Missed Writing Contest

I've been writing at least two hours everyday hoping to enter another contest with the deadline of March 2. I went on their website today to make sure they had not reached their limit of entries. And they had. I should have entered and then edited my entry until the deadline. I didn't want to do that because I was afraid that I would not have the full book re-worked by then. I had planned to work all weekend and submit it on Monday, but now I guess I can take my time.










 The rooms are in the Napoleon's wing in the Louvre. They were opulent and wonderful to see. Reds and gold everywhere. The ceilings and the rugs were works of art.

Snow has been falling now for three days and is supposed to continue all through next week. With my husband in Chicago on business, it looks like I'll be outside shoveling. I don't really mind it, and at times enjoy being outside. One year when we were in the middle of a blizzard with two feet of snow in two days, I shoveled in the moonlight. That was so peaceful, and I was sad when the job was done.

Westminster Abbey and Big Ben

 Here are different views of Westminster Abbey and Parliament Building across the street from the Abbey. They are so ornate and wonderful, I can't help but post more pictures of them. Even standing next to them, it seemed unreal. Every monarch since William the Conqueror in 1066 has been crowned here. And of course, Kate Middleton and Prince William were married here.                


I have been writing now everyday for about two hours. I have to say that writing steals so much time. And yet, it is so fulfilling. I get so involved with the story that I do not hear the phone ringing or anything else. One more month, and I will find out if I made it to the semi-finals in the contest.  

Writing and London

The snow was falling this weekend, and my husband and his brother traveled to Kansas for their uncle's funeral. I spent five hours writing on Sunday. It reminded me how much this hobby can take from a person. No matter how much you give, it wants more. Fifty pages into the re-write with 250 more pages staring at me, a person can give up.

But the morning came and new ideas sprung into my mind and I'm back at it.

The picture above and to the left are in Covent Garden where there are a lot of shops and street performers.

We were amazed at how many tourists were there in freezing cold January. Making us wonder how it looks during peak season. We asked one shopkeeper about it. He said, "In the summer, the place teems with tourists."

France

My sister and I spent a day in Paris taking the Eurostar in the early morning hours and arriving in Paris before 9:30 a.m.  Our first stop was the Louvre. 

 The above picture is a part of the Louvre  Palace.  There is a fortress that was begun by Philip II in the 12th century. In the 14th century, Charles V converted the building into a residence and it was renovated by Francis I in 1546.  However, Louis XIV did not live here as he chose Versailles as his home in 1682. At that time the Louvre was used as a residence for artists. Louis XV agreed in 1750 to display the royal collection of 96 pieces here and during Napoleon's reign, it was open to the public to see the nation's treasure.

The Palace is three-sided with the glass pyramid entrance in the middle.

Absolutely magnificent.

And now to continue with my writing. I am still working on mapping out the story. I think I have a good direction and then come back and re-work that section. I am only up to Chapter Five and so I haven't covered any ground just yet.

Nine more stories to read for the contest. Once I finish with this, I will have more time to work on writing.

Reading contest submissions

Now that I've started writing again, making the first chart of plotting the book seems easy. I'm in the middle of Chapter Two and up to the fifth chapter in mapping out the story.

I signed up to be a judge in the contest I entered and love reading the first fifty pages of other aspiring authors. The synopsis is included which gives closure to the book. Last night I finished the 4th book and have to say I'm slightly disappointed.

The formula seems to be - girl is hot and unappreciated, guy seems one thing but has actually deep reservoirs of personality, The two meet and don't like each other but feel an attraction they can't explain. Girl pursues guy. Guy gets scared. Guy re-evaluates and is ready to commit. Girl gets scared. Girl re-evaluates and they finally get together.

Signs from London and one from France.
I loved walking in Berkeley Square.

The "No Busking" sign was in a tunnel and the only other person in the tunnel walkway was a man playing a violin. Who knew  - he was busking.

Tower of London,

Bad news. The contest I entered did not have enough entries in the category I submitted my book into. So I had the option of withdrawing my entry or changing to another category. I opted to go to historical romance from inspirational romance. I don't know if I stand a chance. I will keep you posted.

 Onto my second book. It seems to be flowing wonderfully writing freestyle. Setting deadlines to complete one chapter each month. By May I should have five chapters done since I finished chapter one in January.

 The setting seems to be more alive since I've just returned from London. The streets I walked on and the architecture I saw is making its way through my pen and onto the pages.

This is the walkway above the courtyard in the Tower of London.  The bottom picture was taken from this walkway. Below I am standing in front of one of the Tower's doors.

And this is what we had for lunch - lamb pie with mashed potatoes, brocolli and bread. Very interesting.