See me write

After a month of patiently waiting since placing my order on Amazon, my copy of See Jane Write was gently pressed through my letter box at the unearthly time of 6.50am by UPS. I sent a curt enquiry email to the Amazon seller just the previous night. Where the hell was it, I'd been dying to read this guide to writing chick lit for ages. Perhaps UPS sensed my PMT through the email, hence the very low key arrival? And the scorch marks on the drive where the delivery man had beat a hasty retreat?

Preview See jane write here . PMT aside, I was cheered by this fab guide to writing chick lit (as recommended by Karen, after I reviewed Will write for shoes). It's not just beautiful to look at, it's beautiful inside. I particularly like the American can-do positive theme throughout this mini course. Thank god, they address some of my bug bears of writing - it's nice to know it's not just me. I've read it time and time again now, but it really does seem that most writers go through an 'it's crap' stage. Even Sophie Kinsella, which is reassuring.

I've had the book a few days and have heeded plenty of their advice already, particularly about making excuses not to write. The authors show you how to self-diagnose barriers to writing and how to dig yourself out of them.  With my excuses blitzed, I'm now setting myself realistic goals such as getting 500 words down a day. I wish I could write full time, but keeping a roof over my head and 5 holidays a year is more of a priority right now. Plus, significant people have battered me into submission to register for a PhD and I'm too much of a scaredy cat to tell them where to go.

Perhaps it will surprise some of the regular readers to know that my current writing project has only the vaguest whiffs of chicklit. It's actually a novella set in fifties midlands and centers around two families whose lives and secrets clash and twist around one another. I love the fifties - the more research I do, the more I feel as though I've been given a chance to live in the decade. Any excuse to wear 50s replica heels, cupcake skirts and to roller-up my hair! 

The 50s novella is actually for a local writing collection, hence the bags of research to ensure I've added the relevant local themes. I do have a mainstream style chick lit novel on the back burner. I might be able to multi-task with reading, but it's near impossible to write more than one piece of fiction at a time - too many characters competing for head space!