Writer's block or something else?

 Now that I am back to writing short children's fiction again, I got thinking about the book I was trying to rewrite last year and got stuck on half way through. Was it writer's block or something else? I had plotted it out chapter by chapter but still got stuck. I decided to leave it and concentrate on another book I was writing because of my health issues back then. After reading lots of children's books (for research) I have come to the conclusion it wasn't writer's block that stopped me but maybe I had made the plot too long and complicated. I was adding different things to it about eating healthily and what food intolerances can do along with magic but maybe now I just need to think of simpler things to put in it. I will go back to working on that story again but probably not this year, maybe next year. I want to concentrate on the new series I am writing now, which I am enjoying doing. 

So, if you are getting stuck with your wip, then have a think about it? Is the plot too long? Too complicated? If you find it complicated, so will the reader. Can you make it simpler? I am going to try when I get back to it.

In the meantime, have fun writing whatever you are on.

Why I love being an indie author

 I am sorry I haven't been on here these past few months, but if you know me on Facebook you will know why. For those who aren't, then the short story is that my health took a bad turn and I had to go into hospital. I had to have major heart surgery to replace a heart valve and a pacemaker fitted. I was in for nearly 8 weeks. I came home to an empty house because while I was in hospital, my mum had a fall and ended up in another hospital herself. She is back home now but bed bound with carers coming in to do her personal care and meals four times a day. I am still recovering but back to writing as an indie author. One of the reasons I love being an indie author is you are only accountable to yourself and when something happens like the above and you can't write, then it is a relief. 

Apart from a couple of ideas for short stories I jotted down pre-surgery, I didn't do any writing. I couldn't. It took so much effort to recover and get moving by myself again. It was only when I was home and after a couple of weeks when I read writing magazines that I thought about writing. Before I went into hospital I was half way through writing a cozy mystery but I didn't fancy writing that. I started reading children's books and decided that I wanted to write something new like that. I already had a few ideas jotted down. One came to me but it was all muddled in my mind. Then I saw a second idea and it jumped out at me. This is what I am now writing. A new series for 7-9s. I am enjoying writing again.

A reason I love being an indie author, you can write what you want and when. Imagine what might have happened if I was under a traditional publisher and writing that book... I will go back to working on the mystery some time but I am having fun writing for children, esp when the characters have Asperger's. It is under my 'autism meets magical realism' brand and 'learn about autism' umbrella.

Enjoy what you are writing and have fun with it.

My writing goals for 2021

 As I do each year, I create a few writing goals for the year. I have worked out a few according to my health, my mum's health and what is going on in the world right now.

1. I am going to continue to write and send short stories to magazine. There is one particular one in mind which published two of mine last year. I plan to send stories to others as well which don't take all rights. I am currently waiting to hear back about one but feel that will be ages now due to the lockdown.

2. Publish Book 6 in the Rainbow School series. This is Erin's story who gets to dance with Alistair.

3. Write and publish the first of my new cozy mystery series I am working on. Am  having fun with this one esp as I have been writing two main character povs which I don't normally do.

4. I might finish the first draft of the rewrite of Rosie. Am a bit stuck on it at the moment. Not sure if it's best to concentrate on one book at a time.

5.  Continue renewing covers for Geraldine's Gems series to create that brand more.

Well, I think that is all my goals for this year. I feel that is enough for now.

Happy writing.

Does Alistair's sizzling shoes help his anxiety?

 So, what am I talking about? Well, Book 5 in my Rainbow School books for 7-9 year olds called Alistair and the Sizzling Shoes is now out. As I put in the 'About the author' page at the back, I loosely based him on me when I was at primary school. I was anxious, bit my fingernails (don't now) and did dancing lessons (I think it was barn dancing). His passion is dancing, hence the sizzling shoes. Does his hobby help make his life easier and help him make friends like his dad mentioned in a postcard to him? You can find out at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alistair-Sizzling-Shoes-Rainbow-School/dp/B08HTBB3HC/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Alistair+and+the+sizzling+shoes&qid=1600257753&s=books&sr=1-1

If you do buy it, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have loved writing these stories and getting the characters to make friends along the way. Billy comes into his own when he helps his new friends.

Happy reading.

Roads, anxiety and lockdown

 I know that a lot of people, especially those with autism like me, had anxiety issues during lockdown. I did too. It wasn't just the unknown of it all and the uncertainty but how it affected my anxiety about going out on my own. Up until March I had been going really well. I had been able to cross my road on my own, walked ahead of my mum down the roads and in the shops with more confidence. And then, wham, came the lockdown and we couldn't go out unless absolutely necessary. Now that we are able to get out again for shopping, I have lost that bit of confidence. I am OK when it comes to walking about in our local chemist as the floor is flat but crossing the road is another matter. It isn't just me, it's my mum. She finds it hard to walk anyway, but I believe that because we hadn't been able to get out and walk, it has made her feet and ankles even worse and more swollen, making it harder for her to get out again. She can't walk on her own without me anymore, esp crossing the road. So that has gone for me for now. I feel that maybe in time I will get that confidence back and be able to get out on my own again. I felt that way before the lockdown. I felt there was a light at the end of the tunnel and I could get somewhere on my own. We shall see. It will come. I will have to keep telling myself that.

Being proactive in promotional sales

One of my main writing goals this year was to promote my adult magical realism ebooks more, and I have been doing this and will be doing so again next month. The way forward is to find ways to do this that are free and can reach as many readers as you want. This is why I am taking part in the ebook distributor Smashwords' promo sale next month. I also took part in their last sale period. Did I get any sales? One, but it was one more than I had before I took part. I also had a few free purchases, which could turn into readers for me, who knows. It is why I have already set up to take part next month. I have put one of my magical realism series at a discounted price with the first ebook as free and the rest cheaper. To find out which series it is and what I have done, why not sign up for my book newsletter at  http://eepurl.com/b3zDYv

This is one of the reasons I decided to go wide with all my ebooks, and not be exclusive with Amazon. I wanted to reach as many readers as possible. It is also why I think other indie authors who are on Smashwords too, should take part in this promo sale period. Smashwords also has their own ebook store and share that on their home page.

So, if you are an indie author who has gone wide with their ebooks. Come and join the sale.

Review of writing goals

I went to look at this blog to see what my writing goals were so I could review them, and saw that was when I last posted here. Oops. How lax of me. That shall be one of my goals then, to blog more. I did read what my goals were, and have had to rethink a couple, either because of what I write or because of current circumstances. So, here we go.

Not to give up on sending sci-fi stories out. I have given up, mainly because I have realised that the type of sci-fi I write (and want to write) isn't what the magazines want. They want gritty types whereas mine are more gentle and clean. Am now thinking about still writing them but for my own collection to publish, possibly next year.

Promote my children's books in libraries. Due to the lockdown, this has had to be put on hold until when I can do so.

Promote my ghost stories more. I have been promoting them now and then on Facebook, esp in groups I belong to.

I have found another way to promote them - write them for magazines. So I have found a market for them, with one acceptance so far. Yours Fiction (a quarterly magazine) that publishes just fiction wants ghost stories, so I have sent them two more stories so far. Am working on another, and have a couple more in mind, which were going to be put in my short story collection. Which brings me to my next goal -

Get together a collection of my ghost stories to publish. I have started. I have found some on Word and have put them in one folder ready to print out again and read through.

Another way to promote ghost stories is to write more ebooks with them in. I have thought of another series with a helpful ghost in, which I've been jotting down notes about over the last couple of weeks.

Last goal. Write the last in my Singleton magical realism series. Am still writing that. I want to finish the first draft this month. I want to publish before autumn, when I feel that traditional published books will eventually be published.

New goal - to publish Alistair's story in August/Sept.

So, I shall catch up sometime soon about these.