What Makes You Happy?

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I recently came across an article regarding Carl Jung’s 5 Key Elements To Happiness……which are:

1. Good physical and mental health.
2. Good personal and intimate relationships, such as those of marriage, the family, and friendships.
3. The faculty for perceiving beauty in art and nature.
4. Reasonable standards of living and satisfactory work.
5. A philosophic or religious point of view capable of coping successfully with the vicissitudes of life.

Which goes kind of nicely with Judy Reeves 10 Daily Habits That Make A Good Writer:

1. Eat Healthily
2. Be Physical
3. Laugh Out Loud
4. Read
5. Experience Another Art Form
6. Practice Spirituality
7. Pay attention
8. Give back
9. Connect with other writers
10. Write

What can I say….. I love lists lol

It’s funny how similar the lists are. So, in conclusion….it’s official…..writing does make you happy 🙂

Seriously….. Is there anything you would add to the list? I think chocolate should be on there somewhere don’t you?

I spent most of yesterday trying to write, or rather, trying to bump up the word count on a story for the Writing Magazine competition. I chose to use the story I wrote for the prompt Stolen Goods. I got it up to 750, spent a couple of hours editing (using hubby, red pen, and Autocrit) and sent it off.

Sooooo, now I can say…..drum roll please……

I have 3 Out There’s !!!!!!! *grins stupidly*

Hoping that it will be 4 by tomorrow 🙂

Yesterday’s prompt, on daydreaming was interesting…..I ended up sitting in Costa (where I also did some free writing but more about that tomorrow). So I was in the ideal spot for people watching and daydreaming 🙂 I ended up with the start of a kind of chick lit story….30+ single daydreamer looking for the job and man of her dreams. Oh well, i might be able to do something with it at a later date.

Tomorrows prompt is crossing the bridge. Hmmmm, all I can think of at the moment is the story of the 3 billy goats *snigger*

Off to my class tonight…..a Q&A session, which should be fun 🙂

Trawling The Net

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I have spent much of the last 24 hours trawling the Internet…….nooooo, I wasn’t procrastinating? (or was I? Lol). I was researching all the short story comps and possible places to submit work to.

A huge thanks to the Womag Writers Blog and Helen Yendall who have both been a wealth of information 🙂

I have discovered there are 18 competitions ending in March. I’ve got myself a folder. Done some ‘calendar’ type sheets and now, I’m ready to go LMAO 😉

Now, if I stop eating, don’t shower, survive on cat naps (no actual sleeping) and only leave the dining room table for loo breaks and the occasional cup of coffee I might, just, be able to enter them all *snigger*

Seriously, I can enter at least a couple can’t I?

Actually…..I managed to enter 1 last night. The Writers Bureau have a monthly comp and this months was “50 Word Love Story” I can’t post my entry on here, and rest assured, I will be screaming from the rooftops if it actually gets anywhere lol 😉

Yesterday’s prompt about the crosswind inspired a story about a guy losing his toupee (thanks Danny) and a romance is about to blossom between Mr Toupee and the woman who tried to rescue it. What a sweet story to tell the grand children “I met your grandad as I was trying to rescue his toupee from the wheels of a bus” lol. Today’s prompt is it was a daydream which sounds like great fun. I love daydreaming 🙂

Pocket Novels

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Today, I will be spending a considerable amount of time reading a pocket novel 🙂

Why? Because I’ll be attending a workshop hosted by Sally Quilford all about pocket novels on Saturday. I’m hoping Sally can help me write stuff that is a bit more lighthearted….a bit more along the lines of my Flash piece I did the other day.

I uploaded my final Reflective Commentary to my Blogspot blog. It’s sad in a way. I’ve spent 11 months studying creative writing and I’ve learnt so much. This final 3000 word assignment will be to show everything I’ve learnt. I’m thinking of doing the story I wrote Tuesday, about the young guy and his boss. Should be able to drag that out for 3000 words 😉

Yesterday I attended my writing group, with my head held high….because….. I now officially have an “out there!” lol. I sent off my Swanwick competition entry, it’s gone, on it’s way to the judges via Royal Mail. It was a good night…..we have some very talented members 🙂

Two very interesting articles I stumbled upon yesterday…..Self Editing and Writers Checklist will be consumed with relish today. I need all the help I can get if I’m going to start submitting lol

Yesterday’s prompt was to write about a lovers pillow. I found it really hard. It brought up/back an old wound thats still smarting, so I only managed about 100 words before I gave up…. Onwards and upwards yeah? 😉

Today’s prompt is it was a lie and all I’m gunna say is ouch lol….not looking forward to this one either lol

Self Sabotage

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

*shudders*

I hate editing…..with a passion 😦 lol

But…..I know it’s got to be done.

So this article will come in handy today I’m sure 😉

I spent yesterday continuing to type up some more short stories and today I will try to do some editing. The plan is to have at least 2 or 3 pieces ready to send out on Monday. Not too sure that’s gunna happen lol 😉

So along with editing, I was reading about self sabotage last night, and that a lot of the time we don’t even realise we’re doing it….for example:

Comparing your writing to others I am so guilty of this.
Allowing others needs & wants to get in the way of your writing time Easy to do when you have a family.
Stopping when it gets hard or you get stuck How many unfinished pieces have I got exactly?
Setting your standards & goals too high Perfectionism?
Thinking that if a piece is rejected it means you’re no good A classic….anyone who’s had a rejection letter will know exactly what that feels like.

A few times recently I’ve just thought, shall I just jack this all in? Is writing really for me?

The prompt about the counting breaths turned into a story about a heavily pregnant woman who’s fiancé is in the army, posted to Afganistan, but my mind went blank on yesterday’s one about the skin on her cheek. Today’s one is driving a gravel road which instantly brought back some childhood memories 🙂

Prompts…..Good or Bad?

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

An update from a blog I subscribe to hit my inbox a couple of days ago from Courage to Create.

Now, it is a great post, well written, and obviously the authors opinion….but, then I read the comments…..everyone agrees with him, whereas I read it and was like *ahem* no way!!!!!

Sooooo, go read, What Moves You Most Right Now? and tell me what you think? Am I one lone voice among thousands who uses prompts and feels that she actually benefits from them?

I use prompts because I have a hectic life. I use them to get my brain working, for direction. Yes, I’d love to walk with nature and be inspired. Why does it matter that the destination you arrive at never looks like the original prompt?

If I sat at my table every morning and just asked myself “What moves me the most right now?” well, I would probably end up writing about the shopping, the fact that I’ve got to change the bed linen, how many baskets of clean washing have to go upstairs, and how much my psoriasis is killing me on my hand lol. I’m positive that the 6 weeks worth of stories I’ve come up with so far this year would never have been written if it wasn’t for using prompts *folds arms and stamps foot*

Ok, rant over, apologies for that 😉

And now……

It’s by Tad Hargrave…..I got it through a FB friend….made me chuckle and calmed me down from my rant lol

I spent most of yesterday editing and re-editing my short story called Eating Out. Initially it was a story about a husband and wife, but now I’ve changed that to mother and son, so that it will fit I with the competition Swanwick are running on the theme of A Sense Of Duty. I have to be honest, I prefer it as husband and wife, but, as my homework for The Write Place was to find a competition and write an entry, the Swanwick one is the one I want to try 🙂 If it doesn’t get anywhere I’ll revert back to husband and wife and submit it somewhere else lol 😉

Went to The Write Place class last night where we mainly looked at fillers and checked through magazines looking for writing opportunities…..really enjoyed it 🙂

My prompt yesterday about living as he did turned into a piece about a detective going into a guys rented room as the guy had been found murdered…..really enjoyed writing that one 🙂 Today’s prompt is counting his/her breaths which sounds interesting.

Auditioning Words

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I came across this quote yesterday (thanks to Judy Reeves):

“Writing is not a visual art. It is a symphony, not an oil painting. It is the shattering, not the glass. It is the ringing, not the bell. The words you write make sounds, and when the sounds satisfy the readers ear, your writing works.” Gary Provost

……and that’s why it’s so important to read your work out loud to yourself 😉

The Thesaurus must surely be the most powerful writers tool (apart from paper and a pen). I have one as an app I use on my iPad. Bloody handy I must say……why say red if you can say crimson? Why say walked if you can say shuffled?

Good writing (IMO) is all about the image you create for your reader, to draw them in.

Sooooo, I’m creating a list of words that excite me…..wish me luck 😉

Today’s prompt was about someone reading a poem. I’m beginning to get increasingly concerned that because my stories are so dark, I’ll never have anything to submit to the women’s magazine market. So today I thought I’d try me hand at a bit of romance. It went quite well, I’m kinda pleased, and it was prompted by Sally Quilford’s recent blog post.

So perhaps I can actually write something a little more lighthearted 😉

Today’s prompt is write about bad blood lol….oh dear, it looks like I’m back to the dark side 😉

The Wrong Way

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Vikki Thompson

I spent most of yesterday finishing A Walk Between Heaven and Earth and making notes in my notebook. To say that I found it ‘unputdownable’ is an understatement 🙂

There are so many interesting passages and inspiring ideas, too many to mention, but the one that really struck a cord was when Holzer talked about ‘the right way’……

She says that too often we focus on learning the techniques of writing, that this overshadows the writing itself. She goes on to say that “It is hard to get excited about writing, when 90% of what comes to mind is not good enough, or not right somehow.”

Is this the rut I’ve got myself into?

Am i no longer content to just write, for writings sake? I’m constantly trying to improve, do things right, learn the rules…..punctuation, grammar, syntax, nouns, adjectives…..*deep sigh* It’s hard work….. 😦

But, is it still exciting? Does having the constant pressure of having a ‘right way’ and a ‘wrong way’ take away the pleasure? And, if that is indeed the case, whats the answer? Quit my creative writing courses and just write for me? Give up any ideas I have of publication?

No, sorry, I don’t agree with her. I’m enjoying learning, I want to improve my writing. To do that I need to study and I need to do things the ‘right way’. I’ve always been fascinated by learning, eager for knowledge about everything around me.

Yes, having a ‘right way’ and a ‘wrong way’ leads to self criticism and self doubt…… But don’t we need that to strive to be better? Wanting to be good at something and succeed isn’t a bad thing is it? 😉

Best Article I’ve Read In A Long Time ;)

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Vikki Thompson

I’ve been reading Kirsten Lambs Blog for a while now, but this post is great. Although, the idea of calling myself a writer? Perhaps when I’ve had something published eh? Lol 😉 I totally see where she’s coming from, but I dunno, personally, I just can’t do it lol

Aspiring is for Pansies–Tough Love & Being a Writer.

Yesterday I was awake at 4.45am….I only went to sleep at 12.30 for gods sake! Still, it did mean that I had some nice quiet time to catch up with other peoples Blogs and make a start on my “mundane task” description 🙂 I completed that and then started to tackle the next exercise.

I have to write a piece that describes some sort of fast action. Initially, I’m thinking, ahhhhh, that’s not too hard, but I’ve gone a bit blank. Ended up getting about 400 words into a piece and giving up with it as there wasn’t enough action. Back to the start again today then 😉

I also completed and sent off another competition entry. A 2000 worder this time. Over the next couple of days I’ll be working on a 3000 word short story for another comp. It feels pretty damn good to have 2 stories now that are complete…..finished and edited (hopefully) to a fairly decent standard…..although, I’m sure if my OCA tutor saw them, she’d have a fit lol

Assignment 3 – Feedback

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Vikki Thompson

I didn’t get much writing done today, well, saying that, I did type up a short story from one of my notebooks for use, hopefully, as a competition entry……if I can double the word count. Will see how I go with that over the weekend 🙂

I received my tutors feedback today on my 3rd OCA Assignment. Very pleased with her comments although, re-reading the piece I submitted, I did manage to miss some really silly mistakes. The odd piece of tense (one of my major weaknesses) and some punctuation 😦 Hopefully, things I will get better at with more practice.

I also need to stop stating the obvious, ie, let the reader fill in the blanks and concentrate more on my show…..stop telling lol 😉

As I’ve decided to enter a few competitions and perhaps send out some submissions, I did a bit of research. It seems that most of them want work that hasn’t been available anywhere else, inc being published on Blogs, unless they’re private. So, I decided to start a notebook, specifically for subs and competition entries, so I can keep track on what I’ve submitted where.

Looking for a title for my current short story idea I ended up surrounded by all my notebooks….. It’s a good job I do my writing on a 6 foot dining table! Lol

The top 4 are the ones I’m currently working with. I love flicking through them and playing with the ideas I’ve jotted down over the last 14 months 🙂

Sooooo, I now have a date for my next Assignment……30th January…..but I have to work through the next set of exercises first 😉

The Writers Notebook

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Vikki Thompson

When I attended the first lesson of a local Creative Writing Class (run by Philip Kane) he told us to create a Writers Notebook. Looking back, it was the best piece of advice I’ve had over the course of the last 15 months. Since then I have managed to fill 8 notepads…..the medium Moleskin size.

When I started the OCA course, they advised the same, but also suggested I have a “commonplace” book. A book to contain all the visual material that catches your eye. Hmmmm, now call me a rebel, but I decided to ignore that and just use the one book for everything, which is what I do 🙂

My notebook and I are inseparable 😉 It’s the equivalent of an artists sketchbook, a place to store ideas, observations, practice skills, jot down information, review books and films, and keep cuttings that interest me. I also have a folder for larger cuttings that won’t fit in the book. I use it to make notes on my course, words and ideas that I need to research, examples of writing that I love (inc poetry and inspirational quotes) and writing prompts should writers block ever strike, which, I have to say, it never has lol…..sorry, but it hasn’t, and I put that down to my notebooks. Not a day goes by that I don’t write something in it 🙂

As I said before, I’m a visual person as well as a word person, so I was thrilled when I read Lesley Thomson’s A Kind Of Vanishing, to see that in the back of the book was a whole section where Lesley explained her inspiration and the connection between her writing and her photography. I take a lot of pictures and it suddenly dawned on me that I could use my own pictures to inspire stories and characters. So now, I do that too 🙂

I use art to inspire title ideas and have at least 2 lists of character names in each notepad. Even when I’m watching TV I’m taking notes….. The Jeremy Kyle Show has suddenly become very interesting 😉