Happy Writing Christmas

Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas!

Every year I send an email to all those writing friends I have collected over the years, and this year was no different. This year I attached a copy of my Christmas poem (An Unopened Present) and a photograph of Jamie and me in the recent snow.

It was nice to get replies from many of my fellow writers and to catch up - if only with a few lines. One even said my poem had 'undertones of T S Elliot in parts'. I have entered it into a competition so can't 'publish' on my blog just yet....

I intend to get 'out there' a bit more this year and hopefully see more of my writing friends and be able to share some more of my writing with them!!

I have joined an online reading group and our first book is The Snowman by Jo Nesbo. I don't intend to start it for a few days yet as I have a lot of things to do this week and once I start a book I find it hard to do anything else!!

Writing as Therapy: Part Three

Pain is part of life, but one of the great gifts of creativity is to use to turn that pain alchemically into wisdom and healing through the act of writing.

Catalyst Newsfrom AnnA Issue 83- December 10, 2010
www.creativecatalyst.co.uk

Saturdays Meeting Cancelled

So have given you an arty photo of the current weather instead.

Competition Entry Completed...

......and sent off. My entry to the Christmas Poem competition in www.writingmagazine.co.uk/ A little bit of tweaking of the first verse and a change of title at the last minute and its on its way......

I am glad I left it a few more days and didn't send it off straight away. Coming back to it after a few days 'rest' always gives a poem a new perspective. The poem has actually been through 9 incarnations - including the title change - so I am hoping it is the best it can be.

The.........

According to John Dugdale in The Guardian, quoted in January's Writing Magazine http://www.writingmagazine.co.uk/ book titles beginning with The are generally more successful than those which begin with A.

It's been a long time....

Todays Stars: A technical breakdown makes life miserable. You'll have to learn to live without the convenience of a kitchen appliance, car, computer, or mobile. This disaster could be a blessing in disguise. Maybe it's time to enjoy more contemplative pursuits, like reading or writing. Spend a few hours curled up with a good book or making a blog entry. It's been a long time since you've listened to your own thoughts.

www.asdamagazine.com/horoscopes/ from Russell Grant

Ten Secret Laws Of Good Writing

Thanks to Anna from: www.creativecatalyst.co.uk who highligted Petruska Clarkson’s (therapist and writer) Ten Secret Laws of Good Writing.

She was much mourned, says Anna, but her work through her books is still available and I hope she would have approved of my passing on her list to you. By its very tongue in cheek nature, I think she would have!

1 It will always take at least twice as long as you anticipated.

2 70% of your efforts and resources will be wasted.

3 Cultural and personal demons in your head will attack it.

4 As soon as you really get going you will be interrupted.

5 You will think it is the worst thing you ever did.

6 You will reach a sdtuck point where you feel despair.

7 You will feel misunderstood.

8 You will be judged and criticised.

9 There will always be people who do better and worse than you for no clear reason.

10 If only for a moment you will think it the best thing you ever did.

See: http://petruskaclarkson.blogspot.com/

Writing as Therapy: Part Two

'I feel that being morbid is a part of being a novelist. People who feel life is fragile and tenuous, that's what sends people into the writing business.'

Howard Jacobson
quoted in Writers News: January 2011 www.writersnews.co.uk

Writing as Therapy

Graham Greene wrote: "Sometimes I wonder, how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation."

According to Writing Magazine: December 2010 www.writingmagazine.co.uk he wrote to a daily target of 500 words and stopped as soon as that was reached. He kept up the discipline of daily writing into his early eighties.

Cough, Cough, Cough.....

........(and a son to be looked after who is the same) unfortunately means I have failed in my NaNoWri quest this year.

Write a Novel in a Month / NaNoWriMo

As you can see by the badge at the side of my blog I have at least signed up to NaNoWriMo this year. In November 2007 I attempted to write a novel in a month and failed. http://theonlyconsequence.blogspot.com/2007/12/excuses-excuses.html and in the intervening years I have had a few excuses as to why I have not even started. This year I am going to have another go....

The aim is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. That's about 1,700 words a day!!

One of the founders of NaNoWriMo - Chris Baty - wrote the book No Plot? No Problem! A High-velocity, Low-stress Way to Write a Novel in 30 Days. There's a phrase that he uses, especially if you are trying to get the first draft down, which is 'exuberant imperfection'. He talks about how the words on the page that you've written should be like wild beasts and that you're trying to run away from them as fast as possible and getting to the next ones.

This is discussed in Writing Magazine November 2010 www.writingmagazine.co.uk/ The article (by Sally Jenkins) goes onto say; 'Forward planning is key. Try briefly sketching out your novel. Think about how it might start, who the characters are, any major plot twists and where the story is going.'

I have been thinking about a Chick-lit, positive, feel-good book, because that's what I feel people need and (hopefully) want in the current climate. I have read a teenage girly novel and an older love story / chick lit and I think I have the start of an idea.....

The trouble is I need to start writing TOMORROW!!

Goodbye Steph

Today we said goodbye to a dear friend who always had a smile on his face. Not yet 40, he had had a heart problem all his life and suffered a fatal heart attack. He didn't really do much to help himself. He smoked and drank and hardly ate at all. But he was like a little boy; always up to mischief with that cheeky grin on his face.... God Bless.

They played a couple of songs at his funeral I now won't be able to hear without filling up; Stone Roses - Sally Cinnamon, and The Beautiful South - One Last Love Song, and the following poem was read out:

Remember by Christina Rosetti
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Six Word Competition

In August I entered the Arvon Six Word Competition http://theonlyconsequence.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

And the winner is...

We Buried the Whale at Night.
Sarah Hymas


The shortlist
Sneakers. Stilettos. Courts. Brogues. Wellies. Slippers.
Jackie Juno

Caribbean recipe. Broken plates. Dessicated coconut.
Marie J Maurer

Aliens landed, singeing granddad’s tended lawn.
Jane Osis

Detention again. Alone with Mr Brown.
Laurie Porter

Imaginary boyfriend. He came and stayed.
Martha Routen

www.arvonfoundation.org/p225.html

A Writer Returns....

......to the group I refer to as the 'Poison Pens'. Not actually sure of when it was I last attended the group but I think it must have been over a year ago. Was glad I finally made the effort. There were 3 people I knew and 2 new members. All members at Saturdays group seem to attend other groups outside the PP. At the moment one a month is all I have time for.

But I have been finding time for my writing and took along a 'work in progress' - my Christmas poem which I started for a competition in www.writingmagazine.co.uk/. Was very pleased / impressed with the comments made by members, and intend to do something with it in the next few days. Closing date not til December but first it is the National Novel Writing Month starting on the 1st November: www.nanowrimo.org/

Mental Agility...

Since having Jamie I often worry that I have 'Baby Brain' and sometimes even worry I have early onset Alzheimer's! I think (this is my theory) its just the strain of having to remember to do so many things - not just for Jamie but for me, daddy and the house as well!

Recently however, I was really interested to see the experiment run by the BBC where six celebrities took part in an experiment to explore the prevention of ageing. www.bbc.co.uk/tv/features/theyoungones/

What the programme showed was that - once again - it is all in our minds. How we see ourselves has an effect on how we act and how we age. If we think we are younger, our bodies and our brains will act younger. We just must believe we can do things! It was sad to see that people making the assumption that an older person needed help, actually led to them becoming dependent; they began to expect help and did not try! Its all about having a youthful mindset and taking control of your own life. As Liz Smith put it; 'We need moments in our life where we can come alive'. In other words as M.Scott Peck says in The Road Less Travelled 'Your destiny is in your own hands.' www.mscottpeck.com/

Just read...

Cherry Crush by Cathy Cassidy www.cathycassidy.com/ A book written for girly teenagers and if I was 13 again I would have gone and read all her others! As I am a few years older than this I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I don't think I will be attempting to write a 'teenage' book myself. I don't think I would be able to emulate Cathy's style. And I was more of a tom boy than a girly girl so my life experience isn't quite what I feel is required. However, I still feel I may have a 'Chick-lit' book bobbing about in my head and so we shall see. Off to start another book (reading not writing) that is written more for my age group!

Grab a book...

Its a wet weekend, so I am going to follow the advice of Sophie Heawood, The Independent, quoted in Writers’ News www.writersnews.co.uk December 2009

‘Grab a book, get reading and get the rhythms of somebody else’s words running through your head like a marching band. The drumbeat of another story, another life, another cast of characters, another sky.’

Tanka Poetry Competition

My latest project has been to write 3 poems for the Tanka poem competition in Septembers writing magazine www.writingmagazine.co.uk/ A tanka is the next stage on from a Haiku.

A Haiku consists if the form 5-7-5 (17 syllables), a Tanka is 5-7-5-7-7 (31 syllables). "At the heart of the tanka is its imagery," says Alison Chisholm.
An example (from writing magazine) would be:

In the space between
waking and kettle filling
sluggish thoughts grow dark.
Listen for the blackbird's trill;
it paints rainbows, welcomes day

The winner of the 2007 Writing Magazine competition as published in the October 2007 magazine was:

Deep in the mind’s soil
a seed of thought is planted,
a poem is born.

Be kind and nurture it well,
That it may grow to be loved

I had a lovely lunch with Liz (my long time writing friend and some time editor) this week and she said which of my 3 Tanka's she thought was the best and I was inclined to agree with her. So, another competition entered this year. Well Done me!!!

Capricorn - 24th September 2010

You're unusually restless now, yearning to leave familiar surroundings for greener pastures. Instead of leaving your job or dumping your lover, take a challenging class instead. Learning a new language or mastering a musical instrument will provide you with the intellectual stimulation you crave. You've been blessed with a great brain. Exercising it on a regular basis will stave off your anxiety. There's a difference between studying something because you have to and researching something that genuinely interests you.

Russell Grant
http://www.asdamagazine.com/horoscopes/

A Quote for Friday....

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."
T. S. Elliot

From: SEPTEMBER 2010 BRAINSTORM & FOCUS E-BULLETIN Written by Jurgen Wolff www.timetowrite.blogs.com/

Blogging for a Living??

In Octobers Writers' News www.writersnews.co.uk there is a quote from Perez Hilton, Celebrity Gossip Blogger, who says:

"If you want to blog for a living, you need to be aware that it is going to take a lot of work - I blog 16 hours a day".

The Case for Chaos!

Further to my entry: http://theonlyconsequence.blogspot.com/2010/07/pram-in-hallway.html I recently came across a brilliant article in the Guardian where Frank Cottrell Boyce makes the case for chaos!! www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/aug/01/art-children-pram-hallway

There's a belief that to do great work you need tranquility and control, that the pram is cluttering up the hallway; life needs to be neat and tidy. This isn't the case. Tranquility and control provide the best conditions for completing the work you imagined. But surely the real trick is to produce the work that you never imagined. The great creative moments in our history are almost all stories of distraction and daydreaming – Archimedes in the bath, Einstein dreaming of riding a sunbeam – of alert minds open to the grace of chaos.

This is also discussed on British Mummy Bloggers http://britishmummybloggers.ning.com/forum/topics/does-having-children-hinder?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Just entered another competition...

www.writersnews.co.uk are running a competition to win a copy of How to Write your First Novel by Sophie King. To enter you have to write a fictional scene (max 250words) which starts with the words: The girl in the park was clearly upset......

I feel so pleased with myself for starting and actually finishing and actually sending off the entry. Still thinking about ideas for a Mills and Boon or Chick Lit novel. Hoping for inspiration on Saturday night when I go out with the Yummy Mummy's and the other one. Now that might just be the start of an idea.....

What a nice lady!!

I sent Veronica Henry an email about the Beach Hut and she sent me 2 emails:

Thanks you for your lovely email and I am delighted to have made a conversion! So pleased you enjoyed the Beach Hut - it's so great when people get in touch, especially when it's not their usual genre. Hope you enjoy the others if you get round to them - do let me know. Yes, Boon was great fun to work on - longer ago than I like to think about now, with Neil Morrissey before Men Behaving Badly ... Keep in touch With Best wishes Veronica

Hello again Just read your lovely blog too - thank you so much. And tons of luck with the writing - I'm glad I've spurred you on. Didn't know about not starting a book with the weather - I quite often do weather. But then rules are there to be broken I guess ...! Best Veronica

Book Recommendation

Still proud of myself as I have continued to be creative all week. And I have just finished reading a wonderful feel good book: The Beach Hut by Veronica Henrywww.veronicahenry.co.uk/

I once read that you should never start a novel with a description of the weather
(www.nytimes.com/2001/07/16/arts/writers-writing-easy-adverbs-exclamation-points-especially-hooptedoodle.html) but it works here. I can honestly say I was hooked from the start. And finished it within the week; still finding time for a small bit of writing and I even cleaned the fridge and microwave! Fingers crossed my commitment continues.

I bought the book following my first real interview in about 10 years. I gave myself a 7 out of 10 (but someone else got an 8!) and then went off to Waitrose for something to celebrate with - a few bottles, a pressie for Jamie and a quick scan over the bookshelf. I look into my basket and find I have bought something other than my usual crime. I think it is since having Jamie; I don't want to hear about all the nasty things people do to each other. I hardly watch the news now and I don't often buy a paper - unless its job day!

So, what does this all mean in terms of my writing? Now that the juices are flowing again, I am going to seriously think about planning / writing a feel good (fiction) book of my own. I hope this doesn't sound like I think it will be easy. As I read The Beach Hut I was aware of how good a writer Veronica must be; to enchant her readers so they can't put it down. Now, where to start? Perhaps re-read the book with a more critical eye?

But first, I have this months issues of Writers Magazine and Writers News....and a few competitions to enter in the next week or so!

I am so proud of myself...

So proud, I even made an announcement on FaceBook; Joanne is is proud of herself. She has started writing again. I have followed the advice given in the last entry and yesterday wrote 5(yes 5) 10 word stories to describe things that happened in my day. I also wrote 2 Tanka's; which are longer Haiku's with a pattern of 5 7 5 7 7 syllables as opposed to 5 7 5 for a Writing Magazine www.writingmagazine.co.uk competition and I have just entered 3 stories into the Arvon Foundation Six Word Story competition www.arvonfoundation.org/p225.html. The competition is based on the literary fact that Ernest Hemingway said that his best piece of writing was a six word story - 'For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.' Lets see if I can keep the momentum going....

Other ways to express your creativity

Just been having a quick look through www.timetowrite.blogs.com/ which is always full of good stuff and came across some ideas for keeping your creativity flowing - even when you don't have time to write. See http://timetowrite.blogs.com/weblog/2010/08/keep-your-writing-chops-alive-even-when-you-dont-have-time-to-write.html

Find other ways to express your creativity. For example, you could:
* write a haiku every day.
* write a short short short story--set a word maximum like 25 words or even ten words. Remember Hemingway's shortest short (sad) story: "For sale: baby shoes. Never used." If you draw a blank, pick three words at random from a magazine and build your story around those.
* Write a ten-words-maximum portrait of someone you saw on the street that day: "Dapper businessman with umbrella and scowl."

I think I might keep this in my diary in an attempt to prompt me into some creativity....

How Grass (or reverting back to our childhood) Helps Creativity

From AUGUST 2010 BRAINSTORM & FOCUS E-BULLETIN http://www.jurgenwolff.com/

The Belfast Telegraph reports: "A hotel chain is installing grass floors into some of its conference rooms in a bid to boost the creativity of workers. The living turf floors will become de rigueur in a number of Crowne Plaza hotels across the UK. It is hoped the wacky idea will inspire mental flights of fancy during normally dull conferences... Angela Whitlock, author of Walk on the Grass, said: 'Research has shown that by the age of 25, as much as 98% of our creativity has vanished. The look and feel of the grass is said to remind guests of their childhood and therefore free them of societal barriers that restrict creativity. Crowne Plaza's initiative is perfect because it breaks down the self-imposed rules that prevent us from achieving our full potential.'"

ACTION: You don't need to put turf or even Astroturf on your office floor, but do consider making some changes from time to time that wake you up to surroundings that you barely notice anymore. You could use posters or pictures, big plants, flowers, sounds of nature, or anything else that wakes your brain.

Been a bit sickly....

Where has August gone already? I have a spare 5 minutes while Jamie is (hopefully) having a long nap. Unfortunately, I have been neglecting my blog. Chiefly this is because both me and Jamie got a terrible cough /cold, and then I had just about recovered and I decided it would be a good idea to eat something with mould on!! I remember thinking; 'It will be alright' but unfortunately it wasn't!!

Today and yesterday I have been trying to get to grips with all the jobs that I have neglected and are now screaming to be done. And then there is the small matter of an interview to prepare for on Thursday....

Normal Service will be Resumed Shortly (I promise!)....

Not enough time??

Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein."


Life's Little Instruction Book, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Quoted at: www.timetowrite.blogs.com/

Do you find writing tiring?

Thought I would share this letter and advice I re-discovered in Writers News - October 2009 http://www.writersnews.co.uk/

Q: I have begun to find sitting down at my computer and writing more and more tiring ......the more I stayed at my desk, the less I did ......I want to write. Why should this be? Any tips on this?

A: You need variety. It's much easier to be productive if
a) you have a definite routine (maybe 3 hours at your desk in the morning every day, then stop) and
b) you have a variety of activities during the day. These should include writing, walking, something creative and different (perhaps drawing, painting, photography, cookery) and reading or watching. It's important to use all your senses every day. If you begin to do this, you will not find writing tiring. In fact its not the writing that's tiring you, but the 'monotony' of it. If you include more experiences in your day - one of which should include something physical - you will be longing to get to your computer instead of finding it a chore.

Ideal Conditions...

"A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper." - E.B. White (1899-1965).


Elwyn Brooks was an American writer. A long-time contributor to The New Yorker magazine, he also wrote many famous books for both adults and children, such as the popular Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, and co-authored a widely used writing guide, The Elements of Style, popularly known by its authors' names, as "Strunk & White."

The Prerequisite...

‘The prerequisite for me is to keep my well of ideas full. This means living as full and varied a life as possible, to have my antennae out all the time.’

Michael Murpurgo

Michael Morpurgo, author of more than fifty books, has an unparalleled reputation in the world of children's books. 'Wombat Goes Walkabout' (Collins) was shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Awards. 'The Butterfly Lion' (Collins) won the 1996 Smarties Book Prize and the Writers' Guild Children's Book Award 1996. It was shortlisted for the Young Telegraph / Fully Booked Children's Paperback of the Year Award 1996 and The Children's Book Award 1996. 'The Dancing Bear' (Collins) was shortlisted for the Writers Guild Children's Book Award 1994 and the Young Telegraph Children's Paperback of the Year Award 1994. He won the 1995 Whitbread Children's Book Award for 'Wreck Of The Zanzibar' (Reed).

The Pram in the Hallway

Jamie is out this afternoon with Nanna and since I am no longer employed I am trying to use the time productively. Today started with having to sort out all the Child Tax Credit stuff and then trying to make sense of all the paperwork I seem to have accumulated recently. It is hard not to spend precious time 'fire fighting' i.e. having to do things that need to be done or else i.e. paying bills, shopping, filling in Child Tax Credit forms, but I feel I have begun to focus more when time allows.

I recently watched Maggie O'Farrell on The Book Show (SkyArts) see: http://thebookshow.skyarts.co.uk/authors/463188/maggie_ofarrell.html

She gave me inspiration as she discussed the quote from Cyril Connolly "There is no more sombre enemy of good art than the pram in the hall." Firstly, children deepen your connection with the world and cause you to feel emotion.

And secondly, however difficult it is to find the artistic impulse through the fog of motherhood, children are great editors. She highlights the danger of having too much time. With children you know you have a certain amount of time (usually while they are asleep) and so you must focus on writing in that time.

Is this what women really want?

Since I had that strike of inspiration and have started thinking about writing a Chick-Lit novel I have been amazed at how life accommodates you with possible ideas, events happening in mine (and others) lives, and of course the need to read more books.

A few weeks ago I spied a 'bestselling' Chick Lit novel being sold for 50p, and so I thought I had better use some of the nice weather - and Jamie's nap times - to do a bit of research into the genre.

Perhaps the 50p price tag should have warned me, but it was total tosh! I gave up at page 38; just as Chapter 5 started. I felt that the story was quite ordinary and I didn't really care about what happened next. I suppose I am used to crime novels, and a series of questions being posed in the first few pages which always get me hooked and reading. There was nothing to cling to in this novel and I am sad to say I gave up!

I think it was the characters themselves that bored me. And therefore I didn't care what happened to them next. I know this novel got published, but it wasn't the authors first. Perhaps it might have been their last.....

Spend Less.....Live More??

I have mentioned this before http://theonlyconsequence.blogspot.com/2010/02/book-recommendation.html but felt I wanted to emphasis to myself again the key points from; The Spend Less Handbook: 365 Tips for a Better Quality of Life While Actually Spending Less by Rebecca Ash, Capstone Publishing (2008) :

Why are our lives so hectic? Because there is so much stuff in them.

Even when we are not working, there are a thousand and one chores to occupy our lives and millions of bright images and hectic making technology that flick through our consciousness and turn our lives into a living nightmare.

The more we shop, the more we own, the more chores, hassles and complications are created in our lives.

Your unconscious mind is weighed down by everything you own. Clutter impairs your development, because things that are piled up are frequently associated with memories, so they bind you to the past.

Ask Yourself: Do I really, really need this? Remember that what you actually want is less stuff in your life, not more.

Remember that you only have one life, and you really ought to live life as if you only had a few months left of it. Make time to do things that will add real value to your life – things that will make you feel like the person you want to be, the person you would like to be remembered as when you die.

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." – Henry David Thoreau

Making Time Matter

In an attempt to answer all my woes in my last entry I read; The Time Paradox: Using the New Psychology of Time to Your Advantage by Philip Zimbardo and John Boyd, Ebury Publishing (2008) http://www.thetimeparadox.com/

The main points I must focus on are:

The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. Paradise Lost, Milton.

Your attitudes to time have a profound impact on your life. By changing the way you think about your past you change your future.

Ask yourself what you want to do today. Don’t ask what tasks you have to do today or what obligation you must meet before you can take time to enjoy yourself. Continually ask the big questions: What do I really want out of my life? What am I doing to get what I want? What is the best way to get from here to there?

‘We choose to rush and be busy. We can choose to slow down and cut back. This is in our power. But making such a choice is not easy.’ Ralph Keyes, Timelock. You need to do less, not more. Slim down your obligations. Eliminate as much as you can until you are in a comfort zone. Throw out the trash. Clean your closets of worn-out clothes. Stop going to events you don’t like. ‘Trying to increase one’s menu of possibilities contributes to overchoice, a key source of timelock. Reducing the range of options makes it possible to narrow ones focus and concentrate better.’ Ralph Keyes.

Only keep things from your past which make you happy. That includes thoughts / memories….. Reconstruct past negative experiences and either neutralize them or discover some hidden positive elements in them. Whenever you find yourself replaying the familiar old slides of past negative experiences, make yourself take out those slides and insert new slides into your memory tray. Practice viewing your new positive-only personal slide show to flood the dreary old past with a bright light of optimism. Forget about whether you had less love, success and good fortune than others in your life. That’s over and done with. Decide to become positive about your past and start afresh.

Life is what you make of it. You can make your time matter. Now is not the time to wait. Now is the time to act. Three days are all we have in which to live our lives. Yesterday was too early. Tomorrow will be too late. Today is the day of reckoning for each of us.

No man ever steps into the same river twice, for its not the same river and he’s not the same man. Heraclitus

Grumpy....

Went to see the Physio yesterday about my back that continues to give me trouble; along with the rest of my body. I feel like an old lady a lot of the time; aches and pains all over. Grumble, Grumble... This was my 4th visit on the NHS and it looks like I will be discharged next time to 'self-medicate' or whatever the phrase is. I left the session - which was quite painful but I am sure good for me at the same time - rather upset after he suggested; 'You need to be more active'.

I came home and had a bit of a cry and a moan. I felt like such a fat, old woman. But I know he is right. I know I should be doing my physio exercises as well as some 'proper' exercises (he suggested swimming) and I know I should think more about my posture, and god knows sitting at my laptop probably isn't doing me any good either, but its just one more thing amongst a sea of 'things to do'. And once I get in a spiral of misery I then begin to worry about the effect on Jamie. Am I a good enough mother? Am I spending enough quality time with him? Am I doing everything right? And where in all this sea of moaning and misery is any time for writing?

I know I have unrealistic expectations of both myself and others in terms of what I want / need to do / finish / start but how to stop myself from getting so worked up about it? Or indeed how to stop all those things meaning so much when in reality they shouldn't!?

Answers please....

Brainstorming....

Well, I don't want to go and ruin it all by saying too much but I have started work on a new novel and it is something completely different from the crime novels I have surrounded myself with in recent years. Having a baby has made me want to steer away from all the nasty side of the world and I find myself less interested in all the TV I used to engross myself in. Life has become more playful since having Jamie and as such it seems so is my writing.

As coincidence would have it, the latest email from Anna at www.catalystonline.co.uk talks about the 5 stages of creativity. The first being Brainstorming. Although I have written the first page or so, I feel that this is the stage I am at and perhaps need to be at for a few weeks at least as I shift my whole focus away from Crime and towards my writing future.

Anna says:
What do I mean by brainstorming? I mean putting aside all preconceptions, any fixed ideas you have what it must/should/ought to look like and simply playing around with thoughts and ideas with no pressure on you to come up with the 'perfect' solution.

Play is an important element of the creative process, so when you brainstorm you get comfortable, you lay in all the supplies you might need whether that's your computer screen, large sheets of paper and coloured pens to make a mind map, or simply a notepad and pen. Find the place where your mind is most able to relax, play, and have fun.

Empty your mind, and just jot down the points as they come into your head - that could be a plot outline, a character, a place, even the sound or smell that brings back a powerful memory you want to incorporate into your work.

To help you with that you might want to write down these questions at the top of your pad, or on your computer screen, and let yourself think about the answers:
** What is it that you really want most to express?
** As you jot your ideas down, what gives you a little rush of energy or happiness?
** Who, ideally, you want to read your work - and what makes them the ideal reader?

Life is like..

Life is like riding a bicycle.
You don't fall off unless you stop pedaling.

Claude Pepper

The D's are all-important

In an interview with Barbara Taylor Bradford she is quoted as saying;

“If you want to get ahead, the D’s are all-important. You need the Desire, Drive and Determination to do it. You need the Dedication to keep going when there are setbacks, and you must avoid all Distractions which might knock you off course. Sort out the D’s and you are in with a fighting chance.”

Alan Jackson, The Times Magazine, Saturday 8th August 2009

Just Read.....

The Writer's Tale by Russell T Davies and Benjamin Cook (BBC Books 2008) with regards to their work on Dr Who. Now don't get me wrong, I love the new Dr Who, but Russell T Davies and his bunch really knew Dr Who (and Captain Jack, Torchwood etc.). The new series has different writers and it shows.

I love this book and, although I didn't have time to devour everything as I have just started a bit of writing of my own.....the information given, as well as all the glossy photos, were brilliant! Russell leads us through the actual process of how a script goes from a first draft to a completed piece on the television. He has a lot to say about the job of being a writer and I admire him for his stamina - let alone his prolific amount of ideas. Just don't ask him where he gets all his ideas from. He will say; "The Ideas Shop in Abergavenny!"

He says: 'Writing's inside your head! It's thinking! It's every hour of the day, every day of your life, a constant storm of pictures and voices and sometimes, if you're very, very lucky, insight.'

THE FOUR SECRETS OF CHANGE

Research has revealed the following facts about change:

1. You have to align your emotions and your beliefs with your logic;

2. You have to be clear and determined about what you want but flexible about how to get it;

3. Anything that requires your time (which is most things, of course) can be added only if you eliminate something else;

4. It's easiest when you have support and feedback.

Breakthrough Strategy
Jurgen Wolff www.timetowrite.blogs.com/

When one door closes....

When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.
Alexander Graham Bell

From MAY 2010 BRAINSTORM & FOCUS E-BULLETIN http://www.timetowrite.blogs.com/

Are you under-estimating your brain?

In a book called "The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain: The Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Brain," Barbara Strauch reveals that the latest research shows that the human brain hits its prime between a person's early thirties and late 60's (hooray!). Apparently we use a larger portion of our brain as we get older. She says this should get us to re-think the current practice of telling people to get out of the way at 62 to 65 and appreciate that the combination of life experience and brain power of people at that age may actually make them more valuable than they were when they were starting their careers.
ACTION: A lot of how well we function is based on self-perception. If we expect to decline in or after middle-age we look for signs of it, and when that's the filter we're using, we'll see them. That in turn can have a negative effect on our behaviour - and soon decline becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. If you're in that age group, see your brain as (to use the author's words) "ripe, ready, and whole."

Thanks (as always) to Jurgen Wolff 's MAY 2010 BRAINSTORM & FOCUS E-BULLETIN http://www.timetowrite.blogs.com/

Words.....

Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.
Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) American novelist and short story writer.

Thanks to Writers On the Net http://www.writers.com/ Vol. 13, No. 5 May 2010

Is it nearly May already?

And that means the Lincoln Book Festival http://www.visitlincolnshire.com/things-to-do/events/lincoln-book-festival If this isn't an excuse to get on top of my writing 'stuff' I don't know what is!! The sun is shining and I really do feel invigorated today. It is not long now til our holiday and I have decided to really go for the diet and this includes NO ALCOHOL which I am sure has helped with the feeling this morning. Not sure how long I can last as I do like the taste of a nice glass of something.....but we shall see. Starting when the boys get out of bed I am finally clearing all my writing books from Jamies room into ours. Following on from that I hope to sort out our bedroom.

Daddy has got a new job and the shifts seem to have a beneficial effect on us. We both seem happier and more awake and less stressed this week and we actually seem to be getting stuff done - watch this space! Not only have I just about moved all my writing stuff into my bedroom but we have also had a major de-clutter and I can already feel the energy.....

I still don’t feel I have really moved forward that much with regards to my writing in the last few months. The closing date for the Debut Dagger 2010 came and went this year. That’s the second year where the deadline has come and gone before I even got a chance to think about it! My Writing Resolutions were: 1. To complete (at least) one novel. 2. To enter one competition a month of any format. 3. To continue to write both blogs at least once a week. 4. To continue to devour Writing Magazine, Writing News and MsLexia. 5. To try and write something or do something to move towards my writing goals every day. 6. To re-asses in 3 / 6 / 12 months time! So far I am afraid that I have just about kept No.3 and almost kept No.4 but the thought is there everyday I promise.

Making use of my time working for the Library Service, I have read a number of books in the last few months and that can only be a good thing right? Or Is That Just Me? By Richard Hammond, Orion (2009), Look Back in Hunger by Jo Brand, Headline Review (2009) and Its not what you think by Chris Evans, HarperCollins (2009). Reading these three books has given me my fill of autobiographies but I have also been reading books on saving money; The Spend Less Handbook by Rebecca Ash is to be recommended as although it is about saving money it is also about the way you live your live generally. Other books include Family Life Made Easy by Grace Saunders, Arrow (2009) and How To Afford Time Off with Your Baby by Becky Goddard-Hill, Vermilion (2009).

Perhaps I have been too hard on myself what with a 0ne year old to look after and working 2 and a half days a week, so lets see if I can at least sort all my writing paperwork before the book festival starts in Two Weeks!!! Small Steps.....

What research shows about overcoming procrastination

When trying to overcome procrastination should you focus on the outcome of the task or the details of the task? According to several research studies, it depends on the kind of task and where you are in the process.

If it's something you know you are going to do but you're just putting off getting to it, focus on the details. Chunk it down and decide on a deadline for each bit.

If it's something you'd like to do but haven't yet committed to, focus on the outcomes. As soon as you start, shift focus to the steps. When you near the end and want to be sure to finish, shift focus back to the big picture.

One additional finding: when things get difficult in the middle of the task, the temporary difficulty or failure can "infect" the bigger picture and push you toward giving up. Keep your focus tight on overcoming the obstacle.

From; April 2010 BRAINSTORM & FOCUS E-BULLETIN Written by Jurgen Wolff www.timetowrite.blogs.com

A Quote to Consider

"Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinion drown your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." Steve Jobs

From; April 2010 BRAINSTORM & FOCUS E-BULLETIN Written by Jurgen Wolff www.timetowrite.blogs.com

Sunshine....

Sunshine is delicious,
rain is refreshing,
wind braces us up,
snow is exhilarating;
there is really no such thing as badweather,
only different kinds of good weather.

John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

I love this....

Remember.......
Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car..

Thanks Shad

Quotation

"If you are a genius, you'll make your own rules, but if not -- and the odds are against it -- go to your desk, no matter what your mood, face the icy challenge of the paper -- write."

J.B. Priestly (1894 - 1984) English novelist, playwright, broadcaster


Thanks to The Newsletter - a monthly electronic publication from Writers On the Net http://www.writers.com Vol. 13, No. 3 MARCH 2010

Fear...

'Fear haunts every author. First, we'll never finish; no book is ever finished, only abandoned. Second, nobody will bother to read it. Third, that if and when anyone does, they will hate it, at least immediately identify a thousand errors, etc.'
Harold Evans quoted in Writers News: March 2010 www.writersnews.co.uk

Haikus

A few months ago I had a rush of inspiration and entered two Haikus in the Writing Magazine competition. http://theonlyconsequence.blogspot.com/2009/08/couple-of-haikus.html In March's edition they have included the winners; of which I am sadly not one!!http://www.writersnews.co.uk/main/default.asp

However, Alison Chisholm did state that they were impressed with the entries and we should all 'feel elated in the knowledge of having produced an entry of merit.' I thought I would share with you my two entries:

Alone. Two ripe fruit.
Just lying. As innocent
as our excuses.


Wind ripples the pond.
Sunlight dances with the fish.
The old green toad croaks.

Anxious or just very Creative?

Catalyst News Issue 66- February 5, 2010 http://www.catalystonline.co.uk included a wonderful piece about anxiety and creativity:

Being anxious about creating anything is very natural because anxiety is an emotional condition and producing something from your inner self, the most deep and private part of you is both highly emotional, and often challenging.

But just what brings up that anxiety? One theory was that was caused by a chemical imbalance or distorted thinking, but new evidence seems to show it is caused by having a creative intellect. In general this means having the mental facility to generate, both consciously and subconsciously, complex scenarios in the creative area of the brain. It seems that every anxiety sufferer has this mental resource which can be utilized consciously to produce creative ability or subconsciously by the autonomic nervous system to identify potential risks and initiates the flight or fight response if needed.

This means that under stress anxiety levels rise the anxiety response releases a series of thought processes which provide a 'risk assessment' asking 'what if?' and uses the sensory organs to collect data and respond with the appropriate course of action. When we are anxious we have physical signs such as breathlessness, or 'butterflies' for actors it manifests as stage fright, for writers it can be seen in writer's block or displacement activity.

Anna suggests embracing the anxiety; seeing it as a validation of how creative you are, and choosing to use that energy in a productive way. Fear and excitement have the same physical responses in the body. You are going to experience the same symptoms, so choose to be excited and use it to inspire you to create.

Spend Less and Live (perhaps even write) More?

Just read a fantastic book; The Spend Less Handbook: 365 Tips for a Better Quality of Life While Actually Spending Less by Rebecca Ash, Capstone Publishing (2008). Although it chiefly focuses on saving money, it also talks about the links between a consumer mentality, stress and why we are not leading the life we dream of.

Consider; 'You won’t get to the end of your life and wish you’d made more money – you’ll wish you spent more time staring at the clouds, playing with your children or doing something more meaningful' and 'Remember that you only have one life, and you really ought to live life as if you only had a few months left of it. Make time to do things that will add real value to your life – things that will make you feel like the person you want to be, the person you would like to be remembered as when you die.'

It features a poem which I have never seen before which I feel sums it all up:

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better to paint a picture, or write a letter, bake a cake, or plant a seed. Ponder the difference between want and need.

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time, with rivers to swim and mountains to climb! Music to hear, and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain, this day will not come round again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind, old age will come and its not kind. And when you go, and go you must, you, yourself, will make more dust!

Anonymous

Jurgen Again (He's Good!) - Match that Mood!

Want to be creative? Be happy! Want to make better decisions? Be grumpy! That seems to be the message of research done by psychologist Joseph Forgas, published in Australian Science. He found that happiness is better for creativity, flexibility, cooperation, and reliance on mental shortcuts. Negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking and paying greater attention to the external world, resulting in better judgment and crafting effective persuasive messages.

ACTION: The best way to take advantage of these findings may be to try to match the task to your mood - if you're feeling upbeat, do your creative work and if you're feeling downbeat do administrative tasks that require accuracy and decision-making. Alternatively, manipulate your mood to match the task at hand, using music, visualization and movement (e.g. to get more upbeat, listen to upbeat music with which you already have happy associations, do a few minutes of exercise to get your heart rate up, and visualize the positive outcome of whatever you're about to do.) November 2009 Brainstorm E-Bulletin See: www.timetowrite.blogs.com/

New Year Resolutions - An Added Incentive

Jurgen Wolff's January 2010 Brainstorm E-Bulletin (http://jurgenwolff.com/ / www.timetowrite.blogs.com/) noted that there are a few strategies that have been proven to be effective when trying to lose a few pounds i.e. Keep the tempting bad foods out of the house and Jot down everything you eat! However, what he noted which really got me motivated was: Being creative requires energy and being overweight can sap it. Now, where did I put my trainers.....

I want to share with you this....

As we enter 2010, I want to wish you the very best of everything:

Confidence to pursue your best ideas.
Creativity to take you to new and exciting places in your work.
Determination to follow through on your goals.
Resources to support you as you go for it.
Patience to let things evolve as they need to.
Wisdom to see opportunities for what they are and let go of unhelpful habits.
Humour to deal with those around you and to see the funny side of your challenges.
Peace in the knowledge that you are in the right place and doing the right things.

Mindy Gibbins-KleinFounder of The Book Midwife http://www.bookmidwife.com/

New Year Resolutions

Last year I used being pregnant as an excuse. This year it was/is having a baby. I don’t feel I have really moved forward that much with regards to my writing in the last year. I feel disappointed that my 2009 Christmas present - the Writers and Artists Yearbook 2009 – never moved from its place on the shelf this year!!

My goals for 2009 were:
1. To complete (at least) one novel.
2. To enter one competition a month of any format.
3. To continue to write both blogs at least once a week.

This year I have added:
4. To continue to devour Writing Magazine, Writing News and MsLexia.
5. To try and write something or do something to move towards my writing goals every day.
6. To re-asses in 3 / 6 / 12 months time!

Other Resolutions are:
To remember that time is precious and to say No to things unless I really want to say Yes.
I will try to remain Positive at all times about all people and all situations!
I will aim to reach my pre-pregnancy weight within 3 months via diet and exercise.
I will save some money every week.

Wish me luck - Happy New Year!!