One word I did not anticipate hearing bandied about when I joined the Romantic Novelists Association last November was family. Yet at each of the calendar events I’ve been able to attend to date, I have heard the word many times from the mouths of both published and yet-to-be published writers in attendance.
I certainly came away feeling welcomed, encouraged and very hopeful that my manuscript’s evolvement (is that a real word?) to its completion is a high possibility.
My goal this year is to finish it, even if it then collects dust on the shelf within the desktop files on my laptop. I set out to write and story and write a story is what I shall achieve.
An Airbnb in Oxfordshire and Man of the Woods taking the trip with me (left him behind reading the paper π¬) has been a pleasant break in horse rug proceedings and made a minibreak out of what could have been a rushed, shoe-horned event. The support of my husband is a valuable piece of the jigsaw.
I do get giggly and chatty when excited and enjoyed many conversations with different members last night – the amazing Katie Fford π± chatted for a while at one point, and how lovely she is.
I don’t recognise some of the acclaimed authors because I had such a huge break in reading (about 15 years) and I don’t tend to read historical fiction, hence when asking a lady next to me ‘and what do you write?’ and to receive a fairly shocked face in return as if I should know, I wanted the floor to swallow me up. I’m not even going to mention her name, so embarrassed am I not to have known her.
Note to self: when in doubt, keep mouth closed π
(dialing iPhone) “beep boop boop beep bip bap boop… “Hello…yes, hello, OED? This is Tennessee calling… What? Yes, I know I’m an American, but despite our differences, we still speak English here…. No… No, I reckon it wasn’t that funny….. Yes, I see our cultural humor, I’m sorry, I mean HUMOUR references are at variance….ANYway…I’m calling today because my ENGLISH friend just invented a VERY USEFUL new word, and I wanted to nominate it for inclusion in your next update… Yes, yes, I’m quite sure it’s new, I’ve never seen or heard it before…. What’s that? Oh….Yes, I see, hold on, it’s….EVOLVEMENT. Hmmm? Yes, yes I know the PROPER word to express that idea is EVOLUTION, but, well…. Errr… Can’t you see I’m trying to do a friend a solid here?!? Yes, okay, thank you, I’m sure you must be very busy… I see, yes, you have a lovely day too, dearie!”
Glad to see you’re over your migraine, Viola ;-P
Denny
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Denny, I LπΈVE you for this … of course it is!!!!!
πβΊοΈπ
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I donβt know why but I suspect that exactly like the traveling husband even the man of woods doesnβt need to be reminded that quoteπ
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π€£ππ
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I knew it.πππ
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Excellent. It sounds like you probably did that author’s ego the world of good. Make them realise there are people out there that don’t read their stuff, they still have more work to do to reach out.
I know it wasn’t Catherine Cookson…….Was it Philippa Gregory?
π Mischievous grin.
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Youβve made me a whole lot better ….
… runs away π
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Thank you for sharing, Kate, so sad I missed this!
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Next year .. we will go together πππΌππΌ
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