MY WRITING LIFE
Published and unpublished writing, as well as work in progress.
CHALLENGE (scroll down for the usual Welcome, etc.) :
Ever had a bad haircut? Mine are too numerous to mention (although I’ll give it a go), but it hasn’t always been by my own hands.
I was about to put the scissors to my hair a little while ago, when an idea popped into my head. The scissors went back into the pot and I settled by the computer and tapped out a few chapters of a new manuscript. The writing has hit a bit of a plateau now, but there’s nothing like rejection to galvanise me into action (in more ways than one; see the entry under Anna’s Thoughts) and one idea usually follows another:
What about an anthology of short stories and poems on bad haircuts or other hair-do disasters – to be produced as an e-book, with proceeds to charity?
Mine aren’t short stories, but with a bit of encouragement… What if I challenge my fellow writers to a write off? No time limit. I’ll shout STOP when we have enough – or hit the virtual pause button if necessary. So, for every short story submitted, I’ll write the corresponding word count on my manuscript. I was going to suggest a chapter, but that might be stretching it somewhat. If there are any takers, we should end up with an anthology between us – and I should be able to complete the mss.
I’m open to suggestions as to which charity should receive the proceeds from the anthology, although I have one or two in mind, if none should come forth.
I suggest : The Children’s Chronic Arthritis Association
Shall we go for it?
Welcome!
Welcome to my little abode on the net, where I keep a few of my bits and pieces of writing, writing that has yet to go anywhere and even work in progress - on times. And just writing for its own sake. There are two blogs - Anna's Thoughts and Anna Reiers Writes. So, what's the difference between the two? I suppose you could say that the latter is about writing, while the former is about anything and everything. That's the plan, anyway.
You will also find a link to The Apprentice Writer, which I run with my daughter, Stina. Pop over, take a look. You'll find free resources, a procrastinator's heaven (I particularly like the rice/vocabulary game; a way to brush up on your vocabulary while earning rice for the needy for every correct answer), This Day in History, Daily Inspiration, Paolo Coelho's books for browsing on site, links to videos by writers - and not forgetting our online magazine/eZine, 'The Pages'. On that site my blog is that of the Would-be-Novelist, while Stina is the Apprentice Writer. Then there's... well, go take a look for yourself. The site is being built up and new features added as we go - and time allows. We also write!
TIME
How time flies! I have just written that in a card because it seemed the appropriate thing to say about our oldest daughter and her husband’s tenth anniversary - and true, too - but it made me think of how when we are children we almost wish our lives away - waiting for the next milestone, and the next.
It doesn’t seem such a long time ago that I was a little girl, playing at being grown up and counting the years till I’d be old enough to do whatever it was I was yearning to do at the time.
‘Wait till you’re older,’ was a well-worn phrase at home - but who wanted to wait?
I remember being seventeen and wanting to get myself a little bed sit in town - just to test myself, to make sure I could live independently from my parents. Having been overcome with homesickness the previous year, when going off to art college, I didn’t want it to happen again. But it did.
I couldn’t wait for the time to come when I could be truly independent.
When I was eighteen I left home for good - not that I knew it then - but a year abroad has turned into thirty-six years. I left my place of employment in London within three months of arriving, to marry my employer’s cousin - which I did, a month later. So much for independence!
Below: A few days old, in my mother's arms.
At eighteen.
What did I do with all that time? Well, there’s a story or two - or many more - to tell, I’m sure. Whether I will or not, Time will tell.
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And now