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Saturday 10 August 2013

The holiday's over, now for the deadline


Just back from a lovely holiday with my family in Sardinia. It was a treat to sit around and read novels on my Kindle. And yes, I still got a ‘Heavy’ sticker on my suitcase ('Pesante' on the way back) when checking in. I spoke Italian, but it was a bit rusty and I must brush up on verb conjugations at some point…


I attended a few 'aqua-fit' classes in the pool, as did most ladies invited to join in by the rather handsome, witty and six-packed instructor, even if it meant enduring Katy Perry and Europop at full volume, including an annoyingly catchy song which became part of the soundtrack to the holiday, called ‘Booma Yee’...

Somehow we managed to leave a car key in our hotel room, which the hotel kindly couriered back to us this week. At Cagliari airport, I paid for the same two magazines I’d bought at Heathrow two weeks previously without realising. At the till I spotted this pile of books on the counter. There’s no escaping E.L. James:


We lost a Spiderman rucksack containing a Nintendo DS at Heathrow airport when racing to get the suitcases from the trolley onto the bus for the car park. I’m still looking for that on Heathrow’s website-apparently it can take some time for bags to go through security before reaching lost property. We’re not usually so absent-minded, just unusually relaxed I think!

And now for the deadline:

This month I’m pulling together my submission for The RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme which needs to be sent in by the end of August. It will only be a partial this year as I’m submitting book 2, ‘The Painting’ for the first time. Although I’ve written a rough draft, I’d like what I send off to be as well written as possible.
Today I’m going back to research so I can fill in the gaps, looking into the painting which the story’s centred around and the artist as well as eighteenth century life: country houses, architecture, portraits, gardens, clothes, lifestyle, King George III, The Prince Regent, The Seven Years’ War etc.


I dropped into Hatchlands Park on the way back from Guildford yesterday where there are some wonderful paintings and the interior was designed by Robert Adam in the 1750s.
 
I do love a deadline and am grateful to the Romantic Novelists’ Association for providing me with one every year.

Hope you’re having a great summer and best of luck to everyone submitting to The New Writers' Scheme!

14 comments:

  1. Glad you had such a lovely holiday, Anita - even with the lost bag! Good luck with your research and NWS submission.

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    1. Thank you Rosemary! Hope you're enjoying the summer months. Must catch up with reading blogs.x

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  2. Sounds like are refreshed and ready to leap back into the business of writing again. I hope your submission to the NWS is successful.

    I like the topic of your research, I'll soon be doing a lot myself, as I need to fill a lot of gaps.
    Its all good fun though...:-)

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    1. Thanks Maria! Good luck with your research. The eighteenth century is a really interesting period here and in Italy.x

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  3. Welcome back! I wish I'd gotten to take a vacation this summer, but I didn't. We did get a pool though, which has been very nice to have.

    Good luck with your deadline. I work better with a deadline too.

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    1. Thanks Kelly! How lovely to have a pool, expect you have the weather for it too.

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  4. Your holiday sounds lovely, Anita, I'm glad you had a good time. I hope you locate your rucksack.
    All the best with your research and NWS submission. :-) xx

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    1. Thanks Elle. Still trying to locate the rucksack-must call up again! Hope your writing is going well.x

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  5. Your vacation sounded lovely - other than the fact that you lost a Nintendo DS. I really hope that you get it back! Good luck with your deadline! :)

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    1. Thanks Chrys! Unfortunately the rucksack hasn't turned up-I've called lost property a couple of times. Who knows where it went?! Last saw it on the trolley before we got the bus to the car park...Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  6. I'm glad you had such a wonderful holiday, Sardinia sounds amazing.

    Good luck with your RNA NWS submission!

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  7. looks like a wonderful holiday, sounds like a great comeback, good luck with the submission and keep up the motivation, write your way into the next season, with memories of those lovely rejuvenating Sardinian days.

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