How to make the most of a writing retreat

This is the third and final post I will be writing about the retreat I went to on 9 May. The answer to the above is not eating most of the below (our table of cakes). Yes, I did eat a fair amount of them.

I am talking about writing. Not just what you take to the retreat to write, but how about where you are staying? Last year, I picked up a leaflet about the history of the place and its founder. I thought, this would make great articles. Perhaps I could get more info about them next time. So, this year when I got there, I asked the staff there, mentioning I was going to write articles, if they had more info I could have. They showed me a folder which had a chapter about the family. They also gave me two thick wads of info about the founder and the place. All useful fodder for planned articles. So, in the afternoon, as well as writing a bit on a couple of main projects I had with me, I researched articles in the magazines I had with me, and drafted out three travel articles. The last morning there, I finished drafting the third article, so gave back the two wads of papers to the staff.

That is what I mean when I say make the most of a writing retreat. Where you go, does it have a history? Can you write articles about the place? About the person who owned it? About the food there? Don't forget to take lots of photos when you're there. I did. I took photos of all round the house and grounds, in case they are needed if your work is accepted.

I emailed the first article with photos this morning. Have to wait now to see if it is accepted or not. Two more to type up in the meantime. Watch this space...

Another goal for this year and an update on current ones

I have decided to have another goal for this year, but will give you an update on my current ones.

1. Still getting there with my 7+ children's book. Decided to change a scene and put in one that goes with the rest of the book.

2. Still getting there with my next Angel ebook, and should finish current draft by next goal-setting brunch end of this month.

3. Bird articles - have found a few children's magazines in the US that I can submit to. Have one already to post next week.  I have decided to expand my freelance writing and write about famous people with disabilities and submit to those magazines, too, and write about places in London as travel pieces. We shall see how it goes.

Now for my new goal. I was going to stay as an indie author, but after a friend of mine recently got her first book published by a publisher and going to the RNA workshop last weekend, I have now decided to be a hybrid author. I want to try and get published in adult romance with either a trad publisher (not one of the big 6) but a smaller one or a digital publisher like my friend. When I have finished Charlie, the 7+ book, I will then work on a story to send to Woman's Weekly, then I will start rewriting a novel I sent to the NWS a few years ago and make it more romantic, concentrating on the relationship between the girl and boy. I shall either send it to the NWS or straight to a publisher, depending on when I finish it as the NWS closes end of August. I still have lots of indie projects to work on. The rest of the Angel series, the last 2 Geraldine stories, 2 more mermaid stories, and the rest of the Secrets of Singleton village short stories, which should take me into next year.

So, there you have it. My goals and how they are doing, and my new one to work towards. How are you getting on?

If you want help with goal-setting and keeping them, I now have a template for goal-setting, much like the SCBWI Brunch one I get. Let me know if you want one in the comments below, and I can email it to you.

Eating out on a day trip - then and now.

This is one of the posts I will write about food intolerances and travel. When I was able to eat certain foods and now that I can't. I shall start with day trips out to the seaside.

Years ago, my mum and I would go to Eastbourne for the day, a couple of times, during the summer. Way back then, I was able to eat dairy. So, during our day out, although we'd take our own lunch with us to eat, we would pop to the sea front and buy ourselves Magnum's. I used to love the caramel choc ones. So yummy. I'd enjoy sitting on a bench, looking towards the sea, and eating it with relish. One of the other foods I used love to buying and eating was fudge. It was one of my fave sweets. I loved the creaminess of it. It never used to last long when I got it home. But that was then, when I was able to eat dairy.

Now is a totally different story. The last time we went to Eastbourne was in 2005, when my mum passed out and broke her wrist. We've not been since as Mum hasn't done any long train journeys, and doesn't know how she'd cope with one. Anyway. in 2005, I knew I was dairy intolerant, so I couldn't eat what I used to. We still took our own lunches, but we'd take snacks with us, too. We'd have crisps and fruit bars to eat instead of buying ice creams and sweets. This is what we take when we go out for days now. How I miss those Magnums. But I know I wouldn't be able to eat them because they'd give me bad IBS, and I don't what that whilst I'm out.

So, do you have food intolerances? Do you have memories of what you could eat before you were diagnosed? And what are they? Let me know. I might do an article about this some day.

Seeing the play 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'

On Easter Saturday my mum and I went to see the above play at the Apollo Theatre. For free. I had agreed to review it for the website/ezine Disability Now as I have Asperger's Syndrome like the main character in it.

We managed to find the theatre, thanks to a woman who was going there too and had seen us looking lost. We came out of the Shaftesbury Avenue exit thinking that was where we were, but not. Realised then we should have taken the map with us. There were lots of people around us, which surprised me as it was Easter. We got our tickets and a free programme, as I was considered press reviewing it. We had to wait for a short while before the stage was ready and could get to our seats. We were three rows in front of the stage, which was smaller and more basic than I expected. I was thinking of a proper stage with curtains. Some of the cast came up the aisle and onto the stage via the steps by the stage, so close that I could touch them being on the outside seat. Being so close, it was rather loud at times. The play was excellent and the cast were great. I don't know how they all remembered their lines as they played different characters a lot of the time. The graphics were amazing and the performances, esp by Luke Treadaway who plays the main character, Christopher, was moving and powerful. We left on a high. I still can't forget it now. I wouldn't mind seeing it again.

I haven't said much about the scenes as they will feature in the review. And I have just typed up a piece about travelling for a competition. Watch out for the review on Disability Now website.

I would recommend going and see it. I dare you not to be moved and touched by it all.