La rentrée   means 'the return' or 're-entry' into life. The French use the term to signify going back to school, or return to real life following the holidays. I haven't been on holiday this year but come September, I feel a definite sense of shrugging off summer and nestling down, despite today being a warm 28 degrees  outside ~ don't you just love an Indian summer!

It has to be said I've been MIA on here, unintentionally, and it's done me the world of good. I've given my mind a rest, free from self imposed pressures. I was getting frustrated with writing, and worrying about querying. Trying to snag an Agent seems impossible, although I've had encouraging rejections ~ a contradiction in terms if every there was one. I kept saying to myself, telling people, I was about to start a round of querying again. Yet I couldn't press the send button. Then asked myself what is the matter with you? I'm such an over thinker. Missed last weeks 'pit mad' on Twitter too, though now have the next one on my phone's countdown for December ~ I will be ready. Plus, I've given myself a talking to ~ I need to go for it (round of traditional querying) one more time and if no joy, will put my manuscript to one side. Maybe it's not meant to be.

While I'm overthinking the querying process (does anyone actually enjoy querying)? I'm distracting myself from continuing on with my Work In Progress (WIP). To be fair, I have been a little more proactive even though I was stuck in my second draft. I liked the basic premise of my story and thought it was a good one, not wanting to give up on it,  but couldn't move forward. 

Earlier in the Summer I stumbled across two pieces of advice: Firstly, to paraphrase writer Dorothy Koomson,  start anywhere. Start in the middle if you must, but just start writing. Secondly, 'Writers HQ,' if you're stuck, go back ten sentences and there will lie the problem.  Both were not wrong. 

Realising my story could be improved by starting at a different moment, I reorganised the chronology. What was the opening is currently the closing chapter (and likely to stay that way). Chapters have been shuffled around, re-written if not cut altogether. What was the middle has been moved to near the beginning, and  have a new opening chapter which works so much better than before. I'm giving all my characters a second thought ~ they must all prove their worth in driving the story forward or risk being premaritally culled!