Saturday 22 December 2018

Goodbye to 2018
This is my last blog post of the year. As many of you know, I took part in NaNoWriMo, and began writing scenes from my third novel. I wrote 25,505 words and sixteen scenes. It was half the target of 50,000 words but I was very pleased since November proved to be a very busy month with the family and attending meetings. It was good to get to know my characters, travel back in time to World War II with some of them and spend time in Northern France being shielded by the French Resistance. As I was writing a number of the scenes, it showed up how much research I need to do and the comments I inserted as I wrote will prove invaluable once I go back to the story in the new year.


For the first time since I started entering in 2014, I was unable to attend the launch of the Worcester LitFest Flash Fiction Anthology. This year, it is entitled 'Sacrifice' after the winning flash written by Dunstan Power. I had three entries included in the anthology this year and one, 'All in the Cards' was read by another writer, Mark Robbins at the launch. 


This time of year is a busy time for Christmas meals. The one for our South and West Wales Chapter was held at Cote Brasserie in Cardiff. The food was excellent and a good time was had by all. The dates for the Spring term of 2019 were decided upon and we are looking forward to welcoming our new members to these. It was unanimous that a repeat of the writing retreat day would be very well received. 

I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas. We have a full house this year and some of the family, including two grandsons who are growing up fast, are arriving tonight. Tomorrow, we shall be going to a local panto, 'Beauty and the Beast', in which our daughter-in-law is starring. We shall be going with our other grandson who is nearly three and his dad. I can't wait!

My first blog post of 2019 will be later than normal as we are going to Madeira for New Year. The lights and fireworks in Funchal are reputed to be spectacular so I'm really looking forward to our week away. 

Thank you for reading and for all your support in 2018. What traditions do you like to keep at Christmas and New Year?