Something a little different…

I don’t know how I stumbled across author Rachel Aaron’s blog but her post 12 days of glory got me thinking…and thinking. By nature, I am a very fast writer and able to churn out a first draft in 6 weeks. I also don’t like to plan that much, but I have a feeling I’m going to inject a little bit more attention in that department in the future! Especially since my first ever ‘serious revision’ is opening my eyes to the benefits of research and planning. Interesting to see how the muse will take it, but I have the feeling it is up to the challenge.

Before I plunge/drown/die back into the grueling revision journey in April I plan on creating something new to keep my creative juices flowing rather than in a slumbering hiatus. I’m also going to use this opportunity as an experiment to try something different.  I am going to attempt to plot the entire book (as much as I can without killing my muse anyway) and keep count of my daily word count, writing hours, location so I can see how productive this creature really is.  I am also (fingers crossed) going to make this manuscript the cleanest written one yet. Ambitious I know, but this project is giving my a little happy high. Why people do drugs I have no idea. 

Writing a first draft in 12 days sounds insane, but clearly doable if one isn’t submerged to the neck in an intensive acting course as well. But this post has opened my eyes to the benefits of keeping track of your productivity and that is something I hope to embrace with this story.

So hello plotting, how do you do? I like your shoes. 

Love and light xx

 

A Muse Date

My muse has been a bit quiet lately and that in general is a bad sign, a very, very bad sign. Warning bells normally go up at this stage because it means that the essence of my soul is wilting away (not to be melodramatic or anything). Normally  I can catch these signs early because creative creatures such as I tend to take these frustrations out on their significant other, or cat, but I don’t have a cat. Back to my point, since I relocated to another country in a different hemisphere to pursue other creative projects all by myself I don’t have anyone to be pissed off at, annoyed with or damn right emotional with. Honestly, people who date such creative creatures need a trophy of some sort, like really, even I wouldn’t want to date me when in those moods. So what I’m trying to say here is that I didn’t realise that my constant naps, grumpiness and general lack of motivation to do anything is my way of saying ‘Hello!!! CREATIVE CREATURE INSIDE IS DYING!’ Again, apologies for the melodrama, I blame the capslock.

Still dubious that this was the problem I took myself, laptop and notebook (oh and that sulking muse) with me to the nearest coffee shop and just scribbled and looked up past forgotten scraps of writing which was surprisingly good (for mere scraps), Next think I know hours and I mean hours passed without me realising and I am in a bubble of pure bliss. Sigh. The creative juices are flowing.

What can I say? That date with my muse sparked a much needed idea so I have something to work on until I am able to plunge fully into revision land (Early April). I almost forgot what it felt like when an amazing story idea engulfs all your senses at the same time.

Therefore, I have decided to do things a little differently this time and post tidbits of my progress as I go along so I’m not just living in my head such as word count and deadlines. I also decided to go completely crazy and let someone actually read it which goes against my rule of not allowing anyone within breathing distance of my first draft. There’s still time to retract that offer so we’ll see. The plan to this madness is to desensitize  me to the nervousness that will inevitably follow when I send soon-to-be-revised manuscript to a trusted reader/writer friend to look over. I’m already getting heart palpitations at the thought… (must find cat to get me through such times).

So the novel planning awaits…as much as a seat-of-your-pants writer can plan anyway.

Love and light

🙂

“It takes courage to be a writer. Courage to face yourself, work through your demons & make your art.”

-Terry Rossio

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2012 (an oh-so-original blog title)

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2012 is suiting you nicely like the perfect pair of shoes. A pair of shoes that makes you feel empowered and in charge of the direction you are carving in your life…a pair that you will take off at the end of the year and say ‘What a wonderful journey, we did it, we wrote all those words, we bled on the pages and showed it to the world.’ Well, that’s where I hope my shoes will be taking me.

This year I decided to do my goal setting a little differently, I actually wrote out a thorough month-to-month plan of attack of what I want to achieve writing wise. I have no doubt in my mind that I will hit all these targets too…they are manageable and working towards my ultimate goals of having a polished manuscript ready to send out to agents!

I’m a strong believer of writing down yours goals and putting them up where you can see them. That way your year won’t be summed up like a forgotten gym memebership if you know what I mean?

So for those of you that haven’t died of shock that I am blogging so soon since my previous post I would like to list the top 5 writing goals I plan to accomplish in 2012.

1. Revise Project_Graveyard  and submit it
2. Write a collection of short stories or a novella to sell as an ebook. Every single dollar earned will be going towards charity. Since pursing acting training I haven’t financially been in a position to give back to the world. I believe my muse gifted me with this idea so I have new stories to write on the side as I tackle the revision process of my manuscript…and all in the name of charity. Isn’t it a cheeky little thing?
3. Participate in NaNoWriMo this year. I did 2 years ago and absolutely loved the community and lots of amazing discoveries have been spawned since then. I have to admit, it gives me a kind of high too.
4. Submit to a short story competition
5. maintain a regular blog! (Yes the last one makes me laugh too…I believe this one will be the most challenging)

Time is not free. It is a precious commodity in ones life and that is why it is worth fighting for.  So break a leg…and a finger or two.

Love and Light xx

                                                               

“No one can read a book that’s in your head!” Anita Heiss 

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meperdienmiuniverso/