Monday 18 June 2012

Good critique

After a period of only about three weeks, I have received my critique of my novel, Save The Last Dance For Me, from the New Writers' Scheme of the Romantic Novelists' Association and it's left me all fired up with hope and enthusiasm! The reader, who remains anonymous for obvious reasons, has given me an encouraging and complimentary report, all five pages of it. Understandably, I was thrilled by this. Of course, there's a drawback. She has suggested changing the plot as my original was 'cliched.' To follow her suggestions would throw my carefully planned timings out. So, as they say in Lancashire, 'I'm going to give it a coat of looking at.' Still, there's light at the end of this particular tunnel.

I read in a magazine this weekend that there is a new musical out based on songs from the early 1960s. Guess what it's going to be called! Yup! Save The Last Dance For Me. Not sure if this is a good or a bad thing ....

Tuesday 5 June 2012

Belated Blog

Many apologies for not blogging for such a long time. I had been busy editing my latest rewrite (seven so far plus numerous edits) of Save The Last Dance For Me in preparation for resubmitting to the New Writers' Scheme of the Romantic Novelists' Association. On 18th May, with huge sighs of relief, I sent off the finished manuscript and am now awaiting a reader's critique. I fully intended taking a break of a few days before tackling anything else but a short holiday in the Cotswolds and catching up with garden tasks and, most recently, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, means that I have not yet done so. But, back to normal now, and I am resolved to start again tomorrow!


A few weeks ago, in the May issue of Writing Magazine, I read an article by Adrian Magson on what it takes to be a writer. One of the things he said really struck a chord with me and, I guess, with many of my fellow writers. I quote: "A hunger to write. Not to be confused with an obsession for compiling lists, but that innate passion to be a writer, in whatever form. This usually manifests itself early in life, leading to a relentless haunting of bookshops and libraries, or a deep attraction to writing materials. And writing, of course. Goes without saying." Sums me up in a paragraph! I can't resist bookshops (especially second-hand ones), libraries (all those books promising a good read) and stationery shops (to buy notebooks, of course!).