Hi folks!
Well I'm gearing myself up for NaNoWriMo now, less than 12hrs to go, eek! I've got a story outlined, I know roughly who the characters are and what the ending is going to be. Once I sat down and started making notes I found the story really took on a life of its on. I'm not quite sure exactly how it's going to begin but I'm hopeful that once I sit down to it tomorrow the words will come poring out. What can I say, I'm an optimist! It's an average of 1667 words a day to reach the magic total so I'll keep you updated as I go.
Another hurdle overcome this week was that I actually submitted a short story for a competition yesterday. It was a ghost story for the Fiction Garden competition, and although I'm not holding my breath for any kind of result it's a personal achievement for me that I actually managed to submit something. Now I've got the first one out of the way the process should become easier. Again, ever the optimist.
I'm really making progress as well with planning my writing now, I have a few different things I'm trying to juggle and find that list making is invaluable. I just have to make sure I keep them altogether so I don't forget anything!
Until next time,
H x
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Monday, 31 October 2011
Monday, 24 October 2011
NaNoWriMo - Have a Go!
Hi folks!
It's been longer than I'd anticipated since my last post. So many things seem to have happened all at once.
My little girl trapped her finger in a door and had to have an operation to have her fingernail put back. That was really the worst thing I've gone through since having her.
The scales then tipped the other way though as I am now engaged! The wedding is in nine months so I'm on the verge of going into full organisational mode.
All I can say is thank goodness for my writing. Whether I'm feeling down or so excited I feel I may explode, writing never fails to ground me and give me something to focus on away from the distractions. It's my very own form of therapy.
I'll have that more than ever in November, something which I'm not sure if I'll cope with yet, as I am taking part in NaNoWriMo for the very first time – that is National Novel Writing Month.
If you've never heard of it before, basically it involves being challenged to write 50000 words in 30 days. You get to work on a novel you've been sitting on for however long and get it (or most of it) written in a month. It doesn't matter if you don't finish the novel, as long as you hit the 50000 word target you have won!
For more information go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/
I am going to get to work this week on my characters and layout then I'll be ready to start come 1st November. I'll probably have plenty to blog about as I get through the month, if I get time that is!, and I'll let you know how I'm getting on. Let me know if you plan to have a go too!
Until next time,
H x
Monday, 10 October 2011
An epiphany moment ...
I have been trying to make a go of writing for the last 2 years and I can't really say that I have achieved very much at all. Yes, it has been hard to find the time with a toddler and a nearly full time job, but to be honest I think these have just been excuses. I've always had the niggle at the back of my mind of 1) is my heart really in this? and 2) am I any good anyway?
Well over the last couple of weeks I think I've finally come up with some answers. Writing has always been the thing that gets pushed aside for other things. It was forgotten while I did my science degree, neglected when I had my daughter, and now I've been considering training to teach I can feel that once again writing will go on the back burner.
What I have failed to realise to myself though, is that this is not what I really want to do. My science job is ok, for the moment. In fact it's brilliant for allowing me time during my working day to explore and make notes for writing projects. And that is really want I want to do. Writing. Lots of it. It's what keeps me sane, knowing I can retreat into my own little worlds.
So my epiphany moment is that I have finally admitted to myself, out loud, that writing is what I want to do. Not science, not teaching. Writing. I'm not sure why I even chose science over English in the first place. I was certainly much better at English, the decision puzzles me even to this day.
You know what they say though, it's never too late. This is one decision I can rectify, even if it does take another ten years to do it!
Until next time,
H x
Well over the last couple of weeks I think I've finally come up with some answers. Writing has always been the thing that gets pushed aside for other things. It was forgotten while I did my science degree, neglected when I had my daughter, and now I've been considering training to teach I can feel that once again writing will go on the back burner.
What I have failed to realise to myself though, is that this is not what I really want to do. My science job is ok, for the moment. In fact it's brilliant for allowing me time during my working day to explore and make notes for writing projects. And that is really want I want to do. Writing. Lots of it. It's what keeps me sane, knowing I can retreat into my own little worlds.
So my epiphany moment is that I have finally admitted to myself, out loud, that writing is what I want to do. Not science, not teaching. Writing. I'm not sure why I even chose science over English in the first place. I was certainly much better at English, the decision puzzles me even to this day.
You know what they say though, it's never too late. This is one decision I can rectify, even if it does take another ten years to do it!
Until next time,
H x
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Changing tactics ...
So I'm trying to get a bit more pro-active about my writing. As well as setting time aside each evening to concentrate on something creative I'm exploring avenues for getting work published.
I have been a subscriber to Writers Magazine for a fair few months now and always look forward to it landing on my doorstep at the beginning of each month. The first thing I do is go straight to the competition pages and see what the topics are. My head then buzzes with plenty of ideas for each one and I mentally plan when I can do them. Unfortunately all of that stays in my head until it gets lost in the ether somewhere seemingly irretrievable. I finally come to try and write something a week before the deadline and all the good ideas I had are nowhere to be seen.
Of course we all know that one week before any deadline is never a good time to start on something. There's no time to leave it and go back to it and reflect.
So I'm adapting my strategy now, and writing down notes for each competition when I first read about them and putting them in order of deadlines.
I am also trying to keep positive when I go past the deadline and I still only have a first draft. In the past I have abandoned stories at this point and they are now all sitting on my laptop waiting to be finished.
So now, instead of thinking they are useless because the competition has passed I am going to finish them and post them on Shortbread Stories. I only have one story on there so far so it will be good to build up my portfolio on the website. At the end of the day, no story is ever wasted; there is always an outlet in some form or other waiting for your submission.
I would highly recommend Writers Magazine, it is full of ideas and tips to help writers. It is certainly boosting my confidence in the writing department and I hope to be submitting my first competition entry soon!
I will keep you posted.
Until next time,
H x
I have been a subscriber to Writers Magazine for a fair few months now and always look forward to it landing on my doorstep at the beginning of each month. The first thing I do is go straight to the competition pages and see what the topics are. My head then buzzes with plenty of ideas for each one and I mentally plan when I can do them. Unfortunately all of that stays in my head until it gets lost in the ether somewhere seemingly irretrievable. I finally come to try and write something a week before the deadline and all the good ideas I had are nowhere to be seen.
Of course we all know that one week before any deadline is never a good time to start on something. There's no time to leave it and go back to it and reflect.
So I'm adapting my strategy now, and writing down notes for each competition when I first read about them and putting them in order of deadlines.
I am also trying to keep positive when I go past the deadline and I still only have a first draft. In the past I have abandoned stories at this point and they are now all sitting on my laptop waiting to be finished.
So now, instead of thinking they are useless because the competition has passed I am going to finish them and post them on Shortbread Stories. I only have one story on there so far so it will be good to build up my portfolio on the website. At the end of the day, no story is ever wasted; there is always an outlet in some form or other waiting for your submission.
I would highly recommend Writers Magazine, it is full of ideas and tips to help writers. It is certainly boosting my confidence in the writing department and I hope to be submitting my first competition entry soon!
I will keep you posted.
Until next time,
H x
Monday, 3 October 2011
Welcome
Hello to all!
Welcome to the first post of my new blog. I am starting to take myself a bit more seriously as a writer and would like to share my journey with anyone that would like to follow.
I had my very first story published on Shortbread Stories not so long ago and this has given me a proper boost as to what I could do with my writing.
I feel I am at a true turning point in my life and I'm throwing myself whole-heartedly into my writing career. Whether or not it will prove to be successful remains to be seen but I am finally ready to fully commit and see where it will take me.
Join me on my journey and hopefully I'll have good news to report, as well as bad of course!
Until next time,
H x
Welcome to the first post of my new blog. I am starting to take myself a bit more seriously as a writer and would like to share my journey with anyone that would like to follow.
I had my very first story published on Shortbread Stories not so long ago and this has given me a proper boost as to what I could do with my writing.
I feel I am at a true turning point in my life and I'm throwing myself whole-heartedly into my writing career. Whether or not it will prove to be successful remains to be seen but I am finally ready to fully commit and see where it will take me.
Join me on my journey and hopefully I'll have good news to report, as well as bad of course!
Until next time,
H x