I have been very delinquent in my writing! Still ahead of the plan so if I get my a into g I will be fine! So why the lack of writing?
I've just got a new job in Wellington, starting mid-October so I've been preoccupied trying to work out what I can afford to pay for an apartment, where I want the apartment (walking distance to Courtenay Pl and the Hospital - where I'll be working). I've come up with a short list of 6 - 3 apartments and 3 studios. I'm flying down to check them out on Thursday afternoon....staying til Saturday. I am changing a booking on a flight booked for the end of October so had to fiddle round to avoid paying too much more.
So now I'm just about sorted I can return to Rosie's world and try and get her sorted! Wish I could afford an apartment like hers! I fear I'm going to be in a studio or hotel sized apartment. As long as I have an oven I'll survive!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
No word today!
As you may be aware I killed Dave. It was a very traumatic experience and was not made without much forethought. OK so I'm lying...I created him, I made Rosie love him, I killed him. You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. Dave took one for the team, he fell on the grenade, he had but one life to give.
Anyway....I think he's angry! Yesterday I fell down some stairs...nothing to trip on and yet down I went and then today the iron fell on my head. Coincidence, I think not! I kill Dave and then inanimate objects start to attack me! Well, I will not be cowed! Dave is dead and shall remain so. I've made sure there are no bowling bowls on wardrobe shelves and keep well clear when I reach for a can in the pantry.
The random attacks have left me so traumatised that I have written virtually nothing today!
Damn Muse!
On the subject of writing nothing - I am really disappointed because there is a really good element I could put in the book that would add a twist but unfortunately my unintended Muse once again was the inspiration so I will try to stop it creeping in otherwise I may as well write a biography, stick his name on it and see if it sells! Who knows, it might be the next Basketball Diaries! But no, can't do it! It would only have been a teeny tiny bit of a plot twist and all other parts of the twist don't relate but must resist! Nearly convinced myself! It must be interesting to live such a life that so many interesting or, more frequently, humorous things happen!
Today's beautiful word
Conflate To blend together.
Today's word count: 202 words
Total word count: 16902 words
Anyway....I think he's angry! Yesterday I fell down some stairs...nothing to trip on and yet down I went and then today the iron fell on my head. Coincidence, I think not! I kill Dave and then inanimate objects start to attack me! Well, I will not be cowed! Dave is dead and shall remain so. I've made sure there are no bowling bowls on wardrobe shelves and keep well clear when I reach for a can in the pantry.
The random attacks have left me so traumatised that I have written virtually nothing today!
Damn Muse!
On the subject of writing nothing - I am really disappointed because there is a really good element I could put in the book that would add a twist but unfortunately my unintended Muse once again was the inspiration so I will try to stop it creeping in otherwise I may as well write a biography, stick his name on it and see if it sells! Who knows, it might be the next Basketball Diaries! But no, can't do it! It would only have been a teeny tiny bit of a plot twist and all other parts of the twist don't relate but must resist! Nearly convinced myself! It must be interesting to live such a life that so many interesting or, more frequently, humorous things happen!
Today's beautiful word
Conflate To blend together.
Today's word count: 202 words
Total word count: 16902 words
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
What did Rosie do to deserve this?
I am over a week ahead of schedule! If I stopped writing right now I could do nothing until next Thursday and still be right on target. But I won't! Today I thought I was back to a happy place in the book. I had leapt ahead to the sad part after having a brilliant idea and paid for my enthusiasm with a tinge of gloom. That resulted in a loss of sleep last night. I kept trying to work out how to make it right.
Alas the happy bit suddenly became very sad. A character I didn't know even existed appeared. He didn't push in and make his presence known in a loud way, he was more standing at the edge just waiting. I had just started wondering how long Rosie had been with her awful partner Luc. I thought it must have been a long time because she's 40 but then I realised that she can't have been with him that long because he is truly vile. There had to have been someone before him, someone who had given her faith in relationships.
Then a character started forming. A kind loving man who had known Rosie since she was young. Someone who had loved her no matter what. Then I realised....she'd been married before. So what happened? I couldn't see Rosie as a divorcee, she and this man were too in love. No something had to have happened. Cancer? No I felt the loss was sudden and really unresolved. Rosie had a whole lot of complicated grief bottled up inside of her. Then I realised he was the one who had a terrible accident, not vile Luc. But he didn't end up with terrible neurological damage because Rosie would still have loved him and stayed with him....no, Dave had to die. I was devastated....in less than 15 minutes I'd discovered Rosie had had the love of her life and then I had killed him. I was crying while she gave permission for his organs to be donated. Poor Rosie!
Today's beautiful word
Wherewithal The means.
Today's word count: 1904 words
Total word count: 16700 words
Alas the happy bit suddenly became very sad. A character I didn't know even existed appeared. He didn't push in and make his presence known in a loud way, he was more standing at the edge just waiting. I had just started wondering how long Rosie had been with her awful partner Luc. I thought it must have been a long time because she's 40 but then I realised that she can't have been with him that long because he is truly vile. There had to have been someone before him, someone who had given her faith in relationships.
Then a character started forming. A kind loving man who had known Rosie since she was young. Someone who had loved her no matter what. Then I realised....she'd been married before. So what happened? I couldn't see Rosie as a divorcee, she and this man were too in love. No something had to have happened. Cancer? No I felt the loss was sudden and really unresolved. Rosie had a whole lot of complicated grief bottled up inside of her. Then I realised he was the one who had a terrible accident, not vile Luc. But he didn't end up with terrible neurological damage because Rosie would still have loved him and stayed with him....no, Dave had to die. I was devastated....in less than 15 minutes I'd discovered Rosie had had the love of her life and then I had killed him. I was crying while she gave permission for his organs to be donated. Poor Rosie!
Today's beautiful word
Wherewithal The means.
Today's word count: 1904 words
Total word count: 16700 words
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Glorious writing conditions in Auckland!
I'm finding starting the day with a good physical workout sets me up for a good mental workout writing. My weapon of choice (or necessity really) is deep water running. Half an hour to an hour of that leaves me ready for a sit down!
Rosie's bottom of the ocean moment
Today I've been working on a sad part of the story. The heroine has finally realised that the Tiger is not coming back. She had believed that they were soulmates. She doesn't understand why he has gone so suddenly and is being torn apart by unanswered questions. He just suddenly changed like a switch had been turned off. He's like everything she'll never find again...at the bottom of the ocean - what she's missing she'll keep reliving...Such a poet that Miley Cyrus ;-)It has been quite draining. I knew what was going to happen but still it is so very sad to listen to the heroine trying to understand what has happened to what she thought was her Cinderella moment. I almost feel cruel because I know its going to get worse. My heroine has gained in self confidence and charisma as I've written more about her. Poor Rosie - she thought her victim days were over! I know she's probably not going to get the answers she seeks but who knows! In fiction anything is possible and anything ugly can be cleaned up easily.
I managed 1323 words today and now feel like I need a very stiff drink! My characters are like my babies! At least some of them are, some are more like flies and cockroaches! But I am particularly fond of Rosie. She's had a hard run and really felt as though she had finally found love. What is really sad is until I did the rewrite she had! There were going to be ups and downs and misunderstandings but eventually everything would have turned out. But alas now who knows where it will all end.
Today's beautiful word
Dulcet Sweet, sugary.
Today's word count: 1323 words
Total word count: 14796 words
Monday, September 14, 2009
Sunshine writing!
It is a glorious day today and I spend over an hour and a half out on the deck writing. I'd have stayed out longer but the battery on my laptop is not up to it! Still, what could be nicer than enjoying the sun, listening to cool tunes, drinking chai tea and writing about love!
I flowed like a really flowy thing. 1257 words! And there will be more but not with the sun on my back :-( . Things are just coming together! The main male has floated through, acting as a mentor to the heroine. He is strong, dependable...why can't she see him! But then why can't he see her?
Another 1328 words rolled out! A change in the air. A new start? I've been writing all over the place. I'm now working in a more chronological order. One of the antagonist has stomped off into the sunset...or roared off in his Porsche. The mentor is not answering his phone, the best friend has hers turned off? How will comfort the heroine? Time for the Tiger to make a play ...or is he just a friend? Who knows...not me! He's a devil that Tiger...doesn't play by the rules!
Today's beautiful word
Denouement The resolution of a mystery
Today's word count: 2585 words
Total word count: 13474 words
I flowed like a really flowy thing. 1257 words! And there will be more but not with the sun on my back :-( . Things are just coming together! The main male has floated through, acting as a mentor to the heroine. He is strong, dependable...why can't she see him! But then why can't he see her?
Another 1328 words rolled out! A change in the air. A new start? I've been writing all over the place. I'm now working in a more chronological order. One of the antagonist has stomped off into the sunset...or roared off in his Porsche. The mentor is not answering his phone, the best friend has hers turned off? How will comfort the heroine? Time for the Tiger to make a play ...or is he just a friend? Who knows...not me! He's a devil that Tiger...doesn't play by the rules!
Today's beautiful word
Denouement The resolution of a mystery
Today's word count: 2585 words
Total word count: 13474 words
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The Heroine plunged into trouble
I had a good session this afternoon! The day started well with a good workout in the pool followed by a very nice brunch. I had some work to do and then made a rice pudding. Then I realised I was avoiding writing and slapped myself around a bit!
I'm using a software programme to write this book. It's called New Novelist 2. It works for me. I used the Marshall Plan to write my previous manuscript and it was also very good but I like software. I've now discovered they do a software version! Anyway, using software is working well for me organisationally. I know vaguely where I'm going and what lies ahead. The Marshall Plan involved planning everything out and then writing whereas the Newnovelist 2 is more on the fly. This is working for me.
I'm quite excited because the cracks are showing in the heroine's current relationship so soon she will be able to move in a different direction. Of course currently she thinks she's the one who is going to end it and that will not be the case! I'm way ahead of the game wordwise so that's a nice feeling!
Today's beautiful word
Sumptuous Lush, luxurious.
Today's word count: 1050 words
Total word count: 10889 words
I'm using a software programme to write this book. It's called New Novelist 2. It works for me. I used the Marshall Plan to write my previous manuscript and it was also very good but I like software. I've now discovered they do a software version! Anyway, using software is working well for me organisationally. I know vaguely where I'm going and what lies ahead. The Marshall Plan involved planning everything out and then writing whereas the Newnovelist 2 is more on the fly. This is working for me.
I'm quite excited because the cracks are showing in the heroine's current relationship so soon she will be able to move in a different direction. Of course currently she thinks she's the one who is going to end it and that will not be the case! I'm way ahead of the game wordwise so that's a nice feeling!
Today's beautiful word
Sumptuous Lush, luxurious.
Today's word count: 1050 words
Total word count: 10889 words
Midnight madness!
An inability to sleep meant that at midnight I wrote another 451 words. It was a case of going back to the beginning and adding a few little bits and pieces to set up future events. It all adds up, say I!
Today's beautiful word
Ethereal Gaseous, invisible but detectable.
Todays word count: 451 words
Total word count: 9839 words
Today's beautiful word
Ethereal Gaseous, invisible but detectable.
Todays word count: 451 words
Total word count: 9839 words
Saturday, September 12, 2009
An introductory post!
This will be quite long! Bear with me. future posts will be much shorter!
A conversation with a friend made me realise that one of the newer entrants to the romance scene was the Cougar. Now the older man-younger woman romance has been around forever - Emma and Mr Knightley, Rochester and Jane Eyre, Blake and Crystal ;-) -but the older woman - younger man story was not out there. Hmmm, now there's a book idea!
Research told me that Cougars fall in the age group 40-59! Those wanna-bes aged 30-39 are Pumas! If following the "half your age plus 7" formula their 'prey' are Tigers those young men aged 21-29 or Badgers - aged 30-39. Some though may hunt cubs...16 to 20 year olds! The only problem in this is that Badgers often want to be flirting with Chicks - the 21 to 29 year olds! Life is so complicated! So it looks like the Cougars should be hunting Tigers and leave the Badgers to the Chicks!
Searching "Cougar" brings up many very informative websites....it is a lush field of research! So I decided that the subject of my book would be a 40 year old woman who is pursued by a maybe 27 year old man - age to be decided upon. Any younger and the rule is broken! And if she is younger she transforms into a Puma! I decided that she would be a reluctant cougar. This would make for more of a chase. So the working title became the reluctant cougar.
Seek guide to love across the generations
Madatoms.com cougar guide
I worked out a character list and found photos to represent everyone so I had an idea in my head of what people looked like and might behave like. Woo hoo! We had a goer!
I started writing it and it was going very well. But then the characters got out of hand! Well the Tiger did! He decided he wanted to be in a biography. I'd be happily writing and then an action or discussion similar to something a friend had said or done would sneak in! And because of the reality of it, it was often the best piece of writing. So I'd leave it in and resolve to change it later when I knew where things were going. And so 12000 words were written and when I read them I decided I didn't like the way things were going! So today I scrubbed most of the book and changed the whole story! Take that Tiger, oh you think you're the male lead now but I have a twist ahead! You are merely an amusing trick! It's smoke and mirrors and soon the true main male will emerge from where he has been standing!
I am a people watcher. Everything I see is stored away for later use. The guy walking to his car with the old lady in the rain...he has an umbrella and she does not!, the man who paints a beautiful picture of himself to the woman in his life and then it cracks, the woman who thinks she hides her feelings but you can see everything she's thinking written across her face. So anyone who spends time with me runs the risk of a small part of their soul being pinched off and added to the brew! Or in the case of some, a large part because they are just so fantastically full! Alas that happened with the Tiger. And so I will carry on writing and then I'll puff and twitch and change his story so the innocent will be protected.
My plan is to write on average 850 words a day. Naturally I won't! I might do 200 tomorrow and 2000 the following! It depends on how the Muse is feeling!
Todays word count: 2764 words
Total word count: 9388 words
A conversation with a friend made me realise that one of the newer entrants to the romance scene was the Cougar. Now the older man-younger woman romance has been around forever - Emma and Mr Knightley, Rochester and Jane Eyre, Blake and Crystal ;-) -but the older woman - younger man story was not out there. Hmmm, now there's a book idea!
Research told me that Cougars fall in the age group 40-59! Those wanna-bes aged 30-39 are Pumas! If following the "half your age plus 7" formula their 'prey' are Tigers those young men aged 21-29 or Badgers - aged 30-39. Some though may hunt cubs...16 to 20 year olds! The only problem in this is that Badgers often want to be flirting with Chicks - the 21 to 29 year olds! Life is so complicated! So it looks like the Cougars should be hunting Tigers and leave the Badgers to the Chicks!
Searching "Cougar" brings up many very informative websites....it is a lush field of research! So I decided that the subject of my book would be a 40 year old woman who is pursued by a maybe 27 year old man - age to be decided upon. Any younger and the rule is broken! And if she is younger she transforms into a Puma! I decided that she would be a reluctant cougar. This would make for more of a chase. So the working title became the reluctant cougar.
Seek guide to love across the generations
Madatoms.com cougar guide
I worked out a character list and found photos to represent everyone so I had an idea in my head of what people looked like and might behave like. Woo hoo! We had a goer!
I started writing it and it was going very well. But then the characters got out of hand! Well the Tiger did! He decided he wanted to be in a biography. I'd be happily writing and then an action or discussion similar to something a friend had said or done would sneak in! And because of the reality of it, it was often the best piece of writing. So I'd leave it in and resolve to change it later when I knew where things were going. And so 12000 words were written and when I read them I decided I didn't like the way things were going! So today I scrubbed most of the book and changed the whole story! Take that Tiger, oh you think you're the male lead now but I have a twist ahead! You are merely an amusing trick! It's smoke and mirrors and soon the true main male will emerge from where he has been standing!
I am a people watcher. Everything I see is stored away for later use. The guy walking to his car with the old lady in the rain...he has an umbrella and she does not!, the man who paints a beautiful picture of himself to the woman in his life and then it cracks, the woman who thinks she hides her feelings but you can see everything she's thinking written across her face. So anyone who spends time with me runs the risk of a small part of their soul being pinched off and added to the brew! Or in the case of some, a large part because they are just so fantastically full! Alas that happened with the Tiger. And so I will carry on writing and then I'll puff and twitch and change his story so the innocent will be protected.
Today
Today I wrote over 2700 words. The Tiger was rarely glimpsed, the Cougar had a revelation, and maybe the main male made an appearance! I'd like to think so but sometimes I feel I don't have complete control! The Heroine is quite compliant but who knows how she'll react to finding out her love is being turned in a different direction. At least the character who I'd originally critically injured has instead simply decided that he's 'just not into her'. A lucky escape from a terrible neurological injury! And there are characters who are dying to be plumped out and to have their moment in the sun! What a joy to be creating my own little Universe!My plan is to write on average 850 words a day. Naturally I won't! I might do 200 tomorrow and 2000 the following! It depends on how the Muse is feeling!
Todays word count: 2764 words
Total word count: 9388 words
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