Karen McCreedy: Novelist and Freelance Writer - Writing diary

May 1st-11th

11/5/2021

Writing Activity: Continuing to make notes and alterations to hard copy
Worked on notes for 'Space Exploration' talk for U3A

Just Read: 'Murder at Home' by Faith Martin
'St Crispin's Day' by Griff Hosker
'The Battle for France' by Griff Hosker

Currently Reading: 'Nightingale Point' by Luan Goldie

April 12th-30th

30/4/2021

Writing Activity: Local repro services are now open, so had a hard copy of
latest draft printed. Hard copy and biro help me see
gaps and errors I might miss on a screen - and it's
much easier to flick back and forth to check things!

Just Read: 'Chains of Command' by Marko Kloos
'Fields of Fire' by Marko Kloos'
'Point of Impact' by Marko Kloos

Currently Reading: 'Orders of Battle' by Marko Kloos

April 1st -11th

11/4/2021

Writing Activity: Starting another redraft of latest SF novel. Planets to
name, characters to beef up, and a consistent number
of main engines to maintain!

Just Read: 'Lines of Departure' by Marko Kloos

Currently Reading: 'Angles of Attack' by Marko Kloos

March 17th-31st

31/3/2021

Writing Activity: Rehearsed and revised talk on 'My Journey to Publication'
Made notes on ideas for future novels

Just Read: 'Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know' by Ranulph Fiennes

Currently Reading: 'Terms of Enlistment' by Marko Kloos

March 1st-16th

16/3/2021

Writing Activity: Gave a talk/Q&A via Zoom for Cheadle Library, Staffs, to
mark World Book Day on March 4th
Reviewed and revised book talk as prepared for
cancelled talk last year - now to be given via Zoom to a
different audience.

Just Read: 'Tombland' by C.J.Sansom
'Night of the Living Trekkies' by Kevin D Anderson and Sam Stall

Currently Reading: 'The Death of Kings' by Michael Evans

February 19th-28th

28/2/2021

Writing Activity: Put the novel on the back-burner for a week or so. It
often helps to leave WIP aside for a while - easier to
spot errors and typos when I come back to it later.
Started writing U3A talk on What Space Exploration Has
Done For Us.

Currently Reading: 'Harold: The Last Anglo-Saxon King' by Ian W. Walker

February 1st-18th

18/2/2021

Writing Activity: Completed latest redraft of SF novel; began work on my
own queries and quibbles.
Continued sourcing pics and information for U3A talk

Just Read: 'Sword of Kings' by Bernard Cornwell

Currently Reading: 'The Goblin King' by Katherine Addison

January 18th-31st

31/1/2021

Writing Activity: Continued work on SF novel (redraft number 4). Still work
to do and improvements to be made, but 'Unreachable
Skies' took about 14 drafts before final version - and
even then there were additional corrections to be made
once the publisher's line-editor took a look!
Sourced more info for U3A talk

Currently Reading: 'Neither Here Nor There: Travels in Europe' by
Bill Bryson

January 1st-17th 2021

17/1/2021

Writing Activity: Back in the writing routine - writing each weekday
morning, usually for a couple of hours.
Continued work on SF novel - reading it through again
and correcting discrepancies, as well as adding scenes
and working on character 'voices' and quirks.
Started research for another U3A talk, this one on
'What Space Has Done for Us'

Just Read: 'The Oxford Mystery' by Faith Martin
'The White Ship' by Charles Spencer'
'Fluency' by Jennifer Foehner Wells

Currently Reading: 'Queen of the North' by Anne O'Brien

December 20th-31st

31/12/2020

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
Here's hoping for a much busier and more sociable 2021!