It is so hard to keep positive. This pandemic feels endless. I just want to get back to normality. The only good thing to come out of this will be we should all be more grateful for our lives and what we have. I’ll not be taking popping into Glasgow for lunch with friends for granted again, I can tell you. Or going round to the pub. Or going out for dinner. Or the cinema. I know I can go out right now to the pub or cinema (I don’t live in an area affected by the last Scottish lockdown rules). However, it’s not the same. Any time I go out, all I’m aware of is staying away from other people so I don’t catch Coronavirus. I just want to go out or visit family and friends or even open post without thinking about this horrible bug.
Anyway, that’s this week’s rant over. How are you? Hope all is well with you, your family and friends. What have you been up to? Please tell me something interesting because I’ve done nothing but work and clean this week. Life is rather dull. We are pushing forward with the script and this week has been great fun working out the next steps of the story. It’s very complicated. I haven’t worked on my novel because I’ve been busy. The good news is I’ve been doing work for a new client and it’s great. What else? That’s about it.
Am reading E M Forster’s Where Angel’s Fear to Tread. I love the way he writes, so beautiful. It’s a lovely book and I’m really enjoying it. Oooh have just discovered there’s a film version. Need to look it out.
Films and tv – I don’t know if you agree or not, but tv has been pretty rubbish lately. I’ve been mostly watching films and a couple of tv series that are good, including the remake of All Creatures Great & Small. Watched Kenneth Branagh’s version of Murder on the Orient Express. Although he is good as a detective, he isn’t convincing as Poirot. However, it’s a great version and the cinematography is beautiful. It’s a great cast and I thoroughly enjoyed it again.
How’s your week been? Much like last week, I’ll bet. This virus stuff is getting tedious isn’t it? I know we have to stay away from other people as much as possible, but it’s hard. I daydream about going out as normal, meeting friends and family for lunch and having a laugh. However, in Scotland we’re not allowed anyone else in our houses. We can go out and meet them for lunch, but it’s just not the same. It’s not as relaxed. It’s always at the back of your mind that you could have Coronavirus and not know it and then pass it on to someone else, even though you do your best to stay two metres away. I see Donald Trump and his wife have now been diagnosed with it. I really hope this is a wake-up call to him. I don’t wish him or anyone to be seriously ill or killed by this disease, but he’s been so casual about it all in the past that it does feel a bit like karma that he has it. I hope he takes it more seriously now and starts listening to the experts about wearing a mask etc.
A wealth of lovely patterns and hand-knitted items at my shop.
Anyway, that is my moan for today. So, what have I been up to lately? Well, it’s much the same as always: I work on our script, I write my SOS book, I work on my social media business and my vintage knitting business, Vintage Knit Treasures (that’s got some items for sale in it now including scarves and hats, see here for more info). It’s been very much ‘Groundhog Day’ for us, as I’m sure it’s been for everyone else. I have been comforting myself with watching tv (yesterday I decided to start watching White Collar again cos I love it and Matt Bomer is just yummy). Watched Enola Holmesand really enjoyed it, although I thought the ending was a bit flat. Really hope they do another one. Millie Bobby Brown is really good in it and Henry Cavill (does that man ever smile?) and Sam Claflin play her brothers Sherlock and Mycroft beautifully. Plus they are both good to look at. 😉 What? A girl needs a bit of eye candy every now and again. Widowhood can be quite dull you know!
Millie Bobby Brown leads the cast in Enola Holmes.
That about sums up my week. It feels lately that we’re just sitting in limbo at the moment. We can’t look forward to Halloween or Guy Fawke’s because that’s been cancelled. I had to tell the kids they couldn’t go out guising this year (guising is the Scottish word for trick or treating) and they were disappointed. Our local Guy Fawke’s Night celebration at our scout hut has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus. Tell you a laugh, my American friend, the lovely Terry Wells Brown asked me why the British celebrate Guy Fawke’s Night and I told her about the bomb plot to blow up parliament and the king in 1605 and how it was stopped and ever since then we celebrated every November 5. Then it occured to me: do we celebrate because it was stopped or because he tried to blow up parliament?? I hadn’t really thought about it before. Obviously, the celebration must be about because the plot was stopped, but if you speak to people about him they talk about the Gunpowder Plot with glee and Guy Fawke’s almost like a hero. It’s almost like it’s a bit of a joke that it happened. 🤔 On Guy Fawke’s Night, we let off fireworks, have sparklers and have a party. There’s always a bonfire where an effigy of Guy Fawke’s is burned (the real Guy Fawke’s was tortured and hung for his part in the plot). Hmmm.
Guy Fawkes was also known as Guido Fawkes.
Moving on to Christmas and I fear we won’t be able to visit family on Christmas day. It will be rubbish, but if it has to be, it has to be. The worst case scenario will be that I will set up a Zoom call with them. Anyway, we have 12 weeks (?) til then. Hopefully something good will happen and the virus will die off (miraculously) and we will be able to get together after all.
Right, enough of my musings. I am away to do some work (I’m always working, keeps me out of mischief!). Til next time.
Right, so I’m turning over a new leaf next week and getting up earlier to write. I’ve taken on some more work in my social media business, so I’ve been lacking time for writing and it’s killing me. The whole point of giving up my PR job with the NHS three years ago was to spend more time writing. So, up at 6am on weekdays it is. 😱 Really hope I can do it. No, that’s not the attitude. I can do it. I am also going to bite the bullet (this blog is already full of cliches!) and do some live FB talks on my author FB page. I want to really start to push my author business and that’s part of it. Plus it’s a nice way of connecting with readers old and new. Wish me luck.
So, how’s your week been? Mine has been uber busy as usual, but it’s good because I’m working for myself and doing things I love, including my work doing social media for my clients. Social media was made for me, I love creating posts and imagery.
My son has been isolating for the last two weeks after being exposed to a fellow pupil with Coronavirus. He’s out of isolation today and I’ve never seen such a relieved 12-year-old. Although he’s been loving being at home and playing online with the other kids that were also off for the same reason, he’s missed his friends and getting out. Thankfully his test was negative and he hasn’t developed any symptoms since. Phew. I kinda knew he didn’t have it. He’s the picture of health, thank goodness.
Anyway, I’ve barely been over the door myself I’ve been that busy with work. The script continues to go well. We did an early read through last week of what we’ve done so far and it’s going well. Really pleased with it. It’s a long, slow process working with two others, but it’s fun. We work well together. Next week, we’ll be continuing to develop it. We’ve done about an hour’s worth so far, but we want to make it a series so have a lot more to write. It would be wonderful if, when we finish, it’s taken up by someone like Netflix and made.
My SOS (Sisters of Sin) novel continues. I’m on the home stretch, but just can’t slot in the time or energy to finish it. Hence, my plan to start getting up at 6am to write it. Needs must. After this one, I have another SOS book to write and then I’ll do another Nina book. Also musing with writing a fantasy series, been working on developing that through using mind mapping. So far I’ve worked out the main characters and some of the story for the first book (hoping to have a series of seven books eventually). It all depends on my getting down to work on it and that depends on time and energy levels. Still, the desire to do it is there.
This week, I’ve also been working on some items to sell in my online Etsy shop, Vintage Knit Treasures. I’ll share those once they are ready to be seen in public. 😊 Talking of the shop, I’m going to love you and leave you now to put more patterns up in the shop.
Til next time,
Dawn xxx
PS I don’t know what the hell is going on with FB images today, but I can’t get my images to look any bigger. Hopefully, it’ll be sorted out by the next time I post.
So, this week has been a bit weird. I’ve been exhausted since Saturday. I either have been overdoing it lately or I have a small bug 🤒 that’s draining the life from me. I feel better today mainly, I think, because I’ve been slowly down over the last two days and putting my feet up a bit (well as much as you can with a house and two kids/three dogs/two chickens). On Monday night, we got a call from the NHS saying my son had been exposed to someone who tested positive for Covid-19. Truthfully, I’ve been expecting something like this. The minute the kids go back to school, bugs circulate. Anyway, the boy is currently isolating in his room. Doing the test today. He’s fine. No symptoms, so fingers crossed he doesn’t have it. He’s only been back at school for two weeks, now he’s off for another two. Sigh. His school have yet to let us know about work being given home, but I’m going to chase them up today. People, including my immediate family, in certain areas in and around Glasgow have also been told not to socialise with other people inside their own homes due to outbreaks there. It’s to last for 14 days from today, but who knows if it’ll be extended? Anyway, it means I can’t visit my parents or sister (I can’t anyway due to the boy’s exposure) and my poor niece can’t have her very much longed for birthday party/sleepover this weekend. That’s such a shame. Still, needs must. I think this is how life is going to be now. I can see this lasting into next year. Apparently Spanish Flu took a full two years to die out, so Covid might be the same. We’re just all going to have to get on with it as best we can, aren’t we? I’m just hoping we will still be able to meet up for Christmas 🎄🤶🎅.
So, how’s your week been? I know it’s only Wednesday, but it feels like a whole month has passed since the weekend. 😂 I have done no writing of my novel since last week – mid last week. I just can’t get into it for some reason. Going to have to read an inspiring book by a writer to get that back 📚! That always works for me. I have been scriptwriting and I have written a couple of things for Medium. You can follow me here.I was planning to put new items up in my vintage knitting shop on Sunday, but felt too exhausted to move so I just spent the day resting. Thank God I’m starting to feel well again.
What else has been happening? Well, as I have been telly watching a lot this week I have binge-watched the new series of Lucifer (pictured). Then got to episode 7 (or thereabouts) and there was no more. It took me a full ten minutes (due to a fuzziness in the head feeling due to aforementioned tiredness) to work out that Netflix was indeed working and that the reason why I couldn’t get the rest of the series was because they hadn’t put it up yet. Sigh. I’m shaking my head writing this. Can’t believe I was so daft. 😂
I’ve been reading Lucy Worsley’s book on 👑 Queen Victoria. I am a big fan of Lucy’s tv programmes and her books and this one doesn’t disappoint. Lucy has a really lovely way of writing that draws you into the story of her book. She brings history alive and one day I will meet her and get her autograph. Some friends of mine (George and Raymond, love you guys❤️❤️) met her once at a book signing in London and bought a signed copy of her book for me. It was about Jane Austen and is a treasured gift. So thoughtful of them both. Thank you guys.
Right, I am going to finish up now for I have two more blogs to write and some other things I want to do (including getting back into writing my SOS novel). Til next time,
So, how are you all this week? Hope you are all well. We’re all good here at Nelson Towers. The kids are back at school full time now, which is great for me because I get more peace during the day to write. As usual I’ve been busy, busy with all the projects I’ve been involved in. That includes scriptwriting, my SOS novel and some articles I’ve been writing for Medium (follow me here).
I’ve started up a vintage knitting pattern business on Etsy selling knitting patterns from the 1940s onwards. Some of these patterns are rare so you won’t find them anywhere else. My shop is called Vintage Knit Treasures and there’s a range of patterns for men, women and kids. If there’s something you’d like, but you don’t see it in my shop, contact: vintageknittreasures@gmail.com and ask me and I’ll see if I can source it for you. I’ve been knitting some vintage things to put up for sale too and I’ll do that once I’ve made a few.
My time over the past week has been taken up not just with writing, but with my social media business. I have a few new clients, which is great, so I’ve been busy creating and scheduling posts for them. I use Canva to create the posts – I love it because it’s easy to use and the images are great. For videos, I use Win Movie Maker. I’ve been working on developing some videos for clients and they’re working well.
So, what else has been happening? Not much. All that I’ve been talking about before has been taking up most of my time. In my downtime, I’ve been relaxing and binge watching The Borgias, which I think I spoke about in my last post. I love that series. Can’t believe I never watched it before. It’s SOOOOO good.
Reading-wise, I’ve finished The Mistress of Mayfair and am reading a book on the history of the lost gold from the Reichsbank in Berlin. The Nazis took it out of the bank and hid it before the Russians and Americans entered Berlin at the end of the Second World War. I’m fascinated by that era and I love a good treasure hunt, so this book, which is factual, is just the ticket.
Anything else? Nope, I think that’s about it. I’ve joined a new group on FB called The Debt Free Divas. It’s a group of women supporting each other, sharing tips on being more frugal, sharing recipes and highlighting any deals that are going on. There’s info on how to get out of debt (I’m not in debt, but am interested in a whole lot of other things the group is doing), paying off mortgages, how to plan for early retirement and business. It’s only just started, but if you’re a lady (35-75-ish) who’s interested, go here and request to join. We’d love to see you there.
Right, am away now. Got some more writing to do before the kids come in from school. Have a great week and I’ll see you next week.
So, I’m feeling a bit flat today. I was alright until I started writing my SOS assassin novel. I was quite happy with my lot. I wasn’t thinking about anything other than what work I had today. And then I went and started writing the novel again. I haven’t been writing for a couple of weeks – I really needed a break from it and took it. So, I read over the previous chapter, which was fine, and then started on the new bit. And that’s when the sadness and the feeling flat began. You see, I’ve taken my characters from wonderful Italy to also wonderful Corfu, the island off the west coast of Greece. And when I started researching it, having never been but always wanted to, I began to feel a yearning to go. And when I looked at those amazing beaches and beautiful old towns and villages, that yearning grew. I WANNA GO TO CORFU RIGHT NOW!!! Wahhhhh! 😀 That’s one of the things I don’t like about writing: you’re often researching places you then find yourself desperate to go to. Maybe next year, for now I will have to be content with photos of Corfu, which I am rather kindly sharing with you so you’ll feel you really want to be there right now too!! You are welcome!
So how have you been? I hope you are all well. Hello to all my new followers and welcome to my blog. Thank you for joining us.
I’ve actually had a good week this week (and it’s only Wednesday). I started back writing (with mixed results as I explained earlier). Last week I started up a new business on Etsy called Vintage Knit Treasures selling downloads of vintage knitting patterns (go here if you want to have a look at it). I love vintage fashion, I love knitting and making, and I love old patterns, so this is the perfect small business for me. I plan to add knitted items (knitted from genuine vintage patterns) to it plus more patterns. Going to add more this week. I also got three new clients for my PR and Social Media business, which is great. It’s all happening this week and last.
Also, the kids went back to school full time on Monday, which is fabulous. I am loving the peace and quiet in the house. It’s so nice to have some time to myself. They went off in March due to Covid-19 and that’s them just returning now. I must admit, I had a few worries a couple of months ago when I thought they might go back, but Scotland seems to be dealing with Coronavirus really well and there are very few cases in the country at the moment (hopefully that continues), so I’m confident the kids will be perfectly safe at school. Plus, for my sanity, I needed them back!! Heeheehee.
Took part in my very first author takeover party. Basically, it’s where you are given permission to takeover another author’s Facebook page (or whatever) and you post lots of good things like games and giveaways and funny things. I did it last week on my friend Terry’s FB page and had a ball. It was a good laugh. I thought everyone would put up saucy memes and games, but it seems there was only two of us doing that and one of them was me!! Hahaha. It was fun. So, going to do it again. A quick congratulations to Cynthia, Debbe and Kristen who were all winners of my giveaways. Hope you’ve got your books girls.
Finished the book I was reading . The Mistress of Mayfair by Lyndsy Spence is about Doris Delevingne (who I think was a great aunt of Cara Delevingne) who was someone who came from a working class family to join the ranks of the aristocracy in the 1920s and 1930s. She was notorious for going with men, even when she was married, and basically seemed to have used people for her own gain. She is thought to have had an affair with Winston Churchill at one point. It was a fascinating insight into Doris’ life and the lives of the Bright Young Things of the 1920s. She had a sad end though, sorry for the spoiler. It was a really well written book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I’ve been looking around for tv shows to watch. There’s not much on the box I want to watch right now. So, I re-watched A Discovery of Witches for the third time (LOVE the books and the tv series is great too… cannot wait for the second one) and have downloaded the pilots of a few box sets to see if I can get into them. So far, The Borgias and Banshee seem promising. I did not like Curfew. I found the first episode to be a bit boring (sorry scriptwriters). Please tell me if it gets any better, because I should like this one. The premise is good, but I just couldn’t take to it.
Right, I must fly. Am off to do some scriptwriting shortly. Til next time.
To celebrate the fact the kids are going back to school next week, I’m giving away e-book copies of my first Nina Esposito book: Dusting Down Alcudia.
Nina Esposito, archaeologist, is on a mission. She’s flying to Mallorca to locate a magnificent Roman treasure that’s been lost for centuries.
But, when a formal love and a work rival vie for her attention, Nina finds herself locked in romantic rollercoaster. Which one is truly worthy of her? And do they have ulterior motives other than winning her heart?
Added to the mix is a Spanish billionaire who will stop at nothing to get the jewels for himself.
Who will get to the treasure first? Will Nina’s heart be broken along the way? And can she really trust either of the men in her life?
Join Nina on a breath-taking journey of discovery that takes her from the dusty fields of Mallorca to the diamond brokers of Amsterdam. As she soon finds out: there’s everything to play for when you’re Dusting Down Alcudia.
I was going to use some images and quotes from authors to illustrate this post today and the above image somehow went beautifully with the torrential rain Scotland experienced today. We had flooding and everything. It was horrendous. Typical Scottish summer!
So, how are you all this week? I know I haven’t posted for a few weeks, it’s the usual excuse (busy), but I really haven’t a lot of news to share. I’ve barely been anywhere that interesting to tell you about. Although Coronavirus levels in Scotland are low (apart from a few clusters last week), the country is only just starting to get back on its feet.
So let me share with you some things I’ve been up. I’ve been writing for Medium. Please follow me (https://medium.com/@dawnnelson_46858) and give me claps if you like my stories. The more reads and claps I get, the more money I’ll make. I’m only just at the start of my Medium career, so hopefully I’ll make something from it. I’ve also been attempting some Haikus. Bloody hell, they are more difficult to write than you think!
Still writing all the things I’ve been writing. Also, finally managed to watch The Wrong Mans tv series. It’s excellent. I like both Mathew Baynton and James Corden, they are both great actors and screenwriters, and it’s a great series. Watched the second series too, it wasn’t quite as good, but still highly enjoyable.
Watched 1917 again recently. What a film that is. That’s the third time I’ve watched it and I’m still flinching and jumping when things go wrong. It’s beautifully shot – the scene when he runs into the ruined city and the flares go off is amazing – brilliantly written and wonderfully acted. It deserves more accolades. Here’s the official trailer if you haven’t seen it yet. I’m not going to give away any of the story. Get the movie, watch it.
Right, that’s all I’ve got for today. Going to start giving out writing advice in future posts. If there’s anything you’d like to know, get it touch.
So, I’ve been working hard for the last two days and I’ve achieved so much. I love that feeling. Yesterday, I got up early and took the dogs out, wrote 1000 words, did a week’s worth of social media posts for a client, took the boy for a haircut and then went food shopping. In the afternoon, I did a four-and-a-half hour stint scriptwriting with my scriptwriting buddies. Then I made dinner. As well as all that, I did some washing and emptied and filled the dishwasher. Phew!
Today, I wrote 2000 words, did social media for my author platforms, did a three hour scriptwriting stint, did a post for Medium (click here) and did some work for clients.
This is me now:
Anyway, how are you today? Hope you’re all well. This week is shaping up to be yet another busy one, but that’s okay I like it that way. It’s tiring, but I feel like I’ve done something with my life rather than frittering it away watching tv. Don’t get me wrong, I love tv, but I’ve been cutting down how much I watch in order to write.
So, what’s new? ACX, the people you put audio books up on for Audible, finally came back to me about the Dusting Down Alcudia audiobook with yet another issue. I swear I could scream. It’s been such a hard slog sorting that bloody thing out. I will work on it tomorrow.
Still working on my assassin book, but at the rate I’m writing, I should have the first draft of it done by early next month. So excited to get it out. It’s part of a book series I’m writing with international authors.
My Paisley non-fiction book is trundling along. I’ve finished the first draft of it and will be editing some time this week.
I’ve also sent off a couple more short stories to online magazines. Fingers crossed they take them.
Just got my results back today for my OU degree course and I passed that module. Yay me! So pleased as the last couple of months of it were quite difficult – they occurred during the initial weeks of the Covid 19 outbreak. Anyway it’s done and I look forward to resuming my studies again at the beginning of October.
What else? That’s about it for today. It’s after 9.30pm and my energy levels are seriously beginning to flag. Gonna gather up the dogs and get to bed now. Til next time.
So the week started as usual with me getting up, feeding the animals, taking the dogs out and then getting down to work. My sister visited on Wednesday with her kids and we had a lovely time. I even made banana bread, shortbread and sponge cake. It was lovely.
However, come Thursday morning I felt unwell and I’m still a bit yucky today. I don’t know what it is, but I’m exhausted and my throat is raspy and my ears ache. I suspect I’ve just been overdoing it recently and this is my body’s way of telling me to slow down. Anyway, I’ve spent the last couple of days lying on the sofa watching telly. First, I watched Operation Petticoat, one of my favourite Cary Grant/Tony Curtis movies. I LOVE that film. It’s funny and exciting and a great way to spend a Thursday afternoon when you’re feeling ill.
And then I moved on to an old favourite. I find watching familiar tv series and films comforting, so I dug True Blood out of Sky and I’ve been watching it ever since. I really LOVE this series. It’s so good and the books are great too. It feels like I’m back in the presence of an old friend.
I’d forgotten how good this tv series is. I’m in heaven right now. I still feel a bit yuck, but I’ll have a good night’s sleep tonight and hopefully feel better tomorrow.
Right, this was just a quick post to say hi and I’ll post again soon. Til next time.
