Doing a Lionel

This week has been a bit of a write off (pun intended). Getting up in the morning to do my daily slog has been an impossible task.

The alarm goes off at 630am and it wakes me up (which is an unusual occurrence to say the least - it usually means I'm really tired). But I don't get up. I roll over, turning my back, ignoring the incessant beeping. Or I reach over and the turn the damn thing off.

Half an hour later, The Jingo's moby starts dancing its little dance to its little tune and I want to wring its little neck. Jingo checks her messages and rolls over, back to sleep. I roll over too.

By eight, I've checked my watch enough times to realise its time to get up and I slowly rise from my bed. At this stage, it's quite obvious that there will be no writing this morning; in fact, I better get my arse into gear or I'll miss work!

All because I did a Lionel.

By the time I struggle through the working day, fighting to keep my eyes open as I slave away in front of a life draining spreadsheet, I am dead to the world. As I walk through my front door, it all hits me, and I'm good for nothing more than EA Cricket and NYPD Blue.

All because I did a Lionel in Norfolk last weekend.

Last Saturday night: over a half a litre of Jim Beam in my guts, its affects swimming in my head; a murder mystery solved and a Jenga set toppled; a full list of Ipod tunes delved through and played until the cows came home (and a bunch of angry cows they were too - "Shouldn't you be in bed?! Why are you playing S Club 7? Are you mad?!!!), all topped off with a very early morning clean up (around a very still Pablo - I think he was playing Statues) and three pints of water.

Starting time: 730pm. Finishing time: 830am.

Yep, I did a Lionel.

Norwich Naughtiness

Tonight I will be finalising Assignment Number 12 (hurrah!) for submission to Writing Course Anonymous. When I start my next assignment, Number 13, I would have already planned and researched (and maybe even started) my first novel. How exciting is that?!

Yes, the next assignment deals with character profiles - so the characters in my novel will form my submission - my attempt at intertwining my writing commitments. In tandem with these profiles, I will be planning out what is going to happen to these poor sods and research like a demon to make it all sound and feel authentico.

But before that, I've got many books to read and three pieces to write (two short stories and one article); as well as finish off my current shorty, which has recently been causing me grief.

So, still a little way to go before I can put pen to paper on the Big One, the main event, the big kahuna - i.e. THE NOVEL, dum dum daaahhh.

In related news, I'm off to Norwich this Friday (for a big birthday bash for Griggs; Paul Griggs). Joining me on the ever reliable UK train system will be The Jingo and Assignment 12. We've booked a seat by the window for AT (as I like to call him); he likes watching the cows scatter in fright, their udders swinging widly from side to side, as fifteen carriages of metal go hurtling by, inches from their little grassy abodes. However, the purpose of bringing him along is not for him to watch the scenery, but so that The Jingo (my in-house editor and all round nice gal) will be checking to make sure he's up to scratch and fit for submission to The WCA (no, not the Women's Cricket Association - but the Writing Course Anonymous).

The Jingo has been impressed by my last two efforts into the world of literary dribble, so here's hoping for a hattrick.

And then, its off to Norwich for drugs, sex and rude cupcakes.

Confident Writing

I've experienced a strange up and down journey with my confidence as a writer this week. I've been working on a short story which I plan to submit to Shots Magazine - an online e-magazine.

It was in a flurry of creativity that I churned out this 3,000 word story a few weekends back; finished the first draft in just over 2 hours. At the time, I thought it was a well written piece, beautifully paced and not a bad little tale.

Now, it's giving me the irits. I sat down this week to do my first rewrite, give it a few tweaks here and there, correct a few spelling errors; nothing major.

Instead, I've given it a complete overhaul and I'm not happy with it. Maybe it was the care free approach I took when I did my first draft that gave me that air of confidence. For once, what I had in my head translated perfectly onto the page. Of course, that was before I re-read it.

Now I start my evenings (because my writing has recently been delegated to the dark pit of after work hours) working on draft 2 and by the end of the 90 minute session, I have the confidence of an English batsmen facing a fired up leg spinner on a day 5 pitch with massive footmarks outside his leg stump.

Funny thing is, this plummet in confidence used to depress me for ages and I would take forever to get "back on my feet"; get back to the writing. These last few mornings (after my writing session from hell), however, I've felt chippa; I've fired myself up, telling myself I can do better, that my dreams of becoming a writer are not just a large pile of steaming poo ready to be shoveled into the garden. This can only be a good thing.

However, I'm still on this emotional rollercoaster ride - and it's only a bloody short story! Does not bode well for a 100k word novel, now does it?

Oh well, I must press on. It's late and I plan to forgo any writing tonight and get back into the morning routine - by all accounts I should be as positive and self-believing as Mr Cricket on a flat pitch.

Call me: Mr Writer.

A Summary, A Status Update and A Justification

To summarise:

I want to be a published author. To achieve this, I need to write a novel worth publishing. To do this, I need to gain a bit of skill, practice and confidence to start and complete my first draft.

So, in an attempt to reach this first milestone, I've devised the following goals (which I have explained in painstaking detail in previous rants):

Goal 1 = 14 hours of committed writing a week.
Goal 2 = complete essential reading to improve level of skills and knowledge.
Goal 3 = complete Course modules relating to novel writing, incorporating my novel into the assignments.
Goal 4 = read as much as possible, both in fiction and non-fiction, across different genres. Read, read, read!!!

End result = best first draft anyone has ever written!

Of course, writing a first draft requires a lot more than what has been listed above (e.g. plotting, character development, research) but I see them as steps rather than goals.

In terms of when I can start my novel, I have decided that I must complete Goal 2 and that I also must be up to the relevant stage in Goal 3.

Status (in brief):

Goal 1 = pretty dismal so far: 9.5 hours, 40 minutes and four hours thus far. If I can consistently do 10 hours a week, I'd be happy. 14 hours is the ultimate, but 10 will suffice (compromising my goals already, yeah?)

Goal 2 = Stephen King's On Writing is read (no notes taken yet) and I have started Howdunnit: currently reading about a day in the life of a cop.

Goal 3 = Ah yes, the Course. Well, I must admit that I am going pretty well. I have finished the first draft of Assignment No. 12 (dealing with dialogue and atmosphere) and I'm pretty happy with it. In fact, I have churned through this assignment quicker than any other and I think its my best work on the Course. Yay! Next up, I will have to submit three short stories and one article to the "real world" and then I will be ready to go on to the next Assignment (and start my novel!!!)

Goal 4 = an easy one. Finished Peter Temple's The Broken Shore and am a third of the way through Stuart MacBride's Cold Granite. Reading like my life depended on it.

Well, now, enthralled reader, you are probably sitting there thinking, what's all this goal stuff, why have I overcomplicated it so, why can't I just sit down, shut up and write the damn novel. If you are thinking that, well, that's not very nice, is it? But I will address it (and here comes the justification part of this blog), I need to structure my approach in this way because all other attempts over the past four years have fallen flat on their faces. I've lost confidence, I've lost interest, the dreaded Course has gotten in the way and I've lost focus. Hopefully, if I apply my goals, at least for this first novel, I will be so well prepared that I will achieve that ultimate dream - a completed novel.

And it's my life, so back off! (cough) sorry.

Anyway, better get back to it; start cracking!

Sorry, did someone say, 2nd Test at Adelaide?

Read, Read, Read (or Setting Goals - Part 4)

Last week, I finished reading Stephen King's On Writing (see Goal 2). It's a good book, especially when he finishes drossing on about his childhood and gets into the nitty gritty about writing novels. I found many words of advice and encouragement within the 200 odd pages. They were all very refreshing and encouraging.

Some statements conflict with my course, which was interesting. For example, my writing course spends time on the importance of plotting a novel. King has thoughts on this, paraphrased slightly: "Plot is the last resort for a great writer and the first for a dullard." I enjoyed this comment and I will talk about it a bit more when I hit the planning stage of my novel. (Just to caveat King's comment; he also says, "Plot is not important, but story is.")

I'm slightly off the topic here, though. Another beauty from the words of The King is the following paraphrased statement (I'll give it it's own line here):

"Read lots and lots. Do not expect to become a good writer, if you are not, first and foremost, a prolific reader."

Reading helps the writer identify what works and more importantly, what doesn't. Style, method and description skills can be learnt and refined through reading. Always good for determining what's hot at the moment too and what's been done before. A writer can learn a lot from reading - which is a good thing - I love reading!

So:

Goal 4 : Read as much as possible, both in fiction and non-fiction, across different genres. Read, read, read!!!