Oh, I wanted to join the NaNoWriMo, but guess what? - Yes, I fu***d up. I couldn’t bring myself to write one single shitty sentence without immediately correcting or rewriting it. 
“The first draft is where you tell yourself the story.” This is a great way to look at the writing process, mille grazie, Jen! 
I’m going to open a new file tonight, name it “Übungsgeschichte (exercise story)” and write just for myself.
Thanks a million for your advice and all the luck in the world for your writing! 
Thank you all for your warm support and encouragement. It really means a lot to me!
I was absent from here all of last week as I was on a writing course at Tŷ Newydd, the National Writing Centre of Wales. The course, organised and paid for by the Welsh Books Council and Tŷ Newydd, aimed to encourage budding authors to write fiction for young adults. They received just short of 30 applications for only 12 spaces and I was so honoured to have won a place. I had an amazingly creative week, writing, reading, sharing, receiving invaluable tutorage from Manon Steffan Ros and Bethan Gwanas and making friends with a dynamic group of talented writers. It was such an inspirational experience and I came away with a full synopsis and detailed character descriptions for my second novel - fiction aimed at 16 year olds,
As I mentioned before, it was a two day course at Tŷ Newydd in 2014 which encouraged me to follow the dream of becoming a writer I’d had since my school days. So it was quite apt that last week, my publisher came to visit me at Tŷ Newydd to hand over the proofs for my first novel!
I will be spending my ‘spare’ time this week working my way through the proofs and looking forward to hearing from the illustrator with regards to the cover.
I’ll keep you posted as to when it will be on the shelves! 
Wonderful news. Llongyfarchadau. Dal ati 
I just google-translated the title into German and it gave me: “Monochrome Vögel”. “Birds in Monochrome” in English - ist that correct? Love this title, it sounds mysterious. 
Wow! Llongyfarchiadau!
I’m thinking back to your ‘what do you do for a living?’ thread ages ago. I guess this means you’ve figured it out! You said then that you’d like to be paid to narrate stories for children. That’s now sounding a lot like an ‘I’m really a writer but I’m not going to say it out loud’. 
Well done for getting there - with bells on!
That’s really interesting! Not quite the same, but almost, I guess. It means ‘bird’s of a feather’ and comes from the saying ‘birds of a feather flock together’ and in Welsh, 'adar o’r unlliw, ehedant i’r un lle’. It basically means that birds of the same colour and type will fly/come together to/in the same place.
Without giving too much away, one of the strongest story threads in the novel is about the main character often finding herself in the same place/in the company of another character, she struggles with understanding why, as they are both, in her eyes, completely different.
Would you like to be my therapist? My old one doesn’t understand me half as well as you do… 
I’d have to find someone to therapise me first! 
Thanks a lot for your reply. I’m glad that I asked, as it shows me once again, that a language expresses the culture, mentality … the soul of a people. In every country, the pictures people paint with words are different, but they mean the same thing.
Oh, I must go on learning Welsh, I really, really want to read your novel! Sometimes, I think that people express themselves differently, act differently, come to different conclusions, solve problems in other ways - but at its heart, they struggle with similar issues, have similar hopes and dreams and fears …
Prynhawn da bawb! 
Just thought I’d fill you in with the latest news on my novel. Well it’s all done, apart from the printing, distribution and official launch. Unfortunately everything is currently having to be put on hold, even the printing believe it or not. But I feel happy to have it all done and eternally grateful for the opportunity to have been able to write my own novel, so will be happy when the final push happens, but I’m happy to wait patiently for that exciting time.
In the meantime, here’s the cover! 
Thought I’d share this as well - a lighthearted article I wrote for BBC Cymru Fyw about self isolating with kids…
Llongyfarchiadau Catrin! 
I like the cover! I’m sure it will be really exciting to hold a real printed copy in your hands, and I hope you don’t have to wait too long to do so. I’m sure my Welsh is not ready to read it yet, as I’m still reading learner books, but I’m going to try anyway
Brilliant on both achievements 
I can’t wait to buy my copy and (when the plague passes) to get the author’s signature. 
I’m loving that cover more every time I see it.
Do you have a date for release yet?
Llongyfarchadau Catrin. That’s really exciting.
Well, here it is folks, the final finished cover with blurb and quotes on the back - it’s getting very close now!
Yes, lots of family stuff happened and keepung up with regular pratice had to go on the back boiler. Still tried to keep up a bit (mainly rownd a rownd!). Hoping stuff is more settled so have signed up again. At presemt, revising with level two.
Your book cover is very eye-catching. Was it your choice? Are you going to be able to habe a book launch? Celebrate as much as you can!!!
