Hello everyone! It seems an age since I last left a post, seem to have been doing too many things at once!
So I've been looking through some competitions that I've been thinking of entering and they vary in there short story length from the usual 1500-1700 words right down to 250 words. I've been having little brain storming sessions to get some ideas together on what kinds of things I could write about but I find when it comes to actually writing the story I seem to concentrate more on my word count than what I'm actually writing. I know its completely the wrong way to go about doing things but I used to be the same when I did assignments for my degree. First thing I looked at was the word limit and that niggled at the back of my mind the whole time I worked on anything.
I think that I'm going to have to set myelf the task of trying to ignore the word count completely and just write until I'm done, editing down (or up!) to the specified word count once I've finished.
I've found that getting a full and descriptive synopsis helps, I get down most of what I want to happen and then its just a case of filling in the gaps and getting the story to flow nicely.
I wonder what techniques everyone else employs when they start tackling a piece of writing. Through reading different author interviews it seems there are endless ways to do it!
Until next time readers!
H xxx
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Actually looking forward to Monday!!!
I usually look forward to the weekend as a time to relax and unwind and most importantly, forget about anything work related.
I took my 2 year old daughter to the coast as it was the opening weekend at the holiday site where my parents have their caravan in the vain hope that I'd be able to chill out and have a bit of time to enjoy doing nothing. The time away was certainly relaxing, in fact spending some of it on the beach this morning was a welcome change to my normal Sunday morning activities.
As soon as we got home though my stress levels escalated as if to make up for the time that I'd been allowed to relax. My daughter seemed to be possessed by some sort of deaf monster and its been a constant chore to try and get even the downstairs of the house tidy. The fact that England won in the rugby only went a short way to cheering my hassled mood.
I'm now taking a few snatched minutes to get all this down while the dinner cooks, optimistically hoping that it will serve as some sort of therapy to get me through the rest of the evening. I'm thinking that a nice soak in the bath is on the cards and maybe I'll get half an hour to try and get a few words written in a short story I'm working on.
I'm certainly looking forward to tomorrow but it does help that I don't actually work on a Monday I suppose. I have to try and complete my mummy challenge of knocking together a Jessie cowgirl outfit for Red Nose Day (for my daughter I might add, not for me!) and when she has her afternoon nap I'm looking forward to some quality creative time. Here's hoping!
Until next time readers!
H xxx
I took my 2 year old daughter to the coast as it was the opening weekend at the holiday site where my parents have their caravan in the vain hope that I'd be able to chill out and have a bit of time to enjoy doing nothing. The time away was certainly relaxing, in fact spending some of it on the beach this morning was a welcome change to my normal Sunday morning activities.
As soon as we got home though my stress levels escalated as if to make up for the time that I'd been allowed to relax. My daughter seemed to be possessed by some sort of deaf monster and its been a constant chore to try and get even the downstairs of the house tidy. The fact that England won in the rugby only went a short way to cheering my hassled mood.
I'm now taking a few snatched minutes to get all this down while the dinner cooks, optimistically hoping that it will serve as some sort of therapy to get me through the rest of the evening. I'm thinking that a nice soak in the bath is on the cards and maybe I'll get half an hour to try and get a few words written in a short story I'm working on.
I'm certainly looking forward to tomorrow but it does help that I don't actually work on a Monday I suppose. I have to try and complete my mummy challenge of knocking together a Jessie cowgirl outfit for Red Nose Day (for my daughter I might add, not for me!) and when she has her afternoon nap I'm looking forward to some quality creative time. Here's hoping!
Until next time readers!
H xxx
Friday, March 11, 2011
A change is as good as a rest
I have an idea for a novel that I have been working on for quite a while now. So far I have spent a lot of time thinking about the main characters and building up their backgrounds, working out how they all fit with each other in the story and how exactly they will be interacting together. In addition I have been developing the overall story arc as well as the settings where everything is going to take place.
After doing all of this I have a pretty good idea in my mind what the story is about and where I'd like it to go. The trouble is now I've spent so long developing everything I find I don't actually know how to start writing it! For a little while I was a bit put off by this and the thought of progressing any more with it was a daunting one. I was beginning to wonder if I can't actually sit down and convey the story into words, how on earth do I expect to be any good at writing in general.
After some reflection I decided to leave it for a bit and try and work on something else. I've got the bare bones down of what I want to happen so when I return to it picking up the story shouldn't be too difficult.
I started to work on something else, a short story that I can possibly use for a competition I'd like to enter, and lo and behold before I knew it I'd written nearly 1000 words in one sitting! Simply by turning my focus to something new and completely different the creative cogs have started to turn again!
I'll give it another few days while I develop my short story, I'm quite pleased with it so far, and then I'll look at picking up the novel again. Maybe I'll be able to come at it from a fresh perspective and the ideas will just flood out.
Until next time readers!
H xxx
After doing all of this I have a pretty good idea in my mind what the story is about and where I'd like it to go. The trouble is now I've spent so long developing everything I find I don't actually know how to start writing it! For a little while I was a bit put off by this and the thought of progressing any more with it was a daunting one. I was beginning to wonder if I can't actually sit down and convey the story into words, how on earth do I expect to be any good at writing in general.
After some reflection I decided to leave it for a bit and try and work on something else. I've got the bare bones down of what I want to happen so when I return to it picking up the story shouldn't be too difficult.
I started to work on something else, a short story that I can possibly use for a competition I'd like to enter, and lo and behold before I knew it I'd written nearly 1000 words in one sitting! Simply by turning my focus to something new and completely different the creative cogs have started to turn again!
I'll give it another few days while I develop my short story, I'm quite pleased with it so far, and then I'll look at picking up the novel again. Maybe I'll be able to come at it from a fresh perspective and the ideas will just flood out.
Until next time readers!
H xxx
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Why must work insist on getting in the way?
Since starting this blog I've had a lot more enthusiasm for the writing craft and I've actually started to think of myself as an actual writer rather than someone who wants to be.
However, finding the time to actually fit it in is another challenge entirely. There is this one little thing, albeit very annoying, that seems to be a constant barrier and that is my actual work.
I think I didn't leave until 7pm last night and by the time I got home I was extremely tired to say the least and after sorting out some dinner and putting my 2-year-old to bed the last thing I wanted to be doing was sitting down and getting my brain working again.
Nevertheless I managed to get down and do some even if it was only a few hundred words. I was in a bit of a daze though so goodness only knows what I've written. It will make for interesting reviewing later!
This does seem to be a continuing pattern, going to work, getting home, sorting everyone out, sitting down and having a rest, bed. It seems like a vicious cycle at times but I'm trying to push through to the other side and fit in a little bit of writing here and there and plan to gradually build on the amount of time I can commit regularly.
My plan is to set aside at least one hour each evening (easier said than done believe me!) to get something done, whether its brain storming for ideas, writing story drafts or working on my WB assignments and see how much I can fit in each hour. I just have to make sure I don't look about the house too much as I'm bound to find something that needs tidying or cleaning!
I don't know about anyone else but I find the hardest part is actually sitting down and getting my netbook out to do something. I purposefully switch the wireless off so that I have no distractions and can just focus on the work. Its a good plan in theory, I just need to work on putting it in to practice. I'll let you know how I get on with that!
Anyway, back to the grindstone. Lunch is now over and I have to get my brain back into work-mode. Its so much more peacful in creative-mode!
Until next time readers!
H x
However, finding the time to actually fit it in is another challenge entirely. There is this one little thing, albeit very annoying, that seems to be a constant barrier and that is my actual work.
I think I didn't leave until 7pm last night and by the time I got home I was extremely tired to say the least and after sorting out some dinner and putting my 2-year-old to bed the last thing I wanted to be doing was sitting down and getting my brain working again.
Nevertheless I managed to get down and do some even if it was only a few hundred words. I was in a bit of a daze though so goodness only knows what I've written. It will make for interesting reviewing later!
This does seem to be a continuing pattern, going to work, getting home, sorting everyone out, sitting down and having a rest, bed. It seems like a vicious cycle at times but I'm trying to push through to the other side and fit in a little bit of writing here and there and plan to gradually build on the amount of time I can commit regularly.
My plan is to set aside at least one hour each evening (easier said than done believe me!) to get something done, whether its brain storming for ideas, writing story drafts or working on my WB assignments and see how much I can fit in each hour. I just have to make sure I don't look about the house too much as I'm bound to find something that needs tidying or cleaning!
I don't know about anyone else but I find the hardest part is actually sitting down and getting my netbook out to do something. I purposefully switch the wireless off so that I have no distractions and can just focus on the work. Its a good plan in theory, I just need to work on putting it in to practice. I'll let you know how I get on with that!
Anyway, back to the grindstone. Lunch is now over and I have to get my brain back into work-mode. Its so much more peacful in creative-mode!
Until next time readers!
H x
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
My first post!
Hello everyone!
Welcome to my new blog! The premise for my blog is basically a running commentary by me on how my new venture into the world of writing is going. If anyone else out there has been in a similar situation, and I'm betting that most if not all of you have, then you'll appreciate how hard it is to adjust your life and fit in that hobby which you have the most passion for and really want to make a success of.
I'm still in work and have a toddler and a partner to take care of so fitting in time to write anything is quite often a challenge. However, I think that the effort will be worth it in the long run, just to be able to finish stories that I've been thinking about and maybe in time finish that first novel I've had burning at the back of my mind!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading about my perils as a new writer and hopefully I'll have a few successes in the months to come to celebrate with you as well.
Here's to writing!
H xxx
Welcome to my new blog! The premise for my blog is basically a running commentary by me on how my new venture into the world of writing is going. If anyone else out there has been in a similar situation, and I'm betting that most if not all of you have, then you'll appreciate how hard it is to adjust your life and fit in that hobby which you have the most passion for and really want to make a success of.
I'm still in work and have a toddler and a partner to take care of so fitting in time to write anything is quite often a challenge. However, I think that the effort will be worth it in the long run, just to be able to finish stories that I've been thinking about and maybe in time finish that first novel I've had burning at the back of my mind!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading about my perils as a new writer and hopefully I'll have a few successes in the months to come to celebrate with you as well.
Here's to writing!
H xxx
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