Writing Again

I have finally managed to post a short story. I find it so difficult to deal with snail mail. It is so much easier to email. I can do it from an arm chair or even from my bed.

Ebook

I logged on to amazon.fr last night to see if my book was still available with the intention of ordering some books as the postage is free at the moment and was amazed to find that it was available on Kindle as an ebook.
I then logged on to amazon.co.uk to find the same there. The price on french amazon is 3.43euros but on UK amazon the price is not given.
Now I suppose I will have to buy a Kindle.

Daily Babble

I decided to write my blogs more regularly. It always comes down to balancing time.  So today I have written on my gardening blog.

However I have made time to begin working on articles for a magazine about living France.

Gardening v Writing



Sunbeds under lime tree

There always seems to be at least 2 activities vieing for my time. At the moment it's gardening v writing. I usually manage both in the winter. Since it doesn't get light here until 9 o'clock and I wake at 6 or 7 I can write for a couple of hours before daylight.
Recently I have lost my writing impetus and wasn't sure why.  I realised this morning that it is something to do with feedback and satisfaction.
   In the garden even if the job is cutting the grass or digging a new flower bed the reward is visible all day everyday. I can look out of the window at any time and enjoy the results of my labour. I can walk around the garden or eat outside and feel satisfied with my achievements.

Photo of garden to liven up the blog

Writing on the other hand is out of site once the laptop lid is closed. Even when I want a hard copy I have to move it from the laptop to the old computer to print. Then often the printer doesn't work like yesterday when it ran out of ink.
I can take my friends for a walk around my garden or we can eat outside or take a snack in the fresh air. When dining inside we can still admire the garden through the window. And they do admire it. People do not criticise my garden do they? At least, if they offer advise, I can accept it. Is that because they are informing me about the plants and their qualities? For example, that bush needs to be in the sunlight not shade.' That feels OK. 
However, if anything I have written is criticised then it feels as though I am being criticised not something outside of me. Is this because my writing is me.

Barn and catkins

So I am thankful that it is not on permanent display like the garden and I rarely expose myself to this pain. Therefore what a paradox when I am now infused with such a burst of energy that I feel I can write a dozen articles and finish my novel before Xmas because I have just read my letter in print.

Boost to ego and energy

Just as I was thinking of giving up yet again I opened this month's Writing Magazine and find that they have printed my letter. I wonder if I should just concentrate on writing letters since that is the area in which I have had the most success.
How fragile are writer's egos. I am unable to take criticism even though I know it is necessary and helpful. Praise, however faint, is like sunshine and water to a plant.

Dear Writer's News,

I noticed that Alliance of Radical Booksellers has announced
a substantial new writing prize (Writer's News Dec. 2011).

Ross's comments about not accepting self-published books were very interesting.

Isn't self-publishing radical?

I agree that editing is important and valued that is why most self-published authors do have their work edited.

If you exclude self-publishers from the competition, are you really opening up the

discussion and looking outwards? It sounds insular to me and even Nimbyish.

You can always give a self-published radical writer a deal, that would be opening up

awareness and discussion too.

I say, 'Look behind you Ross or even in front of you'.

Yours sincerely,

Jean Wild.

London

 I have no idea why they think I live in London. This just illustrates the above points. I don't care if nobody knows that I wrote the letter it is enough to know that it was good enough to print.

Writing Time

I am still not making time to write. Where does it go?
I have been taking Writer's News for nearly a year. They offer a free entry to a writing competition for new subscribers. I have less than a month now to find a story to enter. Must make time.

New Novel

I am happy to say that now that the clock has gone back and the mornings are darker I am writing before sunrise. I write until it is light enough to go into the garden. I have written 30,000 words so far. Well done me.

Promoting myself

Writers in the Grand Ouest Region of France — Brittany, Normandy and the Pays de la Loire

Jean Wild

Now retired, from a multitude of jobs which include teaching and desktop publishing. I call myself 'Jill of all trades and mistress of none'.
I have lived in Brittany for 7 years. When I moved here my intention was to write and paint but time is gradually being taken up by gardening (I have 5,000 square metres). I still have a full life swimming, Breton dancing and joining in community activities. I am the secretary of JUBBIL (Jumelage Breton Bilangue). We share language and culture and I often write the report of our events for the local paper.
Being close to 70, I wanted to publish my experiences and thoughts on a number of women’s issues, in particular adoption and depression.
I am a woman of very strong beliefs and will always take action or speak out when faced with inequality or injustice. Perhaps for this reason, I have been called judgmental.
The play I wrote in the 90s was performed in my home city in England and was well received.
See my articles on www.brittanywriters.com online magazine.

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Latest

 My book is going to be published as an ebook. I am very excited about it. Check out the website.
www.datcha.co.uk

Lost and Found

I now have access it was partly my fault and partly because the num lock was on and I didn't think to check.

emails

I have lost access to my jeanwild hotmail account. If anyone out there has ever used it can you let me know because then I may be able to retrieve it if I can tell hot mail who sent me emails.

Summertime

I have made a decision. I can't write in the summer when there is so much to do in the garden and the days are long. I have shelved all writing projects of which I have many in my head. I shall attempt them when the days are shorter and I waken at 6 am when it is still dark and I can write for three hours before sunrise.

Friend's Success

Both of my writing friends have had success. One in the Mslexia Annual Short Story Competition where she won second prize and the other won second in a Children's Story Competition in which there were 2,000 entries. I am hoping that the rule of three will come into play. 'Good things come in threes.' And buses. So I am hoping that I shall be the third winner.

Not blocked but no time

I haven't written anything for what seems like ages. My excuse is that I do not function in hot weather and boy has it been hot.
I did read a poem at the Balade Poesie in the new communal garden.
The poem was called La Grenouille- the frog. I thought that this was amusing since English people refer to french people as frogs and the French call English people ros-bif (roast beef).
 The word is known to be difficult to pronounce and as it was a poem there were lots of words which rhymed with it and were equally difficult to pronounce. So I dressed in green and hoped that it gave people a laugh.

. 

Writing Magazine

The Writing Magazine has given me new impetus and I have a list of things to write:-
The Short Short Story  750 words
The New Subscribers Short Story comp which is free
The Adult Fairy Story comp

I also have a list of articles for mags in preparation:-
French Property News
Canals
Royal Horticultural Society
Now I have to rise early every morning to get them edited.

Quotes and Sayings

I get a lot of insight and sometimes direction from quote people. I have just spent my precious time, two hours of it, searching for a quote which I thought was pinned up on the wall in my writing room. Lucky me having a 'room of my own' in fact a house of my own. The problem is Virginia I still don't write enough because I also have a garden of my own. Anyway back to the point. The quote I was looking for was about choosing everyday whether to be alone or to be with other people. That was my problem for a long time. Now my problem is to garden or to write.
The search for the quote started firstly from a comment from a friend who had been feeling down through loneliness but at the same time wanting to get on with jobs at home. Secondly I opened a book this morning, a biography of Georgia O'Keefe and was bowled over by a quote from her. This set me off on my search.
One works because it is the most interesting thing one knows to do. The day one works are the best days. On the other days one is hurrying through the other things one imagines one has to do to keep one's life going. You get the garden planted. You get the roof fixed. You take the dog for a walk. You spend the day with a friend...You may even enjoy doing such things...But always you are hurrying through these things with a certain amount of aggravation so that you can get at the paintings again because that is the high- in a way it is what you do all the other things for...The painting is like a thread that runs through all the reasons for all the other things that make one's life.
This applies to me except the 'work' has changed from weaving to painting, to writing and now it seems to be gardening. And also, for the past ten years learning French.
 The interesting idea which has come through is that the first quote comes first. No matter what the 'work' is I have to be alone and when I go to bed, I like to know that I have achieved.

Amparo's Graduation

My daughter-in-law received her 3rd degree. She has a BA and an MA and a Post Grad all in English her second language and the subject of psychology. Clever woman.

Amparo who is not only a pretty face

Success

But not mine. A friend of mine has won second prize in the Mslexia Annual Short Story Competition. Prize £500. It is a good story.
I really have to stop spending hours on emails and concentrate on my writing.

Time Again

I got up at seven o'clock this morning intending to write at least a thousand words of my novel but here I am at ten thirty still blogging and emailing. I tell myself to write first then email later but what is it that makes think I can just take a quick peak at my emails and then get back to 'real' writing? And the problem remains I haven't written all I want to on my blog.

Success

I had another minor success this week. I had sent a long letter to Mslexia some months ago and when I returned from UK last Thursday the latest issue was in my post box containing a very shortened version of it. Being published is a real boost to the ego even if it is only a letter.

AGM of NPN

I finally made it to London to read excerpts from my book at the AGM. I nearly missed it as I forgot to take the newsletter with the map and address of the venue. Fortunately after many phone calls my granddaughter was able to give me the address. I didn't present myself as I would have liked after having had a traumatic week but my readings were well received and I did sell three copies of my book.

Internet Time and Sanity

I have wasted 2 hours thinking that it it would be easier and quicker to contact people by email than snail mail but not only has it taken me longer it has driven me to the edge of madness. I suppose it is cheaper. No stamps. So I expect I shall persevere.  And why can't I send this to facebook like I could yesterday?

Gardening not Writing

So I have managed the gardening but at the expense of the writing. Next aim is to balance gardening and writing. People ask what do you do all day? Aren't you lonely? I need another life to fit in all the things I want to achieve. How can anyone ever be bored? Tired yes. Often more often as the years go by but bored? Never. And gardening is rejuvenating especially in the spring. Seeing the flowers busting open and the new buds forming is sheer joy.

Life

'Life is what happens when you are planning other things'
How true. Will I ever learn to keep my head down, learn to say no and stop organising events and setting up groups? What's wrong with me? I keep saying that I just want to garden and write. But saying it doesn't make it happen. What can I do?

Writing Group

The writing group is going to work, I think, but it will be very small. I am losing interest in organising things. Why do I choose to be the organiser? I just want to be a member these days. But what do you do if there isn't a group in existance? Or maybe I am just a control freak.

Comp entry

I sent Taking care of the Elderly to Writers' forum and paid for a crit. which was helpful.  I shall take the advice and improve the story and try again. Why not?

Writing Comps

Today I worked out that Writers' Forum publish about 3x12=36 short stories a year. That means that they probably reject thousands. I wonder how many stories they get each month. Let's say out of the 70,000 readers of the magazine 5 per cent enter each month. So what is 5 per cent of  70,000. Is it 3,500? That is an awful lot of losers. Because if you don't get accepted you assume that your story is not good enough to be printed. This is quite depressing. Even if only one per cent of the 70,000 readers enter that is 700! So instead of thinking that one’s story is a failure it only means the following. In the opinion of Writers’ Forum judges there are three stories out of 700 that are maybe better than yours.

Paintings at the Library

These were the paintings I displayed at the Portes Ouverts

Success

I have just had an idea. I can copy and paste documents from works into open office and that seems to work. Hurray. Now the thing is to remember how to do it.

Comps

It has just taken me 3 hours to submit  a short story on line. Is it best to use ink to print it out and then post or not.
I don't know how to use open office and microsoft office will cost £200 to install and even then will I know how to use it. Maybe I can use word.
what is wrong with pencil and paper I wonder today.

video trial

Little Video of my garden.
Seems like a video of my life.
It is bizarre because I spent hours trying to up load a video of the poetry at the library and it failed now I have a video on speed.

International Womens' Day March 8th 100 years to Celebrate

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Writing Group

New New New New New

Writing Group

for mutual support

beginners and experienced writers welcome

in

St Vran Library

Tuesday March 15th

2.00pm-4.00pm

More Info Tel. Freda: 02 96 56 17 85

Poesie/Poetry at the Library

Children concentrating hard on their poetry. To see what they wrote go to the address below.

 http://mediathequemerdrignac.over-blog.fr/

Advert for Poems and Pints

http://www.elizabeille.com/

PoemsAnd Pints

Come along and read your favourite

*poem* short story *extract *

or

be an audience to local writers

and enjoy a drink in convivial company

The Craft Centre

Elizabeille Laurenan

Saturday

March 12th @ 7.30

Info: Freda: 02 96 56 17 85 vickbateman@hotmail.com

or Elizabeille: 02 96 25 18 69

Comp

Weird thing after the letter to Mslexia. The Printemps de Livres - Literature Fest is running a comp. If female write as if you are male and vice versa!!!
I don't think I can do it.

It Happens Every Time

My head was swimming with ideas, and I was raring to go then it happened again. I was laid low with a bug. I spent a couple of days lying around listening to the radio and wishing I was out in the garden but i did hear some good stuff in With Great Pleasure I must check up on the net for the references. I have the go ahead to read at NPN AGM. I am looking forward to that. I have also done more research for the Canal Magazine and was quite absorbed with Philip Leese's writing. It is a pity that his work is not available on Amazon. I bought a copy of my book from French amazon and found it was cheaper than Amazon.UK!

PS Philip Leese is a local historian who has published a couple of books on local history. He also facilitates a group for the U3A on Local History.

New Thoughts

I decided that my writing was limited to two mags and a few comps. I bought a new writing mag in UK and a Living in France mag.
 It has given me new impetus but there is so much reading in the new mags that I have no time to write but feel inspired.
 I have been intending to write something both about living here and also about my gardening experience or lack of..

Another letter to Mslexia

Dear Mslexia,

I open my emails and I find an email from Mslexia. Hurray! Ooh maybe my writing has been accepted. Oh no. Not this time. Still it is nice to get a letter with the judges comments. Or is it?
Comment: the writing was about suicide, adultery, murder, desertion and divorce.
Me: Isn’t that not only sad and depressing but also a tragedy? But the first step in changing is recognising the truth and we have to keep telling it like it is until it changes. Do you want us to write the same old Fairy Stories  about Princesses and Frogs?
Comment: The majority of submissions were written from a woman’s point of view! (‘I don’t believe it!’ said Victor Meldrew.)
Comment: She (the judge) would have preferred to have read about a broader selection of protagonists including men and children. Why not try writing from a different point of view say a male.
Is this really from Mslexia? Better check the website. So I re-read the mission statement which informs me that ‘Mslexia was created to address a difficulty, more prevalent in women, with getting into print.’
And the article, ‘Three cures for Mslexia’ by editor Debbie Taylor which ends with: ‘There’s no time to waste whingeing. Stick with Mslexia and we’ll help you all we can.’
There’s no hope for me then. Here I am whingeing and guess what? I do not tend to write from the point of view of a woman. I am a woman. So I write from a woman’s perspective. Even if I pretend that I am a man I can only write from the point of view of a woman. I do not know what it is like to be a man. I do not want to try to pretend to be a man. Not yet anyway as I am still constructing my confident woman identity after years of timidity. I subscribe to Mslexia because of all the reasons stated in Debbie Taylor’s article and your mission statement but if your advice is for me to write from a male point of view or you would like submissions which do not reflect the truth of our lives then say so in your competition guidelines.
Yours very puzzled and not a little disappointed,
Freda Bateman
La Ville Joly,
22230 Mérillac
France

Published Letter to Mslexia

I hate phrases like ' hairy feminists' and 'strident women' especially when used by women.

Come on let's tell it like it is. Look at the facts. How long did it take us to get this far in the battle
for 'equality'? Which by the way doesn't mean 'the same' and it has been and still is a battle for many women.
It has taken from the beginning of time for women to be allowed to keep their own earnings, own property and have rights over their own children.
Do you really think we have achieved equality in less than one century?
Why have women found it prudent, often necessary to write under a male nom de plume?
Of course we need all women events for women writers. Why do we have to be so apologetic about it?
I found my own voice in an all women's writing group and was drowned out in a mixed group.
My confidence has been achieved over many years with the help of all women's' groups.
When will women who think that they have never been oppressed realise that the reverse is true for most of us?
What is wrong with being called a 'woman writer'? For me that is a positive. I want to read books written by women writers.
I spent too much time when I was young reading male writers whose work, to be honest, bore no relevance to my experience.
What a relief it was to discover Doris Lessing, Virginia Woolf and Germain Greer to name a few.
And while I'm on my hobby horse what is wrong with 'misery memoirs'? How many times have I heard it said there are too many?
Well don't read them but remember that the women who do and the women who write them benefit enormously because guess what?
Thousands of women have miserable lives.
I don't like so called thrillers or detective stories. I can't find anything entertaining about the murder of a woman (and it usually is a woman) but that doesn't stop thousands being written and millions being sold. And dare I say mostly by men.
So I for one am pleased that all women events are on the increase. And of course they will be fun but not because they have to be Viv  but because all women together do have fun but oh my god they will be much much more.
I am proud to be recognised as a feminist and I never forget that women died so that I could vote.
Is this talking to the converted in Mslexia? I hope so.
Oh and by the way Viv, it was a woman who said, ‘ If there’s no dancing at the revolution I don’t want to go.’
Fleure Sauvage
La Ville Joly,
22230 Mérillac
France

From an old blog

Are any of us really free? What is freedom? What do we mean when we talk about freedom? Do we mean freedom from hunger or violence or poverty or work or worry or even ----Years ago I escaped from a violent marriage and I worked for years to free myself from poverty in old age. Now the question is what do I do with this so called freedom?I even have time to choose how to spend my time each day. But am I happy? What do you think?I agonise about my comfort. I look at the rest of the war-torn world and feel guilty. Then I agonise about what I can do about it. Do I send money to good causes, do I offer to help in a charity shop, do I offer my services as a volunteer in an old peoples home, am I too old for voluntary work overseas? Haven't I earned a peaceful retirement? Too many questions and no answers. Then reality strikes and my past catches up with me. I get a phone call from the adoption organisation who have news of my son who was adopted 30 years ago. They tell me the good news first. They have found his parents (adoptive that is). Now sit down for the bad news.He died 11 years ago. he died from AIDS and yes he was gay.Well what are you going to do when you have stopped crying? The media tells us that the evidence coming from Africa is that it is getting worse and people are dieing for lack of drugs. Babies are being left without parents. Thousands of babies are being left with no-one to care for them. So here is your answer. Make a decision and do something about it. But what can I do? One person and we talk about Africa as if it is a tiny country. It's not a country. It is an enormous continent of fifty one countries. Where on earth do I begin? You can begin by collecting information from charities and organisations already in the field. Then perhaps you will find some one who perhaps can advise you.

Posted by Jean Wild

Mslexia Again

The latest issue arrived today. The last of the 'Curious Incidents' was there with a rider to say that it would be  the last. Just my luck!
 But the good news is they printed my letter from Fleure Sauvage. I am pretty sure it was edited but it was a long letter. It really cheered me up. Now I am not sure whether to write another one or get on with my book about Brittany. Maybe I can do both.

Mslexia Curious Incidents

I finally edited my piece for Mslexia submissions for Curious Incidents and guess what? They have discontinued this item. so back to the key board. Now do I continue withe my new novel or spend more time on short stories and competitions?