The Novelty of Writing



Clementine and Mungo by Sarah Dyer (Bloomsbury 2004)

 You may have noticed I haven't been here much lately.  I know, I know, you've missed me and all that.  It's been a manic summer so far, what with all that ABBA Litfest shenanigans going on, and other stuff as well. 

There's also been quite a lot of writing excitement for me over the last month or so. I'm delighted to say that I've had two picture book texts accepted--one, with wonderful artist Sarah Dyer (see picture on left for her inimitable style), will be published by Bloomsbury in 2013, and the other with fab new publisher Nosy Crow (about which there will be more news later in the year, I hope).

I'm also in the last stages of writing a YA novel.  I'm very excited about it, and so is Lovely Agent, but she's sworn me to secrecy on what it's about, so mmmmmmm *sound of lips being firmly zipped*.  What I can say is that I have a new writing regime for this book, and I'm loving it.  Up at 6.30am, write in bed (very lady novelist, but without the fluffy Pomeranian), healthy brain-boosting breakfast, more writing till lunchtime, no Twitter or Facebook or blogging or any other damn thing till then. Target 2500-3000 words a day, which means that I should--should, I say--have it finished by the end of the month (and now that I've said that publicly, I'll have to do it, won't I?).  The last 10,000 words were tapped out looking over the island of Elba in a mixture of glorious Tuscan sunshine and very scary thunderstorms. But it's been nice to get back to my own desk and all my books.  Books in a rented house aren't the same, somehow, though it's fun exploring someone else's shelves, especially since they belong to another writer--Elizabeth Palmer.  I'll tell you more about the novel when I can--I promise!--and I know you'll forgive me if I'm absent with the Muse for a bit over the rest of the summer.

Meanwhile, this Thursday (4th August), I have a treat for you, as Scribble City Central is hosting the very wonderful Mary Hoffman on the last day of the blog tour for her novel, David.  Come back and visit again then!