Sunday Summary

Life
One of my unwritten New Year goals was to try different receipes. Yesterday I cooked Stuffed Tenderloin of Pork; a lengthy receipe but well worth the time spent. It's from the first cookbook I bought The Cookery Year , thumbed so often that it's falling apart.

The stuffing has a bread-crumb base, dried fruit, orange zest, parsley and tarragon with a smidgeon of garlic. There's also an apricot sauce subtly flavoured with spices more commonly found in Indian receipes. I was dubious but it turned out to be a stunning combination with the stuffed pork! It looked colourful too :)

Writing
I began the final lesson of Holly Lisle's How to Revise Your Novel for my short story - details on my writing blog. A pleasing feeling to be on the home straight and yet I also feel bemused that the end is in sight as I've been working on it for so long.

My plan is to finish typing-in by this time next week.

As the end approaches, my internal editor, quiet for so long, has kicked into action and gives me no peace.
"Trash. Utter trash. It's no good. Just press the delete key, and don't even think about letting anyone read it," and similar comments are frequent occurrences.

Maybe that's why I took to the kitchen yesterday afternoon and made that wonderful meal? Never has prevarication been so pleasant :)

Sunday Summary

Life
The New Year is well under way; no snowdrops yet but the hazel catkins are beginning to swell and today I saw some of the reddish female flowers on hazel trees in Hampton wood, my local nature reserve. Spring is still some way off but at least it's on the horizon.

I'm just getting round to reading the biggest of my Christmas books: Britannia's Daughters: The Life and Times of Diplomatic Wives by Katie Hickman, daughter of one of those ambassador's wives. The book is beautifully illustrated and enjoyable to read although my hair stands on end when reading about the trials and tribulations some of these women had just travelling to their destination, let alone dealing with what awaited them once they arrived. It reminds me to read again Passenger to Teheran by Vita Sackville-West when she accompanied her husband, Nigel Nicholson, to Teheran in the 1920's.

Writing
I re-read Mystery in Morocco prior to starting work on it again (one of this year's goals - others can be seen on my writing blog). It's been about a year since I looked at the novel. Leaving it that long meant I saw lots of things which could be changed - for the better.

Have started Lesson 20 for HTRYN on my short story set in Scotland. The lesson after this one is the last in the course - the type in. And then I'll be looking for readers!

HTRYN second time around

I've started revising my short story with Holly Lisle's How to Revise Your Novel.

This is the second time around as I used Holly's course for a NaNoNovel. This time the lessons are familiar, I know what I'm doing and why I'm doing it - it makes it all a lot more manageable!

Last night before sleeping I had a flash of insipiration for the middle of the story. What I wrote is ok but the way I will modify it will introduce more conflict and make it a 'better' story.

Holly Lisle, your course rocks :)