Inspired by Kevin Musgrove I thought I'd bring you one of my favourite pieces of music. It was the first single I ever bought, back in the days when hardly anyone could afford to buy a whole album.
I'd like to say that my musical taste was always up to this standard. Just imagine it is, OK?
The original video was removed by YouTube for copyright problems. This podbean is based on an mp3 that I bought.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Looking back causes gangrene
I was reading some writing advice from Carol Clarke when the phrase "Looking back causes gangrene" hit me. I wish I could write like that.
She's advising writers to get a first draft down and not expect to get it right the first time. How many times do I need to read that before I do it? Maybe I should go back and read some more before I do any more writing. I'm not procrastinating, honest.
Oh, and to all my buddies in the US: Happy Thanksgiving!
She's advising writers to get a first draft down and not expect to get it right the first time. How many times do I need to read that before I do it? Maybe I should go back and read some more before I do any more writing. I'm not procrastinating, honest.
Oh, and to all my buddies in the US: Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Stopped.
It's odd that since I stopped doing Nano I haven't written anything. A whole week of not writing! Natalie should have swapped with me: I could have gone a month without writing and she could have written a novel for me.
I suppose that was the point of Nano for me though: to get me writing again when I've lost the urge. I enjoy producing something that wouldn't have existed otherwise but it's hard to get going.
Maybe I need to try something much smaller for a change. That might be more manageable.
I suppose that was the point of Nano for me though: to get me writing again when I've lost the urge. I enjoy producing something that wouldn't have existed otherwise but it's hard to get going.
Maybe I need to try something much smaller for a change. That might be more manageable.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
No more Nano
I knew it was going to be tough this year and I didn't think I could make it. Well, I haven't.
I went to see Bill Bailey at the weekend, which was great by the way, but the trouble is that I'm still recovering. I haven't written since Sunday and as I can only manage 2,500 on my best day there's no way I can catch up now.
I have more than half a story written though. I think my best bet is to take what I've got and edit it into a short story. That way I'll have got something tangible out of it. At least I've got plenty to edit and some of it is fun.
Every time I do it I learn more about the way I write. This year I learnt that I can get over writer's block by not being so linear and writing the next bit I know how to do and then going back and filling bits in.
I think my next major learning needs to be how to write a decent plot. It's all good.
Good luck to everyone who's still doing it! And good luck to Geoff while your human is busy writing.
I went to see Bill Bailey at the weekend, which was great by the way, but the trouble is that I'm still recovering. I haven't written since Sunday and as I can only manage 2,500 on my best day there's no way I can catch up now.
I have more than half a story written though. I think my best bet is to take what I've got and edit it into a short story. That way I'll have got something tangible out of it. At least I've got plenty to edit and some of it is fun.
Every time I do it I learn more about the way I write. This year I learnt that I can get over writer's block by not being so linear and writing the next bit I know how to do and then going back and filling bits in.
I think my next major learning needs to be how to write a decent plot. It's all good.
Good luck to everyone who's still doing it! And good luck to Geoff while your human is busy writing.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Real life gets in the way of writing
I got my hearing aid turned up today, which is good. On the other hand, it's half an hour's drive each way to get it done and that's enough to tire me out these days. So I only wrote 900 words today.
Tomorrow I'm going to see Bill Bailey with my husband, my boys and their other halves. So I won't get much done this weekend but it will be fun.
I managed four 2k+ word days this week so it's not all bad on the writing front.
Tomorrow I'm going to see Bill Bailey with my husband, my boys and their other halves. So I won't get much done this weekend but it will be fun.
I managed four 2k+ word days this week so it's not all bad on the writing front.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Rate this post
If you want to know about the little tick boxes that have appeared under all my posts then you might like to go and look at Polenth's Quill which is where I found out about them. Polenth's explanation about how to insert them in a Blogger blog is much better than anything I could write.
I'm not sure if I'll keep them. I think it depends on whether anyone uses them.
I'm not sure if I'll keep them. I think it depends on whether anyone uses them.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Write or die!
If anyone is struggling to keep going during Nano, you might like to try Write or Die. Using this program* you write for a specified time or number of words and if you stop writing there are consequences, ranging from nagging pop-up boxes to irritating songs or in Kamikaze mode loss of words.
It's a bit of fun but I prefer to keep myself going by updating my progress spreadsheet every 300 words. (Or every 50 words if things are going badly.)
*The funny little semi-transparent window at the top of the Write or Die page is the actual application.
It's a bit of fun but I prefer to keep myself going by updating my progress spreadsheet every 300 words. (Or every 50 words if things are going badly.)
*The funny little semi-transparent window at the top of the Write or Die page is the actual application.
Lying about my age.
I am 29 years old. That's not a lie, it's the truth, but we are talking Martian years here.
I found my age through a now sadly defunct website.
I'm tempted to use it to lie about my age. Except that no one is going to believe me.
I found my age through a now sadly defunct website. I'm tempted to use it to lie about my age. Except that no one is going to believe me.
