Books I'm looking forward to in 2013

2013 (nearly). Wow. Already?! How did that happen? How did it get to the end of December?!

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. I meant to sit down and write my essay now, but instead I'm doing this. Whoops. Anyway.

I got a HUGE stack of books for christmas, which was awesome - loads that I'd asked for and the entire shortlist of the Man Booker prize, which was pretty cool! Already working my way through my books, of course... just finished Days of Blood and Starlight by Lani Taylor, which was awesome. Christmas I always find is a great time for doing lots of reading!  

There are plenty of books I'm looking forward to in 2013!

Here are some:

1. The next Gallagher Girls and Heist Society novels by Ally Carter
2. The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson
3. Legacy by C J Daughterly
4. Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher
5. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
6. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (hopefully!)
7. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen
8. Requiem by Lauren Oliver
9. The Summer I became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
10. Rules of Summer by Joanna Philba
11. Riptide by Lindsey Scheibe

And no doubt many many many more....

Books and Authors I loved/discovered in 2012: Part Two

 
PART TWO

Authors I discovered and loved/series I devoured

1. Ally Carter. Oh man, how did I not read anything by Ally Carter before?! It was one of those cases where I was following the person on twitter long before I read anything by them, and when I found one in the library (the library has given me so many gems!) I devoured it. I adore the Gallagher Girls. So much. I love the characters. The setting. The humour. The plots. The writing. Ally Carter is just magical. I would have put this in the series section, but then I loved The Heist Society novels too. How could I not?

2. Stella Gibbons. Cold Comfort Farm had been on my to be read list for a LONG time. I finally read it last Christmas, and fell in love with this author. Over this year I have read many more of her novels, and I just love her humour and style.

3. Morgan Matson. I loved reading Amy and Rodger's Epic Detour earlier in the year, having heard a lot about it, it was great to finally read it, but Second Chance Summer which I read over the summer cemented Morgan Matson as one of my (many) new favourite authors. The prose and plot were beautiful and haunting, the characters I grew so attached to... just everything about this book was wonderful. I think I've raved about it before so I'll leave it there....

4. Diana Wynne Jones. I discovered Wynne Jones because of my children's literature course earlier in the year and it made me wonder why I'd never picked up one of her books before. Her books are magical and are just enchanting. I've devoured many of hers this year, and loved in particular Howl's Moving Castle and Charmed Life.


Series I devoured

1.Joss Stirling. Joss' books all fit together in the same story world so I figured it was a series. I love these books and these characters, and have eagerly read each one this year.I love the world she creates and the characters and these perfect little stories, that are kind of paranormal, but not quite, and it's so different and unusual I loved it.

2. Garth Nix. I read the Sabriel Triology over Easter when I should have been writing my dissertation and I loved them. I had heard of them before but never read them, and I stole them from my brother's bookcase. They were awesome!

3. Veronica Roth. The first two books in the Divergent series. These were books I heard a lot about, and so I read the first one, which was awesome and preordered the second I loved them so much. Awesome series!

4. Lauren Oliver. The Delirium series. I devoured the first two of this series in about 24 hours... seriously I found the first one in the library, thought I'd give it a go, and I was hooked. I couldn't put it down and unable to wait to get the next one, bought it for my kindle and read that one too... I can't wait for the last in the series. So good... and such horrible cliffhangers!


Books I should have read before and only did this year

1. The Hobbit. J R R Tolkein. I know, I know. Well, I finally read it in honour of the film coming out. And I loved it.

2. LOTR. J R R Tolkein. This is another of those epic books I have always thought I wanted to and should read, and it was only this summer I finally restarted it again and committed myself. I've never even seen the films (I've seen bits... I know....) so it really was an epic adventure for me. And it was awesome!

Rereads of the Year 

1. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. My favourite all time book. I reread this a month or so ago, having not done so for ages and I reread loads of du Maurier's for my dissertation but it was nice to return to this one. Haunting and beautiful as always.

2. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. You may remember me raving about this earlier in the year when I got to do a presentation on it. Well I loved rereading it as ever. Magical book.

 3. Anna And The French Kiss and Lola And The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins.These two books, especially Anna, have fast become some of my comfort reads and there's a very good reason why. I love revisiting these characters and their worlds, and it's so easy to become immeresed in that world. And I can't wait for the next one... which brings me onto my next blog post.

4. But first one last reread - Harry Potter. No year is complete without rereading a Harry Potter or two. Ultimate comfort reading when I'm down or need something familiar and comforting.

Phew!

That's it for now.

Planning to do a 'books I'm looking forward to in 2013' post, maybe in the week after Christmas.

Home For Christmas!

Home again for Christmas - and I can't believe how quickly the last few days have already gone. So much to do before Christmas, although I think we're getting there, the tree is all decorated, things are more sorted out and organised. I can't believe Christmas is on Tuesday! TUESDAY!

Oh man.

So soon.

I'm excited to see all my friends who are just getting back, although the novelty of being home is definitely wearing off. Oh, family politics. So frustrating.

Trying to settle down to write my essay and get on with some work and some poetry, but it's hard. Trying to make lots of time to do edits too, but that's hard around this time of year with so much other stuff to do!

Very exciting news though - yesterday they announced John Green's UK book tour... and guess who's going?! I am UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS!! And Hank Green will be there too... I never thought I would be able to see these two, EVER! It was all rather sudden really, so I guess it hasn't really sunk in yet. But oh man, I cannot WAIT!!

Eeek!

Books and Authors I loved/discovered in 2012: Part One

I was thinking of posting a list of books I was excited about being released in the New Year and I was looking back through some old notebooks and thought why not post about some of the books I'd loved this year, and the authors I'd enjoyed reading and those I'd discovered? So here we go. (While some of these were published this year, many were not. And this is an edited selection of things I've read this year!)

PART ONE

Books I adored (and I read many of these authors for the first time and love them dearly now) 

1. The year started off with the release of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. And oh man, what a good start to the year this was! It started as it meant to go on. Of course this book has been covered so much this year, but it deserved it. It was amazing, heartbreaking, heartwarming and perfect.

2. I have been gradually working my way through the beautiful and lovely novels by Sarah Dessen. One that I read this summer was The Truth about Forever and I fell in love, like you do when you read a Sarah Dessen. I could see why this book is so quoted on tumblr! I loved the characters, the set up, everything.

3. A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd, is one of those big books that I had heard a lot about, before I picked up a copy at the library. This was such a lovely but emotional read and I was glad I was able to read it. It was beautifully written, and so well constructed I just adored it.

4. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor was another book I had heard a lot about, and so when I finally got it this summer I was delighted and instantly hooked. I was drawn into this world and these characters, and I'm hoping I get the sequel for Christmas!

5. The Book of Summers by Emilya Hall was a lovely summer novel which I devoured. The first one on this list which isn't a YA book, I know. I loved the rich setting and characterisation, and this was the perfect book to read on a lazy summer afternoon!

6. Another 'grown up book' as it were that I loved reading was The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. I loved how this was about sisters and how all the threads tied together. It was a really enjoyable read and really explored family dynamics!

7. Julia Albain is one of my heroes, and so A Glamorously Unglamourous Life was a must read for me. I don't know why I hadn't read it until this year, but I read it with a coffee just before I graduated - the right time to read it I guess. It is such an inspiring little book, I felt instantly inspired and determined to go out and do!

8. Night School by C J Daugherty was one of those ones I stumbled upon and then wondered why on earth I had never come across this book before. The combination of fantastic characters, a boarding school in the middle of the countryside, intrigue and well what's not to like?

9. So one of the big events of the year, of course, was the publication of JK Rowling's first book for adults, The Casual Vacancy, and I was definitely one of those who was very excited and had to go buy it on the day it came out. I was not disappointed. Yes, it was different to Potter (of course it was) but her style is fantastic and I loved the way she creates characters and draws you into the world she creates. I have not one bad thing to say.

10. Unsaid Things, the Mcfly biography, the only non fiction book on this list, is another of those ones I couldn't wait for it to come out and had to order it, so I had it immediately. I spent an afternoon reading it and was emotionally drained afterwards. Felt like I had been waiting forever for this book to finally come out, and to learn all the secrets they'd been keeping, so this was amazing to read. My heart broke though.

11. Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater was one of those anticipated books and it didn't let down. I loved this book. It was wonderful, with fantastic characters and a plot which drew you in.

Phew!

Coming soon: Part Two - Authors I discovered and loved, series I devoured, books I should have read before, and rereads of the year.

End of Term

I can't believe it's the end of term and Christmas is rolling around again!

In fact it's under two weeks until Christmas day (seriously? That seems crazy!) and today is 12/12/12. Yes. Such fun. (I cannot wait for Miranda to start again).

Things have got busy here, they always are at the end of term, yet at the same time, it feels like things are slowing down, if you know what I mean? It's always weird,s aying goodbye to people, saying see you in the New Year, when you've seen them every week for months. And Christmas is a strange time. I'm excited, but not really any more.

I've moved into a stage again where I'm mainly editing. Editing poems, editing my story... and I miss just writing. I know editing is just a stage, a form of, and some people love it, and I don't mind it, I'm growing to love it, but sometimes you just want to write something. Just because. You know?

So you know in my last post I said I was feeling Christmassy and excited for Christmas? HA! I've had a funny couple of weeks, with some strange news and my brain seems to have shut down and won't let me write anything. I've had this happen before, and it scares me, that that period might last longer than last time, or I don't know. I've barely written any poetry since, I've struggled in our classes -which we've now had our last one of, which is very sad :( Bleurgh. I'm sure it'll come back. It's just this season I guess. And it's so COLD.

Anyway, we're having a House Christmas today which should be lovely, so I should go do something useful....

December Time!

Christmas is coming!

I can't believe it's December already -where has this year gone? Seriously, it has rushed by so quickly - so much has happened, and so much has changed.

I'm feeling particularly Christmassy this year. I normally resist it - or I have for the last few years, but this year I'm very much into the festive spirit, actually (on the whole anyway) looking forward to Christmas, and listening to lots of Christmas music (there's a whole radio station dedicated to Christmas music I was informed and this is amazing!), writing Christmas cards and things (which this year I've made... very exciting!). I even made mince pies on Sunday with a friend! It's hard to believe that there are only two weeks left of term - in just over two weeks I will be at home. There's lots coming up and it's going to be fun to be so busy with Carol services, and Christmas meals and all sorts of fun Christmassy stuff. I can't help but feel like I'm not as busy as I might have been last year (believe me I'll probably take back those words next week) but this weekend has been very quiet, with both my housemates away or working.

I can't believe how quickly this term has gone. It still feels like we're going to settle into it sometime, only thing is that it's nearly over! which is just insane really. 

Walking to work this morning I suddenly fancied a nice warming casserole tonight like my Mum used to make (it's got so cold here in the last couple of days. Now it's stopped flooding you know). So I made that this evening and it was delicious. Now having a nice evening doing some editing, and tyring to make myself do productive stuff, or work out what i need to do. I'm putting together my end of term poetry  portfolio for my module this term, which is exciting and good fun, I just have to work out the critical essay bit! I started editing the story I wrote in the summer too today, and I'm glad to get into that. I am alternating between editing the two stories, and sad as I do feel to not have my NaNo novel open every day, it is actually quite nice to be doing something else! And it gives my hands a little bit of a break.

Post NaNo: Other Projects and Editing

Post NaNo now, and glad but also sad to be away from that story. I mean it's weird not to have it open all the time anymore and I do feel like I suddenly have tonnes more time on my hands. Which means I'm back to the story I was working on before and have been editing for ages now, on and off. Even started redrafting query letters today, something I started a few months ago, before NaNo etc happened. That's kind of terrifying in itself. Feeling my way through that one.

Looking over the story (my children's story, and the one I'm back to focusing the most on now that NaNo is over) again, and at that point where I think if I read these chapters and these words again, I might... well, I'm at that point where I can't see anything wrong with it anymore, although I know there is much that is still wrong.Argh. So frustrating. Guess I need to try and find someone to have a look for me sometime!

The familiar panic is rising though - what do I work on? I want to work on this, but I can't spend all my time doing it, and then there's the other project I typed up before NaNo and am eager to get editing - although I'm making myself wait until at least December. I dont' want to burn out. Too much. And so I keep skipping around, looking at one thing and then another, unable to settle. Typical!

In other news, Christmas is coming! I made mince pies with a friend on Sunday which was very exciting, and today we settled down to Love Actually and The Holiday, which made us even more festive.

The end of November approaches...

Hit 60k yesterday with my NaNo novel which I am elated with. My 70k goal disappeared a little while ago, because somehow I seem to have run out of story and I physically can't type much more - my hands keep hurting and I think this is a sign to have a rest! 60k is more than I have ever done on a NaNo novel before in November so I am very happy with that and relieved to have got there - and early too. I am very surprised at myself!

As always coming to the end of NaNo is both sad and a relief. I love the experience and everything, and just writing a story every day, but this year in particular, I have realised there are other things I want to be working on/editing, and lots of poetry to do that it is has been a little tough and I think my hands are screaming out to me. Or maybe that's just the cold and rain. That's what I'm telling myself, haha! It has been a good experience though to aim for more words and I am glad I did, because it shows me I can, but I am looking forward to leaving this story be, and get on with some editing of another project I am really excited about and can't wait to work on. In a few days.... I'll take a few days off, focus on some poetry (or at least I'll try, I'm not very good at leaving things be) but I do have poetry stuff to do.

On another note I would like to say that we've posted the first writing prompt over on the Shine forums which I would love for you all to get involved in! Go check it out here.

Under a month until Christmas too - that is a scary thought. So much to do before then! And under three weeks until the end of this term, how did it go so quickly?

How is the end of NaNo looking for everyone this year?

 

50k!

I hit 50k the other day, yay! Very happy with that, but also kind of stunned. I don't think I ever hit it this early before. I'm still ploughing on, although I think I may be going for more like 60k now rather than 70k, but it will still be more than my usual giving up about one hundred words after 50k, so that's good right? I still have chapters planned so I want to get them done.

Hope NaNo is going well for everyone else still.

In other news we've started a blog over at Shine, go check it out! 

I also wanted to post a link to this, which I saw on twitter the other day. It's really cool to see how another writer uses their notebook, and I love Lani Taylor and Daughter of Smoke and Bone, so I really enjoyed reading that, and found her tips really interesting. So go check it out and get inspired.

NaNo Update

NaNo is going well. On 46k, so nearly at 50k! Earliest I think that I've ever got there (not that I've got there yet). I guess that's because I'm aiming for more, and I will keep on going until the end of the month and see where I get to. It's all rather exciting. Although my chapter plan is letting me down a bit and I keep getting frustrated with it. You know how you plan stuff out and think it will be enough to fill the chapter and realise that it's really not, so you start well, blabbing... and my goodness, really you have nothing to say and you're let by your planning which you think is so thorough. Yeah, so I've been dealing with that and trying to fill words and it's been up and down. But hopefully it's on the up now.

Last weekend I was kinda low, which was horrible and I couldn't really do anything except sit and be sad and cry and watch Gilmore Girls (which I'm now addicted to) and eat lots of biscuits. Monday morning I suddenly had tonnes of energy, which was very scary and lots of creative energy, so this week has been full of ideas and productivity (sort of) and it's been good. Hopefully I'll stay on this high, because that would be nice. I hate the lows, especially ones like that. It was scary.

Anyway, off to do some writing, hopefully get to 50k, write some poetry, do some reading, some other writing and planning and art and exciting things. I hope. In reality it'll probably be youtube videos and scrolling through tumblr but I may surprise myself....

Hope NaNo is going well for everyone else!

NaNo Blues

I seem to be charting my NaNo experience in poetry this year:

NaNo Blues

Struggling to find words

To put to paper.

Nothing comes to mind,

And I stare at blank

Pages, my hands hesitating

Above the keys, dirty

With crumbs from the biscuits

I have consumed in the attempt

To find some words

To put to the page

And I’m still sat there,

With nothing to say,

Wondering why the elaborate

Chapter plan I made has let me

Down only eleven days in. 



Although I did hit 30k somehow earlier, so am chuffed with that. Just disheartened with my story at the moment.

Poetry Thoughts

Woah guys, so I never thought I would get as into poetry as I have. I used to do it, but thought it was silly but now I'm learning about techniques and ways of making poems better and I love it.

I like the way that every word has to count.

I like the way that structure is important and so few words can say so much.

Thinking about all these techniques and ways of making a poem work is making me really enjoy it.

Sorry for the essay on poetry, I'm completely immersed in it at the moment, and I like the contrast between poetry and prose, and doing NaNo. It's nice to be doing completely different constrasting things alongside one another. 

Also, did I tell you guys that I read some poems out at a poetry reading/open mic thing? I was terrified, but it was actually really awesome and I really enjoyed it! I surprised myself there, but it was good fun.

We had an interesting discussion in my poetry seminar the other day. I capitalise all the first letters of each line in my poetry,  partly becasue word does it and I hate the green squiggly lines, but also because I like it looking neat on the page and that's just what you do - right? I hate things looking messy on the page. Maybe that's just a strange control freak thing, because believe me in normal life I am the messiest person ever. But apparently (and this is an ongoing debate clearly in the poetry world, which I am going to do some more research into) that is old fashioned and not necessary.

I know most of you are fiction writers, but what do you guys think?

NaNoing along...

NaNo's going well so far! Hit 10k yesterday, and haven't really done any today becuase I've had other stuff to get done and a proposal/essay to finish, which I'm a bit worried about because I have no idea if I've done the right sort of thing, and my portfolio for the end of term sounds a bit wishy washy. But anyway.

I wrote this the other day, on the first day of NaNo while I was brainstorming some poem ideas, and thought I'd post it as I just typed it up. Thought you guys might find it slightly entertaining. Maybe.Who knows. Indulge me.

November First

Furiously tying 1,000

Words before nine am -

That’s what NaNo does

To you. Immediate feeling

Of satisfaction, something

Already done, and plenty

Of time to go.

That eager anticipation

As the days countdown –

November is around

The corner and you know

What that means.

Over the world the

Same madness reigns,

Writers furiously scribbling

Desperate to reach

Their daily word count

And I am wasting time

By writing this poem

Instead of topping up

My word count.

 

Hope everyone's NaNoing is going well!

It all kicks off tomorrow!

Happy Halloween everyone! I don't ever do anything for Halloween, as I don't really like it and to be honest it always used to scare me. But tonight we're watching Harry Potter so I'm looking forward to that.

And tomorrow, NaNo starts!

I am incredibly excited. I really am.

I can't wait to get started. I've been editing my outline this afternoon and just making it better, and hopefully easier to stick to. I've also decided (I decided a while ago but I'm going to say it here so hopefully I'll stick to it) to go for a higher word count, becuase otherwise I get to 50,000 and I decide the story is finished, so for the first time I'm going for 70,000. Or at least 60,000. I hope. It is my seventh NaNo, so I guess it's time to do something a little bit different. Hold me to it guys!

I'm also, probably more when NaNo is over, but I'll stick it up here now, looking for a critique partner, so if anybody is interested let me know :)

I've been working on my poetry proposal this afternoon, and some more poetry, so better get back to that now!

Good luck everyone NaNoing tomorrow! Here we go again!

It's that time of year.

I haven't been feeling well the last few days: stupid sore throat, and now a blocked nose, which just makes me feel so tired and useless. I hate those days when you don't feel 100% and you can't get everything done that you want to.

Frustrating isn't it?

I guess it's that time of year.

But it's also that time of year where I, and hundreds of other people, are beginning to gear up for NaNoWriMo. Knowing that I am most definitely a plotter, I have been planning away and getting excited, meeting lots of new people - and I even went to a KO meeting. I know right! My housemates might even be doing it this year... NaNo house?!

Poetry is in full swing as well. We have to put together a portfolio to hand in after Christmas, so I have begun to think about that and am putting some ideas together. My housemate and myself have been persuaded into reading some poetry at an open mic thing which is TOMORROW. TOMORROW. Oh my goodness. Being ill is making me sort of forget about that, so maybe that's good?! I'll let you know how it goes. If I survive it. (I will). I hope.

P.S. I am formulating crazy (expensive) ideas for next summer.  Trying to be brave and do exciting things, that scare me (that includes this reading because that's terrifying) and wondering whether to do exciting things next summer. Maybe.

Cinquains

Yesterday in our poetry class one of the things we looked at was a form called a cinquain, which is a short five line stanza with a syllable pattern that goes 2,4,6,8,2 - so really very short!

Our tutor went through what sort of thing each line should contain -
2 an image/thing
4 describes/qualifies
6 action
8 feeling
2 concludes/refers back

I have found that these are really great fun to write and have been obsessively counting syllables on my fingers. I even woke up this morning thinking 'that's a good idea' (I rarely do that for poetry...). Cinquains were originally invented by someone called Adelaide Crapsley (seriously, go check out cinquain.org for more info) and are really fun.

Here's the one I wrote in class yesterday, we had to start with a place and the person next to us had to give us a last line.

Outhouse
Impossibly cold
Forgotten and abandoned
Walls falling in and the door
Locked up.

Off to write some more cinquains now...

Hating Myself

I know I already blogged today I’m sorry. But I just wanted to share something/ask advice. I’ve had a day today where I’ve just been creating. I’ve been writing, doing art, getting work done, doing reading and all of that. So I have done a lot. 

I am having one of those days where I am quite happy not to see people, and I have got loads done, but i still have that feeling, like I haven’t done enough. Like I haven’t written enough poetry, or got enough ideas and I need to write more,and I feel bad about it, so I sit here trying to, and it won’t just come. I don’t know if I’m expressing this right, but I make myself feel so bad for not creating enough, for not writing enough. Or I think that I’ve done plenty of poetry, but not enough prose, and today I need to just write something, but what and nothing comes. Or I need to editing, or whatever... it’s like I spread myself far too thin and try to do EVERYTHING and then feel like I havne’t done what I want to do, even though some days when I’m busy I’m happy to write a few hundred words or a few lines, or scribble a drawing. And I'm happy with that. But days like today, I hate myself and although I feel good about what I've done, there are so many different things I want to achieve maybe I don't do them fully enough. Does this make ANY sense to anyone? 

Writing, planning, typing....

I came across a blog which has inspired me to be drastic and change the beginning of the children's novel I have been editing recently. Or was over the summer. I have just finished typing up something that I wrote over the summer, which was great to get typed up - especially before NaNo begins.

It isn't as long as I anticipated, but I know there are so many places I can add to, and things that need to change. So I'm glad to know those things. I've got lots of things jotted down, and changes to make, but I'm going to let it rest and stew in my mind for a bit while I focus on other things. It's a good feeling just to get a draft typed onto the computer!

Anyway, back to the poetry for now - seem to have started a series of poems about the smokers I see in the car park we overlook, by mistake. Oh well. Also getting very arty and creative - pictures coming soon!

Create, Shine, Blossom

This is going to be a bit of a long winded post, but I'll try to say what I mean. Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about creativity and something that one of the glow girls talked about in a glow blog post, about creating something every day. Here is what she said: 

‘Create for the sake of getting your hands dirty, create cause it makes YOU smile.

Put a poem, or a drawing, or a story on a piece of paper... if only to fill in the empty blank space.

Create a [SOMETHING] everyday... No matter how big or small.’

(Jaime Lyn Beatty) I really like this. The idea of creating just BECAUSE. So many things that these girls say are wondeful and inspirational. I really need to save them all in the same place because I always lose those quotes I love. Anyway, I try to create every day. I try to write every day, because I need to and it just makes me feel so much better.

But I find myself experimenting with other ways of creating too. Like over the summer I told you all that I got into bracelet making - both friendship bracelets and beads and I LOVE doing that. I also like drawing, and baking, and recently I've started to get back into little sewing projects because I used to do that a lot when I was little, and also photography because I have a groovy amazing new camera. And I have learnt to knit! I have also, very very recently started something that I've wanted to play around with for ages and finally because of an amazing blog I found (Daisy Yellow) have started. And that is art journalling. The idea of creating a notebook/sketchbook full of just paint and sticking things on and words and all that sort of stuff has always fascinated me, but I have been too scared to 'do' art. Having read a few things, plucked up the courage to join art soc, and started helping with this kids art group I have finally got round to doing it. And so far it is so much fun. I think in a way it is freeing to know that NO ONE has to see this. I know it's the same with other stuff, but I don't know, sometimes you just have to do something for you, and it's nice to do something really new. Especially when it's raining so much and I daren't take my camera out :( And doing other stuff like that gives me new writing inspiration, and especially as I am doing a creative writing MA I think it is important.  It kind of extends the whole drawing thing too.

Do some of you find that? You have to experiment with other creative stuff, which influences/recharges your writing?

Anyway I'm really excited about this new 'venture' of sorts.

So I said this was going to be longwinded. The other thing I wanted to write about, connects up with all this creating and creativity and glow.  I think a while ago I wrote about Glow* and how awesome and inspirational it was? (Glow) and of course I started this post with them. Well anyway, a post on the site inspired a group of us to get together and create a forum space that allowed one another to create and support one another, and help one another grow in confidence with their work, and in sharing it. We chose to name this project shine, because creating should make you shine and blossom. The website is now live here, with a link there for the forum so do check it out, and as many of you are writers it may appeal. It is all still being tested and worked out, so this is still a work in progress! At the moment the community is built around those who have come from glow*, a very safe sharing community, but we would love to welcome more people who love to create ANYTHING!

Phew.

Thanks if you read that far.