Fireman, planning and a steam train

Evening folks, a late one due to Christmas shopping in Birmingham city centre. I’ve spent the day battling my way through the crowds of busy shoppers – thankfully, I managed to get everything I wanted. Phew, does that take the worry out of Christmas.

Anyway, this week I had two writers’ meeting. My Wednesday group spent the night reflecting upon our busy and creative year – we were all surprised by the sheer amount of short stories and poems we’d each created. My Thursday group held their annual Christmas Quiz – where my group came second due to a technicality, all the same a very entertaining evening. Neither group meets over the Christmas period so I have a couple of weeks to produce a few news pieces to kick start 2013.

I’ve probably mentioned before that hubby is a fire officer, and whilst attending a retirement party I had a flash of inspiration regarding his fire ‘stories’. It doesn’t matter which career path you have there are always interesting and funny incidents that arise. Anyway, once home I announced to hubby that I will attempt to write one of his funny stories each week, if not for commercial publication but more importantly for his own reflection. Either way, I now have another project on the go!

I am entering the final week at work so have started to plan what I’ll be doing during the two week holiday. I have already devised a plan and shall spent the next week days tweaking the plans. My hope is to produce more fresh writing for novel two but also to send out submissions of novel one ‘Her’. Fingers crossed I shall also be getting a new book or two so I intend to be reading in the spare gaps.

I have to share an experience with you. As I mentioned, me and hubby have been shopping all day, we caught the train there and back as it is so much easier than driving/parking. Anyway, just as we stepped off the train onto the platform for home, hubby shouts ‘steam train’ I turned and the most amazing sight came dashing along the other track. A beautiful plume of smoke and steam, a shiny black engine and carriage after carriage of green and cream cars followed. My heart skipped a beat – honestly, I fell in love. I have never seen a steam train before, let alone stood on a platform waving and jumping about like a child – but hey, the passengers were waving back at me just as eagerly. Wow, what a beautiful sight. I think that little image will be igniting a story for sure.

On that note I shall love and leave you. Remember you can follow me on Tweeter @odwyer-author I can’t promise to follow back but I do always read the bios and follow if suitable. Enjoy!