What's On My Desk

The wonderful Cole posted this great post about her desk and tagged me to do the same. How can I resist? I adore seeing other writers' desks and so I leapt at the chance to do this myself. It just so happens that I recently sorted my desk, so it appears a little more organised than the usual chaos! At least it means that hopefully you'll be able to see things.

Like Cole, I don't really have all the post it notes everywhere like planners do, but if I'm just beginning something or editing something, then there are usually pieces of paper and stray post its everywhere with notes that I have made! 

I made an attempt to create an annotated picture, which you can see below.

But, here are some un-annotated ones.

Here you can see the stack of notebooks (mainly used, although there are a couple of unused ones lurking in there), the star chart, inspired by Victoria Schwab, Laura, Cole, Emma, and anyone else who uses this system. It's working so well so far, I love it! 

You can see more of my inspiration board in that picture too - including many Daphne du Maurier pictures and Harry Potter/Hufflepuff things! Plus, the wonderful notebooks that Laura has made for me.

Here's the annotated one, un-annotated, plus another angle of my desk. I'm lucky to have a pretty big desk, but still at the same time, I want it to be at least double the size!

The main people reading this will already have been tagged, so I challenge anyone else reading to do this! And make sure to link me to the posts, I can't wait to see what all your desks look like!

And for inspiration, have a look at a wonderful picture of Daphne du Maurier at her writing desk here.

Fowey again!

Nearly the last time I posted, I had just got back from Fowey. And now, off I go again! Says something, doesn't it?

Anyway, off I go again, and I am so excited. It's going to be a bit different this time - I'm volunteering with the Festival (something I've always wanted to do), so it won't be all sitting staring at the river! But I'm so excited. It's my favourite place in the world and I just feel so at home there. I feel like me there.

I went down for the festival last year, by myself, and camped, which was one of the best things ever. And I tried windsurfing for the first time, which has just been incredible ever since. It's crazy to think that that was a year ago, and since then... well... <3 Funny how things turn out isn't it. I can't believe I've been windsurfing for nearly a year!

Well, off I go on another adventure to my favourite place! See you all soon.

Adventures and Being Brave

I got back from my adventure on Sunday, weary, with aching limbs, a wet tent, blisters and very muddy trainers and jeans, but triumphant. Utterly triumphant. In the four (was that all? It felt much longer, in a very good way. I could stay there forever) days I was away I met numerous challenges and overcame them. This was the biggest thing I'd ever done alone I think and it was amazing. Fowey is my favourite place in the world, and I could spend forever there. Seriously.

So, I camped, alone - and successfully pitched a tent! And packed it up too. Sorted taxis from the station to the camp site.


WENT WINDSURFING!!!!!! Which was amazing. Want to go again now please. And wore a wet suit, went in the sea, which I'm wary of. Proved that I could do it, and only fell in a couple of times!

Went to several du Maurier, or Fowey Festival events, chatted with amazing authors who were so friendly and awesome, wonderful du Maurier fans/experts and other writers, and people who I'd met the last time I was there for the festival and of course the wonderful people I know already in Fowey. I love the atmosphere of the festival, it's wonderful, with people who are all interested in the same thing (Daphne du Maurier!) and books and literature, and it is just so warm and welcoming.

Ate in restaurants alone (the best, and made friends with this adorable little girl) and saw lots of bluebells, which I hadn't managed to do yet this year. Made me very happy!

Basically had the best time, and the sun was shining, which was fantastic. It is such an inspiring place and I found myself constantly scribbling down notes and ideas. I was wonderfully cut off from the world for those few days and it was the perfect break away. I didn't really want to come back! But despite the weariness, definitely felt rested, reinspired, reinvigorated and energised from the whole trip. It was the best. Those are only the things that come to mind right now. But there were a whole load of challenges and things that I never thought I'd do or overcome, and hey I did it, without having to wait around for anyone else, which was amazing. Best feeling ever. And proves to me that I can do it all. Fabulous few days in my favourite place and it was wonderful. Bring on the next trip... I mean, now I know that I can do it....

Films about Writers

I rewatched Miss Potter recently, the film about Beatrix Potter and how she got her books published.  The film portrays her as a forward thinking, modern woman, with a vivid imagination and strong principles and it is inspiring and encouraging to see how determined she was. She was truly an inspiration woman.

It led me to think about other films that are about the lives and careers of writers. 

Straight away I thought of Enid, the BBC film about Enid Blyton, which reveals the darker reality of her life.

Another one I quickly thought of was Finding Neverland, one of my favourite films, all about J.M. Barrie, a troubled man.

Here are some more I came up with:

The Waves. I've never seen this, but it's meant to be fantastic. All about Virginia Woolf. And a book as well.

Daphne. As a du Maurier fan I am ashamed to say I haven't seen this BBC film, but this was made to coincide with her centenary, all about her affairs with Ellen Doubleday and Gertrude Lawrence.

Becoming Jane. Another American actress takes on a very famous British woman (I know right) but Anne Hathaway does a great job as Jane Austen, charting her early years as an author and a love story.

Miss Austen Regrets. Another Austen film, this time about her at the end of her life as she looks back over her life.

Shadowlands. An emotional film about C.S. Lewis and his wife.

Shakespeare in Love. I'm sure everyone has seen this. It's been a while since I saw it, but I seem to remember it is about the writing of Romeo and Juliet (?) and plays around that time.

Of course these are all about real life writers.

There are ones about fictional writers too, like I Capture the Castle, with Cassandra's eccentric writer father who, since his first well renowned book has not written another word. And of course Cassandra is a budding writer too.

And that's where I got stuck.... Do you guys know any other films (or books - although of course there is a wealth of biography about many of these authors and more) about writers, real or fictional?

Revisiting Fowey (Again)

Arriving in Fowey feels like coming home. I went back with my aunt last week, just for a night and a short break and it was wonderful.

It's always reassuring to see that everything is still the same, and it is all so familiar it is wonderful to be there again. I find that it is such an inspiring place and I alwys come away again feeling revived, and that I want to go straight back. I never want to leave. I want to live somewhere like that and just write books all the time (*dreaming*). That would be magical. Sigh. Maybe one day.

We were lucky enough to enjoy sunshine on the Wednesday and were able to run around on the beach playing catch and wander through the town, seeing all the familiar sights.


We visited Bookends and the lovely Ann and David and I got a copy of 'Daphne du Maurier and her sisters' by Jane Dunn, which is fascinating to read and I'm really enjoying it. Great to read something new on du Maurier!

We were staying in The Fowey hotel, which is a wonderful hotel, that doesn't seem to have changed much over the years! Was great to be reading the Jane Dunn book there and come across a mention from Angela du Maurier about staying at the hotel! Fantastic.

The next day was raining, so relieved we had had the sunshine of the day before, we holed up in Pinky Murphy's for a lot of the day and wrote weird poems and drank strawberry smoothies.

As always, I was very sad to have to leave Fowey, but am hoping to go back very soon. Really want to go to the Literary festival - it used to be the du Maurier festival, but it is now the Fowey Festival of Music and Words. REALLY want to go. It's finding somewhere to stay though. Maybe I can persuade some friends to go too... *hint*

Here's some more pictures from the stay:

Now, there's only a few days left of term and I will be home in under a week. It's gone alarmingly quickly! Scary really.

And I'm impatiently waiting for my copy of Requiem by Lauren Oliver to turn up.... hmph.

Camp NaNo and du Maurier season

So Camp NaNo starts today, which is very exciting. I am just sitting down to try and crack out some words, which will hopefully give me a good solid start. Looking forward to getting on with it now! And I finished an edit yesterday of my children's story, which made me happy. So I'll have a break from that while I do Camp NaNo. Yay!

I wanted to draw everyone's attention to the Daphne du Maurier season over at the Historical Tapestry blog. As you may know, du Maurier is my favourite, favourite author so this is really awesome. I got asked, through my du Maurier blog, to write a guest post for the season. I'm really excited about this, and the whole month should be good. If you are a fan of du Maurier, interested, merely curious, or even if you have never heard of her and her work, you should go check it out!

Anyway, better crack on with the writing!

Good luck everyone else taking part!

Editing and Update

Apologies for my radio silence as it were. I always seem to be apologising at the moment don't I? It's been a busy few weeks and I just spent a beautiful and amazing weekend away, in this beautiful place:




Yes, that is Cornwall. In March. It was amazing <3 And so inspiring for my disseration (the place where Daphne du Maurier lived, and inspired her writing).Not the best representation as those aren't pictures of the town, but the estuary (the view out my hotel window) and the little beach at the edge of the town.

This week I have had to get properly back into work, but that has been okay, despite the gloomy weather, and the last few exciting weeks. But it's not all doom and gloom. I'm still excited about my dissertation, which is still going well. I can't believe how quickly this term is going though!

Some things I am excited about at the moment, because I felt like making a list:

1. the Starkid Space Tour album, which I have been listening to on repeat
2. The Hunger Games film coming out soon!
3. the Mcfly tour
4. the Mcfly book coming out later this year
5. my redrafting and editing
Among other things. Anyway, back to the EDITING!

p.s. when I started writing this, i.e. this morning, I could have sworn there were things I wanted to write about, and now... I can't remember. Apologies!