Now I am at this point in the novel when I have to make a decision about the death of a character, and possibly two.
I have now passed the 50,000 words, and I more or less know where I am going, even though I still need to decide on quite a few essential scenes. I am still worrying about the deadline. My take onb things is, it's not because you're writing a book that you have to stop living your life.
This weekend, I was very busy helping my boyfriend and my sister with their stall at the Village Green event in Southend-on-Sea. It was a very cold, gorgeous day which turned out to be very positive for eveyone. Their work had received a lot of interest and we have made a few contacts which I hope will be fruitful. We now have a lot of ideas for what's to follow, and we hope to be able to have a stall at various events in the near future... This and the book will most definitely keep me busy until at least January. I have been lucky as my freelance editorial work has been slowing down recently and I haven't looked for any more opportunities... The book and Mattartpix are now taking priority! I shall probably have to think about earning a bit more money in January, but this is too boring to even contemplate... I just have to consider myself lucky I have the opportunity to give 90% of my time to what I like the most in the world...

I am a Muse is taking shape, slowly, laboriously. I think I am still not spending enough time on it, and I am worried I will not manage to keep to my self-imposed deadline for the completion of the first draft... But there is still hope, I guess.
I have so many things to do on this site still, as at the moment it is definitely not good enough. I am hoping to add to the links page soon, as well as putting together a better Home page.
It is also my intention to add some content to the "Writings" section very soon. In the meantime, I must try and concentrate on this one book project at the moment, but I have found that my mind wanders towards other shores from time to time, namely:
- My second book. I have already said that I was planning on trying to write a Gothic Novel. I'd like this book to be rather surreal, full of strange human beings and other flawed creatures. I have already almost decided on giving the "main character" tag to a fragile, troubled, orphaned young adolescent boy ...
- Several years ago, I had an idea for a comic book aimed at teenagers. I'd like to go back to that story and maybe use it as a basis for a book for teenagers. The story is quite simple: mature, very intelligent teenage girl into art and music lives with clumsy and cute dad and tries to keep him out of trouble... This might have been used 3,000 times already but I am blissfully unaware of it and therefore, it doesn't count!

I have been so busy this week, what with the book and setting up my boyfriend's new venture (it's a pleasure, really, not a chore). I haven't even given 3 seconds to the author biography that I am supposed to write for this website.
What am I supposed to put in there? How can a biography influence readers' idea of who an author is? I will have to think about my own interest in writer's biographies. I am always fascinated by people whose lives have been full of surprises, attempts, twists and turns, people who have LIVED, and who have demonstrated a unique approach to life. These are the people I have admired. I do not want to be admired, I just want to write, and if people like what I write, then so be it.
I have often read that an author should be able to pitch himself/herself and should be able to build an identity in a certain genre, i.e horror writer, chick-lit, etc.
I do not think I would be able to put myself in a strict category, because my writing follows my varied and ever changing moods and personalities. I perfectly know what type of writer I do not want to be, but cannot put my finger on the type of writer I'd like to be.
It would be far too restrictive to give myself a title because I myself do not know what I will be writing in the future (apart from the fact that after I Am a Muse, I will be getting started on an attempt at writing a Gothic novel - with a twist.)