Lucy Mitchell's Blog, page 2

My First RNA Event – RNA Summer Fling 2025 #RNAFling25 #MondayBlogs

This was my FIRST RNA (Romantic Novelists Association) and my first writing conference event in a long time. It’s very easy as a writer to lock yourself away and hang out with your laptop and extensive notebook collection. I have been guilty of this so 2025 is about getting out of my cave.

Friday: I got the train from Newport to Birmingham. It was very hot and I prayed my deodorant lived up to its marketing promises. I did not need to be let down by my deodorant at my first event.

Met my local RNA Chapter on the train – The Cariad Chapter and we all travelled together which was nice. Got to Birmingham and we all stayed at the Premier Inn. It was so hot on Friday but this hotel room’s AIR CON was on top of its game.

I was invited to the Cariad Chapter’s meal on Friday evening which was nice. I wore a green jumpsuit to the meal and prayed my bladder would not get excited as jumpsuits are not easy to wriggle out of in the loo. The meal was a giggle, the food was lovely and it was nice to chat books. Luckily my bladder behaved itself and there was no sweaty wrestle in the loo.

Saturday

I started fan girling early and this was me with my author heroine – Sue Moorcroft near the coffee machines at breakfast.

Got to the event which was held at The Grand Hotel

Really beautiful venue and the pastries were fab.

Now…10 years ago I met this lovely blogger at a blogging event. The one and only Ritu from her fabulous blog which I follow. Look how young and fresh faced we are!

Here we are 10 years later at the RNA event and I got to sit next to her She has got younger so I was asking her for her eternal youth secret.

We sat next to author Laila Rafi who is lovely and we had a fantastic group exercise together.

It was such a beautiful room – look at that ceiling

Then I met another friendly face from 10 years ago – the legendary Shelley Wilson

Had a great chat with Shelley about all the things blogging has taught us for this world of romance writing.

The author below is Fiona Lucas and she’s a whiz on TikTok as well as writing fabulous books.

The WordPress blogging girlies had a selfie

I met two authors who are also with my current publisher Bloodhound Books. I should have got selfies but was too busy chatting. Hello Georgia Hill and Nicola Knight.

I met a fabulous author – Katy Summer who has an audiobook out and we had a giggle about writing spicy scenes.

I write with the door closed right now (no for me) however Katy has basically removed the door ( ) and I was asking her how I open my door

I also had a laugh with Coco Elliot about the same topic.

It was a fabulous event and the talks were so informative and funny.

My only regret – not enough selfies. Too much chatting!

It has inspired me to get writing

📝 10 Things That Helped Me Revise My Draft Novel

On Friday, I finished revising my latest draft novel. I think this novel has added a few more grey hairs and definitely a new wrinkle or two. I have now sent it to someone important (will tell you more in September – high-pitched squeal), and I can start writing my next book, which is desperate to get my attention.

I wanted to document the things that have helped me get through the revision of my draft novel, because it hasn’t been easy and I need some sympathy….

This book was planned out last year, and I wrote a messy short first draft last year. I rewrote it in April and May. So, the revision I have just done is the third draft.

Feedback. I used a professional novel critique service (Elspells), which is one I have used before. There was a cost, but I trust Ellie, and even though her feedback was painful at times, I know she wants to see my draft novel improve and be the best version it can be. Post Feedback Emotional Breakdown. This was needed. I had to grieve for the old version of my draft novel, and I had to say goodbye to a character and a few storylines. For this, I needed a box of tissues, chocolate and my dog to hug me. Pocket Notebook. I found that new ideas for my revision didn’t come to me when I was sitting at my desk. They arrived while I was on the train, the bus or in the car. They appeared in the supermarket or shopping for clothes, and at the coffee machine at work. Carrying this notebook around with me has been useful. Shelved Novels. I have written 12 complete novels, and I have 6 half-finished, shelved novels. Only 5 of the 12 have been published, so I have a lot of characters, plots, and settings that didn’t work the first time but could be extracted and used in this new book. So, I went on a scavenger hunt through my old files. Junk Journalling. When I wasn’t writing, I was junk journalling, and this has proved useful as it is a great stress reliever for me. I think my brain needs a few creative outlets to work on. There is something magical about sitting down with glue, journal material, stickers, scraps of junk, and a blank journal. Kitchen dancing. Dancing whilst revising is a must. The kitchen at night became my dance floor, and let me tell you – I got creative with my arms and legs! A clap combined with a high leg kick is good for writer’s block. Just be careful you have no hot pans on the stove. Painful changes first. I worked on the painful modifications first. It was tough. Spreadsheet. I set up a revision spreadsheet, listed all my changes and ticked them off as I went. Red lipstick. I wore red lipstick as I made the big changes, like removing characters. It’s a power move.Read a different genre. I switched to non-fiction books while I was revising. I find that if you read the same genre you will find the book you are reading appearing on the page.

Revising your draft novel is tough, and it is a long, dark tunnel but you must keep moving.

Never lose hope and keep writing.

Learn more about me here

📝 10 Things That Helped Me Revise My Draft Novel #MondayBlogs #WritingCommunity

On Friday, I finished revising my latest draft novel. I think this novel has added a few more grey hairs and definitely a new wrinkle or two. I have now sent it to someone important (will tell you more in September – high-pitched squeal), and I can start writing my next book, which is desperate to get my attention.

I wanted to document the things that have helped me get through the revision of my draft novel, because it hasn’t been easy and I need some sympathy….

This book was planned out last year, and I wrote a messy short first draft last year. I rewrote it in April and May. So, the revision I have just done is the third draft.

Feedback. I used a professional novel critique service (Elspells), which is one I have used before. There was a cost, but I trust Ellie, and even though her feedback was painful at times, I know she wants to see my draft novel improve and be the best version it can be. Post Feedback Emotional Breakdown. This was needed. I had to grieve for the old version of my draft novel, and I had to say goodbye to a character and a few storylines. For this, I needed a box of tissues, chocolate and my dog to hug me. Pocket Notebook. I found that new ideas for my revision didn’t come to me when I was sitting at my desk. They arrived while I was on the train, the bus or in the car. They appeared in the supermarket or shopping for clothes, and at the coffee machine at work. Carrying this notebook around with me has been useful. Shelved Novels. I have written 12 complete novels, and I have 6 half-finished, shelved novels. Only 5 of the 12 have been published, so I have a lot of characters, plots, and settings that didn’t work the first time but could be extracted and used in this new book. So, I went on a scavenger hunt through my old files. Junk Journalling. When I wasn’t writing, I was junk journalling, and this has proved useful as it is a great stress reliever for me. I think my brain needs a few creative outlets to work on. There is something magical about sitting down with glue, journal material, stickers, scraps of junk, and a blank journal. Kitchen dancing. Dancing whilst revising is a must. The kitchen at night became my dance floor, and let me tell you – I got creative with my arms and legs! A clap combined with a high leg kick is good for writer’s block. Just be careful you have no hot pans on the stove. Painful changes first. I worked on the painful modifications first. It was tough. Spreadsheet. I set up a revision spreadsheet, listed all my changes and ticked them off as I went. Red lipstick. I wore red lipstick as I made the big changes, like removing characters. It’s a power move.Read a different genre. I switched to non-fiction books while I was revising. I find that if you read the same genre you will find the book you are reading appearing on the page.

Revising your draft novel is tough, and it is a long, dark tunnel but you must keep moving.

Never lose hope and keep writing.

💔 10 Things Not To Say To A Romance Author Writing a Breakup

I am currently crafting the emotional wrecking ball part of my draft romance novel – the breakup

It’s a tense and my emotions are all over the place.

This is not the time for witty comments from loved ones who have never written or read a romance novel in their life.

Here are some things not to say to a romance author writing a breakup:

“Can’t you just let them stay friends?” “Didn’t you write a break-up in your last book?”“Can’t they break up via text?”“Didn’t they just get together two chapters ago?”“Is he based on me?”“is this based on us?”“You seem really into this – should I be worried?”“Why are you crying over something that is made up?”“I thought romance books were supposed to be fun?““You know it is not real – don’t you?”

I am going to carry on writing the heartbreak

💔 10 Things Not To Say To A Romance Author Writing a Breakup #MondayBlogs

I am currently crafting the emotional wrecking ball part of my draft romance novel – the breakup

It’s a tense and my emotions are all over the place.

This is not the time for witty comments from loved ones who have never written or read a romance novel in their life.

Here are some things not to say to a romance author writing a breakup:

“Can’t you just let them stay friends?” “Didn’t you write a break-up in your last book?”“Can’t they break up via text?”“Didn’t they just get together two chapters ago?”“Is he based on me?”“is this based on us?”“You seem really into this – should I be worried?”“Why are you crying over something that is made up?”“I thought romance books were supposed to be fun?““You know it is not real – don’t you?”

I am going to carry on writing the heartbreak

📚 10 Lessons I Learnt With 5 Published Books

Back in 2017, I decided to write my first full-length romance novel. Before this, I had written a dodgy space rom-com and a romance series, which was written via thirty-four weekly blog posts, called The Diary of Roxy Collins. One day I must turn her into a book.

The thought of being published back then felt like a pipe dream. It was something that happened to other people, not to someone like me.

After much daydreaming and procrastination, I had to set aside the dream of being published and focus on learning how to write a romance novel. This book would become “Instructions for Falling in Love Again.”

My first book was published in 2023 with Bloodhound books.

Here I am today, with five published books behind me, and I am ready to share the lessons I have learnt.

Every book teaches you something different. It could be plot, character, setting or something about yourself. Book ideas don’t always come to you because they are meant to be turned into books. Most ideas come to teach you something.Every book will break you in some way. It’s true. They will either break you emotionally or mentally. At some point you will want to lie down by your desk, curl up in a ball and weep. Every book of mine has done this to me. Some break me at first draft stage, some second draft however most break me when I have to make harsh changes like deleting characters, large chunks of my plot and my book no longer feels like the one I first wrote.Editors are wonderful people. They are the unsung heroes of the book world, A book is never finished. I still think about my 5 books and what I would do to improve them.Promoting books never gets easier. To be an author you have to find new ways of promoting your book and you will have to be okay when your carefully crafted social media posts don’t perform. Reading is your rocket fuel. If you can’t write – read! Writer’s block is more likely to be due to tiredness/exhaustion/stress/burnout. Always try resting or taking a break first before you try and alleviate your writer’s block. Honest beta readers are invaluable. If you can find honest beta readers you are onto something good.Rejection never goes away. This is true. Rejection still happens even when you are an established author.Conflict. It’s all about the conflict. This is the secret sauce for any book. If you want to write a good book – add a good spoonful of conflict,

And I still feel like a beginner when it comes to writing a book

10 Lessons I Learnt With 5 Published Books #MondayBlogs #Writer

Back in 2017, I decided to write my first full-length romance novel. Before this, I had written a dodgy space rom-com and a romance series, which was written via thirty-four weekly blog posts, called The Diary of Roxy Collins. One day I must turn her into a book.

The thought of being published back then felt like a pipe dream. It was something that happened to other people, not to someone like me.

After much daydreaming and procrastination, I had to set aside the dream of being published and focus on learning how to write a romance novel. This book would become “Instructions for Falling in Love Again.”

My first book was published in 2023 with Bloodhound books.

Here I am today, with five published books behind me, and I am ready to share the lessons I have learnt.

Every book teaches you something different. It could be plot, character, setting or something about yourself. Book ideas don’t always come to you because they are meant to be turned into books. Most ideas come to teach you something.Every book will break you in some way. It’s true. They will either break you emotionally or mentally. At some point you will want to lie down by your desk, curl up in a ball and weep. Every book of mine has done this to me. Some break me at first draft stage, some second draft however most break me when I have to make harsh changes like deleting characters, large chunks of my plot and my book no longer feels like the one I first wrote.Editors are wonderful people. They are the unsung heroes of the book world, A book is never finished. I still think about my 5 books and what I would do to improve them.Promoting books never gets easier. To be an author you have to find new ways of promoting your book and you will have to be okay when your carefully crafted social media posts don’t perform. Reading is your rocket fuel. If you can’t write – read! Writer’s block is more likely to be due to tiredness/exhaustion/stress/burnout. Always try resting or taking a break first before you try and alleviate your writer’s block. Honest beta readers are invaluable. If you can find honest beta readers you are onto something good.Rejection never goes away. This is true. Rejection still happens even when you are an established author.Conflict. It’s all about the conflict. This is the secret sauce for any book. If you want to write a good book – add a good spoonful of conflict,

And I still feel like a beginner when it comes to writing a book

📝 10 Things Not to Say to a Writer When They’re Editing

Editing – that magical time when a writer transforms their messy, overcaffeinated draft into something extraordinary.

It is not for the faint-hearted. A writer will journey to hell and back during a book edit.

Please treat your writer with care as they are performing a miracle and don’t say any of the below. I have added my thoughts alongside each one.

“You’re still working on that book?” – if you want to be really annoying place emphasis on the word ‘still’ and combine this with a look of concern. “How long can it take to fix a few typos?” – the person who says this knows nothing about editing and deserves to have a cushion thrown at them. “Didn’t you already write this?” – this deserves another cushion to be chucked in their direction.“Can I read it?” – definitely not! “It can’t be that bad.” – For top tier annoyance – follow this up with – “When I eventually write my book I will get it right first time.” Make sure you have been threatening to write a book for years but never got round to doing it.“You don’t need to do all this editing. You’re being dramatic.” One of my favs. Usually spoken by someone who knows 0 about writing / editing. “Tell me again what your book is about? – No! “Why don’t you just write one draft?” – because we like to cause ourselves pain!“Just make it up.’ No comment.“I thought you said you would take three months to write and edit it?” The only response to this is to laugh hysterically.

Editing is hard and it requires a different skill to writing. You also need to be tough enough to delete the bits you think are good which are usually naff.

Be nice to your writer during their editing stage.

10 Things Not to Say to a Writer When They’re Editing #MondayBlogs 📚😜

Editing – that magical time when a writer transforms their messy, overcaffeinated draft into something extraordinary.

It is not for the faint-hearted. A writer will journey to hell and back during a book edit.

Please treat your writer with care as they are performing a miracle and don’t say any of the below. I have added my thoughts alongside each one.

“You’re still working on that book?” – if you want to be really annoying place emphasis on the word ‘still’ and combine this with a look of concern. “How long can it take to fix a few typos?” – the person who says this knows nothing about editing and deserves to have a cushion thrown at them. “Didn’t you already write this?” – this deserves another cushion to be chucked in their direction.“Can I read it?” – definitely not! “It can’t be that bad.” – For top tier annoyance – follow this up with – “When I eventually write my book I will get it right first time.” Make sure you have been threatening to write a book for years but never got round to doing it.“You don’t need to do all this editing. You’re being dramatic.” One of my favs. Usually spoken by someone who knows 0 about writing / editing. “Tell me again what your book is about? – No! “Why don’t you just write one draft?” – because we like to cause ourselves pain!“Just make it up.’ No comment.“I thought you said you would take three months to write and edit it?” The only response to this is to laugh hysterically.

Editing is hard and it requires a different skill to writing. You also need to be tough enough to delete the bits you think are good which are usually naff.

Be nice to your writer during their editing stage.

📚 The Lies I Am Telling Myself About My Recent Notebook Purchases

My lifelong notebook addiction is over, readers (Lie 1 ). I thought I’d pop in here and tell you that I won’t be buying any new notebooks from now on (Lie 2).

I have purchased two new leather notebooks. One pocket-sized, which can go in my handbag, and one A5-sized, which will be my writing notebook. As these notebooks contain refills and they also allow me to insert other refills, I won’t need to buy any new notebooks.

Ignore my judgy Harris – the brass hare, in the photo. Harris knows nothing about my notebook addiction.

These notebooks whispered to me, ‘You’re the kind of woman who writes important thoughts.’

With these beautiful notebooks I won’t have that worry about spoiling them. I mean, I have had them a week or so, and both are still empty, but the ideas will soon start flooding, and they will be well used in no time (Lie 3).

I don’t need lots of notebooks in life. I can work on 2 maximum. (Lie 4).

Up until now buying a new notebook has been my go-to response at the sign of a life problem. Whenever my life has chucked a curve ball at me I will pop out and buy a notebook, These new notebooks will stop this. (Lie 5)

Big ideas are coming, readers. My new notebooks and I are ready for them.

I can’t wait to update you all on….my failed attempts at not buying anymore new notebooks

Harris the brass hare needs to stop giving me judgy looks as I sit here and stroke my new notebooks.