Monthly Archives: January 2012

Brighton

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Just got back from a very cold and breezy Brighton. The reason for my visit? This man 😉

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Ian Rankin being interviewed by Lesley Thomson as part of the First Fiction event, organised by Myriad Publishers and the University of Sussex.

I’m not really a fan, I have to say, but hubby has read a couple of the Rebus books and I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to hear what such a famous and successful author had to say. I am so pleased we went. Mr Rankin is absolutely charming, very down to earth for an author who is worth approx 25 million lol. He’s very inspiring and has a great sense of humour….so all in all, really great trip 🙂

I managed to come up with something for the red headed woman prompt. A woman has her hair done in a hairdressers, a bit of a disaster lol. Today’s prompt is write about saying goodbye and I’ve managed to come up with a very dark tale about a stalker who causes the death of the woman she loves. At the graveside she commits suicide so that they can be together *snigger*

I’m really stuck on yesterday’s prompt about time…..I will get it done today 😉

Oh, The Relief!

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Yesterday, I finally finished my assignment and sent it off…..I was getting so stressed over it lol. I’d chosen to write a story which, really, I should have given up on a long long time ago. Probably even with the initial idea to be honest lol. I didn’t enjoy writing it, and I definitely didn’t enjoy editing it lol 😉 Ok, ok, lesson learnt, never, ever write (or rather, try to) historical fiction again lol 🙂

You can read my Reflective Commentary at my other blog, and as you’ll see, it’s made me a bit, I dunno, whats the word? A bit bleugh about my writing. Which brings me nicely to……

My class Wednesday night. I was sooooo nervous!!! It was the first time I’d ever read out a piece of my work to a room full of people. They seemed to like it, not much criticism. Elaine liked my dialogue, so I came home with a smile on my face 🙂

So a rollercoaster of emotions over the last couple of days, and then this morning I read this quote by Kirsten Lamb “Fiction authors are brokers of passionate emotion” and that, it’s the way an author makes us feel (powerful, hopeful etc) that keeps us buying their work. *deep sigh* I’d give my right arm to be considered a ‘broker of passionate emotion’ lol…..not gunna happen if I can’t even write decent metaphors though is it 😉

Yesterday’s prompt, about a red headed woman didn’t inspire me to write anything, so I’ll be playing catch up with that one tomorrow.

Today’s prompt is ‘An immobile time not marked on clocks’ after Charles Baudelaire…… Wikipedia here I come! 😉

Inspiration

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Got sent the link to this really interesting Guardian article yesterday. All about what inspires artists/creative people. Of course, I immediately scrolled down to see what the writers had to say 😉

I’m not too sure what inspires me, but I know what I need to write…..silence lol. It was the same when I was at school. My reports always said ‘easily distracted’ *snigger* and nothing’s changed 😉

I’m up to date with all the prompts 😉 The one about the window made me think about a recent episode of Sherlock called The Hound of Baskerville. Ok, so perhaps there is something that I know of that inspires me….images 😉 There was a scene in the episode where one of the characters was by a window at night, the the garden security light kept coming on. When I’ve lived in houses with large windows into the garden I’ve always been creeped out when the security lights come on and the whole garden is flooded with light. Anyway, my story was based on that image 🙂

Yesterday’s prompt about a sideways glance, I wrote about a woman on a tube who ends up getting stalked 😉

Today’s prompt is she was a redheaded woman so that’ll be fun…. But first……I need to get my OCA assignment done lol

No Post Today

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I’m on strike……in support of this 😦

I’m supporting the Sopa Strike

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Playing Catch Up

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Ok, so I’ve caught up with both my prompts. The first one about describing something unfamiliar, I went for a gun…..because I went along the lines of thinking that if you put your hand into a bag and couldn’t see what you were touching, surely, most people would know the feel of a gun. Now, I have no way of testing that theory, so if anyone has, don’t hesitate to let me know 😉

Yesterday’s prompt, a place where wings unfurl, I came up with the idea of an old lady sitting in a tree, and all the people who walk by, not noticing her. Don’t ask me who she is, or how she got there, but I liked the image of it 🙂

Today’s prompt is what is seen through open windows

I’m liking that 🙂 and I already have some thoughts…..will tackle it later though, as first things first…..editing my assignment *groan* 😦

I hate editing! When I’m rich and famous cant I pay someone to do that for me?

And talking about being rich and famous lol, I’ve decided…..I’m going to finish my OCA course and then rather than enrol on anything else I’m going to concentrate on competitions and submissions. At the moment I feel that I’m writing what I’ve been told to write, instead of what I want to write 😉 I’m not sure I really am a potential ‘novelist’ I think I’m probably a potential ‘short story writer’ 🙂

Got sent this link through another Blog I subscribe to. It gives me hope that it not too late 🙂

I Do Love A Sale ;)

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What can I say, I’m a sucker for a sale! I went to Waterstones in BlueWater yesterday where they are selling some of their stock off for 99p…..sooooo, £15 later…..you do the maths 😉 more TBR’s lol

I still haven’t done yesterdays prompt which was about an unfamiliar object, nor today’s which is the place where wings unfurl so guess what my afternoon will consist of 😉

I did however have a rather fabulous morning today. I was moaning on Face Book at how unmotivated I was in getting my assignment sorted. I kind of had a story, but I just couldnt finish it with the correct word count. Sooooo, the lovely Elizabeth Haynes offered to meet me for a Nano style ‘write in’ at Cafe Nero…… How could I resist? 🙂

I managed to completely finish my story, get my word count up to 2,600 words and do a bit of editing in the 3 hours I was there. So thanks Elizabeth it was the kick up the backside I needed lol 🙂

While we’re on the subject, I can highly recommend Elizabeth’s book

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Even my hubby read it and thoroughly enjoyed it 🙂

Sooooo, all I have left to do on my assignment is some editing….I guess I better go and get started lol 😉

Running Behind

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Ok, so yes, I ended up doing 2 of the daily prompts yesterday lol….. The first one, which was actually Fridays was when she looked up. I wrote a 1 page piece (better than nothing) describing a woman walking through a village when a plane crashes nearby. Yesterday’s prompt (the one inspired by Turgenev) was totally uninspiring lol….I ended up with a description of a woman entering a room full of books, taking one down from the shelf and finding a handwritten note. I don’t know why she’s in the room, who she is, or what the note says…..yet 😉

I finally completed my Write Place homework. I decided to use one of my stories that I did for the prompt, and just adapted it. I promise I will post it here after Wednesday when I read it out in class *gulp*

I know as an aspiring writer, one of the best things I can do to ‘hone’ my craft is read. But at the moment, I’m in a reading slump. My current read has been sitting next to me bed for 3 weeks lol. I read more blogs and short stories on line at the moment than actual books (is it that time thing again?). So today, I’m determined to read at least a couple of chapters lol.

Don’t get me wrong…..I’m enjoying finding things on line to read, web sites like this are a complete time suck, but sooooo interesting 🙂

So other than reading, the plan for today is to have another fiddle with my assignment, and do today’s prompt, which is write about an unfamiliar object. I’m feeling much better about the daily prompts now I’ve taken the pressure off myself to actually complete a short story every day…..but, saying that, I did have a lightbulb moment recently, and I now realise, thanks to Liz @ Libro that if I’m not enjoying what I’m writing about I struggle big time 😦 To quote Liz……. “it’s vitally important to choose a topic you’re interested in and can commit to….”

Yes, ok, I know it’s obvious!!!! Lol….. Reminds me of Iain McEwan and that I read recently that in a lot of his books it comes across that he doesn’t really like his characters (was definitely the case in Saturday which I read recently). So how does he do that? Lol

Awful

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What an awful day yesterday was :o(

I managed to type up the first draft of my story for my assignment, but, it’s only 1500 words. So I’ve got to add another 1000+ before I can even consider submitting it *slump*

I didn’t manage yesterday’s prompt, but there is a reason…..I depressed myself lol. I’m subscribed to a web site, Listverse who send me digests. Yesterday’s one was all about little known events that happened on Friday the 13th. Of course, I read it, and came across a plane crash……then from a link on that I ended up reading all about Lockerbie and the Pan Am Flight that crashed there in 1988. Shocking…..upsetting…..thought provoking. It gave me the idea for a story that I then couldn’t write :o( I will write it, but I just couldn’t yesterday……

Today’s prompt is write about “the light of the lamps and candles” (after Ivan Turgenev)……*goes off to look him up* Ahhhhh, I’d heard of Turgenev but now, I know much more lol.

I’ve still only got about 20 words of my Write Place homework *snigger*

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get much writing done over the weekend, and anyway, I need a break…..I’m feeling a bit worn out and lacking in motivation. It’s been a hard week for personal reason, so I think I deserve at least 1 day of chilling 😉

The Write Place Homework

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Just quickly……I have to show you this……Kelly Rae Roberts desk *squeals*……how gorgeous is that? *looks around the house to see if there are any spare cupboards*

Yesterday’s prompt, in the distance, went well. I wrote a short piece about a girl getting lost in the woods and stumbling across an old cottage…..a huge cliche I know, but I just fancied writing something a bit creepy 😉

At The Write Place class we were discussing openings, the beginnings of short stories, and how they have to grab the reader. As I said yesterday I failed miserably in the actual class lol, but I’m hoping I’ll be better at the actual homework, because I’m not feeling so pressured. Although, I know I will have to read it out next Wednesday *gulp*

So the prompt is…… ‘Sara! I never thought you could do such a thing.’

I sat there yesterday evening, trying to come up with something (it needs to be about 300 words) that resembles a story. On my 3rd attempt I got further than the first 20 words lol….so I’m hoping today I’ll be able to turn it into something readable. Might have to practice reading it out loud to the hubby a few times though lol

Plan for today…..try to get my assignment sorted, or rather typed up and finish the homework, oh, and of course, there’s today’s prompt……when she looked up

Looks like its going to be a busy day 😉

Edwin Drood

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I watched the BBC’s adaptation of The Mystery of Edwin Drood last night and was soooo pleased to see they had actually filmed it in Rochester (where I live and the ‘home’ of Dickens). A good adaptation I thought, and I’m gripped already 😉

I spent most of yesterday trying to sort out my assignment (in between going to the dentist lol) and the homework for The Write Place as I went to the first class last night. Really good, very educational, the ‘tutor’ Elaine Everest is lovely……but, I’ve discovered I have a problem. The minute I’m asked to write anything that I know I will have to read out I go completely blank! 😦 we were given the choice of 4 prompts…..I tried one then gave up…..then I tried another and that was just as crap. My mind went blank and I just couldn’t think of a thing to write. It was the same with exams at school (and the 2 I took as an adult)…..the minute I entered that room all the revising I’d done went completely out of the window…..how the hell am I going to get over that? 😦

Yesterday’s prompt was quite hard, the one about sleep. Perhaps I’m setting myself up for a fall, trying to come up with a short story every day…..I’m exhausted already and it’s only day 11 lol. So, I’ve decided that I’m being too hard on myself, too strict, and that, really, so what if it’s not a complete story…..just an extract will do 😉

Before the sleep prompt there is a section in the book where Reeves talks about ‘Desks & Spaces’ and how to create a ‘space if your own’. She suggests you spend a practice session describing your ideal writing space.

My Ideal Writing Space: I’m not greedy, a small cosy room would do me just fine. I don’t need a chaise lounge or a huge oak desk. Just a bookcase where I could store all my notebooks and writing books. A small armchair in the corner for reading and a couple of shelves above my desk for photographs and small nick nack’s that have meaning and sentimental value. On the walls, some inspiring words and pictures and an old clock that ticks. A large window (that opens) in front of my desk with a view of trees or the sea, so that I can stare out and daydream. In warm weather I could open it and feel the soft breeze. Scented candles and a couple of lamps, no stark overhead lighting. A coffee machine or some kind of tea maker and my cosy fluffy slippers. A comfy office chair to support my back and plenty of power sockets at desk height for my iPad and NetBook 🙂 I so wish I had a spare room in my house…….

Today’s prompt is in the distance so I’m sure I can come up with something 😉 I’ve also got to tackle The Write Place homework…..I’ll tell you all about that tomorrow 😉