As one door closes another opens? Well something like that anyway...

Okay so I am just going to brazen it out and pretend like I've been blogging lots and there's not been a whole massive gap between now and the last post erm...

So to start - a good link for you from the Grauniad about, quelle surprise, fiction writing:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one

'pologies if you've already seen this on twitter but I thought it was very good/funny/depressing/honest

Key tips for me included never opening with the weather or over doing the exclamation points (thanks Elmore Leonard). General tips on the mechanics of writing such as using pencils and paper but at a push wood, or even your arm will do as well as using a nail file as a rudimentary pencil sharpener (thanks Margaret Atwood)

Good tips also from Roddy Doyle "Do, occasionally, give in to temptation. Wash the kitchen floor, hang out the washing. It's research"

And also The first 12 years are the worst. - thanks Anne Enwright, but wouldn't you say that's a little optimistic for someone who's not written much more than a lengthy email since leaving uni (we'll come on to Nanowrimo shortly)

A final few tips from Neil Gaiman "laugh at your own jokes" - well I can tick that off the list then - Richard Ford "Don't have children, don't read reviews, don't write reviews, don't have arguments with your wife..."

.And last but not least, the award for best tip goes to AL Kennedy for this rather touching gem "Remember writing doesn't love you. It doesn't care. Nevertheless, it can behave with remarkable generosity. Speak well of it, encourage others, pass it on."

Now that's out of the way, I thought I'd do a little summation of 2010 for you, so you know where I am and what I've been up to!

1) Arcade Fire - best thing that has happened to my ears EVER. FACT. You need to buy The Suburbs now, this very second. Well, as soon as you finish reading this blog post

2) I got a new job. And apparently I'm good at it - or something. I won an award at a conference anyway. So ner to the last boring sucky job that made me cry . A LOT.

3) Twitter - how did I live without sending witty, literary, imaginative retorts and thoughts out to my (yikes) 200+ followers. Or at least, bombarding many poor unfortunate strangers with my innermost thoughts on a minute-by-minute basis. But srsly, I have spoken to so many very lovely people via twitter and most importantly, gotten RT'd by Margaret Atwood no less, about library campaigning! This leads me on to....

4) I wrote something and someone put it on their website yippee! Ahem, more accurately, I wrote a little something about why my library is so important to me. You can read it at http://www.voicesforthelibrary.org.uk/wordpress/?p=791

Please do support your library and campaign to keep them open and funded

5) Rock climbing - I'm still going on this one, even though I am farking terrified of heights. But I climbed in the Alps last summer so well worth it. I plan to try karate this year. Lara Croft will have nothing on me

6) Nanowrimo - I actually wrote 50k words in one month. They are in serious need of editing and um, actually finishing of the book, but hey, I did it. Although I do appear to be QUEEN OF THE ADVERB. Seriously.

That's all for the highlights of 2010 so I'll leave you with this years resolutions:

1) Finish book

2) Edit book

3) Think about sending book to agents

4) Turn 30 (in July, presents can be purchased at Tiffany or at your local bookstore, either is good)

5) Attend a belly dance class

6) Attend a karate class

7) Learn to knit (needles + wool purchased, casting on not going so well)

8) Write my blog on a semi-weekly basis

9) Sound more intelligent on twitter

10) Maintain appropriate levels of cake + chocolate intake to ensure maximum happiness

Thank you + goodnight, stupidgirl has left the building

xx