A special hi to Kim and Sophie and thank you for your messages. I’m happy to say that there’s a lot of interest in the new Janna Mystery, Willows for Weeping, to be launched in late February, plus I keep getting questions about how many books there will be in the series. At this stage, I’m hoping there’ll be six. I wrote Book 5, Sage for Suffering, while grounded with my broken foot, and I’m currently planning Thyme for Trust which, I hope, will see the conclusion of Janna’s quest – however that turns out! She still has a long way to go and a lot to get through before she finds the answers to all sorts of questions and dilemmas. Meantime I’m enjoying her journey and all the surprises along the way. (Authors might think they know everything and are in control but that ain’t necessarily so!)
I also had a nice surprise today: two books in the post which I won through entering a competition in Buzz Words, a great e-newsletter for children’s writers. I’m looking forward to reading the books (Happy Birthday x 3 by Libby Gleeson and Stupid Fairytales by Leon Stumble.) The competition was to write in with 10 (writing) resolutions for the new year and they are:
1. Write the best stories I can write
2. Edit them
3. Edit them again
4. Play an active role within the writing fraternity, eg go to Network, SCBWI meetings, participate in writing festivals, conferences, etc
5 Polish up my powerpoint presentation + talks for schools and other organisations
6. Accept every invitation to get out and talk about my books
7 Subscribe to Buzz Words and PIO and follow up anything that looks promising …
8 … and even try writing something completely different – as a challenge!
9 Be a friend and/or mentor to other writers and share information. Sooner or later we all need advice / comfort and someone to celebrate with in this roller-coaster obsession we call a ‘career’!
10 Never lose heart; never give up
11 Be patient!
As you see, I cheated with 11 points not 10 – but I always remember a writing tutor from way back telling me the path to success lay with patience, persistence and professionalism. How true!!
