A Break Can Be Just What the Doctor Ordered

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A Break Can Be Just What the Doctor Ordered

I was on holiday last week from Sunday to Friday and it has worked wonders for my inspiration and general outlook on everything.

It pains me to admit it, but I was feeling a bit burnt out before we went away. Writing seemed like so much effort. The ideas were all in my head, but turning them into words was hard. The break was just what I needed.

I took my hard drives and my laptop with me,

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

but when we got there I made a decision, I wasn't going to do anything writing related at all for the entire six days. And I didn't, well not exactly. My fingers stilled, but, wow, did my brain take off.

We were in the Lake District, staying in Windermere, and it was peaceful and lovely and we went all over the place to just as lovely villages, beauty spots and towns as well. If you've never been to the area, let me just say, the scenery is spectacular - wide valleys with huge crags on either side, twisty roads, woods, ancient ruins - it's got the lot. Driving through it all was great for the creative juices.

by Rob Drake

However, I think what helped me most of all was the reboot. The total down time where I barely thought about writing, except in those moments in the car when my mind did a bit of plotting, or going over a scene or two.

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It was on the drive home that I really began thinking about writing again though. It took us 8.5hrs to get back thanks to someone tanking it on the M1 and I let my creative drive go wild.

I haven't felt this excited about writing in longer than I care to admit.

So, if we're facing burnout, just remember, sometimes a break can be just what we need. Even creative types need a rest sometimes!

Hope you are all well. Best wishes to you all.

The Cold Inside: Call of the Necromancer - #Free #Novella #WriterlyWednesday

The Cold Inside: Call of the Necromancer

Free Novella

The Open Novella Contest happens once a year over on Wattpad. It has 3 rounds:

Round 1 - 2000 words
Round 2 - +6000 to reach 8000 words
Round 3 - ~12000 to reach 20,000 words

Then there is a long list and a short list, after which the winners are announced.

It's a lot of fun and I've taken part both years. Last year I came 5th, this year I made it to round 3 but didn't make the long list, but still had a blast. My novella is up on Wattpad for everyone to read:

The Cold Inside: Call of the Necromancer

by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Becky is staying with her parents, after an acrimonious breakup, when her bedroom cupboard starts singing to her in the middle of the night. As she investigates she finds a long forgotten heirloom, bequeathed to her by her great great aunt Rosalind years ago. Things get really weird and kind of creepy when it starts to talk.

Read on Wattpad

It has ghosts and revenants and magic and lesbians.

I'd love to know what you think.

~*~

And an added bonus, Soph entered this year as well and her story is in the shortlist. Go check it out, I beta read it and it is an excellent story.

Old Earth Rising: Reed-Hall Investigations

by Sophie Duncan

Something strange about your crime scene? Every well-informed copper in Britain knows it's time to call Reed-Hall Investigations, even if they'd never admit it afterwards.

Ally Reed and her investigative partner, Sherrod Reed-Hall, are called in when an archaeological site in the Highlands of Scotland unearths more than just grave goods. One of the dig team has disappeared, leaving only burnt markings on the wall that give Ally's extra senses a dose of dread. 

Taking on the case, Ally and Sherrod must face the most powerful foe they have ever encountered.

Read on Wattpad

Thought by Natasha Duncan-Drake #FreeFictionFriday

Free Fiction Friday - May 2019

It's the first Friday in the month, which means Free Fiction Friday at Wittegen Press. Every month we give the little gift of an exclusive free short story to all the subscribers of our newsletter. This month we have a contemporary fantasy tale.

Our newsletter is run on Mailchimp, so it’s secure and reliable, as well as being easy to join and we promise there is no spam. Fill in the form on our landing page at Mailchimp and you're done. The links for this month's free short story are in the final welcome email.

We provide the short story in mobi, awz3, ePub and PDF to cater for all needs.

Thought – by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Genre: contemporary fantasy

A head injury leaves James with more than just a bump on his skull. He’s hearing voices.

Author’s Note:
This is a story I have had in my concepts folder for a few years now and it was a joy to finally be able to flesh it out. It was originally designed to be much longer, but that will have to wait for other projects to be finished. I hope you enjoy it.