Current Work: Short Story Development for Submission
Listening to: The searing sun burning through the windows
Reading: Behind The Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson

Getting My House in Order
Figuratively speaking, that is. Feeling a lot more on top of things today, having caught up (is that ever the case?) with all the outstanding things on my list. It's a great feeling when you tick off each action, using red ink, one by one. Yes, I know, I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to sorting my 'must do' lists but you know I have my father to blame for that. But it's not a bad habit to get into and I must admit, it's very motivating to see all those red splodges all over the page.

Manuscript Preparation
As you know, I have a novel which I am touting about for some kindly and probably mad, editor to pick up and shout with glee 'this is the one!' Anyway enough of the dreams, what was I going to say? Oh yes, that's right. I spent a lot of time preparing and polishing my manuscript (ms). I wanted to make it look as good as I could. I even wrote an article about it for Suite 101. Anyway I have since transferred it to the new writing software I have called Write It Now. This programme is great, it's very versatile and allows you to move scenes and chapters around as you wish through a story board function. But I digress again, the thing is I uploaded it, then converted it to print for submission. Horror of Horrors it has so many mistakes (well my Man Friday tells me not that many) but anyway one is enough that I am having to do another proofread before sending it off the next agent on the list. I don't have a moral to this story apart from always, always print off the final ms even if you are sick to death of reading your own words. You need to see what they will see. And first impressions count.

Book Worm
The Broker - John Grisham

Genre: - its a crime/Thriller thing. Blame Man Friday he got me on to these
Characters: - Joel Blackman, an american lawyer and also known as 'Marco' in his alternative persona on release from jail. Various other baddies and a woman called Francesca.
Plot:Its America so its about greed and power and politics. Joel aka Marco is pardoned from jail by an outgoing president, and 'they' wait to see who will kill him first. We know very little of his crime at the beginning but follow him in his protected identity in Italy until he works it all out and... well that would be too telling wouln't it?
Quick Summary: I loved its pacey style, I suppose that's its genre but also because the setting was in Italy. Poor Marco had to learn Italian just like I am and it was so true how he struggled with the language. It's a page turner and although its mainly about men and their ego's it didn't put me off.
Recommendation: Yep!

You'll have to excuse the blank look of this blog as it seems to have a mind of its own and won't let me put any of the fancy stuff in. It has turned my cursor into a cutting tool in the compose box. But I can't (because I don't know how)sort it out so apologies....

Confucius Says...
Well it's more like a Jo Says... Technology is a pain, but a necessary pain...