Every little bit helps!

I spent an hour working out where I was and what needed doing in each section of the book according to the Newnovelist software. It certainly gave some clarity and I feel a lot happier about where things are going.

I'm looking forward to developing the character of the antagonist, Lydia. She hasn't appeared at all yet! She's Nick's friend and is openly antagonistic towards Rosie when she first meets her and makes no apology.  She is very bright and often unconsciously manipulates Nick into doing what she wants. She also has a bad case of unrequited love - nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter like unrequited love (Charles Schulz) - which she doesn't initially recognise and then denies. She is not ultimately a bad person but is more someone who makes an immediate judgement about everyone she meets and will never divert from it even if it is obviously incorrect to others.  She is fiercely loyal to her friends and would fight like a tiger for any of them.  Unfortunately for Rosie, Lydia decides Rosie is a Cougar and Nick needs protecting from her even before she has met her. She sets out to convince all of Nick's friends of this.

After my planning session, I did do a bit more writing but not a huge amount. I have to remind myself that I've done well and every little bit counts! Considering my goal is 850 words a day, 614 extra words on top of today's mammoth effort is not to be sneezed at! Oo Rah!



Today's word count: 614 words
Total word count: 23931 words

Chained to the desk

Today I developed a clever plan to make sure I was not distracted by the delights of Wellington city.  I got up, had a shower and washed my hair because I do have standards, but then, and this is the clever bit....I got back in my pjs! I also didn't put my contacts in so I'm wearing my ugly glasses.  There is no way I can leave! Brilliant in its simplicity! I had Claude Barzotti singing away in French on the stereo, I had the espresso machine on stand-by and I only opened Facebook at my 4 o'clock break for 5 minutes! I didn't turn off my phone in case someone had something important to say but that's a minor detail!

My Queen Bitch performance yesterday has actually resulted in a number of plot devices!

1) A Queen bitch has entered the scene at Rosie's work and I bow down to her bitchiness.

2) Rosie is exploring Buddhism without beliefs - something I had been doing in order to stop my QB tendencies rising to the surface - hopefully Rosie will have more success. However, this exploration has been useful in my own life and the novel. In order to be awakened each of the four ennobling truths must be acted upon in its own particular way - understanding anguish, letting go of its origins, realising its cessation and cultivating the path of cessation. Now for the book I have twisted this a little and this is not keeping in the spirit of the ideals but I'm not perfect!  I have Rosie and Megan both understanding the non-communication of Nick and Luc in their particular ways causes anguish. Rosie lets go of its origins by mentally slamming a door in Nick's face when he crosses her mind and Megan rips into Luc and tells him what he does that causes this anguish and leaves it open to him whether he chooses to continue or not but Megan will do nothing further.  Rosie realises that the anguish she experienced has ceased when she has to look up Nick's number for someone rather than reciting it from memory and she cultivates the path by removing all unnecessary reminders of Nick from her life.  She doesn't tear up photos and delete him from her phone but she removes him from her groups for emails and texts and seeks out friends to spend more time with. Megan has work to do but she is a character with many faults and that is the beauty of her.

3) A gorgeous phrase rose from something the recipient of my grump said. He didn't say the phrase, It just popped into my head as a perfect response but one that should not be used unless one wants to be Queen Bitch and Empress of punk your ass and I'm trying really hard to embrace Buddhism without beliefs but I am a lexophile so I must let my pretties fly. So Megan will use it when she confronts Luc or 'tears him a new one'. She will also comment to Rosie that the occasional placing acceptable behaviour on hold and actually speaking your mind is most refreshing and really is a service to the recipient because they might do some soul searching but as she says "I doubt it, I reckon 99.9% of the time they'll carry on and absolve themselves of any responsibility which is fine with me cos I still know they're an asshole and that's all that matters to me"

It was a beautiful day so I did get out on the balcony on the Tranzx and  fed the brain some endorphins. It gives the pigeons something to think about. It also clears out the cobwebs. I did make an exception to the pj rule because I didn't want the pigeons to fall out of the sky from laughing so hard.  Remember I'm trying to embrace buddhism without belief and I'm pretty sure that cruelty to animals is something I should avoid.  So as long as they don't poop on me or my bike we shall coexist in peaceful harmony. Being out on the balcony I discover many things about my neighbours. Today I discovered that one of them has a big liking for the wacky baccy.  For the whole hour of pedalling there was a constant fug in the air.

It's now 4:30 in the afternoon and I have produced 2193 words! I will probably write more this evening but still I am extremely happy with that output.

In one of the photos above you may have noticed my white board. I have it covered in quotations that appeal to me and inspire ideas for my characters. But I used one quotation today that was not on the board but suited James so beautifully. James is a Star Wars fan and when Rosie is talking to him about the way Luc is behaving he quotes Cicero- "He removes the greatest ornament of friendship, who takes away from it respect".  Rosie likes this because she thinks it sounds like something Yoda would say, which she thinks is more in keeping with James than a Roman author and orator. I just think it is good sensible advice and shows that there is more to James than Rosie suspects.

Today's beautiful word
Mercurial   changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic


Today's word count: 2193 words
Total word count: 23317 words

My life as a soap opera

Today I really intended putting my head down and really getting through some heavy duty writing.  But instead I went and saw Julie and Julia.  Meryl Streep is very good...as always.  The addition of Julia's own book added an interesting aside.  I did not know that "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" was co-authored with two others...French women - Simone Beck and her sister Louisette, whom we will discount because "She doz nurt do za wurk"! Julie's blog was, obviously, much more popular than mine. Maybe I should be spending a year working my way through the Edmonds cookbook! But the joy of the blog for the blogger is you can shout whatever is on your mind out into the ether and at least pretend to yourself that you are being heard and validated.

So if I did not write what did I do? I rode my bike on the windtrainer while listening to my favourite Lily Allen tracks. I did not sing along. I did my food shopping and danced around the store to 80s tunes, just to prove I was in a genuine good mood. This has bearing on the next paragraph.  I even smiled at the grumpy woman who lives on the 5th floor. I was in a really fantastic mood. I decided it might be nice to go to a nice pub where I could enjoy a glass on my own and not be accosted by Lotharios.  To this end I sent out a few texts to elicit suggestions. Most people replied they were unable to recommend any such place not being big on pubs (Average age being 55 I believe). Fair enough! I would probably reply the same and that is the crux of the matter! Because....

I then decided to insult someone by calling them a rude bastard!  I assure the recipient is not a bad person - I have been told he restores ones faith in humanity but I find that a little extreme- I see no signs of stigmata nor a halo. I beg the jury's tolerance. Let me plead my case. Mr RB had become incommunicado without explanation and I had been a little worried. My inquiry was important to me. I sent it....and what do you know! no reply.....so after two hours I decided to go out guns blazing and shoot...myself in the foot.  But as I said my response was not based on a single episode, it was the final straw after a long period of tolerance and acceptance (I know, I'm a Saint!). I make no apology for my response, I contend that  a recidivist non-texter who does have the ability deserves to be told the plain truth.  If not from me, then who?

What I learnt from this episode is the following: silent resentment and mumbling under your breath means you run the risk of continuation of the treatment which causes the same or getting a reputation as a crazy woman and maybe even a pet name. But shock treatment, especially that resulting in defensiveness, can result in sudden re-institution of the ability to text to said miscreant and short term rehabilitation of the recidivist, if only to curse you out or at least do some toy throwing. So dear jury, do you not see it was literally a case of self-defence.  Who would not have done the same in my position? Now if my life was really a soap opera, Mr RB would see the effect of his behaviour and there would be a touching scene where we both apologised and agreed to quarrel no more as per Jo and Laurie...whoops I'm slipping over into the classics! But alas it is a reality show so we'll probably form opposing teams and compete for sacks of flour and immunity.

I have also learnt not to buy wine with a cork if you are not in possession of a corkscrew! It is difficult to drink yourself into a self-righteous stupor if you cannot open the bottle. I wholeheartedly support the screw-top proponents! Though bubbly may still need it's special cork to retain it's delicious sparkle.

Today's beautiful word
Recidivist the chronic tendency toward repetition of criminal or antisocial behavior patterns

Quality not quantity

Today I drove from Auckland to Wellington (637km) so it was never going to be a big writing day anyway. BUT there was a crash which blocked SH1 before Hunterville.  Someone had to be cut out of their car and we were told it would be about an hours wait. Apparently there was an alternate route that started out windy but was fine after a while. Soa caravan of us set off  but the leader didn't actually know where he was going!

We went up Sanford Block Road, I believe. This may have been right. It was pretty wiry! Lots of mud and the ABS light came on a few times. I had to silence the Navman because she kept telling me to do a U-turn.
I think we should have taken the Taupo road but we set on Chelteham-Hunterville Rd and ended up in Fielding!

Added over an hour to journey so it was an epic fail! But an adventure!

Then I had to schlep stuff from the car to the apartment, put it away, make some dinner (satay tofu and noodles- yummo!) So time and energy were zapped away!

But I did do 373 words that totally changed Nick from immature to slightly mature so it was quality! And made Luc a little more human! So good work!

Today's beautiful word
Myriad having innumerable phases, aspects, variations, etc


Today's word count: 373 words
Total word count: 21124 words

Food as sex

Now Rosie has finally taken the plunge I'm free to write about a much more important topic - food! I had a delightful time today writing about Rosie and Nick sharing a meal together. The menu included a few of my favourites but not my ultimate favourite - blue cheese wontons. I drew on my reaction to blue cheese wontons to describe Rosie's enjoyment of her fish dish. I may be alone in my appreciation of Chow's blue cheese wontons but I doubt it. The only downside is I really can't eat them in company.  I believe Oliver may have been mentally scarred by my first experience of them.

Describing food is a great exercise. Ultimately you want the reader to be able to taste the food.  The lemon and capers in Rosie's fish dish should not only burst onto her and Nick's taste buds but also the reader's.  I guess one is successful when the reader needs to put the book down and go and find something to eat!

Anyway, books such as Chocolat have already illustrated the concept of food as sex and I think it works very well.  Sharing food is an intimate experience and writing about Rosie and Nick enjoying their meals and sharing tastes acted as an excellent foil for the sexual tension rising between them. I even got over my absolute aversion to people sharing food from the same plate or, shudder, same fork, to let Rosie and Nick feed each other.

So today has been a very successful one...and now I think I need to find something to eat!

Today's beautiful word
Refulgent radiating or as if radiating light


Today's word count: 1587 words
Total word count: 20751 words

Is it hot in here?

After skirting around it and finding other areas to write about, I've finally taken the bull by the horns and Rosie has slept with her Tiger! There was resistance, nerves, indecision. Then there was surrender to her baser instincts. And then Rosie went wild!

The hardest part is trying to write in a way that is acceptable to readers of chicklit without using 'silly sex' terms...you know - manroot, nubs, honeyed centre, I'll probably go back and rewrite but for now Rosie has ridden her tiger like a rodeo rider at the county fair! - Too much information? So now that's out of the way it'll only get easier....I hope. I assure you there were no crashing waves and only a few fire works.

I may dedicate some time to research....of the romance writers' websites to see if there is anything I need to add. But I'm fairly happy and I know both Rosie and Nick are well-pleased. Dave may be a bit put out but spectre's tend to be a bit disappointing in the area of corporeal pleasures. And Luc is but a distant memory. Simply a benchmark to be easily surpassed as is the role of the ex-lover in chicklit. I was tempted for a moment to make Nick lousy but that would have been a clanger!

And so I leave Rosie praising Farmer's lingerie sales, corpse reviver cocktails and the energy of youth.



Today's beautiful word
Zenith a highest point or state; culmination


Today's word count: 1363 words
Total word count: 19164 words

She's back!

I'm back! I battled with the demons of procrastination and managed to at least wing them enough to get some more writing done! Now I just need to keep it up! I may need to beg or cajole someone into taking me to some of the local watering spots to observe modern mating behaviours....or I could just watch TV 'cos that's just like real life isn't it?

I'm quite happy with the way things are currently going  which is of course the cue for one of the characters to mutiny! My money is on James deciding he's gay but there may be a twist and Nick might come out! I'm hoping neither because it does sort of put a damper on the story line!

Anyway, I got an extra 459 words down - Not bad for someone who would rather clean the toilet than face the empty page! Oh what a cruel task master my muse is!

Today's word count: 1542 words
Total word count: 17801 words