It’s hard to believe that i have almost reached the end of my studying journey. 

I’ve been studying off and on for the last fifteen years, i have a Bsc Hons in Health and Social Care as well as an Open Ba. Both of these were achieved with the Open University. As i have always had to work alongside my study, this was the only option open to me, and one that i will never regret taking.

For the last two years i have been doing their Master of Arts in Creative Writing course and it has been a bit of a roller coaster at times, a bit hairy and quite a bit of head down and type stuff, but, most of all it has been a learning curve that i have enjoyed riding both the ups and the downs of.

My dissertation is due next week. EEEKKK!!!

But i think i’m almost there with it so not panicking quite as much as the above capital letters might make you think.

What is my dissertation i hear you ask?

I did didn’t i? You did ask and you do want to know, right?

Ok, i’ll tell you then.

It is a 15,000 word excerpt of a novel i am writing.

           Oooo, a novel? You ask. What’s it about then? 

I know you are desperate to know. You are. You really, really are…..

It’s a story about two women, who love the same man in two different time zones. The only problem is, he’s not a very nice man. Actually, he’s a bit of a mean man that you or i would do well to avoid – So should my two main characters really, but then i wouldn’t have a story to be told, and you wouldn’t have a story to read.

Usually, by the time i finish a course, or a set of courses, i say that i am finished. Only for the bug to hit again after a few months when i get bored and want to learn something else. Education is a wonderful thing and it can be quite addictive.

This time however, it’s different. This time i actually feel that it is my time to carry on with what i have started and use my learning to further myself.

This time, i actually feel qualified to put my money where my mouth (and learning) is and show the world what i can do.

The manuscript is currently sitting at around 68,000 words in length (a full novel is around 90,000 – 100,000) and is on hold until i have finished polishing the dissertation. The full manuscript should be ready to be edited by Christmas. Give me a few months to edit, get a few beta readers onto it and then a few months to re-edit and maybe, just maybe, by next summer you might be able to find out just what Penny-May and Lucy get up to.

Meanwhile, everybody keep their fingers crossed for a successful grade for my Masters please, altogether now….. CROSS!!!

There, i’m sure that did it.

Have a happy day.

Anita. xx