A couple of months ago, my kids and I moved out of Melbourne to live in Gippsland. A month ago, my younger son had his tonsils out. With all of this going on, there hasn’t been a whole lot of time for writing.
The house is mostly unpacked now, I just have my office to finish getting organised, and I’m finding that my head is clearing and story ideas keep coming up.
It feels great to be writing again. I have three stories I’ve decided to focus on – a middle grade book as part of the Chapter Book Challenge in September, a novel for grown ups, and a picture book. The first two are taking shape, one is a rewrite and the other is a first draft, and the picture book needs to be dusted off and revised. I know where the manuscript is, just need to bring it back to the top of the pile.
I have even found an awesome cafe to work in, and it’s just at the end of our street, a short walk from home. They make great chai tea and have a delicious range of food. Pictured is their porridge – yum. It has a wonderful atmosphere and plenty of people to watch if I need inspiration. The bonus is the kids like going there too so I can write while they read their books. I try not to go there too often or I’ll go broke! I need to get my office set up so it’s a comfortable place to write, rather than a room full of the final boxes to unpack.
I’m looking forward to having my office fully operational to keep writing, though the boys have pinched my office chairs! I also need a desk that can fit my laptop and any research notes I have. For now, I’m loving the feeling of writing and creating books in my own space.