progress report – Everything Is Better With Dragons

Dissertation news

Last Wednesday my dissertation arrived with notes and my final score: 65%

I was pleased but disappointed at the same time, because I’d really wanted a higher mark. I have high expectations of myself and felt I’d let myself down by only getting 65%. I’ve got over that now, almost. It sent me into a bit of a depression for a couple of days but I’m beginning to get through that. It hasn’t helped that I’ve been depressed anyway for the last two months. It’s easy for a little thing, like disappointment in my dissertation results to send me somewhere dark.

I’ve completed my amendments, which were mostly typos, because of my sticky ‘h’ key 😀 and submitted it via turnitin. I’ve got to get it printed and bound at the university library and hand it in by 12th December, so I’d better get on with that.

So, what else have I been up to?

I’m working on a short sci-fi story, that I hope will be the first in a series of three linked stories. A ship five hundred years from now is sent to retrieve a probe sent out two centuries before, but nothing goes to plan.

I’ve started another WEA course, the follow up to the one I did last year. So far we’ve covered using radiation to investigate crimes, like art fraud and injuries, and blood spatter patterns. Tomorrow it’s ‘UV light and high intensity radiation in crime investigations’, according to the lesson plan. Should be interesting.

I’m reading some books for next month’s review schedule, and other books I’me reading because I’m interested in them. Some will get reviews, some won’t. Depends on how I feel.

Right, that’s it. Enjoy the day.

HIDDEN FIRE progress report

I’m still planning to publish my book Hidden Fire this summer. I’ve made some progress. A couple of weeks ago I printed the whole book out and have been slowly editing. It took me the best part of two weeks to go through the first 11 chapters, but this weekend I’ve really put my back into it (because I haven’t the energy for anything else) and completed the read through. I’ve made some changes to the printed version and I now have to go back to my computer and make the changes in the document.

Yesterday a friend from university shared a video about formatting a book for publishing on Kindle, so I watched that and had a go at it. I have saved the original document too, so it’s not a big deal if I mess up. I currently have a file with the book formatted for Kindle, and another for the print book. I’m sure there’s front matter I’m missing and I need to find out about ISBNs and bar codes, but I’m getting there.

I’m waiting to hear back from my cover designer, but Michelle is busy working on her second novella, The Deceived, the follow up to her recently published The Bound. It’s understandable that she wants to concentrate on her own writing right now so I’m not going to be pushy. There’s eight weeks yet until publication date.

I’ve set up an author page on Facebook – Rosemarie Cawkwell – Indie Author. You’re welcome to follow and share if you’re on Facebook.

That’s about it. I’m going for a walk and then it’s back to work.

Progress report ‘Variations on a Theme’ short story collection

As I may have mentioned in a previous post, I’m working on a collection of short stories and have been for most of this year.

The collection came about because I wad on the train home from a concert last year and started writing ‘first line prompts’. I took one of these, two prompts from a Tumblr blog I follow, and a random picture I liked, and decided to see what I could do.
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Weekly NaNoWriMo update 2

Hello,

Well, it’s been an odd week. I’ve been ill, I spent most of the week asleep. However I have tried to work on my novel. I managed to write on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and I’ve written a just over fifteen hundred words today.

My total word count is 20,761.

My goals:

minimum – 18333 words

preferred – 22000 + words

I’m pleased I managed to pass my minimum word count and there is still a chance could manage my preferred word count of 22,000 but I’m getting tired and I have to get ready for work tomorrow. I write best from about 8pm to midnight or later, It’s difficult though, because I have to get up for work at 5 am and therefore work in the afternoon. It hasn’t been an problem so far because I’ve been off sick and could write when I felt up to it, except for today. I have had to write this afternoon and it hasn’t been as productive as I would have liked. However, since I am aware that this is a problem I can try to work around it.

When I go back to work I shall make notes on my breaks in my notebook and then when I get home I shall type the notes up and hope that this stimulates my writing. I am determined not to give up this year.

As for my novel’s progress, I have my main characters together in the place I need them to be and their next steps are forming in my head. I have an overall plan but it is the detailed steps in between that is taking the time. I think this novel is going to be a few more than 50,000 words. I feel that I am only just finishing the beginning portion of my plan, there is still the middle and end thirds to write yet.

Well, I’m going now, so good luck with your writing, and I shall be back next Sunday with another update.

Bye

Rose

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