Fi Phillips

My new writer website is up and running

2019-04-28T00:12:00.000+01:00

That's it. My writer website is now up and running - yay!

What that means is that I won't be posting to this blog anymore.

If you'd like to follow my book publishing journey, and especially if you'd like to subscribe to my newsletter, head over to my new website.

You can find it here.

See you over there very soon.

Why I'm back and what's happening next

2019-04-01T16:07:00.000+01:00

So when I announced in January that I was putting the blog on hold while I worked on my next novel, I had no idea how 2019 would develop.

I can now announce that I've landed a publishing deal for my novel, Haven Wakes, with the lovely folks at Burning Chair Publishing.

At the moment, I'm working through edits on my novel before handing it over for a developmental edit (excuse me a moment while I get all giggly - ahem - better now). The plan is to release my novel in the summer.

At this point, there's no book cover to share with you but as soon as there is, I'll be plastering it all over my website and social media.

That leads me onto my next piece of news. I'm developing my writer website in readiness for the launch of Haven Wakes. As soon as it's complete, I'll let you know because at that point, I'll be moving this blog over there.

So, phew! What a ride this year has taken me on so far. Long may it continue.

P.S. If you want to get an idea of the quality of book produced by Burning Chair, they recently released Beyond by debut novelist Georgia Springate, and later this month, thriller Going Dark by Neil Lancaster will be launched.

P.P.S. No, this isn't an April Fool's joke.

Something Useful for 2019 - Exercise No. 29

2019-03-12T14:26:00.002+00:00

Memory is a random beastie. Some of my most vibrant and heartfelt memories are of events that have little true importance.

They aren't of choices I made that changed my life forever.

They're rarely connected with anything that is newsworthy.

Now I think of it, they probably wouldn't impress anyone other than the person I was in that moment.

One such memory instantly pulls me back into the mind and heart of my younger self.

I was six years old. I had three friends - A, A and J. Being an only child with parents who had kept me to themselves in the years running up to school, A, A and J were my first real friends. I trusted them completely, as six year olds do, and as such played with a joyful abandon at whatever imaginary game we chose.

Sometimes, we would play characters from our favourite TV show - Alias Smith and Jones, a Western TV series about two cowboys on the run from the law. A and J would play the named characters. The other A would generally play a girl character. I would be a horse or a puma.

My memory though, and the brightest memory from that time, is when we charged around the playground one day, screaming at the top of our lungs "Crazy horses, raaaar, raaar..." It's a song by the Osmonds. I don't think any of us knew the other lyrics. We just galloped around, singing that line over and over again, and occasionally neighing and throwing our heads around as if we had a mane.

Thinking back to that makes me smile. I can feel the tarmac surface under my buckled shoes as I race around with the others, and I can feel the giddiness in my chest as I sing.

So here's your writing exercise. Think back to your childhood, or teens, and find a song that you can connect with one of those brightly coloured memories.

Remember:

how it felt
what the weather was like
what you heard
what you smelt

Write your memory with as much vibrancy and emotion as you can.

Image courtesy of Lee Campbell on Unsplash.

2019 - looking ahead

2019-01-20T13:35:00.000+00:00

First off,

Happy New Year!

The first almost three weeks of 2019 have sped by at a rate of unforeseen, well, speediness.

The holiday season, besides a chance to spend lots of time with my family, was very much a period of thoughtfulness and reflection.

The image for this blog post is incredibly pertinent because, after all of that thoughtfulness, mince pies, and reflection, I've decided that 2019 will be a fresh start for my writing.

Haven Wakes, and its following novel Haven Journeys are, if not shelved, put on hold for the time being. I've polished and pushed the first novel as far as I'm able for the time being and I don't want to further develop the following novel until I'm sure what is happening with Haven Wakes.

So where does that leave me as a writer?

My content and copy writing business still continues successfully and the plan for 2019 is to increase my customer base and the variety of work.

However, the dream is still to be a novelist. It always has been, ever since I was a child. I feel I've probably spent too long on Haven Wakes though, so this year I'll start on a new novel, this time for an adult audience but still in the fantasy genre.

The benefit of developing Haven Wakes as far as I have is that in doing so I created an entire world, with its history, and species, and laws, and so much more. That is the world I'll be basing my new novel in.

The new novel will be my focus in 2019, and because I want to give it as much time as possible and don't want to dilute the idea by discussing it, I'm putting this blog on hold for now.

So, I want to wish you all the very best for 2019. May it bring you strength, love and what you need from it.

Bye for now.

December Wrap-up

2018-12-05T17:26:00.000+00:00

Well, that's another year nearly over and what a year it's been.

The Highlights

Back in January, I made my freelance copy and content writing business official by launching my website. I never expected it to take off as quickly as it did.

After taking part in a Camp NaNoWriMo in July and receiving a critique from the Faber Academy in August, I finished my novel, re-naming it, Haven Wakes. It's currently doing the rounds of UK literary agents.

Haven Wakes has also been entered into the Bath Children's Novel Award competition.

With that novel put to bed for now, I started on the following novel, Haven Journeys - set partly in Iceland, and with selkies and genies for Steve and his friends to deal with, this is a continuation of the adventure that began in Haven Wakes.

The Lows

After running my murder mystery playwriting business Murdering The Text for 21 years, I decided to call it a day in November.

I'm not the same person I was when I started the business and I want to shift my focus, and my effort, to copy and content writing, and my novels.

What next?

Besides working on my business, my main writing focus for 2019 will be Haven Journeys. Alongside that, I'll be investigating self publishing Haven Wakes if I don't receive any interest from literary agents.

Merry Christmas

I'd like to wish you all the best of festive breaks and a promising new year.

This is my last blog post for 2018 so I'll leave you with my favourite blog posts from the year.

My Personal Zero Moment: How I became a writer

7 ways that walking the dog makes me a better writer

What's your story's story?

7 ways working from my local coffee shop makes me a better writer

How to grow a writer

Header image couresy of Brenda Godinez at Unsplash

What I'm doing this month - November

2018-11-02T13:54:00.000+00:00

By the time November rolls round, a lot of people are on full Christmas mode. If it isn't present shopping, it's event planning, or just reeling out Christmas songs and memes on social media.

Me? I'm happy to plan ahead, where needed, but I also believe in savouring the moment. For instance, despite the time of year, the weather here is glorious, mostly dry and with that wonderful golden light that you often get in the autumn. What's the rush to get to the end of the year? It'll be here soon enough.

I'm busy this month, with work, with writing and with saying farewell to something that's been a major part of my life for over two decades.

And no, I don't mean my husband.

Bye bye Murdering The Text

Back in 1997, I wrote my first murder mystery play with co-writer and friend, Janet, as a way to raise funds for the amateur theatre group we were involved in. Little did we know that it would turn into a business that would serve other amateur theatre groups and fundraising organisations throughout the UK and beyond.

Janet moved away and my husband stepped in as occasional co-writer. Our catalogue of plays grew, as did our list of customers.

This year, the decision was taken to close down Murdering The Text, for a number of reasons. Firstly, we've all changed. All three of us have moved on with our lives and none of us are the people we were back then. Secondly. the popularity of Murdering The Text was built on a growing trend - to raise money through murder mystery fundraiser events. Although that trend is still in place, it's less popular than it was, plus more and more amateur theatre groups are writing their own plays.

So Murdering The Text was wrapped up on Halloween, a fitting date to say farewell to our murderous scribblings.

NaNoWriMo - again

Yes, I'm torturing myself with that 50,000 word count again this year.

After umming and ahhing throughout October over whether I should take part in NaNoWriMo in 2018, I finally decided to take the plunge and use it to make a start on the second novel in my Steve Haven series, except I'm not following the usual path of 1,667 words per day.

My self-set target is to write a chapter each day in November. Day 1 saw me finish, yes, you guessed it, Chapter 1. Fingers crossed I end up with at least 30 chapters by the end of the month. Will that equal 50,000 words? Who knows? But at least it will be progress.

Haven Wakes

Book 1 in the Steve Haven series is doing the rounds of UK literary agents. If all else fails, I'll self publish.

Reading - Writing - Watching

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
Haven Journeys - book 2 in the Steve Haven series
The chilling adventures of Sabrina

What I'm doing this month - October

2018-10-07T13:06:00.000+01:00

Is it just me or has it got chilly since October started? Brrrr. I had to root out my slipper boots because the dog won't let me use her as a foot warmer when I'm working.

October looks to be a full month - lots to do, lots to decide and lots to enjoy too.

Haven Wakes

That's the new title of my middle grade futuristic fantasy novel. What do you think? After finishing the latest (and hopefully last pre-editor) draft, I've been submitting my novel to literary agents in the UK. I've had one rejection so far but I'm not letting that dishearten me.

Preparing for November - or not?

NaNoWriMo will begin again in November and I'm in a bit of quandary over (a) whether to take part, and (b) what to write if I do NaNo this year.

The Camp NaNoWriMos have always been really successful for me and given me a real boost each time I've taken part, but I've never yet succeeded at the 50,000 word count of NaNoWriMo. I think it's to do with the time of year or maybe I just haven't prepared sufficiently. Whatever it is, each failure has left me feeling despondent and unmotivated.

So, do I take part? And if so, what do I write?

I have a choice of books that I could work on:

book 2 of the Haven series
a standalone novel set in the same world as the Haven books but for a grown-up audience
the first in a middle grade sci fi series that my husband dreamed up
The Glass Witch - a middle grade book based around the premise of what happened after Hansel and Gretel

All of them have merit and all of them appeal to me. So which do I choose?

I still haven't decided but just in case I do NaNo, I've signed up for Rachel Stephen's Prep-tober. It includes regular emails, YouTube videos and useful downloadables too. Thanks, Rachel.

Writer website

I'm also working on my writer website. I have the domain and I know where I'll host my website. Now, I need to come up with the design and message.

Finally, this month I'm reading...

I decided that rather than buy any new books, I would first read all those titles squirrelled away on my bookshelves.

This month's choice is Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. I loved the Dresden Files TV series and heard great things about Jim Butcher's writing, and so far I haven't been disappointed.

What about you?

What are you up to in October? Writing? Reading? Prepping for NaNoWriMo or getting your costume ready for Halloween?

Something useful for 2018 - Exercise no. 28

2018-09-20T11:42:00.001+01:00

Image courtesy of Comfreak on pixabay.com

The purpose of this month's writing exercise is to become more familiar with your protagonist and antagonist. Here goes.

If your protagonist and antagonist were in each other's shoes, how would they act differently?

Would they act differently?

What does this tell you about each of these characters?

Let's look at an example - how about Harry Potter and Voldemort?

If Voldemort/Tom Riddle had been orphaned and brought up by cruel relatives, would he had become a well-loved friend, hero and inspiration to others? If Harry had experienced Voldemort/Tom Riddle's upbringing, would he have followed a power-hungry path of evil?

Are your character's actions based on their upbringing and background, or do they have the choice to carve their own paths?

What would they do if they swapped lives?

What I'm doing this month - September

2018-09-04T19:42:00.000+01:00

Every year, September marks a fresh new start for me. The teens return to school. I've had a rest and change of scenery over the summer break, and I approach my workload with a new level of enthusiasm.

After submitting my novel to a literary consultant at the beginning of the summer, I received the resulting report while I was away in Corfu with my family. Yay for roaming data!

I spent the next few days (in between cocktails, losing at pool to my son, and boat trips) constructing a plan on how to approach the next draft of my novel.

The report was provided by the Faber Academy and I have to say that they hit the nail on its well-worn head with their advice. They flipped my indecision over the way forward for my novel into certainty over what path I should take. Thank you, Faber Academy - you are my heroes.

I'm therefore setting myself a NaNoWrimo-esque self challenge in September to complete the redraft of my novel. I've set myself a daily chapter-count (1.7 chapters per day) and so far I'm on target.

I've also had a re-think over the summer about my businesses and workload. I've come to a decision. There's change afoot in the new year and for once, I am embracing that change. Weird how a change of scenery can reframe everything, isn't it?

What about you? What are you doing in September?

Choice Words for August

2018-08-22T09:00:00.000+01:00

Wow, the summer holiday break is racing by in a blur and it's been incredibly busy so far but that doesn't mean that I haven't searched out some choice writerly words for you.

First off, I have an article from Tim Grahl of Book Launch entitled Publisher Questions: What to ask before you sign a book contract. I'd love to be at that stage but this is a good reference article to file away for the future.

It took me a while, and a lot of coffee, to write my About Me page. As an unpublished writer, I just wasn't sure what I could or should say. In How to Write an Amazing About Me Page, Autocrit answers all of my (and probably your) questions on this topic.

Finally, here's some wise and choice words from writer, Alexa Donne.

Photo Inspiration for August

2018-08-15T09:00:00.000+01:00

It's holiday season here in the UK so I'm going down an obvious route with this month's photo inspiration - the seaside.

There are three photographs to choose from, with differing aspects or view of holidays by the sea. Some are sunny. Others have grey skies.

Choose the one that catches your eye. What does it inspire you to write?

I'm a winner (or how I did with Camp NaNoWriMo)

2018-08-07T09:00:00.000+01:00

Last month, I told you that I was taking part in Camp NaNoWrimo in July with the target of completing the (probably) final draft of my novel.

I got off to a good start but as I had to write a number of completely new chapters, my progress slowed down gradually. Still, I kept ahead of the required wordage and saw my wordcount build each day.

Taking part in an organised writing session with accountability partners helped keep me inspired and motivated, and the daily messages and advice from the organisers only added to this.

On 29th July, I reached my target and completed my draft. Yay!

My novel is now with a reader at Faber Academy for a full manuscript read-through. Having added new chapters, I'm aware that this isn't my final draft but it's close and I'm hoping some experienced advice can pave the way to my manuscript being agent-ready very soon.

What I'm doing this month - August

2018-07-31T19:47:00.000+01:00

What am I doing in August? I'm giving in to the summer. Or to put it another way, I'm going on holiday somewhere hot.

The month of August will therefore be a little work-quiet for me. I'll be downing tools and picking up a suitcase instead.

One of the benefits of going away and being away from the call of my laptop and work is that I can get some actual, quality reading done. Bliss!

Having finished the latest draft of my novel (more news about that in my next blog post), I may spend a little time working out the plot for my next novel. Apart from that though, the focus will be on building memories with my family and relaxing.

So whatever you do in August, have a wonderful month.

P.S. There will be some more blog posts this month but they'll be scheduled to appear while I'm away.

Choice Words for July

2018-07-26T11:25:00.001+01:00

Wow, July is almost over and the school summer holidays are in full swing. There's so much going on but I've still managed to find some choice writing advice for you.

The first is an article by Rae of Barely Hare Books - What is a Character Arc? And why does your character need one? The 'character arc' topic crops up time and time again in writing advice but Rae's article really breaks the notion down into an easy to follow read. Have a look.

Following (a lot of) changes to my novel, I'm struggling to come up with a new book title so I found How to title a book: What do good book titles have in common? by the folks at Reedsy really useful.

As you know, I'm taking part in Camp NaNoWriMo this month and as part of their Camp Care Package, they provide some brilliant writing advice videos. Here's one on interviewing your character.

And here's another on World Building.

How to grow a writer

2018-07-10T11:21:00.002+01:00

I recently came across an article that I thought was called 'How to grow a writer'. When I re-read the title, it actually said 'How to grow AS a writer'.

'How to grow a writer' stuck in my head though so here it is.

How to grow a Writer

Plant a seed of imagination. Water with cups of tea or coffee until the seed is firmly rooted.

Feed your seed with plenty of well-digested reading matter. It doesn't matter what type of reading matter you use (fantasy novels, life poetry, short stories). In fact, varying your reading matter may well strengthen your growing writer.

As your writer begins to branch out, don't forget to strengthen its growth through regular sessions of penmanship. Regular is the key word here. At this point, don't be tempted to prune the writer.

Once your writer's roots have begun to spread, re-direct them to safe zones where they can be further nourished and encouraged. Don't worry if your writer's roots meet other writer roots as this can strengthen your writer's resolve and raise its resistance to attack.

Training your writer against a sunny wall can be a useful exercise in providing your writer's growth with direction.

Finally, take joy in the flowers and fruits that your writer produces.

And don't forget to:

keep your writer watered (you may wish to vary tea and coffee with the occasional gin)

keep your writer fed (don't be afraid to look further afield for reading matter)

keep the penmanship sessions regular (remember, put away the secateurs, no pruning for now)

check that their spreading roots are safe, nourished and encouraged

maintain the training of your writer to prevent bad form and procrastination

Congratulations! You've grown a writer.

What I'm doing this month - July

2018-07-06T16:22:00.000+01:00

The short version

July will be a bit of a crossover month as the summer holidays start.

With two teens at home, I'll be juggling work, writing and teenage entertainment.

The long version

I've taken it on myself to take part in the July Camp NaNoWriMo. What that means, in practice, is that in an attempt to finish the final draft of my novel, I need to redraft at least 9 pages each day. So far, I've completed 80 pages out of 250. Fingers crossed I can keep this level of progress going throughout the month.

There's plenty of work on the horizon thankfully, most of it providing content for online articles. Thankfully, I can rejig my hours to work around the summer holidays.

That kind of flexibility has certainly come in handy over the last couple of weeks as the hot weather has reduced me to drowsy delirium most afternoons, prompting me to move my afternoon slot to the early evening when it's cooler.

The summer holidays kick off on 20th July, carrying away my usual routine. I foresee trips into Chester, a visit to friends in York, a tootle round Chester Zoo and somewhere during the next 6 weeks, a holiday abroad.

In the meantime, I'm desperately trying to lose weight before going away on hols but working from home as a writer doesn't exactly help. If the worst comes to the worst, I may have to invest in some long (very) and loose (equally very) tops. Wish me luck.

What are you doing in July?

Choice Words for June

2018-06-11T09:00:00.000+01:00

It's June already. Summer is here and I'm suffering as usual with hayfever. Still, it gives me an excellent excuse to stay at my keyboard and find some excellent writing advice to share.

First off is this article from Kathryn Evans on Notes from the Slushpile - Highlighting the Heart of Your Story with Motifs. I found this an incredibly useful way to approach my novel and I've already worked out my motif, its significance and how to include it in my story.

Second is this wonderful article from reedsy, What is Chekhov's Gun and How to Use It.

Finally, I've been following Rae Elliott's website Barely Hare Books for a while now for its excellent writing advice. Here's Rae herself being interviewed by fellow writer Hannah Heath about her books and her writing process.

Camping out (again) in July

2018-06-08T09:00:00.000+01:00

This July, I'll be joining Camp NaNoWriMo in an attempt to finish the final draft of my novel.

I've taken part in the full-on NaNoWriMo in past years and a couple of spring camps too, but never in the summer.

What I like best about Camp NaNoWriMo is the support I receive from other writers in my assigned (virtual) cabin. It's great to feel we're all tackling our writing challenges together.

There are some brilliant writing resources from camp counselors too with advice on the writing craft.

If you're in need of a little (or a lot of) motivation to speed through your work in progress, why not give Camp NaNoWriMo a go?

What I'm doing this month - June

2018-06-02T19:12:00.000+01:00

It's going to be a busy month with two family birthdays, Father's Day, client articles to write and a murder mystery to finish off for another client.

Add to that the fact that we won't be having our normal June getaway because my daughter has exams and I don't think there'll be much of a chance for a breather this month.

Having said that, I like busy. Busy pays the bills and keeps away the boredom. All that 'busy' means that this month, more than most, I'll be planning like crazy.

Here's my tick-list for June:

Buy presents: For my son that'll probably be Overwatch related. Zenyatta is his current favourite character to play, plus he's now got a bank account and is very keen to earn interest on his money. My husband has had his main present already so we'll be looking for a selection of smaller offerings for his birthday and Father's Day, but nothing gimmicky so I'll be steering the teens away from the comedy socks.
Finish my latest murder mystery: I now have a title for this country house wedding reception whodunnit - Third Time Unlucky. I still need to come up with a visually catchy logo.
Client articles: My copy and content writing business is coming along nicely. Can't believe I didn't do this years ago.
Prepare for July's Camp NaNoWriMo: I'll be using the month's writing sprint to finish the final draft of my novel.
Get healthy: That's a little vague but I'm returning to yoga, upping my daily steps and doing my best to eat healthily with a short-term target of dropping a dress size in time for our summer holiday and a long-term goal of staying that way.

So that's my month. What are you doing with yours?

Choice Words for May

2018-05-28T19:42:00.002+01:00

Okay, hands up, I admit it. I have been decidedly absent from this blog in May. Profuse apologies but penning a murder mystery play for a client, along with other client work too, has kept me busy.

But here I am, dropping in before the end of the month (just) with some deliciously choice words for May.

First is this article from S M Metzler, guest posting on Barely Hare Books - 6 tips for effective character development. I especially like the advice on character arcs.

Puzzled over the benefits, downfalls and just the differences between beta readers, editors and ARCs? There are plenty of answers in The Book Designer's (obviously) Beta Readers vs Editors vs ARCS. Have a look.

Finally, here's a video from writer Chris Fox on 'Making it as an author in 2018'.

What I'm doing this month - May

2018-05-03T16:20:00.000+01:00

May marks the end of spring and the beginning of summer, fitting in two bank holidays (if you're in the UK) and so two short weeks that makes it feel like holiday time is on the way. It's as if life is telling you to slow down for a while and take a break.

Except, I don't feel like taking a break. I want to race on, head down, and get on with all the good stuff 2018 has thrown in my path. This has definitely proven to be a year of 'new' and 'motivation' so far.

Murdering The Text

Running along with that feeling of motivation is my plan to write two new murder mysteries this year.

The first was an idea that came to me while looking back over some old pantomime photos. The second idea came from a discussion with a customer about a murder mystery they want me to write for them.

Fi Phillips Copywriter

This month, I'm on the look-out for new customers to bolster my income from my current customers and I'm working on a freebie for subscribers to my mailing list too.

Novel

I'm making swift progress on my novel. I still haven't come up with a new title but fingers crossed that will come to me once this final draft is finished.

Reading

I made the decision this year to read as many novels as I can in the same age range and genre as my novel.

Today's post brought me my latest read - Demon Road by Derek Landy. Both my teens and I enjoyed reading the Skulduggery Pleasant series, so I'm hoping the Demon Road trilogy by the same author will be just as involving.

For my birthday, my daughter bought me the first three novels of The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, so I'll delve into those after I've finished with Demon Road.

I'm sure my teens will be nabbing these books to read themselves.

*

What are you doing in May?

Choice words for April

2018-04-23T14:14:00.000+01:00

Progress on my novel is coming along nicely and by the summer, I should be starting back on the submitting to literary agents trail. Am I the only one who finds that process scary?

According to Write It Sideways, while the process may be a tad terrifying, it's also good for you. Check out their article - 5 reasons querying is good for you to find out more.

On a completely different note, writer Suzanna Williams asks, Real life doesn't make sense but does fiction have to?

Finally, I have a video from Piers Blofeld, who is a literary agent himself from Sheil Land Associates, on the 5 types of rejection (and what to make of them).

7 ways working from my local coffee shop makes me a better writer

2018-04-20T11:46:00.001+01:00

Most days, in between school runs, you'll find me tapping away on my keyboard but from time to time, especially if I've finished a sizeable piece of work for a client, I'll escape from my desk to the welcoming hubbub of my local coffee shop.

Surrounded by fellow coffee drinkers and with a flat white before me, I'll switch off the office-mode and indulge in some much-needed and unadulterated creative time.

Here's how that little space of caffeinated freedom helps me to be a better writer.

1. It forces me to exercise my memory and my imagination

After a shoulder injury a couple of years ago, I can't manage the weight of a large handbag pulling me off balance. Instead, I use a small cross-body handbag. This forces me to pare back what I carry around with me. My large writing notebook is out of the question, as is a tablet, never mind my laptop. Instead, I have a small notepad and a handful of pens.

I could use the cafe wi-fi to access the internet but I'm always a little paranoid of using free wi-fi because of security issues. So instead I'm forced to draw from my memory of whatever piece of creative writing I'm working on at the time and my imagination.

This means that I can write freely without worrying about whether this is fitting in with my writing plan, and intuitively pull in anything new that my muse throws into my imagination.

2. Writing by hand

I love to write by hand but it's always tempting to type my writing straight onto the computer when I'm at home.

In the coffee shop, with my pad and pen, writing by hand is the only option.

The effect that this has is to write more freely, with less checking back over my what I've written.

I also feel what I'm writing when I write by hand, experiencing the fright of a chase or the joy of discovery.

Perhaps this is just me, but at the end of a writing session I take a joy in flicking back over the number of pages I've filled. Did I create all that? Why, yes, I did.

3. Less distractions

In the coffee shop, I can't be distracted by social media (remember, I'm not using the coffee shop wi-fi to go online) so I'm not tempted to check Facebook or Twitter.

I can't see the ironing pile, or the messy lounge, or the beds that need making, so I don't have that nagging voice in my hand that I should break off to sort those.

And if I'm on my own, which I generally am on these coffee shop breaks, I don't have to worry about referee-ing my teenagers' squabbles or planning out finances with my other half.

I can just get on and write.

4. People watching

I can't write and drink my lovely coffee at the same time - that way leads to spillage - so when I break from writing to take a sip, I put down my pen and have a look around.

On occasion, I will see someone who for whatever reason attracts my attention. It could be a mother who is having a conversation with her toddler. Perhaps it's a one-way conversation, so not really a conversation at all, just a mum giving a monologue to her wee one on how he shouldn't throw his toast on the floor or that buttery fingers really aren't appropriate for winding through long curly locks, or that Mummy really needs to drink her coffee now.

Whether this inspires me to create a character or a scenario for a story, I jot it down.

5. It gives me time to think

Modern life is busy and demanding. Sometimes it feels like I'm constantly on the move, from getting up on a morning to finally going to bed at night. Even when I sit down to eat, it's always with the thought that after this, I have to do that.

Having a break in the coffee shop allows me to flush out all those thoughts of what I must do, and replace them with thoughts I want to have instead.

It might be throwing around elements of my story, thinking about the latest news, deciding what to wear on that night out, or just letting my mind lead me to wherever, without feeling guilty that I'm wasting time.

6. Reading

The busier I get, the more reading time feels like a precious luxury. On occasion, I read before going to sleep on a night but for the most part, I'm either late in heading up there or exhausted, or both.

Evenings are taken over by ironing, meal-times and catching up on emails. Weekends are crammed full of housework, family visits and food shops. Where's the time to read?

So time spent in the coffee shop allows me to read, guilt and distraction free.

7. Time to be just me

Life is about the roles we choose to play. I'm a mum, a wife, a lover, a friend, a confidante, a taxi driver for my teens, a writer, a freelancer, a neighbour and so much more that I have chosen to be.

I love my life but all those roles put demands on me. I'm not alone in that, I know. We all play out the roles we have taken on.

Time in the coffee shop, on my own, means I can drop the roles, even the writer role because who knows what I'm scribbling in my pad other than me? I can just be me, without demands or expectations, and that freedom in turn informs and inspires my writing.

So there, you have it. Who knew that a coffee shop could be so inspiring? What about you? Where do you go to take a break, or write, or both?

Photo Inspiration for April

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This month's photo inspiration is an old photo that I own but I thought it might get your creative cogs turning.

Ther are three women in the photo having tea in the garden.

What is their relationship to each other?

What do they think of each other?

Whose garden is it?

Whose dog is it?

Why has the photograph been ripped into pieces?

What does this inspire you to write?

What I'm doing this month - April

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Easter has been and gone. The chocolate eggs have been chomped and digested. I've started a new diet.

What else is going on at Fi Central?

Working on my novel

Now that I'm working full time hours, any non-paid writing is being put off until evenings or weekends (including these blog posts).

For a long time, I felt blocked with my novel. I could blame my lack of writing on how busy I was with my new business, or school holidays, or just needing 'thinking space'.

I won't call it writer's block because that always seems like an excuse. I prefer Steven Pressfield's term 'resistance'. And boy, was I resisting planting my bum on that seat to work on my novel.

There was an element of self doubt involved but the more I drilled down into why Inner Fi didn't want to write, the more I realised that with money coming in from my new business, the motivations to be a novelist had changed.

Having my novel out there is no longer about earning a living. It's now completely because I want to share my story. Until I'd got that straight in my head, there was no way Inner Fi was going anywhere near my novel.

Once I came to that conclusion though, all the resistance fell away. Suddenly there was a flood of ideas and tweaks and in a matter of hours, I'd written two new chapters.

I am 'in the flow', creatively, and making speedy, much-needed progress on my un-named novel. After implementing a few of those (major) tweaks, the original title no longer works but I'll sort that out once I have a re-drafted novel in my hands.

Murdering The Text

I've been putting out feelers to current clients and on social media about a new path I may be taking with Murdering The Text - improvised murder mysteries.

My current murder mystery events feature a play on a stage. An improvised murder mystery would remove the need for a stage and any line-learning too.

I'll let you know what decision I come to on that one.

The official stuff

The time of the dreaded tax return is almost upon us (well, me). This year, for the first time ever, I have all the information I need to hand. I know, I felt faint too.

Most years, I've put off my tax return until Christmas is looming but with changes to the British tax return system on their way, I thought it was time to do the grown-up thing and get organised.

What I'm thinking about this month

I have a habit, when I go to bed, of closing my eyes and saying to myself in my mind, "Now what can I think about?". I don't mean to do it. I really do need my sleep. My night-owl mind just has other ideas. So I thought I might as well share my evening musings.

My writer website

This train of thought started with a bit of a quandary - what do you put on a writer website when you don't have a book published yet?

There's a lot of varying opinion out there about this but the main benefit I can see to setting up my writer website (instead of this blog) before I have a book to sell is building my audience and raising my visibility as a writer. That's why I started this blog in the first place. Having an established writer platform will hopefully strengthen any submission I make to a literary agent too. Fingers crossed.

Whether to submit my finished manuscript to a literary consultant

I did this a couple of years ago and whilst the response was slightly (ok, completely) heart-breaking, I recognised that the report was incredibly helpful.

So the question now is, when I've finished this draft of my novel, should I have another literary consultant have a look at it? We're talking in the price range of £350 to £600, depending on who you use, but now that I'm bringing in more money I could definitely afford it.

The question is therefore, is it worth the money?

Self publishing versus traditional publishing

Another benefit (?) to earning more money is that I could afford to self-publish my novel with all the related editing and design costs.

This leads back to the reason that I want to get my novel out there - I want to share my story - but do I just want to get it out there and have complete control (including all the marketing) or do I want the validation of a literary agent and a publisher?

I don't have an answer to this one but I suppose it doesn't matter until I have a complete novel to submit.

Spring

Where is it? We had snow last month and again over the Easter weekend. Where's the spring flowers and the happily chirruping birds and the chance to wear footwear other than boots? I know I live in Britain but come on, Spring. Hurry up.

That's my month. What are you up to in April?