Catch-up & Autumn Writing Goals

I’m going on an overdue adventure to the edge of a dark forest, where limbless horsemen canter in ghostly procession…

Not really. I’m staying at the edge of Abernethy Forest, but I’m sure it’ll be dark and that at night my imagination will be stoked by the shriek of owl and bark of deer puncturing the velvety silence. Nearby Gaick Forest, however, is notoriously haunted. Maybe I’ll pay it a visit if there’s time. Though this close Hallowe’en it’s probably unwise…

We’d booked this holiday for July but due to covid postponed our summer holiday to autumn. I couldn’t be happier. I’ll drive north as the leaves turn, it’ll be chilly enough to drink red wine by the wood burner and the mountains and lochs will be bathed in a mellow glow. (Or it’ll rain, mercilessly).

I can’t say lockdown’s been unkind to me. I’ve drafted a novel, written several short stories and launched the Novel Magic Kit. What else was there to do?! But I’m flagging now. A change is as good as a rest, so the old saying goes. I can smell the pine needles already!

I’ll probably take a break from Instagram this week too, to properly switch off. That way I’ll feel fully rested and ready to tackle my to-do list when I return. I’ve a few writing goals I want to accomplish before Christmas:

• Complete The Children of the Mist minor edits (I’m still querying it as is, but can’t resist tinkering based on agent feedback I’ve received so far)

• Finish second draft of Against the Sun, ready to send to an editor

• Finish new short story for my newsletter subscribers

• Find an agent (I don’t have much control over this but I’m putting it out there anyway 😅)

If I can achieve these goals then 2020 will have been far from a write-off 😊

I’ve lots of plans and ambitions for 2021, but I’ll keep them to myself for now as silent motivation to keep my head down until Christmas.

And that’s it! See you when things start looking spooky 👻🍂