What I'm doing this month - November

By the time November rolls round, a lot of people are on full Christmas mode. If it isn't present shopping, it's event planning, or just reeling out Christmas songs and memes on social media.

Me? I'm happy to plan ahead, where needed, but I also believe in savouring the moment. For instance, despite the time of year, the weather here is glorious, mostly dry and with that wonderful golden light  that you often get in the autumn. What's the rush to get to the end of the year? It'll be here soon enough.

I'm busy this month, with work, with writing and with saying farewell to something that's been a major part of my life for over two decades.

And no, I don't mean my husband.

Bye bye Murdering The Text

Back in 1997, I wrote my first murder mystery play with co-writer and friend, Janet, as a way to raise funds for the amateur theatre group we were involved in. Little did we know that it would turn into a business that would serve other amateur theatre groups and fundraising organisations throughout the UK and beyond.

Janet moved away and my husband stepped in as occasional co-writer. Our catalogue of plays grew, as did our list of customers.

This year, the decision was taken to close down Murdering The Text, for a number of reasons. Firstly, we've all changed. All three of us have moved on with our lives and none of us are the people we were back then. Secondly. the popularity of Murdering The Text was built on a growing trend - to raise money through murder mystery fundraiser events. Although that trend is still in place, it's less popular than it was, plus more and more amateur theatre groups are writing their own plays.

So Murdering The Text was wrapped up on Halloween, a fitting date to say farewell to our murderous scribblings.

NaNoWriMo - again

Yes, I'm torturing myself with that 50,000 word count again this year.

After umming and ahhing throughout October over whether I should take part in NaNoWriMo in 2018, I finally decided to take the plunge and use it to make a start on the second novel in my Steve Haven series, except I'm not following the usual path of 1,667 words per day.

My self-set target is to write a chapter each day in November. Day 1 saw me finish, yes, you guessed it, Chapter 1. Fingers crossed I end up with at least 30 chapters by the end of the month. Will that equal 50,000 words? Who knows? But at least it will be progress.

Haven Wakes

Book 1 in the Steve Haven series is doing the rounds of UK literary agents. If all else fails, I'll self publish.

Reading - Writing - Watching

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
Haven Journeys - book 2 in the Steve Haven series
The chilling adventures of Sabrina