The book progresses - a US deal

The book now has a US publisher, a paperback house that will put it out next year. It's weird that it has a life of its own, I'm just in its past! Well, maybe not if it needs translating for an American audience but I hope not too much. Like most writers, the only project that I understand at the moment is the one I'm writing NOW, and the past books, even book 2 which I only finished in May, are in the past. I'm waiting for notes and edits to do on book 2 - but probably not for a few more weeks. The only frustration is, until I get it ready to deliver I don't get paid and having most of the kids home is turning out to be expensive!

I have itchy feet at the moment, looking at other places to live. I always said I would do the big, inconvenient house to contain the then five kids for five years, but it's been six years and no real prospect of moving until next year. I think I need a house where I could just walk out the front door without abseiling down the drive and walking a mile over the switchback road to town for a paper. The landscape here isn't so much steep as concertina'd.

One thing that I enjoyed enormously last Saturday is the first teaching I've done for a while, and the first teaching of adults for ages. We looked at short stories, finding the starting points, and developing them. It was brilliant, as usual it made me really look at my own writing, reminding myself of the basics (again) but also at the delicacy of touch that some people have for short stories, for me, the hardest and purest form of fiction. I'm passionate about teaching, and there is a huge gap in my area for creative writing tuition at degree or MA level. I'm hoping, with others, to fill that space and develop a culture of good creative writing - and improving writing - in North Devon.