Happy Winter Solstice…

Happy Winter Solstice! This is my favourite time of the year, where I take stock of what I have achieved. In many ways the time since the Autumn equinox feels like an uphill journey towards shorter days and colder weather, but after today the daylight increases and I always feel that we’re heading towards spring.

Today I breathe a sigh of relief as I break for the holidays. It’s been a wonderful year again, with so many reading treats, as well as extending my learning curve as I find out more about writing.

I’ve got some editing to do over the festive season, and I’m finishing writing a novel that I have been working on for more than two years. I’ve put off rewriting it for various reasons, but now is the time to finally get it out of my hair and onto the page.

The last chapter will be written over the weekend, then I’ll be doing a chapter by chapter analysis, using all the plotting and pacing techniques that I’ve learnt during the past twelve months. Some of these have been from a creative writing course and books I have read on the subject, but most of it from the excellent books I have read in 2012, both old and classics. This will be followed by a read through, out loud, which helps to pick up any dialogue or pacing problems.

From the looks of my growing pile of received gifts, I’m in for more reading over the next couple of months – it’s hard to disguise the shape of a book with wrapping paper!

So all the best for the holidays and for the New Year – I’ll be writing my New Year Resolutions post next week, when I’ve had a rest.