ALLi

I haven’t done an IWSG post for quite a while but wanted to pass on a bit of gentle advice from my cousin, who said she’d been set a story theme at school which their teacher told them was life advice as well. She’d come to realize it, and she thought it was time to remind me. The theme was ‘The Machine That Ran Away With Its Driver’.

I joked that it was too late for that, but was typing away furiously at 03h00 this morning when it suddenly clicked into focus. Oh. Right. Maybe I was becoming just a little obsessive, yes? Blame the new year, if you will, because I published my first book on January 1^st 2013 and wanted to put out a birthday omnibus (which by the way I did, at 02h00, and there’s a clickable link in the side bar), and I also wanted to start pulling all sorts of plans learned from ALLi into place for 2014. So there were more deadlines than there would usually be, on top of finding time for the job that pays the bills, and I’ve been writing until 2 or 3 in the morning for the last couple of weeks. I could have spent Christmas with my family but cried off because of the killer drive, and worked through, only stopping briefly on Boxing Day to see some friends who had flown to Scotland to see the amazing Kelpies.

Was my machine, is my machine, running away with me? The friends were on a tight deadline and hadn’t originally been coming to mine, but we had to come here after all to cut the padlock off their suitcase. It made me realize, as I hadn’t before, how much of a pigsty the house was becoming. Five half-empty coffee cups around the computer, for starters. Thank goodness the unopened Christmas presents weren’t in the lounge—no Christmas decorations up at all, for that matter. Who had time for Christmas decorations? Or opening presents? Or eating? I lost four pounds over the Christmas break (not complaining, you understand. Just saying.)

Yes time is short, and running out at a terrifying rate, and yes I’m happiest when I’m writing. But it’s supposed to be my bliss, not my controller, so my new year resolution is to chill, just a little. Walk the dog more than once a day. Get a life, if I can find time for it between working and writing. Scratch that, make the time.

Happy New Year, and may 2014 find you always in full control of your machine.

I read a quote a while back that wholly resonated. I don’t recall the exact wording but the essential message was ‘Inside every old person there’s a puzzled kid wondering what the heck happened’

Maybe your internal and external ages are still in synch. I hate being asked my age, and I really hate being asked for a photograph, because both classify me instantly as OLD. And I’m not, not on a good day, honestly truly cross-my-heart. I’ve put a few years on the clock, true enough, and not that many more will have me on eBay looking for good purple hats; I like being the age I am; but I hate the automatic label that goes with it. So when I was asked for a photograph for an author interview I rebelled and sent a composite. Which was such fun that I shall dig out some of my older photos and make a few more.

Anyway, that’s just the morning’s mutter. I recently joined the Alliance of Independent Authors, (which is the best move I’ve made since I joined this crazy world with the publication of my first book in January) and that will lead to a slight change in focus on this blog.

As all writers reading this already know, Amazon is decidedly beady-eyed about authors reviewing each other, and there’s no denying it could lead to abuses because the world seems to be filled with people determined to foul up ideal situations. ALLi have a private group on Goodreads and has just floated a new discussion re members reading and honestly reviewing each other’s books on Goodreads. The suggestion was also mooted that we add reviews to our blogs (those who aren’t already doing it) so just as soon as I’ve worked out how to do (well, archive) that effectively, you can expect a few reviews to start appearing here. Many of the members are already very successful (and alarmingly talented) and I am really looking forward to my reading (two books already heading my way).

And last update on the progress of printing my first book, I changed the cover yet again (now it is beautiful, no?) and it is once again back in review. Fingers crossed.