Lost some days along the way

It’s Friday and I’ve just realised I haven’t blogged for days. Worry not, I’m still here. I’ve been having a bit of a crisis of confidence. All kinds of things have been going wrong – couldn’t unzip files, worry about John moving out, my only best friend about to up sticks and move to Australia, being asked to come up with a lesson plan for a whole weekend of teaching, that my blog simply went out of my head. I also panicked when I discovered that my publisher was waiting for me to come up with a launch date for the new book, while I was waiting for him to tell me the book was ready. That’s now sorted and I have a provisional launch date of 31st March, more details when I have them. I am now back on track, in no small way that’s down to the book I’m currently reading. It’s called FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY. I first read it 20 years ago but wasn’t in the right place to take it all in. Now I am, If you haven’t read it, and feel that your worries and fears are holding you back, get hold of a copy and read it. I bought mine for about £2 on eBay. I have an awful lot to do at the moment and most of it has nothing to do with actual writing. I’ve been finding that distressful, but it has to be done, so I’m going to stop complaining and get on with it. This afternoon, I’m going to Dewsbury to collect a sofa and chair that I’ve bought from eBay. I’m giving my lodger my old sofa and chair a) because he it will help him and b) because the furniture I have is too big for the room and makes it look full and heavy. The new sofa is smaller and lighter so I’ll be able to move it by myself. It’s cheap too, so that if it isn’t right for me, I can sell it again and buy something else. It will make a change to have a sofa and chair that actually match! I went to the U3A book group in town yesterday where we discussed THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY. Opinions were very mixed which was good to know. I’ll probably go to the next meeting as they’re going to discuss Dickens and his attitude to women, after that, I’ll have to see. I’m aware that although I’m working hard, right now I’m not getting enough done, so I may need to sacrifice one of my daytime activities or cut back (I might go to crossword class every other week) I’ll have to see how I get on today. The first thing on my agenda is my column for Writers Forum where I think I’ll be talking about redrafting stories and resubmitting them (if anyone has any questions or things they’d like me to cover in the column, please DO get in touch by email kinghenryfan@yahoo.o.uk . Then I have to work on an outline of the sessions for the proposed weekend short story writing course (probably in Leeds in November) run by the lovely and very capable Lois of Swanwick bookroom fame. ,