Spring days and writing days

Well hello there! It's been a while. Things have got busy and I've found that when I get busy, blogging is the first thing to go. I haven't even managed a What's Up Wednesday the last couple of weeks!

But today is a writing day and I'm catching up with various things like blogging this morning before getting on with some proper writing. Oh, I miss writing days.

I can't believe that it's April already - how did that happen? Looking forward to lots of things this month, including MuggleNet Live!, Rebecca, and Victoria Schwab - all next week! Crazy. So excited though. It's going to be such a great week, although I have so much to do before then.

In exciting news, I was offered one of ten scholarship places at the Winchester Writers' Festival in June and I am so excited. I can't wait to meet lots of other writers and go to lots of workshops and talks - plus one to one meetings with various agents/editors. I am so excited but rather nervous too. I sent off my choices this weekend, so I'll find out soon which courses I am doing. I can't wait!

Plus, before that, there's the Fowey Festival and I can't wait to go back to Fowey (if only I never had to leave) and do lots of du Maurier things.

Otherwise, I've been enjoying the beautiful spring days, all the lovely flowers, the feel of the sun on my face (I've missed the warm sun SO much), the longer days, and looking forward to summer. I'm also dreaming of windsurfing - I WILL get out there soon. I will.

I'm wondering too about how I should make sure that I keep up blogging. Should I do regular features, lists - or what? How does everyone else keep up with their blogging when they get busy? Obviously I want my writing to be my priority, and if something has to go.... but I don't want to let my blog completely slide!

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter - and enjoyed lots of lovely chocolate.

February Round Up

Well, what a month! It only feels like days ago I wrote the January round up, and now here I am writing one for February.

We're finally emerging out of winter and into spring, which is my favourite season. I love the flowers - the bluebells, daffodils, primroses, and the bright, sunny days, the hope and expectation that there is in the air...

But anyway, back to February...

February has been a mixed month. There has certainly been some bad moments, with my laptop crashing and all that - and that just being a bad moment in a rather bad week. But I feel like things are looking up now.

The month kicked off too with the Bloomsbury Harry Potter Book Night at the Waterstone's Piccadilly, which was absolutely awesome and I had the best night.

I've read lots of good books this month too. Some of the ones I loved include:

The Farm Beneath the Water by Helen Peters,
The Sin Eaters Daughter by Melinda Sailsbury,
The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson,
Arsenic for Tea by Robin Stevens,
and
I Was Here by Gayle Forman -  and more!

Some of the great releases this month too included the new Maureen Johnson book, A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab, and Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman (in fact those were the only three books I let myself buy this month... pretty good going, considering that January had been rather decadent!).

I've also done lots of writing - my star chart looks pretty great this month!

not quite full as took picture early!

Since joining the gym at the beginning of the month, I've been getting into a good routine and going to lots of classes and using the gym a lot too.

I'm glad that February is over though and I'm looking forward to March! This blank calender page is rather tempting - another fresh start is always nice, there's so much hope and expectation!

Are you guys glad that February is over?

"I still got sand in my shoes...."

I don't know why I have that in my head - probably because I do, quite literally, still have sand in my shoes. It occured to me earlier that I haven't blogged in a while, and I apologise. What a few weeks it's been!

Anyway, going back to the sand. Last week, I went on a last minute trip down to Fowey (my favourite place in the world, if you hadn't gathered already), and it was amazing.


This post has been a little derailed (see previous post), but it still seems astonishing how quickly time is flying by. A week ago, I was in Fowey having a wonderful time. Sigh. I can't believe it really.

There was sand, sun, walking, coffee, books, writing, a range of interesting people, wonderful food and just being in my favourite place was so wonderful <3 I love Fowey.

As Daphne du Maurier wrote:

"All I want is to be at Fowey. This now is my life. This and no one else."

 That's from memory, so it might be wrong, but that's the general idea.

Oh I miss it. I feel so at home there.

I made lots of writing notes as well while I was there. Writing wise, I'm working on so many things I'm driving myself crazy. I don't want to complain, becasue I need writing and I rely on writing and it's my everything, but oh man, sometimes I shouldn't let my brain take over as much as it does!

Anyway, I'm still editing (again) Treading Water, writing my first draft of the strange spy story, also working on my dissertation idea (a children's story, eeep -which seems like it's going to be funny, ah!), and also my script for this current module - of which I only have ONE seminar left, EVER! Crazy. Like I say, where is time going? And then there's all the other ideas my head keeps throwing at me, and i keep trying to put off, but it's tough. Sigh. So lots and lots of writing going on - although the amount of different things does mean that sometimes I get NOTHING done because I'm wondering what on earth to work on!

Spring seems to have finally arrived as well, and that makes me very happy!

Return

A return to normal blogging, a return to Exeter, and a return to... Spring! Yes, Spring is seems is finally here, which means summer is around the corner and as these are my favourite two seasons I am in heaven.

 And utterly obsessed with daffodils.

Although, my favourites are the bluebells and I am eagerly anticipating them coming out, and going to find a bluebell wood somewhere in Devon, as I am not at home for them this year (if anyone has any suggestions PLEASE let me know! Cheers!)

I love the longer evenings, now that it doesn't get dark until 8.30 or so.

I love that the sun is shining and it's warm enough to sit outside (when it's not windy) and that we can shed the winter layers (I do feel like I've come out of hibernation!).

I love that I can go outside in BARE FEET.

I love that there are so many summer plans and it is nearly tennis season in the UK and that the French Open and Wimbledon are around the corner.

I could go on, but today I won't.  Am busy at the minute writing and finishing off assignments due for the beginning of May, and then I'm free! Until September! But I am looking forward to starting many more projects over the summer (I have a couple I've been planning on focusing on) and getting them written, and my mind is buzzing with ideas at the minute, which is exciting. One character strolled into my mind this morning, making me want to write her story down, so I scribbled some notes, but now it's back to focusing on this essay!

We Like March

I can't believe where this term is going! It only seems like yesterday that I sat down to write that blog post about meeting JK Rowling, but it is already a week ago! It's crazy.

Things have been busy. I only have two seminars left (!) this academic year, which is mad and I'm sad to see this module come to an end. I'm looking forward to having May (once I've done the assigment for this module) onwards to work on my WIPs though, and being able to focus on getting lots done. I've learnt so much this year, I'm so glad I've done this course (another year to go! Whoop).

In writing news, I've been busy editing and working on various things. I've put George aside for now (have done so many edits on that story!), and am working on the other one I've been editing and revising recently.

I worked with some kids this week, on a creative writing course, that was based around Spring, and the tutor got them to learn this poem by Emily Dickinson:

We like March, his shoes are purple,
He is new and high;
Makes he mud for dog and peddler,
Makes he forest dry;
Knows the adder's tongue his coming,
And begets her spot.
Stands the sun so close and mighty
That our minds are hot.
News is he of all the others;
Bold it were to die
With the blue-birds buccaneering
On his British sky.

I adore it! Except, when I read it now, I read it in a way that is like kids reciting a poem! I really need to go read some more Emily Dickinson.

What else? I'm off to Fowey tomorrow for a semi - spontaneous trip with my aunt (yippeeeeeeeee) - favourite place ever and I'm SO VERY excited! Such an inspiring, wonderful amazing place! So excited!

More Spring Musings

A sort of poem I wrote this morning when I saw it was actually sunny today:

Blue skies appear over a grey horizon,

Is Spring really here at last?

The world is waking up again,

The smell of Spring is in the air

And the anticipation of brighter days

Hangs around the corner

As I walk with a spring in my step.

Birthday Fun!

Spring is definitely in the air today! Whoop!

This weekend was crazy busy, as was to be expected, but it all went very well. If you follow me on twitter, you probably saw my happy tweets about the annual MethAng musical, and I apologise for that! This year it was actually on my birthday (usually it's just in the lead up) but it was a great day as I got to spend it all with my friends, and they bought my birthday cake and lots of lovely presents and it was a great day. Old friends came back to see the musical too, so it was good fun. I had much smaller roles this year so didn't have all that rehearsing to do, and so I took lots of photos!

The play went really well - I knocked over a piece of scenery as I went on stage (in my defence, we never usually have so much scenery...) and a couple of people fell over, but otherwise it went well and we raised an amazing amount of money for a local charity.

Afterwards, we had the usual after party to celebrate and it was awesome.

So it was a good weekend. And now spring is coming! Yay!

And this Friday I'm going to a little event at the Bath Book festival with a certain JK Rowling... eeeeek.

Anyway, today I have to finish editing an essay and a story in for tomorrow. Then I can get on with some editing again! Yay!

An Ode to Spring

Spring is round the corner and I couldn't have been more delighted. Spring, closely followed by Summer is my favourite time of year. I hate winter. I hate being cold and ill and the early dark nights and everything looking so dead. The beginning of March definitely hails the beginning of Spring and brighter times (maybe it's always helped that it's my birthday on the 2nd.... ahh, I'm getting old!!).

I just love Spring though. I love that the days begin to get longer, that it's light past five o'clock and light first thing in the morning. I love that it begins to get warmer. I love that new life begins. I love all the spring flowers. Daffodils and primroses and bluebells. They are my favourite flowers ever. Maybe it's something to do with having grown up in the countryside and on a farm, but I love the time of year when they all appear. I love walking through bluebell woods, with a carpet of bluebells.

Here's some lovely pictures for you, from a few years ago (I think.. the album on my computer just says 'Spring at home'): 

See! That's why I love it so much <3 Dreaming of walking through bluebell woods now....

And then spring leads onto wonderful summer, which is full of swimming, and tshirts and bare feet and long long lazy days and sitting outside reading and writing and watching Wimbledon and bbqs and fresh veg and fruit from the garden and STRAWBERRIES and TOMATOES and beautiful days (and we're in England so rainy days but still). SEE. IT'S AMAZING. I really am a country girl at heart aren't I?!

I think this is probably why I set most of my stories in the summer. Because to me it's a happy time, full of lazy lovely days and fun times and its warm and lovely and just splendid. I rarely write anything set in the winter. Weird really.

Bring on the Spring!

Pinch, Punch, First of the month to you all!

Sunshine Award

I apolgise that am I seem to be posting at the minute are challenges and awards and such, life is busy what with a dissertation and everything to do - and such gorgeous spring weather outside! But I did start a long rambly post about YA books, which I will finish and post this week hopefully.

Anyway, the lovely Angeline has awarded me with the lovely sunshine award, which seems so approriate for the lovely weather we are having at the minute. Spring makes me so happy and I love daffidaols and bluebells and being able to be outside, and the warmth!

I have to answer some questions now:

Favourite color?

Purple probably.
Favourite animal?

Definitely cats.
Favourite number?

3
Favourite non-alcoholic drink?
earl grey tea and strong coffee (I can't choose)

Facebook or Twitter?

Twitter. Although FB is good for keeping in touch with people, its annoying.
My passion?

Books and writing.
Getting or giving presents?

Definitely giving.
Favourite pattern?

Pattern? Umm, my mind has gone blank...
Favourite day of the week?

I don't know if I have a favourite. I do like Fridays, because there's the hope of the weekend ahead. Sundays are nice too.
Favourite flower?

Bluebells.

I'm meant to tag some other bloggers now... so....

1. Jenna
2. Akoss
3. Elodie
4. Sarah

I know it's not many, but I didn't want to give it to people who already had it, and so I'm sorry! Anyway, I may add some, but I want to post!

In case you didn't guess, I love Spring!

Anyway, back to the dissertation for now.