Had a writing free weekend, visiting friends in Jersey. It was wonderfully relaxing, although I was a bit hungover on Saturday. Spent some time trying to play computer games and generally failing to be any good. I wasn't too bad at Guitar Hero though…
I'd meant to get back to work on the book this evening but went to a screenwriting presentation at Warner Bros. I didn't get back until after 9.00 and what with having dinner and watching the news on TV, time just seems to have slipped away this evening. Had to do some invoicing for the day job and send a couple of email, that's why I'm on the computer, so I thought I'd just quickly update my blog.
Really must sit down to work on the novel tomorrow evening. 1000 words, hopefully more and I'll be well happy.
Cheers.
Monday, 16 March 2009
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Liar's League
Have been writing this evening - hooray!
Didn't get as much done as I'd hoped - booo!
Was out last night, to a meeting of the Liar's League in central London and what a great evening it was. Liar's League is an event where writers submit short stories on a certain subject - last night it was Art & Science - and actors read the chosen stories out. Rather than just read them, they kind of perform them, really bringing the stories to life, capturing and expressing the 'voice' of the narration. For those of you that remember 'Jackanory', it's a bit like that, except it's in a pub, so a lot more fun. And the stories are more grown up too.
It's all very informal and highly entertaining, so if any of you are interested, I'd certainly recommend you go along. Although having said that, I think they may need a bigger venue soon, as last night was pretty crowded. We were lucky though, we managed to get some seats.
If you're interested, here's a link to the Liar's League for more info:
http://liarsleague.typepad.com/
As they say:
Writers write. Actors read. Audience listens. Everybody wins.
Good stuff.
Didn't get as much done as I'd hoped - booo!
Was out last night, to a meeting of the Liar's League in central London and what a great evening it was. Liar's League is an event where writers submit short stories on a certain subject - last night it was Art & Science - and actors read the chosen stories out. Rather than just read them, they kind of perform them, really bringing the stories to life, capturing and expressing the 'voice' of the narration. For those of you that remember 'Jackanory', it's a bit like that, except it's in a pub, so a lot more fun. And the stories are more grown up too.
It's all very informal and highly entertaining, so if any of you are interested, I'd certainly recommend you go along. Although having said that, I think they may need a bigger venue soon, as last night was pretty crowded. We were lucky though, we managed to get some seats.
If you're interested, here's a link to the Liar's League for more info:
http://liarsleague.typepad.com/
As they say:
Writers write. Actors read. Audience listens. Everybody wins.
Good stuff.
Monday, 9 March 2009
Go Slow
I had hoped to really get stuck in to writing this evening, especially as I had a good day yesterday. Unfortunately, today was a much slower day. It just felt like a real effort. Perhaps it's just a Monday thing? Maybe I ought to have stuck at it for longer yesterday, while I was really with it?
Anyway, only managed about 500 words this evening, which isn't fantastic, especially as I was hoping to hit at least 1000. Still, if it ain't gonna happen, it ain't gonna happen.
I'm out tomorrow evening, so not sure if I'll manage to do any further work, but who knows - if I get in and I'm in the mood, I shall certainly have a crack. If not, then I hope my mind will be more agile on Wednesday and that I'll manage 1000 words with more ease than this evenings paltry 500.
Speak to you again soon.
Anyway, only managed about 500 words this evening, which isn't fantastic, especially as I was hoping to hit at least 1000. Still, if it ain't gonna happen, it ain't gonna happen.
I'm out tomorrow evening, so not sure if I'll manage to do any further work, but who knows - if I get in and I'm in the mood, I shall certainly have a crack. If not, then I hope my mind will be more agile on Wednesday and that I'll manage 1000 words with more ease than this evenings paltry 500.
Speak to you again soon.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
I'm back
Okay, so I haven't actually been away anywhere. I've just been busy and bad at sitting down to blog. I fully intended to on a few occasions but it always ended up being too late and I was too tired to write anything.
Tonight the time's getting on but I thought I would make a concerted effort to get back into the swing of it and hopefully better keep a record of my progress with the novel.
For the last week or so, I've been a little preoccupied with working on a screenplay. So far I've written the first draft of Act 1. The feedback has been good and I'm hoping I'll manage to tighten things up and improve it in the second draft. Anyway, that's what's kept me busy and unfortunately away from working on the book.
Today however, I woke up and got back to working on the novel. I read over four or five pages of the last section I'd written, to get back to where I was at with the story but I'd left things in the middle of events that I'd already mapped out in my mind, so I managed to get into it fairly smoothly. I worked on one particular scene today and managed to work through 1000 words, finishing on almost 1500 for the day, which isn't too bad.
The evening has kind of runaway though. I did think that I might pick up and try to carry on tonight but that hasn't happened. I ended up watching TV.
I am raring to go for tomorrow. I'll get straight into it when I finish working at the day job, the one that pays the bills.
I think the end of the first draft is coming in to sight. I've heard that things begin to speed up a little as you near the finish and I think it's true. Knowing that you're close to finishing a book, is a great incentive to work a little harder. Once the first draft is finished though, there's still the prospect of doing some research to fill a few holes and a complete re-edit of the first draft.
I'm looking forward to tackling these though. For me, the real writing will be done as the first draft becomes the second.
I better get off to sleep now. It's been good rambling on here - for me anyway.
All the best.
Tonight the time's getting on but I thought I would make a concerted effort to get back into the swing of it and hopefully better keep a record of my progress with the novel.
For the last week or so, I've been a little preoccupied with working on a screenplay. So far I've written the first draft of Act 1. The feedback has been good and I'm hoping I'll manage to tighten things up and improve it in the second draft. Anyway, that's what's kept me busy and unfortunately away from working on the book.
Today however, I woke up and got back to working on the novel. I read over four or five pages of the last section I'd written, to get back to where I was at with the story but I'd left things in the middle of events that I'd already mapped out in my mind, so I managed to get into it fairly smoothly. I worked on one particular scene today and managed to work through 1000 words, finishing on almost 1500 for the day, which isn't too bad.
The evening has kind of runaway though. I did think that I might pick up and try to carry on tonight but that hasn't happened. I ended up watching TV.
I am raring to go for tomorrow. I'll get straight into it when I finish working at the day job, the one that pays the bills.
I think the end of the first draft is coming in to sight. I've heard that things begin to speed up a little as you near the finish and I think it's true. Knowing that you're close to finishing a book, is a great incentive to work a little harder. Once the first draft is finished though, there's still the prospect of doing some research to fill a few holes and a complete re-edit of the first draft.
I'm looking forward to tackling these though. For me, the real writing will be done as the first draft becomes the second.
I better get off to sleep now. It's been good rambling on here - for me anyway.
All the best.
Monday, 23 February 2009
Fits and Spurts
Well OK, I had hoped to be a bit better at this blogging malarkey, but there you have it I suppose. Although my excuse is that I'm trying to complete a novel, which does take precedence.
Having said that though, the writing has been going in fits and spurts just recently. Last week I had a few sticky patches, where the words were coming very slowly. I spent a fair bit of time thinking and working out where the plot ought to go. Finally, after I last posted, things did seem to fall into place and the writing sped up a little. I managed to get back up to 1000 words a day.
Friday I took my wife out for a lovely birthday dinner, so was unfit to do any writing that night, or the next either, as we went for cocktails with her sisters and their husbands, which proved to be lots of fun.
So, it's Monday, or rather Tuesday as I am writing this entry after midnight and I've been busy working on other things today. Tomorrow I'm meeting up with my snowboarding buddies from France '96-'97 for a few drinks after work.
From Wednesday, it's time to focus and knuckle down to get in some serious writing time. I think these past few days off have made me eager to get back into it and get on.
Catch you again soon. All the best.
Having said that though, the writing has been going in fits and spurts just recently. Last week I had a few sticky patches, where the words were coming very slowly. I spent a fair bit of time thinking and working out where the plot ought to go. Finally, after I last posted, things did seem to fall into place and the writing sped up a little. I managed to get back up to 1000 words a day.
Friday I took my wife out for a lovely birthday dinner, so was unfit to do any writing that night, or the next either, as we went for cocktails with her sisters and their husbands, which proved to be lots of fun.
So, it's Monday, or rather Tuesday as I am writing this entry after midnight and I've been busy working on other things today. Tomorrow I'm meeting up with my snowboarding buddies from France '96-'97 for a few drinks after work.
From Wednesday, it's time to focus and knuckle down to get in some serious writing time. I think these past few days off have made me eager to get back into it and get on.
Catch you again soon. All the best.
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
A little bit sticky
It's been a few days since I last posted on my blog. I'm still new to it and I guess it hasn't become a habit yet. I've been working on the novel and by the time I finish writing in the evenings, it's usually a bit late to get on the computer and try to think about blogging. I thought I'd make the effort tonight though.
I've been working on the book, as I mentioned, but things have been a little bit sticky with it of late, in that I've been getting somewhat bogged down. The last few days, I've struggled to produce more than 500 words in an evening. I've managed to plan a bit of action in my head but that's for a little way down the line. For now, I'm finding it difficult to figure out what ought to happen where the story is at present.
I've plugged away at it though and hope I'll be able to write my way out of where I am. Working on this particular section has made me rethink some other aspects of the story and change a few story elements. I think tonight I had an idea of how to progress, so tomorrow I might be able to go with the flow and get a good chunk written. If I can hit 1000 words, I'll be happy.
Okay, it's off to bed for me now. Need sleep.
I've been working on the book, as I mentioned, but things have been a little bit sticky with it of late, in that I've been getting somewhat bogged down. The last few days, I've struggled to produce more than 500 words in an evening. I've managed to plan a bit of action in my head but that's for a little way down the line. For now, I'm finding it difficult to figure out what ought to happen where the story is at present.
I've plugged away at it though and hope I'll be able to write my way out of where I am. Working on this particular section has made me rethink some other aspects of the story and change a few story elements. I think tonight I had an idea of how to progress, so tomorrow I might be able to go with the flow and get a good chunk written. If I can hit 1000 words, I'll be happy.
Okay, it's off to bed for me now. Need sleep.
Friday, 13 February 2009
Authonomy Authors Reap Rewards
Here's a piece of news I read today.
According to The Bookseller, HarperCollins has bought world rights for books from three authors that it discovered on its social networking site for writers, Authonomy.com.
The titles, bought for undisclosed sums, will all be published in the summer. Harper's mass-market imprint Avon will publish Coffee at Kowalski's by Miranda Dickson and The Reaper by Steve Dunne. The True Life imprint HarperTrue bought Never Say Die by Lynne Barrett-Lee.
The Authonomy website was set up in September and currently has over 2,000 manuscripts uploaded by aspiring authors. Each manuscript is voted on by Authonomy users, with the highest ranked guaranteed to be read by a HarperCollins editor each month.
Sammia Rafique, editorial and sales assistant at Avon, bought Coffee at Kowalski's as part of a three-book deal. Rafique also signed Steven Dunne in a two-book deal while publisher Carole Tonkinson bought Never Say Die by Melanie Davies and novelist Lynne Barrett-Lee.
www.thebookseller.com
According to The Bookseller, HarperCollins has bought world rights for books from three authors that it discovered on its social networking site for writers, Authonomy.com.
The titles, bought for undisclosed sums, will all be published in the summer. Harper's mass-market imprint Avon will publish Coffee at Kowalski's by Miranda Dickson and The Reaper by Steve Dunne. The True Life imprint HarperTrue bought Never Say Die by Lynne Barrett-Lee.
The Authonomy website was set up in September and currently has over 2,000 manuscripts uploaded by aspiring authors. Each manuscript is voted on by Authonomy users, with the highest ranked guaranteed to be read by a HarperCollins editor each month.
Sammia Rafique, editorial and sales assistant at Avon, bought Coffee at Kowalski's as part of a three-book deal. Rafique also signed Steven Dunne in a two-book deal while publisher Carole Tonkinson bought Never Say Die by Melanie Davies and novelist Lynne Barrett-Lee.
www.thebookseller.com
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