Time, energy and a dream

Well, I did it! I qualified as an English teacher yesterday and as fabulous as that is, I should always have employment…. it actually means that from this day on I shall have more time and energy to focus on my dream, a published novel. Oooh the weight lifted from my shoulders yesterday as my trainee teaching documents were officially signed. I was on a high all day. And, today, well it was my first thought when I opened my eyes, quickly followed by ‘ohhh, a day of writing’. So, the plan for today is very, very simple – I shall write. In fact, I have an entire week of writing ahead of me as I’m on school holiday.

This weekend the United Kingdom are celebrating the Diamond Jubilee celebrating Elizabeth’s 60year reign. What an amazing accomplishment! So, I am sure I’ll be casting my eye over the celebration and pomp, with the odd glass of vino. The actual day of her accession was today, 2^nd June 1952 and so I’ll draft a poem in honour, which I’ve done for all the large events of this year. I even made up a tiny ditty at a wedding I attended last night, it seemed more fitting than yet another ‘best wishes for the future’ - see how poetry has crept into my daily life?

My week has been dominated by preparing for the teacher qualification but I have listed lots of new ideas for short stories, and I have received some rejections from competition pieces which I can now ‘tart up’ and distribute else where. I missed my Mad Hatters’ meeting due to preparation work and have vowed to myself that I won’t be cancelling any future events.

You might remember that last Saturday, I attended ‘Swan Lake’ ballet – oh, it was lush. I’d never previously attended the Garrick theatre in Lichfield, but it was an ideal venue. It is small, intimate and of modern design but it was a stunning performance. Though, I was surprised to see many empty seats at a Saturday matinee. I’d arrived in Lichfield earlier than necessary, so I went to The Sparks café, for a drink and a muse. The only other customers were a couple, spoon feeding a toddler, the task took ages but the image inspired a poem which I drafted there and then.

A big shout out to my overseas followers – you are currently outnumbering the hits from England – so, hello, good morning and welcome. I hope you enjoy my weekly snippets.

With the additional time on my hands to be creative I have promised to become a creative junky. Quite literally. I have booked numerous events for the coming months that should help to inspire and keep my creative level topped to the brim, if not over flowing. A murder mystery weekend, the hot air balloon (yes, still waiting), day trips to London, Romantic Novelists Associations’ annual ball and some quiet weekends dedicated to my craft. As always, I’ll let you know how they go, as they crop up.

So, my plans for this week: write, write and write. I have nothing else planned, and expect nothing but an empty house and me. I intend to ‘Tweet’ my progress on my second novel. Remember you can follow me on Twitter odwyer_author to receive random updates throughout the week. Enjoy!