If you head over to Rebecca’s blog, Ramblings of a Rusty Writer  you can help her celebrate the launch.  There are giveaways scheduled throughout the day and plenty more fun to

About New Beginnings

sam Hendry is not looking forward to starting her new school.  Things go from bad to worse as the day of truth arrives and all of her fears come true…and then some.

When Sam meets a different group of people who immediately accept her as a fried, she begins to feel more positive.

With her new friends and interests, will Sam finally feel able to face the bully who taunts her, and to summon up the courage to perform on stage?

This wonderful book is intended for children, but can be enjoyed by all ages.

New Beginnings is available to buy now from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

Congratulations,Rebecca!

Write or Die
There are no words to describe how much I love this site.  It’s quite simple, you set your word target, set a time limit and away you go.  There are different settings with punishments if you stop typing varying from a God-awful noise to your words actually disappearing from the screen.  It’s a great motivator; you won’t believe how much you can get done in a short time.

Duotrope
A database of publications accepting submissions.  The listing varies vastly, with a search engine to help you find exactly what you are looking for.  If you join – for free – you can also keep a check of your submissions, and you will receive weekly emails with new additions to the list.  This site should be on every writers bookmarks.

Six Minute Story
Another fantastic site for getting your creative juices flowing.  It’s pretty self-explanatory.  You pick a prompt and write a short piece of fiction in six minutes.  Simple, huh?  It’s great if you’re a bit stuck on ideas and proves that you do have time to write  matter how busy you are.

Notebook
Yes, a notebook.  For me, going back to basics and reverting to pen and paper over the computer never fails to work.  Of course, you then have to type it all up, but just scribbling by hand is a fantastic method.
A pocket-sized notebook is also great for scribbling snippets of ideas down in.

Dictionary/thesaurus
A dictionary and thesaurus.  Seems obvious, but it is vital, so I’m including it anyway.  The Oxford Dictionary is a good version.  Another good online dictionary is the slang dictionary, for when you need to nail that dialogue, it contains slang, colloquialisms and features a slang thesaurus.

Twitter
Yes, really.  No, I’m not joking.  As well as being the perfect distraction for the procrastinating writer, Twitter is also a great tool for writers.  There are countless informative links, motivating quotes and plenty of moral support from fellow writers.  It’s invaluable – when used in moderation of course.

 What are your favourite writers tools?

Of course, there are times when I need to write something and the right idea is hiding, so here are some things I do to get my brain working:

Brainstorm

This is my favourite thing to do.  Often, my brain gets messy and by writing everything out, I manage to get it to work creatively again.   I just write everything that pops into my head and sooner or later something useful will turn up.  Don’t worry about how rubbish the first thoughts are, the little gems usually follow.

Dictionary/Google

Pick a work, any word and then brainstorm.  My last Friday Flash was formed this way.  I heard Elton John’s ‘Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word’ on the radio and picked the word ‘sorry’ for my prompt.  After the first few ideas (which were obvious and a little bit rubbish), I came up with the idea which led to my story.

Stop, Look, Listen

I’m nosy by nature, so I can’t help but eavesdrop or people watch.  I love Summer when you can wear sunglasses which makes people watching so much easier.  I like to write stories which are character based, so watching people’s mannerisms and picking up snippets of conversation really helps me.

Write

What if you’ve got the idea, but you are still stuck?  Write.  A blank page is daunting, so fill it.  Who cares if it’s rubbish, that’s where editing comes in. 
I know it sounds easier said than done, but I take this approach with my creative writing and also my assignment writing and it never fails.

So, where do you get your ideas?

We all start out the same. A tiny foetus with mainly the same parts. Once we enter the world, thats when it all changes.

People blame the parents, but that seems too black and white, too. I mean, I didn’t have parents. Who’s to blame for the way I turned out? You can’t even blame my lack of parents. I had what you could call the ‘professionals’ on my side. Nice pretend parents with nice houses who probably knew what they were doing more than most. Between them they looked after dozens of kids, most of them turned out just fine. I didn’t; but, I suppose you know that.

It’s probably genes. I never knew my dad, I’m not sure even my mum did. I never really knew my mum. She chose drugs over me and that was that. Was it all predetermined before I was conceived that I was going to turn out like this? Nothing anyone could do could stop it? It still seems like the easy way out.

I’m supposed to ‘own my actions’ – I think that’s the phrase they use, so I suppose it’s all irrelevant. Whatever it is that made me this way, this is who I am and what happened can only be down to me.

The purpose of this letter is, I guess, to explain why I did what I did. If only it was that easy. I don’t know. I wish there was a simple way to put it so we could all get peace of mind, but there isn’t.

I wasn’t particularly angry. I didn’t particularly need anything. I just got swept up in the moment. I saw an opportunity and went for it. There was no plan, no big ideas. I had only gone in to buy a drink. I saw the till, filled with money. All those crisp notes and something clicked. All the people in the shop had money, they were buying baskets laden with food, bottles of wine, cigarettes. I had just enough for a cheap can of coke. Stupid really. I can’t remember much of what happened. It all went so fast. I just meant to scare the woman, get her to give me the money, but there was some buzzer under the counter. She said she couldn’t open the till, I panicked. She screamed.

I didn’t even realise I had pulled out the knife until the police arrived. It was never supposed to go that far. I wanted a bit of money. I never meant to kill anyone.

I don’t think anything I say can make things right, but I just want you to know that I am sorry for what I did.

1.  I will flash.  Friday Flash that is.  I’m not going to give definite goals like every week, I’m just going to try to flash as often as I can.  I already have half a draft for this week.  I’m looking forward to getting back into this.

2.  I will return to my WIPs.  Just not yet.  I have a collection of interlinked short stories which I’m going to start working on again.  I love my two big WIPs but the characters end up taking over my head and I kind of need my head for other things right now.  Who knows, the break might do me good.

3. I will submit, submit and submit some more.  My laptop is full of stories and pieces of flash fiction, so I’m going to set them free into the world.  I have sent two out this morning.  I don’t think anything beats the terrified buzz you get from hitting the send button.

4.  I will write something every day.  Whether it’s working on my WIP, writing a flash, or just scribbling down a character sketch, I will write something every day.  No wordcount targets – my resolution for 2012 is to be easier on myself and admit that I’m human.

I used to read two books a week, then I had a kid, started writing and started my degree.  I really want to get back into the swing of reading properly again and armed with by shiny new Kindle, I’m going to give it a go.  (I’m well aware that two books a week works out at 104, but 100 is a nicer number and I want to cut myself a bit of slack.)

Of course, I am a glutton for punishment so I have set myself other goals to go along the 100 books. 

1.  Each of these 100 books will be a NEW book.  No re-reading. 

2.  I shall aim to read a wider range.  I tend to go through phases of reading a lot from one author or a particular genre.  Not in 2012.  I shall vary them, alternating at the least.  Though, I am reading the works of the Bronte sisters, but shush, I shall alternate the Bronte’s with other authors.  Or at least alternate sisters.

3.  I shall not judge a book by its cover/blurb/other silly things.  In 2011, I read a few books that I wouldn’t normally have read; books I would usually have picked up and put back and on the whole I was pleasantly surprised.  I will try this again this year.  Also, if I hate a book I won’t make myself carry on – something I am prone to do – I shall abandon it and move on.  Unless of course it’s a set book for my course, in which case I shall cry.

4.  I will review or at the very least rate the books I read on Goodreads.  It’s something I never get around to, but I hope the challenge will spur me on.

So, there you have it.  My reading goals for the upcoming year.  Have you any reading goals?

 For Christmas, my lovely boyfriend bought me a Kindle. Before, I used the free app on my HTC phone, so I was totally unprepared for how much this gift would change my life. You think I;m being dramatic? You’re wrong.

 Don’t get me wrong, I love ‘real’ books and when e-readers first surfaced, my initial reaction was along the lines of ‘OMG, why?’.

 I am an avid book lover. I love the way they feel, the smell, the way a well loved book gets a slightly worn look and nothing beats the way books look lined up on a bookcase. My number one purchase should I win the Lottery/get a mega book deal would be to have my own personal library, a room dedicated entirely to books. One of my favourite movie scenes is the one where the Beast gives Belle the library room in Beauty and the Beast. Seriously, who needs diamonds?

 In short, I love books.

 I read a lot. On average two books per week, even with the wonder that is the public library, that means a lot of books and I only have a small house. I always carry a book with me. I read on bus journeys, in queues, waiting rooms. I even take books when we go out for meals or drinks. I’ve never actually read in those circumstances – I hear it’s frowned upon in most circles – but, I hate to be without a book. I took seven books for a five day break in Wales last Summer.

 Real books, for all their loveliness, take up a lot of room. Especially when your handbag is slowly being overtaken by packets of raising, toy cars and toddler toilet wipes. A Kindle takes up a fraction of this space and holds so many books. Mine currently holds fifty-seven. Yes, already. That’s a small suitcase full of ‘real’ books, all tucked up in a pocket of my handbag. Perfect.

 Throw in how incredibly light it is and how long the battery life is and you are on to a winner.

Don’t worry, I will never give up buying ‘real’ books (or referring to them as ‘real’ books, unfortunately). In fact, just last week, I bought a particular book in e-book and paperback form. I think I have what most people would call a problem.

I was doing well. Ish. Then it all went a bit pear-shaped. I won’t bore you with the details but the past few weeks has been a blur of assignments, Christmas preparations and family stuff with a suddenly temperamental three year-old and a brief dalliance with an infected wisdom tooth. Fun.

I can’t remember the last time I wrote anything other than a Christmas card and that’s left me feeling frustrated and restless.

My poor, little blog has been neglected, too. He gets pushed from to-do list to to-do list. I promise to be better next year.

Anyway, Christmas is under control (ish), my pending assignment is planned (ish) and my house is tidy (ish) so I’m sneaking time while the kid is happy watching Mister Maker, to update here. 

 Merry Christmas and all that.

Frankly, my heart isn’t in it this year; maybe that’s the problem. I don’t really want to write. Actually, that’s a lie, I DO want to write, I just don’t want to write this. I don’t think my idea is big enough or good enough to become a novel. It might be, but as it stands, I have no idea where it’s going, I seem to have more of a montage of unrelated scenes and conversations than a fluid story.  Besides, I have a second draft that needs editing and I have half a first draft of a story which I love. It seems silly to be messing around on this half-idea.

I only decided to do NaNo on 31^st October. It was so last minute, I had nothing organised. None of the contingency plans of last year and no real characters or plot. (Yes, I know, I lost the plot ages ago. Very funny.)

I know that finishing is unlikely, I also know I don’t handle my failings well. If I got to next Wednesday without the final word count, I’d spend yet more time despairing about my ‘failure’ and to be honest I don’t have the energy.

I don’t regret giving NaNo a go this year. If nothing else, it’s taught me how much my ‘old’ stories rock, so I can now attack them with renewed enthusiasm.

So, here’s to not failing and not giving up. Here’s to prioritising and making informed decisions. (And of course, here’s to making stuff up to make yourself feel better.)