Diary of a Writer – Coping Mechanisms 2

A Quality Product

Morning regular readers. You’ve seen this photo before but it’s very much the time of year. Despite Brexit, marmalade oranges were available, if not in the quantity I wanted. One bag turned into enough of the preserve for three months and another frozen for later on. My neighbour has made two batches. For me it was a good escape into something ‘real’ while awaiting the ed’s decision on the most recent serial instalment.

My decision to avoid shopping in this phase of the pandemic is frustrating and inhibiting. How anyone required to shield coped, I cannot imagine. Congratulations on your perseverance.

While I had laid in a few things, like cards for known upcoming birthdays, I’ve been caught out by others. I only wear a particular type of slipper and I buy it in John Lewis. Currently closed, they will deliver, but is a new pair of slippers an essential item? The current ones haven’t actually fallen apart.

However, this blog is supposed to be about coping and not falling apart. Quite hard that      ( ed).

Indeed.

  1. Have gone back to doing the Scotsman cryptic crossword as well as the codeword.
  2. There’s now outside building work on the other side. Men at work to watch.
  3. I am enjoying Mansefield Park. It has demonstrated to me how empty the lives of upper-middle-class people were and how very dependant they were on each other for society. Even the young men of the family had little to occupy them besides, hunting, shooting and gambling.
  4. Very good lectures in the past week from Royal Botanic Garden and Royal Lyceum Theatre.
  5. Put in my entry for the ‘name the van’ comp being run by Lochinver Pies. Also, am included in order for some of said pies. Yippee!
  6. Did some serious researching and thinking around how the serial will end.

Okay, enough. How is your life ticking over? What are you cooking/eating/buyingonline/reading?

Anne

 

 

 

Round Robin – January To Do List

 
Rhobin’s questions are as always pertinent. I’m guilty of seeing what comes along and whether I’d like to get into/onto that. It doesn’t an organised life make.
However, this year there are two projects in hand.
Firstly, I’m deeply into writing an historical serial for the People’s Friend magazine. It isn’t collaborative exactly, but the team of fiction editors do opine instalment by instalment. so that’s ongoing.

City of Discoveries

It’s taken me back to 1869 but to Edinburgh and not Dundee. One project I might add to 2021 is bringing out City of Discoveries as an e-book and POD. I know several of my author friends do this. Check out Kate Blackadder’s Family Stories Boxset here.
Secondly, I’m signed up to offer my thoughts on writing drama for the Edinburgh Writers’ Club in April. This will be a totally new experience as I’ve not done any online talks or workshops as a leader so far. In person evenings discussing the nuts and bolts of drama always leave me thinking “Wouldn’t it be nice to write a play?”
Moving on, though, what’s in my mind?
Having published two pocket novels with My Weekly last year, I’m keen to a) write a short story for the magazine and b) write another PN.
Christmas at Maldington is available here
A Debt for Rosalie is available here.
So there you have it. Modest goals but the way time slides along in our semi-permanent Lockdown (Couldn’t you do one post without mentioning it? Ed) I think Modest is good.
I’m a bit nervous to check out the other contributors as they’ll probably be so much more organised and energised. Ho hum. They are also always entertaining…
Anne

Coping Mechanisms 1

Day after interminable day stretches ahead of many of us. Key workers, on the other hand, may be finding day flashes past day.

The virus numbers make truly miserable reading and the optimism inspired by the rolling out of the vaccines is increasingly suppressed by them.

Chin up, though. Let’s share our Coping Mechanisms.

I’ve moved onto re-reading Jane Austen and am wondering why – where Northanger Abbey is concerned. Maybe all will become clear…

Seriously wondering whether the moment to launch back into Harry Potter might be on the horizon.

Am writing a serial for People’s Friend. That, at least, is going well. Our new Minister has arrived at Mayfield Salisbury Church. Welcome Sandy Forsyth. Zoom have allowed me a link to join the induction – wonder if they’d give me a reference for Eventbrite which is still refusing me tickets for anything.

If you’re on speaking terms with Eventbrite, Edinburgh Writers’ Club has its first meeting of 2021 tomorrow evening. Guests are welcome on payment of a small fee. Speaker is Tom Hodge of Typewronger Books. Situated in Haddigton Place, Typewronger books will post out or, locally, deliver your purchases in present times. Terms & Conditions apply – always wanted to join Claudia in using that phrase. Sorry not to have a celebrity on hand to add glamour – see post title.

Looking forward to walking out today as the pavements are now cleared of lingering ice.

Anyone else missing the buzz that Christmas generated? I’m missing the lovely pine smell of our tree.

Today’s online service from Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church is here.

Other coping mechanisms are available:

A Debt for Rosalie

Christmas at Maldington

Stay Home, folks, Stay Safe.

Anne