Will You Be Nano-ing?

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

If you’ve never heard of Nanowrimo, get yourself over to C A Husted’s blog and see what it’s all about…..

Nanowrimo, or National Novel Writing Month is where really silly people decide to write a 50,000 word novel in one month, yep, one month. It starts on the 1st November and ends at midnight on the 31st. To consider to be a winner you have to have written 50,000 words (which you then have to upload to get verified before you get your winners certificate).

Ok, we’re not really silly people as such, most of us are in full control of our faculties, most of the time 😉 But, it is a challenge, it does make for a hectic month, and if you manage to do the full 50,000 words you’ll be so sick of your WIP you’ll want to dump it in the nearest river! Just kidding with that last bit 😉

This will be my 3rd year as a participant (if you want to add me to your buddy list over there I’m angelchildvikki) and this year I’m a CoML to boot (like an area rep).

Now, I have a problem with this years Nano. I was intending to do my Mills & Boon novel. I did my “WIP Bible”, all the planning sorted, and I’m ready to go…..but, I’m doing the Faber course, so wouldn’t it be a better idea to concentrate on the Faber novel for Nano? Trying to write 2 novels at the same time, during Nano is madness, right? *slump*

Why do I always get myself into these messes? My husband despairs lol.

So it appears that I need to make a decision, seriously. Damiano and Kate just may have to go on the back burner until April 😉

And talking of Nano, if you’re passionate about it Suzan Butler and Anushka at Finding My Creature are both looking for bloggers who would like to do guest posts about Nano during November, I’m tempted. 😉

So, will you be Nano-ing this year?

To NaNo or Not To NaNo? (jamigray.com)
To NaNo or Not To NaNo? (7evildwarves.wordpress.com)
NaNo What – O? (cahusted.wordpress.com)
NaNoWriMo is right around the corner! (melissamwolff.com)

Nanowrimo Discussion at Writability

Nail Your Novel – Tips

The To Do List 8th to 14th October

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Sorry if some of you received notification of a blank blog post yesterday evening. I’ve been trying to work on a new schedule for the blog, adding date reminders in the old drafts folder, and accidentally hit the publish button ha ha ha, whoops!

Anyways…..last week was a bit up and down to say the least lol. I had my major melt down on Wednesday about the Faber course (thank you so much for all your kind words), the Nano website launched (something I didn’t anticipate so early, so moderating the forums has kicked in already), and then at the end if the week I was feeling a bit poorly *all say ahhhhhh* 😉

On the plus side, I did achieve most of the stuff on my list!

1. Catch up with prompts. Done!

2. Finish one of the romance books. Ummmmm, nope 😦

3. Continue working on the Black Moment. Done! yay!!!! 🙂

4. Finish Sabrina Broadbents book. Done!

5. Outline some ideas I have for Blog Posts. Ummmmm, not done. I usually have a good 5 or 6 draft posts in my folder, but at the moment, I’m a complete blank! Lol

6. Check Nano forums…gear myself up! Done! Bit of a shock how early people started posting though lol

7. Do some more work on outlining Sorrento Sunrise (for the Writing Group). This weeks writing group meet was all about outlining. We discussed the different methods we use and I realised that I need to think more about my time line. Next week is about Characters, so I don’t really need to do any work on that in advance 🙂

Soooo, this weeks list…..

Ooooo, that’s an awful picture isn’t it! That’ll teach me to take it in the early morning lol

1. Check Nano forums 3 times a day on my days.

2. Finish Mick Jacksons book. He’s another one of my Faber tutors.

3. Finish at least one if the romance books. Carried over from last week.

4. Continue outlining Sorrento Sunrise, think about timeline.

5. Sort out a donation tin for Nano.

6. Start new Ideas note book.

7. Make sure I’m all set for Faber *gulp*

So that all seems pretty manageable doesn’t it?

What are your writing plans for this week?

Six Sentence Sunday 7th October

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Today’s six sentences come from a piece I wrote a couple of weeks ago.

Paula stood in the empty dining room and smiled. Finally, the house was hers. It had taken months of negotiations, solicitors, and that awful nephew, who got greedier and greedier as the weeks dragged on.

Paula pitied him. The deceased owner had loved this house, it had meant more to her than money. If only he’d taken such an interest in his aunt when she’d been alive.

I’m thinking that this could actually be the start of a romance. What reason could there be for “the nephew” being greedy?

Six Sentence Sunday 9.30.12 (tmoniquestephens.com)

Silent Saturday

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

This weeks photo prompt: One of my cameras.

I’ll post what it inspired me to write on Tuesday 🙂

Any immediate thoughts?

Tales From A Notebook (part 1)

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

A few weeks ago (or was it months?) someone asked me if I could share some pages from my note books. I have 14 now that are completely full up, and another 7 currently on the go.

So here are a few pages 🙂

As you can see, I collect crap lol….anything I think might help or inspire me at a later date goes in my note books 🙂 I love flicking back through them when I’m stuck for a title idea, or need inspiration on a story.

so the question is…..do you want me to do a regular post, sharing the contents? Or shall I just leave it there because you’re yawning?

Insecure Writers Support Day – October

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

It’s Alex J Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writers Support Group day. It seems to have come round so quickly this month lol.

Last month, you may remember, I posted a fairly positive post, still on a huge high from Swanwick. Unfortunately, it’s kinda worn off now lol 😉

This months IWSG post falls 12 days before I attend my first class at The Faber Academy *gulp* I was managing to stay positive, keeping a smile on my face if it was ever mentioned, and have spent the last month trying to convince myself I’m excited. Ok, yes I am excited, but I’m also as nervous as hell…..and as the days pass I just know it’s going to get worse 😦

I’ve never considered myself a confident person, have always struggled when it came to walking into a room of strangers. So Monday the 15th of October is lining up to be my worst nightmare! A room of 26 ~~people~~ writers, who I’ve never met before, who will all be sooooo much more talented than I am…..shit, what have I done! Lol 😦

There’s all that handshaking and remembering people’s names. The fear as to whether the tutor will like me (or take an instant dislike to me!) and bloody hell WHAT DO I WEAR????? I bet a big spot comes up on my nose the night before or I’ll arrive having spilt coffee down my front *sighs* 😦 Oh gawd, I’ll have to put my posh voice on too! Lol

photo courtesy of nokhoog_buchachon/freedigitalphotos.net

I’m feeling well out of my depth here. I don’t want them to think I’m a bored little house wife who thinks she might be able to write a book. I’ve not had anything published, I don’t have this huge long CV of all my “writing” achievements, and let’s face it, my work isn’t exactly what you’d call “literary” lol.

Yes, I know I got onto the course because they saw something in the piece I submitted, but I also have this little voice inside my head that says “they didn’t have many people apply this year” or “the quality of work that was submitted this year was dire” LMAO! I have to laugh or I’ll cry!

So, what to do? I could just curl up in a ball and cry? Shout and scream at the husband (“it’s all your fault, you persuaded me to apply why did I listen to you?”)? Fein an illness on the first day? Or i could just send them an e mail saying its all been a huge mistake?

Any coping strategies would be much appreciated I need help, before I have no finger nails left 😉

Getting into the writing zone [IWSG] (mithrilwisdom.com)
It’s Time For IWSG (writingreadingandlife.wordpress.com)

The To Do List 1st to 7th October

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Wow, it’s October, can you believe it!

It was a busy week last week, which culminated in the BookCrossing Uncon on Saturday 🙂

I took 15 books with me and came back with 6, so I consider that a result lol 😉

So last weeks list looked like this:
1. Finish Tim Lotts book. Done! really enjoyed it, and I’ve now started one of the other tutors books.

2. Investigate writing Pod Casts. Done! I can recommend Warwick Writing Challenges by Professor David Morley, although, he’s very English lol

3. Sort out books to take to Bookcrossing Uncon. Done! And been!

4. Place Nano order for ML stuff. Done!

5. Clear inbox! Done!

6. Update Blog Film Fest list. Done!

7. Finish at least 1 of the romance books. failed miserably 😦 I think I only read a couple of chapters. I was so intent on getting Tim Lotts book finished lol

8. Try to come up with Sorrento Sunrises black moment. Hmmmmm, semi done lol. I’m really struggling with this. A reason why she has to go back to England, gawd, it’s hard 😦

So a fairly productive week, although I’ve fallen behind by a couple of days with my prompts, which actually means I haven’t written anything since Friday *sharp intake of breath* so I’m beginning to get agitated lol.

This weeks list:

1. Catch up with prompts.

2. Finish one of the romance books.

3. Continue working on the Black Moment.

4. Finish Sabrina Broadbents book.

5. Outline some ideas I have for Blog Posts.

6. Check Nano forums…gear myself up!

7. Do some more work on outlining Sorrento Sunrise (for the Writing Group).

There, that should be quite manageable 🙂 I try not to pile too much on myself or nothing will get done 😉 But, my priority for today is to work on a little interview thing for Anushka (at Finding My Creature). When I’ve finished that, I can start on the list 🙂

So what are your writing plans for the week?

Bookcrossing

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

No writing prompt pic this week folks, because, today, I will be attending the Bookcrossing Unconventional in Colchester. I haven’t been to one of these events for about, oooooo, 6 years! Lol….where does the time go eh?

I’ve been a member since 2004, but I’m not as active as I used to be. Here’s my “bookshelf” 🙂

It’s something I feel passionate about, the idea of passing my books on, leaving them somewhere for someone to find. I’ve worked in charity shops, I know what happens to books that are donated, so I’d much rather dispose of my read books this way. Plus, it’s great fun, especially when you find out your book ended up on the other side of the world 🙂

So here are a selection of pics from previous Unconventions….. The highlight of the event is the “book table” lol. The idea is to take books with you for the table, and come home with less books than you took….it rarely happens 😉

I’ll let you know if I manage to come home with less books than I took with me 😉

So what do you do with your books once you’ve read them?

Bookcrossing: Good Book Karma (lucybirdbooks.wordpress.com)
Lost, Found and Read: BookCrossing as a Global Phenomenon (publishingperspectives.com)

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

My Guest post is now live!!!! 🙂

Please go and convince Sue to enrol on a course lol 😉

the long and the short of it

A huge thank you to Sue for inviting me onto her blog today… I don’t think she realised that when I’m enthusiastic about something, I can ramble for hours!

So Sue’s asked me to convince her of the merits of creative writing courses, classes and workshops. I’m hoping that by the time she reads this she’ll be enrolling on everything she comes across.

My first experience of ‘creative writing’ was a baptism of fire. I decided (through madness or stupidity, I still don’t know which) to accompany a friend to a course at our local Adult Education centre. I hadn’t written any fiction since leaving school, although I had been journal writing for several years. That was exactly 2 years ago this month, and it was one of the best decisions of my life! I’ll be honest; the course itself was a little boring. I found myself nodding off in several sessions! But somehow, through all the yawning something clicked. Something happened…

View original post 960 more words

The Long & The Short Of It – How Learning My Craft Has Changed My Life

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Today, I’m guesting over at Sue Howe’s blog The Long and The Short Of It 🙂

Sue asked me if I could do an article about writing workshops, classes and residential schools. I’m trying to convince her to come along to Swanwick you see 😉

So here’s the start of the article…..to read more you’ll have to nip over to Sue’s gaff 🙂

A huge thank you to Sue for inviting me onto her Blog today….I don’t think she realised that when I’m enthusiastic about something, I can ramble for hours!

So Sue’s asked me to convince her of the merits of creative writing courses, classes and workshops. I’m hoping that by the time she reads this she’ll be enrolling on everything she comes across!

My first experience of “creative writing” was a baptism of fire. I decided (through madness or stupidity, I still don’t know which) to accompany a friend to a course at our local Adult Education centre. I hadn’t written any fiction since leaving school (many, ahem, years ago) although I had been journal writing for several years. That was exactly 2 years ago this month, and it was one of the best decisions of my life! I’ll be honest; the course itself was a little boring. I found myself nodding off in several sessions! But somehow, through all the yawning something clicked. Something happened to me during that short course, and it’s been driving me on ever since.

Please pop over to Sues blog to read the rest of the article, and leave a comment. Tell her Sue, you have to go to Swanwick next year! 😉 Actually, thinking about it, you all have to come! 😉