Yes Yes Yes

50,791 words written since the beginning of November.

Jumping The Shark?

I had an Eureka moment this morning. I was sitting in the bath (how appropriate) mulling over my NaNoWriMo dilemma (see previous post)and trying to work out of I could write my characters out of their rut. I was just at the point where the goose pimples were beginning to form as an idea popped into my head, a stupid ridiculous idea that would make even the creators of the 24 amnesia plot blush, but still.

Six Characters In Seach of

I am still plugging on with NaNoWriMo and have written just over 32,000 words. Which amazes me. If I want to make it through I have just over a week to write 18,000 words, or just about 2,000 words a day. Doesn't sound much does it but "there lies the rub". To all those writers out there who have ever commented that their "characters wrote themselves" at which I used to laugh hysterically, I'm sorry. I believe you now. Somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000 words my characters staged a rebellion, took over the keyboard and began to write themselves. Well why don't you just sit back and relax and let them finish you may ask? The bloody idiots have written themselves into a nice little plothole with no visible means of escape and are looking at me in the same way Oliver used to look at Stan, "here's another nice mess you've gotten me into".

Eight things...

Inspired by Belle I thought I'd have a go.

Eight things I am passionate about:

1. Reading
2. Wine
3. Fairness
4. Literacy
5. Ceramics
6. Peace
7. The environment
8. Human rights

Eight things I want to do before I die:

1. Travel around the world - I want to go everywhere!
2. Write a novel
3. Graduate
4. Move to the country
5. Swim with dolphins
6. Find and inspire love
7. Become a published writer
8. Become fearless

Eight things I say often:

1. Get a grip
2. What's the problem
3. Mine's a large one..
4. Oh for fucks sake..
5. Why?
6. I don't know, but I'll find out
7. It'll be OK because it has to be
8. That leaves us some wiggle room

Eight books I have read recently:

1. Death of a Red Heroine - Qiu Xiaolong
2. A Masculine Ending - Joan Smith
3. Kairos - Barbara Smith
4. Stardust - Neil Gaiman
5. Persuasion - Jane Austen
6. No Name - Wilkie Collins
7. Point of Departure -James Cameron
8. Making Money - Terry Pratchett

Eight songs I could listen to over and over

1. Just Like Heaven - The Cure
2. Serene - Throwing Muses
3. Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles
4. Primary - The Cure
5. Bright Side of the Road - Van Morrison
6. Heart Shaped Box - Nirvana
7. New Year's Prayer - Jeff Buckley
8. All Tomorrow's Parties - Velvet Underground

Eight things that attract me to friends

1. Laughter
2. A sense of the absurd
3. Eccentricity
4. The ability to talk at length about absolutely anything
5. Loyalty
6. A passion for the thins they love
7. Integrity
8. Endless patience

Reading

I love to read. If you know me you will already know this as I always have a book with me, if you have visited my home you will know that every room is stuffed to the gills with books, so stuffed that even I am beginning to feel that I am teetering on the edge of having too many books, if that is a possibility. I am a reader and I love talking about the books I have read and hearing about books my friends have loved reading. I will read almost anything, or at least give it a try and can count the number of books I have abandoned reading halfway through on the fingers of one hand. I am a reader and have been known to happily sit down and read the yellow pages or a dictionary if there was nothing else around to read. Reading is my solace, my escape, my education, my entertainment. Whatever I read has to fit my mood, sometimes I am in the mood for a piece of light and fluffy fiction, or a gruesome murder mystery, or a piece of non-fiction, it doesn't matter as long as the writing captures my attention. I am a reader. But I am not a book lover. Don't get me wrong I love books and I can't ever see myself reading through choice from a computer screen as nothing beats the sensory experience of picking up a book and feeling its weight in my hand, experiencing the colours and design of the cover and its particular aroma. I am a reader. I may appreciate the cover and binding of a book in the same way that I might admire the beautiful cup that holds my coffee or the glass that holds my wine, but you can only look for so long before taking a sip. I am a reader.

Hmmm

For all those who are asking, here is a short extract from the NaNoWriMo work in progress, I make no claims as to its worth or even coherence as this is the novel writing equivalent of going for the world land speed record and I am definitely speeding over those salt flats without a seat belt right now. So here goes with a very small extract from yesterday's efforts.

'Go see your son, he's supposed to be sleeping'.

Of course he wasn't, he was standing up in his cot looking fretfully through the bars, starting to wail the moment he saw me. I picked him up and he smiled at me through his tears, reaching out for the half-eaten carrot stick in my hand, which he sniffed at before throwing it to the floor. He snuggled down into my arms, his clear blue eyes blinking up as me as I sniffed in his fresh, innocent smell and suddenly all the fears I had held at bay over the last few days came flooding through. If this all went wrong I wouldn't be able to protect him, to keep him safe and secure, possibly not even be a father to him again. His fingers reached out for mine and gripping them tight he sighed contentedly as the tears rolled gently down my cheeks. His regular breathing calmed my fears as he softly slipped into sleep. I tenderly placed him back in his cot, and as he rolled reaching for his bear I pulled the covers over him and kissed him goodnight.

Oh yes and I am still slightly ahead of schedule with 8,360 words under my belt.

Artistic Moi?

Case sensitive who writes narcissistic navel-gazing has asked me if I have produced anything at my ceramics class that I use/display? Well I have never produced anything useful at class and as for display, well there are odd lumpen ceramic objects stuck on various shelves around my home for visitors to admire, which strangely they never do, suspect that they are scared that they may be given said lumpen object, rest assured I like my friends far to much to do that. So, in the spirit of sharing my friend's pain, here is a photo of my latest creation, which may or may not have survived its initial firing, I'll find out on Friday.


I am also a writer, I can say that as I am taking part in NaNoWriMo, and have undertaken to write a 50,000 word novel in November, which means aiming to write around 1667 words each day. This is my first year and it seemed like a really good idea when I signed up at the beginning of October, but now I am not so sure! The good news is that at the moment I am more or less on track having written 6,876 words as of last night, leaving 43,124 words to my goal, what have I done?