99% Hard Work, 1% Inspiration

Don't under-estimate that inspiration. It can move mountains.

As anyone following this blog knows, my word counter has been static for far too long. I hit a bit of a wall towards the end of the middle section. I'd written the end, but somehow the transition from (sagging) middle to Happy Ever After eluded me.

That's where the Hard Work bit comes in. With my husband out of town on business the last few nights I've sat in bed every evening with the laptop in my lap and forced myself to write. It was a slog. The words came very slowly. Then at about 11pm on Tuesday night the hard work paid off. It was like a veil lifting. Suddenly I could see clearly. I knew what I had to write. Inspiration had struck.

Alternatively, it might just be that I was already so exhausted at that point that my characters took over writing their story and did a much better job at telling their story than I was doing. Either way, I'm not complaining. Even though the changes meant I had to delete an entire scene, the word counter is finally moving again.

Revisions

I have finally waded through all the comments from my wonderful on-line crit group and am doing revisions on the first three chapters of my wip. Already the story feels so much stronger.

To my inexperienced mind they almost feel polished enough to submit. But as I'm submitting to the RNA's New Writers' Scheme rather than HMB, three chapters is just a drop in the bucket. Is that a whip I hear cracking?

RNA Conference

With great reluctance I've finally decided that I won't be going to this year's RNA conference in Cumbria. I was really excited about going, especially as I'd planned to couple it with my sister-in-law's birthday party and a visit with my oldest and dearest friend.

But as much as I really want to go, even I have to admit it would be supremely selfish of me to leave my kids for yet another 10 days, having already been away from them twice this year for work.

I keep reminding myself that there will be another conference next year. And my dearest friend will be visiting South Africa in June for the Lions tour, so I won't be missing too much. I will just have to satisfy my curiosity by devouring every blog post I can find by anyone who attends this year's conference (hint, hint).

One more sleep

Just one more 'sleep' and I will be home with my babies! As a writer, I should be able to put my emotions into words, but I can't.

I've worked such long hours these last two weeks that I haven't really had time to spare on missing them. But now, knowing that by lunch-time tomorrow I am quite literally going to be holding them in my arms, I just cannot wait.

Right now I am doing everything else but the one most important thing, which is working on my novel. In this last week I have only written the grand total of 2,000 words.

Atlantic Marina

This is where I'm currently staying in Cape Town. My apartment is in the building on the extreme right of this picture.

The entire complex is high security, ultra modern luxury. Each apartment has views over the marina and each building has a penthouse apartment. There are gardens and pools and walkways everywhere. Definitely a location that inspires romantic fantasy.

And this is the view from my colleague's apartment:

Smiling again

Today is the first day since I arrived in Cape Town that I haven't worked a full day. I managed to sit out for an hour or so this evening on my balcony overlooking the marina and watch the sunset as I hammered away at the keyboard. And the words just flowed!

1,256 words in just a little over an hour. I sincerely hope that means the drought is over and my creative juices are flowing again. I feel pumped enough to keep going but unfortunately I'm expected to do dinner out with the clients tonight.

Please keep all fingers and toes crossed that the words keep flowing all week. I just might crack the end of this first draft if I can keep it up until then. And I'm sending an even bigger prayer skywards that this ad shoot runs without a glitch so that I can turn my attention to James and Ally's Happy Ever After.

AWOL again

Anyone who follows this blog will know that I've been unusually quiet. Simply, it's because I'm back in Cape Town and working silly hours. Next week we're shooting cheese commercials for Europe.

The apartment I'm staying in this time around is simply amazing. The buildings are modern and stylish, with views over the yachts in the marina. It is the ideal location to set a Harlequin Romance. So far I haven't seen much of the place in daylight, but I plan to take a few photos before I leave and I'll try to upload them here for everyone to have a drool ... all in the interests of writing of course (to get those creative juices flowing).