Ctrl F

14^th June, 2013

 

Okay, so I reached a point where superstitious malarkey is becoming nothing but a distraction. If I’m going to get Ghost Towns published I now need to fully concentrate and read through the first draft.  

 

I’ve stuck to the plan all week, remaining focused on the job at hand, completely oblivious to the number of magpies in my garden and not giving a damn about what my horoscopes have to say. The spell of hot weather is now over. It’s cold and wet outside. My lucky clover didn’t get me the NWA or a national lottery win. I’m through with distractions. My agent is waiting for the manuscript. There’s no time to waste.

 

I’m taking every interruption in my stride. The kids seem to have all sorts of things on at the moment from residential holidays to theatrical productions, sports days and parties, but I’ve got it all under control. My family are plagued by twenty-four hour bugs, the Norovirus, migraines, hay-fever and still I’ve managed to get to the half way point. So what could possibly go wrong? Technical issues - that’s what!

 

Every time, I switch on the computer, it decides to shut down for no obvious reason other than it’s got it in for me. I’m saving work every two seconds, paranoid that the manuscript I’ve been working on for the last six months might suddenly disappear into virtual cyberspace. Now a continuity issue has cropped up to put a spanner in the works. I’ve noticed that one of my characters is helping himself to an alcoholic drink in a pub after I’ve just sat him down in his car. And for some reason I keep adding an R to another character’s name, transforming Faye into a Fayre.

 

Thank you, ctrl F - without you, it would have taken me weeks to replace all those Aunt Fayres. Technology is a godsend after all......

 

 

WHAT'S LUCK GOT TO DO WITH IT?

2^nd June, 2013

 

Last week, I found a five leaf clover. Then, the very next day I came across a four leaf one. Thinking my luck was in I got a lucky dip on Wednesday, which came to nothing. I coppered up another pound and bought a ticket for the Saturday lottery only to get two matching numbers. My lucky clovers couldn’t even win me a tenner! I’ve tried not to get too disheartened. Maybe my luck will come in a different form?

 

I managed to manoeuvre around the growing numbers of people on their hands and knees looking for lucky clover on our lawn to go inside and check my emails. All sorts of news could be heading my way: maybe my first book has been sold or I’ve won the Northern Writers Award? This monetary award would allow me to go on courses, pay for workshops and continue writing until I get published. And of course the acclaim would enable me to finally hold my head up high....no I’m not published yet, but I’ve just won an award....No such luck! I have got more chance of winning the lottery.

 

All is not lost. I can still pin my hopes on the second book. After all, I have finished the denouement for Ghost Towns and it is pretty good. I’ll read through the draft and send it off to my agent. If she doesn’t like it I’m chucking those lucky charms into the compost heap or feeding them to the guinea pigs...

 

Before I sign off, I should congratulate the winners of the Northern Writers Award. I have to admit I’m very jealous. This is a great scheme, run by lovely people who seem to organise some fantastic conferences and loads of parties. [www.northernwritersawards.com].

 

Maybe some day I’ll be invited to a bit of a do, anything to get me away from this laptop. In the meantime, I remain an unpublished, un-awarded, poverty stricken, would-be author, but I’ll get there one day. I’m heading out now, walking under every ladder that happens to get in my way, making damned sure I step on all the cracks in the pavements and straining my fingers so wide apart that they can’t cross. Maybe, sheer determination is all I need to bring me luck in the end....?