What a week! For those of you who don't know, I've joined the organising committee of Undiscovered Voices as the third anthology in a life-changing innovation is launched. Months of preparation peaked on 5 April when the latest panel of judges were introduced to an eager audience of SCBWI members, photo above. I was there to support and report, furiously live tweeting for the first time in my life! My thumbs were sore at the end of all that.
The day after the launch, a seven-day blog tour began that I'd organised with some incredibly helpful and supportive authors. The first post came from Lucy Coats. Keren David, Anne Cassidy at Crime Central and Tall Tales and Short Stories added their blog thoughts to the tour, and we still have blogs to come from Julia Churchill, Mary Hoffman and myself.
All this, and a full-time job. What's that other thing I'm meant to be doing? Oh yes, writing! So this weekend I gave myself a stern talking to and sat down at my desk to work on two synopses - one on a commissioned project, one on a new idea.
I'm so glad I enforced a bit of self-discipline. I'm now brimming with excitement about the new idea and have big things planned. An outline, a research trip, an inspiration scrap book and - oh, I must find myself a 'talisman' after recently being allowed to stroke the piece of marble that Mary Hoffman kept by her side during the writing of her new novel, David.
Networking is good and important. Writing is better and more important. Something none of us should forget.
Happy writing, everyone! My work is finished for the day (always leave your desk on a high, say I) and now I'm off to do some knitting...
Twitter links
Karen Ball @karenball
Undiscovered Voices @UndiscVoice2012
Lucy Coats @lucycoats
Keren David @kerensd
Mary Hoffman @MARYMHOFFMAN
Tall Tales and Short Stories @TABwrite
Julia Churchill @JuliaChurchill
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