Wasting Time, by Lorraine Sears - Released Today!

Yes, it's been a while since I had exciting news about a new story being released. But today I'm pleased to be able to share with you all the release of Wasting Time, by third short story with Untreed Reads

The title is available from Untreed Reads for $1.50 and during the next 48 hours will be appearing with a number of other international e-book retailers.

Rule No.1 - Don't kill your writing partner!

As promised I said I would give you an update on the progress with the Ripper Novel, and here it is...

In the last two weeks we've managed to get another two chapters down in our story, which is the best progress we've made in ages.  However, it's been a bumpy ride.  Ordinarily I get on very well with my writing partner, we have the same sense of humour and our ideas for our work always seem to head in the same direction.  In fact one of the best compliments we've been paid so far about the chapters of the novel we've shared on the Writer's Beat 'Members Only Forum' was that those who read it couldn't tell it was the work of two, not one - i.e. there were no seams to be seen when the writing changed from one of to the other of us.

However as it's has been several weeks since we really managed a good writing session, due to one or the other of us is not in the right frame of mind, or perhaps we just couldn't devote the time, getting back into the saddle was a challenge. we had to reacquaint ourselves with the story and our style, also the duo-writing.  But we finally got the chapters written and settled in to edit...

Two hours later, I had threatened to log off several times and he was hassling me to work faster.  It's funny now and I see what happened - so I know it won't happen again - but at the time I was fuming.  Because we'd forgotten how to work the edit between us, coupled with a slow application to work on, it took forever.  We are laughing about it now, I promise you, and the next two chapters are already in our sights.  We won't be leaving such a big gap in our writing time again!

For those of you who're on WB, if you wanted to read our chapter, knowing the blood (almost), sweat (considerable) and tears (oh yeah) that went into it, we'd be mighty appreciative of your thoughts.  You can find 'The Killings - Ripper excerpt' in the Member's Only forum.

In other news I finished reading James Joyce's 'Dubliners' and thank heavens I did.  Although his writing is delightful I have to say the shorts in that book weren't the engaging little pieces I have expected and more than once I found myself counting how many pages until the end - as you know I hate to leave a book unfinished. 

I'm now reading Boxer Beetle by Ned Beauman after it was highly praised on WB.  I'm not far enought into it yet to let you know what I think, but it's definitely got more of a pull for me that Dubliners had.

Working with a dry well

Time to come clean.  In the last few weeks I have read plenty but experienced zero inspiration when it comes to my own writing.

I've started countless tales which may or may not have gone somewhere, but when it came to logging back in the following day and picking up the thread again, interest had evaporated.  Talk about the doldrums.  

Normally when I read so much I am champing at the bit to write, but not recently; it's left me feeling very frustrated.

Anyway, hopefully things are looking up.  I finally have a concept and plot underway again which I enjoy working on.  And, work on the Ripper novel is back under way this week after another long break.  These are the boosts I've been needing.

Lets hope things continue after such a dry spell.

With an agreement