Infidelity - the Stationery Years

Everyone knows I’m a Moleskine addict. I have shelves of little black pocket ruled notebooks, I have pretty coloured Volant notebooks, I have Star Wars notebooks, I have Hobbitses, I have…oh so many. I even, blushes deeply, have a shelf of limited edition pocket notebooks that I will never, ever unwrap, let alone write in. In short, I love Moleskine.

But, I have been unfaithful and it looks like I will continue this affair. I have discovered Field Notes! They are rather nice. They’re thin, flimsy little things to be sure, but, oh my, they have themes and pictures of stars and even proper buff ones that you can only write proper, serious stuff in. And, faints all over the place, they’ve just introduced beer notebooks. Yes, BEER! With beer coasters and everything. Now you can’t tell me that’s not useful! And I’ve now discovered special elastic bands for your notebooks, so you can keep them all together nicely – they come in packs of three.

 

So, hurrah for Moleskine and hurrah for Field Notes, but also, it’s hurrah for Katy & June! These are more for diary stuff, and to do list stuff than writing but boy are they useful! I’m toying with the idea of this splendid diary that I know will make all the difference to my project planning! How could I not buy it?

Infidelity. Is it such a bad thing, after all?

September - the month of new things!

It's been a long time since I wrote a blog post. Bad. I know. But so many things have happened. Some good. Some bad. Some weird. More on all that later on when there is something concrete to say.

In the meantime, it's September. The month that always means new notebooks! Who can forget those new school year exercise books? The ones you were going to write in really neatly? I've always loved September. New things, new season. September's sort of like New Year but without the pressure. I have new notebooks. Field Notes. Yup. Not Moleskines. (Although I await my new Hobbitses.) I have a new pinboard. I have - wait for it - a new story! Oh, yes. AND it's a fantasy.

But back to the old one, which is actually new as well, only it's all done. So I finished my novel. Mudlarks. It's not bad. In fact I'm very pleased with it. It's gone to Lovely Agent, so now I wait. I've been sensible and have written an outline for book two. I have an outline for another story in a similar vein. But I'm not writing them. That would be foolish until I see what sort of reception I get for Mudlarks. Did I say I'd finished it?

So, new stuff! I'm writing a fantasy. Who'd have thought it? It's got good stuff, it's got bad stuff, it's got weird stuff. It kind of mirrors my life! Oh, how I'm enjoying the freedom. It's such fun! Maybe I'll never finish it. Maybe I'll never show it to anyone. Maybe that's why I'm loving this so much. See, that's the thing about new stuff, new seasons, new notebooks, new Scrivener files. You can do whatever you like. You can be a new writer!

I'm beginning to feel that this month really is a new year for me. To be honest, 2013 has not been ideal so far, but I'm starting to feel optimistic. I'm starting to feel the excitement of the new, the hope, the thrill, the moment when you catch your breath and feel that anything's possible.

Happy New Year to one and all. May your new notebooks be filled with words - wise words, silly words, beautiful words, nonsensical words. I know mine will be!