Creative Mode

Though still suffering from my sinus infection and feeling as if I had coughed up the other lung, I did manage to get 1000 words of a first draft done.  All handwritten, as is my creative first draft method. We meet both characters mid-adventure.  I managed an introduction to our heroes and to get them into enough hot water that one wonders how they will escape certain discovery.  I have a new sidekick character.

The rest of the storyline is plotted, though I am sure it will metamorphose before my very eyes when I actually sit down and finish writing it.  My biggest fear now is that I will not finish the story in the allotted word limit.  When 3000 or over, a complete storyline (with background)  is much easier to write. A shorter limit of only 1000 or 2000 words requires just a snippet of an adventure… needing a lot more economy with words.

It is yet another story set in Ye Olde London Town, with Victorian steampunkish goodness… well hopefully a tinge of it. The competition says ‘open theme’ so I (again) hope that a steampunk genre will not be too ‘out there’, allowing the judges to look at the writing’s merit.

Wednesday night is the weekly Writers’ Race, so I am hoping to get another 1000 words down for the first draft by the end of it. I will leave editing until I am recovered… I think my brain is still a little addled; I so hope the story isn’t as well.

Creative Mode

Forgive

I am sitting at home, feeling sorry for myself. It is hard to concentrate and my head is ‘whooshing’.  Yesterday was a bad day. I finally gave in and saw the doctor who advised me that the sinus infection itself would have been enough… but I had to go and get a virus/head cold on top of it! I have two days of forced rest so could not go to earn some money. Something about being contagious … Thank goodness we have duplicates of some of our vital organs: lungs, kidneys etc, as I feel like I have coughed up at least one lung!

I am already bored. I have tried to watch some television. I usually enjoy Midsommer Murders or some Agatha Christie but have been having major problems following the story lines. Hence, little enjoyment there. I tried some of my favourite girlie movies; I even had problems concentrating on Jane Austin today.

I tried to draw something; my hand was shaking too much and the shape was all out of whack. Not happy. I tried to do some free-writing. Write everyday, they say. Even if it is crap, they say. I did manage a page of handwritten prose but I can’t judge whether it is crap or not, at this stage. But I just could not remember what the goal of the  heroine and her ‘sidekick’, so it sort of petered out… Could be interesting to read later. We shall see.

Sorry, that this is not sparkling prose with some deep and meaningful insight. At least I got some writing done.

Forgive

Relaxing

Sunday was a day of mixed blessings. It was the warmest day we have had in over a month. It was a glorious 20 degree Celcius.  A slight breeze wafted in through the back door, skipping over the uncut grass bringing with it the heavenly smells of the cool earth and the smell of winter.  Somewhere, in the neighbourhood, there were sausages being cooked on the barbie. Somewhere someone was mowing and somewhere a garden was being tilled.

The breeze continued to sweep away most of the road noise so it was only just audible. The resulting noise of the  traffic, swished by in a rhythmic pattern, stopping occasionally so I could savour the still quiet until their return.  In the back yard, the birdsong drowned out the man-made noises. I counted three, four, five… no six different birds in all.

Several of the smaller birds played in the bottlebrush, skipping along the branches and chasing each other around the yard, only to fly off to the gum tree, next door. The ivy danced and shivered from their antics. The raven watched on in amusement, remaining aloof from the rabble.

Unfortunately, I was stuck inside for much of the days frivolity and splendour. My sinuses have finally announced that they are, indeed, infected and were intermittently showing me proof of such an existence. The pressure was enough to create excruciating pain for most of the day. When the medication finally did do me the honour of doing its duty, the sinuses began to behave themselves… for a short time at least.

Even now, I can feel the drumming of a burgeoning full-blown war about to erupt.

Pass me the tissues… and thar she blows!!!

Relaxing

Tending the Words.

There was doubt that it was winter today. It was chilly. The sky was overcast and the wind was piercing. Most of the day was spent inside chatting with a dear friend of mine who popped in for a visit. I was supposed to be doing some sewing but spent most of it catching up with Holly, as it has been over a month since she has been able to visit. Too long.

I did manage read some articles on writing – interesting essays on some writing techniques, insights on self publishing vs. publishing houses, the problems with (and trends in) book covers (though these will be a long way off. I still l have to finish my book first… then find an agent, then find a publisher… don’t hold your breath. I’m not.)  It is both informative and encouraging to read the exploits, dramas and solutions to problems experienced by other writers and authors.

I am also on the lookout for some story ideas. Some sparks are there and I am just letting them mull over, but for now I am working on ‘learning more of the craft’ and increasing some skills…

Finally, I also managed to thin out some of my carrot seedlings. I probably leave this late but I really hate the idea of just pulling out negligible seedlings and throwing them of these were savable. The others were ‘barbie’ sized and effectively just green tops. (sadly).

When I garden, it reminds me of story ideas; if I try to pluck them out of my brain too early, they have not had time to ‘gel’ and just dissolve away. They need time to fester and grow, so that when they are extracted they will survive scrutiny and (hopefully) fall onto the page… well, sometimes they do. Wish they would do so more often.ut (even if it is on the compost). I usually wait an extra month or so, so that the little baby seedlings have usable ‘baby’  (or in this case baby baby) carrots that can be tossed into a stew or pasta sauce.

Tending the Words.

Stuff...

Sorry. This won’t be my most erudite post, nor my most witty one.  The snot fairies have taken up residence and are having a party so I am feeling a little hazy today.  More steam inhalations for me later.  My wonderful husband is currently making fresh mushroom, shallot and sheep cheese toasty sandwiches for my lunch. Bless him. I did not have the heart to tell him that I should probably avoid milk products with bunged up sinuses and nose. But it will be yummy.

Good news. I did get my short story finished and sent off for the competition. As it was an electronic entry, I already have confirmation that it was received. That is one less thing to worry about. I still need to lose 160 odd words from my gaslight/gaslamp story though. Sigh. I think some of the back story (explained near the end) will have to go. Oh well, I can use it for something else in the future… Only you, dear reader, will know. 

I had my hair re-coloured today, so that has cheered me up a little. I tried to take a selfie to show the colour but I am not very good at taking them. You can’t really see the brightness of the colour either. In the end, I needed my hubby’s help, with my phone camera, so the colour would show with the flash. (still not very well though).  It is the same chocolate brown base, with red (almost purple) streak/highlights and  left my natural grey  streak there for the world to see!

And, for those observant readers out there.. Yes, it is a Karen Hallion t-shirt!

Stuff...

Too Much Information?

For a few weeks now, I have been battling either allergies (and resulting sinus infection) or a head cold. The sinus infection was the forerunner, as a cold would usually have started improving after the first three days or so. This didn’t. Though we have had a lot of rain (or possibly because of it- keeping the windows shut), the dust inside the house has been piling up.  Unfortunately, I am very allergic to dust (or possibly more accurately, the dust mites?).

I suppose I am lucky really, as a large number of family members get asthma. Allergies are very commonly associated with asthma, especially dust, pollens and cats.  I never had allergy problems with I lived in Queensland; it was after having moved to South Australia (driest state in driest continent) and experienced the horrendous dust storms we get in summer,  that I discovered my allergy to dust. Oh joy. (Insert dripping sarcasm here.) At least I don’t suffer from asthma. That is a bonus!

This week started out well. The cleaner (bless him) came and dusted. (If I dust, it always ends badly for me). I could breathe again… for a while.  My dearest husband had been airing a lovely, soft shag-pile rug out in the back yard… He finally brought it inside yesterday and dumped it on the floor in front of where I write. I could smell the dust that emanated from it. It swirled up and launched itself into my nostrils, burning all the way to the sinuses. Within thirty minutes there was itching, sneezing and ‘gooby’ eyes. He had forgotten to vacuum it! Argh!

Today I sit with a blocked nose, the mucus not making its mind up if it wants to stay snuggled in my head or roller-coaster ride down the back of my throat. Oh, joy. (more dripping sarcasm). Steam inhalations, sinus medications and self-pity… and sneezing… are the active words for today.

At least I got my short story to the final proof read stage. Hopefully it goes off tomorrow.

Too Much Information?

Procrastination.

Again.

Yes. I have been putting off on my rewrites and editing of The Soul Cafe. I did some weeding the the one of the vegetable plots (which is in a old metal bath tub), in the back yard. I replanted some lettuce seedlings and transplanted some kale seedlings, leaving a pot full of kale seedlings which still need to find a home.

After catching up on some television shows from earlier this week, I pulled out my story and promptly went into the front yard to do some more weeding; about two hours and forty minutes in total. Definitely got my vitamin D quota for the day.

I also managed some garden photography today. It was a beautiful sunny winter day; the first day in weeks it has not drizzled or rained.  My creative muse is sated so I am calm.

The day is not a complete loss though. The short story is not due til next week and I did manage to get the initial read-through and rewrite done at the Writers’ Race this week.  Another proof read now…

 

Procrastination.