Christmas came and went - leaving only a copy of the Writers and Artists Yearbook and a terrible cold..... That and being 21 weeks pregnant means that I have spent the last couple of weeks absolutely shattered and unable to do much more than eat my mince pies and watch the Christmas telly (which seems to be one repeat after another).
However, I was well enough to return to work this week and its the best thing I could have done as I feel so much better physically and mentally with something to focus my mind on. I bought myself the MsLexia Diary 2009 and have started to write a 'To Do' List for each week. The diary started last week and already I am ahead of myself - could this be the year? I must say I am impressed with the diary as it contains lots of facts / information and also inspiration. I have added a section for myself within the 'Blank Pages' which includes my goals for 2009:
1. To complete (at least) one novel.
2. To enter one competition a month of any format.
3. To continue to write both blogs.
I have also included some of my own notes regarding 'Time to Write' and 'Writers Block' as well as a piece on 'Statistics' which details the number of words I need to complete every week in order to achieve my goals!!
HAPPY NEW WRITING YEAR!!
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Giving ourselves time....
My MsLexia Writers Diary has arrived and looks impressive so I am having a few days 'planning'.... The final email from Chris Baty at NaNoWriMo sums it up nicely:
Giving ourselves time is so important. Because the world can wait. It's what the world does best, in fact. It was hanging out for 4.5 billion years before we arrived, and it'll be waiting around for another few billion after we're gone. Our dreams, however, have much shorter shelf-lives.
Whatever you think you are, you are more than that. You possess a fearsome array of skills and abilities, and the most satisfying of these may be completely unknown to you now. Your curiosity is a dependable guide; follow it. Put yourself in unfamiliar places. Kindle passions. Savor the raw joy of making things, and then remake the best of those things until they take someones breath away. Wrestle bears. Actually, skip the bear-wrestling.
But do keep trying big things, okay? Sometimes we can wait so long for a clear sign that it's time to begin, that the opportunity sails right past us. Life is so short. Adventures beckon. Let's get packed and head out on a new one today. I think it's time.
Giving ourselves time is so important. Because the world can wait. It's what the world does best, in fact. It was hanging out for 4.5 billion years before we arrived, and it'll be waiting around for another few billion after we're gone. Our dreams, however, have much shorter shelf-lives.
Whatever you think you are, you are more than that. You possess a fearsome array of skills and abilities, and the most satisfying of these may be completely unknown to you now. Your curiosity is a dependable guide; follow it. Put yourself in unfamiliar places. Kindle passions. Savor the raw joy of making things, and then remake the best of those things until they take someones breath away. Wrestle bears. Actually, skip the bear-wrestling.
But do keep trying big things, okay? Sometimes we can wait so long for a clear sign that it's time to begin, that the opportunity sails right past us. Life is so short. Adventures beckon. Let's get packed and head out on a new one today. I think it's time.
Monday, 15 December 2008
How to be Inspired.....Part 2
Following on from my entry regarding sleep (29th November) the December 2008 Brainstorm E-Bulletin from Jurgen Wolff www.timetowrite.blogs.com / www.yourwritingcoach.com highlighted the The creative power of sleep. Research is revealing more about the importance of sleep in the creative process. I've written before, he writes, about how writers, inventors, scientists and others often have an "aha!" moment that reveals the solution to some puzzling problem, either in a dream or immediately upon waking. Recent research at Harvard, conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, suggests that if the time you spend trying to find a solution includes a period of sleep, you are 33% more likely to make creative connections. In other words, you're more creative after sleep, even in the absence of those aha! moments.
ACTION: the next time you're stuck - sleep on it! Short naps (15 to 20 minutes) are best, otherwise you go into a deep sleep cycle and will wake up groggy if you don't sleep for the entire 90 minutes.
ACTION: the next time you're stuck - sleep on it! Short naps (15 to 20 minutes) are best, otherwise you go into a deep sleep cycle and will wake up groggy if you don't sleep for the entire 90 minutes.
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Free your mind......
.....and the rest will follow. Lyrics from En Vogue (1992) that keep going around in my head. Spent all yesterday plotting and planning my future as a writer and then last night had the weirdest dream. I am walking up a spiral staircase. I know when I get to the top I will be doing something I enjoy. In the dream it is painting, but the emphasis was defiantly on the creative side. However, I am carrying too many things up these stairs and have to keep stopping to pick things up that I have dropped. I think what the dream is highlighting is that I am a bugger for procrastination and wanting to check / research / include everything - just to make sure - which means my writing still remains out of reach!!
Yesterday I started planning my New Years writing. One thing about being pregnant is that over the last few months I have - through necessity - scaled back my social commitments. This means that now I am feeling more like my old self I actually have some time for my writing.
As Tom Stoppard said: After 40 years, the problem remains, each time. You can’t start writing until you know what you’re doing, and you don’t know what you’re doing until you start writing. I still have to resist the false intuition that I need to know as much as possible in advance. The essential thing is to know as little as possible. Ideally, when things fall out well, you shouldn’t feel clever, you should feel lucky.
Diana Cambridge writes in January's Writing Magazine: The thing to think about is – don’t over-think! Often, that’s all worry is – just over-thinking. Move into action. She goes onto say: If it is worrying you about what to write and how to fit it into your routine (and worrying about this can be a worry in itself!) try to make a timetable in your new diary for 2009. Just make ‘appointments’ with your writing self to be there at your desk at certain times. Then – show up! As Woody Allen says “80% of success is showing up”.
A letter in Writing Magazine defines Writers Block as 'Simply a lack of motivation to initiate and maintain a writing schedule.'
So, I have subscribed to http://www.mslexia.co.uk/ for women who write (4 issues a year) as I feel I need something a little bit more highbrow than my usual Writing Magazine http://www.writersnews.co.uk/ which I will continue to subscribe to as it is still to be highly recommended. I also invested £12.99 in the The Mslexia’s Writer’s Diary 2009. It promises to contain everything you need to manage your life as a woman and as a writer. I will let you know.
For myself, I have put together a little spreadsheet to keep note of how much I write every day. But first I have set myself a series of targets to be completed before the year is out and then a number of competitions to enter in January / February. Of course, top of the list is the The CWA Debut Dagger 2009 www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/debut/index.html - closing date 7th February - just over 8 weeks away!! I intend to enter at least one and possibly two novels.
And finally, just had an email from one of the Poison Pens saying I am delighted to tell you that I have finished the book and one of the agent's has been pestered this week! Now, if that isn't an incentive I don't know what is!!
Yesterday I started planning my New Years writing. One thing about being pregnant is that over the last few months I have - through necessity - scaled back my social commitments. This means that now I am feeling more like my old self I actually have some time for my writing.
As Tom Stoppard said: After 40 years, the problem remains, each time. You can’t start writing until you know what you’re doing, and you don’t know what you’re doing until you start writing. I still have to resist the false intuition that I need to know as much as possible in advance. The essential thing is to know as little as possible. Ideally, when things fall out well, you shouldn’t feel clever, you should feel lucky.
Diana Cambridge writes in January's Writing Magazine: The thing to think about is – don’t over-think! Often, that’s all worry is – just over-thinking. Move into action. She goes onto say: If it is worrying you about what to write and how to fit it into your routine (and worrying about this can be a worry in itself!) try to make a timetable in your new diary for 2009. Just make ‘appointments’ with your writing self to be there at your desk at certain times. Then – show up! As Woody Allen says “80% of success is showing up”.
A letter in Writing Magazine defines Writers Block as 'Simply a lack of motivation to initiate and maintain a writing schedule.'
So, I have subscribed to http://www.mslexia.co.uk/ for women who write (4 issues a year) as I feel I need something a little bit more highbrow than my usual Writing Magazine http://www.writersnews.co.uk/ which I will continue to subscribe to as it is still to be highly recommended. I also invested £12.99 in the The Mslexia’s Writer’s Diary 2009. It promises to contain everything you need to manage your life as a woman and as a writer. I will let you know.
For myself, I have put together a little spreadsheet to keep note of how much I write every day. But first I have set myself a series of targets to be completed before the year is out and then a number of competitions to enter in January / February. Of course, top of the list is the The CWA Debut Dagger 2009 www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/debut/index.html - closing date 7th February - just over 8 weeks away!! I intend to enter at least one and possibly two novels.
And finally, just had an email from one of the Poison Pens saying I am delighted to tell you that I have finished the book and one of the agent's has been pestered this week! Now, if that isn't an incentive I don't know what is!!
Saturday, 29 November 2008
How to be Inspired
The Times last weekend also had a section on sleep and it highlighted the following:
Lack of sleep kills creativity - According to Professor Foster, a good nights sleep increases the likelihood of developing novel solutions to problems. If your grey matter won't produce a solution to a vexing problem - sleep on it.
Go to bed early - One study suggests that the most creative part of our sleeping occurs in the first half of the night, during slow-wave sleep. So if you need an answer to a solution and are short on time, it's best to go to bed early and get up early, rather than to stay up late.
Mull over a problem before you go to bed - Try to direct your creative powers by thinking about the problem you want to solve, but don't fret over it - you won't be able to sleep.
Lack of sleep kills creativity - According to Professor Foster, a good nights sleep increases the likelihood of developing novel solutions to problems. If your grey matter won't produce a solution to a vexing problem - sleep on it.
Go to bed early - One study suggests that the most creative part of our sleeping occurs in the first half of the night, during slow-wave sleep. So if you need an answer to a solution and are short on time, it's best to go to bed early and get up early, rather than to stay up late.
Mull over a problem before you go to bed - Try to direct your creative powers by thinking about the problem you want to solve, but don't fret over it - you won't be able to sleep.
Keeping Going: Don't Give Up
The Times (22/11/09) had an article about stress and rejections (I think it was linked to the credit crunch and loosing your job) and I was interested in what Judy Blume (children's author) said about the rejections she received for two years before getting her first book accepted.
"I would go to sleep at night feeling I'd never be published, but wake in the morning convinced I would. Each time I sent a story to a publisher, I'd begin something new. I was learning more each time. Determination is as important as talent."
"I would go to sleep at night feeling I'd never be published, but wake in the morning convinced I would. Each time I sent a story to a publisher, I'd begin something new. I was learning more each time. Determination is as important as talent."
Saturday, 22 November 2008
NaNoWriMo Pep talk from Janet Fitch
Hitting a wall - Where to go next...
I explained I was afraid that if I chose route 6, then I would be eliminating all the other possible routes. What if route 15 was better? I couldn't commit. I was stuck.
"I know it feels like you have all these options and when you make a decision, you lose a world of possibilities. But the reality is, until you make a decision, you have nothing at all."
So you have these options, but which one to go for? When in doubt, make trouble for your character. Don't let her stand on the edge of the pool, dipping her toe. Come up behind her and give her a good hard shove. That's my advice to you now. Make trouble for your character. In life we try to avoid trouble. We chew on our choices endlessly. We go to shrinks, we talk to our friends. In fiction, this is deadly. Protagonists need to screw up, act impulsively, have enemies, get into TROUBLE. The difficulty is that we create protagonists we love. And we love them like our children. We want to protect them from harm, keep them safe, make sure they won't get hurt, or not so bad. Maybe a skinned knee. Certainly not a car wreck. But the essence of fiction writing is creating a character you love and, frankly, torturing him. You are both sadist and savior. Find the thing he loves most and take it away from him. Find the thing he fears and shove him shoulder deep into it. Find the person who is absolutely worst for him and have him delivered into that character's hands. Having him make a choice which is absolutely wrong. You'll find the story will take on an energy of its own, like a wound-up spring, and then you'll just have to follow it, like a fox hunt, over hill, over dale.
http://www.myspace.com/paintitblackbook
I explained I was afraid that if I chose route 6, then I would be eliminating all the other possible routes. What if route 15 was better? I couldn't commit. I was stuck.
"I know it feels like you have all these options and when you make a decision, you lose a world of possibilities. But the reality is, until you make a decision, you have nothing at all."
So you have these options, but which one to go for? When in doubt, make trouble for your character. Don't let her stand on the edge of the pool, dipping her toe. Come up behind her and give her a good hard shove. That's my advice to you now. Make trouble for your character. In life we try to avoid trouble. We chew on our choices endlessly. We go to shrinks, we talk to our friends. In fiction, this is deadly. Protagonists need to screw up, act impulsively, have enemies, get into TROUBLE. The difficulty is that we create protagonists we love. And we love them like our children. We want to protect them from harm, keep them safe, make sure they won't get hurt, or not so bad. Maybe a skinned knee. Certainly not a car wreck. But the essence of fiction writing is creating a character you love and, frankly, torturing him. You are both sadist and savior. Find the thing he loves most and take it away from him. Find the thing he fears and shove him shoulder deep into it. Find the person who is absolutely worst for him and have him delivered into that character's hands. Having him make a choice which is absolutely wrong. You'll find the story will take on an energy of its own, like a wound-up spring, and then you'll just have to follow it, like a fox hunt, over hill, over dale.
http://www.myspace.com/paintitblackbook
Saturday, 15 November 2008
Jurgen Wolffs thoughts on NaNoWriMo
Here are the positive aspects:
* It forces you to focus on your writing
* If you are precious about the number of words you can write in a session, this will help you overcome that
* If you do it along with friends in your area or online, it can be fun
Here are the negative aspects:
* If you start and then stop, you may feel worse about yourself
* The novel is not likely to be very good--frankly I doubt that it will be good enough to use as the basis of a rewrite that will eventually be good enough, but I could be wrong
* It uses up time that you could be spending on a project more likely to have a good outcome
My suggested solution:
* Tell people you are taking part, and ask them to help give you the writing time you need for it
* Put in the same amount of time you'd spend if you were actually writing an entire novel, but...
* Secretly (or openly) use the time to plot a novel and get done only as much as you can without a loss of quality. In practice, this may mean spending the first two weeks just plotting, the third week fleshing out your characters, and the final week writing the first chapter
* When people ask whether you managed to write the 50,000 words that the exercise expects, say no but you are really happy with what you achieved
* Take advantage of the momentum you have created for your book and continue to write a reasonable number of hours per week until it's done.
http://www.timetowrite.blogs.com/
* It forces you to focus on your writing
* If you are precious about the number of words you can write in a session, this will help you overcome that
* If you do it along with friends in your area or online, it can be fun
Here are the negative aspects:
* If you start and then stop, you may feel worse about yourself
* The novel is not likely to be very good--frankly I doubt that it will be good enough to use as the basis of a rewrite that will eventually be good enough, but I could be wrong
* It uses up time that you could be spending on a project more likely to have a good outcome
My suggested solution:
* Tell people you are taking part, and ask them to help give you the writing time you need for it
* Put in the same amount of time you'd spend if you were actually writing an entire novel, but...
* Secretly (or openly) use the time to plot a novel and get done only as much as you can without a loss of quality. In practice, this may mean spending the first two weeks just plotting, the third week fleshing out your characters, and the final week writing the first chapter
* When people ask whether you managed to write the 50,000 words that the exercise expects, say no but you are really happy with what you achieved
* Take advantage of the momentum you have created for your book and continue to write a reasonable number of hours per week until it's done.
http://www.timetowrite.blogs.com/
A quote care of Jurgen Wolff
"The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated." - William James
Monday, 10 November 2008
NaNoWriMo 2008 - Day 10
Receieved a pep talk from Philip Pullman www.philip-pullman.com/ and I can't agree more:
One of the hardest things to do with a novel is to stop writing it for a while, do something else, fulfill this engagement or that commitment or whatever, and pick it up exactly where you left it and carry on as if nothing had happened. You will have changed; the story will have drifted off course, like a ship when the engines stop and there's no anchor to keep it in place; when you get back on board, you have to warm the engines up, start the great bulk of the ship moving through the water again, work out your position, check the compass bearing, steer carefully to bring it back on track ... all that energy wasted on doing something that wouldn't have been necessary at all if you'd just kept going!
One of the hardest things to do with a novel is to stop writing it for a while, do something else, fulfill this engagement or that commitment or whatever, and pick it up exactly where you left it and carry on as if nothing had happened. You will have changed; the story will have drifted off course, like a ship when the engines stop and there's no anchor to keep it in place; when you get back on board, you have to warm the engines up, start the great bulk of the ship moving through the water again, work out your position, check the compass bearing, steer carefully to bring it back on track ... all that energy wasted on doing something that wouldn't have been necessary at all if you'd just kept going!
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Just in case you thought it was another excuse....
......here is a copy of the scan photo at 11 weeks and 5 days. As I said this has given me a lot to think about, and when I have the energy something to write about on my baby blog.Perhaps that clairvoyant was right after all and I am destined to write childrens books!!
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
A year on.....
Well, I started this blog on the 22nd October 2007 with every intention of completing a novel in the year. This did not happen. "But why not?" I hear you cry. "You had all that time." Especially as I gave up work and became (for a few months at least) a 'full time writer' (otherwise known as unemployed!!)
I know. If it was me looking at someone else. I would have said "You lucky buggers. It'll be easy if you aren't working," and then "What did you do in the year then?"
I know. If it was me looking at someone else. I would have said "You lucky buggers. It'll be easy if you aren't working," and then "What did you do in the year then?"
I have already done a review of my life during the first 6 months - full of excuses, excuses, excuses - although I do think having a miscarriage and an operation to remove a cyst that did not go as planned are better than having a cold or not having the time..... I also completed my NVQ Teaching Assistant course and worked as a Teaching Assistant one day a week. Currently I am working 3 days a week for the library services (started full time 17th July, down to 3 days since 17th September). So, I am sticking with one of my favourite quotes: There is nothing wrong with failure. The real sin is not trying.
And the big excuse I am giving you today is the fact that I am 14 weeks pregnant. God that really is an excuse - what with morning sickness (horrendous for 2 weeks) and the tiredness (currently easing off) writing has had to be moved to the bottom of my list. Its enough making sure I go to work, eat well and keep the house and car and animals running smoothly. Although I am pleased to report I have kept (just about) up to date with my pregnancy blog - so I have managed to do some writing!!
So, what next?
Looking at my list of dates, competitions etc. I realise how long it has been since I have even thought about writing something. When I started this blog I took part in NaNoWriMo 2007 and managed 18,377 words. However, we are already 5 days in and I have not started. Although saying that I didn't complete all the 30 days last year so I could try the month backwards.....I have looked on the official site and some of the other participants seem to have got off to a slow start. Perhaps I might be able to catch them up!
I have received my first email bulletin with regards to the 2009 Debut Dagger - closing date: 7th February and I would love to enter something again this year. I don't know whether or not to abandon the novel I started in 2008. I have received mixed reactions about it and again I seem to have collected loads of paper and in reality not enough writing has been done. Lots of ideas, but nothing concrete. However, that would give me 3 started (and not finished) novels.
If I am going to start a new novel. I need to do it properly this time. Ideas / Synopsis / Timeline / Chapter by Chapter - then start and keep writing until the words The End appear before me. I know I have been guilty over the last year of aiming for perfection and what happens is that I can't get past the first few chapters as I am constantly checking and tweaking and therefore The End never even comes near.
Well, I am pleased with my little self tonight, as have finally managed to address the 'writing' pile and feel I have got somewhere. Perhaps the tiredness is finally easing off...
Off now to look for ideas......
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Writing Through Adversity....
I particularly liked an article received from www.writers.com/ (Vol. 11, No. 10October 2008) so I hope they don't mind if I copy some of it below:
The more writers I work with, the more I admire them as a whole and as individuals. Writing is hard work. Few writers work under ideal conditions and most, at some time or another, face real adversity. I've worked with novelists with serious health and disabilities -- although I'm usually not even aware there are any problems until after the fact. Folks who can handle raising children and making a living while still finding time to write on a professional level are unsung heroes who probably need more sleep than they ever get. I've worked with writers who are dealing with emotional demons on a daily basis, but who still deliver the goods.
We all face rough patches in life, Sometimes a series of minor stresses mount up to major trauma. I've seen writers deal with life's small bumps and bigger piles of problems and still keep on writing.
Any form of work can serve as both a curse and a cure, but I begin to think writing has a particular power to bring order, calm the turmoil, relieve emotional pressure, and repair at least some of what unravels in the fabric of one's life. Psychologists and psychiatrists have, for more than twenty years, been proving that writing about traumatic, stressful, or emotional events (often called "expressive writing") can improve physical and psychological health. But that's not what I'm talking about here. Nor am I referring to other forms of self-healing or self-discovery claimed for writing. I'm merely saying that the act of creating a fictional world and its characters, composing an essay, trying to meet deadlines, or simply putting words into meaningful order and paragraphs into a whole can -- despite the challenges, frustrations, and stress that writing can evoke -- bring order to your life and release from its anxieties.
The more writers I work with, the more I admire them as a whole and as individuals. Writing is hard work. Few writers work under ideal conditions and most, at some time or another, face real adversity. I've worked with novelists with serious health and disabilities -- although I'm usually not even aware there are any problems until after the fact. Folks who can handle raising children and making a living while still finding time to write on a professional level are unsung heroes who probably need more sleep than they ever get. I've worked with writers who are dealing with emotional demons on a daily basis, but who still deliver the goods.
We all face rough patches in life, Sometimes a series of minor stresses mount up to major trauma. I've seen writers deal with life's small bumps and bigger piles of problems and still keep on writing.
Any form of work can serve as both a curse and a cure, but I begin to think writing has a particular power to bring order, calm the turmoil, relieve emotional pressure, and repair at least some of what unravels in the fabric of one's life. Psychologists and psychiatrists have, for more than twenty years, been proving that writing about traumatic, stressful, or emotional events (often called "expressive writing") can improve physical and psychological health. But that's not what I'm talking about here. Nor am I referring to other forms of self-healing or self-discovery claimed for writing. I'm merely saying that the act of creating a fictional world and its characters, composing an essay, trying to meet deadlines, or simply putting words into meaningful order and paragraphs into a whole can -- despite the challenges, frustrations, and stress that writing can evoke -- bring order to your life and release from its anxieties.
Sunday, 5 October 2008
What Next?
I know, its a long time since my last post. Have I given up I hear you cry? Not yet....
Recently I took the original novel which I had written in the first person, and tried to re-write it in the third person. I was quite proud of my effort but I sent it to two friends who had seen - and not liked - the original start and they still don't like it!! They wrote; 'still think u arnt writing in your usual style'. I am not sure what to do now....
However, the Poison Pens have organised a workshop with writer Tim Wilson www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/w/tim-wilson/ this Saturday and as part of this he has received a copy of my first chapter. I am going to wait and see what he says before deciding on my next step.
Recently I took the original novel which I had written in the first person, and tried to re-write it in the third person. I was quite proud of my effort but I sent it to two friends who had seen - and not liked - the original start and they still don't like it!! They wrote; 'still think u arnt writing in your usual style'. I am not sure what to do now....
However, the Poison Pens have organised a workshop with writer Tim Wilson www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/w/tim-wilson/ this Saturday and as part of this he has received a copy of my first chapter. I am going to wait and see what he says before deciding on my next step.
Thursday, 18 September 2008
A Quote to Remember...
'Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.' Mark Twain
Monday, 8 September 2008
Quote for Monday:
'Every great and original writer, in proportion as he is great and original, must himself create the taste by which he is to be relished.' William Wordsworth
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Things to do....
Not sure what I have been doing lately or how focused I have been. I have certainly 'gone off' writing for a while. One reason may be the writing of a 'Things to do' list; things to do in the coming year. Things I feel I have not yet accomplished in my life. Big birthdays make you do these mad things.....
I have, however, put
I have, however, put
1. Finish one (if not all) of the 3 Novels I have started writing, and
2. Have an article and / or short story published on the list......
Only trouble is there are 36 other 'Things to do' on the list!!!
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
How Fiction Works....Part 2
A novel should ask the right questions. It does not necessarily have to give the answers.....
First Person: an unreliable narrator who knows less about himself than the reader eventually does. The novel teaches us how to read its narrator.
Dramatic Irony: to see through a characters eyes while being encouraged to see more than the character can see.
Fictional Narration: Do the words these characters use seem the words they might use or do they sound more like the authors?
First Person: an unreliable narrator who knows less about himself than the reader eventually does. The novel teaches us how to read its narrator.
Dramatic Irony: to see through a characters eyes while being encouraged to see more than the character can see.
Fictional Narration: Do the words these characters use seem the words they might use or do they sound more like the authors?
Sunday, 17 August 2008
How Fiction Works....
Just read How Fiction Works by James Wood (Random House 2008) which is a bit literary for a popular crime writer like myself but the final paragraph leaves all writers with something to ponder; ....the writer has to act as if the available novelistic methods are continually about to turn into mere convention and so has to try to outwit that inevitable ageing. The true writer, that free servant of life, is one who must always be acting as if life were a category beyond anything the novel had yet grasped; as if life itself were always on the verge of becoming conventional.
Saturday, 16 August 2008
42 Chapters...
No, not me, not just yet anyway......little Thom, Big 'singer' Jim's brother announced last week he has just about finished his book. I saw him last night and asked him for a word count but all he would give me was "42 chapters!"
Please excuse me.......there is a score I need to settle!!
Now where did I put that 65 ways to kill your victim book......
Please excuse me.......there is a score I need to settle!!
Now where did I put that 65 ways to kill your victim book......
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
65 ways to kill your victim.....
Have been diverted temporarily off course by a couple of non-fiction, writing books this week - as well as my night-time fiction reading. First book is The Crime Writers Handbook by Douglas Wynn (Allison & Busby 1997) which explains 65 ways to kill your victim.....in print. Unfortunately this is a borrowed book which Bryan would like to see again and so its time to make my research notes from it before returning it. Finding some juicy information.....
A single blow to the head will very rarely kill a person. It probably won’t even render them unconscious. A rain of blows, again to the head, is usually necessary and even then it probably won’t keep them quiet.
Death is more rapid in fresh than salt water because fresh water more readily enters the blood stream, upsetting the sodium/potassium balance, which leads to rapid and irregular beating of the heart (ventricular fibrillation) which, in turn, hastens death. Salt water has a higher osmotic pressure and does not diffuse into the blood stream so easily.
I have tried to get my own copy but to no avail. I even sent an email to the publishers but no reply...... Sweet Dreams
A single blow to the head will very rarely kill a person. It probably won’t even render them unconscious. A rain of blows, again to the head, is usually necessary and even then it probably won’t keep them quiet.
Death is more rapid in fresh than salt water because fresh water more readily enters the blood stream, upsetting the sodium/potassium balance, which leads to rapid and irregular beating of the heart (ventricular fibrillation) which, in turn, hastens death. Salt water has a higher osmotic pressure and does not diffuse into the blood stream so easily.
I have tried to get my own copy but to no avail. I even sent an email to the publishers but no reply...... Sweet Dreams
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Show Don't Tell - A Reminder....
The reading of fiction is the experience of a dream working at the subconscious level. John Gardner in The Art of Fiction says; vivid detail is the life blood of fiction…the reader is regularly presented with proofs – in the form of closely observed details…it’s physical detail that pulls us into a story, makes us believe. When a writer is ‘showing’ he is suggesting the sensuous detail that draws the reader into the fictive dream. ‘Telling’ pushes the reader out of the fictive dream, because it requires the reader to make a conscious analysis of what’s being told, which brings the reader into a waking state. It forces the reader to think, not feel.
Good prose uses sensuous details. These are the details that appeal to the 5 physical senses – sight, sound, hearing, taste and touch – and the sixth sense the psychic sense. Much bad prose appeals only to the sense of sight. Need to appeal to more of the senses:
He walked into the musty room. An old, metal desk stood forlornly under the window, the wind whistling through the crack in the glass. He touched the surface of the desk, wiping a swath of soft grime from the hard surface. A picture of George Washington hung on the wall at an odd angle, making old George look somewhat odd, intoxicated perhaps.
Good prose uses sensuous details. These are the details that appeal to the 5 physical senses – sight, sound, hearing, taste and touch – and the sixth sense the psychic sense. Much bad prose appeals only to the sense of sight. Need to appeal to more of the senses:
He walked into the musty room. An old, metal desk stood forlornly under the window, the wind whistling through the crack in the glass. He touched the surface of the desk, wiping a swath of soft grime from the hard surface. A picture of George Washington hung on the wall at an odd angle, making old George look somewhat odd, intoxicated perhaps.
Friday, 1 August 2008
The Great Rock N Roll Novel....
Wouldn't it be nice to write the great Rock N Roll novel? I had a brief fleeting idea about an Agatha Christie style novel and started to think about basing it around a band (Rock n Roll or not!). Searching on the net, I came across an article by Graeme Thomson; Where is the novel that can capture the essence of rock'n'roll? which gave me a few novels to start with http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/07/looking_for_a_rocknroll_hero.html
I was surprised to find one of them already on my shelf - Espedair Street by Iain Banks which I think an old boyfriend bought me about 20 years ago and I had never read (shameful I know!). Google books sums it up like this; Daniel Weir used to be a famous rock star. He's made a lot of mistakes that have paid off and a lot of smart moves he'll regret forever. Daniel Weir has gone from rags to riches and back, and managed to hold onto them both, though not much else. And now Daniel Weir is all alone. But don't let that put you off. I really liked it!! I liked it a lot better than the other 'Rock n Roll novel' I read (and Theakston Short listed) - Piece of My Heart by Peter Robinson. In the course of twin narratives (it says here) Robinson weaves the stories of two interconnected murders that occur decades apart. It was 527 pages which was about 300 too long, as all the action / clues / build up happened in the last few pages. Disappointing.....
I asked around for peoples ideas of what is / was a great Rock N Roll novel. A friends son recommended Nick Hornby: High Fidelity which I found on ebay.....it duly arrived for me to realise that I had already read it (lasting impression then!).
However, I had decided that what I don't need at the moment is another started novel, so I am going to use the ideas that I collected to write a short story as a competition entry in an attempt to get the juices flowing again.....
I was surprised to find one of them already on my shelf - Espedair Street by Iain Banks which I think an old boyfriend bought me about 20 years ago and I had never read (shameful I know!). Google books sums it up like this; Daniel Weir used to be a famous rock star. He's made a lot of mistakes that have paid off and a lot of smart moves he'll regret forever. Daniel Weir has gone from rags to riches and back, and managed to hold onto them both, though not much else. And now Daniel Weir is all alone. But don't let that put you off. I really liked it!! I liked it a lot better than the other 'Rock n Roll novel' I read (and Theakston Short listed) - Piece of My Heart by Peter Robinson. In the course of twin narratives (it says here) Robinson weaves the stories of two interconnected murders that occur decades apart. It was 527 pages which was about 300 too long, as all the action / clues / build up happened in the last few pages. Disappointing.....
I asked around for peoples ideas of what is / was a great Rock N Roll novel. A friends son recommended Nick Hornby: High Fidelity which I found on ebay.....it duly arrived for me to realise that I had already read it (lasting impression then!).
However, I had decided that what I don't need at the moment is another started novel, so I am going to use the ideas that I collected to write a short story as a competition entry in an attempt to get the juices flowing again.....
Sunday, 27 July 2008
PETER JAMES AT WATERSTONES
http://www.peterjames.com/ What a nice man!!
Ok, so I had heard some of his stories about being a writer before..….but when you think about it there can’t be that many anecdotes to tell……..and he did tell each one with that smile…..
He started off by reading the first chapter of: Dead Man’s Footsteps – his 18th novel and his 4th involving Roy Grace: If Ronnie Wilson had known, as he woke up, that in just a couple of hours he would be dead, he would have planned his day somewhat differently.
I did not realize he had been involved in the film industry – some of his early horror films included titles such as ‘I Dismembered Mama’ and ‘The Corpse Grinders’. He mentioned his involvement (Executive Producer) in the Merchant of Venice but said he was more proud of his writing. A series has been commissioned by ITV Granada to put Roy Grace on the screen. Peter said that he would like an unknown actor to get the part and he may actually have some say in this as Peter will be co-producing the series.
He said he likes writing crime as he feels it is ‘the best way to examine and reflect on the society in which we live.’ He is interested (as a lot of crime writers say) in why people do the things we do. He also added he likes writing police procedurals as police see life from the other side of the curtain. As part of his research he spends a day every 10 days with the Sussex Constabulary who cover Brighton and who figure a lot in his novels. He discussed the observational powers of the police – modern day Sherlock Holmes and how a policeman might go into a bar or restaurant and look at every face in the room. He noted that the only other people who look at all the faces are the villains. He forgot to mention crime writers….
Of course I was interested in what he had to say about his technique of writing. He plans the basic story and writes in detail the first 20% of the book and the ending. This is so he can drive the story to its conclusion. However, he did discuss the need to surprise both yourself and your reader, and to not plan too much. He repeated the old mantra Write Every Day!! and emphasized how this leads to continuity within the story. This was something I had not really thought about before. I had always thought people said ‘Write Every Day’ in order to keep the numbers up and to focus on getting the novel finished. Of course, writing every day also keeps the ideas and the story fresh in your head, and focuses you to keep thinking about the story and its twists and turns EVERY DAY!! It also emphasizes your status as a writer……
He said he can usually write a first draft in 7 months and the quickest he wrote a novel was in 7 weeks, but he had been researching it for 2 years. He emphasized that along with character and plot at the top of the list, research was just as important.
He was supposed to be at Lincoln Waterstones on the Thursday but as he had made the shortlist for the Theakston novel of the year he had been asked to attend the festival instead and so came to Lincoln one day early. I had read a number of the entries this year but did actually vote for Peter and Not Dead Enough and told him when I met him. He signed my book ‘Thanks for the Vote’ – what a nice man! Peter lost out to Stef Penney’s debut novel The Tenderness of Wolves (which I have not read) http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime/index.html
And what was the book like – as usual, un-put-down-able – one chapter flowing into the next so that your days and nights disappear until you have finished – another reason I have yet to finish MY novel!!
Ok, so I had heard some of his stories about being a writer before..….but when you think about it there can’t be that many anecdotes to tell……..and he did tell each one with that smile…..
He started off by reading the first chapter of: Dead Man’s Footsteps – his 18th novel and his 4th involving Roy Grace: If Ronnie Wilson had known, as he woke up, that in just a couple of hours he would be dead, he would have planned his day somewhat differently.
I did not realize he had been involved in the film industry – some of his early horror films included titles such as ‘I Dismembered Mama’ and ‘The Corpse Grinders’. He mentioned his involvement (Executive Producer) in the Merchant of Venice but said he was more proud of his writing. A series has been commissioned by ITV Granada to put Roy Grace on the screen. Peter said that he would like an unknown actor to get the part and he may actually have some say in this as Peter will be co-producing the series.
He said he likes writing crime as he feels it is ‘the best way to examine and reflect on the society in which we live.’ He is interested (as a lot of crime writers say) in why people do the things we do. He also added he likes writing police procedurals as police see life from the other side of the curtain. As part of his research he spends a day every 10 days with the Sussex Constabulary who cover Brighton and who figure a lot in his novels. He discussed the observational powers of the police – modern day Sherlock Holmes and how a policeman might go into a bar or restaurant and look at every face in the room. He noted that the only other people who look at all the faces are the villains. He forgot to mention crime writers….
Of course I was interested in what he had to say about his technique of writing. He plans the basic story and writes in detail the first 20% of the book and the ending. This is so he can drive the story to its conclusion. However, he did discuss the need to surprise both yourself and your reader, and to not plan too much. He repeated the old mantra Write Every Day!! and emphasized how this leads to continuity within the story. This was something I had not really thought about before. I had always thought people said ‘Write Every Day’ in order to keep the numbers up and to focus on getting the novel finished. Of course, writing every day also keeps the ideas and the story fresh in your head, and focuses you to keep thinking about the story and its twists and turns EVERY DAY!! It also emphasizes your status as a writer……
He said he can usually write a first draft in 7 months and the quickest he wrote a novel was in 7 weeks, but he had been researching it for 2 years. He emphasized that along with character and plot at the top of the list, research was just as important.
He was supposed to be at Lincoln Waterstones on the Thursday but as he had made the shortlist for the Theakston novel of the year he had been asked to attend the festival instead and so came to Lincoln one day early. I had read a number of the entries this year but did actually vote for Peter and Not Dead Enough and told him when I met him. He signed my book ‘Thanks for the Vote’ – what a nice man! Peter lost out to Stef Penney’s debut novel The Tenderness of Wolves (which I have not read) http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime/index.html
And what was the book like – as usual, un-put-down-able – one chapter flowing into the next so that your days and nights disappear until you have finished – another reason I have yet to finish MY novel!!
Saturday, 26 July 2008
The Last Word in Procrastination.....
Went to the Winn Street Writers on Tuesday night and was asked why my blog at present only talks about procrastination and not about my writing. It seems I am procrastinating by talking about procrastination now! Anyway, one of the group (thanks Steve) sent me a short video which kinda sums it all up
see: www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2005/procrastination-p1.php
As the final lesson from Jurgen Wolff says:
Seize this moment. No more excuses, no more delays, this is it! The minute you finish reading this lesson, figure out one chunk of what you need to do.
Don't watch TV, don't go out, don't answer the phone, don't eat first, don't tolerate any interruptions.
Don't ponder why you haven't done it yet, or what it all means, or how long it will take you.
Stop thinking, start doing!
www.tameyourinnercritic.com/
And there will be no more on the subject...
see: www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2005/procrastination-p1.php
As the final lesson from Jurgen Wolff says:
Seize this moment. No more excuses, no more delays, this is it! The minute you finish reading this lesson, figure out one chunk of what you need to do.
Don't watch TV, don't go out, don't answer the phone, don't eat first, don't tolerate any interruptions.
Don't ponder why you haven't done it yet, or what it all means, or how long it will take you.
Stop thinking, start doing!
www.tameyourinnercritic.com/
And there will be no more on the subject...
Saturday, 19 July 2008
QUOTATION
"To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it's about, but the inner music that words make." Truman Capote, American writer (1824-1984)
www.writers.com Newsletter - July 08
www.writers.com Newsletter - July 08
Thursday, 10 July 2008
Winners of the 10 word story challenge...
After much deliberation Simon, best-selling author, and programming chair of the 2008 Festival today judged the winner to be Sarah Netherclift for her story:
Expiry Date: Cruellest month, April. Although, technically he didn’t die until July.
The standard was so high, Simon also picked out five other stories from the adult competition for a special mention:
Grabbed, stabbed, shopped, copped, lied, denied, squealed, appealed, failed, jailed. (By MS Harris)
Take my car Joe said. Sue was never seen again. (By Yvonne Otter)
Going Postal: The knife glinted. Sometimes people just crack, said Miss Marple. (by Donna Mail)
Marital Problem: Cynical Wife, husband with knife, serious strife, husband got life. (By Geoff Newton)
Widower killed, not by seven suspects, but by dead wife. (By Phil Cook)
Expiry Date: Cruellest month, April. Although, technically he didn’t die until July.
The standard was so high, Simon also picked out five other stories from the adult competition for a special mention:
Grabbed, stabbed, shopped, copped, lied, denied, squealed, appealed, failed, jailed. (By MS Harris)
Take my car Joe said. Sue was never seen again. (By Yvonne Otter)
Going Postal: The knife glinted. Sometimes people just crack, said Miss Marple. (by Donna Mail)
Marital Problem: Cynical Wife, husband with knife, serious strife, husband got life. (By Geoff Newton)
Widower killed, not by seven suspects, but by dead wife. (By Phil Cook)
and another thing....
Writers News and Magazine arrived last week and as usual I have been devouring the contents. I particularly liked the quote reported that Anne Fine (Children's Laureate 2001-2003) said when interviewed for GuardianUnlimited:
'Firstly, Muriel Spark said you should write a book as if no one you know will ever read it. Secondly, you should never share your book with your partner. They are the worst people to advise you. And finally, Philip Larkin said, "Write the book you would most like to read, that no on else has written"'
'Firstly, Muriel Spark said you should write a book as if no one you know will ever read it. Secondly, you should never share your book with your partner. They are the worst people to advise you. And finally, Philip Larkin said, "Write the book you would most like to read, that no on else has written"'
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Overcoming Procrastination
Jurgen Wolff is a star!! www.timetowrite.com/ Once again he has something very valuable to say but whether we listen to it or not is another matter....
In this weeks email he discusses controlled procrastination.
The normal pattern for procrastinating on something that is due in, say, two weeks is to put it off for maybe a week and a half or even more, feeling anxious and guilty the entire time. Then we work in a panic for the rest of the time to get it done--or we miss the deadline.
Here's an alternative: Consciously decide to procrastinate for the first week. During that week, don't even give the project or deadline another thought. Do whatever you want or need to do, unrelated to the project. Enjoy being free of the usual anxiety or guilt. When the procrastination period is up, get to work!
Of course in each case you will have to estimate how much time you have to enjoy procrastinating and how much time you will need to actually do the work, but in my experience we usually have a pretty good intuitive feel for how long something will take when we focus on it fully.
P.S. One of the core reasons behind procrastination is that you probably have a harsh inner critic. When you transform it to a constructive inner critic, it will change your life for the better. You'll have more energy, more motivation--and you'll be free of the fear that is often the cause of procrastination.
In this weeks email he discusses controlled procrastination.
The normal pattern for procrastinating on something that is due in, say, two weeks is to put it off for maybe a week and a half or even more, feeling anxious and guilty the entire time. Then we work in a panic for the rest of the time to get it done--or we miss the deadline.
Here's an alternative: Consciously decide to procrastinate for the first week. During that week, don't even give the project or deadline another thought. Do whatever you want or need to do, unrelated to the project. Enjoy being free of the usual anxiety or guilt. When the procrastination period is up, get to work!
Of course in each case you will have to estimate how much time you have to enjoy procrastinating and how much time you will need to actually do the work, but in my experience we usually have a pretty good intuitive feel for how long something will take when we focus on it fully.
P.S. One of the core reasons behind procrastination is that you probably have a harsh inner critic. When you transform it to a constructive inner critic, it will change your life for the better. You'll have more energy, more motivation--and you'll be free of the fear that is often the cause of procrastination.
Monday, 30 June 2008
Avoiding the Fraud Squad
Am pinching another of Jurgen Wolff's emails as - once again - he is spot on...
Some people (me included!) are afraid that anytime now, others will realize that they have been faking it. One of the ways of making sure that your supposed incompetence will not be exposed is not to finish what you start (or never to start it in the firstplace). The truth that can save you from the stress of the fear of the Fraud Squad is not that you're actually a nearly -perfect person... it's that we are all imperfect.
Another way to prove it: ask your friends when they started feeling like a responsible adult. My guess is that most of them will say"I'm still waiting." So, we're all in the same boat, and nobody's going to be exposed. The Universal Fraud Squad is a figment of our imaginations and nothing to worry about. We're all going to muddle along the best we can, making mistakes sometimes. It's called life.
When you fullyaccept that, you can stop procrastinating and get on with doing your (imperfect) thing.
Some people (me included!) are afraid that anytime now, others will realize that they have been faking it. One of the ways of making sure that your supposed incompetence will not be exposed is not to finish what you start (or never to start it in the firstplace). The truth that can save you from the stress of the fear of the Fraud Squad is not that you're actually a nearly -perfect person... it's that we are all imperfect.
Another way to prove it: ask your friends when they started feeling like a responsible adult. My guess is that most of them will say"I'm still waiting." So, we're all in the same boat, and nobody's going to be exposed. The Universal Fraud Squad is a figment of our imaginations and nothing to worry about. We're all going to muddle along the best we can, making mistakes sometimes. It's called life.
When you fullyaccept that, you can stop procrastinating and get on with doing your (imperfect) thing.
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Another Competition Entry?
Forgot to mention I entered a 300 word story as part of the Theakston Crime Festival via the Lincolnshire Echo. I liked the prize - a copy of the 20 crime novels shortlisted for the Peculier prize. We were given the first paragraph and told to finish the story. Here is my attempt:
Next to the body lay a bottle of Theakston’s Old Peculier and an upturned book; it was a crime novel and the already lurid jacket was spattered with real blood……
The Inspector scratched his bald head. The candles that illuminated the library danced in the moist reflection. He could have done without this. His wife was attending a literary dinner and he had promised to accompany her. She would be less than happy and probably withhold her wifely delights; which would be a shame as her cooking was legendary.
Also legendary was the bottle. With a gloved hand the Inspector tenderly reached out. Holding it up he could see no fingerprints, but the dark, smooth liquid held his gaze. Turning the bottle the luxurious liquid stirred: teasing him in the flickering shadows. He hardly noticed the clump of red hair around its base.
As for the book and the body, the Inspector knew both. It had been in all the papers. A debut detective novel based in a brewery in the Yorkshire Dales. He could see where the life had left the author. The depression in the skull and the sticky mess that congealed across the face underlined the head wound for all to see. The Inspector felt his mobile vibrate. Where are You? Michael O’Cultt cancelled. I’ll be home in 20 minutes. This was clearly a suicide, the Inspector concluded.
Twenty minutes later he was at home with a glass of something dark and agreeable. The body of the ‘promising’ author was at the morgue waiting to be collected by the publishers. Another wannabe whose life burnt out too soon. The Inspector smiled and lifted his glass. ‘Cheers’ he said out loud. Silently giving thanks to the fuggle hop. This smooth tasting nectar would never fall into obscurity.
Next to the body lay a bottle of Theakston’s Old Peculier and an upturned book; it was a crime novel and the already lurid jacket was spattered with real blood……
The Inspector scratched his bald head. The candles that illuminated the library danced in the moist reflection. He could have done without this. His wife was attending a literary dinner and he had promised to accompany her. She would be less than happy and probably withhold her wifely delights; which would be a shame as her cooking was legendary.
Also legendary was the bottle. With a gloved hand the Inspector tenderly reached out. Holding it up he could see no fingerprints, but the dark, smooth liquid held his gaze. Turning the bottle the luxurious liquid stirred: teasing him in the flickering shadows. He hardly noticed the clump of red hair around its base.
As for the book and the body, the Inspector knew both. It had been in all the papers. A debut detective novel based in a brewery in the Yorkshire Dales. He could see where the life had left the author. The depression in the skull and the sticky mess that congealed across the face underlined the head wound for all to see. The Inspector felt his mobile vibrate. Where are You? Michael O’Cultt cancelled. I’ll be home in 20 minutes. This was clearly a suicide, the Inspector concluded.
Twenty minutes later he was at home with a glass of something dark and agreeable. The body of the ‘promising’ author was at the morgue waiting to be collected by the publishers. Another wannabe whose life burnt out too soon. The Inspector smiled and lifted his glass. ‘Cheers’ he said out loud. Silently giving thanks to the fuggle hop. This smooth tasting nectar would never fall into obscurity.
Monday, 23 June 2008
10 Word Crime Story
Today I entered the Theakston Crime Writing Festival 10 word story, see: www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime/10wordstory.html My entry is:
The second deceit
Cheating husband slips up. Accidental says Inquest. Widow escapes. Innocent.
It might not win but I am off to the Theakston Brewery at the weekend anyway!!
The second deceit
Cheating husband slips up. Accidental says Inquest. Widow escapes. Innocent.
It might not win but I am off to the Theakston Brewery at the weekend anyway!!
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
All that hot air!!
I am beginning to wonder if I will ever really finish writing a book? (I have started 3 in total!) I had all that time off and not a lot to show for it and now I don't even seem bothered about writing this week. Up until now I have worried I am not writing at least a couple of times a day. Perhaps it is because I have other things in my life now that are (more?) important; such as my Teaching Assistant course and training. This has certainly proved that I can write every day - I just sit down and write - about my course and my experience in the classroom. What is the difference between this and my novel? Well, there is a deadline with the course work and the threat of failure if I don't complete the weekly work. Of course with my writing - not having a contract - means there isn't this pressure pushing me forward!! And now that I have the Teaching to focus on I am afraid my writing does not have the seriousness about it that I have attached to it over the last few months. But....this could be a good thing so watch this space!!
Monday, 9 June 2008
Enough Said!
This morning received the Newbie Writers' Newsletter June 2008 www.newbie-writers.com
I liked the article; Feature: Writing Pitfall #1: Being Too Precious By Sean McLachlan and especially the first line; Let's face it--you're not the next Ernest Hemingway or Stephen King. Heck, when they started, Hemingway and King weren't the next Hemingway and King. Enough said!
I liked the article; Feature: Writing Pitfall #1: Being Too Precious By Sean McLachlan and especially the first line; Let's face it--you're not the next Ernest Hemingway or Stephen King. Heck, when they started, Hemingway and King weren't the next Hemingway and King. Enough said!
Sunday, 8 June 2008
Structured Procrastination
Came across this website via The Times last Saturday: www.structuredprocrastination.com/
I particularly like it when John Perry says: the procrastinator can be motivated to do difficult, timely and important tasks, as long as these tasks are a way of not doing something more important.
I particularly like it when John Perry says: the procrastinator can be motivated to do difficult, timely and important tasks, as long as these tasks are a way of not doing something more important.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
The Shortlist
The Crime Writers’ Association has announced the shortlist for the 2008 Debut Dagger Competition.......and I'm not on it!!
What next then? Do I scrap the novel I started and have a re-think or do I plod on with it. (Answers on a postcard please....) Perhaps that is why I have ignored it lately - its 'plodding' along instead of flowing.....
Time for a serious think......
What next then? Do I scrap the novel I started and have a re-think or do I plod on with it. (Answers on a postcard please....) Perhaps that is why I have ignored it lately - its 'plodding' along instead of flowing.....
Time for a serious think......
Friday, 30 May 2008
Tame Your Inner Critic
I have signed up for some free lessons from Jurgen Wolff and todays (for me) was of particular value: Getting started on a new project often is the easy part, keeping up your commitment to working on it daily can be difficult. I've stolen an idea from dieters to help you keep up the momentum. One very powerful little tool that dieters use is to put a picture of their chubby selves on the refrigerator door to remind them of what they don't want. Others put a picture of an ideal body with their head stuck on it, to remind them of what they want to work toward.
Which is more powerful for you--the fear of what you don't want, or the pull of what you do want? Once you've decided, here's what you do:If the negative is more powerful for you, then create an image of what you'll feel like if you don't reach your goal. You can draw this image, or cut a picture from a magazine, or even just write a single word or phrase (like "wasted my life"). If you respond more to the positive, create an image, word, or phrase that encapsulates how you're going to feel when you do reach your writing goal. Put this where it will do the most to remind you of your commitment to your dream--maybe on a sticky note stuck to your computer, or on the TV, for instance. If you think that it would be too embarrassing to have it where others can see it, carry it around in your wallet or purse and get in the habit of looking at it first thing in the morning, when you break for lunch, just after dinner, and just before you go to bed.
"Tame Your Inner Critic" program for details at; http://www.tameyourinnercritic.com/
Which is more powerful for you--the fear of what you don't want, or the pull of what you do want? Once you've decided, here's what you do:If the negative is more powerful for you, then create an image of what you'll feel like if you don't reach your goal. You can draw this image, or cut a picture from a magazine, or even just write a single word or phrase (like "wasted my life"). If you respond more to the positive, create an image, word, or phrase that encapsulates how you're going to feel when you do reach your writing goal. Put this where it will do the most to remind you of your commitment to your dream--maybe on a sticky note stuck to your computer, or on the TV, for instance. If you think that it would be too embarrassing to have it where others can see it, carry it around in your wallet or purse and get in the habit of looking at it first thing in the morning, when you break for lunch, just after dinner, and just before you go to bed.
"Tame Your Inner Critic" program for details at; http://www.tameyourinnercritic.com/
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
And the Winner Is.....
Not me......but then I never got around to entering the bloody competition anyway. I am talking about the winner of the Writers and Artists Yearbook Blog competition: James Whitworth's Novel Blog - one year...one novel...one blog... at http://jimmymacsnovelblog.blogspot.com/
I can only look / read his Blog in awe. He has finished his first draft (start date: 22nd September 2007). There are no speed cameras on the first draft highway!! he wrote (30/11/07)
He writes a chapter a week and gives his secrets as:
Determination, Habit and the use of Deadlines!!
I am just a little bit behind him......
I can only look / read his Blog in awe. He has finished his first draft (start date: 22nd September 2007). There are no speed cameras on the first draft highway!! he wrote (30/11/07)
He writes a chapter a week and gives his secrets as:
Determination, Habit and the use of Deadlines!!
I am just a little bit behind him......
The Jigsaw Man: Paul Britton
I met him once you know...Paul Britton....a long time ago. He visited Lincoln as part of his forensic work. He even mentions it in the book - not that he met me - Lincoln!!
Anyway, just finished The Jigsaw man which was very interesting and gave me a number of ideas for the novel. He touches on why the book is called The Jigsaw Man when he says; Take the 4 questions I ask myself at the start of every investigation - what happened, how did it happen, who is the victim and why did it happen? Only when I have these answers can I tackle the most important question - who was responsible? Its like working on several jigsaw puzzles at the same time. One puzzle will tell me what happened, another will reveal how it happened, a third will tell me about the victim and a fourth will show me the likely motivation of the offender. When completed, each of these puzzles then becomes a vital piece in a much larger jigsaw that will help me identify the psychological characteristics of the offender.
He also uses the analogy of a fishing net;
Imagine a fishing net formed by a matrix of hundreds of lines with thousands of nets connecting them. Any single knot may be interesting but when you try to pick it up, all the others come with it. They are all interconnected and you can’t truly understand any single knot unless you understand the principles of those around it. That’s what makes psychology so fascinating. It’s like having a three dimensional map that you journey upon and through.
Anyway, just finished The Jigsaw man which was very interesting and gave me a number of ideas for the novel. He touches on why the book is called The Jigsaw Man when he says; Take the 4 questions I ask myself at the start of every investigation - what happened, how did it happen, who is the victim and why did it happen? Only when I have these answers can I tackle the most important question - who was responsible? Its like working on several jigsaw puzzles at the same time. One puzzle will tell me what happened, another will reveal how it happened, a third will tell me about the victim and a fourth will show me the likely motivation of the offender. When completed, each of these puzzles then becomes a vital piece in a much larger jigsaw that will help me identify the psychological characteristics of the offender.
He also uses the analogy of a fishing net;
Imagine a fishing net formed by a matrix of hundreds of lines with thousands of nets connecting them. Any single knot may be interesting but when you try to pick it up, all the others come with it. They are all interconnected and you can’t truly understand any single knot unless you understand the principles of those around it. That’s what makes psychology so fascinating. It’s like having a three dimensional map that you journey upon and through.
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Quote for Today...
Only those who dare to go too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
T. S. Elliott
From: www.susanjeffers.com/home/quotes.cfm
T. S. Elliott
From: www.susanjeffers.com/home/quotes.cfm
Friday, 23 May 2008
No More Procrastinating!!!
Just read The Procrastinators Guide to Success by Lynn Lively (McGraw-Hill (1999)). She emphasised the need to set goals - so you know where you are going......You need to set goals to:
- Provide focus and keep you on track.
- Establish your priorities so that you can say no to what is of lesser importance.
- Narrow your options and provide direction.
- Define what success will be for you.
- Reflect your values and force you to think about what is important.
You always have a choice, and that choice is to do something or do nothing.
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Having a Break
Following my 6 months review and an operation I had a couple of weeks ago, I have decided to give myself a few weeks off stressing about the novel I have been trying to write for the last 6 months. Instead, I have been having a spring clean of sorts - both mentally and physically - in an attempt to re-tune myself to what is really important and where I want to be headed in the next 6 months.
Something I did over the weekend; while it was sunny and I was unable to do much more than lie on my back due to my scar, was to go through some old writing magazines from 2/3 years ago. I figured most of the information would be out of date by now so, after tearing out the more interesting and relevant pages, I put them where they belonged - in the re-cycle bin. What was left however, has been filed away or is waiting for me to decide what to do with the information. Some of it might even end up on the Blog.....
One article that struck a cord; which was written in May 2005 - was called Healthy mind, healthy body by Brendan Nolan in Writing Magazine. You can guess what it is about without really reading it, and following my operation it emphasized the need for me to become more healthy in my lifestyle for both my body and my minds sake!! His top tips were:
Something I did over the weekend; while it was sunny and I was unable to do much more than lie on my back due to my scar, was to go through some old writing magazines from 2/3 years ago. I figured most of the information would be out of date by now so, after tearing out the more interesting and relevant pages, I put them where they belonged - in the re-cycle bin. What was left however, has been filed away or is waiting for me to decide what to do with the information. Some of it might even end up on the Blog.....
One article that struck a cord; which was written in May 2005 - was called Healthy mind, healthy body by Brendan Nolan in Writing Magazine. You can guess what it is about without really reading it, and following my operation it emphasized the need for me to become more healthy in my lifestyle for both my body and my minds sake!! His top tips were:
- Quit Lazing around, drinking coffee, and get dressed.
- Exercise mind and body to stay sane, healthy and profitable.
- Remove isolation and try to connect with other human beings.
- Create continuing relationships with writing peers.
- Don't set goals that are unattainable.
- To prevent burnout, suspend work and schedule some down-time.
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Six Month Review....
It is now just over 6 months since I started this blog so I feel it is time for a review. In November, I kick-started my writing by taking part in the Write a Novel in a Month Challenge (NaNoWriMo). The idea is to write 50,000 words of your novel - from scratch - during the month. The challenge started well. I simply began to write. Ideas came to me as I typed and I just went with them. However, I went and burnt myself out!! My final word count was 18,377 words. But I started a novel and proved to myself that sitting down and just writing can be done. And then Christmas arrived and I can’t believe the amount of excuses and time wasters that appeared! My brother getting married was certainly a good excuse for not writing, but then - on January 12th 2008 - my photograph stared out at people from the Lincolnshire Echo. ‘Is 2008 your year to write a novel?’ Suddenly, this writing lark became serious!!
In 2007 the closing date for the Debut Dagger was the end of April, so I had anticipated finishing the novel first. However, this year the date was February, so after Christmas all my efforts went on writing a synopsis and polishing the first 3000 words. I never realised how hard writing a synopsis is, but I do feel that this helped me to really tighten up the plot. After sending off the entry to the CWA I promised myself I would complete the novel in the first half of 2008. This has not happened. Reading The NLP Coach by McDermott and Jago recently made me realise that I have begun to avoid writing because I am avoiding my own feelings. A lot of my novel is based on my own experiences and avoiding the writing could be avoidance of contact with my emotions. What this blog hasn’t mentioned until now is that in September 2007 I suffered a miscarriage and then a cyst was discovered (last measured at 6cm) in one of my ovaries. This means that while trying to write a novel I have had to endure numerous Doctor and Hospital visits, therapy sessions, not to mention acupuncture, chiropractor, and dentist appointments. At one stage it was suggested I might be 'suffering' from Depression. Overcoming Depression by Paul Gilbert, helped me to understand how I was feeling at the time, but also my writing progress with regards to Shoulds, musts and oughts. We feel very disappointed when things don’t turn out as the ‘should’ says. Depression is commonly associated with blocks to major life goals. But, are your ideals realistic? Are you disappointed because you feel ashamed at not making your ideals? I am certainly guilty of this.
However, looking on the bright side, in the last 6 months I have attended and be involved in many writing related activities and must have read around a hundred (fiction and non-fiction) books; as well as my monthly subscription to Writing Magazine and Writers News. I have also started two blogs and kept them (relatively) up to date and as well as the Debut Dagger, I did enter a mini-crime story for the February edition of Writing Magazine. I also started a Teaching Assistant course and have begun working in a school one morning a week.
God knows I have wasted too much time on FaceBook, Emails, Junk emails / mail, Newspapers and definitely daytime TV!!
However, Personal Trainer Matt Roberts in The Times Body&Soul 3rd May 2008 gave a little pep talk to those flagging in their dieting and gym goals. I thought that some of what he said could be applied to writing:
Think like a beginner again. Remember how you felt when you started and you set your inspiring goals. Put what you have achieved so far out of your mind for a moment and reset the way you approach your goals. This is a fresh routine and a new set of goals. Focus on putting struggles behind you. Focus on today and your plans to improve from now on.
Reassess goals and expectations. Look at what you have achieved and gauge how fast you may be able to change realistically.
Whatever you do, don’t beat yourself up. If the results are a little slower to show than you had hoped, focus on how much you have completed and how you have changed. Success can be a stop-start process, so give yourself a pat on the back for having worked so hard so far.
What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do!!
In 2007 the closing date for the Debut Dagger was the end of April, so I had anticipated finishing the novel first. However, this year the date was February, so after Christmas all my efforts went on writing a synopsis and polishing the first 3000 words. I never realised how hard writing a synopsis is, but I do feel that this helped me to really tighten up the plot. After sending off the entry to the CWA I promised myself I would complete the novel in the first half of 2008. This has not happened. Reading The NLP Coach by McDermott and Jago recently made me realise that I have begun to avoid writing because I am avoiding my own feelings. A lot of my novel is based on my own experiences and avoiding the writing could be avoidance of contact with my emotions. What this blog hasn’t mentioned until now is that in September 2007 I suffered a miscarriage and then a cyst was discovered (last measured at 6cm) in one of my ovaries. This means that while trying to write a novel I have had to endure numerous Doctor and Hospital visits, therapy sessions, not to mention acupuncture, chiropractor, and dentist appointments. At one stage it was suggested I might be 'suffering' from Depression. Overcoming Depression by Paul Gilbert, helped me to understand how I was feeling at the time, but also my writing progress with regards to Shoulds, musts and oughts. We feel very disappointed when things don’t turn out as the ‘should’ says. Depression is commonly associated with blocks to major life goals. But, are your ideals realistic? Are you disappointed because you feel ashamed at not making your ideals? I am certainly guilty of this.
However, looking on the bright side, in the last 6 months I have attended and be involved in many writing related activities and must have read around a hundred (fiction and non-fiction) books; as well as my monthly subscription to Writing Magazine and Writers News. I have also started two blogs and kept them (relatively) up to date and as well as the Debut Dagger, I did enter a mini-crime story for the February edition of Writing Magazine. I also started a Teaching Assistant course and have begun working in a school one morning a week.
God knows I have wasted too much time on FaceBook, Emails, Junk emails / mail, Newspapers and definitely daytime TV!!
However, Personal Trainer Matt Roberts in The Times Body&Soul 3rd May 2008 gave a little pep talk to those flagging in their dieting and gym goals. I thought that some of what he said could be applied to writing:
Think like a beginner again. Remember how you felt when you started and you set your inspiring goals. Put what you have achieved so far out of your mind for a moment and reset the way you approach your goals. This is a fresh routine and a new set of goals. Focus on putting struggles behind you. Focus on today and your plans to improve from now on.
Reassess goals and expectations. Look at what you have achieved and gauge how fast you may be able to change realistically.
Whatever you do, don’t beat yourself up. If the results are a little slower to show than you had hoped, focus on how much you have completed and how you have changed. Success can be a stop-start process, so give yourself a pat on the back for having worked so hard so far.
What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do!!
Friday, 25 April 2008
Surreal Poetry Wokshop
Yesterday I attended a brilliant workshop led by Lynn Parker - the Words Worker for ArtsNK Sleaford - at North Hykeham library. Poems were created via an interesting exercise that I am sure could be used to gain ideas and inspiration for short stories and perhaps even plots for novels.
Each of us chose two books at random from the library shelves. Then we opened one of the books at a random page and placed our fingers (again randomly) on the page and copied the line out. Then changed books and followed the same procedure. And then back to the original book and so on....The books I chose were: Head Over Heels in the Dales by Gervase Phinn and The Jewel That was Ours by Colin Dexter.
It was weird how some of the passages - although from different books - seemed to be related. Synchronicity? (the coming together of inner and outer events in a way that cannot be explained by cause and effect and that is meaningful to the observer. Carl Jung). It was all about connections and it proved fantastic starting material...
Here is my first attempt; called simply Lips
He grinned his sad, lopsided grin,
Removed the somewhat disturbing hand,
And looked at her.
Her upper and lower lips of almost equal thickness,
Moist and parted,
And temptingly squashable.
He never knew that nuns had a sense of humour.
Feeling for a few small moments,
An intense and splendid happiness.
It was to be hoped that he could come up with some fairly definite cause of death.
David shook his head wearily.
The last day of term had been an emotional occasion.
Artists use messy materials like paints, charcoals, crayons,
Clay, cardboard, glue, pencils, paper.
Not that they are a particularly complaining lot;
(except for that one woman, of course).
As the clock on the county hall tower struck ten, David arrived.
Into his barrow, under cover of the night, the body was put,
Before being wheeled across the low wooden bridge,
Across to the swiftly flowing current of the river,
Where unceremoniously the body was tipped into the water.
He took the call just after 11pm
The prisoner looked lost and defeated.
Her mouth was a shining bow of lipstick.
Each of us chose two books at random from the library shelves. Then we opened one of the books at a random page and placed our fingers (again randomly) on the page and copied the line out. Then changed books and followed the same procedure. And then back to the original book and so on....The books I chose were: Head Over Heels in the Dales by Gervase Phinn and The Jewel That was Ours by Colin Dexter.
It was weird how some of the passages - although from different books - seemed to be related. Synchronicity? (the coming together of inner and outer events in a way that cannot be explained by cause and effect and that is meaningful to the observer. Carl Jung). It was all about connections and it proved fantastic starting material...
Here is my first attempt; called simply Lips
He grinned his sad, lopsided grin,
Removed the somewhat disturbing hand,
And looked at her.
Her upper and lower lips of almost equal thickness,
Moist and parted,
And temptingly squashable.
He never knew that nuns had a sense of humour.
Feeling for a few small moments,
An intense and splendid happiness.
It was to be hoped that he could come up with some fairly definite cause of death.
David shook his head wearily.
The last day of term had been an emotional occasion.
Artists use messy materials like paints, charcoals, crayons,
Clay, cardboard, glue, pencils, paper.
Not that they are a particularly complaining lot;
(except for that one woman, of course).
As the clock on the county hall tower struck ten, David arrived.
Into his barrow, under cover of the night, the body was put,
Before being wheeled across the low wooden bridge,
Across to the swiftly flowing current of the river,
Where unceremoniously the body was tipped into the water.
He took the call just after 11pm
The prisoner looked lost and defeated.
Her mouth was a shining bow of lipstick.
Monday, 21 April 2008
Fear: A Writers Worst Enemy
A new website: http://calliope.jimdo.com/ was recommended to me by Karen Maitland (no excuse for name dropping) this week and there is a brilliant article entitled; Fear: A Writers Worst Enemy which I have summarised below.
Many of the reasons writers give for not writing are chiefly motivated by one element: Fear. Oh, writers will say it is one of a multitude of other reasons — busy schedules, lack of inspiration, discouragement, a lack of good ideas, etc. However, in many of these cases, the reason can be pared down, again, to the simple concept of fear. No matter how busy a writer’s life becomes, if a writer truly wants to write, he/she will make time for it. Why then, do so many writers procrastinate and put off the actual process of writing?
Checking e-mails; surfing the internet; cleaning up around the house, or thinking of a task that needs doing “real quick” before writing, and before you know it, the time to write has slipped away. So the question stands: Why does writing so often get shoved to the back-burner?
Often, the core problem is fear. This fear can manifest itself in several ways: Intimidation of the blank page, Fear of not producing something that is “good enough”, Fear that your idea itself might not be “good enough”, Intimidation by the sheer amount of effort the piece of writing is going to require, Fear of criticism from others, Fear of self-criticism, Fear of failure (of attempting to write something and not succeeding).
This fear, if allowed to continue, can lead to countless excuses for not writing: I just don’t feel inspired; I don’t have any good ideas at the moment; I don’t have time; I have other things I need to do.
The difficult truth is that nothing will ever get written unless someone actually puts in the effort to write it. There are many people in the world who could be great writers. They have good ideas, they have a talent for language, they have a unique and creative perspective. However, they never will be good writers, because they simply never force themselves to actually write anything. And yes, at times, that’s what it takes — force.
Contrary to what many people think, most great writers don’t write in fits of frenzied inspiration where the ideas and language come out perfectly on the page. They write word by word, painstakingly forcing their thoughts to the page, then editing them, rewriting, until the finished product appears seamlessly before the reader as if it had taken no effort whatsoever to write.
But if writers allow fear to keep them from ever putting anything down on the page… well, then nothing will ever get written.
So, here are a few Tips for Overcoming the “Fear” of Writing:
1. Force yourself to put something on the blank page
It doesn’t matter what you write initially; you can free-write, brainstorm, make a list — the point is to put some words on the page so that the blank page doesn’t seem so intimidating. Once there are words on the page, the project has begun and you have some material to work with. Until then, well, it’s nothing but a blank page.
2. Silence your internal editor
Put some real effort into shutting out any internal criticism when writing a first draft. Any time that voice pops in to say “That’s a dumb idea,” or “That sounds lame,” or “This is rubbish; you’ll never turn this into anything decent,” quickly stuff a sock in its mouth and keep on writing. The internal editor becomes immensely important during revision, but on the first draft the main objective is to get the material written down. There will be plenty of time for self-criticism later.
3. Lower Your Expectations
It’s easy to become intimidated into near mental paralysis by your own expectations. If you are always expecting this story to be “the” story, the one which will make it big, which will be widely acclaimed and beautiful and perfect and win you world-wide fame, then most likely nothing you write will seem good enough. Instead, remind yourself, “This is just another story; The fame and awards will come with the next one I write.” In that way, you have the freedom to be creative and to write to your fullest without the anxiety and pressure which comes from expecting the end product to be “perfect.”
4. Write About What You Know
Sometimes fear can come from a concern with not being accurate or believable. This is easily fixed — write about the things you know best. Don’t attempt to write on a topic about which you know very little (or nothing). Instead, pull from your own life, your own experience, your own knowledge, and then expand it or enhance it with research if necessary. Writing always comes more easily (and reads better as a finished product) if the subject is something that is both familiar and meaningful to the writer.
5. Make It Up
If you can’t think of anything interesting to write about what you know, then write something that no one knows about. Why else would fantasy be so popular? If you write about something completely made up then you are the master of that little universe. Who’s to tell you the facts and details are wrong?
Many of the reasons writers give for not writing are chiefly motivated by one element: Fear. Oh, writers will say it is one of a multitude of other reasons — busy schedules, lack of inspiration, discouragement, a lack of good ideas, etc. However, in many of these cases, the reason can be pared down, again, to the simple concept of fear. No matter how busy a writer’s life becomes, if a writer truly wants to write, he/she will make time for it. Why then, do so many writers procrastinate and put off the actual process of writing?
Checking e-mails; surfing the internet; cleaning up around the house, or thinking of a task that needs doing “real quick” before writing, and before you know it, the time to write has slipped away. So the question stands: Why does writing so often get shoved to the back-burner?
Often, the core problem is fear. This fear can manifest itself in several ways: Intimidation of the blank page, Fear of not producing something that is “good enough”, Fear that your idea itself might not be “good enough”, Intimidation by the sheer amount of effort the piece of writing is going to require, Fear of criticism from others, Fear of self-criticism, Fear of failure (of attempting to write something and not succeeding).
This fear, if allowed to continue, can lead to countless excuses for not writing: I just don’t feel inspired; I don’t have any good ideas at the moment; I don’t have time; I have other things I need to do.
The difficult truth is that nothing will ever get written unless someone actually puts in the effort to write it. There are many people in the world who could be great writers. They have good ideas, they have a talent for language, they have a unique and creative perspective. However, they never will be good writers, because they simply never force themselves to actually write anything. And yes, at times, that’s what it takes — force.
Contrary to what many people think, most great writers don’t write in fits of frenzied inspiration where the ideas and language come out perfectly on the page. They write word by word, painstakingly forcing their thoughts to the page, then editing them, rewriting, until the finished product appears seamlessly before the reader as if it had taken no effort whatsoever to write.
But if writers allow fear to keep them from ever putting anything down on the page… well, then nothing will ever get written.
So, here are a few Tips for Overcoming the “Fear” of Writing:
1. Force yourself to put something on the blank page
It doesn’t matter what you write initially; you can free-write, brainstorm, make a list — the point is to put some words on the page so that the blank page doesn’t seem so intimidating. Once there are words on the page, the project has begun and you have some material to work with. Until then, well, it’s nothing but a blank page.
2. Silence your internal editor
Put some real effort into shutting out any internal criticism when writing a first draft. Any time that voice pops in to say “That’s a dumb idea,” or “That sounds lame,” or “This is rubbish; you’ll never turn this into anything decent,” quickly stuff a sock in its mouth and keep on writing. The internal editor becomes immensely important during revision, but on the first draft the main objective is to get the material written down. There will be plenty of time for self-criticism later.
3. Lower Your Expectations
It’s easy to become intimidated into near mental paralysis by your own expectations. If you are always expecting this story to be “the” story, the one which will make it big, which will be widely acclaimed and beautiful and perfect and win you world-wide fame, then most likely nothing you write will seem good enough. Instead, remind yourself, “This is just another story; The fame and awards will come with the next one I write.” In that way, you have the freedom to be creative and to write to your fullest without the anxiety and pressure which comes from expecting the end product to be “perfect.”
4. Write About What You Know
Sometimes fear can come from a concern with not being accurate or believable. This is easily fixed — write about the things you know best. Don’t attempt to write on a topic about which you know very little (or nothing). Instead, pull from your own life, your own experience, your own knowledge, and then expand it or enhance it with research if necessary. Writing always comes more easily (and reads better as a finished product) if the subject is something that is both familiar and meaningful to the writer.
5. Make It Up
If you can’t think of anything interesting to write about what you know, then write something that no one knows about. Why else would fantasy be so popular? If you write about something completely made up then you are the master of that little universe. Who’s to tell you the facts and details are wrong?
Monday, 14 April 2008
Ideas, Ideas, Ideas...
If you are stuck for ideas for a Crime Story / Novel, then you can do no worse than get a copy of Douglas Wynn's The Crime Writer's Handbook (65 ways to kill your victim....in print). Just flicking through gave me some ideas for both means of murder and also motivation and means of detection. I see that Douglas has also written The Crime Writer's Sourcebook which Amazon says is A reference book which examines a number of real-life crimes in order to provide ideas and inspiration for those wishing to write crime or criminology books.
Anyway, there is my recommendation of the day, and Thanks to Bryan for lending me his copy. I am off to buy my own one so I can scribble all over it and fold the corners down.......
Anyway, there is my recommendation of the day, and Thanks to Bryan for lending me his copy. I am off to buy my own one so I can scribble all over it and fold the corners down.......
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Writing As Therapy
Recently read The NLP Coach by Ian McDermott and Wendy Jago, Piatkus(2001) which was basically a positive thinking manual with longer words, but it did have some interesting things to say which can be related to writing:
Once you stop thinking of yourself, your potential and your ways of operating as fixed, and begin to treat them as processes, change becomes just another adjustment you can make.
Good habits can be created one day at a time. Any pattern consists of repetition.
The book; as well as other things that have been going on in my life, have made me realise that I have been avoiding writing lately because I am avoiding my own feelings. A lot of my novel is based on my own experiences and avoiding the writing is simply avoiding contact with my emotions. I have read elsewhere about Writing As Therapy and I want to try to embrace this in the coming week. Lets see what happens......
Once you stop thinking of yourself, your potential and your ways of operating as fixed, and begin to treat them as processes, change becomes just another adjustment you can make.
Good habits can be created one day at a time. Any pattern consists of repetition.
The book; as well as other things that have been going on in my life, have made me realise that I have been avoiding writing lately because I am avoiding my own feelings. A lot of my novel is based on my own experiences and avoiding the writing is simply avoiding contact with my emotions. I have read elsewhere about Writing As Therapy and I want to try to embrace this in the coming week. Lets see what happens......
Sunday, 6 April 2008
Success....
‘Success is a finished book, a stack of pages each of which is filled with words. If you reach that point, you have won a victory over yourself no less impressive than sailing single-handed around the world.’ Tom Clancy (quoted in Writers News: May 2008)
Thursday, 3 April 2008
A Novel in a Year ??
Yesterday I read Louise Doughty's; A Novel in a Year which says the following about how long writing a novel should take: Your novel will take you as long as it takes you, she says, but specifically; you are looking at around three years from start to finish. Year One is when you will get started, gather material, make notes, plan, write some scenes. In Year Two, you will despair, put it aside, come back to it think you are wasting your time and then realize you want to go on anyway. Year Three is when the real work of rewriting and honing will begin.
Well, I can honestly say I am in the final year, but obviously this is when the real work takes place!! What you are asking yourselves is; How much has she really written? The answer is almost certainly Not Enough. But, its more than I had written before October and I'm not giving up yet!!
Today is the first day of the rest of my novel.
Well, I can honestly say I am in the final year, but obviously this is when the real work takes place!! What you are asking yourselves is; How much has she really written? The answer is almost certainly Not Enough. But, its more than I had written before October and I'm not giving up yet!!
Today is the first day of the rest of my novel.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
A New Perspective On My Future
Thanks to Steve for giving me a new perspective on the predictions....
So, this clairvoyant? A children's book with a bright yellow cover that's jolly. And she saw three children. Supposing she wasn't entirely accurate...
I don't exactly know what your book is about but on your blog you say you're researching cases of missing children. Perhaps the book she saw was about children, not for them.
And three children? You have three main different viewpoint characters I think? They could be classed as your children.
Incidentally, did you know the Italian for yellow is 'giallo', a type of (albeit lurid) CRIME novel? And, it's a stretch but jolly/giallo? It's not that far off.
Anyway, just a thought.
That or she thinks you're the perfect person for the "New Adventures Of BananaGirl"
So, this clairvoyant? A children's book with a bright yellow cover that's jolly. And she saw three children. Supposing she wasn't entirely accurate...
I don't exactly know what your book is about but on your blog you say you're researching cases of missing children. Perhaps the book she saw was about children, not for them.
And three children? You have three main different viewpoint characters I think? They could be classed as your children.
Incidentally, did you know the Italian for yellow is 'giallo', a type of (albeit lurid) CRIME novel? And, it's a stretch but jolly/giallo? It's not that far off.
Anyway, just a thought.
That or she thinks you're the perfect person for the "New Adventures Of BananaGirl"
Friday, 28 March 2008
What does the future really hold?
Last night I organised a little party with three friends and a local clairvoyant Sue Winter www.susanwinter.co.uk/. I was intrigued as had read that she had helped author Garth Raynor. According to the Bailgate Independent he says he came away after talking to her 'enlightened'. I did prepare a few questions to ask during the reading but now, the morning after, there are so many other questions I wished I had asked.
I did ask her whether she saw anything to do with 'creativity' but then had to be more specific and say I was writing a book. She saw it as being a children's book. It had a bright yellow cover, and she got the impression of it being 'happy'. Bugger!! When I asked her about the crime book she said; 'I don't think you'll do it'. Double Bugger!!
So, do I believe what she says and just give up, or do I prove fate / her wrong?
Answers on a postcard please.....
I did ask her whether she saw anything to do with 'creativity' but then had to be more specific and say I was writing a book. She saw it as being a children's book. It had a bright yellow cover, and she got the impression of it being 'happy'. Bugger!! When I asked her about the crime book she said; 'I don't think you'll do it'. Double Bugger!!
So, do I believe what she says and just give up, or do I prove fate / her wrong?
Answers on a postcard please.....
Sunday, 23 March 2008
HAPPY EASTER!!
It's Easter and it's snowing! I have done no writing for over a week as I have been full of snotty cold.
Can't even write this blog as I've got a snowman to build!!
Hope to get back to the novel sometime soon.......
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Writers Block
Alan Bradley (winner of the Debut Dagger 07) recommended a visit to Louise Penny’s www.louisepenny.com website. She was shortlisted for the 2004 debut dagger. Her site is a treasure trove. She says:
I suffered from writer's block for many years. Terror had taken hold. I was afraid that, once tested, I'd prove my worst fear true - I was a terrible writer. What cured me was a sudden realization I was taking myself way too seriously. And that I was trying to write the best book ever published in the history of the world. And if I didn't, I was a failure.
I decided instead to just have fun with it. To write what I loved to read. And to people the book with characters I'd want as friends. Clearly we all choose our own characters - but make sure you're going to want to spend lots of time with them. They don't have to be attractive, kind, thoughtful. But they do need to be compelling. Look at Scarlet O'Hara. A petty, jealous, willful, vindictive character, almost without redeeming traits, whose tragedy is her failure to change. But she's riveting.
I'm off to have some fun....
I suffered from writer's block for many years. Terror had taken hold. I was afraid that, once tested, I'd prove my worst fear true - I was a terrible writer. What cured me was a sudden realization I was taking myself way too seriously. And that I was trying to write the best book ever published in the history of the world. And if I didn't, I was a failure.
I decided instead to just have fun with it. To write what I loved to read. And to people the book with characters I'd want as friends. Clearly we all choose our own characters - but make sure you're going to want to spend lots of time with them. They don't have to be attractive, kind, thoughtful. But they do need to be compelling. Look at Scarlet O'Hara. A petty, jealous, willful, vindictive character, almost without redeeming traits, whose tragedy is her failure to change. But she's riveting.
I'm off to have some fun....
Friday, 14 March 2008
The Motivated Mind
Recently read Dr Raj Persaud's book: The Motivated Mind. It was not what I expected but it did have something to say about Perfectionists which I feel is relevant to my writing at the moment. Perfectionists are plagued by self doubt (they dwell on their failures) which is counter productive. Because perfectionists urge themselves to the limits of endurance, they leave no spare capacity to cope with added stress from the environment. This leads to added strain and weariness. The terror of only middling accomplishment means that those who feel tired all the time perhaps avoid too much activity when trying to rest. Feeling tired all the time is a clue to having over pushed yourself for reasons to do with ambitions. Maniacal rushing is down to deep insecurities that will never be appeased by sheer effort, no matter how much is achieved.
Accoring to the good Dr I must:
Stop looking for approval.
Don’t be afraid of failure. The fear of failure stops us succeeding.
Invest your energy in the right things. Prioritize!
Take a break!! Exercise!
Just because someone throws you a ball, doesn’t mean you have to catch it!
Thursday, 13 March 2008
FISH at the Drill Hall Lincoln
I have always liked Marillion (been to see them live a few times) and their album Clutching at Straws has always been top of my listening in the bath list! The album is both inspiring and yet at the same time intimidating, as the lyrics are sheer poetry and totally bloody brilliant!! There are too many to choose from, but here are a few of my favourite ones with a writing theme:And the only sign of life is the ticking of the pen, Introducing characters to memories like old friends, Frantic as a cardiograph scratching out the lines, A fever of confession a catalogue of crime, in happy hour......
So if you want my address it's number one at the end of the bar, Where I sit with the broken angels clutching at straws and nursing our scars.
It's too late, I found, it's too far, I'm in two minds, Both of them are out of it at the bar, When you say I got a problem that's a certainty, But I can put it all right down to eccentricity, It's just for the record it's just a passing phase, Just for the record I can stop any day.
Sheer bloody poetry!! And the gig was fantastic. Thanks to Fish for putting up with Wetherspoons food (just) and the actions of an idiot - that was me, that was - but that's another story.....
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Murder Most Famous
For the first time, I had a real excuse this week for not getting down to any writing. I felt sick all day Monday and then about Monday tea time started being physically sick. This lasted all Monday night and through Tuesday; making me tired all through Wednesday. Consequently I spent a lot of time on my back and in bed. However, I managed to use the time to my advantage by firstly reading a Lee Childs novel; Without Fail (more of him next month) and watching Murder Most Famous on BBC every afternoon this week. What I can’t understand is why this was on in an afternoon…..Anyway, short synopsis: Minette Walters and 6 Celebrities; each trying to write a crime novel, and each day one of them must leave. The winner (Sherrie Hewson) will go on to write a crime novel.
Minette gave the celebrities 10 Rules to follow:
1. Devise a Credible Murder
It gets to be a credible murder via:
2. Do your Research
Observe, Experience, ask questions (about the murder you are committing inside your head)
3. Understand Emotion and Psychology
How does it feel to be a murderer / victim? What leads to murder? Motivations and Emotions.
4. Use what you know
Be prepared to ‘go naked’. What makes you angry isn’t so different to what makes a murderer angry – it’s a matter of degree. Dig deep into your own emotions. Face your fears and emotions to write something worth reading. Let yourself go. Use visualisation and imagination. See the person in intricate details. How do they feel? Smell? Get inside the mind of a killer!
5. Get hands on Experience
However, never forget your reader. Too much detail kills your readers imagination.
6. Create Credible Characters
Details bring words to life. Why do people do what they do? Why / how do people become murderers / victims? Think about the web of deceit.
7. Hook your Reader (and maintain suspense)
Action sequences create suspense. Pace depends on the length of sentences.
8. Write Authentic Dialogue
Make sure it moves the plot forward. Think about the rhythms of speech – make it sound natural. Must make murderer sound intimidating / frightening. Can’t just write ‘he said menacingly’. Create a sense of unease.
9. Expect the Unexpected
Keep your readers on their toes. Everything is not always what it seems. Think about twists and turns, cliff-hangers, clues and red herrings – what do you want to show the reader? The smallest clue can change the direction of an investigation. Different witnesses may recall different (and conflicting) details. People are easily deceived when they are frightened. People are easily misled if they don’t know they are being misled… Keep your readers guessing!
10. Bring your book to life
Atmosphere and Feeling!! (Typeface and Lettering!)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/murdermostfamous/
Minette gave the celebrities 10 Rules to follow:
1. Devise a Credible Murder
It gets to be a credible murder via:
2. Do your Research
Observe, Experience, ask questions (about the murder you are committing inside your head)
3. Understand Emotion and Psychology
How does it feel to be a murderer / victim? What leads to murder? Motivations and Emotions.
4. Use what you know
Be prepared to ‘go naked’. What makes you angry isn’t so different to what makes a murderer angry – it’s a matter of degree. Dig deep into your own emotions. Face your fears and emotions to write something worth reading. Let yourself go. Use visualisation and imagination. See the person in intricate details. How do they feel? Smell? Get inside the mind of a killer!
5. Get hands on Experience
However, never forget your reader. Too much detail kills your readers imagination.
6. Create Credible Characters
Details bring words to life. Why do people do what they do? Why / how do people become murderers / victims? Think about the web of deceit.
7. Hook your Reader (and maintain suspense)
Action sequences create suspense. Pace depends on the length of sentences.
8. Write Authentic Dialogue
Make sure it moves the plot forward. Think about the rhythms of speech – make it sound natural. Must make murderer sound intimidating / frightening. Can’t just write ‘he said menacingly’. Create a sense of unease.
9. Expect the Unexpected
Keep your readers on their toes. Everything is not always what it seems. Think about twists and turns, cliff-hangers, clues and red herrings – what do you want to show the reader? The smallest clue can change the direction of an investigation. Different witnesses may recall different (and conflicting) details. People are easily deceived when they are frightened. People are easily misled if they don’t know they are being misled… Keep your readers guessing!
10. Bring your book to life
Atmosphere and Feeling!! (Typeface and Lettering!)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/murdermostfamous/
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Time to Write - This is Serious!!
If you’ve decided you have 15 hours a week in which to write, and you’ve set aside those 15 hours, those are the hours you write and nothing short of an emergency should stop you from using those 15 hours to write. This kind of failure to produce is called time slipping away. Time can slip away in little slivers like the icicles you break off that form in your freezer, or it can slip away in huge chunks, like icebergs breaking off from a glacier.
How to Write Damn Good Fiction: James N. Frey (Macmillan, 2002)
How to Write Damn Good Fiction: James N. Frey (Macmillan, 2002)
Talking about Crime….
Hurrah for the lighter mornings!! I have started getting up at 7.30ish and seem to have more energy and enthusiasm than I have had for a long while. Have I done any writing yet? Well, my submission to the Debut Dagger has gone and I have been sorting through all the ‘ideas’ and notes I have been making over the last few months.
We had a meeting of the ‘Poison Pens’ on Saturday where I read out part of my Entry for the Dagger and then realized what was wrong with it! I don’t mind. I know it’s not perfect but writing the synopsis was the best thing I have done this year in terms of the novel. One thing that did come out at the meeting was the idea of Get it Written, then get it Right!!
Had a wonderful day on Monday when I took one writing friend to meet another – the second one having worked as part of the National Crime Squad. This meant the morning consisted of talking about both crime and writing and I was so stimulated and motivated that when I got back I began planning the next few months. I’ve got to be serious about completing this novel - I’ve told too many people! It isn’t going to get finished by April (which would have been 6 months since the start of this blog) but I do hope it will be completed in the first half of the year!! I had been going to watercolour classes with my auntie and uncle which I have really enjoyed, but I realized I was spreading myself too thin and so have withdrawn from those; freeing up more time for writing!
We had a meeting of the ‘Poison Pens’ on Saturday where I read out part of my Entry for the Dagger and then realized what was wrong with it! I don’t mind. I know it’s not perfect but writing the synopsis was the best thing I have done this year in terms of the novel. One thing that did come out at the meeting was the idea of Get it Written, then get it Right!!
Had a wonderful day on Monday when I took one writing friend to meet another – the second one having worked as part of the National Crime Squad. This meant the morning consisted of talking about both crime and writing and I was so stimulated and motivated that when I got back I began planning the next few months. I’ve got to be serious about completing this novel - I’ve told too many people! It isn’t going to get finished by April (which would have been 6 months since the start of this blog) but I do hope it will be completed in the first half of the year!! I had been going to watercolour classes with my auntie and uncle which I have really enjoyed, but I realized I was spreading myself too thin and so have withdrawn from those; freeing up more time for writing!
Active Body, Creative Mind
Taken from this months timetowrite.com newsletter from Jurgen WolffMore evidence that exercise is good for your creativity as well as your body! Marketing professor Stephen Ramocki, of Rhode Island College, found that a single aerobic workout was enough to make college students more creative for the two hours following their exercise. This has been demonstrated previously with animals: fit rats and monkeys do better at problem-solving than inactive ones. Exercise increases the supply of oxygen and blood to the brain and stimulates the production of important brain chemicals. ACTION: If your resolution to get more fit has stalled, restart it. Find an exercise that doesn't require your full concentration, so that your mind can wander. Walking in a park, swimming, or using a cross-trainer at a gym are all ideal. Be sure to have a pen and pad with you or nearby you so you can record any great ideas that come up.
Thursday, 14 February 2008
Finished!
No. Not the novel. My entry for the Debut Dagger. It's been sent (and paid for) this morning so I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It's been good to have a deadline and I feel that having to write the synopsis has certainly focused my attention. So for that I thank the CWA! Just have to get on and finish the novel now! I am giving myself a rest for weekend, but the next job is to totally plot the novel and the word count for the next few months. Hopefully this novel will be completed in the first half of 2008!! No Excuses!!!
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
But is it any good?
Today I am struggling with the age-old trauma; 'Am I actually any good at this writing business?' Doesn't help that just as I am tweaking the final 3000 words for the Debut Dagger I have a crisis of confidence!! Not a good idea really to look at what other people have written (and have been published with) but I have been checking out other novels that have been written in the first person. Here are three openings:
These days, I see Carla everywhere.
Emerging from Green Park station through the morning crowds, I catch sight of a woman just ahead of me, a tumble of auburn hair falling on narrow shoulders and that quick, jerky way of moving that she had, and for an impossible moment I think, Carla! Joanna Hines: Improvising Carla
My name is Salmon, like the fish: first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. In newspaper photos of missing girls from the seventies, most looked like me: white girls with mousy brown hair. This was before kids of all races and genders started appearing on milk cartons or in the daily mail. It was still back when people believed things like that didn’t happen. Alice Sebold: The Lovely Bones
What I warn you to remember is that I am a detective. Our relationship with truth is fundamental but cracked, refracting confusingly like fragmented glass. It is the core of our careers, the end game of every move we make, and we pursue it with strategies painstakingly constructed of lies and concealment and every variation on deception. Tana French: In The Woods
These days, I see Carla everywhere.
Emerging from Green Park station through the morning crowds, I catch sight of a woman just ahead of me, a tumble of auburn hair falling on narrow shoulders and that quick, jerky way of moving that she had, and for an impossible moment I think, Carla! Joanna Hines: Improvising Carla
My name is Salmon, like the fish: first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. In newspaper photos of missing girls from the seventies, most looked like me: white girls with mousy brown hair. This was before kids of all races and genders started appearing on milk cartons or in the daily mail. It was still back when people believed things like that didn’t happen. Alice Sebold: The Lovely Bones
What I warn you to remember is that I am a detective. Our relationship with truth is fundamental but cracked, refracting confusingly like fragmented glass. It is the core of our careers, the end game of every move we make, and we pursue it with strategies painstakingly constructed of lies and concealment and every variation on deception. Tana French: In The Woods
Friday, 8 February 2008
Start the story when the kettle is boiling and not when you’re filling the tap
Good advice! I am still trying to put together my synopsis and first 3000 words for the Debut Dagger - although this morning I seem to have murdered my laptop!!
The action should open when your character is facing some sort of crisis. It ends when the conflict is resolved, but first there is a struggle to overcome. An accomplished first scene contains the seeds of the story to come, reflects the atmosphere of the novel, introduces at least one important character and enough mystery to entice the reader to turn over to page two, and from page two to the end of the chapter. That is where you establish the pace of your story, a pace you must maintain to the finish. Things must be going on in which readers can become immediately and easily involved. The opening needs to seduce and attract the readers attention e.g. ‘I should have seen it coming’.
The action should open when your character is facing some sort of crisis. It ends when the conflict is resolved, but first there is a struggle to overcome. An accomplished first scene contains the seeds of the story to come, reflects the atmosphere of the novel, introduces at least one important character and enough mystery to entice the reader to turn over to page two, and from page two to the end of the chapter. That is where you establish the pace of your story, a pace you must maintain to the finish. Things must be going on in which readers can become immediately and easily involved. The opening needs to seduce and attract the readers attention e.g. ‘I should have seen it coming’.
Tuesday, 5 February 2008
Karen Maitland: Company of Liars
Last night I attended the launch of Karen Maitland's Company of Liars at Lincoln Waterstones. Karen was - once upon a time - my Creative Writing tutor!The evening consisted of Karen reading out the chilling Prologue to Company of Liars and then her being ‘in conversation’ with her publisher. This was followed by a question and answer session. It was a bewitching evening and I made copious notes. I learned that the Runes are more than a mere bag of stones used for fortune telling at parties. In fact, the story Karen told about using them on a train, leads me to think very differently about them.
What was interesting was that, although the novel only took a year to write, the research has been ongoing for about ten years; although there is also another novel (The Owl Killers) which will also soon be published. Listening to Karen speak, you can see she is totally fascinated with the subject matter and she even admits herself to being a compulsive researcher. This obviously paid off as her publisher stated that the novel ‘shone through like a beacon.’
I’m not sure when I will get to read it – the book being 548 pages long and me with a novel of my own to write – but I promise to do a review as soon as I have the time…. I can tell you that the cover is beautifully illustrated and will look good on any bookshelf!
On this day of ill omen, plague makes its entrance. Within weeks, swathes of England will be darkened by death's shadow as towns and villages burn to the ringing of church bells.
While panic and suspicion flood the land, a small band of travellers comes together to outrun the breakdown in law and order. But when one of their number is found hanging from a tree, the chilling discovery confirms that something more sinister than plague is in their midst. And as the runes warn of treachery, it appears no one is quite what they seem, least of all the child rune reader, who mercilessly compels each of her companions to tell their stories. And face the consequences.
Take a leap of imagination and embark on an unforgettable journey through the ravaged countryside ... with only a scarred trader in holy relics, a conjuror, two musicians, and a deformed storyteller for company.
See: http://www.companyofliars.co.uk/
Minutes are like.....
Minutes are like raspberries. There are never enough in one place so you have to wander along picking and plucking until you have a lovely big bowl full.
Lynne Hackles in Writing Magazine: March 2008
Lynne Hackles in Writing Magazine: March 2008
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Writing A Synopsis….
…requires you to simultaneously know everything that’s going to happen in your story and be able to strip 90% of it away to leave only the most important details and to them sum that up in a fluid and engaging way.
You have to be able to show that you have the technical and imaginative skill to produce an interesting and marketable book with well-rounded characters and a logical and believable plot.
I think I have just about finished my synopsis for the Debut Dagger competition. I am going to take it to my good friend (and Editor) Liz tomorrow to see what she thinks. I got all hot and bothered yesterday after showing it to my partner. He came back with question after question. The trouble was, I had tried to put everything in. I have gone through and weeded out the ‘extras’ that are not specifically related to the plot but were more ‘incidentals.’ I think / hope this makes it sharper.
You have to be able to show that you have the technical and imaginative skill to produce an interesting and marketable book with well-rounded characters and a logical and believable plot.
I think I have just about finished my synopsis for the Debut Dagger competition. I am going to take it to my good friend (and Editor) Liz tomorrow to see what she thinks. I got all hot and bothered yesterday after showing it to my partner. He came back with question after question. The trouble was, I had tried to put everything in. I have gone through and weeded out the ‘extras’ that are not specifically related to the plot but were more ‘incidentals.’ I think / hope this makes it sharper.
Friday, 25 January 2008
Sitting at the Computer...
This morning I haven't seemed to be able to move away from the computer! It has been one email after another and although no actual writing has taken place I have been involved in a number of writing related activities (honest).
Visited one of my fellow NaNoWriters Blogs today http://fpduck.blogspot.com/ and in answer to the question set by http://karenclarke.blogspot.com/ How often do you get writer's block? he wrote: All the time. Or rather, I get writers diarrhoea... I have too much going on in my head that in no way relates to what I'm writing currently. And it can take days before I can think properly again. That's how I am feeling at the moment!!
Visited one of my fellow NaNoWriters Blogs today http://fpduck.blogspot.com/ and in answer to the question set by http://karenclarke.blogspot.com/ How often do you get writer's block? he wrote: All the time. Or rather, I get writers diarrhoea... I have too much going on in my head that in no way relates to what I'm writing currently. And it can take days before I can think properly again. That's how I am feeling at the moment!!
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
Plotting, Plotting, Plotting
What have I been up to over the last week? When I look at the addition to the number of written words then I am afraid the answer is 'Not a lot'. However, what have been happening; both on paper and in my mind, has been the writing and re-writing of what actually happens in my novel. More to the point, this is all about 'WhoDunnit!' In my post of the 11th Jan I said that I had worked out who my villain was. Well, its changed a few times over the last 11 days, but it is now back at the one I first thought of!! What I have found myself doing over and over again is drawing out a chart of all the characters and their links to each other and the crime(s). This has meant changing some of my lesser characters; in terms of personalities and relationships with other characters, but I think I am nearly there now. Or am I?
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
Sunday, 13 January 2008
Almost Famous...
Saturdays Lincolnshire Echo supplement - Weekender January 12th 2008 - carried a number of articles on resolutions. I featured in the Book Corner under the heading; 'Is 2008 your year to write a novel?' Karen made me sound very committed; which of course I am, but seeing my photo and my words in front of me was quite scary. I don't know how many read the article or visited this blog because of the article, but suddenly it seems so serious. The eyes of the world (Lincolnshire at least) are watching!! And if you have visited today because of the article then Welcome. Please join me on the road to success!!
Friday, 11 January 2008
Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger 2008
Last year the closing date for entries for the Debut Dagger (www.thecwa.co.uk) was the end of April, so this year I had anticipated finishing the novel first before working on a super synopsis and polishing my opening 3000 words. However, the closing date has been brought forward to the 15th February which means I have only 5 weeks to write the said Synopsis and polish the first 3000 words. As I have simply been writing with only a brief sketch of a plot, I now find myself in a position of having to sit down and decide what actually happens in the end. Up until this point I have been taking the story wherever it wants to go. Its amazing what can pop into your head as you sit typing. Is it a sort of hypnotic trance? I know its not just me as I remember seeing Stephen Booth at Ottakers (as was) in Lincoln who said that often when a character knocks on a door, even he isn’t sure who is going to answer!! So, I am afraid the actual process of writing has stopped for a few days while I thrash out WhoDunnit!! But now that I have decided on my villain I can't help smiling as I work out all the little red herrings and clues that need to be placed carefully about my plot.
Wednesday, 9 January 2008
Next January, What will YOU regret?
Quoted in the latest Brainstorm E-Bulletin from Jurgen Wolff (www.timetowrite.com):
Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, told Fast Company magazine that one of the biggest obstacles to change and innovation is fear. Companies say they want their people to learn, but, learning requires tolerating mistakes and failure, and "letting people try things they've never done before, things they probably won't be very good at the first time around." It's easy to scoff at this backward attitude, but how often are you taking risks in your own work or personal life? And when you make a mistake or fail, how hard are you on yourself, instead of chalking it up as a learning expeience?
Next January, which will you regret more: what you did that didn't work out (but from which you learned), or what you didn't even try? Consider being a bit more of a risk-taker this year - but remember not to be hard on yourself when the outcome isn't what you hoped it would be.
The other key point Prof. Pfeffer makes in his interview is that there's a lot of "knowing" but not enough "doing." His advice is straightforward: "If you want the future to be better than the present, you have to start working on it immediately. Remember: what you want is better than, not optimal. Your job is to do something today that's better than what you did yesterday. And to do something tomorrow that's better than what you did today." I like the quote in the article by San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci, who said, "I never wear a watch because I always know it's now - and now is when you should do it."
And a quote to consider: "Ideas won't keep. Something must be done about them." - Alfred North Whitehead
Jeffrey Pfeffer, Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, told Fast Company magazine that one of the biggest obstacles to change and innovation is fear. Companies say they want their people to learn, but, learning requires tolerating mistakes and failure, and "letting people try things they've never done before, things they probably won't be very good at the first time around." It's easy to scoff at this backward attitude, but how often are you taking risks in your own work or personal life? And when you make a mistake or fail, how hard are you on yourself, instead of chalking it up as a learning expeience?
Next January, which will you regret more: what you did that didn't work out (but from which you learned), or what you didn't even try? Consider being a bit more of a risk-taker this year - but remember not to be hard on yourself when the outcome isn't what you hoped it would be.
The other key point Prof. Pfeffer makes in his interview is that there's a lot of "knowing" but not enough "doing." His advice is straightforward: "If you want the future to be better than the present, you have to start working on it immediately. Remember: what you want is better than, not optimal. Your job is to do something today that's better than what you did yesterday. And to do something tomorrow that's better than what you did today." I like the quote in the article by San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci, who said, "I never wear a watch because I always know it's now - and now is when you should do it."
And a quote to consider: "Ideas won't keep. Something must be done about them." - Alfred North Whitehead
Monday, 7 January 2008
Back to Work...
Today was the first day back at work (as a writer). Being the first day back after the Christmas break meant I did less than I should. I spent a lot of time as if I was back working in an office; tidying my desk, organising my drawers, reading emails, taking down the decorations from before the break and generally catching up with gossip and organising my birthday night(s) out.
I did get time to read; How to Write Damn Good Fiction by James N. Frey. He has an interesting stance on time slippage and writers block, and suggests in order to avoid them, we should look at writing the way a bricklayer looks at his job i.e. he can't turn up one day and say he's got bricklayers block and won't be working!! Writing is a job. It takes time and effort, the same as any other. Set yourself production goals. Make the decision that you will never be caught in the trap of non-production.
My other displacement activity this weekend has been the February editions of Writers News and Writing Magazine so that adds 'catching up with the post' to the activities filling my first day back at work.
I did get time to read; How to Write Damn Good Fiction by James N. Frey. He has an interesting stance on time slippage and writers block, and suggests in order to avoid them, we should look at writing the way a bricklayer looks at his job i.e. he can't turn up one day and say he's got bricklayers block and won't be working!! Writing is a job. It takes time and effort, the same as any other. Set yourself production goals. Make the decision that you will never be caught in the trap of non-production.
My other displacement activity this weekend has been the February editions of Writers News and Writing Magazine so that adds 'catching up with the post' to the activities filling my first day back at work.
Friday, 4 January 2008
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
A book that was recently recommended to me was A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka (Thanks Mrs. Reid) and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it and can see why it was short listed for the Orange Prize and won so many others. Whenever I am reading a novel, I always note down any pieces of writing that I particularly like. I should like to share with you two pieces I particularly liked from Tractors:
We sit awkwardly around the table. Stanislav is the only one who appears to be relaxed. He tells us about his new school, his favourite teacher, his least favourite teacher, his favourite football team……He is perfectly at ease. No one else says anything. The heavy weight of all the unsaid things bears down on us like storm clouds. Outside, a few drops of rain fall and we hear thunder in the distance. My father closes the window. Stanislav carries on talking.
And:
We arrive at about three o’clock on the Saturday afternoon. It is mid-October. The sun is already low in the sky, and a fenland mist shrouds the countryside in a damp haze, lingering around the low-lying fields and marshes, stealing like a wraith out of drainage culverts and watercourses. The leaves have started to turn. The garden is thick with windfalls, apples, pears and plums, over which a cloud of small flies hovers.
We sit awkwardly around the table. Stanislav is the only one who appears to be relaxed. He tells us about his new school, his favourite teacher, his least favourite teacher, his favourite football team……He is perfectly at ease. No one else says anything. The heavy weight of all the unsaid things bears down on us like storm clouds. Outside, a few drops of rain fall and we hear thunder in the distance. My father closes the window. Stanislav carries on talking.
And:
We arrive at about three o’clock on the Saturday afternoon. It is mid-October. The sun is already low in the sky, and a fenland mist shrouds the countryside in a damp haze, lingering around the low-lying fields and marshes, stealing like a wraith out of drainage culverts and watercourses. The leaves have started to turn. The garden is thick with windfalls, apples, pears and plums, over which a cloud of small flies hovers.
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