Most of you don't know me, so I thought I should introduce myself.
I wanted to join the race back in January, but family life got in the way, so I decided to cheer from the sidelines. My fledgling novel has in the meantime stalled completely, so I thought that now might be a good time to join in and hope that all your encouragement will get me back on the right track.
I don't call myself a writer. Not yet. Though I do have a few rejection letters under my belt, so I guess I am on the way there. My background is a degree in German (rather a long time ago) followed by working as a Chartered Accountant, then juggling being a full-time Mum (both my teenagers have special needs) with doing a little part-time work and trying to fit in occasional time for me. Two years ago I decided to take my lifelong desire to write more seriously. I did two short Open University courses on fiction and poetry, followed by the level two Creative Writing course last year (hello, Jen!). I am now juggling whether to go for the level three course next year or perhaps try to get on an MA in a couple of years if/when life at home has settled down a little. While I decide, there is the small matter of this novel trying to get out of my head.
I am doing an OU course on mental health at the moment, with an exam in less than a month and then I hope to start to increase my word count, which is currently languishing just below 5000. But whilst I haven't been actually writing I have been doing more planning and I suspect there will be a lot of rewriting to do. I may even just start again from scratch.
I have a blog about writing, books and my life generally, which I have been using as a motivator to write something, however small, almost every day. I hope you might find time to drop in there and I'm looking forward to getting to know you all on here.
8 comments:
Hello Cathy, how lovely that you've decided to join us!
Have you thought about doing the Susan Hill course as a bridge to the Level 3 OU one? I've signed up, as has Cally, it would be fun if you did it too?
I have just completed an MA in Creative Writing at MMU, the classes were in the evening and two nights a week. They do a distance online one too. If you ever consider it and want to know more, drop me an email. Nice to meet you here. Welcome to the race x
Hi Jen,
Yes I have already signed up for Susan Hill's course. I am also toying with doing the OU short playwriting course this autumn, as apparently playwriting is in the level three syllabus and the short course is only going to run once a year from now on. Oh dear, I can see I am going to overload myself yet again...
Hi Caroline
Thanks, I would be interested to learn more. Will certainly drop you an eamil sometime soon. I can only dream of producing something as you did on your MA!
Welcome Cathy! I've signed up for the Susan Hill course too.....there might be quite a few of us!
The Susan Hill course sounds very good - go for it!
Don't do a PhD (in writing that is) - tis a hellish nightmare that eats up all your creativity!
Hi Cathy.
I've signed up for Susan Hill too.
Ooh, I might sign up for the play-writing 10-pointer too!!
Sounds as if there's a few of us joining Susan Hill - brilliant!
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