SEASONS GREETINGS

From a Clean Desk
Which feels kind of refreshing. I'm nearly there, given a couple of days shivering under a lovely warm blanket. Now just got to finalise my plan for next year and get a couple of entries in for competitions before the silly season really starts. I'm looking forward to 2011 and a heap of writing and fingers and toes crossed a publication! Good luck for all your writing endeavours over the coming twelve months.
Happy New Year!

WRITING REVIEW

For Troublesome Times
As I've been struggling to 'write' this week I thought I would sort out my writing desk, both on the PC and the one I sit at. So I've been sorting through piles of papers (some of which are related to writing and some not), updating my works in progress sheet and tidying up my files so that I can actually find things a little easier. There's nothing better than a bit of Feng Shui for a writer, if you're like me your desk will be littered with all things relating to your work. A journal with an article you've meant to be reading for the last two months because you know it will make a difference. The latest purchase of the must have 'how to' write book, gathering dust. Spreadsheets detailing all kinds of thinks from latest markets and competitions to a submissions list which may make pleasant reading until you analyse how many publications you've secured! I've also made a list of all my pieces that I've written for our Monday Muse on Writers Abroad. This can be anything from 400 to 800 words (usually written from a prompt and within 15 minutes) as many of them could be developed but are sat in a dark corner of my PC until now. 


So sometimes the struggle can seem worth it because it gives you space to see through the clutter and to find inspiration and a little bit of motivation. I always stumble through December, always have done whatever I've been doing so I know it isn't about writing. But this week at least I've done something instead of sitting at a blank screen or an empty piece of paper. And it all looks tidier too! So instead of being down on myself I'm going to give myself a pat on the back and get on next week with my writing plan for 2011, then a break for the festivities - even writers need them - and back to business in the New Year. It feels good!
Until later...

SNAILS PACE

Not Much Writing or Progress
Oh dear, feeling scratchy and frustrated. I've been trying to get into my scene setting and failed miserably I'm afraid. I just don't seem able to think straight or think at all - that would be a start at least. I'm not sure if it's the weather (terribly cold in my office) or my brain (a little empty) or I just can't make the grade (so what's new?). It all seems in the too difficult pile today. But that's not good enough is it? If you're a writer you have to write and I pontificate on high about all the things I do to get the creative juices going, but I can't even catch up with the snails today. And now I sound like a loser and that makes me feel even worse. I know I need to do something to take my mind off it and then it'll all come good. You sure? I'll let you know.
Later...

THE NEXT STEP

Making A Scene
Last time I talked about the Snowflake method and how I'm using it to get back into drafting my latest model. So far I have produced a five paragraph 'blurb' about my novel (a little like what you see on the back of books); I've extended this into a one page synopsis; I've created story-lines for each of my main characters as well as character synopses and am just about to finish some minor character outlines; and I also had prepared earlier some fully developed character cv's about their likes, dislikes, their back story and the like. 


So, the next step, according to what it says on the tin, is to create some scenes from an extended synopsis... yes, that's right I have to list all the scenes which I think at this moment in time to turn this outline story into a novel. Having talked and listened to some of my fellow NaNoWriMo scribblers I know that this part is essential if I want to give my novel some legs. So many times I have had an idea that may last a short story length but in terms of becoming anything longer... well, it's been a non-runner. So I know that this is a pretty crucial part. 


One fellow writer also advises that as well as identifying the POV for the scene, the action and conflict should also be highlighted. I suppose this will sort out the weak from the strong in terms of scenes, for what is the use of putting characters in a setting if nothing happens? The 'panster' in me feels that this is a bit too much 'planning' despite my right brain telling me it's the correct thing to do. This part tells me that it isn't telling all the story, it's just giving some headlines. A prompt if you like and I do like. Prompts that is. We have a regular Monday Muse on Writers Abroad and often it's the most satisfying piece of writing I do in 20 minutes. Free flow writing, without worrying about punctuation, the right word or even where it's going. And often I can write up to 700 words. Yes seven hundred words in twenty minutes. So in my scene planning, that's what I hope to replicate. A kind of pertinent prompt that will help the ink to flow (or the fingers to fly).


And that's the other thing. For years I have been unable to write anything straight onto the PC. For the last two months following a dare to myself, I've been writing straight onto the screen. No pen, no paper (well, it will always be nearby) and just me and the white wall of blankness. Let's hope that I can fill it with lots of black letters, the kind which makes some kind of sense...
Until Later...

CHARACTER SYNOPSIS

What's Your Story?
Part of my preparation using the Snowflake method has been to develop Character Synopses. This is a little like creating a synopsis for my novel but instead of being plot based, it is character based. And I must say, it's much more exciting. Why is that I wonder? I think it's must because it becomes personal to that character and as you ask 'so what's your story?' then the characters start to tell you, and they start to make the story come alive. For me, plot based always seems a little too constrained, it can't suddenly veer off in a different direction because someone (i.e. a character) has to lead the plot. So for me character based synopsis planning has been a revelation. I've done three main characters this afternoon, around 450 words each, and I've been surprised with their responses and the development of the story as a whole, all in about 45 minutes. I feel as though I've made much bigger steps than if I'd stared at the blank screen trying to write a scene without anything to hang it on. Now I've got a number of scenes, and ones I hadn't envisaged before I started the process. So that has to be good. Doesn't it? 
More Later...

SNOWFLAKES

A Method of Writing
I know many of you are bored with the notion of snowflakes but honest, read on this isn't about the cold wet stuff.
In my efforts to get back into my NaNoWriMo challenge following a long break from writing, I decided to revisit my preparation. One of my fellow members on Writers Abroad shared how she approached it using the Snowflake Method. Now, I put my hands up and admit it - I skimmed through the whole thing pre November. But this method is worth some investment of time. It works on the principle of starting small and building and building upon the small bits until you have the whole. It's relationship to the construction of a snowflake is a little above my intellect, but all I can say is that it works. Over the last few days I have revisited the story lines of four main characters and written around 1000 words . Also, I've revisited my first outline of the complete storyline and extended it to write another 1000 words. Is that good? Well, if you compare that pre snowflake I was writing in excess of 2500 words per day, perhaps not, but it's not a direct comparison. 


The work I've put in the last few days have not only allowed me to get back into my story, it has allowed me to travel to the heart of my novel. I have detailed (in great detail!) the main story lines for the novel as a whole and the main characters which will help towards the production of a healthy word count. It's well worth the effort because it helps to map out my story and none of it is committed in stone and blood. It can all change, and may very well will do as my characters have already shown their independence in their own individual storylines. So a bit more digging to the core will go on, before I write a single word in terms of the draft, but this is all part of it and preparation now will help me achieve my target. 


So onwards...

NaNoWriMo - The End?

Or Just the Beginning...

As some of you will know I had to put my NaNoWriMo challenge on hold this year due to family reasons. And rightly so. I did manage to write over 10,000 words in five days, not bad in the great scheme of things. Now I'm trying to get my writing mojo back and have been hearing from all my wonderful NaNoWriMo scribblers and their successes. Well done especially to Nicola and Jill who made it past the target. So do I put all the effort I made in the beginning with the planning and charactersiation on hold for another year? I don't think so. I heard a lovely quote from one of my Writers Abroad pals (thanks to Mary) 'If you find that life is not the party you’d hoped for, you might as well stay and dance.'  So I shall stay and dance!

I'm going to set myself a challenge for December (lets face it, the month needs some kind of alternative challenge to the seasonal festivities don't you think?). I shall make the month my own personal NaNoWriMo challenge and see where I end up on New Years Eve, hopefully with a large glass of something bubbly, but that will be despite any progress I can assure you. So tomorrow I'm going to spend day one of my challenge revisiting my notes and my writing and then take it from there. So if you can bear it please check in now and again and see how I'm getting on. Now I need to go find a word counter...

Until Later

Absence With Leave

Family First
Due to Family Commitments I shan't be blogging for a little while. I've also had to put NaNoWriMo to one side but hope to resurrect my own little one when things have calmed down.
Hope to resume normal service soon...

NaNoWriMo - Day Five and Six

Not Much To Report.
Yep, I've lost my rhythm but I'm sure I'll get it back. As some of you know I am (with the unending support of Writers Abroad members) compiling an Anthology of Short Stories for National Short Story Week and getting it into an E Book presentation that I'm happy with has been testing to say the least. However, I can report that at least I am learning something else about this whole writing business whilst I'm not achieving my word count...how to be an editor and a publisher. It's all grease to the elbow (or whatever the right saying is).
Until Later, much later...

NaNoWriMo - Day Four

Causing a Scene
And no I don't mean throwing a tantrum, although at times this afternoon I've felt like doing so. Sometimes I think I make life and writing too complicated. I'm a kind of 'back room girl' (I really was told that in feedback following an interview once and was very offended!) and by that I mean I like to drive things quietly, digging around and playing about with different options. I think I do that with my writing and sometimes it can become a little distracting and impacts on my ability to write. I become so obsessed with the finding the 'right way' that  it occupies my head instead of my characters. I've read so many blogs, posts, articles and pieces about the simplicity of defining and writing scenes that I came to a point this afternoon where I couldn't even think of a title for one. Which kind of defeats the object. I know that a little bit of planning will help my flow and improve my word count but for me the scenes sometimes come as I'm writing another one. So I make a quick note so I don't forget and then get on with what I'm doing. I'm what's known as a 'panster' in NaNoWriMo terms apparently, which I think means 'flying by the seats of ones pants'. I can live with that.
Until Tomorrow...

NaNoWriMo - Day Three

Finding My Voice
And no I don't mean I've lost mine. Today I have made inroads in the voices of a couple of my main characters. It always takes a while for me to 'hear' them. I know this might sound a bit odd, but it really helps if your character talks to you so you can hear their inflections, their speech patterns and develop a sense of their talking rythym. Obviously this may need refining at some point and I probably will find that I've allocated a dreadful speech trait to my main character which readers will hate. But that comes later. NaNoWriMo isn't about a polished piece of narrative or dialogue, it's about producing a first draft. Yes FIRST. There will definitely be a second and most probably a third. So if I've found I've stuck a plum in the wrong mouth, I can always remove it later...
Three days in and I'm hitting the given target, but I want to up my game and word count a little. Think a little more scene planning is in order. Until tomorrow.

NaNoWriMo - Day Two

Characters and Composting
I'm sure you are thinking what do composts have in common with this blog post? Well quite a lot actually. As you may know I was a little behind with my preparation for NaNoWriMo. But a little preparation has been better than none which is my usual format. So I've spent the morning building on the work I'd already done and having conversations with my characters. For me this has felt a little bit like 'composting', another subject close to my heart, well the vegetable garden at least. It has a similar kind of process, you start off with an empty vessel and a blank vegetable patch. You keep adding bits and pieces here and there into your vessel, nourishing with water to help the process and develop your mulch. Bit by bit your compost heap builds, becomes more rich and nutritious with all sorts of goodness and you can feel the heat. Then you apply it to your patch, work it in and plant your seeds. Some time later, you have lots of healthy, full rounded, delicious vegetables which look and taste fabulous. That to me is my character development, getting all warm and cuddly with my stars (though I promise I do not get warm and cuddly with my compost). Enough. NaNo fever has definitely turned me a bit gaga.
Until Tomorrow...

NaNoWriMo - Day One

Ready, Steady, Go! 
After a few technical hitches over the weekend where the gremlins trashed all the blogs I had written since Friday I very nearly gave up. After all, I have a novel to write. But blogging about it here is very, very important for my soul so I am not taking this lying down.
So Day One and my NaNoWriMo buddies at Writers Abroad have been tapping away furiously and at time of writing we have a combined word count of just over 10,000 words. Yes TEN THOUSAND WORDS! Well done to us all.
Other WA friends have been offering lashings of coffee, shoulders for support and a kick up the backside when required. All virtual of course. But it feels good, scary but good.


Until Tomorrow

Oh and by the way in case your're wondering, 'The Duchessa' is my user name for NaNoWriMo!

BLOGGETTE # 2

And Counting...
Well, there is not long to go and the pressure is mounting. We've had discussions in the NaNoWriMo forum on Writers Abroad about Outlining, Plotting and Point of View. Yesterday I concentrated on my characters as for me, this is the way to drive the story and therefore the plot. There are writers who disagree and that's fine. There is no definable template for writing. Sometimes that can be frustrating, sometimes its the freedom that makes all the difference. We really wouldn't want it any other way. So I have been delving into my characters traits and habits, interviewing them for the job and fleshing out those bits of their character that make them come alive on the page. Some of them don't have names yet, but that will come. I love using the Zodiac to help me think about characters, so when I've defined their birth date, I look up their star sign. This can give you an indication of their physical attributes, their behaviour and personality, their likes and dislikes, what they are like as  a lover, friend, parent and what kind of ailments they are prone to. Of course as in real life, characters will not all meet the definitions, but that's what makes character real. Being People. So onto the next task. Settings...


Until Tomorrow (is that a line of a song?)...

NANoWriMo BLOG POSTS

Now Known as Blogettes...
I know, I failed at the first post but I do have good reasons not for posting yesterday. Like all writers I have a life of other responsibilities and pressures. And, as I am told by many of my friends at Writers Abroad - family come first and so they should. 


So back to normal (of a sorts) today and as I promised on Monday I'm going to try and post a little snippet every day leading up to and during NaNoWriMo. A kind of diary I suppose. I have called these entries, 'Blogettes'. I'm sure there is another word for it but that will do for now. 


Yesterday I spent the afternoon writing with pencil in my 'bible'. This is a journal (large, hard backed, A4 and lined) where I start to record all my thoughts about the novel, my next Work In Progress. For NaNoWriMo I'm writing a novel based around the rumours that surround the 5th Duke of Portland and his double life. It's mostly fiction of course, but the facts are pretty fascinating in themselves and I'm not going to reveal all yet.
Suffice to say I sketched out a rough journey of the novel, listed the main characters, produced a very sketchy time line (most helpful in identifying some of the plot lines) and started a character portrait of the main character, the Mad Duke. I have yet to define a working title... but hope to have done so by the end of today.


So there you have it. My first Blogette...
Until Tomorrow.

COUNTDOWN

To NaNoWriMo
This will not be a long post, suffice to say that the deadline for the beginning of NaNoWriMo is less than a week away (Monday 1 November). I've spent the weekend reading about outlining, from snowflakes to phases, plot to character and downloaded two software programmes. Panicking? Me? Well that might be putting it mildly but I don't feel as though I'm prepared at all, I have characters and scenes and settings just floating around in the empty space between my ears. Calm down, I hears you say... Take some deep breaths... Close your eyes and now breath out...
Feeling better? No, but a little calmer and now I shall go and outline something, even it it may turn into this weeks shopping list. I will try and post a little every day, just to let you know (and convince myself) what is happening in my quest to get ready for this years event. I love it once I get there but it's the anticipation!
We are in this together remember!

OUTLINING YOUR NOVEL

NaNoWriMo Preparation
Okay, so a little more than a week until November 1st and I'm panicking. The thing is with NaNoWriMo is preparation, preparation, preparation. The cries of  'it can't possibly be done' only apply if you start on November 1st. The key is in the planning. And those of you who know me will be familiar with my planning. It's a kind of frenzied planning which usually fizzles and pops and then... panic. Sheer blind panic. Not this time though. This time I am going to plan properly and thoroughly so that I can get right into the writing come a week on Monday.
So I've asked my friends over at Writers Abroad what methods they use, I've spent the whole morning Google -ing 'outline templates' on the web and this afternoon been flicking through my reference books on writing. What I have come to realise is that the more planning you do... the more saturated you become with your story. It's helping me to thrash out where I want to go. I used to believe (in my very early days) that writers just sat down and... well wrote. I had a very 'romantic' view of novelists and admired them for their creativity and ability and believed that I would never, ever be able to call myself a 'real writer'. How daft was I? But I don't think I'm alone in my rosy view of writing and actually I don't think it would be the same. I like all the angst, the whole kit and caboodle. It just wouldn't be the same if I just sat down and it happened. Would it? 
Next week I'll let you know how I got on with my outline... 

ARE EBOOKS THE FUTURE?

Maybe Part of the Future

Those of you who know me will not be surprised that I don't believe that E books are the future. I'm a Luddite when it comes to books. I love the whole experience, from browsing in musty, dusty bookshops to opening that first page and breathing in the smell of words on paper. For me its a sensual thing. It uses all of my senses, not just my sight. However, I do think that E books and the machines that are needed to read them, have a place. I would never say 'never' and I do feel that the technological developments that have happened over the last say... ten years have probably done more for writers than anything in the last 50 years. But I think there is a place for both, I don't believe that one will replaced the other, just as much as I don't think that there isn't another way. It's just not my way. 

Having said that Writers Abroad will be producing an Anthology of Short Stories in support of National Short Story Week in November. The deadline was last Friday and all members have been busy reading and scoring stories received from all over the world. The Anthology will be made freely available via a PDF, so score one for E book fans, but I can't resist the temptation to hold a copy of WA's First Anthology in my sweaty little hands. It just wouldn't have the same sort of 'sigh' factor for me, that sense of satisfaction from flipping through something I have helped to create. So I'm not going to climb aboard the bandwagon against E books, but I'm not giving up on the paperbacks or hardbacks either.

I think there is room for all of us.

More later...

National Write A Novel in A Month

Friday Report
Well, my report this week is all about a Work in Progress which is just at the beginning. I'm sure many of you are aware that in November, thousands and thousands of writers have their noses to the writing grindstone and collectively churn out millions of words. All in the name of NaNoWriMo - shorthand for National Write a Novel in a Month. 


This will be my third year, the first I didn't register and managed to complete All Will Be Well by completing around 35k words and last year I started  The Promise and wrote 56k word within 30 days. Many writers I speak to gasp in awe at this feat and prior to joining the merry gang, I think I did too. Whilst I would never say it is easy, what I did find out having dipped my toe into the mill pond, was that it provided me with great incentive to get writing. An incentive which far outstrips any other pressure I put on myself throughout the year. 


So why is that I wonder? I'm not sure its probably one of many things.

• Firstly because you literally sign up to it I found that small action sealed my obligation. Like a contract if you like (I wish!) and can daily upload your word count - you see your work growing. 
• Secondly averaging out the word count to meet the overall target of 50k words made it more achievable, its a little over 1600 if you write every day. So not a mammoth task.
• Thirdly I realised that this wasn't the end of the process, it was merely the beginning (something I've learnt post event) so it freed me up to just write what came along and not to worry about the inner editor, so I switched her off. Well onto silent mode anyway.
• Finally it's a group thing, you can sign up with buddies, read posting on forums, even connect with people writing in your genre, to see what obstacles and solutions they are experiencing.

For me it's been one of the most useful ways to spend November, the veggie garden has been put to sleep, the animals are snuggling down in semi-hibernation and dark mornings mean I can linger longer in bed with pen and paper. 
So give it a go, it doesn't matter whether you hit the target or not, what does matter is that you write...


Next week I'll share how I prepare myself for this writing extravaganza.
Best Wishes,

Publication

Is Worth the Wait

I wondered today as I held an anthology with one of my stories in it, if writers continued to get the 'buzz' each time with publication? It really is a special feeling and one that is fairly new to me and I just love it. Maybe I'm self indulgent but the knowledge that someone has chosen your work, paid you for it and invested time and money to reproduce it for others to read is just the greatest accolade I think I've ever had. 

In a previous life, I used to be nurse. Very different reward systems but also very similar. The work was hard but extremely satisfying, the pay was pretty dire but the end result if positive, was always very rewarding. It felt an honour to be part of someone's life and to help them climb over their obstacles. However, it wasn't without its disadvantages and was, for a young adult, very emotionally draining. This experience I think helps guide my writing and helps provide me with the motivation to keep trying. Because the result is always, always worth it.

So the image above is the front cover of the anthology entitled 'Mosaic' printed by Bridge House Publishing. The theme for the anthology was open and so the twenty four stories are all very different and moving for a number of reasons. Fellow Writers Abroad member, Susan Palmquist, is also featured.  Another feather in our cap! Copies are available from the publisher and Amazon... and that's onto another element of writing life. Self Marketing. But enough for now.

Catch up later in the week...

HAPPY ENDINGS?

End of Week Progress Report

I've put All Will Be Well to one side this week. I need to let things settle, the ripples soften out and accept some of the hard decisions I made during the analysis. Well, I say that but I've been thinking about it a lot (which to my mind is part of the writing process, but that's another story). A week on and it still feels like I've made the right decisions so I'm sure that must mean something. I shall now set a plan for the bits I need to rework, those I need to write from fresh and at the same time maybe look at some new markets for submission. 

The biggest dilemma I have at the moment is whether to change the ending. In the draft I have two major characters who I kill off. Now as many members at Writers Abroad know I am good at killing people off. But their feedback has always been spot on and I think most of them who have read the synopsis would really like a hint of a happy ending. I know it doesn't really always reflect real life, but if that's what the readers want, should a writer give them what they want? I've mapped out different endings and I suppose at the end of the day, I have to just make a decision and go with it. Someone once told me I was good at doing 'sad' and I like reading 'sad' but I get a lot of enjoyment out of 'happy endings' too. And I'm hoping that my novel will find its happy ending , hopefully on the shelves of some major book store. Well you have to dream, don't you?

Catch up next week...

WRITING DRAFTS

Painting A Picture
I subscribe to a number of writing newsletters (in fact, far too many) which fall into my in box on a regular basis. I usually skim read them, scanning for market news, latest tips, writing successes and any little nuggets which may just make my writing life easier. It's not often that I find something new or which affects me profoundly, most of it acts like a kind of 'reminder' of what I already know. However this morning was a little different when I came across a piece entitled 'First Drafts' by Naomi Rose. This writer drew (literally speaking) a analogy between a writer and a visual artist in terms of their initial approach to their creative projects. 


As you know, first drafts for this first time novelist, is very pertinent right now and I'm like a sponge when it comes to anything vaguely concerned with this topic. An artist first sketches out a rough drawing, some of which maybe quite detailed, some more general concepts or ideas but all elements of the intended 'whole'. An artist would never put out their first sketch as completed work (unless posthumously by others as an indication of their skill) and always would use it as their reference piece for the completed picture. A blank canvas and a stick of charcoal are the tools used (my kind of artist anyway) and a connection of thoughts, ideas, settings, people and themes which are then tried out, maybe several times as the creative juices take hold. A kind of giving 'birth' to the form that will eventually be the finished painting or picture. Bringing the canvas to life but with parts missing, parts which need a different approach and colour and parts that may just be airbrushed away. So like first drafts in writing, it struck me, yet I never (until today) had seen it as so... magical and sensual. 
It has really struck a chord as you can probably detect and I'm hoping that later on in my 'editing' slot I shall still feel the same way.
Until Friday,

WRITING ANALYSIS

End of Week Report

This will be brief as life here in rural Italy can be relied on provide me with regular 'challenges'. This week it's the electrics - which to be fair are ancient - and we have been relying on battery power. Hats off to one Writers Abroad member who lives 'off the grid' in terms of electricity. 

Anyway I digress when time (and batteries) are short.

This week I have completed a full chapter/scene analysis on All Will Be Well. What does that exactly mean? Well, I've gone through each chapter and recorded in one of my beloved journals the following; current chapter position, scene number, total number of words, setting, characters involved, point of view and then made detailed comments, thoughts and observations on each scene. This has taught me a number of things the most important being:

1. It has been a most valuable way to spend my time on my work in progress. Not only has it refreshed myself with the story and the characters but it has got me back into its 'groove' again, something that I think had been holding me back.
2. It's shown me those scenes which need to be cut without hesitation, those that need a little work and the important (but behind the scenes) backstory that I need to keep safe somewhere.
3. Undertaking the analysis has shown up the yawning holes and great leaps (not of faith that is for sure) and whose story this actually is... something which nearly knocked me out.

So why has it taken me so long to do this? Not sure, not even sure if I've read about doing this kind of navel gazing activity. But it's worked for me and for All Will Be Well. So that's something else that is going in my list of 'must do's ' for future works in progress...

SUCCESSFUL WRITERS

"There are so many different kinds of writing and so many ways to work that the only rule is this: do what works. Almost everything has been tried and found to succeed for somebody. The methods, even the ideas of successful writers contradict each other in a most heartening way, and the only element I find common to all successful writers is persistence -- an overwhelming determination to succeed."
Sophy Burnham, For Writers Only

This quote certainly summed things up for me today. Friends at Writers Abroad will know just what I'm talking about having battled over the last few weeks writing a piece for our anthology. And if there is one thing I know for certain WA members are nothing if not determined. We all have our own crosses to bear in a number of ways not just the battle with writing. Like our characters, we live ordinary lives off the page - we are all someone else as well as a 'writer'. So life gets in the way and we get knocked back but never do we stay down. With a little help from our 'friends' we pick ourselves up, brush ourselves down and keep on wheedling away at our projects and providing feedback to others. And to date we have got some great, diverse, professionally written pieces of fiction which will make our anthology of short stories shine! I'm hoping that this determined approach will rub off on me as I battle with my multiple novels in editing-progress, or as I'm more inclined to refer to them now - re-writes in progress!

THE STORY SO FAR...

Mid-Week Progress Report

Ok, I know I'm a little late should have posted yesterday, but things just got in the way...

So, I'm currently in the process of doing a total re-hash of my first ever novel All Will Be Well. This process had taught me loads... not least that I have come a long way since then.

My writing skills have improved ten-fold (most thanks in part to my mates at Writers Abroad) and I'm beginning to understand the editing part of things much more. I thought I did understand it, but I realise now that I thought it was just about spelling, punctuation, checking continuity. How naive could I be? I am now slashing, burning, killing off characters, changing scenes, settings and endings. A bit like writing a new novel I can hear someone say...well, no not quite. The heart of the novel is still there, the story I wanted to write is still there but it is leaner, tighter, more well-written. 

I can't tell you how much back story I left in... back story is great and it is necessary but the reader doesn't necessarily need to know it all. It should be dropped in like little pearls, here and there and allow the reader to fill in the gaps. I just overwhelmed them with facts and events long past. And it's not that this was all waste of time, because I need to know the back story so I can nurture the little pearls... I suppose what it is showing me is that a writing project, however large or small, can be re-written, can be re-moulded and re-shaped to fit the purpose, the main objective of getting published! However, I'm a long way off right now and I'm trying to turn a very sad ending, into one with more hope. A little like me, in everlasting hope of getting this story onto some editors desk... so now for some more red ink!

Until later...

A WRITERS SOLITARY LIFE

Friday Tip of The Week

As promised in my first entry I will try and post up a weekly tip. This maybe prompted by a quote, pinched from the desk of another or merely an observation by my good self. This week, its prompted by another self, Will Self who says, 'The writing life is essentially one of solitary confinement - if you can't deal with it you needn't apply...'


I think most of us who write understand the sentiments behind this quote, perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of our life for others around us to understand. Being a writer often means shutting your self away and off from any other distractions, including loved ones, friends, family dog, the internet and your own inner critic. However, equally so for the writer, whether you are just starting out or indeed have rafts of publications, I do believe that sometimes (and only sometimes) you have to come out of your shell. How that happens is up to you, but the key thing is to build yourself a little group of like-minded people, writers like you, who you can call upon when in need, or just to mull something over. Splendid isolation is fine as long as you can write, email or get on-line and talk to someone - even if it is of a virtual nature. For example, I belong to a 'vibrant' writing community - some of you may have heard it called so in the latest Writers News. No? Well shame on you, get over and visit Writers Abroad, a social place for ex-pat writers where we share our work, provide comments, solace and congratulations when and where due, as well as a critical eye on our punctuation, plot, and characterisation. 
So my tip is find yourself a place or a person to venture out from the safety of your solitary confinement and return there all the better for having 'got out and about'. Go on, break out for a while.


Speak next week...


Louise 

Launch of Writer in Progress

This is my new blog dedicated to my 'Works in Progress'. It is supposed to provide me with inspiration to complete the four (maybe five) novels I have in various stages of birth. Two of them have been written during NaNoWriMo month and I'm planning another this year... but I need to get them off my editing pile and into the in-tray of a willing (and perhaps unsuspecting) editor. Each week I will plot my progress with each one (details of which can be found on my website, Louise Charles - Writer in Progress, with the hope that I will shame myself into action. I know, drastic measures but needs must and I think it will help to talk it through. I will also post future book reviews here, when I have the time in between editing of course... so please do check in regularly and give me the nudge that I so much need. I also will share a weekly tip, maybe mine, maybe someone else's, who knows? So that there will always be something new (or maybe not so new) to read. If you check in, please feel free to comment and criticise as you see fit, any feedback is better than none (and I have a tale to tell there, but more on that later...)
So without further rambling, I'll go and get on with my plan... after the usual half hour of procrastination. And don't forget my other blog  Joe Bloggs, will plots generally the life of a jobbing writer, the ups and the downs and news from my other projects including the community on-line writing group for ex-pat writers - Writers Abroad. Never a dull moment...