Monday Must Do’s 14th to 20th Jan

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

My Mini Writing Retreat on Saturday was a resounding success 🙂 I netted myself over 7,000 words writing to prompts. Gave the old grey cells a real going over!

So the list for last week ended up like this:

1. Keep up with the 1000 words a day challenge. Done and exceeded!
2. Do the daily ‘small stones’ Done
3. Send off my RNA form Done
4. Keep up with my resolutions and daily timetable. Well, the timetable has been a complete disaster 😦 I worked out that if I do everything I need to it will take me 12 hours every day! Hmmmm, it’s just not gunna happen, I can’t live my life like that *deep sigh* So any suggestions on time management will be gratefully received lol
5. Faber homework There wasn’t any this week
6. Order ink cartridges. Done and received 🙂

I don’t struggle in motivation, by any means, I just need a 24 hour day to be much longer! Lol

So here’s this weeks list…..

I have 2 Faber sessions (including an all dayer) and a book launch mid week which should be fun!

What are you up to this week?

Mini Writing Retreats

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

The hubster plays a lot of chess. Matches for his club and our County which often take him to exotic destinations such as Hastings! Lol. My overseas readers probably won’t get that joke so I apologise…just Google Hastings 😉

I’ve been going through the calendar and it seems that on the following dates I will be home alone all day!

Saturday 12th January
Saturday 26th January
Saturday 2nd March
Saturday 24th March

I could just potter around, do a bit of housework, scrub the bath, catch up with some decluttering perhaps? Nah! Sod that! I’m going to have some Mini Writing Retreats 🙂 Ok, when you think of a writing retreat you think about going away somewhere, but, there’s nothing to stop you having one at home 🙂 As Judy Reeves says “Consider that a writing retreat is not necessarily a place, but a concept.” Good old Judy, I love her 🙂

A mini retreat can just be a day out of your normal life, where you just do what you want to do (writing wise), without all the pressure of home and family stuff. Ok, yes, I know I’m lucky. My kids aren’t little, they don’t need my constant care and attention. So if you have little kids get their dad to take them out, for the whole day! 😉

I did a couple last year and they’re great fun! Here’s what you do:

1. Gather together supplies. We’re talking chocolate, cake, Pringles, hot chocolate (these are just some of my faves by the way, but you’ve probably got your own). Alcohol is probably strumming it a bit, you don’t want to end up falling asleep at the keyboard 😉

2. Plan in advance what you’re going to write. Personally I like to use prompts. Why? Because I use my mini retreat days almost like a day of practice. A chance to get away from the project I’ve been working on for the last 3 months, allowing my creative juices to flow and my muse to be inspired.

3. Wave bye to the kids/husband/wife, shut the door and turn off the phone and computer. As far as the world is concerned you’re on retreat so don’t use it as a day for surfing the web, catching up with blogs or FaceBooking. No no no. If you really were on retreat, with no internet access, no phone reception, people wouldn’t be able to get hold of you then would they? So don’t let them now. Remember, mentally you are un-contactable 😉

4. Dress comfortably and start writing! And munching 😉 Simples!

My final tip for a mini retreat is to get yourself a copy of this baby!

Inside is a selection of cards each listing 20 prompts on different themes 🙂

Nooooo, don’t be silly, I’m not going to list some of them here, that wouldn’t be very fair on Judy now would it. But, if you really do fancy giving it a go, e mail me and I’ll help you out with some ideas….but I won’t reply today as I’m on retreat 😉

And that’s it! 🙂 I’m excited already! Poor hubby, he feels bad leaving me on my own all day on a weekend. I’ll cope I say with pouting lip as I push him out the door *sniggers* 😉

Fancy joining me? Have you ever had mini retreats?

DIY Writing Retreats (shelleywidhalm.wordpress.com)

50 Things

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

I am now officially 2 days behind with reading Blogs, about 3 days behind with e mails and poor old Bel (I’m so sorry honey) is still waiting for her prize. The last 2 days have been a mare and the next couple of days don’t look much better! I will catch up, even if I have to do an all nighter!

And now I’ve got that off me chest, some of my keen eyed readers may have noticed a new page thats appeared above? No? Ok, well I’m shamelessly stealing Paula Actons idea 😉

I have a 101 list, of all the things I want to do in life, a bucket list, but I very rarely tick anything off lol. So perhaps if I try to do 50 before I hit 50, I may stand a better chance? After all, I’ve got 5 years 5 months lol.

That’s 10 a year right? Ooooo, errrr, I think I better get moving! 😉

Courtesy of Keerati/freedigitalphotos

Go have a peek at my 50 Before 50 list and let me know if there’s any there you’ve done…. Would love to hear about your experiences or whether you have your own “bucket list”

My Bucket List (simplybrittaknee.wordpress.com)
Bucket List Mania (lauriesnowturner.com)
My 2013 Bucket List (mspaulazee.wordpress.com)
Writing Your Personal Bucket List (allstate.com)

Faber Session 14 – Showing Vs Telling

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

I’m a bit behind with replying to comments and e mails because I’ve been up London today. Will catch up tomorrow I promise.

My first session back at Faber since before Christmas 🙂 So it was latte, cake and I treated myself to a new book!

Today’s session was about show and tell, that age old adage that puts the fear of God in most writers 😉 Well, ok, perhaps that’s just me lol

Literary critics admire ‘show’ but really, how important is it?

Telling is a form of showing and bleeds over into subtext and dialogue and if you think about the greatest story ever told, The Bible, well, that’s all tell isn’t it?

No one would argue that ‘showing’ your reader that your character is sad is far more interesting than actually telling them so, but you can pull off ‘telling’ if you are confident in what you’re saying and your words are written well. Many authors use tell as part of their style. Roth, Franzen, Eugenides and Munro are all good examples.

We did 2 exercises where we had to set a scene and then use dialogue to convey an emotion our character was feeling. Here’s what I wrote:

Sue entered the room, her head down, shoulders hunched. She sighed as she picked up the remote from her sleeping husbands leg. Looking at the clock she frowned, it was 11.45pm. Outside the street was alive with party goers, the sound of laughter could just be heard above the drone of the action film that was playing to no one.

She kicked Johns leg.
“Ow! Er, what’s going on?”
“You were asleep.”
“No I wasn’t, I was just resting me eyes.”
“Yeah, like you do every night John.”
“No I don’t!”
Sue tutted. “I’m not going to argue with you, It’s New Years Eve, 2013 in less than 10 minutes.”
“So where’s the bubbly?”
“I didn’t buy any!”
John sat forward in his chair and looked up at his wife.
“You ok love? You always buy us a bottle of bubbly for New Years Eve.”
“Yeah, well perhaps I’m just fed up with it always being me?”
Sue picked up her cigarettes and lighter and stepping over Johns legs made her way back towards the kitchen doorway.
“Where you going love?”
“For a fag!”
“But it’s nearly midnight?”
Sue ignored him and slammed the kitchen door. Lighting her cigarette she mumbled “Happy fucking New Year.”

So what did I show you about Sue? What emotion was she feeling? Lets see if I was successful with my show 🙂

I came away feeling a little less paranoid about the whole show vs tell thingy. As writers we have enough to worry about as it is! 😉

So tell me…Do you think “modern” writers get too hung up on show and tell? Do you think it’s less important than it used to be?

Monday Must Do’s 7th to 13th Jan

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

Before I go into one about all that’s coming up this week I have an announcement to make don’t I 😉

The Hubster has been reading all your stories about what I got up to at 4am, and he’s chosen his favourite. But first, a special mention to CC who took up the challenge on her own blog, writing a piece of Erotica that made both Rob and I blush and giggle. Especially as I read it to him on the steps of the Victoria & Albert Museum whilst we were queuing to go in last Wednesday morning. I had to lower my voice in places I can tell you!

Do go and have a read, it’s brilliant….but bear in mind, it is Erotica ok, you have been warned! 🙂

Between Us

But * drum roll* the winner is……. Bel Anderson The hubster liked this piece the best 🙂

Hours of anxiety on top of three quarters of a bottle of red had made her tongue as dry as a nun’s gusset. Despite the uncomfortable twisting of her heart, she had to smile. That was one of Dylan’s favourite sayings. Dylan… Foolish tears burned the corners of her eyes. She had to move on, but it was almost too hard bear. Silently, so as not to disturb the gently snoring form of her husband, she swung her feet to the floor and tip-toed out onto the landing. The stairs creaked slightly on her way down, reminding her of all the times they’d crept up and down in the early years, their hearts in their mouths for fear of waking the grizzly, lightly-sleeping children. Things changed; things had to change. In the moon-lit kitchen she fumbled in her bag for her mobile. No messages. Vikki stared at the screen, biting her lip. His was the last number she’d called, wishing him a Happy New Year. If he’d sounded happier to hear from her, perhaps she wouldn’t be feeling so anxious now. What if that unsatisfactory exchange turned out to be the last they ever had? The lump in her throat doubled in size. He was eighteen. He had his own social life. Not coming home didn’t mean he was lying bleeding in an alley. The phone landed back in the bag soundlessly. The glass clinked a little against the tap. Vikki stepped out of the kitchen.

CONGRATULATIONS BEL! I’ll be emailing you honey to get an addy to send your prize. Thank you so much, everyone! We really enjoyed reading your ideas and stories 🙂

So that’s the first “must do” of the week….the 2nd is to thank Pat Wood for nominating me for my 10th star in the Blog Of The Year 2012 Awards 🙂 Thank you so much Pat!

This only blogging 4 days a week malarkey is hard lol

Ok, so my plans for the week…..

As you can see I’m keeping it simple lol 🙂 The WIP is coming along well, thanks to the 100K challenge (see page above for my daily word counts) and some of the resolutions have been going well….note that I said some *sniggers* Should really do an update once a month on that shouldn’t I 😉

Off up to Faber tonight for the 1st class since before Christmas!

What are your plans for the week?

Classic Reads Blog Hop

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

Today, I’m taking part in a blog hop 🙂 it’s being hosted by Molly Greene Terri G Long Christine Nolfi and Rachel Thompson

The idea is for me to share the books that i think are classic reads, and to tell you what makes a read a ‘classic’ for me. Old, new, controversial, heartwarming – what are the things that catapult a book from a great read to a must read?

The minute I saw this blog hop mentioned there was only 1 book, for me, worthy of the title 🙂 It’s a book I read back in 2006, but the memory has remained. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available in printed form, (unless you buy a pre-owned copy on Amazon) but you can get it on Kindle.

My recommendation as a Classic Read is Emotional Geology by Linda Gillard

Let me share with you the blurb:
Rose Leonard is on the run from her life. Taking refuge in a remote island community, she cocoons herself in work, silence and solitude in a house by the sea. But she is haunted by her past, by memories and desires she’d hoped were long dead. Rose must decide whether she has in fact chosen a new life or just a different kind of death. Life and love are offered by new friends, her lonely daughter, and most of all Calum, a fragile younger man who has his own demons to exorcise. But does Rose, with her tenuous hold on life and sanity, have the courage to say yes to life and put her past behind her?

And now let me share with you my review:
OH WOW!!!!! I loved this book! I usually read a book a week, this one, i read in less than 24 hours!!!! When i say it was unputdownable…i am NOT joking! The setting is magical and i want to visit!!!!! No scrub that, i want to live there! I did find myself getting a little bit annoyed with Rose at one point, i mean there was Calum, dishy, kind, interested, available…and a poet….. What more could a woman want????? I’ve heard a lot of people who have read this book have been inspired to be creative…… Oh that is an understatement! I want to create something now lol

Can you tell I liked it? 😉 If you like a bit of romance with an incredible setting, you’ll love this as much as I did.

For me, a classic read is something that you fall in love with, and I definitely fell, big time for this! Even 6 years later I can remember opening the book to that first page and virtually not moving from my chair till I’d finished it. My husband went to work with me reading it and he came home just in time to see me finish lol 😉 There was just something magical about the characters and the beautiful description that touched my heart.

I have 2 spare copies of this book going begging (no, you can’t have my signed copy, that’s staying with me for life!) so if you’d like one (these are pre-read by the way so not brand new) please let me know and I’d be happy to send 🙂

So what constitutes a Classic Read in your opinion?

I’m An RNA NWS Member!

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

Ok, that probably means absolutely nothing to most of you, in English, the translation is…

I’m a Romantic Novelists Association New Writer Scheme Member!

The RNA opens it’s doors for membership once a year to people who have previously been unpublished, under the New Writers Scheme. There are 250 places and each year they are oversubscribed. Checking their website yesterday morning it seems that all 250 places were full and they only started taking applications at 12.02am on the 2nd!

So what exactly does this mean? Well, I get a critique of my MS which then goes into a kind of competition and I’m entitled to attend all RNA events! 🙂

I guess I’ll be working on 2 novels this year then 😉

Are you a member of any “Associations”? Do you think there are benefits to belonging to “official” writers organisations?

Insecure Writers Support Group – January 2013

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

Firstly, thank you soooo much for all the entries on yesterday’s post. You guys are amazing! Fantastic stuff! I haven’t replied because I don’t want to influence the hubster in making his decision, so at the moment I’m keeping stum! When he makes his decision on Sunday I can then have my say lol. I’ll announce the winner next Monday (7th).

Right, now where were we…..I won’t be posting on Wednesdays normally, apart from once a month 🙂

IWSG Day, created by the brilliant Alex J Cavanaugh seems to come round so quickly every month, but I’m not complaining 😉

I don’t often share how I actually feel on my blog, so IWSG Day is an opportunity for me to have a day of self pity and wallowing lol.

Sooooo, I’ve just started the complete rewrite of But Not Forgotten, which is now The Last Word Cafe. I spent most of the Christmas break flitting from 3rd person to 1st person, weighing up the pro’s and cons, and basically making a decision….which I then changed a week later lol.

I started thinking about my own reading preferences, went back over the last few books that I’ve read. And it seems to be that I like reading first person POV, so it would make sense to write in it wouldn’t it? But, what made me decide to go for 3rd person was the fact that when I write in 1st person it just sounds like me. Who was it that said find what you’re good at and use that to your advantage? Someone in my Faber class told me she loved my voice or rather, my characters voices….Ok, well, if that’s the case it looks like the novel will be in 1st person and expect some very strong South East London (pronounced SOWF EAS LUNDUN) accents 🙂

So yep, the decision has been made (thank gawd!) and I’m now on day 3 and feeling nervous….because I so want it to work and I’m terrified that it won’t *bites finger nails*

Terrified seems like such a strong word, but it’s true. I want to come away from the Faber course feeling I’ve achieved something, that it was worth it. I will not fail and will have my novel completed by June. I’m trying to stay positive about the Agent pitch I’ll be doing in June….but, lol 😉 Still, I guess I should take comfort in the fact that last year the best piece of work (in our tutors opinion) wasn’t taken up by any of the agents!

I can do this can’t I? Or am I completely delusional? Lol

IWSG: NaNo Down, 50K to Go. (writingreadingandlife.com)
You Decide! 1st Person vs 3rd Person (ninetyninepercentgaming.wordpress.com)

Happy New Year! & A Giveaway

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Vikki Thompson

Courtesy of Stuart Miles freedigitalimages

It’s 2013! Wow, how did that happen?

I hope you all had a lovely night last night 🙂

But it’s not only New Year I’m celebrating…on the 1st of January 2012 I gave myself a challenge, to Blog every single day for a year, and today, I have achieved that! GO ME!!!

So to celebrate my success I’m offering a giveaway. As regular readers will know I am a huge fan of prompts, so any books I come across that are full of prompts go straight on my shelf 😉 This one, is a gooden!

I’m offering a free brand new copy to one lucky reader who can complete the following sentence……

Vikki rolled over and squinted at the bedside clock, it was 4am, but she’d been trying to sleep for hours.

What did I do next?

Sooooo, leave your answer in the comment box (one sentence will do) and I’ll get the hubster to pick a winner. I’m happy to send overseas by the way and I might even slip in a little extra something 😉

Awwwww, I’m going to miss blogging every day….. But it’ll take the pressure off 😉 Thank you so much for all your comments and likes over the past year. I’ve had a wonderful time. And to all my followers, thank you, most of you I don’t even know! Please leave a comment every once in a while so I can say “Hi” 🙂

Tell me, what was i doing at 4am? Try to keep it relatively clean people Lol