The Girdle of Melian

ight Things!


I filled out this questionnaire nearly a decade ago: 9 lots of 8 things about me.


It's fun to see what's changed and what hasn't!


9 lots of 8 things about me:

8 projects I'm working on
1. sorting all the finished novels into order of priority for editing
2. finding an agent for The Charm of Time
3. editing a short story for a contest
4. knitting projects: a blanket, a pair of leg warmers, a tuque and other projects not yet begun
5. thinking of compiling short stories for an anthology (and thinking of short stories featuring Kedi)
6. school!
7. NaNoWriMo!
8. long-term plans for the blog


8 TV shows I watch (I don't watch many new shows, only old shows I like; this is based on last year)
1. Last of the Summer Wine
2. Father Ted
3. Fawlty Towers
4. Glitch
5. Breaking Bad
6. Seinfeld
7. various comedians filmed live
8. Doctor Who


8 favourite places to eat and drink
1. at home
2. Turkey - yup, anywhere in the country [this hasn't changed]
3. at the pub
4. at…

o much to do! School and NaNoWriMo and more.

But first...


Today is Insecure Writer's Support Group Day!

"Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. ...

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!"The awesome co-hosts for the
November 6 posting of the IWSG
are Sadira Stone,Patricia…

op ten list of intimidating books!

I first posted about intimidating books back in 2013.

My list at the time was as follows:

War and PeaceCrime and Punishment (but I've read other books by Dostoyevsky)Anna KareninaOrhan Pamuk's Istanbul in Turkish and/or Turkish translation of Diana Gabaldon's OutlanderGerman translation of Gabaldon's Drums of Autumnanother French book -- I asked for suggestionsLe Morte d'Arthur"numbers 8, 9, 10 and higher up belong to... anything on an ereader! So far I've only read one ebook in its entirety, Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. I read it on my phone, and while the experience wasn't a bad one, I just can't seem to settle down to regular e-reading. Meanwhile, the books are piling up - 50 of them last time I checked my Kindle for iPad!"
How things have changed since then!

I still haven't read the first two, but not only have I read Anna Karenina, I read it on the Kindle app on my phone!

Looking at the app now, I se…

heep!

They have sheep grazing at the Palais des Nations, as part of environmentally friendly gardening practices:











This is post 1200 on my blog! No time now to run a contest or other celebration, but maybe I'll host one around Christmas, as part of my Annual Books Read post.

As for ROW80, I've been keeping up with schoolwork, and haven't written in a little while. I'm starting to feel the lack of story. NaNoWriMo can't come soon enough! Two of my assignments should be submitted by then, giving me some wiggle room.

Sunrise
Chestnut tree

Field near our house

View from the United Nations rooftop
What's your favourite way to celebrate blogging milestones?

ational Novel Writing Month is coming!






The website is acting up at the moment, so I'm having some trouble entering this year's project:

The Antipodean Time, a contemporary romance featuring new character Kimberley Hamilton, and Simon Chevalley MacDonald, who had cameos in The Charm of Time and The Handful of Time.



I also can't seem to see any of my buddies at the moment. But if you're on there, let's join up!




In the meantime, I've squeezed in another knitting project, which wasn't part of my stated ROW80 goals, and which didn't turn out to be quite the right size...




Baby hat
At least the model is cute!
Next project is a secret gift for a friend!

Thanks to Knitty for the pattern. I'm going to try to do it properly this time, which means experimenting first and then knitting the actual gift, rather than simply diving in and hoping for the best.

Hmm, maybe that should be my NaNoWriMo approach, too -- plan first, write after. It'll be a twist on my usu…

ew book and new art!


Leah Mercer has a new book out on 1 November – but you can get it earlier if you sign up for the Amazon First Reads newsletter!

(As far as I can tell this isn't one of those weird things where they trick you into paying for something you don't want every month (remember how mail order book clubs and cassette clubs used to do that unless you mailed back the NO form?), but simply a mailing list announcement of new releases for a discounted price.)

The Puzzle of You by Leah Mercer


She’s woken up in a life she doesn’t recognise – with a daughter she doesn’t remember.

When Charlotte McKay wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there, all she wants is to go back to the perfect London flat she shares with her husband, and the impressive career she’s worked so hard to build. But something’s not right. Her husband David is at her bedside – but so is a three-year-old girl, and she’s calling Charlotte ‘Mummy’...

Charlotte’s first instinct is panic. Wh…

ew projects!


Somehow there's always time to do something you really want to do.

In between the usual busy-ness, I found time to knit something!

I sorely missed knitting, and my daughter needed new mittens...

I love Marianna's Toddler Mittens pattern because it's not only easy to knit, it's also easy to resize as needed. It took a bit of experimenting (one mitten came out slightly wonky on top, and I haven't shown that in the photos!), but not much time overall.

It always feels good to finish a quick project.













Particularly relevant, as it's time to set our goals for the next round of ROW80.

Mine are to:
keep up with (complete?!) The Antipodean Time for NaNoWriMosolve the plot hole in The Handful of Timekeep up with school and everything else (A corollary to this is that it's been about a year since I've actively commented on other blogs. I'm really hoping to remedy this and get back to regular visiting and commenting by next summer, once school is over…

writing-related photos!


These are all from the last couple of years... I bribe myself with food and coffee often, in order to get edits done.

Drafting doesn't take effort, but editing certainly does!

Hoping to virtually inspire myself -- and you who are reading this! -- before the next round of ROW80, and this year's NaNoWriMo.


What they call Cafe Gourmand -- mini desserts and coffee!
Whipped cream...
There are mountains in the distance...
This was just the entree!
Scribbling with my favourite pen
Swiss breakfast
Starbucks breakfast

The Auberge d'William Tell