It’s been an unusual year to say the least.
Spring is here and we are on the downward slope to the Christmas period.

My original writing plan for 2020 was thrown out the window when the first lockdown occurred, with having to juggle work, home schooling and writing.  But a spring clean of my office and computer shows the following progress I have made in the past 6 months which I am pleased with:

1 x story for 8-12 years 25,000 words (draft)
1 x story for 7-9 years 10,000 words (draft) + plans for a further 2 in this series
1 x picture book story 3-5 years (draft)
4 x children’s short stories (drafts)
5 x children’s poems
1 x Adult short story (draft)
1 x re-editing 7-9 years story/looking at artwork/beta readers
2 x book submissions to publisher(s)
2 x short story submissions to competitions
4 x rejections (par for the course unfortunately)
2 x writer’s courses (online)
1 x website (wrote content, built, and launched www.kellyannewriter.com)
Research – Parks, birds, ships, pirates, plays, craft activities
Social media platforms programme: @kellyannewriter #kellyannewriter
? x books read (lost count and I still have this ginormous pile to get through

Not my original plan but not too bad considering the conditions we have all been operating under.

The 7-9 years story that I have been re-editing had previously been submitted to publishers with no luck, even though it had received good feedback from a variety of people (Kids and professionals). In the past 6 months I have learnt a lot about the writing process and especially about editing. After two weeks re-editing, the story is cleaner and now ‘shows more than tells’, so the action flows better. I also realised that I use the word ‘just’ a lot in my writing.

I’m on the lookout for a couple of further Beta Readers. If you have/know a child in the 7 – 10 year old range who like to be a Beta Reader (read the story and provide feedback), then send me a message through the contact me page or you can PM me via my Facebook or Instagram page.

I hope you have all achieved something this year whether it be a new skill or new facts you’ve learnt.

Don’t forget to check out www.kellyannewriter.com as I’m adding new content all the time. Sign up to the newsletter and you’ll receive access to the Members Only section where you can download a FREE Scruffy McTuffy Tale and access other kids’ activities and information.

Happy Reading! x x