Today I got another email from an agent saying 'No' to my manuscript, so once again I'm sending it off to another company on my list of many.

Helping me handle the rejections is a book I found while cleaning out the staff room at my last job. It's a motivational book, very much like The Secret. It claims to help you get what you want out of life - be it wealth, relationships, jobs or experiences - using 25 principles to live by. I know there are a lot of sceptics out there when it comes to positive thinking, The Universe and visualisation, but I'm giving it a try.



I have started visualising my 'dream' when I wake up and just before I go to bed. I also have an affirmation for my life goal and say it as many times as I can throughout the day. At the moment I am reading one principle a day from the book and it gives me just enough motivation to keep going. While I wait for the next verdict on my book, I have started writing another; new setting, new characters, new everything. Gotta keep the juices flowing.


Lauren

Some good news!


I have finally finished my first ever draft of my novel City of Masks. It has been a very long time coming; 4 years to be exact. I know I would have finished it a long time ago if it hadn't been for necessary things like having to earn money, a social life and general life things.

City of Masks is not really finished however; I know there is a heap of editing to do, and even this morning I was adding more dialogue and changing character names. It will take me a while before I am ready to publish it; but I also know that I can't be too much of a perfectionist. There has to come a point where I say "That's enough. I cannot do any more to it." I'll have to be strict on myself.
So in celebration, I have posted a snippet of my first chapter below. I have been very secretive about City of Masks while in the process of writing it, but now I can actually see an end, I'm willing to begin sharing it with the world.

Where it all started

The background to the snippet below is as follows: Alessandro is the protagonist, he can do magic. Magic is risky, and frowned upon by the oppressive rulers (The Truth). Alessandro is sitting on a roof top watching the higher classes (The Privileged) eating at a fancy restaurant.

Hello.

Another update. I have been working hard on my book City of Masks recently and have written approximately 8,000 words in three days; which is far more than I have written in the past year.

I have Joanna Penn to thank for that. I attended a talk she held at The Escape School on Tuesday 29th September titled, 'How to make a living from your writing.' She made the point that you should write everyday for however long you can spare. As I am not working at the moment, I am able to write for at least a few hours a day. Because of this, I have made immense progress on the storyline of City of Masks, moving from starting the build up to just approaching the climax. I feel proud of myself for getting this far and it's lovely writing again. I love my characters in City of Masks and the journey they go on, both together and separately.

These guys I also have to thank. They have kept me focused and been the soundtrack to my writing for the past few days.



Lauren

For the past two days, I have started focusing on writing my novel City of Masks again.  I have only managed to write ten A4 pages, but I have moved on the plot considerably. I forgot how much I enjoyed writing my book and also how slow it can be.

Today I was thinking why it has taken me so long to get back on City of Masks. I think I've boiled it down to tiredness. The past year I've been working in a job that required a lot of energy, not so much physically, but mentally. It caused a lot of stress and at least every month I would be sick with some cold or another. The last thing I wanted to do when I got home, or on weekends, was to use yet more mental energy on writing. It was a shame, but my creativity took a back seat and I do regret it now.

So while I am still looking for jobs- sending off applications at least once a day - I am going to spend some of this time getting my book completed; at least the first draft. I'm going to get up early, make a mug of coffee and write until lunchtime. To motivate me, I've printed out an old email I received from someone who read my first chapter and works as a Literary Agent Assistant. The positive comments and the fact I should 'keep on this one' and that she 'loved it' really are reinforcing that I should not give up, even if it does become a bit challenging at times.

I  also forgot how much I missed my main characters and the world they live in.

Hello everyone,

You may be wondering why I removed my City of Masks chapters from this blog. The main reason for this is because I am still in the process of writing my story. I felt more comfortable removing it just incase someone wanted the idea for themselves and managed to morph it into their own story. City of Masks is my creative baby and the thought of someone taking my idea and changing it to suit their own ideas is heartbreaking.

I know everything creative is about being inspired from past works, but I just feel safer that the chapters are not up here at all. One day I may get it published, I really hope I do, and it will be out in the open again.

Lauren