Word Count Wednesday: 15th May 2024

Good morning. Welcome to Word Count Wednesday. How have you been getting on?

No new writing this week but I have been going through my archives of a particular area; my poetry.

I thought I’d not written many over the years* and it’s not a form I plan on continuing so I’m going to be releasing them as a collection at some point in the, hopefully, not-too-distant future, under a pen name.  Name chosen and cover designed so I will reveal when they’re ready.

*So far there are actually 58 ‘finished’ (which need going through) but quite a few ‘started’ so I will go through those – after a week of Amazon Ads for a change, and see if any warrant finishing and adding to the collection.

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 8th May 2024

Good morning. Welcome to Word Count Wednesday. How have you been getting on?

Rather than write a little every day, which has been almost impossible due to a variety of reasons, I am endeavouring to have at least one day a week to dedicate to my writing.

I started last Wednesday by researching some outlets and wrote a short story (2,171 words) especially for a UK-based magazine, which I’m really pleased with. I left it to marinate for a few days and sent it off yesterday, ahead of the deadline.

Hopefully this will continue hereafter. I’ll let you know.

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 1st May 2024

Good morning. Welcome to Word Count Wednesday. How have you been getting on?

The ‘write every morning’ lasted a couple of days. Good intentions and all that. I am more of a writer who needs chunks of time. After a chat with T on Monday night, we’ve agreed that Wednesday will be my day off to write, client editing allowing.

So a low word count from me (less than a thousand for the two pieces) this week but if I do have today as a writing day then there should be a four-figure amount to report next week. Keeping everything crossed but it helps that Story A Day May started today, as did my free-to-enter 50-word competition!

So I plan to do SADM every day this month, most likely writing plots rather than the stories themselves. I’ve not been much of a planner, more a pantser, but having the bones of the idea will help when I come to write them. We’ll see. I do have a gap in my editing schedule so unless I get booked (fingers crossed), I’ll have more time to be creative.

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 24th April 2024

Good morning. Welcome to Word Count Wednesday. How have you been getting on?

A really productive week here. I’m up to date with client editing so I did a load of admin, finished scheduling the month’s prompt a day prompts,

In a webinar replay I listened to (semi-watch) at the weekend, Quinn Ward of Bryan Cohen’s Author Ad School (which I can’t rate highly enough) said he keeps the chain going by writing something every day, even if it’s only 50 words. That stuck with me so yesterday I started writing something from the daily prompts I post on my blog. 426 words. 🙂

The main reason why I spend days not writing, other than being super busy, is that I have so many WIPs (works in progress) that I need to knuckle down to bringing at least one of them as my main focus so I can continue a chunk (or chunkette) each day without having to go back so far that I spend all the allocated time rereading what’s written so far.

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 17th April 2024

Good morning. Welcome to Word Count Wednesday. How have you been getting on?

I’ve been busy getting married(!) but back at my desk on Sunday as T went back to work then. He’s booked our honeymoon in a few weeks but I’ve said I don’t want to know where we’re going until we get to the airport. 🙂 Hopefully he won’t tell anyone else in case they spill.

So, with arrangements done – although we will be having a bigger party in the summer – my focus has returned to my writing career (advertising) and getting my accounts up to date, just for the Sunday (back to client editing on the Monday). The advantage of having been busy with extended family over the past few months is I won’t have any tax to pay! I can also now focus on building my editing client portfolio back up.

As short stories are my favourite format – to write and read – I shall be doing Story A Day May (SADM) next month so should have a decent word count each week. Are you doing it too?

In the meantime, I decided – albeit late, yesterday – to write something for the daily prompts, at least 300 words a day (which would get me 109.500 by this time next year!), hopefully doing both but maybe taking a break for SADM. Yesterday I wrote a little dialogue, no narration, which came out at 145 words, so half the goal but it’s complete.

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 10th April 2024

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

Other than client editing, I’ve been busy with a certain event happening this Friday. Watch this space (next Wednesday) for more details. 🙂

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

Word Count Wednesday: 3rd April 2024

Good morning. Yes, it’s that time of the week again. How have you been getting on?

Another busy work week (client editing) and preparations for our big day. I’m okay with not doing any writing at the moment because I can put pressure on myself if I don’t write and feel bad. I will get back to it when life is less busy, a very happy busy nonetheless.

As time goes on, I’m taking steps nearer to spending more time writing so I’m being very positive… and am looking forward to it immensely.

Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.

A Prompt A Day: Mon 1st April 2024

Good morning. Welcome to this feature (inspired by Story A Day May) where I post a prompt, and accompanying (though not necessarily connected) picture*, so actually two prompts.

*Today’s picture shows a brown pelican looking pensive, with its beak against its chest, forming a long oval shape. Behind it is a blurred white background with blurred black edges.

Unless there’s a name, only the first word will be capitalised so you can use it anyway you like: as a title, idea or the exact phrase used within your piece.

Being the author of (to-date) five Writer’s Block Workbooks and Ideas Diaries, I know how even a single word can help as inspiration to write something new whether it’s a short story, poem, piece of non-fiction, a script or even a novel! It could be a distraction if you’re writing something you’re struggling with or would just like to do something different.

Today’s prompt is…

First of the month

Do leave a comment below if you write something inspired by today’s prompt. NB. If you post your writing it’s deemed as published so may not be accepted elsewhere.

If you’d like to suggest a prompt for me to post (ideally at least two in case one’s too similar to one already posted or something someone else has already suggested), please complete the form on the A Prompt A Day page. I will include your website link if you have one, posting them once a fortnight.

If you’re an author, editor, illustrator, agent, publisher (anything in the publishing industry) and would like to take part in a spotlight, see Saturday Spotlights or email me for details.

A Prompt A Day: Sun 31st March 2024

Good morning. Welcome to this feature (inspired by Story A Day May) where I post a prompt, and accompanying (though not necessarily connected) picture*, so actually two prompts.

*Today’s picture shows a very colourful (white, yellow, orange) Copenhagen with tall buildings in the background, reflected in water (a canal?), and a white sail boat in the middle of the picture.

Unless there’s a name, only the first word will be capitalised so you can use it anyway you like: as a title, idea or the exact phrase used within your piece.

Being the author of (to-date) five Writer’s Block Workbooks and Ideas Diaries, I know how even a single word can help as inspiration to write something new whether it’s a short story, poem, piece of non-fiction, a script or even a novel! It could be a distraction if you’re writing something you’re struggling with or would just like to do something different.

Today’s prompt is…

On a zero hours contract

Do leave a comment below if you write something inspired by today’s prompt. NB. If you post your writing it’s deemed as published so may not be accepted elsewhere.

If you’d like to suggest a prompt for me to post (ideally at least two in case one’s too similar to one already posted or something someone else has already suggested), please complete the form on the A Prompt A Day page. I will include your website link if you have one, posting them once a fortnight.

If you’re an author, editor, illustrator, agent, publisher (anything in the publishing industry) and would like to take part in a spotlight, see Saturday Spotlights or email me for details.

A Prompt A Day: Sat 30th March 2024

Good morning. Welcome to this feature (inspired by Story A Day May) where I post a prompt, and accompanying (though not necessarily connected) picture*, so actually two prompts.

*Today’s picture shows an illustrated happy yellow beaming sun with large orange cheeks.

Unless there’s a name, only the first word will be capitalised so you can use it anyway you like: as a title, idea or the exact phrase used within your piece.

Being the author of (to-date) five Writer’s Block Workbooks and Ideas Diaries, I know how even a single word can help as inspiration to write something new whether it’s a short story, poem, piece of non-fiction, a script or even a novel! It could be a distraction if you’re writing something you’re struggling with or would just like to do something different.

Today’s prompt is…

A surprise question

Do leave a comment below if you write something inspired by today’s prompt. NB. If you post your writing it’s deemed as published so may not be accepted elsewhere.

If you’d like to suggest a prompt for me to post (ideally at least two in case one’s too similar to one already posted or something someone else has already suggested), please complete the form on the A Prompt A Day page. I will include your website link if you have one, posting them once a fortnight.

If you’re an author, editor, illustrator, agent, publisher (anything in the publishing industry) and would like to take part in a spotlight, see Saturday Spotlights or email me for details.