Another post that is a little different to what I usually write about but I feel this needs to be put out there for discussion. Today David Cameron has agreed to take in 20,000 refugees from Syria by 2020. Fantastic, … Continue reading
A little bit off the topic of books and writing, I’ll be honest since I’ve become self employed, writing has gone on the back burner and has since become a smouldering Phoenix that will hopefully one day rise from the ashes in to the best selling novel I dream of writing 😉
Until then I will bring you other interests of mine, general opinions,occasionally the odd rant and movie review but today I would like to tell you about a fellow blogger, entrepreneur and friend Nikki Perry. She is an eco warrioress, a human minion and a Hogwarts geek but don’t we all want the cream envelope with the scarlet waxed stamp?
She is such an inspiration to me as she has had a tough life but because of that is so full of unattainable knowledge and wisdom , I spend hours speaking to her and come away a little wiser everytime.
Now one thing Nikki has taught is about the dangers of sanitary items and baby’s nappys, about their chemical make up , their effect on your body and on the environment. Now since I have been having monthly periods since I was 11,I am now 28, and have been using them for a week every month since then I’ve absorbed a lot of chemicals and infested the planet quite enough for one life time.
Interestingly enough I have also suffered abnormal cells,an ovarian cyst and a miscarriage… coincidence?
So I have asked Nikki to make me some reusable sanitary pads and I have got to say they are so comfy and not that much hassle to care for,it’s a little extra work than just whipping one off whacking it in the bin and sticking another plastic chemical ridden pad on yes but it will also be a lot of work being incontinent or having IVF due to nastiness messing up my insides ick!
So I would just personally like to raise a pad in honour of my friend for showing me the light, saving my lady bits and I would love if you could all pop over,follow her blog “Created By Nikki” and her Instagram, I have posted a link below for my personal account and photo of my new friends and she is tagged in it. Pop over ,say hi, ask questions ,come away feeling more knowledgeable than before and feeling like you have made a friend 🙂
Love you Nik,
#mischiefmananged)
https://instagram.com/p/7Gn0HLho1AurCHHenkzsr49DR_vFyMdAvwIBo0/
Hello all my lovely followers, I bow in apology that my blog posts came to a dramatic halt. I finished my novel and faced the wrath of publishers who had no interest in it… hey ho. I have self published … Continue reading
Yesterdays post was all about me wangling the art of Twitter and here it is, today when I open my WordPress, all the reasons why I should. If ever I needed any motivation, now is the time and this has motivated me. What a great blog and great to hear from a dab hand of the tweeting world… Now what do I have to say to twitter that’s of interest.. mmm 🙂
For the last couple posts, we’ve been talking about how to use Twitter effectively. Too many writers are like Stormtroopers—lots of shots fired tweets that hit NOTHING.
I can admit, when I got on Twitter (when it was invented) I didn’t get it. I would—KID YOU NOT—freak out when people I didn’t know followed me. WHAT? Are you, like, a stalker? Yes, I was missing the ENTIRE point of Twitter. Hey, we all start somewhere.
Do you have to do Twitter? No. No one will take you to writer jail because you didn’t. Is it wise to use Twitter? ABSOLUTELY.
I strongly recommend Twitter for two main reasons. First, couple Twitter with a good/consistent blog and this is your best formula to go viral. Secondly, Twitter helps us find READERS (and helps readers find US).
Going Viral
We will rarely go viral from Facebook because the nature of…
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We all make them don’t we?
Lose weight must be the biggest one.. gyms are heaving, exercises classes booked ou, people out pounding the road
Quit smoking… a couple of tetchy people about in January
Take up something new, pyramid it forward, be more positive, read more write more…
No wonder people get the January blues we start off with all good intentions and as they last about as long as a chorus of Auld Lang Syne we then fall in to a deep state of failure and depression…
Well there’s one thing I’ve leared in my 27 nearly 28 years… you’ll only complete something and work at something you enjoy.. I’ve also learnt there’s not enough time in the day…
Which is why my new years resolution last year was to finish my book which I did… In January.. I one year on I have had multiple rejectons and have decided to publish myself on Amazon… I’ve sold about 10…
Why is this? Because I have zero interest in trawling through multiple sites to find out the best way to publish, I don’t get twitter, I have no time to sit and actually do these things I even if I did have an interest in them … no i really don’t, I am currently clock watching as I have to be out the door on way to an appointment in 13 minutes… Make that 12…
So my resolution was to make more time and use the time I have more sufficiently so rather than spending 20 minutes on candy crush I’m letting you in on my resolution… get off my lazy ass and listen to the pros.. I put a year in to writing a book now I want it to be read and enjoyed…
until next year when hopefully I will be a twitter whizz and The Lies That Bind Us will be a bit higher up in the Amazon and Smashword’s charts…
I bid you s happy new year or Blwyddyn Newydd Dda its welsh new year here today in Cwm Gwaun for any of you interested in weird traditions… I’d post you a link but my phone doesn’t like WordPress on chrome and if I dare make a mistake it stops me writing so do feel free to Google 😉
Hope you all have a fab 2015 until next time…
adios
P.s if you want to give me a tweet up the bum @Dani87do
This is a call out to my fellow blog stars.
I bow down in awe to your commitment , enthusiasm and inspiration for such read worthy blogs and the regularity in which you post.
I’m a sinner in the blog world, I have a sudden urge to blog then 3 months later pop back again to say hi… I struggle to find things to talk about to interest and delight a fickle audience where better reading is just a click away.
So I call to all ye noble bloggers who are doing it right…
Where do you get your inspiration?
When is your best time to blog?
Where are you when you blog?
And do you do it through computer? Laptop? Phone?
It’s just something I found myself wondering whilst scrolling through a multitdue of fantastic blogs and writing and thought I could do it if I spent less time on Facebook and Candy Crush….!
Is discipline the key?
Well hello!!!
Long time no chat! How have you been? All good I hope.
Today I woke in a bit of depressed mood, I love Halloween and getting dressed up but I am billy no mates today and have no one to play with as everyone has work and family commitments.
It’s blowing a gale and spitting rain so what do I do?
Sit down and spend the day watching ‘The L Word’ and turn my brain in to pile of hazy mush?
Nah
Sit down and catch up on expenses and other paperwork for my business?
Mmm… much better use of time and I can put ‘The L Word’ on my phone to keep me from extreme boredom
OR
Self publish my novel that was finished in January to Kindle seen as no publisher wants to take it but so far anyone who has read it has enjoyed it, however biased they may be…
Now there is an idea.
So I did just that… it is now published and I am eagerly awaiting my first download but at the same time dreading the en masse of bad reviews that may come in for it…
I’m seeing the literary version of The X Factor with people saying… did their families not tell her it’s just awful, put it in the recycle bin and press empty immediately…
Time will tell how my little baby will fare out in the big wild world of extreme criticism and harsh reality…
If any of you would like to have a little read, it is now available for download on Amazon… be gentle 🙂
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00P2NDIBI/ref=cm_cr_ryp_prd_ttl_sol_0
Take a leap into the unknown and know that where you land, is where you are meant to be. Author unknown
This statement can apply to a lot of circumstances in life and I for one and a firm believer in just going for it and see what happens. If it doesn’t work out and least you tried right?
That’s the attitude I took when starting my mobile beauty business… what was the worse that could happen? If it failed I’d get a job elsewhere and know that it didn’t work but at least the niggle in my head of “What If?” would be gone. Luckily the gamble paid off and I’m coming up to a year in business and it’s going from strength to strength.
Today I think back to October 2012, I was travelling to the ferry from a weekend with my family and the thoughts of going back to my then job were depressing me. I was getting to the point where I didn’t see myself sticking out there much longer and self employment seemed like a far fetched dream. I was voicing these thoughts to my mum who said ‘Why don’t you write a book? Your good at making up stories and you see lots of different people everyday why not write about it?’
Mmm… not a bad idea. So I sat down with an A4 pad in my dressing gown and got to work. The words just flowed out and before I knew it, I had three chapters written. My friend then suggested I type it rather than actually write it making it easier for him to read and easier when it came to time of publishing… yea right, one can only dream.
14 months later, the book is finished! Wow I actually did it, pat on the back for me. SO I chance my arm and send it to the first professional looking publisher I see on Google, Pegasus Publishers and I send across a sample expecting to hear nothing back as how would I be that lucky?
Well would you believe it, they asked for the entire manuscript, that’s a good sign right?
I then received an email saying it will take four weeks for the initial review and they would let me know.
Today my partner called in briefly from work and handed me my mail, a big white envelope which I didn’t really look at just chatted a I opened it having no idea what was inside.
What followed was reminiscent of the you tube videos of little children being told they are going to Disney land.
They want to publish my book!!! OH MY GOD!!
My partner being the sensible and less excited out of the two of us took a look at the contract.
“Ahhh, no see….” These words deflated me like a lead balloon. I slowly walked over to see what it was that was wrong with this too good to be true scenario… If I wasn’t receiving any profits, I wouldn’t care, I’m a published author… Ah yes, they’d publish it for the bargain price of £2,300! I would be fully reimbursed if said piece if writing was a failure within 30 days.
Well that’s that then. So now I have had the rude awakening of I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to publishing, I really don’t know where to go from here now… do I self-publish? Do I save all my little pennies to allow Pegasus to give it a go? After all if it fails I’ll have my money back and I could just class it as savings…
I then found a very interesting blog about advice for authors who are hoping to publish and I was reading it, I just realised I have no clue where to go from here… http://janefriedman.com/2011/08/09/5-things-beginners-need-to-know-about-e-book-publishing/
As I say I am self employed, it’s just little old me going from week to week saying a little prayer every weekend that the next week will busy up so I really am stuck for investing money in to my little piece of work, having it proof read, paying for a design for the cover etc so now I am in the dilemma of where to go from here.
If anyone would like to invest in The Lies That Bind us… please send your offers to whatdoidonow-desperateauthor@gmail.com
“Come on, let your colours burst
Make ’em go, “Aah, aah, aah”
You’re gonna leave ’em all in awe, awe, awe”
Katy Perrys song Firework came out at a time when I was restarting after being ditched by a cheating ex while he went on to munch on greener pastures…
Rather than being a screwed up mess sitting in a dark room reading ‘The Bell Jar’ I decided to start living. I no longer had to worry about what I looked like, how I dressed, what I ate, what I said. I could be me again. I lost weight, I partied hard, worked hard and had a ball and whenever I would hear this song I would dance my little ass off and directed it at the people who were waiting for me to crumble in to self pity.
Now I am a self employed mobile Beauty Therapist with my very own little business, I have a novel being reviewed by a publisher and I have just had a message from an editor of a magazine who should be enjoying the sun rays in Mexico instead of texting a little old amateur in Wales, asking if I was still up for writing an article for them.
Now this is not a look at me, how well I’m doing post its’s more a motivational post.
I have always been an avid reader and loved writing stories, the more imaginative the better.
I will never forget the day I was in primary school, I’m guessing 10 or 11 years of age and I was asked to write a piece about a monastery. So I let my creative juices flow thinking this will set my piece of writing apart from the rest of the class, so rather than saying, There is a place called Clonmacnoise. It is old. It was built by the Vikings yadayadayada… I decided to tell it as a story so I started with ‘Once upon a time on a great big hill there was a monastery… now I don’t remember the rest because as I eagerly had started to read out my piece my teacher at snatched it from me, read it out in a sarky tone, got my whole class to laugh at me for my stupidity and I was told to re-write it all again… I was humiliated. Funnily enough the next year we had to retell the story of ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ and I got top marks… same teacher!
Now all she probably remember me as the quivering little child who wouldn’t say boo to a goose and cried when she was shouted at for not being able to get her head around basic Math but I will always remember the teacher who tried to put me down and my dreams of becoming an author.
When I got to High school, I was set free, I was allowed to be as creative as I liked and English was my favourite subject, so much so I thought of Journalism as a career but as a person who likes to be liked I opted out.
Then as it does young love intervened and partying, late nights and lazy days overcame me. I still read but lost my imaginative streak and the guy I was with always poked fun at my attempt at humour and constantly reminded me I wasn’t funny and had no common sense. I was book smart and could only regurgitate what I had learnt or been shown…
Seven years later I was a free independent woman and did I enjoy it. I made the concious decision to let others words and thoughts effect me and anyone who tried was immediately was cut from my life never to return and their absence is only marked by the success I have achieved from it.
So the point… I do have one I promise… is look back to your dreams as a child? Have you accomplished them? They may have seemed impossible to the adults around you but why should they be? The innocence of a child saying ‘I want to be a princess when I’m older’. Well why not? You want to be a princess, be a princess, wear a tiara, wear a pretty frock, who’s going to stop you? As long as you don’t try to jump the wall of Windsor Castle no one can touch you or your dreams!!
Shrug off the criticisms, constant let downs and focus on you and your wants, you don’t have a right over anyone’s just as much as they don’t over yours!!
P.S As a child, I wanted to be an author and a hairdresser… I nearly made it 🙂
An amateur author.... 