The Diary Of A Wannabe Writer

I don’t want to say that the second draft of “Empress” is signed off just in case my proof copy has loads of errors in it, but if it doesn’t then it is if that makes sense! It will be going out to beta readers very soon hopefully…

I just finished reading my draft copy of Empress, I want to run it all through a grammar checker again which may take a couple of days and then I think the second draft is done…

I talk about how I got on today with signing off the second draft of Empress of the Trees.

My hardback proof copy of “Empress of the Trees” has arrived and I spent a lot of my day reading it. It’s pretty damn large but so far I’m really enjoying it, I’m approximately 160 pages in and I’ve only made cosmetic changes.

I talk about the fact that I finally updated my website today, also that my hard copy of “Empress” has been shipped and should hopefully arrive by Friday, and also about the bookclub I attended this evening at my local bookshop. And I keep it down to 6 minutes, go me!!!

On my drive back home from Northumberland, I stop at a 17th century aristocracy retreat in Derbyshire, Bolsover Castle…

I have a lazy day, drinking coffee and reading in Northumberland…

Today’s podcast was recorded within the ruins of the Priory on Lindisfarne…

I record today’s podcast at a Roman Hillport along Hadrian’s wall…

Hopefully, as you listen to this, I’m driving up to Northumberland for a little holiday. In the meantime please take a listen to the first seven minutes of a new ambient reading (audiobook with sound effects) of a book in the Bow Street Society Casebook series. To listen to the whole story, click here: https://youtu.be/Pz4Bb8QOygI?si=ICDCV2hltFwdcHPP And for more information on The Bow Street Soci...

I talk about my favourite topic, Doctor Who, and the 97 missing episodes…

I talk about what I have been doing to prepare my submissions package for “Still Life” and separately about submitting “The English Hikikomori” to literary agents.

I finally get around to setting myself some targets and goals for this month…

A trailer for “The Diary of a Wannabe Writer” made in July 2025.

I talk about signing off the final two chapters of “Empress Of The Trees,” about why I nearly went on holiday today but didn’t, and how trying to create a preview hardback of the book for me to read using Amazons Kindle Direct Publishing was a bit like having all my teeth pulled out. Without anaesthetic.

I talk about a TV show I really like, and its history (ITV’s superb Doc Martin) and update you briefly on the final two chapters of Empress.

No writing today, but I attended a music event that my godson was taking part in…

I tell you about what I achieved today, which is a lot more than I expected I would, and what is left to get this draft signed off…

I talk about the editing work I did today, and how my new DVD player won’t play Australian DVDs…

I talk about the editing I did today (whilst I signed nothing off, I got three chapters ready for sign off) as well as talking about the writing group at my local bookshop that I attended this evening and a video that I am planning to put out to encourage people to beta-read “Empress Of The Trees.”

Still no writing, sorry.

I’ve not been in the mood to write today, so instead I’ve been listening to lots of music.

I get some more work done on my current novel, and try not to moan about the heat…

I talk about my day, and briefly about the next chapter I am working on…

I apologise for not doing a podcast yesterday (I just forgot) and then talk about my issues with shopping giant Amazon and then about the chapters I signed off today…