Traditionally, I avoid reading fiction during October and November, because when my brain is lost for words, it’s easy to end with a slight (or more obvious) copy of aspects if they are too familiar, too recently read. However, this …
Preparing for #NaNoWriMo
This is my 9th year of attempting National Novel Writing Month. It’s the 10th of November, and last night’s aim was 15,000 words. My total, as of midnight last night was 14,372. So I am not far off. I can generally …
NaNoWriMo 2018 :: Final Tips for October
So, this week marks the beginning of our 50,000-words-in-30-days challenge. Are we ready? Who knows. Here’s a quick checklist I’m going through this weekend… Food -> I have 3 packets of my motivational-food-of-choice: caramel digestive biscuits. I have dried fruit and …
Some Thoughts on The Inspirational Muse and Scheduled Plans
When hanging out with other writers, you soon learn that the “rules” of writing are pretty variable. Some people talk of the importance of routine and consistency. Others talk of writing in terms of inspiration which strikes when it fancies. …
Energy and Anticipation
I began focusing on my wordcount in 2014, aiming for at least 100,000 new words of fiction written across the year. The aim of this was to keep my creative brain moving: to keep progress moving steadily forward. I found …
Level-Up! Essence of Green :: December 2017 & Annual Review
“And the world keeps turning, sun keeps burning… We are the lost and found.” January – March The year began in a difficult fashion. We saw a dying relative in hospital, celebrated 10 years together, and attended the relative’s funeral. Some …