Writers Toolkit - No 1 Favourite: Pen and Ink

Last month I mentioned my three favourite writing tools. Today I'm going to be talking about the first, my fountains pens and ink bottles. I know that makes two, but you can't really have one without the other, can you?

My obsession with pens started a long time ago as a child when my primary school teacher, whose name escapes me, started to teach me to write 'joined up'. I just loved the way the letters formed and flowed and how we were taught between three lines to make sure that we had the tall and the short parts of the letter in  a uniform fashion. That was probably the only time my writing was legible.
My passion for pen and ink developed as I grew up and observed my father making lists. I have lists of lists, written in all kinds of colours and styles. My OH hates them, especially if I put his name at the top!
But it was he who rekindled my love with the fountain pen. He bought me a 1950's Parker Snorkel pen as a gift several years ago and I fell in love with it. I was taken with the notion that maybe some other 'writer' had held this pen and it would afford me special gifts. It hasn't of course, but I have a collection of fountain pens which I use regularly and most often to write letters to family and friends.
Some of my writer buddies think I'm mad writing in long hand for first drafts, but that's the way I do things. It's not that I can't write directly onto the PC, that is how I write my blogs, but I just love to watch the paper fill up with ink.

However, there are some new fangled Digi pens out there, that write like a real pen (hallelujah!) but also store the words you have written and then it can be downloaded onto your PC. Up to 100 pages of A4, apparently. Sounds like progress and it won't make my fingers all inky.
But I don't think I will ever get rid of my collection, just the opposite, I hope to add to it using the fruits of my writing labours! Well, we can all dream can't we?
Until Later,

Character Interview: Penny

I've decided to start some character interviews - from my several works in progress, just to see if I can represent them as standalone and hopefully not too cliche... this is the first...

Name: Penny but George (see third question) insists on calling me Poppet.

Title of the book you appear in: The Good Life - a light-hearted romp about emigrating to Italy

Married: Yes, to George

Children: No, I am immature enough and George just wouldn't cope. We do have a Springer Spaniel called Hector though.

Job: In between them at the moment and not sure if I'll ever have a proper job again!

Favourite Music, Song or Lyric and why: Its Raining Men because wouldn't that just be wonderful? As long as they weren't all like George. Maybe a little George Clooney mixed with a spoonful of Brad?

What happened on the day you were born: The world rejoiced… no it snowed and it snowed an it snowed and my little brother had a hissy fit and wanted me to be sent back. He still feels like that a little still today...

Do you have a hobby: No, I try many things, mostly diets and exercise but honestly none of them work. Oh, wait probably eating cakes, with cream… and chocolate. No wonder I can't fit into that dress…But when we get to Italy I'm gonna have to learn how to grow vegetables, because George says we're going all self-sufficient. I always thought I was?

What is the one thing people don't know about you: I used to be a ballet dancer. Honest! Up until I was around thirteen then I was thrown out when I got too tall for the leading man to pick me up. That's tall not fat. And I get blisters if I do the ironing.

Are you organised or do you fly by the seat of your pants: Well, I love making lists. For George that is. He doesn't like them but I tend to find if I highlight all the outstanding items at breakfast he gets on with it. And I like crossing them off once finished in red pen. I blame my father.

Who would you invite to a last supper : Sarah McGillican (comedienne), John Carter (out of ER) and the Dowager Countess from Downton.

What would be on the menu: Onion Bhajis, Steak Salad and Chips, Profiteroles and lashings of red wine.

Marmite - Love it or Hate it: Love it only if it's spread on hot buttered white toast and eaten within seconds

In the Spotlight

The Duke's Shadow is getting lots of attention. It feels a little like being in the spotlight (or is that under the spotlight?) and I'm amazed how different the feedback has been and all of it incredibly useful, but I do feel that some decisions are going to have to be made. And how do I know if I'll make the right decision?

For instance, one critique has said that my first chapter is too fast paced, they like the multiple point of view and I need to bring some more to the show. The other has said that the pacing is right but I need to focus on one character, make him more redeeming and bring in some more description. I agree with  both, but will I lose anything in the rewrite? At this stage it's all a learning curve and one that I am enjoying more than I thought. I am getting positive feedback, despite that nasty gremlin on my shoulder who insists I'm a rubbish writer. And I am developing my story, making it stronger and , hopefully at the end of the day, a more satisfying read. After all, the reader has to be the focus for the challenge.
So, I shall rewrite, re-read and hopefully polish my first chapter and that's an achievement in itself!

So how do you make those crucial editing decisions, is it the majority vote, your gut feel or maybe just crossing your fingers and hoping for the best?

Until Later...

Oestre The Goddess of Easter

A short blog today, although here in Italy Good Friday is not seen as a Bank Holiday. So we've been making the most of the fine weather and getting the orti (veggie plots) ready for the busy planting time. So my writing hs taken a bit of a back seat but it's never far from my mind.

Oestre is the Anglo Saxon goddess of Easter and she is always depicted with the hare and eggs. Apparently, according to legend, the hare was once a bird who had its wings clipped and so the original egg is linked to this story. I only know this because this was one of our Monday Muses over at WA, although I've been a bit tardy and not submitted anything... yet. I love myths and legends, got me thinking about a theme for this years NaNoWriMo!

Oh, and by the way, I've started submitting The Duke's Shadow to an Historical Critique Group and have had some great feedback on Chapter One (which has already had the WA treatment so this is the icing on the cake). I've downloaded a bit of software called Natural Reader - recommended by a fellow writer and have listened to my story. It's a great way of finding errors you seem to skim over when reading yourself. The free 'voice' is  a little irritating at first but you soon get used to it.

Happy Easter whatever you may be celebrating it with - off to munch on some chocolate!
Until Later...

Kindle - Does it Light Your Fire?

Did you know that the word 'kindle' not only means to light a fire, or to arouse but also means a brood or litter, especially of kittens? (Thanks to the Free Dictionary for the information). Nowadays, when someone mentions a Kindle, it only means one thing. An electronic reader. I still jar when I hear the term. But as you know from a previous post, I did download the Kindle App to my PC to try it out. And I'm going to share my love - hate relationship with this piece of technology which many have embraced like a long lost friend.

Three Negatives about Kindle

1. Most importantly for me because of its 'feel'. I know I only have the app which just means reading it on my computer screen, but I have held and read on the real thing and it still feels like a computer, just a tiny one. I can't get the feeling I do when I flick through a real book, or the smell of the paper, or the patterns of the words, it's just not the same. Even with sound effects.
2. The books I've downloaded - which in the main have been reference books - have lost some of the printed benefits in the formatting. I know this is probably a publishing issue, but even so, tables and quotes and references are often lost. I've paid for a product which is corrupt.
3. Finally, the price of many reference books in their Kindle edition is just not competitive with their hard copy cousin. And with the issues of formatting, I feel as though I get a shoddy deal.

Three Positives about Kindle

1. One of the main reasons I downloaded the app was the speed at which I could access the publication. With a click of the button, the book was magically 'there' in front of me, and for an expat who has to rely on postage through two countries, then this is a big advantage.
2. Space. I'm running out of it in my bookshelf, which are bulging with how to and reference books on writing. Do I need anymore, my other half asks? Well, is the Pope a catholic is my usual response. This way I can squirrel away as many 'book's as a like without taking up any space - well not space that can be seen anyway.
3. I'm struggling with a third reason, but I want to be fair and I suppose I have to mention the environment. A Kindle owner must be added to the list of those who are 'saving the planet' in terms of paper production and the disappearance of trees and woodlands.

But I'm afraid, once a Luddite, always a Luddite and the book in printed format for me is the only way. But I'm up for a litter of kittens, if that helps....

Until Later...

Writing Goals - On Target?

Well, as we start to enter a new month, I thought it was time to review my writing goals. These were written three months ago, long before life got in the way, but that's the world we writers live in. I only posted these on the blog about 6 weeks ago, but I think if you have goals you need to assess where you are at least monthly, so running behind on those terms...

1.      To write at least 5000 words per week, towards any project (a bit behind on this one for various reasons) I'm not sure - I'm rewriting the Dukes Shadow at the moment so I am writing new stuff but not recording it as such. I've restarted my morning journalling which means I probably write about 750 words at least 5 days per week. I'm not sure if a wordcount is the right way to assess progress, but how else can one do it

2.      To edit 'The Dukes Shadow' (my 2011 Nano project)

a.       First edit by Feb 29^th

b.      Second by March 31st Well I'm only at stage a. with this one but I've made the start and really enjoying it. Have posted first edits to WA with some great feedback and just joined an Historical critique club for the second edit... so progress is being made.

c.       Third by April 30th

3.    To revisit 'The Morning Gift' (Historical novel set in Saxon times, written 2011) and devise plan for editing. I'm going to print this off and read like a reader, then start the re-writing process.

4.      To revise at least one Penny and George story per month, with a view to completing series by the end of the year – December 2012 I've started to edit my fourth chapter, I had to take time out to re-visit it as I haven't actually worked on it for some time, but it's a fun project.

5      To participate in the 100k in 100 days challenge for 'Wolf Moon' (fantasy story started as Monday Muse – Xanthe submissions) but will start Feb 1^st. This hasn't happened. I have penned around 13k and need to get it onto Scrivener to assess where I am.

6      To research options for Nano 2012 and make decision by June 2012 I have plenty of ideas, so hoping something will pop out.

7.      To submit short stories to the Telegraph book club on monthly basis Mmm not happening - I managed it in January but I'm shelving short stories because I don't have the time with the other projects ongoing... decided I can only split myself so many ways... and already feel like I have multi personalaties!

8.      To submit at least two Monday Muses a month on Writers Abroad I have reached this target this month but would like to increase it as it's good writing practice.


So off centre but not way off beam. Let's hope April is as productive, if not more. So key tasks are

• Continue rewrite of The Dukes Shadow , at least one chapter per week and seek feedback.
• Maintain Morning Journal which includes writing the Monday Muses and hopefully complete one
• of those per month
• To read The Morning Gift through once as reader and then identify gaps
• To Scrivener Wolf Moon and plan for completion of first novella (30k)
• To continue marking progress on this Blog, at least weekly if not more (I can hear the yawns now!)

Until Later.....

Writers Toolkit

My Man Friday just loves gizmos and gadgets. In fact when one of those pamphlets arrive with just about everything ever thought of in a gadget, like a talking tyre gauge, I try and get it hidden away in the recycling bin for he could browse for hours. But I do speak ill, because he does invest in very useful gadgets, like the strimmer and the chain saw for instance and which he takes great care of overwintering, cleaning and making sure that they have enough and the right fuel. I wouldn't know where to start!

For a writer the need for gadgets and gizmo's is a little more limiting, though I'm sure there are many of you (probably those who are far more technical than I a confirmed and happy Luddite) who have plenty! I try not to make too much room for them in my writing life, because I'm wary of them becoming just another distraction, and I have enough of those. However, I will be blogging about my favourite three things over the next few weeks.

1. Fountain Pen and Paper - you can't have one without the other!
2. Reference Books - Dictionary and Thesaurus particularly
3. Scrivener - a software programme , way off beam for a Luddite I know, but I'm learning that it can be very powerful for writers

So what tools, gadgets or gizmo's do you have lurking in your toolbox?

Until Later...