Waving, Not Drowning

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Inspired by Saturdays photo prompt…..

Marisha stood on the damp sand and stared out to sea. Normally, on a clear day, you could see Essex. But not today, as a dense bank of fog swept its way, creeping silently up the Thames Estuary. She shivered, as her skin was splattered with fine droplets of water, spray from the waves. Invisible to the naked eye, but picked up by every hair on her bare arms.

She walked slowly towards the water. Stumbling on stones that shifted beneath her bare feet. Every few steps she winced, as something sharp met with her sole.

Stopping at the edge of the murky waves she watched the water lap at her feet, beckoning her forward. Glancing around, she checked to make sure she was alone. It was unusual for anyone to be on this part of the beach in October, especially at 6am.

Her teeth chattered as the water lapped at her ankles. The biting cold was painful. It felt like the waves could reach through her skin to her bones. With her long black hair trailing behind her she walked forward until the water was up to her waist. Just a few steps more, that was all it would take. She found herself wondering which one would end her 18 years? The water or the bitter cold?

A dog barked in the distance. She turned, and for a brief moment panicked, losing her courage. Whoever said this was the cowards way out? But what was the alternative? Go back home? No, she couldn’t bare to bring so much shame on her family. She was still in shock that her father had actually had her followed. When he threw the photographs at her and called her a whore she had fled the house. Tears welled I’m her eyes when she thought of Tom. The photos had shown their brief kiss. That was all it had been.

She’d known the risks when she’d agreed to go on the secret date. Tom was nice, she’d known him since school. when he’d asked her to go to the cinema, she’d jumped at the chance. Marisha just wanted to be like any other English girl, but deep down she knew she never could be. It had all been a fantasy. For Marisha had been promised to a Prince, since the day she was born.

Rather than give you a photo today I thought I’d embed this. It’s a video I took about a year ago. A place called Allhallows, where I use to spend all my holidays as a child. It’s in Kent, and on a clear day you can see Essex 🙂

Awwwww, poor Marisha 😦 you know I just can’t help it lol. Who is the person with the dog? (I have my own theory) and will Marisha go through with it?

Any comments and suggestions are most welcome?

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?

World Animal Day Bloghop

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Today is World Animal day, so I’m taking part in the Animal Blog Hop sponsored by Terri G Long and David M Brown

Writers and cats, they kind of go well together, don’t you think? 😉

My 2 writing companions are Treacle (a tortie British Shorthair) and Tigzz (a tabby and white moggy). They are my little shadows and follow me everywhere. Wherever I am, you can guarantee they are only a few feet away 🙂 I’ve always been a cat lover, at one stage we had 4! But this pair are more than enough to cope with. Its like having two naughty 3 year olds 🙂

Treacle is the little princess, very girly, a drama queen. We say that Treacle is Simons Cat, she even makes the noises! Whereas Tigzz is a real Tom cat. He likes nothing more than to sink his teeth into your hand under the pretence of play fighting. He definitely rules the roost and is constantly being told off for beating up Treacle lol.

They climb all over me in bed at night (heavens forbid i get up to go to the loo at 2am….as far as they’re concerned that means I’m up!) and sit on my notebook/laptop when I’m trying to write. They insist on helping me with the dinner and claw my legs until i give them a titbit. They commandeer any spare box or bag (including my handbag!) that they see lying about and Treacle also has a shoe fetish so any shoes that are left around become an instant bed.

But I’m in great company. Edgar Allen Poe was so devoted to his cat Catarina that when he was away he would write to her. She would often sit on his shoulder whilst he wrote (yep, my Tigzz would do that if I let him!). Then what about Raymond Chandler? He had a black Persian called Taki, who he referred to as his secretary (ok, I’m not that bonkers!). Taki would always be beside him when he wrote, often sitting on his papers (yep, I know that one!). And lastly Colette, who had dozens of cats. Ok, I’m not the mad cat lady just yet I have a husband who keeps me in check 😉

If you’re still not convinced that Cats make good writing companions check out a blog post that appeared on The Romaniacs a couple of days ago 🙂

So its fun in my house…..but I love them to bits 🙂

Now, tell me about your furry babies/writing companions if you have any, and if you don’t, what would you have if you could?

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?

Six Sentence Sunday 30th September

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

This weeks six sentences come from a prompt I did earlier on in the week 🙂

Stuart had never really liked women, it all went back to his childhood, his mother. The contempt she felt for him was evident in her daily actions. The way she spoke to him, the way she looked at him.

As a young adult he was convinced that women were not to be trusted. That they would lie and cheat to get what they wanted. Numerous relationships he purposely sabotaged, incapable of loving, incapable of accepting love.

image curtesy of chrisroll/freedigitalimages

Awwwww, poor Stuart 😉

Ok, I need a happy ending for this one don’t I 🙂

Six Sentence Sunday (heatherj22.wordpress.com)

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 😉