Day 18: Enjoying the process

So I've begun again. I really, really want to start from the beginning again, but I'm trying not to. I've figured out a better villain, a better way of executing the story... and yet I did say I was going to finish this 'zero' draft. Oh well. I have 12 days and then I can start the entire process again!

The beauty of coming back to the novel is that in the time that I've been working on my own issues and work problems, I've seen some beautiful things that I can now include in it. The snow has set in at the Lake District, so what was once green and brown is now completely white. All the trees are bare and the other night a lovely fog came in. You couldn't see for more than a metre in front of you. It was just stunning, albeit cold.

I've written about 1000 words more so far, and I know I have to catch up a lot more. My plan is to wait until my flatmates aren't in. They are great and really supportive but I can't seem to concentrate while they are in. It doesn't help that they have bought some great movies I've yet to see (and really want to as well!), or that I need to clean my room a little and get rid of the excess so that I can really get focused. I would love a proper writing place, but there's no room. So hopefully in the next few days I'll really get up to date and power on through.

xx

Starting again, in the middle

It's been a long time between posts, and that's just not right. So I apologise. My life has taken a strange turn.

I've been job-hunting and it seems that I may have to move on from the place I found so beautiful in order to get that. Things seem a little awkward and almost hostile at my workplace, which is never nice, and so I've been trying to get my life together. It's not a bad thing though - just a great way of finding a new foundation to build upon.

That said, from tomorrow onwards I will be completing the 30 days of novel writing. Technically it's still 30 days worth of writing - I just had to leave it for a while. And I know that NaNoWriMo has ended but this is about me finishing something. It's always been about that. So I am going to finish this novel over the next 12 days, edit it, and re-edit it until it becomes my masterpiece. As I re-edit, I'll be posting chapters online. My hope is to have a manuscript to give to publishers by March 2011.

Thank you for your support so far and I'll post an update tomorrow :) xx

Another hiatus...

I've been real slack on the writing front. So many things have come up - I've been to the Mind Body Spirit festival in Manchester, had to rework a recording that has been messing about a lot, and I've been told that my hours at work have been cut down because of the slowing down before christmas.

It's not a bad thing: it's made me feel more invigorated about finding another job. I was feeling down about possibly looking at leaving - the money wasn't really helping me out with rent or repayments, and I was starting to feel sick about going in, which should have been a sign for me to call it quits then and there. It's certainly given me hope in being able to mould my life better so that I can fit in my writing, the workshops I'd like to offer, and some time for me. But until I can find the job that suits - which should be soon - I'll be on hiatus.

However I will be coming back to document the completion of my novel draft in what would be 30 days (in total, without the hiatus). So when I come back I'll start from Day 18.

Sorry about this and hopefully I'll get to writing a new word count post next week :)

Cynth xx

Day 17: Daily word count reached

I've managed to get back into writing at least 1670 words daily (hitting 1671 today... yay!). Yesterday's writing marathon killed the part of my brain that normally works for creativity, sucking it dry and spitting it out so that I could admire it's disgusting transfiguration. However I kept writing, even though most of it was crap, just to get me past the line.

My villain is shaping up now, and is a very sadistic, cold hearted villain if I may say so myself. Reminding me slightly of the White Witch in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, but much more menacing, I feel the villain has a good point to make. I like those types - the ones you can empathise with and understand how they came to whatever conclusion they have. It makes them human, but also makes you question whether or not you agree with them. One movie that did that brilliantly was Batman Begins, where Ra's Al Ghul and Batman both have the same goal: to cleanse the world of the evil it has created and been corrupted with, and starting fresh. The difference is only in the approach. Ra's Al Ghul wants to destroy Gotham in order to cleanse it of evil, because corruption has gotten to the core of every person there. Batman wants to show them how to save themselves. Who's to say which one is right or wrong?

I'm now realising that I've forgotten to include a whole lot of scenes where two of my characters start to develop an infatuation with each other, which would make the ending that is in my head actually make sense. So I have this sneaking suspicion that I might finish writing early, and quickly go back and include those scenes. I do like them together, though they aren't really together. It's one of those spider web things... will probably have to write it down for my edits.

Now, it's after midnight, and even though I have candles still burning, I may have to blow them out and say goodnight. xx

Day 16: Struggling to write 5819 words

So to get back on track yet again, I had to force myself to write 5819 words. This has brought me back to a 1667 daily word count goal, which I can make less if I write more tomorrow. But it also means that I've reached 26,670 words in total. Ah I feel so much better.

It's pretty late at the moment (1.05am) but the writing was worth it. Will blog a better post about everything tomorrow. Just really chuffed now that I got up to date!!

xx

Day 14 and 15: Still on mini sabbatical

The last few days made me reach the depths of exhaustion that I haven't known for quite some time. Because of NaNoWriMo taking up half of my night time, and work taking up most of my day time, my sleep time has been erratic at best and non-existent at worst. So I ended up resting for a total of 3 days instead of 1. This means that I've now got the responsibility to reach 6668 words today, my day off.

But there were some treasures in leaving the novel for a few days.

1. I attended a Shamanism workshop, which was much more revealing than I thought it would be. The workshop (which took place on Day 14) involved discussion on journeying to other realms, in particular the basic shamanic realms of the Upper World, Middle World and Lower World. It was a great opportunity to gain new insights into what I am currently writing and to somewhat experience it first hand. I've only ever journeyed a few times in my life and the workshop reminded me that it was such a necessary part in my own development. My power animal turned out to be a spider, which is all about weaving the web of life and of creativity. Spider has been a big part of my life for many years - there have been times when I've had one crawl over me, a few living in my room (just cobweb ones, not anything dangerous) or falling onto me trying to get attention. She also seems to be writing herself into the book! It wasn't until this journey that I confirmed what I knew deep inside. I've also gotten insight into why I'm so attracted to all things dreams and death, and why I've always connected with the rugged landscapes of western Ireland and the UK. So now I've got some proper ammo to continue on my novel's journey, and my own one too!
2. Dreamtime has been active, and I have a few more ideas for the dream sequences, especially since my main character Mira is heading into that world now to save some people. It's provided me with a good foundation for a world unlike our own.
3. I've been making editing notes. No, not editing the novel but writing down where I want it to go when I revisit it at the end to edit. It means that there's going to be a lot thrown out, but there are going to be some new interesting bits woven into it (man I am really channelling Spider energy now!).
4. My travels are starting to produce interesting insights that are making their way into my novel. My travels, which started off as just a holiday and have ended up being a Pilgrimage or Imramma of sorts, has started to reveal it's lessons and it's changing how the novel is being written.

I know how it's going to end and who is pulling the strings, and to what end they will be pulled. These things I would not have come to had I not taken the time off to experience other things. So I guess that's the most important thing in this entire post:

If you write about life, take time out to experience it as well.

Day 13: Taking a break

I've decided that tonight I'm going to take a break from writing and just write double tomorrow evening. There are a few reasons, one of which is I got into a long conversation with my sis over the phone for her bday (HAPPY BDAY CHANTELLE!) and also because I'm attending a Shamanism workshop tomorrow and I have to get up early. I feel there's a proper reason for it to be delayed, but I won't know for sure until tomorrow evening...

So, until then... ta-ta! xx