Zighing with relief ...

OK, so I know technically this isn't a proper Z word but this letter is tricky, especially finding something writing related.

I'm pleased to have completed this challenge, in a round-about way anyway. I know I was late on a few occasions and I did go for a two-in-one option at one point but I've just about scraped through with it. I'm kind of glad that's over now though, hence the zigh with relief.

I'm much more comfortable with my blogging now and think I'll be able to post every few days now without much trouble. It's nice not to have the pressure of blogging every day.

My intention is to keep posts on how my writing is going along with things I've written, what I'm reading at the moment and now and again I might throw in something else that I like to pass the time with.

Thanks for listening, well reading :-)

Yet another late post ...

So, this is the penultimate post then of the A-Z Challenge 2012. The month just seems to have flown by. I have definitely taken much more from this event than just the satisfaction of completing it.

I have discovered some wonderful blogs out there, so many different voices with a huge variety of topics. I've acquired some new followers, who I really want to thank for dropping by and liking my ramblings enough to stay for more.

I've looked at enough blogs now to know how I want to improve my own, with features and new tools for networking. Special thanks to The Masquerade Crew for pointing me in that direction.

I've also gained a lot more confidence with my blogging. It's a bit nervy when you first start, worrying if anyone is actually interested or whether you're just sending messages to empty space. Either way I'm happy, it's just somewhere for me to get my worries and wonderings out of my system so I can progress with my writing.

I really think this will be a boost to my writing confidence too. In fact, watch this space as I will be putting up one of my stories for you this time next week. Eek!

X ray still pending ...

It's been a frustrating few weeks for me.  I've had the odd bout of RSI over the last few years, but mostly it's only lasted a couple of days and then after a weekends rest it goes away.
Not this time though, I'm now going into week 8 of this episode.

The pain conecntrates around my thumb of my right hand, both in the muscle at the base and all along the digit.  I can just about type without too much discomfort, especially when I wear my brace, but writing by hand is totally out of the question.  If I wear my brace it looks like my 3 year olds writing, if I don't wear it my hand cramps up in  pain.
The pain also seems to be migrating up and along my arm almost as far as my shoulder.  It makes lots of every day activities very difficult and painful.  It's the writing that I'm the most frustrated with though.
I used to keep a daily, handwritten journal, but there's no way I can do that now.  I can barely write two lines.  I look at people admiringly now when I see them scribbling away, it's something that I love doing but can't.  When I'm at the development stage of a story I much prefer jotting things down on paper, having thought diagrams for everything often with lines and arrows all over the place.  I just can't achieve the same effect using the laptop.

I endeavour though, my writing is one of the few precious things keeping me sane at the moment.  I've seen the doctor and the occupational therapist and am currently waiting for an x ray and to see orthopaedic triage.  Unfortunately it could be up to two weeks just to get the appointment through.

Lovely!

Vampires and Werewolves ...is there still room for more?

OK, so I know I’m cheating a little here by combining V and W together, but after rushing my daughter to the doctors this week with breathing difficulties, which is about as much stress and anguish as I can handle,  I’m not feeling too bad about missing one evening.

I’m really thinking about the whole Vampire v Werewolf scenario and just wondering if there is really any room left for any new variants on either theme.  There are so many books and/or movies that come to mind, Buffy/Angel, Twilight, Underworld, True Blood, Vampire Diaries, to name but a few.  Is this an area that has been done to death, as it were?

I very much enjoy a good vampire and werewolf story, and many are adapted for different audiences.  The Twilight saga is very definitely for the teen market whereas True Blood is a bit more grown up (at least the TV show is!). 

At some point I think I’d be interested in writing something along these lines, I’ll have to get creative though and put an even newer spin on it.  Either that or go back to the classics.  Bram Stoker’s Dracula is still the best.

Unable to concentrate

I am now back at work after having a week off, and I am finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on what I’m supposed to be doing.

I work in a science lab but I have RSI at the moment so I’ve been relegated to the office writing all day.  This may sound alright but it really isn’t the kind of writing I’d rather be doing.  I’m supposed to be doing proper work right now but I just cannot get focused enough to get on.

My mind keeps wondering to all kinds of story ideas, ideas for my blog, wondering whether I should try article writing, online freelance writing, anything really that’s writing of some sort.

Unfortunately I have access to the internet on my work computer which means I have a lot of distractions that I can access.  I’m just not strong enough to resist the temptation either.

Oh well, maybe tomorrow I’ll be able to make a better job of actual work so I can go home and do some real work, he he.

Talking the talk

For the past few days I've been starting to lay the foundations for my novel, finally making progress on the few ideas I've had rattling around in my brain for far too long.

I'm developing the characters so I know exactly who they are, where they come from, how they behave etc. I'm nearly at the point where I can start putting together the first stages of a synopsis.

One component in the life of the protagonist is where she works, which is also quite crucial to the story I want to tell. I haven't established yet just what kind of work she is going to be in, it's something I really need to think about in order for the whole thing to work.

One of my main concerns, once I've found what she does, is making it seem real, authentic, with enough detail to be convincing.

This is going to be one of my first proper pieces of work and as yet I have not ventured too far into the realm of research. I think this is putting me off a little as I'm unsure exactly how to go about the research, and whether people would take me seriously enough to help me, being an amateur and all.

I really want to make sure that the lead knows what she's talking about, talking the talk, and that I can write fully enough to make it convincing.

Any tips or advice on any of this would be greatly welcomed, I'm very aware that this post makes me sound like a true novice.

Saturday? Sunday? Still here!!!

Well I'm only one day late with this one, yay me!  To be honest I'm surprised and pleased with myself for even getting this far.  Usually with a challenge like this I've given up after about a week.  I must be growing as a writer.

I'm becoming much more comfortable with thinking of myself as a writer now, which I think can be half the battle.  If you don't think you're a writer then you're holding yourself back right from the start. 
I feel happy writing stories that I know that I'd like to read myself and I'm not worrying too much about the end product being sold for huge amounts of cash.  If someone else likes it that's fine with me.  I think I may have mentioned this in a previous post and may be at risk of repeating myself a little bit, but it's the truth.

I don't know about you guys but it's not enough for me to actually just think about a 'thing', to really believe in it, to make it real, I find it useful to voice it to others and pass on these thoughts.  There aren't many people I actually talk to in person about my writing ambitions (in fact there's only one and you know who you are ;-)) and so I'm finding this blog truly invaluable for getting this stuff out to people who (hopefully) understand where I'm coming from.

So I thank all of you for bearing with my ramblings and offering support.  It means a lot and I hope I can return the same.  Happy blogging!!!