Discovering My Suomi Roots

It’s been a little while since my last post all those weeks ago. Christmas has come and gone and we are now into a brand new year. I’ve been kept busy with some family time, writing and walking the excesses off from the festive period!

So what about the writing? I finished my first revision process and now have “Discovering My Suomi Roots” on my kindle for final editing. I find this process helps me get a feel for how the book might look and read in eBook format.

Usually I correct any grammatical and punctuation issues at this stage. I also tweak any awkwardly structured sentences or paragraphs as I read through. There are a couple of the later chapters which I am not fully comfortable with. I’ll take the opportunity to review these and rewrite as necessary, but nothing major.

It’s another short memoir, but over twice the length “Timmy” turned out to be. After final editing I have a couple of readers lined up to help with any last minute tweaks but otherwise it should be just about there.

So what exactly is this memoir about? I’m not sure I’ve gone into any detail explaining this apart from some small references to the content here and there, either in the “Timmy” memoir or my blogs.

I don’t want to say too much or I’ll spoil one or two twists and surprises I have in the book. Briefly it’s about discovering my Finnish roots later in life in a very unexpected way. I take a look back on my childhood years, touching upon my relationship with my family, and the story follows the roots thread throughout my life up to the present day. Hopefully you will have got a flavour for what’s in store.

I set myself the deadline of the first quarter of this year and fully expect to be on schedule to have released it or certainly have it available for preorder by the end of March. It will be available through Amazon in both eBook and printed format. I have in mind also to bundle it up with “Living With Timmy” and release that version at the same time.

That’s it for now!

Stepping Out With an Activity Tracker

It is important to stay active, more so as you get older. Aside from the health benefits it increases and broadens your quality of life. It also enables you to keep on doing the things you have a passion for, even in later years. Maybe even try something new?

So how active should you be? Well, NHS guidelines recommend that you should do 10000 steps per day. In reality the average daily number is probably nearer 3000/4000 for most people. They also recommend undertaking at least 150 active minutes during the course of a week. Active minutes can be achieved through brisk walking as well as through other aerobic exercises.

I always thought activity trackers were for joggers and young people. I could not be more wrong! I purchased and started using one about a year ago when I was in my early sixties. Why, you may ask? I was overweight and unfit – a combination of not being active enough and a sweet tooth!

Over the initial six month period I lost over two stone in weight and four inches on my waistline firmly placing me back into the normal weight category for my height. It made a massive difference to my feeling of wellbeing and confidence levels. The only drawback is I have had to buy a new wardrobe of clothes!

I found my activity tracker and the supporting software application easy to use and understand. For me it was a lifestyle changer. So how are they so effective?

There is good evidence to suggest that people who keep track of what they do can improve their health. Tracking this data encourages people to follow a healthier diet, exercise more and sleep better. Activity trackers make the tracking easier and give feedback in real time and tell us the areas to improve.

Monitoring alone, however, is not enough as enthusiasm can wain after the initial period. The addition of fitness goals assist in keeping your interest focused, particularly as these goals can be revised and further goals set. The goals add a competitive edge to the process which also helps with motivation. The activity tracker can monitor both activity and sleep patterns, suggesting goals and offering encouragement alerts to the user. This helps set easily manageable health changes to your daily routine which might include going for a walk in the afternoon or encouraging a longer sleep duration. This goal setting will continue until you reach your desired level of fitness and then you simply maintain that activity level.

Enthusiasm and motivation are key factors but activity trackers also encourage social support. How do they do this? Most activity trackers will let you share your progress with private and public groups. Aside from monitoring each others progress, this adds a competitive edge. Further encouragement can be promoted through setting and taking part in group activity challenges over specific periods. This provides added interest and impetus for the user especially when friends and family are involved.

Aside from helping with your personal fitness they can also help you lose weight as they did in my case. They give you an indication of calories you have burned on a day-by-day basis and will calculate a personal calorie intake level for a weight loss program.

The health benefits are immense from adopting a more active lifestyle. It is good for heart health, keeps your blood pressure under control and increases your energy levels. This lifestyle change can also motivate you to embrace new activities and challenges that previously you would not have considered.

So can you afford not to step out?

For more information why not check out Get Fitter, Get Leaner, Get An Activity Tracker!

Available at Amazon.co.uk at a reduced price of £0.99p until 26 November!

First Draft Complete – Now The Real Work Begins!

Finally I finished the first draft of Discovering My Suomi Roots on time (by a couple of days!). Now the real work begins!

The first draft I always find hard work. I’m more of a plotter than a pantser that’s for sure. But, despite all the  planning at the outset, I still find it hard working my way through to completion. Somehow I manage to plod along convincing myself it will all be worth it in the end.

My planned structure and content for a writing project always has to be flexible. As I am writing I find other detail I have overlooked for inclusion. Or ideas on how I might tell the story differently suddenly strike me. So there has to be some flex in your plan.

It is very tempting to look back and start rewriting parts of your writing that you know will have to be rewritten. Avoid this! Your focus needs to be aimed at completing the initial draft. Revision comes later!

Once completed, for me, the enjoyable part comes next. I find the revision process much easier. You have something tangible to work with even if you are working with a very rough first draft. My words and thoughts flow easier. I am much more relaxed as the story starts to come to life and take shape.

But without that first draft there can be no revision process!

 

 

 

My Thoughts On Scrivener IOS

 

I use Scrivener on my MacBook Pro for my writing projects and have done for almost 12 months now. I probably don’t use it to it’s full capacity but I use the bits I need to help me organise my writing.

When I heard that Scrivener IOS was finally coming out I got really excited. At last I would have a copy of my favourite writing application running on my iPad. But how would it run? Would it be anywhere near as functional as the Mac version? What about the screen size?

I suppose the main reason for wanting a version of Scrivener on my iPad was for when I was away from home on holiday. I always leave my laptop behind and travel with my lighter iPad. At last I would have a seamless process to continue or start a writing project without having to manually swap files to Scrivener on my laptop whenever I came back home.

As it happens the IOS version was released just before I embarked on my Austrian summer holiday. So just in time to test out and as it happens I have started another writing project. I’ve brought my 9.7 inch iPad Pro with me together with an Apple Magic Keyboard that I use with my Mini Mac at home. It’s a nice keyboard and a much cheaper option than buying the proprietary keyboard that goes with the Pro.

All set up and ready to go!

I’d just thought I’d give you a few impressions of the new IOS version. This is by no means a review as there are plenty good, detailed reviews out there – just a few thoughts.

• Syncing through Dropbox I have found to be straightforward. Before I went on holiday I set up the structure of the project file on my laptop, added research files, etc and saved to Dropbox. With the app on my iPad I was able to pick up the file and sync everything perfectly to my iPad. I tested this a few times with different variations and found my laptop and iPad syncing without any issues. So for me, a trouble free easy process.
• Screen size is not an issue at all. The screen certainly doesn’t look cluttered and I have found it a pleasant experience. In two weeks I am 10k+ words through my project which is on target with the word count I set. I think that alone is testament to the practicability of the set up I am using and the ease of use of the IOS release.
• I like the fact that you can have your notes easily accessible on the left hand side of the screen without having to switch to another screen and therefore interrupting your creative flow.
• Referring to recently accessed documents/chapters/research/etc is easily undertaken with the relevant menu button at the top of the screen. You can then use the same button to flick back to the document you’re working on.
• Session word count against your target is available just like the laptop versions. The total word count of your particular writing project is also displayed.
• Cork board is very user friendly and easy to use. I have found no issues with that.

I have explored all the various functions but, as with the laptop versions, you can customise the display screens, fonts, etc.

In summary I am enjoying using the iPad version. It really has been a godsend and I am sure I will use it even when I get back home. The price may be off-putting for some put I consider it to be well worth the money.

The developers have done a first class job with the level of functionality of this application. So don’t delay if you want the flexibility of writing on the move!

Discovering My Suomi Roots

I’m presently on holiday in Austria and staying in St Johann in Tirol. The apartment we’re staying at, we’ve stayed at a couple of times before and the view from the balcony is just perfect. Apart, from enjoying a quiet meal and a glass of wine on an evening, it is an ideal location to make a start on the first draft of my next memoir.

My laptop is not to hand (left at home) but an iPad and keyboard are more than up to the task. It also gives me the chance to try out the new Scrivener IOS writing software. This is the same application that I use on my laptop for writing projects. As the laptop and iPad application sync through Dropbox, it means I pick up either device to continue a particular writing project at any time.

After a slow start I made some good progress today. Hopefully I’ll make progress in the early mornings or evenings in the days ahead. The days will be kept free for sight-seeing and walking.

All set up and ready to go!

Bargain Books – Amazon .co.uk

My two titles are on sale at Amazon.co.uk from tomorrow at 0.99p each for one week only. After that they are back to their normal price of £1.99.

So hurry, get them at this special discount while you can!

Living with Timmy

Get Fitter, Get Leaner, Get An Activity Tracker!

Bargain Books – Amazon.com

My two titles are on sale at Amazon.com from tomorrow at 0.99c each for one week only. After that they are back to their normal price of $2.99.

So hurry, get them at this special discount while you can!

Living with Timmy

Get Fitter, Get Leaner, Get An Activity Tracker!

 

Suomi Roots

I just got back from my niece’s Confirmation in Finland and had a great time meeting more family and friends. Emotions were running high towards the end of the trip and it has put me in the right frame of mind to start work on my next memoir. In fact I’ve already started as you can see.

The book cover is finished and I have completed some pre-planning of the structure and content. I have a little more to do before I start the difficult first draft but expect to be well into it during the course of the next month.

I am on a chill-out break in Austria for 3 weeks where I will be doing some of the initial drafting. It will also give me a good chance to try out the soon to be launched Scrivener IOS application which is due for release next week. I use Scrivener on my Macbook Pro to organise my writing and format ebook releases. I’ll only have an iPad with me in Austria so it will be a good chance to put the application through its paces.

The target date I have set myself for this release is December 1st so it looks like a busy few months ahead!

 

 

 

Timmy Update

The MRI scan has been and gone over 2 weeks ago and still no appointment with the neurologist ….

The good news, however, is Timmy is stable. It was 2 years since the last scan so my concern this time was that any growth would be more noticeable. There was relieve all round when I got the news over the telephone. I’ve also had written confirmation of the scan result since then.

The sequel to Living with Timmy is pushed to one side for the time being, just when I had been thinking about sequel titles. Timmy’s Coming Out Party, was one idea. Or perhaps, Timmy’s Eviction! Anyway I can forget about Timmy for now and focus properly on my next writing project!

My thoughts turn to Timmy

Having just back from my Rocky Mountaineer adventure my thoughts are now very much focused on, Timmy.

Timmy, is the brain tumour I was diagnosed with back in 2012. He is the lifelong companion who has been with me since birth. In the short memoir, I self-published earlier this year, I relive the events of that period up to the present time.

It is two years since my last MRI brain scan, maybe a period of quiet complacency? Well my thoughts are very much focused now. My next scan is scheduled for tomorrow, 27 May. The result is likely to follow soon after – that all too familiar edgy, waiting period. Stay calm, stay positive.

By way of a peace offering to Timmy, I am giving a 50% discount over the Bank Holiday weekend on Living with Timmy. Even more for US purchasers.

Wish me luck!