30 things one writer learnt in 2018

At this time, in early January, I’m looking forward to what the new year might bring.  However, it’s always good to look back at the year just gone and see what nuggets of wisdom it left behind.  So here goes:

1. It is possible to have a writing blip.  It’s not that I’ve fallen out with writing it’s just that other things have been going on and the thing that’s suffered most is my blog.
2. How much stuff two people can stash in one kitchen.
3. Those tins at the back of the cupboard are likely to many years out of sell-by.  Our record was 2005
4. You never stop learning as a writer.  I’ve been back over my first book.  Tempted to do the same for the rest.
5. I can enjoy relaxing on the beach (as long as the sea’s warm, there’s a sun lounger and a taverna which brings you coffee).
6. Get those stories out!  They’re no good sitting on my/your hard drive.  For me I’ve got two follow-ups to the first book I published which have been sitting there for a years.  A 2019 resolution?
7. I still don’t like playing golf in the rain and mud.  When you see it on TV they’re always playing in warm sunshine.
8. Sometimes you can’t have too much of a good thing.  In the UK we had a glorious summer, fingers crossed for 2019.
9. Most of the time you can take out the word “that” in your writing – try it.
10. Beware the passive voice.

For the other 20 nuggets of wisdom (or not) follow this link