I cannot believe it’s July already. Forgive the adage, but time flies when you’re having fun. Or has it flown because I feel like I’ve barely had the time to stop? Anyway, the first half of the year seems to have passed by in a flash.
At the end of 2022, I wrote an end-of-year post, which was filled with positive progress on my writing journey. Unfortunately, that positivity has faded a bit as we reach this year’s halfway point. Once again, I feel bogged down by paid-work commitments while trying to balance them with my fiction writing and home life.
What Have I Been Doing?
In a previous post, I mentioned I started a new role as a copywriter, and I gave up working weekends for the library service. While I enjoy copywriting, copy editing and proofreading, it’s the hours that are taking their toll.
It seems I enjoyed the freelance writing lifestyle a little too much, and even though I work from home in my copywriting role, I miss the flexibility. Things came to a head a couple of weeks ago when I felt the mental strain.
I’ve had to give up the five am writers’ club, and I’m trying to write in the evening. This week I’ve managed four days. I had a splitting headache yesterday evening, and I couldn’t bear staring at a computer screen any longer. It looks like weekend fiction writing is back on the cards just to get things done.
I’m far from a health freak; I eat way too much cheese. (Check out my post about the delicious dairy product.) However, regular exercise really helps my mental health, and I’ve not done anything regularly for months. It’s clearly having an impact.
I think my body and mind are crying out for a break. Some time off from everything is scheduled at the end of this month, and fingers crossed, I’ll be fresh as a daisy when I return.
What’s Coming Up?
Apart from a much-needed break, there are more good things to look forward to.
My short story, Jilted, will be released as part of an anthology in August, but more on that next week.
I’ve re-written the opening chapters of book four of my Men of Trade series, and I’ve sent them to a critique group. Fingers crossed (I’m crossing my fingers a lot these days), they’re not too bad. I have a terrible habit of starting a story too late and not allowing readers the chance to get to know the charters before the proverbial stuff hits the fan.
I’ve been struggling with the re-writes for book four, currently titled The Radical Heiress, for months. It’s been my most difficult novel to write so far. I think I included too much external plot rather than focusing on the relationship between the characters. I’m hoping to rectify this with further re-writes.
By the way, I hope you’re enjoying these Monday blog posts, which I’ve affectionally named Bianca Babbles. I’m thinking about hosting a blog hop for other romance authors and readers to join in with my babbling. If you’re interested, leave a comment, and I’ll get in touch.
Here’s to a more positive second half of the year, and I’ll be babbling about the Austen Tea Party anthology next week.
