New workspace new start

My desk has been moved into what will be (I hope) it's final position. This room was always going to be my office/workspace. The problem is that for a while it will have to do double duty as a sitting room both for us and our Guests (Airbnb and personal family and friends). We have a room that one day will be a sitting room, but who knows when that day will be.

The problem will be keeping it tidy. I still need to add a bookshelf and a printer and then it will be "all systems go".( Is that from Thunderbirds?)

My writing schedule is set up for the autumn and starts off with a Futurelearn course, on creative writing. I will include a link at the end.

I've also teamed up with writer Jackie Vincent. We plan to keep each other on track in terms of projects do a bit of reading for each other and generally provide encouragement. She has had lots of work published in the past but needed a new impetus for her new project. I am really excited about the whole thing.

To celebrate I have started a new Writers Journal and will be learning how to use it as I have never done that before. I know so many people who consider it an essential tool for a writer. I have also started a file in which to keep hints tips and worksheets and I am determined that each Story/blog/article, I write will be better than the previous one.

Here are the links https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/start-writing-fiction

Jackies Blog https://jvincentwriter.wordpress.com

Writing outside of your comfort zone

Writing stories for competitions is a good way to stretch your writing muscles. I know that many people only ever write within their chosen genre and that's fine. I actually think that you become a better writer by stretching your self a bit.

The problem for me is that it's hard. I have just finished a Diaspora type story for a competition and quite quickly ran into trouble. The problem was the ending. I rarely read stories with sad or gloomy endings and I now find that I can't write them either. I had to settle for an ambiguous ending.

This has destroyed two illusions about myself. I was certain that I could write anything, after all, I have an imagination and I have spent half of my life daydreaming. I was hoping that that counted for something. But no, It seemed that my hands will not type absolute gloom.

A promise of Sun or Rain?

The second thing was even worse, I have always thought of my self as a bit of a closet depressive, and maybe that's actually true. But to make myself feel better, I tell myself that I have dark hidden depths. But it seems that when I'm put to the test I am a bit shallow and sentimental.

I guess I am what I am and I will have to work with that.

I will let you know how I get on with the competition though and whether it was a complete disaster.

Another story available on Amazon

The reason that these two posts are together is that I have only just started the blog, not because I intend to publish a new story every day.

This one is slightly longer and is a mystery. It started with a break-in at a church and got a whole lot more serious when the new associate vicar finds a rare and very valuable Chalice.

First of a new Series

Well here we go first in a new series of short stories is now available on Amazon. Believe me, writing is the easy part.

I am guessing I the technical stuff of actually getting ready to publish gets easier. I hope so