Category Archives: vampires

My sister’s boyfriend works for a book printer and sometimes gets to bring home sample books. I’ve had a how to draw book from him and also a manga, but never anything as cool as this. Today he came around and dropped off “Book of the Vampire” by Nigel Suckling. It’s probably out now or due out soon. Nigel is the UKs bigwig on vampires. The book is basically a look at the history of the vampire and the legends that it came from. It looks really interesting so far and I can’t wait to get into it. It’s bound to inspire me to write different types of vampires. I probably can’t go any darker with them as I already write rather dark vampires as it is, but it will help me lend new twists to them.

I’ve edited 100 pages of VR Novel so far this week. It’s really just a proof read now to pick up mistakes and fix some little things. I think that I’ll have finished the proof read by this weekend and will be able to move onto writing the synopsis, which isn’t going to be fun!

I’m sick again. This is what comes from looking after your husband… he gets better and you get sick. I don’t like coughing. In fact, besides flu and throwing up, it’s the one I hate most of all. Give me aches, chills, blocked or runny nose, sore throat… I can handle them all! I just can’t deal with the coughing thing. It makes me feel like I have no control. I hate that feeling.

Hey, maybe that’s why all my characters are so headstrong, it’s the inner me seeping into them.

I’m not writing anything right now. I’m dawdling in fact. People want more Of Blood and Snow and I’m happy to give them to them as I’ve got a bit more already proof-read. I need to either be finishing it or starting on writing plot notes for my next novel.

I’ve given myself six months to write and edit this beast as I want it in tip top shape before I make a fool of myself. Yes, that’s right. I’m going to try and reach for the stars next year and send off a novel to some trade publishers. I have to admit that it’s hard to have faith in myself and my abilities, and it’s going to be so easy to just give in and e-publish this story. I’m a sucker for the easy way out. I have to tell myself not to give in and to be strong, even though it’s going to be hard for me. If I don’t try and get trade published, I’ll never know whether I’m good enough or not.

Maria kindly read the opening half of the first chapter and was very nice about it. I can always trust her to be quite honest and not to sugarcoat things too much. She pointed out some things that I could change and it did improve the story. I just need that push when I’m editing and writing it. I need to push myself to use as much of my visual style as possible and to paint the picture of my story in vivid colours.

I don’t like the keyboard with my new desktop computer. The keys are too hard to depress and it takes too much effort to type. It makes my wrists ache and I’ve barely written anything. My laptop is much better. Good job I don’t have to write on this bloody thing all the time! It’s draining!

I’m going to try to keep a diary of sorts for when I’m writing my novel. I’ll refer to it as VR Novel as I don’t want to give away the name and things. I’d rather keep those to myself.

Tired now… I need tea. I’m like a tea-vampire. I need it, crave it, have to have it or I can’t survive. lol.

F x