Dungeons and Dragons, hungry, writing

1. We introduced the kids (who are almost-7 and 9) to Dungeons and Dragons, a slightly expurgated version, and they both love it. Just got to level 3. Aiden has now discovered the Monster Manual books and is going through them, excited to find monsters they have already fought and also really high level creatures like level 34 solo brute Orcus. He already knows how to read the stats tables. He brings the books over to show me whenever he finds something interesting.

2. I've been really hungry all morning, but after breakfast and second breakfast and lunch I am finally satisfied.

3. The kids are going to a birthday party this afternoon. I would kind-of like to go along, but I've decided to leave that to Tim and I'll stay home and get some writing done.

Olympics, Olympics, Olympics

1. I was writing on my laptop while watching Olympic highlights when the computer suddenly crashed, and when I turned it back on I seemed to have lost a whole morning's work. But the computer managed to retrieve it all up to the last save, so I only ended up losing a couple of paragraphs.

2. I've been using a rowing machine regularly at the gym, and I am now 2/3 as good as an Olympian. The single woman's skulls takes around 8 minutes for the 2000 metres, I take 12 mins.

3. We are around the other side of the world from London so I only get to see a little bit of live Olympics before I go to bed. But every morning after dropping off the kids at school I watch the two hour highlight show and enjoy it very much.

Writing, view, strawberries

1. I actually wrote the first words of my novel today. I have been gradually thinking about plot and characters for a couple of years now, and i wrote a draft of the prologue a long time ago, but today I went to a cafe with a friend and we both sat and wrote. 866 words in an hour - the start of chapter one. I want to get the first draft written this year. It's very exciting to have some words on the page.

The view we had from the cafe was mostly mounds of dirt and wire fences, they were doing work on the park over the road, but beyond that was the lake; glistening blue-ly in the afternoon sun.

While waiting in my friend's front yard for him to be ready, I noticed some strawberries hiding in the bushes. They always say they have too many to eat, so I snaffled them. Ripe strawberries straight from the stem - fabulous.

Reading, helping a friend, planning my novel.

1. Finishing a book of short stories I am judging, I have struggled to find the time.

2. Being able to help a friend by picking up her daughter from school (along with my own) when her appointment runs overtime.

3. Finding solutions to all the little issues coming up as I plan my own novel. How does the magic work? Who are Aran's parents? What do I call the inn? It is all coming together.