Writing progress

Out for lunch yesterday at Irene’s, (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/blacks.house/) my fellow writing buddy. But not before I had dealt with the mindless Monday tasks of removing sheets, towels etc and filling the linen basket with them. Like Alice, for ever running to stand still, in this aspect of my life. But this morning I’ve loaded the machine, so the contents of the linen basket are reduced by half.

Horrible morning, so far, the sky dark and the rain pouring down and drumming on the roof. But it’s still not cold for December. When I was writing my novel, Tainted Tree, which takes place over a six month period, I kept a database so that I would know what was going on in the garden, what the weather was like on any particular day and what time the sun went down. This web diary could prove equally useful as a reference – assuming, of course, I can go back into my own archive, which I haven’t checked.

There was a good interview on the Today programme this morning. Professor Christopher Marks was on, explaining why we should keep open the Royal Surrey County Hospital. M and I talked about the awful occasion when he had waterworks problems. He woke me up in the middle of the night and told me I had to get him to hospital. He was in agony. I didn’t have time to put in my contacts, but used glasses instead (never quite as good) and the weather was horrible. But the drive to the Royal Surrey is easy, and I got him there in less than 15 minutes. How different it would have been if we had had to cross the ranges to Frimley, or drive along the horrid ‘narrow lanes’ leading to St. Peter’s, Chertsey. Speed was of the essence; they said afterwards his kidneys could have been damaged.

Why are they reducing the facilities of a modern hospital?

I’ve received the first critique of Tainted Tree from the YouWriteOn site. Main criticism – description needs cutting and my heroine doesn’t sound American. I will have to look at it again. However, last night, when I prepared three chapters to send out, I hadn’t seen these comments and I will send it off anyway, without amendment. Today, I’m also going to print out my short story for submission, and see if I can come up with something new for Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net/) tonight.