If you are a regular reader or follow me on twitter, etc you will know that I love to write. I love to write fiction and as scary as this is to say, I have almost finished my first draft of my novel. It’s around 70,000 words and it’s been a long time coming. Yes I work full time hours, have three kids, blog, house, etc, but I want to do this. I write after the kids are in bed, before I fall asleep. Everything else seems to have to take priority, I’m trying to work in more time. But for now this is what I have. Whether or not I let anyone read it or not is another story. It’s got a long way to go, it took me a long time to even say what I’ve just said to anyone other than my family. It’s kinda scary putting yourself out there.
Writing a novel is something I have wanted to do for years. I don’t know if you remember, but I did a distance learning course a few years back on novel writing it was fantastic. I learnt so much, my first assignment was on a Cinderella Interpretation. Fascinating to look at a well known and loved story from a different angle. This course taught me how I could actually do this. I could write a novel.
Being a parent means that you don’t have the time to get out and go to college or university if you want to further your education or change career paths or even start a new journey. Distance learning helped me to this in the comfort of my own home. There are so many great distance learning organisations that help and support parents like myself promoting their education for parents who can work from home and achieve a degree. I couldn’t have completed my course without these types of opportunities and hope to continue my education.
A few changes I’ve made recently to help steer me towards my goals are listening to a wonderful and talented author Sarah Painter’s Podcasts the Worried Writer, yes that is me. These are fantastic and listening to real life authors, how they got to be where they are and that they still panic putting their work out there is inspiring. Last year I took part in one of one of my favourite authors YA courses online. I gained a lot from the YA genre and met a few fellow writers that I have been communicating with since. She is also an excellent mentor, you can find out more about that on her website too.
Writing is something I have always done, along with reading. I love to read fantasy, supernatural, vampires, witches, anything with magic in it. I love some good one escapism in my books. This is what I tend to write, so far anyway. I think it’s good to write what you’d love to read. For now the book is mine and I love it. I am not going to go into it here, I will leave that for another post. There is an element of magic in the book.
I long to write, one day if my dreams come true and I wish upon that first star, I will see my name on a real life book cover. Ok, I’d settle for an ebook, but a real physical book would be the icing on the cake.
Have you done any distance learning courses? What are your dreams?
Loved reading this Susan – it’s great to hear more about your writing. You’re doing brilliantly to have fitted a whole novel into the gaps between a job, kids, house etc! Sounds like you’ve done some really interesting courses too. Looking forward to hearing more and I fully expect to see your name on the front of a book one day. Would love you to link this up to #WhatImWriting on Tuesday if you like? It’s back (on my blog this time) after our summer break. xx
Thanks for linking to #WhatImwriting! Lovely to have you join the group. xx
Great post, Susan, and thank you so much for the shout-out! I agree with Maddy – you should be really proud of what you have achieved. Well done! And I’m excited that you’ve almost finished a first draft – yay! Good luck with following your dream – you can do it! x
Wow! You are a super woman! You should be so proud. I’ll keep an eye out for your novel once it’s published 😉
Go you! I can’t wait to read it! I bet it’s amazing x
Fabulous! Can’t wait to read it! Well done you x
What an amazing thing to read. Congratulations! That’s a real achievement. I hope you’re brave enough to let people read your story. You must feel so proud of yourself.
Go you! I’m doing some distance learning and it’s the hardest thing ever to motivate yourself into (I’m doing a professional digital marketing qualification, it’s also really dull!).
Well done you. I’ve just finished an OU course and I am about to start a degree through the OU next month. I am looking forward to reading your novel!
You will be amazing at it, you are a brilliant writer and I think you’ve just needed the space and time to do it. Can’t wait to read it all, well done on starting this little project x
Well done on finishing your novel. It’s a great achievement! And as I consider myself a SFF writer I can certainly say that to write in a genre that includes magic and dragons and all sorts of wonderful stuff like that, is simply fabulous!
Oh I have this dream too I have an (unfinished) 1st draft of 120k words, but I have put it on hold at the moment as I cannot seem to manage it but as my children get older I very much want to pick this up again. I did a novel writing course ran by author Julie Cohen and it was awesome. I wish you the best of luck and look forward to reading your novel 🙂 xx #lovelythings
Fantastic achievement. I’m with you all the way on achieving your dreams of being published. I’m hoping to eventually get to the end of a mammoth re-write and edit of my middle grade story, and that’s only 36,000 words! I haven’t yet accessed any online course but it’s something worth considering now both my children are at school. x
I feel like we’re on the same page. I have three kids, I blog, I write freelance and I’m generally busy and my fiction work always ends up taking a back seat. I’m working on a manuscript too and I’m sure we’re all going to get there soon! It’s lucky we can support each other through our blogs.
Ah yes, an ebook versus a physical book. Wouldn’t that be a dream, to be on the shelves? Good luck and I’m glad you’ve found some time to get back to what you love x
You’ve done so well, fitting it all in. Sounds like your book would be one I’d want to read, too! I’ve just started an OU degree, which I’m enjoying so far, a challenge balancing everything, though x
Oh how lovely. I’d definitely want to read it, and it’s brilliant you have found the time todo something that YOU want to do for yourself x
Well done. Both on finishing it, and talking about it. Look forward to reading it when you’re ready to share.
Massive achievement to finish a first draft…. I’m nearly there now with mine but its been a long old slog…. You’ve done brilliantly considering you have a full time job and a big family to look after – snatching time to do any writing at all must be a big challenge. BTW I can recommend a brilliant self editing course with the Writers Workshop which I did the beginning of this year. Perfect for the stage you are at now with your novel. Its on line, lasts six weeks and with brilliant tutors.
That is amazing – I don’t know how you do it- well done you! Would love to read your book when it is published 🙂 I am going through a career change and am studying a PGCE to be a primary school teacher. It has been a crazy ride but nearly there. I would love to do a writing course though, maybe that will be the next step! xx
Congrats Susan! Sounds like we have lots in common. I’ve just finished my first children’s novel & have lots of short stories and other ideas in my WIP and on my blog. Years ago I did an OU short course in creative writing and then an online screenwriting course through Oxford uni. Like you, I learnt so much. Good luck with it all. I can’t wait to follow your journey x
So proud of you, can not wait to read it xx