Tomorrow I shall be heading to Gatwick and staying overnight in a hotel ready for an early morning flight to the Canary Islands and a week in a landscape and climate which is in total contrast to the one I am accustomed to.

As a feeble excuse for escaping from cold and wet England, the last short break I had was a staycation in September where it rained and I was ill with a stomach bug. Before that was May.  I think I am due a holiday. Burn out is always a risk and after so many long winter months? Good to have a break away from the desk.

Of course I shall be thinking about how I can improve on the working draft of my new book, and there are three key questions which need to be answered today for both my hero and my heroine:

• Why does she want her goal and who is going to stop her getting it? External conflict.
• Why does she REALLY want it? Internal conflict/identity/self-identity and self worth
• Why does she REALLY REALLY want it? Internal conflict and deep motivation. What is missing in her life that she will have to face?

And what would happen if she didn’t get it? If the answer is nothing much – she would just slouch along as before – then I don’t have a story.

Cue my hero. And then I have to repeat all of these questions for him too.

In the meantime I am dreading the shock of exposing pasty English skin to the sunlight Shudder. Especially after a winter where I feel like  a dormouse stuffing my cheeks.

All good stuff. And I hope that the sun is shining on you and your world either phyically or metaphorically. See you soon!