Winter's Writing Wings

A very good morning from a sleety, snowy Nottinghamshire! It’s December already? Where did this crazy year go?! Anyway, I hope that this entry finds you well during this chillier season. I am already pumped and ready to go with my constant stream of hot chocolate and ever-growing supply of Christmas jumpers!

So, what has happened in my journey over November?

First of all I must share some very exciting news that I am now officially the Social Media Manager for The Literate Earth Project UK! (You may have already seen some of my work on my Portfolio or on the charity’s social media). I am very much excited to be further involved with this charity, not only because it gives me a chance to heighten my creative skills but because I am able to raise awareness towards an amazing cause. As a keen admirer of books and literacy myself, I feel honoured that I get to play my part and help others across the globe to discover the wonders of both educational and fictional literature. As Roman scholar Cicero once stated, “a room without books is like a body without a soul”.

Next, I appear to have found quite the stream of concentration over this past month - except for when the notorious sinus infection took a hold of me again! Currently my manuscript is on 38,000, unedited, which is an achievement in itself as the manuscript has doubled in size during that month. I feel really passionate about this story and I can see clearly what kind of text I want it to be, and how I aspire it to be received. Of course, there is still a long road ahead that is paved with potholes and loose stones, but sooner or later that surface will smooth and the path shall reveal itself. All I can do is keep going, keep on writing and editing where I can to make sure that my work is how I hope it to be. At the end of the day there is always hope, especially after this year. I am going to work as hard as I can whilst on furlough, utilising my time to further sharpen my text and my craft.

In terms of my studies, I am still thoroughly enjoying my Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Lincoln. My course mates and lecturers are so supportive with each other’s work and talent, so it is wonderful to be part of a cohort who share the same enthusiasm for writing and for forming a career out of words. I am constantly conscious to allow myself time to work on my university work as well as my manuscript, setting aside time for each to balance the work load. I have submitted my dissertation proposal for another text which I am very excited to write. My assignments, which are quickly approaching, have been initially planned and organised ready to be written. Over the Christmas break I shall also be working on some short stories that I will be submitting to literary journals - come back for a progress update for those! As much as the thought of balancing the work sometimes eat away at my mind, I know that this is good practice for the future if I want to become a published author. At one time I could be doing three or four different briefs at a time, so the time management which I have acquired whilst being a student will certainly come in handy.

That’s all for this month’s entry. I hope that you enjoyed reading this month’s entry and are looking forward to reading my December antics in the next entry. Hopefully by then I will have finished my manuscript and will have started editing ready for competition submission whilst working on my university assessments…but let’s see where time takes me.

I wish everyone the best and I hope that you have a Happy Christmas and New Year! Until next time,

Emily