Hi Everyone – call me fickle but I’ve had enough of the rain now! It’s time for the sun to reappear so that we can sit outside in our gardens – if we have them, or park or open space – with family and friends. I did manage to take my flask and join a friend in her garden for a short while yesterday. Winter coats and boots were the order of the day but I came back with a small bouquet of old fashioned sweet peas which sing summer every time they catch my eye or nose.
Meanwhile indoors I’ve been doing more writing than thinking, but all to the good I hope, as far as the novella is concerned. I haven’t added to my word count but I’ve made a lot of notes. I’ve made changes and learned more about my four characters. I’ve reminded myself of the nature of the novella and of how it works best, and I’ve re-read this piece by Ian McEwan in the New Yorker Some Notes on the Novella, which for me sums up its possibilities – lofty though they may be, one should always aim high.
My best moment of this last week came when I saw the cover, designed for me by my daughter, designer and stationer Kate Hall … here it is
