Road trip went well and we arrived at The Hayes Conference center in brilliant sunshine, so had lunch on a bench by the lake (who knew that ducks don’t like Tuna Melt?).
Got my room key, unpacked and spent the rest of the afternoon doing my stewarding bit on reception.
Then it was off to the White Badge reception. The thing i love (or one of the many) about Swanwick is how special they make newbies feel. Managed to put faces to a couple of names id seen on FaceBook then it was off to the welcome speech, then dinner, then the guest speaker.
I was really looking forward to hearing James Moran speak, as im a bit of a Dr Who fan, and he really didn’t disappoint! 🙂
He was really informative and funny. I made loads of notes. But the one thing he said that really hit home was….Stop Making Excuses! If you say you don’t have time to write, don’t, give up then and let somebody else have a go. Harsh? Yeah, but when you consider he was working full time, 9-5 and he was still able to write, well, you either make time, or you don’t….your choice! If you want to write, you’ll find the time….simple!
I think thats a very good point…i will never moan again 🙂
Back in my room now chilling, as it all kicks off tomorrow good and proper 😉
I seem to have a problem with my iPad, it wont connect to the internet *sobs* So thank goodness for my phone! 🙂
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The View Outside 
Nice to know you got there safely and in sunshine. Sorry ton hear you’ve taken to poisoning ducks., If you get a visit from the RSPB don’t be surprised. I don’t disagree with what James says but if you work 9-5 as he says, it can be difficult to make time to write if you have a family. Children and / or partners demand a lot of time and rightly so.It’s very easy to get carried away writing to the exclusion of everything else. All I’m saying is that there must be balance.Don’t fut relationships in jeopardy by being the absent member of one.
Have a great time at Swanwick,
Sending Hugs
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Thanks David, that’s a very good point. It was only the following day that I discovered that James hasn’t got any children and his wife works from home (so they see each other during the day). I totally agree about finding a balance 🙂
As for the tuna melt….it was consumed by the pigeons/feral cat/crows by the following morning 😉
Xx
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Enjoy and soak it all up… 🙂
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Thanks Sabrina, I am a sponge, every year 😉
Xx
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Sounds like a good start. When I travel I have to take my netbook with me, no phone, no I pad (by the way the place prob has an in house techie) I really need a good laptop but then I don’t travel that much
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I discovered I had to sign in with my e mail address Sue *rolls eyes* forgot that from last year lol
I only took my iPad 😉
Xx
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First thing – fussy ducks!
Secondly – I’m so glad you’re managing to blog while you’re there. This sounds amazing. And Val McDermid said the same thing this year at Harrogate about time and writing (but in her own words) so the message is clear. Those of us who want it will just keep doing it.
After recent posts Vikki, I’m really glad you’re there and I hope you have a great week xx
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I know Rebecca, but “something” ate it lol
Thanks honey 🙂 I always gain so much from it!
Xx
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“I will never moan again” hold that quote :o) glad you had a good start.
Miss you x
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Awwww, thank you 🙂
Ummmm…..did I actually say that out loud? Lol
Xx
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Yes, I’m a Dr Who fan, too. I’ve watched every episode that’s been aired since the beginning. The show used to follow on from Dixon of Dock Green on Saturday nights. Now I’m giving my age away.
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He he he 😉
I never watched it before Christopher Eccleston took over, but now I’m addicted! We never really established which episode James Moran wrote, but he worked on Torchwood too.
Xx
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I totally loved Torchwood, especially the final series.
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Good luck Vikki and look forward to hearing how you get on!
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Thanks June 🙂
Hope you enjoyed the updates!
Xx
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Good to see you blogging Swanwick again 🙂 And rocking the sessions already!
I’m a Whovian too, and so jealous!
James Moran is so on point though. Writing is a choice, like everything else. You have to prioritize it if you really want to do it. We all go through low points, for example, I only worked on my WIP two nights last week 😦 But I wrote every day, even if it was only email and commenting on blogs I follow (I count that, because some of these comments can verge on the epic) or I journal. I make notes on things I need to pay attention to in my WIP or whatever story I might be working on.
Dean Wesley Smith has been posting daily this month. He’s calling it “Writing in public.” There was even one day where he only managed his email and social media accounts, and he’s a prolific writer (aims for 2000 words a day). So everyone has an off day.
Something that he and his wife (Kris Rusch) do that I haven’t managed to adopt yet, is that their writing computers do not have email or internet. They’re just for writing. I think that would cut down a lot on distractions. The closest I come is my lap top, which doesn’t have email, but does have internet. It’s just easier to keep my browser closed on that one 🙂
I struggled for years myself, but my breakthrough came courtesy of a visit from Nino Ricci (multiple Governor Genral Award winner). I think that his story of his difficulties with his academic mentor (W.O. Mitchell) and his perseverence helped me a lot. Also, he said that when writing a first draft, he wrote through, that is, he wrote it to the end without stopping to edit anything. This also worked for me. I set myself a goal of a page a day to start with, then graduated to two. That’s always been my goal for fresh writing, about 500 words a day. Revising and editing can be much more.
It’s really satisfying to get those two pages done. Another thing that I did in my drafting stage was the “go to” command in Word. I wouldn’t reread or review anything (maybe a couple of sentences to pick up the thread), I’d just go to page X and start. You can fix whatever you need to on the next go through.
Finally, the act of writing improves your writing. Practice makes better (no one’s perfect).
Have a fabulous time and best of luck rededicating to your writing life.
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Thanks honey, you made lots of great points (especially about writing everyday, I’m a huge fan of that one!).
Dean Wesley Smiths blog sounds interesting, will be Googling that!
I’ve had a great week and came home inspired 🙂
Xx
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Great words from James Moran, he’s so right of course.
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I thought it sounded a little harsh initially HJ, but, I guess it’s the difference between doing it as a hobby or with publication in mind.
Xx
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