all my time earning a crust when I just want to spend all my time canoodling with my characters.  I've taken a little break from Womag2Weekly and shall be heading over to Chaper2Weekly for some much needed novel critiquing.  I do believe we are in need of some members so if your interested do shout.  2 more rejections happened upon my door step on Saturday so I had an excuse to drown my sorrows and internal organs in Sauvignon Blanc in Prezzo on Saturday night.  Yesterday was spend knitting, eating chocolate and feeding the obsession that is Colin Firth.  I watched Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (again!) and A Single Man (truly beautiful and let me indulge in my currently sombre mood). 

This weekend will be a quiet one as I spend some quality time with my rewrite - just the two of us (and Colin probably). 

A good deal for those who can't read enough!!

http://www.kgbdeals.co.uk/national/deals/11919/pound30-audio-book-voucher---weread4you---national

Review: The King's speech

Hurrah I have (hopefully successfully) completed my creative writing course with the OU so I am busying myself with lots of my other favourite to dos.  Last week I saw The King's Speech which I LOVED!!

Please check out my review:

http://filmsworthtalkingabout.blogspot.com/

Please do comment, I'd love to hear what you thought of the film.

THE KING'S SPEECH

Stars: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Gambon, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall

The Plot: The King's Speech is a true story about Britain's King George VI (Colin Firth) who suffered a debilitating stammer and was helped to address a nation over the radio at the onset of World War Two by his Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush)

Rated: 12A

Running time: 118 minutes

Award Nods: 12 Academy, seven Golden Globe, 11 Critics Choice and four Screen Actors Guild awards nomination.

It would be a HUGE injustice and understatement to say this is the film of the year since its only January but using my power of foresight I can see it being hard to top this one in my eyes.  It’s a rare thing for me to be gripped by a film, the last being Inglorious.  I admit I was a little dubious as it had so much hype and its not my normal sort of film.  Firth is splenetic, humourous and heartwarming all rolled into one sexy British ball.  It is no surprise he is favourite to win best asctor award.  Helena Bonham Carter is wonderfully charming as Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Geoffrey Rush is a great comic actor.  My favourite scene being with him sitting in The Coronation Chair.This film has it all: great actors, a great story and a pretty interesting lesson in British history.  I came away with a lot of knowledge and a desire to know more.  I was on Wikipedia the next day!  Its dramatic, funny and engaging and I was left wanting more. 

A big fat five stars!!  Cant wait to see it again.

Just popping in with a useful link

Mema sent me a good link today for us budding novelists who haven't quite got it together yet.  I'm starting the rewrite this weekend (course ends Friday!!) and am quite looking forward to it actually.

http://www.acornselfpublishing.com/2011/01/acorn-independent-press-launches-write-your-novel-this-year-scheme/

I signed up for all three newsletters as I could use all the help I can get.

My final assignment is very nearly there - just a few tweaks needed and then I shall press that dreaded send button.

Also, following a rather epic hat trick rejection from The Weekly News all in one email I have managed to sub 3 more stories - 2 to Take a Break and 1 to That Life Australia so fingers crossed.

I also found this site while procrastinating on facebook:

http://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/

Just. Brilliant.

Back soon!

Things I loved about 2010

As I welcomed 2011 in with a peach lambrini (because I just wanna have fun and it doesn't taste like sick) I thought about 2010 and what a good year it was:

1. My beautiful neice Lola - I met her last week and I would do anything for her, even move back to Plymouth (yes really!)

2. I lost about 12 stone - in boyf that is.  Sorry that sounds a bit bitchy - its not meant to but it was a good thing.  I can see that now.  A big change is afoot and it probably wouldn't have come about had I been "involved"

3. I learnt ALOT - despite not selling anything this year I did become an old hand at subbing stories.  It's second nature to me now and I would just like to thank everyone over at Womag2Weekly for being such a supportive bunch o' writers.

4. I did well work wise - when I'm not attempting to be the next JK Rowling I have another job which really took away a lot of my time in the first six months of 2010.  While I wasnt conplaining about it I was actually working quite hard and it didnt go unrecognised.  I was voted MVP for 2010 and left me feeling a bit smug (with all that lovely hindsight).

Those were just a few things and despite the tears it really was a good year so thanks to all my readers for being there when I was down and for such lovely comments throughout last year. 

Wishing you all a fab 2011

Lily

x