Lockdown Diary – 2020 – 88 – Bubbling through

On the Boil

Lots of bubbles here as the marmalade comes ‘through’ the boil. So looking forward to forming our own. Also delighted that some of those ‘shielding’ may now walk out and get some real fresh air. It has been a long haul.

I saw on FB this morning a reference to International Picnic Day. Checking this out I discover that there is a calendar and you can see it here

Writers may find this useful.

Today is Martini Day. Are you a shaken or stirred sort? Yesterday was Picnic Day and the Royal Museum of Scotland was displaying Bonnie Prince Charlie’s travelling picnic set. Most of it, knife, fork, spoon, recognisable. Some of it, marrow scoop, less so.

Yesterday:

I finished the jigsaw.

I attended a streamed funeral. I joined some family over the airwaves while we completed a wooden jigsaw – fewer pieces than above, but quite tricky, too. I went to a book group on zoom. I made great progress with the ARC. I also progressed the WIP.

Some days, even in Lockdown, are more rewarding than others.

Anne

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Diary of a Writer – December writing prompt – When is that project too big?

Colourful Tree Decoration

 

When is that project too big? I’ve always loved knitting and have dabbled with crochet, too. I find, despairingly, that I sometimes set knitting aside when I have worked out how to complete a repeat of the pattern. The challenge has been met and the garment might never be finished.

On the other hand, I have a fairly responsible outlook and try very hard not to let people down. So, would I have crocheted this engaging tree decoration? Why did anyone do so?

It certainly brought a smile to my face when I encountered it in Argentina – so maybe that’s the answer to why. It did make people smile.

Many well known and much read authors also write stuff for fun that is out of their recognised genre. Or write in several genres. Shakespeare for instance wrote his wonderful sonnets as well as the plays. Thomas Hardy wrote novels and poetry. Georgette Heyer interspersed her Regencies with detective fiction.

A great many writers will just be taking a deep breath marking the end of their NaNoWriMo effort. I did that a couple of years ago and had to set the MS aside when December arrived. It’s a busy month.

However, I did go back to the unfinished MS and completed BELLA’S BETROTHAL which is the first of my historicals set in Edinburgh.

I still love the energy and humour I read in Bella’s story and think it’s probably down to writing under pressure and also to writing about a city I love. I’ve come back to Regency Edinburgh for

Courting the Countess and the wip is also set here.

So are you into decorating random trees – or only the family Christmas Tree? That’s a whole other story and I might share some of it with you after the decorations come out of the attic.

How big was your biggest project? Are you writing an alphabetical series? A trilogy?

I heard recently that courting the Countess was recommended to a book group in Aberdeenshire. Hope you’re enjoying it, ladies and would love to know what you thought.

Diary of a Writer – Keeping on keeping on

Main course – The Green Tangerine, Han Noi

Freezer now de-frosted, washed and rinsed. Allowed to dry overnight and switched on again yesterday. Once had an old one go on fire at that stage so it’s always a nail-biting moment. Now well into turning the marmalade oranges into pulp as they’ll be the first food installed.

Keeping the writer fitter than she would be if left to herself, the DH has instituted a weekly walk. When I say ‘weekly’ there’s a fair bit of lee-way here. Other things get in the way. Nonetheless we’re covering a lot of hidden Edinburgh and meeting all-sorts. Mostly visitors yesterday as we walked across the shoulder of the Salisbury Crags to the bottom of London Road and came home on the bus. Equally interesting is the variety of dogs being walked. You don’t see a Dalmatian for years and then two coming romping towards you.

Words were added to the wip which is a short novel.

I don’t have anything suitable for the opportunity coming up from Harlequin in APRIL, but if you do go here:

http://www.soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com/2016/03/announcing-the-harlequin-heartwarming-blitz/

The line is Heartwarming. Its senior editor is Linda Fildew and it requires 70,000 words with NO sex scenes.

Rounded off yesterday by hosting my Book Group. I chose Kate Mosse’s The Taxidermist’s Daughter which I had bought as an emergency supply for the King’s Cross to Edinburgh train trip. I enjoyed it a lot, although some of it isn’t for the squeamish.

Sticking close to base for the moment as Home Fresh will be delivering my first batch. Ingredients for three main courses with menus. Am hoping to add a bit of variety to my cooking. Will let you know how it pans out.