ReWriting Counts? - Day 23

CampNaNo finishes in 7 days and I've been looking at ways I can catch up. I need to pen over 3000 words a day to reach the 50k target and my four writing prompt challenges are totalling around 2,400 so a bit of a shortfall. So as planned, I'm going to start rewriting my next work in progress, in preparation for self publication. Wolf Moon is a fantasy (not sci fi) and one I have really loved writing as it freed me from the restrictions of historical fact and research and allowed me to create my own world. Red inked fountain pens are at the ready. I'll share more from my website Louise Charles as I progress. 
But for now... on day 22, these were my writing prompts:

1. Keywords: time, mine, bell, celebrate, fun 
2. Random: a marriage that’s run its course: 
3. One-word prompt: trying
4. This picture:  which prompted me to write something set in 3014!

Until Later,

Catching Up - Day 22

I've been away from my writing desk (virtual and real) for a few days. Though to be fair, they weren't wasted days in terms of writing. I've spent time catching up with my fast growing granddaughter and grandson, finding out what makes them tick, enjoying their individualism and making mental notes about characteristics. I also spent some time enriching my research notes for two writing projects. One is set in medieval times and features the old Abbey at Shaftesbury. This wasn't the first time I've visited the Abbey, in fact it was a day that I spent there some years ago that inspired 'The Morning Gift' but it renewed my desired to see the story evolve into print. So lots of notes made. And the second was a visit to Shaftesbury Museum which stands at the top of the very famous Gold Hill. The museum had a feature on World War 1 - topical as you might imagine. But more interestingly on the role of Fovant and the field hospital that was set up there. Fovant is also famous for it's badges, carved into the rocks on the hills by soldiers from various regiments. This is the setting for a project I intend to start this year. 
So even when writers cannot physically be seen to be writing, they are developing ideas, soaking up inspiration and verifying facts for later use.
But now back to my challenge: I've got 37,000 words to scribble before the end of the month.

Distractions - Day Nine

On Day eight, I wrote about competing priorities getting in the way of writing. Yesterday, I allowed myself to fall into the trap of distraction. Now, I'm easily distracted. I like to call it multi-tasking (a bit like plate spinning) but it's not, my 'man that does' calls it the butterfly technique. There are the usual culprits; emails, Facebook, weather reports, reading the BBC page to make sure I'm up to date in a cultural sort of way, putting out the wet washing, collecting in the dry washing (luckily I don't iron), watering the plants, brushing the dogs and playing with the cats. 

On Day Nine, I found myself distracted by a need to play Solitaire (on the PC) until I got it out three times, listening to Adele on the radio whilst writing which totally changed the outcome (I usually write in silence) and answering the telephone (I usually ignore it while writing, but then get distracted by the message being left on the answerphone).
Anyway, whatever the distractions, they didn't stop me from penning 3000 words - yes, I did the extra 15 minute challenge I failed to do on Day 7, so all up to date and feelin' good.
The prompts I wrote to were:

1. Monologue: Your character has suddenly reached a road he/she doesn't recognise
2. Keywords: sudden, cruel, pleases, fool, conviction                
3. Random: throwing shadows
4. Picture: what does this inspire?   (It didn't so I wrote about the senses)       
5. Tuesday Title: The Woman

Until Later,

Spinning Plates - Day 8

We all have to cope with competing priorities on a daily basis and being a writer doesn't mean that you cannot be distracted by other items on the dreaded 'to do list'. I love lists, as my husband will tell you. I have lists about lists and coloured pens to illustrate when something has been done! Ticking items as completed gives me a great sense of pleasure. Sad I know. But I do get (some) things done. As you can probably tell, I'm a bit of spinning plate kind of person. And yesterday on Day 8, a plate fell. I only completed three out of the four writing challenges I planned. But... I finished decorating the bathroom which makes me feel happy. Here are the three challenges I wrote about yesterday with a total word count of around 1800.

1. Keywords: mate, cold, sheath, curve, CD (I didn't manage to include 'sheath', not sure why?)
2. Random: stealing a kiss
3. Picture: (but I changed the fruit and wrote about cherries, not plums...) 

Today, I hope to catch up with my challenges and complete five... the pressure is on as I go away on Friday for a few days.

Until Later, 

Routine and Writing - Day Seven

I know, I hear you ask, what happened to Day Six of CampNaNo? Well it came and went, but on a Sunday and I try to leave this day free from writing, catch up with family on Skype and do some serious reading. Doesn't always work that way but I think it's important to have a break.
So Monday I was back on track at my desk (which by the way could be anywhere: Dining Room table, my lap, outside in the sunshine, lying in bed or at a real desk). These are the prompts that were in my inbox for Day 7.

1. Keywords:closure, sad, jail, grateful, found 
2. Random: An easy complication
3. One-word prompt: vigil
4. Picture: 
   

I completed all four and wrote around 2,400 words which is about 600 words per 15 minute session. The key for me, I think, is a routine. Albeit a very loose routine - for instance yesterday I wrote after breakfast, before and after lunch and the last session before I signed off for the day - today might turn out very different. But I made time to write and to my surprise all pieces were a kind of rough story. And I'm enjoying myself so what could be better?

Until Later,

It's all about Timing - Day Five

On Day Five of my Camp NaNo challenge I decided to change tack. Using the prompts from this writing site which provides Monday to Friday Story Writing Exercises. I wrote in four time chunks and timed myself for 15 minutes per session. The prompts were:

1. A picture prompt: 
   
2. Random: A stubborn child
3. Keywords: successful, stock, tree, prevent, graft
4. One Word prompt: Grow

The first prompt took place in a prison but with a twist, the second about a grieving mother, the third took the form of my 'expat' series as Penny and George (very familiar to my mates over at Writers Abroad) and the third about two old spinster sisters and a lie. 
It was an interesting writing experiment as I found that without looking at the clock I penned around 600 words each 15 minute session and all of them formed a kind of loose 'story'. The first time since the Camp NaNo challenge began. And my writing total for the day was a little more than 2400 words which is good going for some scribbling. So this week I'm going to put this to more testing. Watch this space...

Until Later

Writing Out - Day Four

Day Four of my writing challenge had me feeling an overwhelming sense of frustration. Even though I'd scribbled and computed around 1700 words I didn't feel like I'd written a thing.  I was using another plot prompt that I'd posted on my writing group, Writers Abroad.



A stubborn 22 year old woman
An arrogant 32 year old man
A car crash
A church 
Shame (theme)

At Writers Abroad we post a number of weekly prompts which we call 'Monday Muses'. They are supposed to kickstart our week of writing and help us find inspiration if we're feeling stuck. It's a very popular forum but every now and then everyone finds it difficult to muse. And Day Four was my difficult day. Many WA members have gone on to develop their Monday Muses into fully fledged short stories, flash fiction and poetry and successfully been placed in competitions of all sorts of levels. So they are a great piece of kit for the writing tool box.
Just got to remember that sometimes it just doesn't work and it is okay to say 'I give up.' And that's what I did.

Until Later,

The Hunt - Day Three

On Day Three of my daily creative prompt writing quest, I used a plot generator. These provide two characters, a setting, theme and sometimes other stuff. So here they are: 

A spontaneous 38 year old woman 
An arrogant 38 year old man
A night club
Someone being cheated
The Hunt (theme)

It was the theme that intrigued me to pick this prompt. It conjured up all sorts of dilemma's and ways to portray 'the hunt' with significant undertones of some kind of thriller or crime related story. I didn't quite get a story together but I did explore theories such as stalking, blackmail and tricksters. I wanted the bad guy to be the woman at first but I ended up decided she should be like a female James Bond (well there isn't one is there? Not a true 007 type). So I started looking at spy names - names are quite important for my characters as it helps to shape them in my chaotic head. And would you really have a spy called Dolly? Although I did come across one called Diedre and there were many real and valiant female spies in the two World Wars with names you wouldn't associate with Secret Service type of stuff. Nikita, Matahari and Vesper came up tops in my search. But what did I end up with? Gemima Frost - I know...how did that happen? And where did the male character go? 


I can tell you now, Day Four hasn't been any better, but that's for tomorrows post.

Until Later,

Running In the Rain - Day 2

Day Two's prompt was a mixture. Sometimes this happens, I start off with one and another just naturally falls into my thoughts. My first was this picture, a woman running barefoot in the rain. It's a black and white picture and for me, it created an intriguing atmosphere. I imagined it to be warm as she's wearing a summer dress, but the setting doesn't look particularly tropical.
Then I wondered who she was running from (maybe those bad dreams from Day 1) or to? It was at this point that a piece of dialogue I had recorded as a potential prompt fell onto the page.

'The way you flirt is shameful.'

Now, it's often easy to stereotype characters when you first start writing. I try very hard not to do that, but it's not that easy. Anyway, as I'd seen Sandi Toksvig on the telly, talking about renewing her vows with her partner to celebrate the passing of law for same sex marriages my thoughts and scribblings began to follow this path. My original character still featured and she turned out to be running away from someone (and did so with the help of our happy couple.)

For me, it's not important whether the prompt is followed by the end of the writing session, it's more important to develop some threads and that could lead anywhere...

Until Later,

Dream Catcher - Day One

Thought I'd share the creative writing posts I'm using for Camp NaNoWriMo to exercise my writing muscle during April. As you will come to discover, I use a number of different prompt forms. Some are character based, others plots, maybe a first (or last line), some dialogue or a random word or words and sometimes pictures. I find it useful to keep a note of prompts and then choose one, sit down open my journal and write for fifteen minutes.

Day One: As the dream faded, she chased it, forlorn.
This prompt had me wondering who was chasing the dream and was it here and now, in her past or maybe her future?. The word 'dream' conjures up for me, a happy sort of scenario (well at least something that is happier, more positive) rather than a nightmare. Although, my pessimistic mind did lead me to think that 'she' was maybe trying to escape from her more unhappy demons. I'm fascinated by dreams and their interpretations, though I'm not a big dreamer myself. Not when I'm asleep anyway, much different when I'm supposed to be getting things done :). 

Anyway, I found myself at the end of the writing session with the words 'dreamcatcher' in my head and I couldn't get rid of it. So off I went to Google to find out more. I knew they were a kind of native American symbol and I learnt that the term originates from the word for 'spider'. The dreamcatcher is formed from a willow hoop upon which is woven a kind of web. The idea is that the 'bad' dreams are caught in the web allowing the sleeper (usually children) to only have 'good' dreams.

I wonder where all the bad dreams went? Did they escape and end up in someone else's night time visions?

Wakey, Wakey, it's Camp NaNoWriMo!

I've recently lost my writing mojo. I know, very careless of me but this is not a one off event - if I'm honest. I know what works best for my writing mojo and I constantly let it down, so I'm not surprised they've (can a mojo have a gender, I wonder?) slipped away again. In my defence, I've also had a slight health hiccup - as an ex-nurse being more used to being on the other side of the bed - it was quite a shock. And this happened only days after I'd self published my debut novel, The Duke's Shadow, so not only my writing has suffered but also my marketing plan. (BTW available from Amazon in paperback and ebook format)  

So with the advent of a new month today I've decided it's time for action. Without a doubt I am the only one in charge of capturing my dreams.I always write best with a schedule, a formal time commitment. I'm not the fly by the seat of my pants person that I think I am. I'm a planner and I need to give in to and honour this process as THE only way I can function properly. So a new timetable has been created and I've signed up for Camp NaNoWriMo.

During April, I will free write for at least 15 minutes a day, using a creative writing prompt and I shall blog on the outcome on a daily basis here. Sorry to be such a bore, but it's a way of capturing my achievements and show that I'm sticking to the PLAN. In addition, the projects I've highlighted for Camp are revisions of two pieces of work; Wolf Moon and Flying Angels. 

Until Later...