Beachcombing Bankside/mudlarking on the river Thames.

 

 

 

It’s Saturday, 10.45am and we eagerly meet our guide at exit one of Mansion House tube station. Soon we make our way on foot whilst listening to the history of The Thames from renowned archeologist and intertidal specialist,professor Fiona Hughey. As we cross Southwark Bridge with each step we take we travel through time. Mingled in with the historic views of London Bridge on one side, I see the container boats containing modern-day waste beneath us. A sharp contrast to our journey as tourists of the river, in hope of finding something interesting from the rubbish of our ancestors.

 

Passing Shakespeare’s Globe and the many visitors along Bankside, we stop for a final talk about health and safety  before descending the steps onto the foreshore. Adorned with gloves and the hope that something we find may be of historic importance, we litter the ‘beach’ as modern-day mudlarks in search of adventure. As we spread out I pause to take a couple of photos before gingerly walking on,head stooped low. As well as being aware of the tide times I know that in each footstep I take l could be treading on a historic find.

 

Soon I find a clay pipe bowl, and a few bits of clay pipe stem. After about half an hour we reconvene to share our finds. I have found Victorian roof tiles and chunks of green glass which originate from a factory down river. After Fiona dates my clay tobacco bowl  from the 16-1700’s we continue with our search for historic goodies.

 

As I cautiously walk through the sand and stones I am conscious not to disturb anything. Although surface finds are ok ,digging and metal detecting requires a licence from The Port of London Authority. I then find another clay bowl,dated 1770 approx. Other finds of the day include fragments of pottery, animal bones and flintlock from a gun. Each object I find has its own ethereal beauty, and as I pause to take it all in, I recall something Fiona remarked earlier ‘each item has its own story’. Simply wonderful.

 

 

London walks operate during September and October 2014 via http://www.walks.com/

 

A page has turned…

An editor no more..

A year of being the editor to Chapter and Verse has come to and end. It has been an interesting and rewarding experience that has allowed me to review the work of my peers, set themes for following editions and write an introduction. I feel fortunate that The Writers Bureau allowed me sole charge of the magazine for so long. I will take this experience with me as I continue on my writing journey.

A course that I love-

For the past five weeks I have been studying ‘Start Writing Fiction’, a course run by ‘Open Learn’ via The Open University. I am loving it so far. I have found the format easy to follow, engaging and informative. Via video link, audio and dialogue we have met and been given advice by a variety of authors. We have been given advice on how to establish a writers journal as well as delving into what makes a successful plot. I have found the advice about characterization particularly useful. In the exercises we have had the opportunity to put what we have been learning into practice. There has been the opportunity to share our work for other writers to review as well as participate in online discussions. For a free course I find the whole thing spectacular, and I really hope that there will be other opportunities to join other creative writing courses via future learn.

A writers life for me..

From studying this course I have been thinking about where I can go with my writing in the future. I think that I have many different possibilities available to me, the most prominent being continuing to develop my short stories both for my local writers group and for future publication. I am also considering whether I should rewrite my first draft of my novel that I wrote for NaNoWriMo in 2013, or perhaps eave it to ferment for a while I start on another novel.

I have realized the need for me to keep a regular journal as being essential. I have been using my notebook while out and about or when at work to jot down ideas. I have realized that I need a writing space for my own at home and in the months to come will try to find a space in my home that is uniquely for me. So, exciting times! I continue to develop in this wonderful craft and am looking forward to the future. Until next time, all the best!

Chai,sunshine and garden days.

Finally the incessant rain of winter has stopped and has been replaced by an early arrival of spring. In the last week we have rehomed a lovely little dog called Daisy. We have spent many a happy moment in the garden playing fetch among the daffodils. I have been busy sowing seeds in the greenhouse. So far we have marigold, cabbage, black Russian tomato and lettuce seedlings. My kind neighbour gave us some shooting garlic that has now been divided into the vegetable patch under the nightly protection of a hand made cold frame and deep pots inside the greenhouse. The very sight of everything coming back alive is nurturing my soul and spirit back to health. How I have longed for the warmer days to take in the sun and sit over a cup of delicately aromatic chai.        

 

In terms of my writing I continue to attend a local writers group where I enjoy writing and sharing short stories. I have enrolled on a writing course for free with OpenLearn which will start at the end of April. I am considering changing my studies with the Writers Bureau so that I switch from non fiction to fiction as I feel that this is now where my interests lie. I hope you all enjoy the weather while it lasts. Much happiness, S x

 

 

 

 

The Magic of Midwinter.

 

 

So that’s it for another year, the Christmas decorations are down and placed away in recycled wooden wine crates in the attic. It is there they will sit quietly for another year, storing the memories of recent days and enjoying a well deserved rest. Here I sit in the living room which is now bereft of cards and tinsel. Although the rain and wind outside makes the outlook appear gloomy, it is lovely to be reunited with the ornaments and pictures that had become lost to the memorabilia of the December festivities. The house is once again clean and fresh, providing an optimum environment to cosy up in thick socks and jumpers and sit and write.

 

As well as it being the New Year, we have now past midwinter . Even with the darker days being firmly upon us there is promise in the delicate tip of the balance of nature. In each and every day the sun decides to awake just a little bit sooner, and the curtains remain open a few minutes later each day. My thoughts are starting to turn towards the garden and what to grow in this coming year. One of my favourite Christmas presents was a lovely wooden tool which makes seedling pots from recycled newspaper. I can’t wait to use it.

 

 

The magic of midwinter is that we don’t need an excuse to huddle up and spend time on our writing projects. Of course there have been many days where my son and I have walked our dog and taken chopped apples to feed our local pigs. The recent storms have resulted in shrieks of delight at the sight of fallen trees and flooded paddocks. Despite the devastation,  there is no denial in our amazement witnessing the forces of nature. Any excuse to adorn wellies and stamp through puddles is always welcome for adults and children alike in our family! That said, it is during the winter months that we are so grateful to have our warm and safe little home. We are so fortunate in what we have in this world, in terms of material belongings and in friends and family. It is with this mindful attitude of gratitude that I enter 2014.

 

 

Although I yearn to be outside, days like today can only result in nesting inside, with a roaring fire and a cup of tea. Not to mention spending time on my manuscript that I intend to submit my into The Good House Keeping magazine competition in time for the deadline at the end of February. The story I wrote for the National Novel Writer’s Month in November still needs some editing and proofreading. At 51,000 words it is classed as a short novel. I believe there is much more I can do to develop the lives of the characters further. My notebooks are full of notes and further research. As it is a historical novel I also need to check that the dates and facts I have included are correct. When I have time aside of work and daily living tasks I can’t wait to get stuck in. Our local writer’s group will meet up again at the end of the month, which will mean more writing projects to delve into. Chapter and Verse will be due another edition in a few weeks too, so in my writing world there will be a lot to do in the weeks that follow.

 

 

I wish you all a Happy New Year. May all your dreams be fulfilled, your beds be warm and your cupboards full. 

December Dreams

NaNoWriMo 2013 Winner

 

I am pleased to say that I completed The National Novel Writers Month, where I wrote over 50,000 words in less than a month. I now have the first draft of my historical novel, and in the new year will be editing and proof reading and possibly making the manuscript longer. I found it a wonderful experience writing an average of 1800 words per day. It has been an enjoyable writing experience, and I believe the discipline involved in the challenge has enriched my life as a writer and hopefully has improved my work.

 

For now I have decided to ditch the non-fiction element of my course with The Writers Bureau and have started reading book 7 of The Comprehensive Writing Course to aid me in my work on my novel. Although I have over ten years worth of genealogy research that I have used for my book, I need to spend time going over historical facts as necessary. Due to the fast pace nature of NaNoWriMo I decided to abandon my original plot and book structure towards the end and wrote the chapters as they appeared in my head. This is something I will also have to go through in 2014. All in all it’s been an exciting and rewarding experience, I think I will be taking part again next year for sure!

 

Unfortunately, I had to miss this months local writers group due to other commitments, however my writing here is still proving strong and consistent as tasks demand. I am considering entering a poem I wrote for our group for The Writer’s Bureau’s Poetry Competition who’s deadline is the end of this month. Also I continue to edit the student magazine, Chapter and Verse. 

 

All in all 2013 has been a good year for my writing, I wish you all a very merry christmas and see you in the new year!

NaNoWriMo!

It’s day 5 of NaNoWriMo and having clocked over 9000 words so far things are going well. I have found it beneficial being prepared with the plot and plan in the first few chapters. Now as the story is developing itself I am constantly using my notebook to write down where I want to go next.

I decided that I would write a historical novel loosely based on one line of my family tree. In the novel the chapters alternate between past and present where the characters old and new slowly reveal themselves among the family secrets and tales of long ago.

Well that’s it from me for now, I am looking forward to spending the evening tapping away at the keyboard in front of the fire. Best of luck everyone!

National Novel Writers Month (NaNoWriMo)!

So that’s it, I have finally decided to have a go at NaNoWriMo. So for the whole of November I am going to use as much as my spare time as possible to work towards my first novel!

The rules

The rules appear to be pretty simple, novels may be of any genre and a minimum of 50,000 must be achieved in order to be classed a ‘winner’. Upon uploading ones novel and after verification it is possible to print off a certificate of achievement and bask in ones glory and personal satisfaction. Nano is free to join and participate in, but you can make a donation if you so wish.

Giving it the best I’ve got!

When I told my husband how I plan to spend my evenings in November (writing a daily goal of 1600 words approx) I could sense he thinks I am a little mad for wanting to participate. However this is my life and my journey, and I think what have I got to lose? Therefore I am going to give it everything I have got (and perhaps more)!

Queen of jugglers

Perhaps I don’t know what I have got myself into, this is after all my first time at Nano. However as a working mum I am all too aware of what it is like to juggle everyday tasks. The skills I have acquired from everyday life will surely come in handy during Nano?!

A beginners mind

Of course I may not complete Nano, the word limit is high and there are many obstacles to overcome. One of the biggest challenges will be being a beginner to novel-writing. But who cares? I am in it for the learning and experience. If I don’t make the 50k within a month then I will always have the start of a novel to come back to in the future.

Let us prepare

While we are not allowed to start writing until November 1st there is much we can do in the way of preparation. It is important to spend time considering the plot of our novels. Think about the characters, where the story is heading. How many chapters do we want there to be? What is the beginning, middle and end?

For me personally I think I am going to give my novel 30 chapters and hopefully complete a chapter a day. I have made a start planning where I want my story to go from stage to stage. Hopefully this will help me during the late evenings and early mornings to get stuck in and not waste time or energy dithering where I want the novel to go.

In order to prepare I am doing daily writing exercises. As well as writing on here I am working on a piece for our next local writers group. I am also working on the November issue of Chapter and Verse. With just over a week to go until kick of, I leave you in excitement and trepidation. For those of us having a go, all the very best of luck (and keep us updated with your progress!).

Autumn progress

So autumn is finally upon us, and as we cosy up in front of the fire eating apple pie made with the Bramley’s from the garden, I reflect on the last couple of months in my life as a writer.

Assignment N6 for The Writers Bureau has finally been sent off. As I await feedback I am looking forward to learning about ‘Writing for the trade press'(module 12) and ‘Writing for Children’s and Teenage Publications(module 13). I think I may have to borrow some of my sons magazines for market research if I choose to write for the latter!

I have been attending a local writers group for a few months now which I absolutely love. I have found the meetings very useful in terms of being in physical contact with other writers. It is also an excellent opportunity to work on pieces where there is an agreed deadline. This has been beneficial to me so that I get work completed when I want to. In fact I told my group about my WB assignment and told them I would have it completed for the next session, so there was no getting out of that one! lol

I have recently contacted Take a Break magazine and have been given the criteria for submitting short stories. This is something I am very interested in. I also have a poem going in our parish newsletter next month, so I am quite pleased about that.

I hope you are all finding the time to write and enjoying the journey. Wishing you a pleasant and peaceful autumn, Sindy.

Writing among the stars!

For me it’s been a beautiful summer so far. We have spent a lot of time on the garden caring for and harvesting our vegetables. There is nothing quite like sitting outside with the warmth and goodness of the sun on your face, spending an afternoon reading and writing.

Garden camping

It was while our little family spent a night under the stars that I was filled with wonder and renewed optimism. There we sat by our bonfire toasting marshmellow’s. As the skies became darker lots of twinkling crystal white stars revealed themselves through the black. It was during this weekend that the peak of the meteor shower was taking place, and in amazement and wonder we saw two shooting stars streaking across the sky. Of course we all made customary wishes that my ten year old son made us promise not to tell anyone in case ‘they don’t come true’!

Wonderful words

I have now nearly finished the 6th assignment with The Writer’s Bureau Course- Comprehensive Writing. I am giving myself a deadline of two weeks to get it in the post, so watch this space! lol

As I joined a writers group this summer I have been working on a couple of pieces for our next meeting. For the first time in a while I have written a story. This month I have also been busy working on the entries for ‘Chapter and Verse’ This time I set the theme as ‘summer holiday’ for the students, and I must say the entries were very good. Also I was asked to write a piece about myself for ‘The Write Place’The Writer’s Bureau’s ezine (run by the college) which I have sent off to the editor as requested. I have I have also been writing some poetry over the summer and have been doing research for my book.

I hope you are all enjoying the summer and achieving your writing dreams, until next time!

Summer progress

It has been a good few weeks since setting myself my new writing targets. After reviewing my market research I have found a magazine and a local journal for which I have written two draft articles. Although my laptop is broken beyond repair, I have been going back to basics with pen and paper and making the most of the summer sunshine and work in the garden surrounded by glorious sunflowers and bees busy on clover flowers.

Chapter and Verse

I have been working through the submissions for the student magazine, Chapter and Verse. It is a wonderful experience to read the work of other students. One thing clear is the passion and enjoyment of writing that comes through each and every written piece. It makes me feel proud to feel part of this community of writers.

And the poems keep coming

This month I have also been blessed with the poems that keep popping into my head. As I have said before, in summer time everything feels easier to me. Perhaps it is the longer daylight hours, or the increased levels of vitamin D from sunshine, but generally I feel less depressed and more able to cope with day-to-day life. There is nothing more restorative than sitting in the garden, feet in the paddling pool and scribbling away for hours.

Writers group

I have also joined a local writers group, that I have to say was absolutely amazing. There among the home made cheesecake and written exercises it is an opportunity to meet up with like-minded people and share our work. I hope I continue to have the confidence to attend and continue to make progress.

I hope you are continuing well on your writing journeys. Wishing you a lovely summer.