Practice Makes Perfect, Doesn’t It?

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I’ve spent much of the weekend ‘practicing’ or should that be ‘honing my craft darling’ 😉

Of course, writing is just the same as any other discipline. You wouldn’t be a brain surgeon without years of training would you? And you can’t speak a foreign language without learning it.

So yes, when you think about it, it’s obvious, to be a great writer you need to learn how to write great stuff (unless you’re just naturally goddam talented and if you are….I am soooo jealous lol).

The problem is…..can writing every day make you get stuck in your ways? Will you ever grow if you continue to write in the same style, using the same voice? Where’s the challenge?

Sooooo, this week I’m going to try a little experiment 🙂

I read somewhere recently (don’t ask me where, I read so much stuff about writing lol) that where you write can affect what and how you write. Oh dear, we’re going back to the noise/silence issue again lol.

Ok, well I did take on board everyone’s comments to my noise post, so with that in mind I’m going to write (or do my practice) in 3 different locations throughout the week. You are my witness, if it gets to next Friday and I haven’t been to 3 different locations, shout at me, you have my permission 🙂

I’ve spent all weekend writing at home so we’ll say this is the marker. When I write at home I often struggle, get distracted (the kids, the dog, the cats, the husband, the phone) but I do seem to write in the same style, the same voice……it will be interesting to see if anything changes at other locations….progress report mid week 🙂

Today’s prompt about the lie remains undone…..but, I did manage to finish all the prompts I was suppose to do yesterday. I spent the evening going through competitions, deciding which ones to enter 🙂 Tomorrow’s prompt is the face of tomorrow so it looks like I’ll be playing catch up 😉

Freewriting

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Prompted by an email blog update from Sue Healey a couple of days ago, i decided to do some Freewriting.

I remember when I did The Artists Way, the first time….the idea of doing 3 pages of Morning Pages every day was terrifying. I soon got into the swing, but unfortunately it just turned into a massive rant everyday, and which is why, I no longer keep a personal journal.

So Tuesday morning, I sat outside a Costa Coffee shop, and wrote the following in my notebook:

*****I’m sat here, outside Costa, with a latte in February, wanting to take my coat off. It’s the same colour purple as the ink in my pen. There are a group of rowdy workmen, about 6 of them, smoking their fags and drinking from their takeaway coffee cups. It’s not exactly what I’d call an inspiring atmosphere, but still. I may be able to finish my daydreaming story. Perhaps she runs off with a rowdy workman *snigger*

The sky is completely grey, not a cloud in sight, and matches perfectly with the paving slabs beneath my feet. In fact, the building itself seems to merge with the sky as that too is a depressing shade of grey. I can’t wait for the summer, to walk around in t shirts and feel the sun on my face. Although, my garden is a mess. Completely unusable, neglected for several years I have to confess. I guess it sets the tone for the rest of the house….neglected. There’s always something else to do though. The garden is the last item of priority on my endless list.

I’ve been food shopping and now I’m waiting for my husband so that we can have lunch. It was his suggestion that he meet me, perhaps he just needs a break. It’s nice to get out, rather than stare at the same 4 walls day in day out. I get soooo bored, and yes, I know…..I could do the garden lol*****

Ok, exactly what did I learn? Or rather, what could I use in my writing? Hmmmmm…..the only things that really stand out as being worth something are the images of the building blending into the sky and the overgrown garden.

Do you ever Free Write, and if you do, does it help? Do you end up using things in your fiction writing?

Isn’t it funny…..there was me talking about happiness yesterday and then I discover Bridget’s beautiful post on happiness….it certainly made me smile 🙂

Oh and by the way *clears throat* I now have 7 Out There’s!!!!!! 🙂

Yesterday’s prompt about the bridge inspired a story about a young girl who’s father has been rushed to hospital….only, she hasn’t seen him for 2 years (I was going down the lines of building bridges then crossing them). I don’t know what today’s prompt is. I’m upstairs in bed, my notebook is downstairs.

As Jack Bauer would say “Damn It!” (sorry, hubby is working his way through all 8 seasons of 24) lol 🙂

Plotting

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I’ve recently subscribed to The New Writer magazine. Really impressed with it, lots of info on competitions etc. I shall be reading my copy cover to cover and possibly submitting, if I can find the time 😉

I did some more work on my course yesterday, which was to look at all the different techniques people use for outlining their plot. For example:

Diagrammatic Maps (web/spider or cluster)
Lists
Index Cards
Whiteboard
Fragmented Notes
Storyboarding

I guess, at the moment, I’m a fragmented notes kinda girl….but, I can see the benefits of using the other methods. My next exercise is to actually use one of the techniques I’m not familiar with…..that’ll be fun.

I have managed to get up to date with my prompts. The one about the button being undone turned into a sordid little tale about a guy in a hotel with an obsession for the receptionist and the crack in the door one is about a woman who goes for a job interview. Yesterday’s one, about the instrument was hard…. I spent some time researching Stephane Mallarme, hoping that would inspire me, and it did. I ended up writing about a guy in a wheelchair committing suicide lol

Today’s prompt is write a twilight memory and all I can think of is Edward 😉

E Mail

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I spent most of yesterday afternoon trying to catch up reading my e mails. I must get about 60 a day from all the different blogs and web sites I’m subscribed to, and that’s not including Face Book notifications lol. On one hand, sometimes, I feel a bit overwhelmed, but other times, I’m so glad I subscribed to a particular blog as I get to read some fantastic posts 🙂 So I won’t moan ok lol.

One of the emails that hit my inbox yesterday talked about Henry Miller’s On Writing book. Now, obviously, I’d heard of Henry Miller but I didn’t know he’d written a book about writing. Seeeeee, I learnt something lol.

Apparently (I say apparently, as I haven’t personally got a copy of the book, although I have added it to my Wish List lol) Miller had what he called his ‘Writing Commandments’ which were:

1). Work on one thing at a time until finished.
2). Start no more new books, add no more new material to Black Spring
3). Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.
4). Work according to Program and not according to mood. Stop at the appointed time!
5). When you can’t create you can work.
6). Cement a little every day, rather than add new fertilisers.
7). Keep human! See people, go places, drink if you feel like it.
8). Don’t be a draught-horse! Work with pleasure only.
9). Discard the program when you feel like it – but, go back to it the next day. Concentrate. Narrow down. Exclude.
10) Forget the books you want to write. Think only of the book you are writing.
11) write first and always. Painting, music, friends, cinema, all these come afterwards.

Thanks to Gretchen Rubin for Miller’s list :o)

I could relate to almost every point, but I especially like No 7 😉

I managed to catch up with the prompts last night so I’m pleased 🙂 Today’s one is write about “The instrument of the sorrowful” (after Stephane Mallarme

Hmmmmmm…..interesting…….

Belief & Technique

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Yesterday I was reading Jack Kerouac’s Belief & Technique for Modern Prose – List of Essentials, which was written in 1958. Some of the items went straight over my head I have to say, but a couple stood out……

1) Scribbled secret notebooks and wild typewritten pages for your own joy
Oh yes, I love the images that conjures up

4) Be in love with your life
I try to be, I love experiencing new things

13) Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition
Ha ha ha….my OCA tutor would say I definitely do that

24) No fear or shame in the dignity of your experience, language and knowledge
I’m a ‘sowf eas Lunden’ girl, what can I say 😉 I’m not highly educated, I don’t use long words that I don’t know the meaning of, so ner!

25) Write for the world to read and see your exact pictures of it
I like that! Everyone interprets the things around them differently, I find everyone and everything fascinating

And finally……..
29) You’re a Genius all the time
Thanks Jack, yeah, I bloody well am! 🙂

If you want to read the full list, you can find it here *goes off to dig out her copy of On The Road*

I like Jack….he sounded like my kinda bloke 😉

Had a great morning with The Maidstone Writers yesterday, and actually managed to do the longest day prompt. It ended up being a ghost story *snigger* Didn’t manage yesterday’s one though *deep sigh* Today, the prompt is driving the coast road which is a coincidence, as I’m off to Margate today 🙂

Titles

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I spent most of yesterday writing and typing up a short story for my OCA exercise re, marrying 2 notebook ideas together. I’m not gunna publish it on my blog as I think it might be good enough to send somewhere for a short story comp. it’s really annoying that these competitions request that your story cannot have appeared anywhere else *pout* 😦

Anyway, so I have a completed short story….now, a title lol.

I never start with a title, I always write the story and then when it’s finished I think about what to call it. Most of the stories I’ve written don’t ever have titles (do you think they mind? Lol), but I like to ‘name’ those that get typed up 🙂

I have pages and pages of title ideas in my notebooks. I tend to find them everywhere. Something that I overheard someone say, the chapter heading in a book (non fiction), the title of a piece of art, 2 or 3 words from a poem or quote…..I have hundreds lol. So when it comes to naming a piece, I go back through my lists and pick something appropriate. Unfortunately, sometimes I come unstuck lol…. My last Nano novel was/is called Deliberate Act which I thought suited it perfectly. But then hubby pointed out to me that there is a film called that……oh dear, will need to rethink that one then 😦

Yesterday’s prompt, the one about nearing midnight inspired the story of a woman waiting for a phone call. Her son is on a life support machine, but, how should she feel about that when he’s a rapist and murderer? Lol….. I really will write something happy one day, I promise 😉

Today’s prompt is write about a summer garden

I’m really proud of myself that I’ve kept to my ‘goal’ of writing everyday 🙂

Tonight I’m going to see Lesley Pearse give a talk. I’ve never read anything of hers, but I’m always interested to hear what an author has to say 🙂

Daily Routine

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I was reading today about the benefits of having a writing routine. A friend of mine recently made herself a timetable so that she could see where her time each day was going.

I had considered myself quite lucky…..I don’t work (yes, ok, I cook, I tidy, I do laundry, but you know what I mean) so I have plenty of time available to write….. But…..Ian Rankin said Friday night, that when he was unemployed (and his wife was supporting him) he had all day every day to write. But, actually, didn’t write that much lol. He found that he wrote more when he was working and his free time was more limited. I know exactly what he means. You find every excuse under the sun, not to write, as there’s always something else you think you should be doing 😦

So, perhaps the answer is having good routines in place?

Judy Reeves says:

1) Make writing part of your daily routine, a commitment to write every day for a set period of time (however brief that period is).
2) Make an appointment to write, just like you would for the dentist or Dr….and stick to it.
3) Set your daily writing time at a time that suits you (a time that’s practical for you, taking into consideration chores, school runs and dinner times etc).
4) Vary your set time to catch yourself in different moods.

I think, for me, the best way to do this would be to allocate a time every day and add it to my iPhone diary on a weekly basis. I could then set myself reminders so that each day I get a message to tell me to write lol. I could change the time weekly to vary it.

Today’s prompt is you’re in a tent and all I can think of is Tracey Emin lol 😉

The Write Place Homework

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Just quickly……I have to show you this……Kelly Rae Roberts desk *squeals*……how gorgeous is that? *looks around the house to see if there are any spare cupboards*

Yesterday’s prompt, in the distance, went well. I wrote a short piece about a girl getting lost in the woods and stumbling across an old cottage…..a huge cliche I know, but I just fancied writing something a bit creepy 😉

At The Write Place class we were discussing openings, the beginnings of short stories, and how they have to grab the reader. As I said yesterday I failed miserably in the actual class lol, but I’m hoping I’ll be better at the actual homework, because I’m not feeling so pressured. Although, I know I will have to read it out next Wednesday *gulp*

So the prompt is…… ‘Sara! I never thought you could do such a thing.’

I sat there yesterday evening, trying to come up with something (it needs to be about 300 words) that resembles a story. On my 3rd attempt I got further than the first 20 words lol….so I’m hoping today I’ll be able to turn it into something readable. Might have to practice reading it out loud to the hubby a few times though lol

Plan for today…..try to get my assignment sorted, or rather typed up and finish the homework, oh, and of course, there’s today’s prompt……when she looked up

Looks like its going to be a busy day 😉

WOW! :)

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I am so chuffed right now! I’ve just received a Kreativ Blogger Award thanks to Sandra Madeira

Thank you sooooo much Sandra :o) When I started this Blog I didn’t expect anyone to read my ramblings, so it’s nice to know that someone does, and actually enjoys it!!!!! 🙂

So, I will play the game 🙂

The Kreativ Blogger award rules are:

1. Share 10 things about yourself that readers may find interesting
2. Pass the award on to 6 other Bloggers. Be sure to leave a comment on their blogs to let them know.

So here goes 😉

10 Things About Myself

1 I’ve only been writing since October 2010. Prior to that I hadn’t wrote any fiction since being at school, a gap of approx 20, ahem, years.
2 I’m a Face Book addict lol
3 I am a yo-yo dieter 😦
4 I attended Swanwick for the first time last year, and will definitely be going again this year, and probably for ever more lol
5 I am a BookCrosser
6 I’m a huge Oasis fan (the band not the drink lol)
7 Dom Perignon is my favourite champagne (expensive taste lol)
8 I work (occasionally) with my husband. We have our own printing business.
9 My favourite authors are Fay Weldon, Anita Shreve, Elizabeth Haynes and Linda Gillard.
10 My daughter is a hairdresser (lucky me) 😉

Blogs I’m Nominating (in no particular order)

Quillers Place A great blog by Sally Quilford, a Pocket Novel author. Always something interesting to read on her blog 🙂

Curly Mum A blog by Beccah, who I met through Nanowrimo. I love hearing about her family life, the perils of a young mum trying to write.

Libro This blog is by a lady called Liz Broomfield who I’ve known for, ooooo, quite a few years 😉 She’s now a full time editor/proof reader and her blog is full of little snippets regarding grammar etc that all us writers really should already know about 🙂

Two Moons I haven’t been reading Jenny’s blog long, but, what I have seen so far is very entertaining.

Strangling My Muse I love Sandy Ackers blog 🙂 If I’m ever stuck for something to write about, this is the place to go!

The Writing Calendar Sally Quilford has put together a calendar of Writing Competitions…..a great resource :o)

That’s it! I would have nominated Sandra’s Place but we don’t want her to get too big headed now do we 😉

Edited to add…… Oh, go on then…..Sandra gets a nomination for the link above, so my list is actually 7 😉

Again, thank you Sandra, I feel very honoured 🙂

Thinking About 2012

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Vikki Thompson

New Year Resolutions….or in my world, New Year Goals 😉

I’m the kind of person who always has so much she wants to do in life lol, just never enough time, money, energy and determination to do it all lol.

So I guess 2012 will be no different to any other year in that regard 😉 I always look forward to a New Year, it feels like a fresh start, a time where we can wipe the slate clean and begin new projects, change things…..but with that also brings the whole concept of failure 😦

I don’t like failure…..nasty, horrible word, and yes, I know all the proverbs and mottos that say its all about taking part, or practice, and picking yourself back up again.

This year I’ve decided to divide my goals up into categories (I don’t like calling them resolutions)….. Me, Writing and Home in the hopes that rather than write an endless list, I can just have a complete set of goals under each heading. So here goes, the official 2012 goals list 😉

ME
In 2012 I want to lose weight and get fit 🙂 I want to have a healthy diet, walk more and look after myself a little bit more. Perhaps even cut down on the fags *shock horror gasp – where did that come from?* I want to cook nice meals, healthy meals, and not have so many take aways lol. Go to the gym at least 3 times a week, and go out, 1 day a week for an adventure. To explore the world, see things and experience stuff 🙂

WRITING
I want to continue writing every day. Enter competitions, submit work to publications. I want to join another writing group (I do actually miss my involvement with The Mermaids the support of it) and enrol on some kind of play writing course, an avenue I’d really like to explore. Use Judy Reeves book everyday and my Mslexia Diary 🙂

HOME
My house is a mess 😦 Seriously! I really haven’t taken care of it over the last few years (for various reasons I won’t go into). It needs a thorough clean and tidy, the garden is a jungle and I’ve got crap everywhere that I don’t know what to do with. Downsizing seemed like a good idea at the time, but you can’t fit the contents of a shoe box into a match box can you? Hell, I haven’t even put my summer clothes away, and my winter boots are still in a black bag in the loft 😦

So there we have it! My New Years ~~Resolutions~~ Goals for 2012 🙂 Of course, 1 that should be listed above but isn’t is write my Blog every day but hey, that goes without saying and anyway, i started it in 2011 😉