Diane Wordsworth: freelance writer ● novelist ● editor ● ghostwriter ● book reviewer ● member of the CWA ● world-famous nutter-magnet
With me falling quite a way behind, I finally managed to crack on with some NaNo, hopefully in time to rescue the situation. On Friday, Day 26, I had just under 18,000 words to go, which gave me 5 days at 3,600 words per day. I wrote 3,667 words (35,842). 35,842/50,000 words. 72% done! I also had ghostwriting to do and the plan was to work at the weekend. Saturday was very busy, though, and I didn’t get around to […]
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This feature is in association with NetGalley. He Will Find You by Diane Jeffrey Many thanks to both NetGalley and to HQ Digital for letting me see an advance reader’s copy of He Will Find You. Apologies for the delay. (I’ve been catching up!) This is the first story I’ve read by Diane Jeffrey, and I’d like to read another. Once I got over the naïvety of the main character, I found it to be a gripping, fast-paced read with […]
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It’s publication day today for Project Management for Writers: Gate 1. This is the first in a series of five new Wordsworth Writers’ Guides. The book is available in multi–ebook format from books2read.com. When the rest of the series is complete, they will be bundled together into an omnibus edition. You can find all of my ebooks in multi-format on my books2read shelf. Some are available in paperback too. You can find these on my Amazon page or order them […]
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Day 25, I think. And I can’t say Days 19 – 25, because I only seem to have done something yesterday, which was Day 25. So I’ll just claim that one. On Wednesday I submitted the final part of Ghostwriting (1) gig Book 7, and before the day was over, the client was asking if I could start a new story yet. I told him I could start on Monday, and he sent over the next storyline and some tentative […]
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After a 2am finish again on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning was another late one. The cat actually woke me up at 10am (she yowled at me, right in my face), so I was already 2 hours late before even starting my working day. I read more of my NetGalley book over breakfast, as well as completed my social hour. And when I landed at my desk, I finished off yesterday’s blog post and posted it. The bit I added was […]
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… but I still have time to catch up. It just wasn’t yesterday. I was also behind on the ghostwriting, although I did manage to write two more chapters on Monday night – one before tea and one after. I was still behind, though, so I turned yesterday on its head with the intention of doing the ghostwriting first… Don’t you just love (or hate?) that word ‘intention’? The day started a good hour later again, thanks to the dog […]
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On Thursday evening I received a message via the contact form. It was from QueryLetter.com and it was to let me know that they’d given me an award. I receive a lot of spam via the contact form, so the first thing I did was go and check that this was a genuine organisation. It involved some searching, but the upshot is that they are. So, thank you very much to QueryLetter.com for awarding Words Worth Writing a Top Writing […]
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It’s publication day today for the VERY SHORT STORY The Girl on the Bench. This is the third of the new and rebranded Wordsworth Shorts, but it’s a brand-new story originally written especially for Issue 1 of Words Worth Reading. The story is available in multi–ebook format from books2read.com. It also appears in Issue 1 of Words Worth Reading. Later it will be added to a collection and that will be available in paperback. You can find all of my […]
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It’s been a whole week since I updated everyone on my NaNoWriMo progress. This is mostly because I took some time off. I took two days to catch up with and clear a ghostwriting instalment, and then I took two days holiday. Day 12 Last Friday, then, which was Day 12, I wrote a blog post, duplicated a blog post on Medium, raised an invoice (hurrah!), scheduled a blog post for Monday’s publication of Mardi Gras, and I did a load […]
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This feature is in association with NetGalley. Death of a Russian Doll by Barbara Early Many thanks to both NetGalley and to Crooked Lane Books for letting me see an advance reader’s copy of Death of a Russian Doll. This is the third in a series of Vintage Toy Shop Mysteries by Barbara Early, but it was the first one I’ve read. Saying that, I didn’t feel as though I missed anything by not reading the other two, but I […]
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To the outsider, it may look as though I had the last 4 days off. And I did have a 4-day weekend. However, I was working solidly on Saturday and Sunday, and I finished work at 2am on Monday morning. I did this so that I could have a good couple of days off with the poet. Monday morning we were a bit tired (he stayed up with me), but we did go to the seaside and we had a […]
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It’s publication day today for Mardi Gras: a Toni & Bart time-travel tale. This is the first in a new series of novellas featuring sister and brother team Toni and Bart. The story is available in multi–ebook format from books2read.com. It also appears in Issue 1 of Words Worth Reading, in its entirety, and the paperback version will follow. You can find all of my ebooks in multi-format on my books2read shelf. Some are available in paperback too. You can […]
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By the time Day 11 arrived, I was more than a thousand words over where I should be if I’d done 1,667 words every day, and that was before I even did Day 11. Before then, though, there was gig list admin to do. Because the poet came back from his business trip a day early, he was able to do all of the gig-collection and posted it to the website, and he managed to share the list to everywhere […]
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After struggling to get up for several days on the trot, I was finally at my desk by 10am yesterday, with all social media stuff done. I started the next book on my reading list for November, having finished the first one the day before. And I created a new project on Asana for reading. I decided on December’s four books to read and created a new Instagram poster for that, and I updated the Asana project with book cover […]
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Day 9 of NaNoWriMo was another day I went off down a rabbit hole. I’ve been trying to organise my reading, and so this time I was looking for a spreadsheet that collected stats and created nice, pretty charts without me having to learn how to make and position them. Of course, the main aim was to keep a record of the books I’m reading and why I’m reading them. I wouldn’t want to spend time on a book in […]
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This post was going to be a ‘weekend off’ post and it was going to post yesterday. Then I remembered that I also had a publication day post for yesterday, so the weekend off post was added to the NaNoWriMo Day 8 post. Day 5 Day 5, or Friday was supposed to be a day off for me. I was supposed to have a holiday with the poet, but I had a ghostwriting deadline. So I reported to my desk […]
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It’s publication day today for the SHORT STORY The Ace of Wands. This is the first in a new series of short stories loosely based on the Tarot, though not about the Tarot. The story is available in multi-ebook format from books2read.com. It also appears in Issue 1 of Words Worth Reading. Later it will be added to another collection that will also be available in paperback. You can find all of my ebooks in multi-format on my books2read shelf. Some […]
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I had a late start for Day 4 of NaNo. A VERY late start. And I also had a lot of work to do. However, I still wanted to do my NaNo bit for the day and while it wasn’t the first job, I did manage it in the end. I wrote 2,728 words on Day 4. 10,523/50,000 words. 21% done! Before then, though, I had gig list work to do. The poet had already updated the gig list and […]
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I’m in the exciting first few stages of writing and am already at almost 8,000 words after only three days. I hope I can keep the momentum and the rhythm going. I wrote 2,515 words on Day 3. 7,795/50,000 words. 16% done! In other work, I started renegotiating an existing contract. I came close to terminating the contract but the client was really nice and convinced me to have another think. So I am. Because I knew I wouldn’t be […]
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I’ve been using my own 10-project planner for over a year and it really works. But it’s also really basic as well as being really high maintenance. While I was looking for a word-count progress meter (see below and in sidebar… also below on mobile devices), I think I found a new one. On Monday, Day 1 of NaNoWriMo, I finally got around to trying it out. And it really is lovely. Seamless. Easy to use. And all I have […]
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Day 1 of this year’s NaNoWriMo was actually yesterday, and today is Day 2. However, I’m a day behind on the blog posts as they’re usually a round-up of the day before (or days before if other posts have sneaked in). The story I’m working on for this year’s NaNo is The Fool: a Stevie Becks mystery. This is a series of novella-length stories. I was supposed to be doing proper prep work last week, but I was so busy I […]
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It’s publication day today for the SHORT STORY The Spirit of the Wind. This is the second of the new and rebranded Wordsworth Shorts and the first of the archive stories rebranded. The story is available in multi-ebook format from books2read.com. It appears in Issue 1 of Words Worth Reading as ‘from the archives’, as it’s an old and popular story I’ve since written a (specially requested) sequel to. And it is already in Twee Tales. Later it will be added […]
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It’s publication day today for the SHORT STORY The Most Scariest Night of the Year. This is the first of the new and rebranded Wordsworth Shorts, but it’s the first of the brand-new stories written especially for Issue 1 of Words Worth Reading. The story is available in multi-ebook format only from books2read.com. Later it will be added to a collection and that will be available in paperback. At the moment, paperback readers can find it in Issue 1 of Words Worth […]
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I worked at the weekend – again – but only so that I could at least have 2 days off this week with the poet. He had to go on another business trip first thing Wednesday morning, so I made sure I had Monday and Tuesday with him. On Monday we chilled for a bit before we went out and did a bit of spontaneous shopping. On Tuesday, he worked on the gig list, a playlist for a private party […]
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I got up too late and was too tired to do any NaNo prep work on Friday and I ended up down a rabbit hole in any case. Well, I ended up down so many rabbit holes, in fact, that I did wonder at one point if I’d stumbled into a complete warren. Word progress meters I started off by looking for a word progress meter, which was actually sort-of prep work for NaNo. I used to have this wonderful […]
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I had a late start on Thursday due to working very late into Wednesday night. I finished one of the ghostwriting gigs, though, and by the time I got up on Thursday, payment had been approved and the contract for the next instalment had arrived. Because I was slogging away at the ghostwriting, and because it was peeing down with rain, I didn’t get to walk home from work on Wednesday. That means that, technically, me and the dog were still […]
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Prep Day Zero is actually all of the prep work for the prep work. For me, it’s reminding myself of the steps that work when I outline a project, and this week I’ve created tasks in my Asana project file. Including Day Zero, there are actually six prep days rather than five, but the last one is Day Five. What’s the difference? Well, one to five are actually writing work. Or jotting things down. Zero is just setting up reminders, […]
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From 1 November I have five new products scheduled for publication. Three of them are Wordsworth Shorts (standalone short stories, although some do seem to be falling into collections), one is the first short standalone episode in a series, The Ace of Wands, and the fifth one is my first ever novella, Mardi Gras. These are all scheduled to publish a week apart. These books and booklets are already with the publisher and waiting to go. But I’m going to […]
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… but then, Mondays are always a good start. I just struggle for the rest of the week after that. I should have been having a holiday yesterday and today, as the poet is using up his annual leave before he loses it at the end of the year. I had too much work to do, though. And so I worked yesterday and I’ll work today. However, I’m not going mad. Walking to work works at 9am much better than […]
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Well, first of all, I got my first half stone (7lb) certificate from Slimming World on Thursday. This has been a long time coming despite actually losing 12lb in real life. Still, it’s the weekly scales that register. However, another quarter of a pound and I’ll have dropped down into the next stone zone (SW weigh-in). Maybe next week… Last week What did I learn with the new regime last week? Firstly, I don’t seem to need a full hour […]
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Yup, looks like I’ve signed up to do NaNo again this year. If there’s one thing walking to work and back every day does, it gives you time to think things through. I’m very busy doing a lot of work. I’m currently ghostwriting not one but two novels. One is a Regency romance, the other is a contemporary story. Both need a certain amount of research doing, although I’m getting quite familiar with the Regency era. I’m also editing for […]
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Never in my life have I been a morning person. And I’m still not. I have much respect for people who can get up at 7am, or 6am, or 5am, or anything earlier than 10am really. It doesn’t come easily to me at all. I wouldn’t mind if I stayed up at the other end of the day to make up for it. But I like to be back in bed by 10:30 – 11:00pm at the latest. My dad […]
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(Image by mathey from Pixabay) After a relatively good start on Monday, Tuesday was harder. I wasn’t as late, but it was more of a chore. I struggled to get up, then I lingered over breakfast. But I did it. The biggest issue was that I only had my work to do yesterday and it was only by reminding myself that my work was important too that I reported to my desk. It had been a disturbed night as well (dog twice, […]
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(Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay) Part of my getting back to a structured routine includes writing up my writing diary as I go along. So I’m back to reporting on what I did ‘yesterday’ or how ‘yesterday’ went. Monday 11 October 2021 Monday started off quite well with the new regime, although I was running about 15 minutes late right up to the morning coffee break. ‘My’ work I walked to work and spent the first hour checking emails and […]
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(Image by Michael Gaida from Pixabay) My self-isolation was over on Saturday and I tested negative on Sunday. So we nipped out for the first time in almost two weeks to get some food for the garden birds and to visit family. (The dog and cat also got a new basket each!) Although I worked for most of the time that I was poorly, I didn’t beat myself up if I was late with anything or if I just wanted a rest. […]
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(Image by Pepper Mint from Pixabay) Aside from still suffering with the after effects of Covid this past week, I’ve also been busy catching up on ghostwriting (1) book 7 part 1, which was due in last Sunday. I submitted it last night, so only four days late. Concentration and fatigue have been the two main factors. I also have what feels like a heavy cold and my sense of smell is dropping in and out. However, it’s not the latter that’s causing […]
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I nicked today’s featured image from a Facebook friend. I have no idea where he found it or if he made it himself. But I liked it, it amused me, and I nicked it. (With thanks to Paul White!) I had a quick look at Facebook at about 5pm yesterday and when it didn’t load, I just shrugged my shoulders, moved on and forgot about it… until the BBC news told me almost two hours later that there was a […]
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(Image by Anrita1705 from Pixabay) After trying to fight the virus and carry on with work, I finally conceded and took a few days off to recuperate. I haven’t been as poorly as the poet has, but I have been lethargic and lacking concentration, as well as feeling a bit fluey, even though I don’t usually catch the flu. Today I noticed I had no sense of smell and last week my taste went a bit odd. But other than that… and a […]
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(image courtesy of Canva) September was a busy month, the biggest thing was publication of Words Worth Reading, and to top it off, we both got Covid. I ran out of time for some things, other things didn’t need doing after all, and the rest will be moved to October. Overall, I’m happy with how the month panned out. I did a lot of work and I worked a lot of hours. Here’s how September went. Anything marked ♻️ is […]
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Today is Publication Day for Words Worth Reading Issue 1. It’s available in multi-format from books2read.com.
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Yup, it didn’t even give me the full five days grace. Yesterday, at the poet’s insistence, I took the test, and it was positive. We always have to do things together in this house! Mind you, it doesn’t seem to be affecting me as much as it is him… yet. My temperature has remained normal and I’ve not had the full body aches. I have, however, developed a barking cough and a snotty nose. While I’m still able, I’m going […]
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(Image by suju-foto from Pixabay) On Monday when I nipped out to get some essentials, I also picked up some sunflowers to cheer the house up. They’re currently bringing a welcome splash of sunshine to our dining room. All things considered, I had a productive day yesterday. First of all I published Mardi Gras as an ebook on Draft2Digital. It’s not out until 15 November, so it has plenty of time to appear in all of the ebook book stores. Once D2D can publish […]
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(Image by PIRO4D from Pixabay) On Friday and all over the weekend I worked on the novella Mardi Gras. The plan was to split it into two and either serialise it in Words Worth Reading or make two separate stories out of it. I trimmed it down from around 49,000 words to around 43,000 words and decided to keep it all intact. It was added to Words Worth Reading in its entirety. This means that Words Worth Reading is currently sitting at just under 70,000 words. […]
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(Image by birgl from Pixabay) I’ve been working hard on the website today. The bright-eyed and bushy-tailed will notice a few additions to the sidebar (it’s at the bottom on mobile devices), and I’ve also removed the ‘short stories’ page and added a ‘latest news’ page. Have a look around, see what you think, and do let me know in the comments if you feel strongly about something. I’m also beavering away at Words Worth Reading Issue 1 so that it’s ready for […]
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(Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay) I had such a rubbish day on Monday that I had to try much harder on Tuesday, not only for my own personal mental wellbeing, but also for my clients’ benefits. I need to stop getting so behind with my work. I worked until about 6pm, so there was no slacking there. My work So, what did I manage in the end? This was my list: write today’s blog post ✅ import today’s blog post to Medium¹ […]
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(Image by Melk Hagelslag from Pixabay) Monday is usually such a good day that I was disappointed when work stalled yesterday. It was my own fault. I disappeared down another one of those pesky rabbit holes and when I came back, nothing had changed. I stuck with what I already had. I was looking at project management software because when I duplicated a project in Asana, it duplicated everything and I had to go in and retype everything anyway. I can make a […]
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(Image by congerdesign from Pixabay) The tags for this cover picture today included the word ‘breakfast’. I’ve been looking at the ‘breakfast’, and I think it’s a slice of bread (or toast), with sliced banana on and topped off with chocolate flakes. Dark chocolate flakes. 🤢 Who has that for breakfast? 🤔 The weekend I worked very hard on Friday to get the last part of ghostwriting (1) Book 6 in, and I actually managed it during the day, and while it was still […]
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(artwork for book cover by Peter H from Pixabay) Yesterday’s morning faff was cover work again. I’ve wanted to rebrand my short stories for a while because I thought the old ones were a bit wishy washy. With three short stories appearing in the magazine in October, and with me wanting to release them after the magazine’s been published, yesterday I think I finally did it. These are the short, complete stories that will be appearing in the magazine. Two of them are […]
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