Well today wasn’t a productive day on the writing front at all. However, I did do quite well on the Solitaire front. My wireless internet connection was playing silly buggers so I felt lost – not to mention pissed off – because I felt isolated with no contact to the outside world.

In the end, I think I wrote half a dozen paragraphs which I’m hoping will bring me closer to the entire scene I wrote last weekend.

Still, I plan on having this, my 5th revision of Sarah’s Gift, completed by the end of August. Guess I best find some inspiration, muse, motivation, and anything else I’m going to require to achieve this outlandish goal.

Wish me luck!

After going along smoothly, the words flowing out of my fingers, I’ve found myself grinding to a halt again. I had to stop and check a few details and formulate how I would work them in to my writing. Simple things, really… what train would my hero take from the nearby train station into Aberdeen? And once I got him to the city, what time would he leave? Minor details perhaps, but details that need to be accounted for.

They don’t happen often but when they do they’re usually pretty darn good. I happen to think this one is a cracker! I’ve figured out how to get Robert out of his arranged marriage to Letitia Christie so that he’s free to marry Sarah.

Not saying any more than that right now. If you want to know, you’ll have to wait until my novel is published and buy a copy so you can read it for yourself.

I had a brainwave this morning that I would change the name of the estate in the Victorian era from Gordonsfield to Gleanstane (basically glen of stones) and since I envision the Christie mansion being in a bit of a valley, a standing stone or two by themselves and a stone circle atop a hill, the name sounded absolutely perfect.

However in my heroine’s time, she knows it as Gordonsfield. A bit of a dilemma but not for long. I mention the burnt out shell of a house on the property which still exists in the twenty-first century. So, the burnt out shell of a house was rented by one Gordon Eadie a tenant farmer (crofter) on the Christie estate and the land that his house was on was his “field”… hence Gordon’s Field… and over the years shortened to Gordonsfield.

So a few find and replaces later and an explanation or two and all will be well. However, I’m going to continue on from where I left off at the weekend and worry about the earlier changes later. I’m finding myself on a roll as far as the current revisions are going so want to keep on that track. I’m not in any rush to go back to the first three chapters and start again –  spent way TOO much time back there.

I started back in my chapters 7-9 file of Sarah’s Gift after lunch and by the time I shut the computer down to come home from my mum’s, I was into the chapters 13-15 file. I even found the perfect place to put the file I started working on when I was distracted last weekend! When said file called to me to be written.

Woo Hoo!!! Hooray for me!

Didn’t get a lot accomplished today on my revisions although it was more than I have been doing of late. I did add some flavour to the countryside… sweet smell of the air after the rain… sprinted through the wet grass… high-pitched whine of a motorbike faded off into the distance… low rumble of a diesel lorry… wood fired steam engine… the smell of freshly cut hay and farm animals.

I rearranged some of the character descriptions. Hope I didn’t create any info dumps doing that. At least I still have my previous version so I can go back to it  if need be and only add the countryside “flavour” to it.

I’m contemplating entering the Indiana Golden Opportunity contest for the first 35 pages (including synopsis) of Sarah’s Gift. I’ve entered the early parts of her in other contests but have never had my synopsis judged. Yes, that’s right, I said judged. Up to 50 points for it. I don’t write a good synopsis – it’s good as far as plot points go but not so good on the emotional reactions. Anyway, here is the link to the contest page… http://www.indianarwa.com/contest/