Whilst away I tried working on a tiny acer laptop - OK for emails and the like, but a no go when it came to getting down for some serious writing.
So, it was back to the borrowed kitchen table, writing pad and favourite pen. I keep coming back when making my first draft of a new novel to working with basics. Some writer friends find it all a bit long-winded but not so for me - a pen and ink draft lets you get into writing that little bit easier - a gradual slipping into a la writing mode.
So, I was delighted to find that I had soon completed 6 chapters on novel number 3 - all in long-hand. When I transfer onto my laptop I treat this as my first real edit, and it's amazing how many words I can shave off the overall word count!
The new novel is set in exotic Malaya in the 1950's and 60's. I spent some of my childhood there so feel qualified to write about the country - as all the good 'how to write' books say - write about what you know - a good tip I've found.
Happy Reading to you all!