Feeling like I’ve grown

I managed another writing session today. There’s something about the Sun that seems to make me more productive! I’m sure I’m not the only one, but when that silky sunshine is raining down I feel like I can conquer the world, one book at a time!

Last week I was on half-term and managed a whopping 4,225-word frenzy. I started today’s session by re-reading that chunk and I feel that it’s relatively secure in terms of moving the story on and introducing a little of the back story to the reader. After tweaking it a little (and noticing some missed words – the brain does like to see order and can miss things like that so easily!) I felt as though it should be a new chapter, so began chapter 3.

I’ve always disliked trying to describe parties. I mean, people can imagine what a party is like, but everyone has a slightly different view, so trying to get across exactly the right “vibe” of the party you’re describing can be difficult. Plus, I have the difficulty of trying to give my party a futuristic twist. No mean feat when you’ve not actually been to the future. Perhaps I should ask Marty McFly?

Today’s word count was 1,678 which isn’t, I feel, too bad. However, it’s about 2,000 short of what I wanted to write; if I’m aiming for an 80,000-word manuscript then at 4,000 words-a-week it’ll take me 20 weeks. That sounds about right, as I’ll want to get my manuscript off to an agent in July, because I’m assuming they’ll want to meet me once they’ve agreed to take the book on (hey, I’m allowed to dream) and by the end of July I’ll be on summer holidays (hurrah!) so can meet my to-be agent on a beautiful summer’s day for a nice cup of coffee at Starbucks (where else?) and a chat.

So less than 2,000 words today is not impressive. At this rate it’ll be a year before I’m finished and I’ll have squandered all my hard-earned cash on lattes, panini and cakes at my local coffee shop and/or Starbucks. Which will be very tasty and enjoyable, but no good for my waistline or my wallet.

I suppose the only good thing is that my book is currently in its third chapter, as well as a prologue, and is currently at nearly 11,000 words. I feel as though I’m developing as a writer; I can remember chapters of my first book, The Sillow Orb, being short and feeling the book needed more to feel like a “real” book, whereas this time, I am anxious to actually writing the historical part of the book but keep finding more things to write about in the future. The book feels slightly out of my control and seems to be writing itself, if that isn’t too much of a cliché.

The answer, I suppose, is that the book will be finished when it’s good and ready, and not before. While I sit and think about the historical part and how it’s all going to fit together, my brain is developing the future and my fingers fleshing out a semi-decent book.

Now, if only I could get my brain and fingers to work a bit harder, the whole thing might be finished before the summer after all. Perhaps another latte will help…

Starbucks and writing… Part 4

I’m lying. I didn’t go to Starbucks today. Sorry to the big, multi-national company but today an independent won. Why? They serve better lunches. I was just in the mood for a BLT panini and a can of Fanta, know what I mean? 

No matter if you choose something global or a little closer to home, coffee shops are definitely my favourite place to write. Today’s stint was about 4 hours; that included lunch, two coffees and the desired can of fizzy pop. It also included 4,225 words, which is possibly the most I’ve written in one session for some time. Bless the couple who run that coffee shop, they never said a word about me being there that long, although for some reason I did feel the need to make some lame joke about how I’d better pay the bill “before I’ve been here all day – whoops, I already have!” (Very cringe-worthy of me.)

As I sat there for longer and longer, I was increasingly interested in why I felt the need to sit there. I had no longing to be back in my flat on the uncomfortable desk chair (one of those interesting-looking kneeling contraptions) but I couldn’t quite place my finger on why. Perhaps it’s because I’m fascinated by the people who share the space with me, both customers and staff, coming and going, having conversations, living lives. I love being able to overhear conversations, even when they’re in Chinese! The ebb and flow of a conversation can be almost mesmerising. Perhaps it’s to do with the general atmosphere of a coffee shop, some people popping in to grab a take away, some people coming on their own for a quick lunch, some people coming in pairs or small groups and sharing time together.

It felt good today, for whatever reason. When I can catch these quick opportunities for a coffee-shop-write, usually in the school holidays, they really lift me up. Just for a few hours I feel like a real writer, spending their days writing, reading, editing. It’s the kind of life I aspire to, although I know there’s a lot more to being an author than that! But for those days when I’m getting a book down, not to be worried about “real life” just seems like bliss.

The new book is going great guns and the whole series possibly has a new title, thanks to a discussion with the other half earlier. I can see the book on bookshop shelves as I type! But that is the future. For now, the present is…writing!

Task Twelve: The Name of the Game

Gosh, it’s really raining today. Not just a little light drizzle, but a proper, full-on bucketing down. The only thing that’s lacking is a thunderstorm. What’s the point of it raining so beautifully if you don’t have some lovely loud crashes for added atmosphere? Thanks to the rain, I haven’t taken my laptop out to Starbucks for some writing time. Instead, I drove to the local supermarket that has a Starbucks and got myself a takeout. So I’m home, drinking my vanilla latte and thinking about the lack of rainy-day atmosphere.

Anyway, onto today’s task! It’s all about finding fitting names for your characters and involves a game that everyone can play, even you at home! Take a piece of paper and draw a line lengthways down the middle to make two columns. Now, think of the names of people you know or have heard of and put the first name in the left column and the last name in the right column. Then cut the paper in half and hey presto! You have an instant selection of names to choose from and can work on putting different ones together that sound just right for one of your characters.

For my own book, The Sillow Orb, I chose a name for my main character that is a part of me. Marissa is a name my parents thought about when choosing my own name. Boddington is a family name. So her name came into existence very easily and I really feel as though I have an affinity with her. Other characters in my books are named after people I am friends with, not because they are particularly like that character, but I find it helps to ground my characters in some sense of familiarity so they don’t feel like complete strangers!

*

Here are my two lists, with first and last names chosen for no real reason and written in no particular order!

Andrea                                         Barnes

Graham                                        Hewson

Lauren                                          Hinds

Lynne                                           Banes

Malcolm                                      Kay

Joanna                                         Hankin

Naomi                                          Madsen

Ellie                                               Hinchliffe

Shannon                                      Rivett

Anita                                             Steinkamp

Louise                                           Roberts

Tierah                                           Sentance

Leanne                                          Olding

May                                               Ferguson

Linda                                             Steffen

I quite like the sound of some of these mixed-up names! How about Linda Olding? Or Malcolm Kay sounds like an interesting guy! May Madsen sounds like her story is just waiting to be told.

So have some fun with names today!

(Tasks are taken from The Five-Minute Writer by Margret Geraghty.)