Using old bricks in the garden

I can’t believe it’s time to post another blog. What have I done in the last two weeks? A bit of writing (hoorah!) and re-cycling old bricks!

I’ve managed to finish another draft chapter in my third book about the magic game ‘The Tenth Gateway’. I’ve been a bit slow as it’s taken me several weeks to work out how the fictional children can solve a difficult challenge. It’s interesting that the more I write about the main characters in the story the more real they become for me and I know how they will each react to a particular situation.

I’ve also completed a page for ‘The Spy’s Door’ as part of the scbwi (society of children’s book writers and illustrators) annual bookstop promotion. So if you are looking for holiday gifts for children you can find 'The Spy's Door' and lots more to browse through at  #SCBWIBookStop for a great new read 

(https://www.scbwi.org/scbwibookstop/)

Although I haven’t done a huge amount of weeding and planting type of gardening I have been very active outside re-using the old bricks from the house renovation we did several years ago. My first effort was to make a new garden path.

I have some more ideas that I’ll show you next post.

Do you have any fun or practical ideas of how to recycle materials or items left over from a building project?

Guess what I'm doing when I'm not writing?

It’s been 2 weeks since I posted anything on social media. I did try to send my blog link to Austin Macauley to post on their web site for my new children’s book- The Spy’s Door’- but I got that wrong. So have waited for my ‘Social Media Expert Friend' (SMEF) to help me send it to AM and of course to help me update this blog. This week I must take some notes on ‘how to post a blog.’

But I’ve got some news. My book trailer for ‘The Spy’s Door’ is now up. https://youtu.be/dYddokotGYI. If you haven't seen the trailer for 'The Tenth Gateway' published in 2017 the link is: https://youtu.be/DWE4uIAAuz4

Not only do I have a mental blank about my blog and other social media, how do I think about writing when my spring garden keeps me so busy.

I always thought that ‘procrastination is the thief of time’ (who said that?) – but now I know that it’s gardening.

 

What do you think?

Being a novice with social media

When I published my first children's book - The Tenth Gateway- I didn't realise that I would be entering a whole new world - the world of social media.

It terrified me.

I took the first step by enrolling in an online course called 'Building an Author Website' run by The Australian Writers Centre. This was a great course.  I created a face book page with the help of a friend who knows about these things. 

The next difficulty was knowing what to post. This was and still is a struggle. I now also have Instagram and twitter but I still don't really understand them.

Everyone then told me that I needed to have a blog, so let's see how it goes.

On my blog I intend to share with my journey not only as a writer but as a user of social media.

Does anyone relate to this?

Becoming a writer of children's books

I haven't always been a writer of children's books - although I did write a story about the adventures of a nail when I was nine.

Progressing on from this there have been a multitude of professional writings - essays, academic papers, reports, project plans, business plans and lesson plans etc etc.

Now it is time for writing about all the fun and interesting things I have always loved to read about - history, mystery and magic. I can use my imagination to create fantasy worlds and beings that children - real and fictional - can immerse themselves in.

Albert Einstein once said:

So, I'll keep writing......

What is your favourite fairy story?