January 2019 – Words Worth Writing

24 January 2019

My (new) fat year: weeks 2 & 3

The more reading and research I do, the more I realise that losing weight shouldn’t be the main objective. Plus, my doctor assures me that I’m not worryingly overweight. However, I do feel that I should lose some weight, if only for the benefit of my knees and hips. And my digestive system. I’m not avoiding any food groups. I don’t...

writer at work

21 January 2019

Hard copy versus electronic copy proofreading

I don’t normally edit or proofread on screen. I find I miss things and, anyway, reading hard copy exercises different eye muscles (apparently). So I usually print my editing and proofreading jobs off so that I can carefully work on the hard copy and then transfer the edits to the electronic version. I can also then take the hard-copy work...

writer at work

18 January 2019

A distraction-free week

I’ve had a very busy week, but it’s been a good one. I’ve been working at a desk in the corner of the living room away from distractions on the computer, such as the internet, Facebook, playing games, etc. A while ago I turned off email notifications on my mobile phone. At first I was still checking it every 5...

writer at work

15 January 2019

52 books in 52 weeks: Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

I set myself the goal of reading and reviewing 52 writing guides over the year. Here is book 44. Save the Cat! has been the last book on screenwriting that screenwriters will ever need since 2005, and then there was another, and another … until there were five books using this tried and tested method of writing, including … the...

52 books in 52 weeks

7 January 2019

My (new) fat year: week 1

Four years ago, when we were preparing to get married, the poet lost around 2 stone (24lb) and I lost about half a stone (7lb). At our first weigh-in of the new year last week, the poet had gained half a stone (7lb), and I had gained about a stone (14lb). 😳 Last Monday we switched, as far as we could,...

writer at work

4 January 2019

Week 1 didn’t go well

I started the year with great plans to catch up with the backlog and crack on with new stuff. (Wow, I got a dropped capital.) (Hmm, not sure if I like it or not.) It hasn’t gone well so far … I’ve checked the job boards every day, but nothing has taken my fancy – or nothing that didn’t need...

writer at work

3 January 2019

My (new) fat year

Readers of Tales from Baggins Bottom will remember an old regular feature, My Fat Year. They may also remember how I yo-yo’d so much between losing and gaining weight despite trying several commercial diets that many suggested having some blood tests. I’ve had those blood tests, numerous tests in fact, in a bid to find out why I lose a...

writer at work

2 January 2019

New Year, New Start

Welcome to a shiny new year. What are your plans for the coming months? We had a decent, relaxing holiday, with a very busy first half and a very lazy second half. The Saturday before Christmas was perhaps our busiest day. This was the day we went out and did ALL of the Christmas shopping. We went out during the...

writer at work