It’s another Monday, it’s the last day of August, and it’s a bank holiday. I have no idea where time is going at the moment but I can’t quite believe it’s September tomorrow. I’ve been a full-time author for nearly three months now. I thought I’d have more time on my hands. It feels like I have less!

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks deep in my editing cave, working on the second book in my Hedgehog Hollow series, and will have one more week to achieve my deadline. Then I’ll have a couple of days’ break before starting on the third book in the series.

My #MondayMotivation choice for the ‘What’s on my wall?’ feature this week is a picture I bought in the same Derby gift shop where I purchased the ‘Be Brave’ bear I wrote about in Part 2 of this series. You can find the post here.

As soon as I saw it, this image spoke to me as an author because each time I start a new book or even a new chapter or a scene on a work-in-progress, I’m asking myself this question:

WHERE SHALL WE GO?

I don’t plan my stories. I’m what’s known as a ‘pantser’ meaning I fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, making it up as I go along. I know my characters really well, I know what the premise of the story is and how it’s going to end … but I don’t know how the journey is going to unfold. And I find that really exciting.

This woman with her dog and her suitcase, standing in the woodland with many paths ahead of her made me think of the choices and decisions I make every time I put fingers to keyboard. Where will my story go? What adventures will my characters go on?

It hangs on the wall to the left of me and every so often, I turn around, look at it and smile. Where shall we go? My characters will give me the answer.

Wishing you all the best for the final day in August and a brilliant start to September.

Big hugs

Jessica xx