Time for a Revamp?

We seem to be getting a bit quiet in our old age. I think the time has come for a new lease of life for the Novel Racers blog. Ideas please! Here's a few things to kick off...

• We need coffee break volunteers. First come, first served. I have a couple of good subjects for tomorrow and next week, if nobody else minds.
• Where are we all with our race entries. I've probably got behind with the gadgets' database, but then you lot haven't been updating me either.
• Shall we give the blog a facelift? There's lots of nice new templates available.
• When and where shall we meet IRL again?
• Everyone please remind me who is and who isn't a current member. If not, are you on sabbatical or retired as alumni?
• The accomplishments page probably needs updating. Information please.
• What else shall we talk about here? Competitions? Writing techniques? Successes? Failures? Gossip (I'm way behind)? Politics? Religion? Gardening?...

I hope you don't mind me posting this as a bit of a kick-up-the-you-know-what for us all.

In other top secret news, I've fairly recently started writing again. Therefore please may I rejoin the group?

Edit, 20/07/10: Please see the new feedback page, where we can discuss things.

Taking Stock - Friday Coffee

Wow, I can’t believe it’s almost a year since the Novel Racers’ starting gun was fired. In ‘the olden days’, there were really just a handful of members – mostly Proper Published Writers and a few of us newbies who shuffled in and at sat at the back quietly.

It’s fabulous to see how far we’ve come – and the success of some is awesome. There’s been more good news recently with our very own Messages contributors and Rowan Coleman being in the running for Romantic Novel of the Year. It’s all so exciting.

For me, the fact that I’m on the home straight and almost finished my novel is pretty good. Ok, so I’m nowhere near thinking about agents or publishers just yet but a year ago I’d have snorted my decaf through my nose in shock if anyone had said I’d be getting up at the crack of dawn and turning down good jobs so that I can write.

So that’s my writing achievement this year – I’ve finally found, after many, many years, the confidence to actually be a writer. Sometimes I even say it out loud too!

Grab your favourite tipple, have a Christmassy star-shaped shortbread and tell Auntie Jenny about your writerly achievement this year. Shout it out loud– it might make you feel nice…