When It's The Last Thing You Want To Do

Sitting myself at my desk to edit today has been a proper effort.  It's been a long (but good!) day at work and all I really want to do is vegetate in front of the TV.

Ahem!

We all have days when writing is the last thing you want to do.  You just want to put it to the side and give in to your weariness.  Sometimes you have to, other times you have to stand up and make the effort.

I've got a mantra.  It goes something like "get up, edit, get it done, find an agent, get published, feel accomplished".

Sometimes, no matter how tired you are, there's no excuse.  Sit yourself down and work.  It won't finish itself!

Any excuse for some late 90s pop ;)

First Target, and Coming Soon!

I have successfully cut 10,000 words from my manuscript.  Another 5,000 and it will finally be within YA word limits.

I'm beating it into shape!

And yes, novels have word limits.  Check this really helpful post at The Swivet to see how your work compares.

It might sound crazy to cut so many words and still have so many to go, but it's for the best.  Padding out a plot slows everything down and bores the reader.  I've removed entire chapters and made plenty of cuts through sentence restructuring.  I'm aiming for the 75,000 mark by the end of this draft, but I'll settle for anything below 80,000.

And... COMING SOON!

I'm going to have a series of posts next week about getting started.  Hand-writing scenes, starting on a computer, where to write, when to write etc... If there's anything in particular you'd like me to address, please leave a comment!

Sunday Inspiration

Apologies for not posting an exercise yesterday.  I was having a lovely evening with friends.  Rest assured it will be posted next week!

Sunday has come upon us again.  Today's inspiration is coming from Windsor Castle.  There was a garden, not for the public, and I felt so inspired by its beauty.

There is a fantasy or historical novel begging to be written

Hope everyone's had a creative week!

I HATE IT!

Don't worry if you hate your manuscript.  I kind of hate mine at the moment.  I get this burning, tight feeling in my chest (no, not an asthma attack! Thankfully my manuscript doesn't induce those!) and all I want to do is abandon all efforts and indulge in Goldeneye on the Wii.

Thankfully, I have not done this... well, okay, I haven't done it permanently.  I always go back!

Let your hate motivate you.  Rewrite it and make it better.  And if you hate it, chances are it's for a good reason.  CUT!

This old Honda advert sums it up perfectly.

(please don't blame me if this gets stuck in your head)

Happy Friday!

Deadlines

I want to set myself a deadline: finish this edit by June 22^nd. Why then? I'm flying out to the US on the 23^rd and staying there for a month. I want to stick my manuscript on my ebook reader and read it over during my Transatlantic flight.

The problem with deadlines is sometimes you don't reach them and it can be disheartening.  However, deadlines are also really motivating and hitting them feels great! I like drawing lines through things I've done.  It makes my day job a lot easier and my writing too.

How do you feel about deadlines?

Midweek Motivator

I sang this when playing Rock Band with my brothers.... okay, sang is the wrong word.  Screamed it out at the top of my lungs.  It's awesome.

Enjoy!

RTW: And the most inspiring person is...

Today's Road Trip Wednesday question at YA Highway is "Who in your life has most inspired your writing?"

For me, there isn't single person but rather a group of people who, whether they've realised or not, have helped me on my way.

So, instead of an Ode to one person, have a list:

My mum and my granddad for reading to me before I could read myself.  Hearing stories from a very young age helped.  I now read to my nursery children, hoping to inspire them in the same way.

My teachers who taught me to read in infant school.

My year six teacher who knew I wanted to be a writer and, in a card he gave me on my last day, wrote "I can't wait to read your first novel!" (Mr Batstone, I hope you're still waiting!)

Philip Pullman, for writing Northern Lights.

My year eight English teacher, who I had again in sixth form, for reading a story I wrote.  Miss Dent, you're a legend!

The friends I made through writing who continue to support me.

I really hope one day, by being published, these people (except my old granddad, but maybe he could see the future!) will be able to see how much they've inspired me.

Dialogue

When you write dialogue, do you create an accent or do you keep things grammatically correct?

Dialogue should offer a sense of character.  How you do this is up to you.  Anyone who's read Dickens will know he goes to great lengths to spell things phonetically when creating accents for characters of lower class.  It certainly makes you focus on what's being said because you need to really pick words apart to realise what's being said.  Sometimes it works, other times it becomes cliched and very tiresome.

I think gentle touches are the way to go.  Slang is good, and I love to read slang from other cultures (and confuse non-Brits with ours :P).  If you've got an angry character, you can show it through snappy, harsh words and words not being properly finished.  A dreamy character may ramble a bit.  Maybe your character is nervous and stutters.  Maybe they're drunk and slurring.  Consider experimenting with dialogue! How they speak and the words they use can help create a personality.

I've experimented with phonetic speech and got really fed up with it because it's hard to keep it up.  I'm all about little touches here and there.  Imagine if I wrote every blog post phonetically!  You'd all get fed up, coz I dun' auways say my "t's" an' I only use "g's" at the end words if I'm typin' 'um.

Recycling

Had to cut a scene you really love but know doesn't belong?

Don't delete it! Recycle it!

I don't think that's too bad for someone who hasn't taken geography since 2000

If the scene has potential to enter another story, hold onto it.  Even if you only keep the slightest hint of the original idea, holding onto the inspiring scene could prove useful.

I've recycled a few locations.  I loved the mental pictures I had, but when the story changed, the locations no longer worked in their original format.  A few tweaks and they slipped nicely into my current manuscript, even though their function is completely different.

Sunday Inspiration

(I have spent all day at my desk editing.  I've cut out another thousand words and earned myself a banging headache! BUT THIS HAS BEEN A SUCCESSFUL DAY)

Need some inspiration today?

Amazing piece of music.  Enjoy!

Meanwhile, I'm off to soak this headache away in a hot bath.  Happy writing everyone!

Work Goes On

Hooray! The Rapture did not bring a premature end to my dreams of becoming a published author!

Saturday Exercises - The End of the World Edition

So, here's the truth, I *love* post-apocalyptic stories.  I'm currently addicted to The Walking Dead and cannot wait for new episodes.  Meanwhile, I shall consider getting my hands on the comics.

And then I heard all about the imminent end of the world on the BBC.

If this is the last post I make, it's been fun everyone! Cheers for reading!

As such, I thought it'd be fun to offer an exercise based on the end of the world.  Ready?

You and a group of five others are the only survivors of an apocalyptic event of your choice (zombies, woo!).  You've got an hour to escape your town/city/village/hamlet/office block/school/university campus/wherever before a mysterious army destroys everything!!!! How will you get out? What will you do afterwards? What's happening to society? HOW LONG CAN YOU SURVIVE?!?!

I'm ready to take down the undead. (Photo by Laura Kitto)

Have fun!

Point of View

When I start writing, I never consciously think "I will use third person limited" or "this has to be first-person perspective." I start with whatever feels best and run with it.  Third person limited is my mainstay because it suits the plots I have and the way my imagination works, but I have played around with the first person and enjoyed it.  I think first person is extremely difficult to get right but it's such a great way to get into a character's head.

There are a few ways to tell your story.  If you're not sure, here's the Official Miss Cole Guide to Perspectives!

It's okay to be in total awe of my artistic talents

First Person: The main character is the narrator.  The "I" style! I've read multiple first person perspectives and they can work, but there are to be a clear break between each character so the reader doesn't get lost.

Third Person Omniscient: The narrator, usually the author who may even address the reader directly (Hello, Charles Dickens!), knows all.  Characters are all refered to with names... although if your narrator is an omniscient deity, I guess you could have first person omniscient.  Anyway! Fun to write but sometimes hard to read.  I finished a book last night using this perspective and even the central character got lost under the mound of things I didn't need to know.  However, it can be used extremely well. It's all about striking the right balance.  If you want to write this, think of yourself as a camera, starting with an establishing shot and zooming in on the people and places the action will focus on.

Third Person Limited: (AKA Subjective) The story comes from the perspective of one character but uses names rather than "I".  I find it frees me up more than first person because I can borrow a little from the omniscient when setting the scene without sounding forced and unnatural (because I firmly believe first person must sound like a train of thought) and I can also step away from my character and show reactions of others from a more neutral position.  Again, multiple characters can be used but clear breaks are essential.

Third Person Objective: The plot without the emotional depth because the story is told without going into the characters.  I can't say much about it because I don't think I've read or written anything like it.

Second Person: "You".  I've read some really amazing second person stories and it will throw you deeper into a character than any other perspective.  I like to think of it as the first person perspective addressing itself, rather than the first person talking to their perceived audience (the reader).  It's very intimate and very, very, very good for character-driven work.  I really enjoy it, and once you get started, you'll find it'll flow quite easily. 

There are also books written from the "We" perspective (I have no idea what it's called) and it's quite an interesting idea to have a group of people reflecting on one person or a huge event.  Then there's epistolary perspective which is the letter writing format.  I quite like that too.

So yes, there are lots of ways to frame the way your story is told.  If you find you're getting stuck, try changing it.  My problem was having two narrators.  It didn't work because one was too dull to carry the plot.  If you're using two or more narrators in third person limited (and think very carefully before using more than three, because it could get hard to keep track of everyone), make sure you don't wander off into another character's head without making an obvious chapter or scene break.

What's your favourite style?

Imagination Adaptation

I am extremely lucky to work in childcare and spend every day remembering what it was like to get completely caught up in imaginative play as a child.  The children declare themselves to be superheroes (Ben 10, Batman and Spider-Man are extremely popular with my 3-4 year old boys), and off they go, shouting "I'll rescue you!" and all manner of sound-effects.  It's wonderful to watch children learn through play and it's one of the best parts of my day job.

My day job also involved completing enough assessments to fill this file....

Do you remember how you used to play as a child? Different worlds appeared before your eyes and you threw yourself into them as though they were real life.

I like to think being a writer is an extension of my childhood play.  All the energy I used to put into play I now channel into creating worlds with words.  I'm creating my own heroes and villains and having a lot of fun.  There's one idea I've had since the age of nine I might be able to do something with one day.  It's always been there, slowly cooking.

What are your best memories of childhood games? Are you writing a story taken directly from childhood play?

Midweek Motivator

I've been editing a fight scene today, and here's what I listened to as I worked:

I know, I know, this is a song about dancing with your enemies avoiding fights, but it's got such a good beat!

RTW: Rewards!

Today's YA Highway Road Trip Wednesday question is all about the rewards you give yourself when you achieve your goals.  If you don't treat yourself, I think it's important you do because it's really motivating!

Here are the Rewards I have yet to earn:

Getting an agent - going for breakfast in a particular restaurant in my hometown
Getting published - in all honesty, I haven't thought of what I'll do ^^; Suggestions?

When I finished my manuscript's first draft, I rewarded myself with some yummy cupcakes from an amazing bakery in town.   When I finish typing up my first round of edits, I'll be having another one (or two).

At the moment, I'm in the habit of editing a chapter a day and then relaxing with a videogame.  Editing is proving to be extremely draining because the old stuff is so dodgy.

I also enjoy treating myself every, ooooh, ten words to:

Teaaaaaa ^________^

Today's treat? The season finale of NCIS: Los Angeles.

Midweek motivator coming later!

What I Really Really Want

....must resist urge to post Wannabe by the Spice Girls...

Sometimes I indulge myself and write exactly what I want even though it will never ever be published.  Last night I read something I wrote when I was thirteen and even though it's awful, I still remember how much fun I had writing it.

When you start thinking about getting published, writing can become a chore because you've got to get it done and start the hunt for an agent.  I think it's so important to take time out from your "serious" writing and have fun! I used to write fanfiction, but now I write snapshots or scenes that may or may not become something original and publishable someday.  Taking time out from my manuscript helps me not tear it to shreds during the editing phase too!

Relax and remind yourself writing doesn't always have to be hard work. However you do it, have fun!

...I have zero self-control...

Sunday Inspiration

For some reason, May becomes my Survival Horror month and I replay the entire Resident Evil videogame series.  It all stems from May 1998, the first time I played Resident Evil 2.  Now, as I drift off into nostalgia, allow yourselves to be inspired by a variety of the Resident Evil soundtracks...

...And this atmospheric photo.

Very brooding.

Also broody...

The title for that is "Wreckage of the Mad Experiment".  Perfect fit.

Chilling.

I wrote a snippet of a horror last weekend.  I don't know if it'll go any further, but the idea is there.  I do believe I have a horror novel or two inside me, waiting to break out.  I hope today's choices inspire you too!

Saturday Exercises - In the Lift

This is a great exercise you can use one of two ways: to create a whole new character or to check your lead characters aren't too similar to yourself.

Imagine you are trapped in a lift, or an elevator if that's your preferred term, with one other person.  You can add to the situation if you like, but you have to be stuck.

If you are using this to create a new character, pick a gender and create someone as unlike you as possible.  Then, start conversing with them so you can explore how they react to the situation.  Try to keep it different to your reactions, but remember different doesn't mean bad - you don't have to create a bully.  You may find the character develops quickly and starts taking on completely different aspects to those you planned. No worries! Let the character lead you. 

If you are using this with an existing character, strike up a conversation with said character. Are you getting on so well there's no chance of conflict? Are you screaming at each other? The idea is you and your character, especially your main character, should be different enough so something happens.  Me? I use the emergency phone and patiently wait for help while attempting to make conversation with lots of random and ultimately pointless nonsense.  My character? Tells me to shut up and rescues herself.  No, you and your lead don't have to argue, but it's not good if the two of you are both you.  If you find you and your characters are too similar, throw in a few changes.

Now, as I don't have a picture of a lift/elevator, I thought I'd share a video from the most terrifying videogame I've ever played, Silent Hill 2.  If this ever happens to me, I'll be in the corner of the lift weeping like a baby.  I'll take living through Resident Evil over Silent Hill ANY DAY!

Any Silent Hill fans around?

Let me know how you get on with the exercise!

Learning to Let Go

So, as I was doing the ironing, I had a revelation.  Housework is good for thinking stuff over and clearing up problems!

I've been editing a chapter I've come to hate, and I've realised I hate it because it's so slow and completely unnecessary.  It's the last part of my novel that has clung on since the original version, and I held onto it because... well, I'm not really sure why.  But reading over it, despite the parts I do like, it's mostly pointless and only serves to slow everything down.

I'm taking it out but keeping it in a separate file.  What does work may be useful later on.  Hopefully the story will now run better and feel a little less like I missed a gear and everything crunched and shrieked and what do you mean I must not be a very good driver?

Add!

(Yesterday's post has reappeared, hooray!)

First draft editing involves lots and lots of deleting, but it also involves adding a lot of new material.  Most of the time, I wrote new material onto my draft where it needed to go.  Sometimes, I had so much to put in, I had to leave notes to self in my manuscript and write new sections elsewhere. 

What I deleted still outweighs what I'm putting in.  It'll be really interesting to compare my word counts.  Here's hoping I can cut at least 15,000 words...

*gulp*

I'm looking forward to printing out my second draft and reading over it to see if the new additions work.  I'll be focusing more on plot issues in the second read through.

So far, editing feels much harder than actually writing!

Cut!

Editing is about lots of things.  Deleting, rewriting, adding in, shifting stuff around.  There's a lot to do.

Here's my experience of scribbling out lots and lots and lots of words.

As I edited, there were parts I absolutely loved that turned out to be obsolete.  The red pen got to work erasing everything.  I'm keeping deleted scenes on my computer because they could work elsewhere in the trilogy.

There were sections that didn't work because of earlier changes.  This is when a notebook with lots of reminders came in really useful! I adapted what I could and deleted plenty that I couldn't.

Mostly I deleted crazy amounts of unnecessary words.  The older the work, the wordier it was.  I considered myself to be a to-the-point writer... yeah, not so much.  I'll give you an example taken from my manuscript:

The darkness rushed in, shadows creeping over every surface became Shadows crept in. 

The original sentence doesn't even make sense! How can something rush and creep at the same time? ARGH! I kept "crept" because I think it adds to the tension of the scene.

That's probably one of the better examples.  My ego can't handle sharing anything worse.

Although I've had to cut things I like, I'm really relishing it because every cut means my manuscript is becoming less of a draft and more of the real thing.

The journey continues...

It's a lovely path I'm walking right now!

Midweek Motivator!

I was watching T-Mobile's flashmob video the other day, and one particularly awesome song stood out as a perfect Midweek Motivator...

Power ballad WIN!

A Writer's Self-Esteem

While editing, my self-esteem took a few knocks.  Parts of it need so much work, I really started to doubt myself.  Terrible sentence structures, plot-holes, irregularities... I started to forget the pride I felt at getting over the first hurdle.

On other blogs you see so many people being so successful, and every published book you read is an author's success story, and I kept thinking "this isn't good enough, what am I doing?"

But I didn't give up, because I have to write.  And no matter how frustrated I got, I never got bored, which has to be a good sign! There are parts that shine and what's wrong is fixable.  It's really reassuring.  First drafts are supposed to be rubbish because it's all about getting the idea out.  Think of it as an unmade bed: it's a right old mess when you kick off the covers and get up, but once it's made, it's tidy and everything is where it belongs.


I think everyone suffers a few knocks to their self-confidence during the first edit.  Never compare yourself to another writer because you're a completely different person.  I constantly remind myself every published book started out as a rough draft.  Writing might be fun, but it's also a lot of hard work.

I can't fix everything over night.  It's going to take time, patience and a lot of careful thinking. 

But it will be done and I won't let my self-doubt conquer me.  And yes, I can still feel the pride of completing a first draft while accepting weeks, if not months, of work needs to be done.

Things I Have Learned About Editing - Part One

Yesterday I finished my first round of edits! Hooray!

Editing has been an interesting experience, and as I'm not finished yet, I figured I'd best title this as "Part One" because who knows what other lessons I've got to learn.

Lots of my early pages look like this:

Rubbish quality, but the sea of RED stands out!

So, here's what I currently know about editing:

1. It's really exciting!
2. There are parts of my manuscript so unbelievably awful, I doubt it'll ever be good enough.
3. BUT! Knowing I can fix those mistakes and make everything awesome feels great.
4. Editing reveals plot holes. I had two. Throw me a rope!
5. Editing is hard, time-consuming work. I have one page out of 269 with no edits. ONE! And technically it doesn't count 'cause it's the last page and it only has 8 lines.
6. You start uncovering lots of your really bad habits. My characters turn around so much they'd get whiplash.
7. One read through won't be enough.
8. Cutting out lots of words was very easy...
9. ...but I've got a lot to put in too.
10. The opening line is very hard to get right. I'm still working on it.
11. Using colours to separate types of edits helps my eyes pick up on everything.
12. Taking breaks is essential. Too tired to carry on? Stop and pick it up another time.

How do you find editing? Please share your stories and any advice!

Sunday Inspiration

Bluebell woods in England are amazing.  You step into the trees and there's a carpet of blue as far as you can see.

Strolling around there made for an extremely peaceful morning.

There are a few more photos on my Flickr if you're interested.  Link on the right!

Fancy some chilled out music to go with your imagination's woodland stroll?

Lovely.

Happy Sunday writing!

Saturday Exercises - Write the Music!

This is a great writer's block buster.

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about telling a photo's story.  Today, I'll share another of my favourite methods: writing music.

Not literally.  I don't mean compose the next 1812 Overture.  I mean listen to a piece of music, get a feel for it, then tell the story. Whatever the music feels like it's telling you, write that story.

I use music a lot when I write, finding music to suit scenes or characters, but this exercise is a slightly different way of doing it.  Instead of using the music to boost an existing idea, this exercise is all about turning notes into words.  It's a great way to get started or warm up if you've been struggling.

Here's a few suggestions for you all:

I love this one.  So haunting. (Ten <3!)

It starts off so mellow... ;)

Such a powerful song.  Love it.  Oh, the stories it will help you tell...

Hope this exercise helps!

If you have any exercise requests, feel free to ask!

The Stories I Will Write

I like to think I have a little oven in my head where my ideas slowly cook.  I know I've got a horror story in me, and something set in an alternate world based on a variety of my historical interests.  Neither of these are my current new project.  I don't have enough to start writing yet, but I know those ideas are there, gradually growing.

My ideas, baked to perfection (thanks, Marks and Spencers Chocolate Cake!)

How about you? Do you have one idea at a time or do you have others quietly brewing?

The Importance of Ritual

My writing ritual adapts as I move through the stages.  While I'm in my handwriting stage, I need my fountain pen and one notebook per story.  iPod is essential.

In my typing up stage, I still use music but I also start having DVDs or TV programmes on in the background as noise. 

I like peace and quiet during my pen-to-paper editing when I really need to concentrate.  Red pens for edits, black pens for notes and a highlighter to make chapters.

Tea is essential.  English breakfast is my favourite blend.

And yes, I admit it, I have a Starbucks Habit.  If it's unprofessional of me to write in a coffee shop, well, I'm not published yet ;)

In store or on the go! Hot chocolate please!

Arvon Competition!

The Arvon Foundation host writing holidays in the English countryside and they are having a competition until May 21st offering a place on one of their courses.

WOW!

Here are the details

It doesn't specify global limitations, so I assume it's open to all providing you can get to the location.

*gets to work!*

Midweek Motivator

I think this will help us all power through today's writing!

When You're Worn Out

What do you do when you feel too worn out to write?

WRITE ANYWAY, WEAKLING!

...Or, you could be honest with yourself, take the break you need, and trust yourself to return to your work when you're ready.  I used to feel so guilty if I took a day off because I was so afraid I wouldn't start again.  Realising I could trust myself to resume writing and stopping didn't mean quitting was a huge relief!

If it's a break of a day or so, go for a clean break and don't write at all.  Watch films, read, play videogames, just do something that isn't writing so you have a chance to relax.  If it's a longer break, like weeks or months, keep up the habit of scribbling notes down every so often to tick over. 

Everyone gets burnt-out, so never take it as a sign you should never write ever again. I know people say "writing is a business so treat it like a job and work work work" and I think that's true.  However! We all take sick days from our pay-the-bills jobs occasionally.  Can't we treat creative burnout like a sick day? I think so. Take some time off to recover!

Diet Cole + Sushi = Great Day Off!

How do you like to spend your days off?

Almost, But Not Quite...

So I didn't quite manage to finish my first edit, although I'm a lot closer than I was on Thursday.  I neglected to factor in spending Saturday in Windsor and therefore not editing at all.  The loss of that day set me back a bit...

Took some cool photos though!

Windsor Castle.  Talk about inspiring!

I'm cool with not quite making it.  It would've been awesome, but it's not like I haven't achieved a lot (I've nearly killed a second red pen).  I'm coming to the end of the first major edit and though there are parts so bad they're cringe-inducing, most of it is working well and will work better once I've tweaked and rewritten as necessary.

188 pages down, 81 to go.

Sunday Inspiration

I'm still so completely in love with the Royal Wedding! The romance and joy of it warms my heart.  It was a beautiful occasion.

As such, today's inspiration is coming from it!

Photography by Hugo Burnand.  More here! Yes, the Monarchy have their own Flickr account.

I hope you're all inspired to create epic romantic masterpieces now!