Wednesday 27 January 2010

No really, I'll be more reliable this time...

Oh dear.

I seem to have abandoned my blog.

Not that I was ever particularly reliable.

So where was I? Oh yes, I was throwing together my first draft, and getting lots of fabulous advice from the lovely Winchester writers’ conference. After a lot more scribbling I have one wobbly story that needs a lot of work. This means I’m now either struggling up the editing mountain, or mired in its treacle depending on whose metaphor I’m stealing today! I thought 2 large whiteboards either side of my desk might help me sort out my plot, character, pace – um, problems. They also help with making it looking like I’m doing something, rather than just staring into space. Trouble is they’re full already! I think I need to focus on one problem at a time, rather than attempting to empty the contents of my head onto them.
I’ve started with sub-plots as they seem the weakest element so far. My cast of characters are all busy getting on with generally ruining my main character’s life, but I don’t think they really know why. I have no idea what they all want, how they plan to get it, or how they might all interact with each other a bit more. I’m trying to use “The weekend novelist redrafts the novel” by Robert J Ray and “Writing the breakout novel workbook” by Donald Maas” but seem to end up sitting there reading them rather than applying the techniques… I’m also slightly scared of the hard-line approach of the first book. Apparently I’m not allowed any trips, breaks or fun. Since I’m also throwing in some evenings I’ve decided to follow his advice, um, selectively.
This allows me to do a bit of re-locating for some of my work too. A spa. No, really, it’s perfectly logical! No phones, nobody I know, and I’m expected to lounge about for the day. It’s perfect. Not somewhere I ever saw myself going considering I don’t know one end of a make-up brush from the other, and walk on heels as well as any toddler, but it’s lovely. I get 6 visits a year, and for those 6 days there is no house to be tidied, ringing phones or lists of things to do. Except for the endless list of things to fix in my novel, but anyway, well worth the splurge! So I’m booked for Saturday, shall go armed with a pukka pad, and enjoy that it shall smell evermore of their aromatherapy oils. Scented notebooks, someone should look into that.