Freedom From The Mundane - A Writer's Blog

The March issue of Wild Child Publishing (WCP) was published today and Heart of a Child wasn’t included. I suspect I have had a one-off bad experience with them because several of my friends have been published by them in the past – in fact, the fiction section in the March issue was mostly written by people from my forum – and they all report back with good words to say.

I am slightly perturbed though. Heart of a Child was originally accepted for February then at the last minute they asked for a re-write removing some of the US/UK dual-language references (Wild Child is US-based), which I gladly did on the basis they said it would be moved to March for publication.

They then said words like “lots” aren’t used by English speaking people in the UK – rubbish, I use it lots of times each day!

March came and went with no word as promised so I am pulling the piece. I’ve already found a new market for it and will submit it this week. It is paying, as per my GDR, and I believe this story merits it, instead of feeling like it has been swept under the carpet.

Maybe it’s because of the recent broken promises that wound me up from CR Smith, but I feel a bit let down by WCP.

Go check out the stories by my writing buds at http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/fiction.html

Age Difference by Marlys Pearson
Caught in the Middle by BK Birch
Earthly Ground by H.G. Dowdell


I did a test on quizilla.com, which appeared on Michelle Miles blog (http://celticdreamer.blogspot.com)

The question was: What kind of novel should I write?

My answer came back as:


What Kind of Novel Should I Write?
Brought to you by Quizilla


How appropriate!

I spent the day working on my Website Development manual. It is coming along nicely now and the aim is to get it ready and available in PDF format. I’m writing it as if I were talking to someone who knows nothing about Web sites, which is surprisingly easy. Much of the confidence for this has come from working on other people’s sites so this is a logical step if I am to do more.

Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 12 are all complete, smashing what I set out to do in both this and last month. (There's a reason why it is not being written start to finish logically).

Snooker was a good laugh tonight. We finished up 4-4 and it was an epic match. Both of us were at the top of our game – potting and tactic-wise. Pity the Kronenbourg tasted dodgy again. I wish they would clean their pipes more often. I’ll probably pay for it in the morning again.

The bass player from The Rab Howat Band was at the next table playing against a semi-pro snooker player. The guitarist was half-cut and listening to this guy drone on pretentiously about how he trained the Scottish Number 1 Under-16 Snooker Player for £10 an hour two years ago. I noted most of it down when I got home in my notebook.

I also had the inspiration for a short story, which after reading all those plays, think it might actually be better in that format. I’ll write it out as a short story first though and take it from there.

When I got home it was about midnight and I made myself a wee cup of tea. I put on an episode of Frasier; The One Where Lilith Comes Back. In it, Frasier is debating whether to return to Lilith after she recently found a letter he wrote to her wanting to get back after their divorce. The trouble is, she only just uncovered the letter and thought he was still in love with her. He is over her, and she thinks she isn’t.

Frasier confides in Niles in an attempt to understand the crossroads he has reached. He says, “Did I do the right thing by coming to Seattle? I did after all, write that letter. I have a life here that suits me – should I be considering go back?”

The key question in all of this is when Frasier says, “I have a life here that suits me.”

Last night I asked myself the same question.

I have a beautiful wife who is smart, funny, sexy, independent, takes no shit and can be very fiery. She wants the easy life yet she married me (huh?) but I love her to death and I know I found the right person. There is nothing we cannot do while we are together.

I have a gorgeous wee girl who is a typical wee girl. I need her as much as she needs me and no matter what the past has held, I will never let her go and would do anything for. When I first met her it was all about building trust. Now there is a bond between us that can’t be put into words.

I have a good, well-paid job. I hate it, but that’s another story for another day. It allows me certain financial freedoms and the ability to give my family what they deserve.

I am moving into a new family home; our house, in the middle of what will be our street. It is everything we want and more and I know I will be happy in it.

I get to do pretty much what I want when I want (family negotiations inclusive). I am not restricted and in this, I am lucky.

I am a writer. I may not always be published, or good enough to make it into print, yet, but I am nevertheless, a writer. It is what I am and what I want my life to be. I know because of this I will never grow old wishing I had followed my inspirations. I am doing it, and that’s the difference.

So, do I have a life that suits me?

Read between the lines. :-)

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