Back to the Book

It's Wednesday. I have done no writing since the weekend. I'm getting a little antsy about it now. I spent all day yesterday in London learning all about the Law, 'I am the law' lol always wanted to say that. Very interesting it was. I'd say its not my first choice of career path but it's a career for me none the less, unless I end up like JK Rowling that is. I figure that whatever I do it in life be it exciting or just plain dull its always something I can turn into a good maybe even groundbreaking (I wish) piece of literature. Anyway its back to the novel for me tonight. I know I keep saying it but I mean it this time. Short stories are on hold until I get to at least 20%. Saying that I still have a law folder to work through, shorthand to practice, books to read, clothes to iron (yeah right!) You know the drill. No excuses though. The book will take precedence for the time being. You may not hear from me for a little while as I hang my head in shame at how behind I am compared to everyone else!

War Child

If you're reading this and for some crazy reason don't recognise what the above picture is all about then make sure you click on it. If you're a blog owner and you can or have written something below 1,500 words fitting the theme 'You're not the only one' then you definitely don't want to ignore this. If you still haven't clicked on it then make sure you email your submission by 9th March (this had already been extended so get writing). If you do get your submission included in the book then you have to buy it. And hey if you don't then buy it anyway! It'll only cost £9, that's less than a dodgy takeaway from the local curry house.

I just posted my piece for War Child. Its a shorty and I like those. I doubt it'll make it in there but its not about getting published for my own benefit. Not this time. I hope it proves to be of use to them and well it did make my mum chuckle when she read it! Does anyone know if you can post more than one piece? If I find the time this weekend I'll work on something new for it.

Hoorah!

Just a quick post before I stare at the backs of my eyelids for the next 8 hours. I have just sent my entry for the 5photo story comp. V. excited. I now have 2 stories 'out there'.

This just came throught my door!!

It's payday on Friday and I just received my Waterstones Card. I feel a very heavy paperbacky shopping spree acomin'!

I have booked today off work to get some writing done. In the last hour I have worked a fair bit on my 5 photo short story (which is nearly finished, I just need to fight the urge to stop thinking of new ideas for it, damn that one entry only limit), sorted through the post, made coffee and eaten 2 rich tea biscuits and 4 chocolate hobknobs, made coffee and now written most of my blog! All that and its only 11 o'clock. At my paid job I probably wouldn't have managed half that.

I would have been up even earlier but last night was a work night out. We had a visitor from our Belgian Office who coincidently is one of my main characters so it doubled up as novel research for me. I think it is true that a writer is never off duty!

I must not make the reader feel sick!

I did a lot of work yesterday on my novel and I have noticed that not only am I not being descriptive enough but my chapters are way too long and have too much going on in them. Not just in comparison to The Domestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella (which I am using as a reference point). There is just way too much going on in general. Too many characters and settings and not enough description. Its enough to make the reader feel dizzy. So now I know where I am going wrong I can start on it again. I have missed it a lot but I haven't given up the ghost. I have also been busy with my short story writing which I am loving. I've told one of my story ideas to three people. 1 who keeps pestering me to finish it so she can read it in full, the other who doesn't really get it as I explained the ending already and so has thrown him off, and the other who thinks its a great idea and likened me to one of her favourite writers which I was quite pleased with. I just have to finish it now. There are so many works in progress on my lap top right now and I would love the time to spend with them equally but the bills need paying as do a lot of IT contractors zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz anyway enough about my job already. I am taking a well earned couple of days off next week which will be spent writing.

Make sure you dont miss this

I've just been to see Juno. What a great film. It wasn't side splittingly funny or anything but it was witty and clever. Ellen Page is great in it and sounds like she knows what shes talking about. I loved it when she used the word Expedientially and it sounded so natural, not at all pretentious.

On the writing side of things I have made a start on making notes on The Domestic Goddess. I have done the first 2 chapters so far and despite being quite short you learn a lot about the character. My chapters don't really give too much away and they are even shorter.
I also have a word count of 287 for my short story (1st line comp) and I'm really pleased with what I have written so far. I made a start on a story for the 5-photo comp but I'm not sure if I will make that one as I've just realised the closing date is the 1st March. I might put Cally's theory on last minute writing to the test!

Little Miss Impatient

I'm quite tired today as last night I couldn't sleep. Thats the problem on only having a 2 day weekend. You are up early for work Friday so therefore you go out saturday night. Then you spend half of Sunday asleep and you can't sleep Sunday Night. The three day weekend has my vote. Anyway something good came out of my lack of sleep. I shot up and grabbed my writing folder (yes I still have it) and managed to write out a whole page of stuff on my entry for the First Line short story competition. Its quite eerie for me which I like. I'm used to writing chick lit and never thought I could do any other genres. I would love to be able to write a good thriller, maybe its an avenue for me afterall. Anyways its back the novel today as I have not done anything with it for a looong time. I seem to be whizzing through my chapters too quickly. That's me Miss Impatient! I've taken out The Domestic Goddess to read again and I will take note of how descriptive it is.