Still not quite there yet, folks. — Okay, so maybe we should just admit this has turned into a monthly blog rather than a weekly one. Between work and the kids bringing home every cold going around (although not the spicy cough again, yet) and really wanting to spend any spare energy or time I have on…

Still Editing. Still Learning. — I didn’t even realise that it had been a few weeks since I had written here. Understandable, I think. I have been busy with work, life and editing. Oh, and I started another crime writing course, this one is fantastic. I am only two weeks in, and it is a…

Editing continues not quite apace but a lot… — I did not know I had it in me to be so ruthless. With my agent’s notes to guide me and a strong desire to make Dawn the best it can be, I am “killing my darlings”. That Rocky Horror Picture Show joke that out of context seems inappropriate, gone…

My Agent has sent back my manuscript with editorial comments. — Day One My agent has sent me her notes on my manuscript. She has also sent the reader’s report. It is 5 am. I should go back to sleep. I can’t. I have a sneaky little look at the reader’s report on my phone. It seems positive, but the are some questions that will…

It’s over. Back to Work. — Today is the last day of my self-styled, budget-friendly, at-home writer’s retreat. Despite its lack of a picturesque cottage nestled in the hills with gorgeous views and a break from my family, it was still a wonderful luxury. Not having to interrupt my headspace with anything else during the day was…

Who needs a publisher when you have Kickstarter? — And so ends week two of my self styled “at home” Writers Retreat. The budget and Coronavirus friendly version of a Writers Retreat where I get to write and think about writing every day, and the only thing missing is complete solitude and a view of the Blue Mountains. I am…

Crime and Thriller Writing is fun. — I love doing writing courses. It really is the best fun. Not only do you get to learn, but you get to meet other writers. It is invaluable. Finding others who think like you do or, even better, think nothing like you do but share your passion for creating stories and characters out…

I have signed with a Literary Agent! — So, in case you were wondering, I signed with that agent, yes, the one who seemed really lovely. Jennifer Chevais, at The Rights Factory, is my agent!. I mean, we all knew I was going to unless the contract had something bizarre in it. But there were no red flags. …

A lot can change in a week. — So that Agent, the one that I really liked the look of, no not that one I still haven’t heard back from her, the other one. She requested a Full Manuscript. I may have yelled it through the house and scared some cats and children. My husband wanted to know…