Still alive

Hello my faithful readers.

The past weeks here have been chaotic on my part. I think about writing every day, but I just can't find the time to sit myself down and write =(

My brothers' wedding was finally over this weekend, but then on Monday I was offered a job and am now working 8 hours a day. Since my husband just has gone out to work on his boat, I am now pracitcally a single mum; bringing/picking up the children from kindergarten and housekeeping. I also need to find time to sleep in between, so yeah, days are long. I wish I had more energy to cope, but sadly I have to work with what I've got!

The good news is that the childrens book is now ready for publishing, so all I need now is a printer to send it out there. Crossing my fingers that it will be out by the end of this week! I'm really pleased with it, and I have also got a new idea for another childrens book!

Hope you're all live and kicking, and that your'e not too busy to enjoy life!

Not today...

The past three days have been quite crappy. Thursday I was constantly occupied by something. I usually write at night, but Thursday night my eldest decided to throw an hours tantrum when she went to bed. And after a tantrum I always feel like the worlds worst mum and I just can't write.

Yesterday was the same, and today I asked for advice from a mothers forum I go to. They all said let her cry, so she didn't fall asleep untill 10 pm, so that was that evening.

And today she fell asleep after another hourly tantrum, but I forced myself to write some words anyway. I didn't make it to more than 500 words I was so distracted that I was having trouble finding the words. About ever 40th word got stuck on my tongue. Easy words even, like the synonym for stomach which is torso - which I know, but couldn't remember. And then on days like this I keep thinking in Norwegian, because that's an easy language (you barely have any synonyms in Norwegian) and I'm the worst translater. So what I'm trying to say is that the book of Thesaurus and Google translater were my best and worst friends today.

Hoping for a more productive day tomorrow.

Easier done than said...

I thought it would be easier said than done to write 1000 words a day, but all I needed was 20 minutes and I was finished. I wrote about 1/4 of what I usually would write when I first get going, but here are some key points:

*Usually I get going about once a week
*This is my first day, so if I can do this every day this week, well that's when I can brag a little about it.
*I didn't realise how little effort it took, so hopefully this will motivate me to write more and often!

And just to let you know I have now finished off a childrens book, and a friend has sent me the first sketches of the illustrations.

One down....

50 000 words in 50 days

Yeah, so I just signed up for this challenge by sarah darlington over at http://www.sarahdarlington.com/

I'm not sure if it was a totally smart idea, as these next few weeks are going to be heavy. I've got Max beginning in his kindergarten, a driving course (for a mini truck) and job searching to do. My brother is getting married in August, I'm hopefully starting to work and train, and well... my life is basically chaotic and stressful enough already.

But I still have lots of spear time, and 1000 words is only about 30 minutes of writing, or less... depends on how motivated I am.

So today is my first day. I'm a little behind as I've not yet finished the editing of the story. But hopefully I'll have 1000 new words written buy the time I go to pick up Sophie in kindergarten.

Ps: Guitar is getting a little easier, but my fingertips aren't too happy with all the playing, so I'm taking a day break.

The holiday is officially over

My daughters holiday is officially over, and she is now back in kindergarten. I thought this would give me time to write my novel, but as I was putting Sophie to bed and Max was content with a biscuit downstairs as usual, I was just about to sing to Sophie when I heard a familiar sound on the stairs. I ran to the top and I almost had a heartattack: Max was halfway up the stairs! I could feel my pulse racing, because I knew if I startled him he would have a fright and fall. Those 6 steps down to him took only two seconds but lasted forever. I managed to grab his arm and get him safely down stairs. What amazes me is that I had barricaded (B-A-R-R-I-C-A-D-E-D) the stairs with a gate, a suitcase and a chair, + I'd thrown a rug over it all. But still the little rascal had managed to climb through it all, and he only needed a few seconds. I mean, he's only 11 months, he's not supposed to be climbing stairs yet! (Note to self: Stop comparing Max with Sophie's development)

It gave me a real fright, so from now on Max is going to bed first, then Sophie afterwards!

So what I'm trying to say: The novel writing will still have to be done in the evenings after the children have gone to bed. And seeing I am shattered most evenings, the writing process won't be any quicker than it has been so far. So much for finishing a book in 2010!

This photo is of my husband, Sophie, Max and me on a walk up a hill in Llandudno, Wales.

Silly technical things!

I hate it when technical thingymajibs decide to not cooperate with you!

I had almost finished my third chapter the other day. I am almost certain that I saved it before I went to bed, but even so, it usually saves itself when I close my laptop. When I opened it the following day, it was still there, but then the computer crashed and i dissappeared. =( I was really annoyed, because nothing is as good as the first try (at least when it comes to me). So I sat down and started writing it again, only this time it wasn't as good, and I swear 100% that I saved it! Now the computer crashed again, and again it has just dissappeared. I think I must have some silly virus or something!

So now I'm guessing my third try will be 1/3 as good as I want i to be, but I will copy it and save it in a smarter place! Will also do a virus scan, 'cause something isn't right!

Cross your fingers! I'm hoping to finish off with the third chapter tonight!

A little quiet

As the spring finally showed herself, I couldn't resist the temptation of spending my days outside. My comuter screen does not like the sunlight, so I haven't finished chapter three as I had hoped for this week. My husband (who is a sailor), will be working from Wednesday and the next four weeks, so I will have plenty of time to myself in the evenings. Luckily I am not a tv-slave, and as long as I have my Desperate Housewives once a weekv - I'm happy.

Have a great weekend.

It stopped....

I've finished about half of chapter three, but I am struggling to write that little extra that keeps you wanting more. I've been thinking for a few days how to solve it, and I may have found the solution, but I need to work on how to put it down.

Anyhow I have been thinking about the little New Zealand versus America detail, and my husband came with a good point:
If it ever should become a movie, then it's more probable that it will appeal to a broader audience if it is in America. Or as he put it: It's more relaxing listening to an American accent, rather than one from New Zealand. I will still have a part of New Zealand in the book, but that will be through another character.

So that's my decision, but thanks for your advice, those of you who I have spoken to, and you who commented here =D

Have a great day!

Ps: Look out for a new teaser (or taste how I like to say) this week!

I'm so excited...

and I just can't hide it!

So this weekend I have been with my in-laws to a hotel in the mountains. It's been a very nice trip, and I have been able to do a lot of thinking. I was ble to start off with the third chapter when the children were asleep and I was "sitting" for them. (Technically you never baby sit for your own children ;-p). Then later on my mother in law took over, and at the same time she was allowed to read what I had written so far. Today she told me it was really great, and she was extremely annoyed when it stopped, because she wanted to read the rest. And then, without realizing it herself, she gave me a HUGE tip which I really never thought of, but it is going to make it so much more fun to write the book. I'm guessing she's just given me about two more chapters to write about! Fantastic!

So now I'm off to continuing the making of the third chapter... YAY!

Question in a forum I hang around in:
"If you could chose, which famous person would you want to be your best friend?"
- Stephenie Meyer and Karin Fossum! =D

Chapter two

So because of the moving it took some time for me to get "in to it" again, and the whole of chapter one took aproxamately 10 weeks. I began writing chapter two about two weeks ago, and I just finished it. It has now been sent to my two faithful readers for reviewing, and I can't wait to hear what they say about it! Anyway, it's nice to know that given time, I don't find it too hard to write at all.

I hope you liked the last little treat, you will have to wait a while for the next part, sorry guys =) (Whoever you are)