Happy New Year!

Was it a good one?

Mine was brilliant, I barely stopped laughing all night and woke up with a sore tummy as a result! A group of my friends, plus Drummer Boy, all came round and we ate loads, drank loads, danced loads, played Wii loads and generally had heaps of fun until we all collapsed in the early hours!

The next day was a bit ropey but I managed to get up and make a cooked breakfast for everyone, no mean feat seeing as my kitchen expertise is limited at best! Then I took all the Bath people back into town before driving home and going straight back to bed!

Drummer Boy and I pulled ourselves together enough to curl up on the sofa and watch the Big Fat Quiz of the Year - with me kicking ass and winning by two points!

Today I've cleared the house up and I'm now sitting with Little Cat, drinking leftover red wine and writing a picture book text. Lush.

I just wanted to wish everyone in the bloggerverse a very happy 2010, I hope that it is good for everyone and that everyone gets what they wish for this year.

I'm starting work on Monday but I will get my backside into gear and post a proper blog towards the end of the week. I've half-written one about forming and shaping characters and will finish it pronto, promise!

So, here's to 2010 - it's going to be good one!

Writer Girl xxx

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Straw, Jeff Kinney

Synopsis:

Greg's dad, Frank, is on a mission - a mission to make this wimpy kid, well, less wimpy.

All manner of 'manly' physical activities are planned, but Greg just about manages to find a way out of them.

That is until military academy is mentioned and Greg realizes that he's going to have to come up with something very special to get out of this one...

My Thoughts:

This is the second book of this three book series that I’ve managed to get my hands on and I can’t wait to go back and read book two.

Kinney is a total genius who blends an intelligent and well-observed narrative with funny and precise cartoons that complement the text brilliantly.

This is the perfect series for children who have trouble with reading or who struggle with reading longer texts. It’s also perfect for adults who want an easy read and just about everyone in between!

New Years Resolutions For 2010

As 2009 draws to a close, I've been thinking back over this year and forward to the year ahead. There have been some massive highs and deep lows this year for me but there are several things I'm proud of and several things that are still left to accomplish...

Things I'm proud of from this year:

1. Finishing my Masters degree.
2. Moving into a place of my own and being strong enough to live by myself.
3. Being with my Drummer Boy for another year <3
4. Loosing a little over a stone in four months. I did it healthily through a controlled diet and exercise and feel amazing!
5. Finishing my first novel.
6. Adopting my little cat and turning her from a skinny, jumpy little thing into a relaxed and happy creature :)
7. Being strong enough to walk away from people who are negative or constantly full of drama.
8. Not letting all the drama that did happen bring me down.
9. Finding a new job and not giving up when the job hunt was tough.
10. Reading lots of new books and constantly updating my knowledge of the industry.

Things that I want to accomplish next year:

1. Get an agent.
2. Get my first novel published.
3. Save up enough money to go on holiday for at least ten days with my Drummer Boy.
4. Finish my new novel.
5. Loose the last half a stone and get back into my size eight jeans.
6. Learn to speak Spanish fluently.
7. Make more time for my family.
8. Work on strengthening friendships that have slipped away in recent years.
9. Learn to play the guitar, at last!
10. Find a way to be less stressed and to enjoy life more.

A Belated Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I'm well aware that this is a very late blog but - in my defence - I was at my Nan's for Christmas Eve/Day so couldn't get online and then went to Dads, followed by my boyfriends (we'll call him Drummer Boy) for further celebrations. I got home this afternoon and have finally had some time to sit down and write to you all!

So, did you have a good one?

Mine was fun, although it was the first year that I've felt like an 'adult' and therefore sat watching as my cousins ripped through a mountain of gifts whilst I opened numerous cards with cheques and cash in. Don't get me wrong, cash is great (and we all know I need the money at the moment!) but it was odd to be counted as an adult instead of a child.

I was thoroughly spoilt by my Drummer Boy yesterday and I'm currently writing from underneath a Snuggie!! It has swiftly become my favourite gift of all time, I'm never moving from this sofa!

My little cat was very happy to see me after five days apart and she is purring very loudly from the other side of the sofa. My neighbour (we'll call her Kitten Girl) and a friend from uni (we'll call her Blondie) very generously kept an eye on her whilst I was away but I still felt very guilty for leaving her! But I'm pretty sure that all the treats and the new collar that I brought her have made up for it...

In other news, I've finally found myself a job! After four months of hunting, I've found a job in a nursery over in Bristol and I start on the 4th of January. Phew! I'm very excited to start and will, of course, keep everyone updated on how I do!

This week will be mostly taken up with thank you card writing, buying new work clothes, going through the massive file of stuff that I have to read for my new job and, more importantly, preparing for New Years Eve. Usually I avoid it and just spend it curled up with my Drummer Boy but this year, as I have a place of my own now, we decided to have a small shindig. Some friends of ours are coming over for drinks, music and Wii and it should be a good laugh, I can't wait!

Anyway, that's enough for now, I hope you've all had a very merry Christmas and enjoy your New Year!

Stay happy,

Writer Girl xxx