annethology
  • Home
    • About Annethology
    • About me >
      • A little more about me
    • About my books
    • Author talks
    • Contact me
    • Forthcoming events
    • World Mental Health Day
    • Privacy
    • Sign up for my newsletter
  • Sugar and Snails
    • Acknowledgements
    • Blog tour, Q&A's and feature articles >
      • Birthday blog tour
      • S&S on tour 2022
    • Early endorsements
    • Events >
      • Launch photos
      • Launch party videos
    • in pictures
    • Media
    • If you've read the book
    • Polari
    • Reading group questions
    • Reviews
    • In the media
  • Underneath
    • Endorsements and reviews
    • Launch party and events
    • Pictures
    • Questions for book groups
    • The stories underneath the novel
  • Matilda Windsor series
    • Matilda Windsor >
      • What readers say
      • For book groups
      • Interviews, articles and features
      • Matty on the move
      • Who were you in 1990?
      • Asylum lit
      • Matilda Windsor media
    • Stolen Summers >
      • Stolen Summers reviews
  • Short stories
    • Somebody’s Daughter
    • Becoming Someone (anthology) >
      • Becoming Someone (video readings)
      • Becoming Someone reviews
      • Becoming Someone online book chat
    • Print and downloads
    • Read it online
    • Quick reads
  • Free ebook
  • Annecdotal
    • Annecdotal blog
    • Annecdotal Press
    • Articles >
      • Print journalism
      • Where psychology meets fiction
    • Fictional therapists
    • Reading and reviews >
      • Reviews A to H
      • Reviews I to M
      • Reviews N to Z
      • Nonfiction
      • Themed quotes
      • Reading around the world
  • Shop
    • Inspired Quill (my publisher)
    • Bookshop.org (affiliate link)
    • Amazon UK
    • Amazon US
    • books2read

About the author and blogger ...

Anne Goodwin’s drive to understand what makes people tick led to a career in clinical psychology. That same curiosity now powers her fiction.
A prize-winning short-story writer, she has published three novels and a short story collection with small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize.
Away from her desk, Anne guides book-loving walkers through the Derbyshire landscape that inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
Subscribers to her newsletter can download a free e-book of award-winning short stories.

TELL ME MORE

Winding down and cranking up for September

12/9/2017

10 Comments

 
Picture
I love September. I love that the world beyond my desk is winding down, my garden yielding the last of its harvest before clocking off for winter, while the pencil-sharpening back-to-work feeling – honed by decades of education and relished now without the accompanying dread – is igniting in my head. The return of some to school means the outside world is quieter and less crowded for those of us with the freedom to choose our hours of work and play, and September often brings better weather than August (although, having resorted to turning on the central heating a couple of times last month, there’s not much competition – nor any sign of improvement on that so far this month).

Picture







                                                                                                                   Sadly, it’s not only
fiction that heralds the September of the human race, and, right now, with record-breaking hurricanes and recent arm-wrestling between the heads of USA and North Korea, it’s hard to tell whether the end will come about through the posturing of unstable narcissists or through global warming. Now in the September of my own life it’s less of a worry for me, but I do feel for the kids. Exile from Europe, the devastation of wild spaces and crippling debt: my generation’s legacy wasn’t great to start with.
 
Of course, the calendar is too crude an analogy for predicting the remaining lifespan of an individual or species. Unlike with a novel, we can’t skip ahead to the final page to see how it will end. It might indeed be September or, as Gulara Vincent wrote recently,
it might be later than we think.
 
But I digress! I’d planned to write about how, having just begun my sixth decade, I’m very
happy about the September of my life. Freed from the stresses of employment, yet with a rewarding, albeit not financially so, second career as an author, I’ve done my winding down while cranking up. But I sometimes lose sight of how lucky I am, or fear that creating and improving on my fiction, which is my priority is a writer, is getting swamped by the essentials of admin and promotion. So it was reassuring to find, when I carried out my desk-time audit in early July, that, although I wrote fiction on only six of the ten days, overall I spent more time writing fiction than on writing non-fiction, admin or social media. Back-to-school September has given me the impetus to consider how I continue to keep fiction at the forefront without tying myself up in so many targets I might as well be back at the day job.


Picture
Picture
Targets do help me focus but I don’t want to wield the whip that welts my own skin. In the two months since completing the audit, I’m quite satisfied with what I’ve achieved fiction-wise: 30,000 words on the teenage diaries of one of the viewpoint characters of my current WIP, and I’ve edited almost 30 of my own short stories for a potential anthology. I knuckled down to the first knowing I could average 1000 words a day for a fast first draft and it would be good to get it completed before a scheduled break in the middle of August. I didn’t set a deadline, or any other kind of target, for the editing stint; just decided it had lingered too long on my to-do list and got on with it whenever I could. What I like about my approach to both of these is that I was able to keep my focus without being overly strict. How can I harness and build on this balance between discipline and flexibility as I move through the remaining months of the year and take my hopefully third novel, which began with three character sketches almost three years ago to the next stage?
 
I’m on my fifth draft of
this novel, originally entitled Closure, then changed to Secrets and Lies and currently called High Hopes, but only the first has taken it right from beginning to end. That’s okay, I have to write to discover the plot, but surely I have enough now to pin it down? I want to set down another beginning-to-end, with enough of the story to make it worthwhile asking for feedback on how it reads. As I expect there’ll be more revising and cutting than new writing, I ought to be able to get this done by the end of the year. Loving this story as I do, I assumed the only thing that would block me would be distractions in the form of essential admin and overly lengthy blog posts such as this. But reflecting on the wisdom in the preamble to this week’s flash fiction challenge, I have to ask myself whether I’m also blocked by fear.
 
Charli’s post reminds us that looking busy is not the same as being busy, and that the reverie that fuels much creative endeavour looks like doing nothing at all. From my psychoanalytic studies, I’m familiar with the concept of busyness as a means of avoiding some painful thing that would confront us if we took pause. A manic defence keeps the fear of
emptiness and inner homelessness, of somehow not being good enough, at bay.
 
As once again I spend more time than I envisaged on a blog post, maybe I need to examine my hopes and fears about the project I profess I want to prioritise,
this novel, High Hopes. I do have high hopes for it, or at least hopes that it will rank higher in writing quality and in attracting a wider readership than my first two. Of course, I don’t know whether that’s possible. Is there a part of me that’s afraid to try?

I’ve already posted one 99-word story in response to this week’s flash fiction challenge. But, having done so before reading Charli’s post in its entirety, I suspected a story about a snake might not fit the tone. In retrospect, I think it does the job quite well, but I thought I’d do another, if only to get this muddled post out of my drafts. And who knows, contemplating defensive busyness in my former career might help me understand whether there’s a similar issue with my current.

Picture
Super secretary

“Mr Johnson called. Frantic he can’t make his appointment. He wondered if you’d see him at six.” Elaine wrinkled her nose. “I said you finished at five but he said you’d seen him after hours before.”

“Tell him okay.” The guy was too vulnerable to wait another week.

“And that rescheduled team meeting. I can’t find a slot that suits everyone until next month. Apart from Friday.”

Friday: her day off for writing. But writing wasn’t her real work. “We’ll do it Friday. If you can book a room.”

Elaine smiled. Perhaps the meeting rooms would be fully booked.
 


Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
10 Comments
Deborah Lee link
12/9/2017 01:19:02 pm

Busy-ness as sneaky-ness! I like it.

Reply
Annecdotist
17/9/2017 01:12:16 pm

Thanks, Deborah.

Reply
Irene Waters link
13/9/2017 06:24:13 am

This resounded for me. Writing is so often devalued: considered to be doing nothing. I have just realised this recently and admit that I possibly am the culprit. I think you can't hope the room is booked but rather put the value of writing back by saying no.

Reply
Annecdotist
17/9/2017 01:49:02 pm

Exactly, Irene. So many of us with a background in health care have had to fight to overcome our difficulties in saying no to other people’s needs. I do think my younger self would be surprised at how selfish I have become! We can’t always rely on someone else to say no on our behalf.

Reply
Norah Colvin link
14/9/2017 12:08:54 pm

What excites me most about this post, Anne, is the thought of 30 of your short stories collected in an anthology. You know how much I enjoy your short stories, so having them together in one resource is like music to my ears (forget I've told you I'm tone deaf for the moment).
I think the busyness of procrastination or avoidance is something we all engage in at some time. At least I do, though when time is short, as it seems to becoming ever more so, I try to avoid avoidance and procrastination as much as I can with real busyness. But hey, when writing can't be considered "real" work as it doesn't earn "real" payment, why shouldn't it be interrupted.
Your flash resonates with me. I hear it loud and clear.
I, too, have high hopes for your third novel, though see no need for it to be better written than either of your first two, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I do wish you many readers though and a respectable income from all four of your books.

Reply
Annecdotist
17/9/2017 01:59:12 pm

Thanks, Norah, and I think you know how much I value your support for my writing. Whether the anthology will actually happen and, if so, how many stories there’ll be, has yet to be confirmed with publisher, but I enjoyed working on them regardless. One of the things I appreciate about short stories is that, even if they’ve been published, they can continue to be a work in progress, improving with each edit perhaps over a number of years.
And thanks also for your endorsement of my novels. Some good news this morning is that Underneath is currently on Kindle discount for the rest of this week with an advertising campaign (I think it’s BookBub) which seems to be attracting a lot more readers. I hope they enjoy it.

Reply
Charli Mills
21/9/2017 05:23:26 am

I was never the best at structuring time in such a charted way, but I have good instincts. Is that a point of difference between pantsing and plotting? Pantsing is about the exploration, discovery and process. Plotting is deliberate but needs to accept the freedom of the pantsing experience. Likewise, pantsing needs to take on the discipline and structure of plotting. I'm not certain I'm making any valid points, but I do marvel at your ability to crunch your time into a visible chart. I have so much mud flying about me right now, I'm certain I look to only be making a mess. But I will have some spectacular mud pies when I'm through! Never mind the smudges across my forehead. :-)

Great flash that shows the inner struggle many of us who write have. It's not our day job; it's not even a real job. But what it creates has value. To whom? Maybe to the creator. Hopefully to others!

Reply
Annecdotist
21/9/2017 05:45:41 pm

Makes perfect sense, Charli. The analogy with planning versus pantsing adds nuance and underlines what I feel about the need for balance. Though not much need for it at the moment as I’m on a roll with my WIP – there’s mud, but it’s disciplined mud. I’m sure your pies will be beautiful when they come through.
I might not have collected the data without the promise of a lovely way of putting it together with the clever graphs on Excel. And I’ve got more pretty pictures coming up at the end of the month.
I actually feel I’ve progressed beyond the sentiment in the flash to a large degree – I’ve served my time!

Reply
Robbie Cheadle link
23/9/2017 07:34:47 pm

I found it most interesting to read how you spend your time. I work full time so have to scrape for time to write and attend to social media. I enjoyed your 99-word prompt.

Reply
Annecdotist
25/9/2017 07:35:43 pm

Thanks, Robbie. Yes it’s quite a luxury to have all this time to use/squander. Sometimes we can be more efficient when we’ve got less time, but I find I can go deeper into my fiction when I’ve got a biggish space to work within.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Free ebook: click the image to claim yours.
    Picture
    OUT NOW: The poignant prequel to Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home
    Picture
    Find a review
    Picture
    Fictional therapists
    Picture
    Picture
    About Anne Goodwin
    Picture
    My published books
    entertaining fiction about identity, mental health and social justice
    Picture
    My latest novel, published May 2021
    Picture
    My debut novel shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize
    Picture
    Picture
    My second novel published May 2017.
    Picture
    Short stories on the theme of identity published 2018
    Anne Goodwin's books on Goodreads
    Sugar and Snails Sugar and Snails
    reviews: 32
    ratings: 52 (avg rating 4.21)

    Underneath Underneath
    reviews: 24
    ratings: 60 (avg rating 3.17)

    Becoming Someone Becoming Someone
    reviews: 8
    ratings: 9 (avg rating 4.56)

    GUD: Greatest Uncommon Denominator, Issue 4 GUD: Greatest Uncommon Denominator, Issue 4
    reviews: 4
    ratings: 9 (avg rating 4.44)

    The Best of Fiction on the Web The Best of Fiction on the Web
    reviews: 3
    ratings: 3 (avg rating 4.67)

    2022 Reading Challenge

    2022 Reading Challenge
    Anne has read 2 books toward their goal of 100 books.
    hide
    2 of 100 (2%)
    view books
    Picture
    Annecdotal is where real life brushes up against the fictional.  
    Picture
    Annecdotist is the blogging persona of Anne Goodwin: 
    reader, writer,

    slug-slayer, tramper of moors, 
    recovering psychologist, 
    struggling soprano, 
    author of three fiction books.

    LATEST POSTS HERE
    I don't post to a schedule, but average  around ten reviews a month (see here for an alphabetical list), 
    some linked to a weekly flash fiction, plus posts on my WIPs and published books.  

    Your comments are welcome any time any where.

    Get new posts direct to your inbox ...

    Enter your email address:

    or click here …

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Tweets by @Annecdotist
    Picture
    New short story, “My Dirty Weekend”
    Picture
    Let’s keep in touch – subscribe to my newsletter
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Popular posts

    • Compassion: something we all need
    • Do spoilers spoil?
    • How to create a convincing fictional therapist
    • Instructions for a novel
    • Looking at difference, embracing diversity
    • Never let me go: the dilemma of lending books
    • On loving, hating and writers’ block
      On Pop, Pirates and Plagiarism
    • READIN' for HER reviews
    • Relishing the cuts
    • The fast first draft
    • The tragedy of obedience
    • Writers and therapy: a love-hate relationship?

    Categories/Tags

    All
    Animals
    Annecdotist Hosts
    Annecdotist On Tour
    Articles
    Attachment Theory
    Author Interviews
    Becoming Someone
    Being A Writer
    Blogging
    Bodies
    Body
    Bookbirthday
    Books For Writers
    Bookshops
    CB Book Group
    Character
    Childhood
    Christmas
    Classics
    Climate Crisis
    Coming Of Age
    Counsellors Cafe
    Creative Writing Industry
    Creativity
    Cumbria
    Debut Novels
    Disability
    Editing
    Emotion
    Ethics
    Ethis
    Family
    Feedback And Critiques
    Fictional Psychologists & Therapists
    Food
    Friendship
    Futuristic
    Gender
    Genre
    Getting Published
    Giveaways
    Good Enough
    Grammar
    Gratitude
    Group/organisational Dynamics
    Hero’s Journey
    History
    Humour
    Identity
    Illness
    Independent Presses
    Institutions
    International Commemorative Day
    Jane Eyre
    Kidney Disease
    Language
    LGBTQ
    Libraries
    Live Events
    Lyrics For The Loved Ones
    Marketing
    Matilda Windsor
    Memoir
    Memory
    Mental Health
    Microfiction
    Motivation
    Music
    MW Prequel
    Names
    Narrative Voice
    Nature / Gardening
    Networking
    Newcastle
    Nonfiction
    Nottingham
    Novels
    Pandemic
    Peak District
    Perfect Match
    Poetry
    Point Of View
    Politics
    Politics Current Affairs
    Presentation
    Privacy
    Prizes
    Psychoanalytic Theory
    Psychology
    Psycholoists Write
    Psychotherapy
    Race
    Racism
    Rants
    Reading
    Real Vs Imaginary
    Religion
    Repetitive Strain Injury
    Research
    Reviewing
    Romance
    Satire
    Second Novels
    Settings
    Sex
    Shakespeare
    Short Stories General
    Short Stories My Published
    Short Stories Others'
    Siblings
    Snowflake
    Somebody's Daughter
    Stolen Summers
    Storytelling
    Structure
    Sugar And Snails
    Technology
    The
    The Guestlist
    Therapy
    TikTok
    TNTB
    Toiletday
    Tourism
    Toxic Positivity
    Transfiction
    Translation
    Trauma
    Unconscious
    Unconscious, The
    Underneath
    Voice Recognition Software
    War
    WaSBihC
    Weather
    Work
    Writing Process
    Writing Technique

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Picture
    BLOGGING COMMUNITIES
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from havens.michael34, romana klee, mrsdkrebs, Kyle Taylor, Dream It. Do It., adam & lucy, dluders, Joybot, Hammer51012, jorgempf, Sherif Salama, eyspahn, raniel diaz, E. E. Piphanies, scaredofbabies, Nomadic Lass, paulternate, Tony Fischer Photography, archer10 (Dennis), slightly everything, impbox, jonwick04, country_boy_shane, dok1, Out.of.Focus, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Elvert Barnes, guillenperez, Richard Perry, jamesnaruke, Juan Carlos Arniz Sanz, El Tuerto, kona99, maveric2003, !anaughty!, Patrick Denker, David Davies, hamilcar_south, idleformat, Dave Goodman, Sharon Mollerus, photosteve101, La Citta Vita, A Girl With Tea, striatic, carlosfpardo, Damork, Elvert Barnes, UNE Photos, jurvetson, quinn.anya, BChristensen93, Joelk75, ashesmonroe, albertogp123, >littleyiye<, mudgalbharat, Swami Stream, Dicemanic, lovelihood, anyjazz65, Tjeerd, albastrica mititica, jimmiehomeschoolmom