Firstly i must apologise for my blog absence recently. Health issues, along with an overwhelming sense of “i Just Don’t Know What To Say” Syndrome have hit me hard. Thanks to the 100k Challenge, I’m still writing, daily, and hoping that some of it, at some stage, might make it into the novel.
But why I’m really here today is to record/share my thoughts on Swanwick 2014…
Good morning…its a lovely sunny day here in Kent and after a hectic (and often stressful) weekend I’m looking forward to getting back to a routine. Tomorrow i start the 100K challenge and I’ve decided to use it like Nano and write the 4th Novel. 1000 words a day? Piece of cake! Remind me i said that next month lol
I said last year that i would no longer be accepting rewards. I don’t blog, or read blogs as much as i used to, so its hard for me to pass them on. But, i just had to share this one, because i feel so honoured.
The lovely ladies at The Write Romantics have given me a lovely mention. Please go and check it out. If you’re a romance writer you really should be reading their blog 🙂
So this morning I’ve had the fun of choosing a new notebook (you know how good that feels!) for all the notes i’ll be making over the next hundred days. Ive decided to go for my Smythson one…if its good enough for Queenie 😉
Affectionately known as “51” (so that at some stage i can index them all, yeah right!) this will now be my “Presence” bible 🙂
51 notebooks over 3.5 years….is that good or bad? lol…and thats not including the “journals” ha ha ha.
Oooooo, I’m so looking forward to writing the first word on that first page lol…wish me luck!
How many notebooks & journals do you have sitting on your shelves?
I stumbled across a fantastic resource recently…
Photographer Jon Crispin has been given the opportunity to…
My writing group have decided to do sessions with Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat book. Yes, i know its for screenwriters, but…there does seem to be some merit in applying Snyder’s rules to other forms of writing. The aim? To hopefully improve our novels, so I’ve decided to start work on a new one for the exercise.
Our first session was to come up with a “Logline” and a title for our piece. Ok, well most of my fellow writers already had stories, and titles. Me? I just had an idea in my head. But, by the end of our first session that idea was more formed and i had a better understanding of what my story is about.
I haven’t done a blurb, a synopsis or a plan. I don’t even know the main characters name…yet…but I’m determined that my Nano novel this year will be planned. I’m so fed up with being a pantster and tying myself up in knots. So I’m hoping that these sessions will get me well on the way to being more organised.
Snyder says you should be able to sum up your story in one or two sentences. If you ask yourself the question “What is it?”
So here is my title and the Logline of the novel i’ll be working on from now on…
A woman’s search for recovery after a stressful divorce turns into a nightmare, as she battles against the late owner of her new home.
Ok, that just about sums it up…but…I’m not happy with the word nightmare. I dunno, is it just me? Does that word work? Does it make you think ghost story? Does it make you think she’ll just have a bad time or do you think the story will actually involve nightmares?
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts 🙂 The next session is genre *shudders* lol
…is exactly what my dad always says 🙂
So Hi…how are you?…what have you all been up to? Me? Cooking, baking, tidying, walking Alb, laundry, faffing, reading, playing The Sims (LOVE that game!) and NOT writing *sighs*
I’m going through a moment lol. An “I’m exhausted” MOMENT 😉 Or is it just that the events of November have finally caught up with me?
And then, i came across this…
Seven Reasons to Keep Blogging appeared on the Daily Blog Tips Website and has hit my inbox at a time where i am thinking about taking some serious time out. I’m not sure the article has really had the desired effect on me lol
The reason that stood out from the list. The one that made me sit up and think was number 7…
I am i am…..but isn’t the journey about doing what’s right for me?
What kinda feels right, right now, is curling up with a book on the sofa, baking, taking Alb for long walks to clear my head, chilling, and not feeling guilty that I haven’t checked FaceBook 3 times today, or answered blog comments.
So yes, I am on a journey, but I’ve started to not enjoy the ride. That’s bad isn’t it 😦 And why did I start blogging? To record my journey. Why did I continue blogging? Because I connected with some lovely people here, you guys, who I now count as friends. But life changes, your focus changes, and mine definitely has. I think I’m mentally worn out lol. The last 2 years have been absolutely manic, culminating in the last 6 months of feeling unsettled (the house move) and now that everything has come to a head I’m trying to recover. I know I must be worn out, I’m sleeping like a log every night (very odd!) and spending more time on the sofa in front of the TV than I have in years.
So I’m going to listen to my body, I’m going to step away from the iPad, FaceBook, Blogging, Twitter, the guilt, until at least the New Year. I want to feel excited again, and at the moment, I don’t. I want to make 2014 my most amazing year yet (thanks Leonie Dawson)
Will miss you guys terribly, but I hope you understand 😦 Take care xxxxx
I recently came across Walmart’s Guide to Buying a Notebook. What? There’s a guide to buying a notebook? I thought most of us just saw one we fancied and bought it lol
Have a read, it’s quite interesting 🙂
You’ve seen my filled in notebooks many times, so I thought I would take this opportunity to show you my notebook stash…
Prompt number 6 from the 30 Day Writing Challenge
Start a piece with “I am standing at my kitchen window…”
You may have noticed I’ve been a bit quiet? I’ve not been on FaceBook, I’m behind in replying to comments, e mails and reading blogs. I guess it was appropriate then, that at the end of a week where I’ve not been feeling too good, I should have a Mini Writing Retreat 🙂
The View Outside 