Well, I met a fellow bookcrosser last Friday, which was quite interesting. We swapped one book each between ourselves and then released a few in the wild. She has had a "catch" from one of hers, but it seems i had a very near miss. The girl whgo picked up her book, actually found mine first but had already read it so left it there. Ah, so near and yet so far.
Last night I left a Terry Pratchett in a bar, while we were watching a tribute band called Crowded Scouse. Unfortunately the sound was pretty bad, couldn't hear the singer very well, so we didn't stay till the end.
Tonight I am having a meal with all my ex work colleagues. I left in November but they are such a good bunch that I get invited to everything still. I even went to 2 free Christmas lunches!" Very generous. I wonder what book I can offload tonight!!!
Last weekend we met our friends' new baby, she was very cute and despite her numerous attempts to have a screaming fit while i was holding her, I managed to keep the dummy in her mouth fairly well and all remained calm.
Well hopefully i will return in a month's time having been most productive on the writing front, rather than just not getting round to blogging. I think the key is to not go onto the internet while I'm at the keyboard so I don't get distracted from my task!
Back in a month!!
Friday, January 27, 2006
the weekend novelist
Hmmm, seems like the "40 days to more imaginative writing" has fallen by the wayside! I did manage to get to Day 4, but the mammoth task of making a list of everyone I had every met in my life felt a bit overwhelming and I just couldn't get round to it!
BUT... I now have 2 more writing books. The first one should take you through the process of writing a novel in a year by just working at weekends. This one is unsurprisingly called "The weekend novelist". I started to read that but in the meantime heard about the National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. This happens every year in November where thousands of people sign up to the challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This amounts to 1667 words per day. At the end of the month you submit your work for word count verification. However, with it presently being January, I have kind of missed the boat this time round. But, there is a book called No Plot, No Problem written by the guy who runs nanowrimo. So you can basically do the challenge whenever you like. And the great thing is, you focus all your time on trying to get 50,000 words written that you write and write anything you like just to get a first draft. Making it any good comes later. I am DEFINATELY going to have a go at this. He suggests starting on the 1st of a month, so next Wednesday is it then. May start Monday seeing as there are only 28 days in Feb so i need to make up 2 days, it's only fair.
I have also made an agreement with a friend of mine, (this was before I got No Plot..) that I will have written one chapter by the 1st April and he will have written a song (these are both first drafts). If I turn up with a 50,000 word novel, he's gonna be spitting feathers!! Hahaha!!! I need to do a couple of preparatory things suggested in the book before I start and then off I go, all guns blazing! Watch this space!!!
BUT... I now have 2 more writing books. The first one should take you through the process of writing a novel in a year by just working at weekends. This one is unsurprisingly called "The weekend novelist". I started to read that but in the meantime heard about the National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo. This happens every year in November where thousands of people sign up to the challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This amounts to 1667 words per day. At the end of the month you submit your work for word count verification. However, with it presently being January, I have kind of missed the boat this time round. But, there is a book called No Plot, No Problem written by the guy who runs nanowrimo. So you can basically do the challenge whenever you like. And the great thing is, you focus all your time on trying to get 50,000 words written that you write and write anything you like just to get a first draft. Making it any good comes later. I am DEFINATELY going to have a go at this. He suggests starting on the 1st of a month, so next Wednesday is it then. May start Monday seeing as there are only 28 days in Feb so i need to make up 2 days, it's only fair.
I have also made an agreement with a friend of mine, (this was before I got No Plot..) that I will have written one chapter by the 1st April and he will have written a song (these are both first drafts). If I turn up with a 50,000 word novel, he's gonna be spitting feathers!! Hahaha!!! I need to do a couple of preparatory things suggested in the book before I start and then off I go, all guns blazing! Watch this space!!!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Fat dog Mendoza
My poor dog is officially fat! He went to the vet last week and the vet said he was too heavy, so we have to cut down the amount of food we give him. Poor old fella, he's 14 now, with a grey beard and deaf as a post. Why can't he just get old gracefully? He's certainly not going to lose the weight through exercise, he starts dragging his heels after about ten minutes these days, but then who doesn't? Cutting down on his dinner means I can still sneak him a treat every now and again tho'.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Bookcrossing obsessed!
This has taken over my life! I am constantly checking www.bookcrossing.com to see if anyone found my books and somehow I didn't get an email to tell me. I guess the novelty will wear off soon and one day I'll get an email about a book I had totally forgotten about.
As of this morning I have released 6 books "in the wild". A 7th one was sent to a known person who very kindly did leave me a journal entry, and joined as a new bookcrosser themselves. I hope I haven't turned them into an obsessive too!
I wonder if someone has found one of my books and will leave an entry when they have finished reading it, rather than straight away. Of course, more than likely it has been found by someone with no interest in the internet or who just doesn't want to journal it. It's a risk you take in leaving your books behind. It is a bit disheartening though.
As of this morning I have released 6 books "in the wild". A 7th one was sent to a known person who very kindly did leave me a journal entry, and joined as a new bookcrosser themselves. I hope I haven't turned them into an obsessive too!
I wonder if someone has found one of my books and will leave an entry when they have finished reading it, rather than straight away. Of course, more than likely it has been found by someone with no interest in the internet or who just doesn't want to journal it. It's a risk you take in leaving your books behind. It is a bit disheartening though.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
First entry
Oooh, this is all new to me...
Well hi, this is my first post on my first blog, not sure what it will all lead to. The title of my blog kind of indicates I would like big things to happen from here onwards. The purpose of the blog is to get me into the habit of writing regularly, with the goal of getting a children's book written and published in the future. I am just starting out on a fledgling writing career, having recently stopped working full-time. I have an idea, I just need to make it happen. I have a book that will give me an exercise to do every day for 40 days, to stimulate my creativity. Yesterday I did Exercise 1, write for 10 minutes starting with "When I write, I...." Hmmm, what would you come up with?
This won't just be a blog about my attempts to write, how boring would that be? There should be all kinds of random ramblings as time goes on.
My recent discovery has been book crossing. Have a look at www.bookcrossing.com for more info. It is extremely addictive, if you love books and reading. You register books you own on the site and they get a unique tracking number. When you have finished the book and don't want to keep it, you release it in a public place for someone else to find. Hopefully they will log onto the website and leave you a message to say they found your book, what they think of it and where they are sending it next. If you are very lucky you can follow your book's travels all around the world. So, next time you are in a coffee shop, on a bus or train, sitting in the park, keep your eyes peeled, you may find a book "in the wild".
Well I think that's enough for my first attempt, I'm off to complete Exercise 2. Wish me luck!
Dee
Well hi, this is my first post on my first blog, not sure what it will all lead to. The title of my blog kind of indicates I would like big things to happen from here onwards. The purpose of the blog is to get me into the habit of writing regularly, with the goal of getting a children's book written and published in the future. I am just starting out on a fledgling writing career, having recently stopped working full-time. I have an idea, I just need to make it happen. I have a book that will give me an exercise to do every day for 40 days, to stimulate my creativity. Yesterday I did Exercise 1, write for 10 minutes starting with "When I write, I...." Hmmm, what would you come up with?
This won't just be a blog about my attempts to write, how boring would that be? There should be all kinds of random ramblings as time goes on.
My recent discovery has been book crossing. Have a look at www.bookcrossing.com for more info. It is extremely addictive, if you love books and reading. You register books you own on the site and they get a unique tracking number. When you have finished the book and don't want to keep it, you release it in a public place for someone else to find. Hopefully they will log onto the website and leave you a message to say they found your book, what they think of it and where they are sending it next. If you are very lucky you can follow your book's travels all around the world. So, next time you are in a coffee shop, on a bus or train, sitting in the park, keep your eyes peeled, you may find a book "in the wild".
Well I think that's enough for my first attempt, I'm off to complete Exercise 2. Wish me luck!
Dee
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