A whole lot of Dutch

Image found HERE, according to
Google Images (I can't access Pinterest)

I'm working on a story. It's in Dutch. So are the last four books I've read (on writing), not to mention all the fairy tales I've been reading to my son. The reason I'm writing a story in Dutch is because it's for a local competition, and I'm pretty sure they're not expecting anything in English.

But I miss English. Yes, I've been translating several English over the past months, and my latest reading book is on writing, and is actually On Writing (by Stephen King), but it feels like all I do is write in Dutch. But it's my own fault for keeping several blogs in my native language.

So I've decide to rekindle my friendship with this blog, rather than just feeding it a nice book quote every so often. I want to write more in English, even though it's a second language to me, because I've noticed that in coming up with ideas for stories (I don't dare call them 'books' just yet), I usually write them down in English. Especially when the story is for a young adult audience.

But here's the rub. If I want to write something (let's just assume I can manage to find the time to do so eventually) that will hopefully be published here, in my own country, it should be in Dutch. I could write in English and submit to foreign publishers, but the competition there will probably be even more killing - from native English speakers to others who have decided to write in English.

I have seen another competition pop up, with a deadline somewhere in May, and I would love to be able to send in a manuscript. Even if it's just for the exercise of writing an entire book, in English. With the added bonus that it will actually be read by an editor, provided it doesn't disappoint on the first page, of course. 

But, naturally, I have deadlines up the wazoo, including the story deadline for my Dutch attempt. The story is done, it needs editing and rewriting now. Which means it would be an absolute shame not to send it in, but I need to find more time to spend on it first. Which in turn means that I doubt I'll find the time to also write my English children's book.

So far, there is only an Idea. A very small idea, because as yet I have no clue what exactly I could let my main character experience. I like her, so far, but she isn't much more than a silhouette at this point. Which is a shame, 'cause if I had some sort of game plan, it wouldn't be so hard to find time to type it all up. It's the construction phase, the drawing of the plans that I find the most time consuming, because it all has to add up (for the most part) before I can create the world she inhabits. Also something I have not yet decided upon.

Perhaps I had better return to 'writing' my translation, finish the current book so I can get on with the next two that I've got lined up... They, at least, are a sure thing (and a paycheck, even if it's a small one). If I manage to write another story in either language, that would be fantastic. Especially if I manage it on time to send it in. But considering my deadlines and whatnot, that would probably require a small miracle.