Yesterday, I bid my husband goodbye & jumped on a train to Birmingham for a day of drinking hanging out with bookish peeps. Writing is absolutely my dream job. I wouldn’t change it for the world but sometimes even dreams can have cracks in them and I admit that going from a hustle-bustle-busy working environment, to spending long days talking to creating characters, can feel a tad isolating at times.
It was fabulous to catch up with old friends and have the chance to make some new ones. The book bloggers I haven’t met before, but feel I already know, were just as warm in person as they are online. I’m now even more excited about The Surrogate Blog Tour next week (and receiving my toad in the hole recipe from Joanne Robertson!)
For me, the chance to grill other writers about their approach to novel writing is invaluable and after a long conversation with the lovely Barbara Copperthwaite, I came away feeling much better about something that had been troubling me about my own approach to writing a first draft, which had felt quite slap-dash. Slowly, and largely due to events like these, I’m realising we all have our own way of doing things. There is no right and wrong.
It was wonderful to hear the news that several I’d met last year had finished their novels, some were submitting and there were 2 book deals to celebrate. Each and every writerly success I hear of gives me a warm fuzzy feeling that had nothing to do with the wine. There can never be too many books.
On the journey home, I was exhausted but happy. Feeling incredibly grateful to be a part of such a friendly and supportive community.
Huge thanks to Kim Nash & Holly Martin for organising the event.
fabricating fiction 
Ah, this is lovely Louise. Important to have that support network, people who know what it is to write. But where on earth did you go? It looks like you had a meal in an Egyptian tomb 🙂
Hehe it’s a basement bar!
A unique one too! 🙂
It was so lovely to meet you in person yesterday! Will be sending recipe later as all that talk of Toad in the Hole has me craving it for tea tonight!
So glad you had a good time yesterday. I love Kim and Hollys events as it’s a chance to connect with others in a warm and welcoming environment-and those chips were so yummy weren’t they?!
Hope to see you at the next one xx
Definitely see you at the next one. So fabulous to meet you. Have a happy Sunday 💕
A lovely event, and it was great to chat with you! x
Looking forward to the next one! x
Glad Jo finally got to meet you, Louise. She’s been raving about you for ages. More importantly, glad it was a good day. I really need to get to more of these kinds of events
Yes. I kind of assumed you’d be there?
Funnily enough, it was Jo who first mentioned it to me, and I was planning to, but life kind of got in the way. I will make more of an effort next time