And I’m back…I think… (an update)

Posted on February 3, 2023 by sammicoxwriter

So, you might have noticed I haven’t been present on the blog since the end of November. If you haven’t, well thank goodness for scheduled posts! 🙂

Here’s a quick catch up of what’s been going on at Sammi Scribbles HQ:

First, I did not complete NaNoWriMo last year, but I came very close with a total of 48,281. I had one day set aside to write those final words, the last day of the month, but on that very same day my grandmother was admitted into hospital, and I spent it with her in A & E. All the staff at the hospital were wonderful and I have nothing but love and admiration for all NHS workers 💖. Thankfully, my grandmother was released a week later and is now doing great, but the run-up to Christmas was certainly hard.

Then, over Christmas itself, I picked up one of these horrible colds that have been doing the rounds, so I couldn’t do very much for a couple of weeks, and Christmas was a very low-key, quiet affair, which was necessary but I didn’t like it much. 😦 I was greatly cheered though by the many Christmas greetings I received here on the blog, so thank you to everyone who sent one. I appreciated them all.

At the start of the new year, I found it difficult to get back into blogging, with one thing and another. I managed to get a few posts up on a couple of my other blogs, whilst scheduling WWP posts here, but at the minute I still lack consistency, but I’m working hard to overcome it.

I have, however, been writing. Currently I’m working on the sequel to my medieval romance novel, which is coming along a treat. Also I’ve been working on my Andromache Jones series, and I’m planning on reposting The Magician (the first in the Andromache Jones mystery short stories) here on the blog soon. The ONC (open novella contest) over on Wattpad released its prompts for this year’s event a couple of days ago, and I’m wondering if I’ve time to join in with that too, because the ONC is probably my favourite writing contest of the year…

Another thing I’ve been working on is designing a couple of free writing resources, one is on how to use writing and photo prompts to write a novel, so if anyone is interested in this, let me know.

Apologies to those waiting for a Tolkien Tuesday post to start the read along for The Two Towers (thank you Dale for the nudge! I needed it 😀 ). I aim (fingers crossed!!!) to have that out this coming Tuesday, 7th February. For those new around here and want to join in, please do! It is a low commitment read-along, where we read half a chapter a week, and discuss what we have read. All are welcome!

Finally, speaking of scheduling posts, I have just scheduled the 300th Weekend Writing Prompt for the end of the month! Don’t worry, I’ve scheduled the prompts for the Saturdays in between too!

Well, I think that covers everything and you are now update. I hope you have had a great start to 2023 (a belated Happy New Year to you!) and that things are well in your world.

Unscripted ( a poem and some photos)

Posted on October 12, 2021 by sammicoxwriter

We had barely a plan

More of a thought

Of direction

A place name on a sign

Spotted from the road

On the way to

Other Places

Unburdened by the lack

Of expectation

We simply got in the car

And drove

Unencumbered by a list of

“Things to see and do”

We arrived

We discovered

We had a great time…

…And made plans to return

Next time as tourists

Rather than as explorers

A poem inspired by an unplanned road trip last week, to Polesworth in Warwickshire, and some photos of said place.

The Abbey Church of Saint Editha with the war memorial

If you’ve been around for a while, you will know how much I love gargoyles and grotesques…

The River Anker with ducks hiding along the bank

The breath-takingly beautiful abbey gatehouse, dating back to the mid-fourteenth century, though the abbey was founded centuries earlier, during the Saxon period

Camp NaNoWriMo July 2021 – Update

Posted on July 23, 2021 by sammicoxwriter

An update on my Camp NaNoWriMo Project, accompanied by random yet soothing photos…

Not surprisingly, given my easily distracted mind at present, I haven’t written a poem and piece of flash fiction every day of July so far for my Camp NaNo challenge. I have however, already smashed my writing goal and have a combined total of 15 new poems and pieces of flash fiction.

My goal was 3100 words in total. I’m currently at 3510. Yay. My aim at the moment is to take the pressure off, to not make myself write on this project if I don’t feel like it. I have been writing other things (I’ve being planning a couple of novels and writing chapters for a handful of WIPs), and I do feel this is enough, which is new for me.

Photo by Avery Nielsen-Webb on Pexels.com

Usually, I’m determined to push myself, to ramp up the pressure, until I have completed such-an-such a thing, for the simple reason I said I would do it, and if I didn’t, I would feel the failure considerably for not having done so.

So, am I going to have 31 poems and 31 pieces of flash fictions written by the 31st? No. But that’s ok.

Perhaps I would feel differently if I hadn’t hit the word goal? May be. But it doesn’t matter. Along with accepting that I am not going to complete this challenge in the given the timeframe, I’ve decided to turn this into a longer term project. This collection will have a combined total of 62 poems and mini stories at some point in the future, I just don’t know when.

And I’m content with that.

I’ve been away, thinking… (an update)

Posted on May 10, 2021 by sammicoxwriter

Thanks everyone for your patience. I took an unexpected blogging break at the beginning of April. My intention had been just to slow things down for a few weeks, coinciding with a hiatus over at Whispers and Echoes, but it was clear I needed to do a bit more than that. Sometimes, you need to stand back from everything and just breathe and have a think about what you’re doing and where you’re going, and what you want to be doing, all without the pressure of committing to anything. And I decided to give myself the time and space to do that.

So here we are six weeks later…Is the blogging break over? More or less.

Although I’ve not been blogging, I have been busy doing other things, many of which are related to the blog. The only one I’ll mention now is about starting a found poetry series, using classic works of literature. The first one is inspired (if that’s the right word? Perhaps utilising would be better…) by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which I’ll start posting later today and continue daily until Friday.

I’ve also been writing (of course!), and been working towards finding my historical romance novel a home. I’ll go more into this and the journey of this story another time, but in between putting together submission packages, I’ve started on the first draft of the book which follows on from it.

My favourite part of the writing process is writing the first draft. I don’t often deviate very much from my first draft once it’s committed to paper / screen, so it’s here where I find the magic happens. There’s something very exciting about seeing the story unfold for the first time and witnessing how your characters respond to what’s going on around them. What’s you’re favourite part of the writing process?

And that’s my update. I’m going to go and start my poetry series, and then I had better get working on the next 52 prompts for the Weekend Writing Prompt, as the one posted on Saturday was the last prompt of year 4! I can’t believe how long we’ve been doing this, but I hope everyone is still enjoying it! After that, I have a fair few blog visits to make, and comments to catch-up with.

Take care,

Sammi

Excavating the Archives: Imperfect Perfection

Posted on March 19, 2021 by sammicoxwriter

I dreamt of imperfect perfection

Of days spent laughing in the sun

I dreamt of the flawed and the fractured

Of the wondrous things that might come

I dreamt of the broken twisting pathway

That would take me to my journey’s end

I dreamt of disjointed intentions

Of happiness and peace amongst friends

I still dream of imperfect perfection

The ups and downs to be found in this life

I still dream of disjointed intentions

Knowing peace is often balanced with strife

This was originally posted on this site in May 2017. You can find the post here.

Excavating the Archives: Wildness

Posted on February 19, 2021 by sammicoxwriter

I revel in the wildness

The colours and scents of the earth

Markers that chart the way home

This post was first shared on this site in January 2017. You can find the original post here.

Happy New Year, Somewhat Belatedly ;-)

Posted on January 6, 2021 by sammicoxwriter

Like most people on planet Earth, I’m glad to see the back of 2020. What with the pandemic, and then flooding to hit our village on Christmas Day (thankfully the floodwater stopped about three feet from our front door, but not all those who live locally, as well as in the villages both up and downstream from us, were as lucky), 2020 felt somewhat mentally exhausting. Which is why I’ve been quiet for a while online.

It’s going to take me a while to get caught up with comments and posts and responses to the WWP, but I will get it done. I’ve a few writing projects on the go at the moment which is where I am focusing most of my energy (the final read through of my Historical Romance Novel, the finishing touches to The Winter Ghost, and a bit of editing for The Dreamer), all of which I hope to complete this month, just in time for Wattpad’s Open Novella Contest to open again in February. I failed at it last year due in no small part to poor time management and thinking I could commit to more projects than was actually possible (if you know me, you’ll know that is an ever-present obstacle!).

This past weekend, I rewatched The Lord of The Rings movies, which is always a joy, but specifically to celebrate J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday. I remember the first time I read the books. I was about 10, and from then on, Middle Earth has been an obsession for me, as it has been for many. If you follow my book review blog, Sammi Loves Books, you will know last year I started reading the seven books that make up C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. Currently, I’m on book 5, but I have a sneaky suspicion those remaining books will be set aside for a while as I pick up LOTR – I’ve already been thumbing multiple copies. I keep telling myself it’s only because I want to look at the maps – which I do as I love maps – but I know it’s only a matter of time before I start reading…and then everything will stop until I finish it. And I don’t mind; I find it inspiring.

Do you have any reading or writing goals for this year? Do you have a book obsession? Indulge yourself and tell me all about it in the comments…

Wishing everyone all the best for 2021! Stay safe and take care,

Sammi x

Season’s Greetings and All the Best for 2021

Posted on December 24, 2020 by sammicoxwriter

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their support and words of encouragement this year. It has, we all know perfectly well, been a strange one…

But whether you’ve joined in with the Weekend Writing Prompt, talked NaNo goals with me or wished me well with my writing (yes, my historical romance novel is complete! Woohoo!), it’s been appreciated. I’ve been quieter than I would have liked these past few months, and keeping up with blogging has been a struggle, but I endeavour to do better in 2021 🙂

I’ve enjoyed connecting with new blogging friends and enriching friendships with old ones. I find so much inspiration in your blogs, writing, art, photography and creativity, and know you will continue to inspire me into 2021 and beyond.

Wishing you the brightest and most blessed Christmas and all the best for 2021! Be kind, especially to yourselves.

Stay safe and take care,

Sammi x

Excavating the Archives: Clinging to the Smoke

Posted on December 18, 2020 by sammicoxwriter

Through the fog
Of the smoke
Nothing seen
Nothing heard
Past gone
Future vanished
All we had was
The here and now
Those precious few seconds
Of the present
You reach out to me
And our hands touch
It was in that moment
That I knew
I never wanted
The smoke to clear