Of Life, Health and Writing.

Over the past few years, I have hinted at some of the ‘real life’ issues I have been facing. One of them has been extreme work-place stress, leading to anxiety. This had been bubbling up for a few years and escalated in late 2012. The final straw was the attack of a security guard in front of my workplace. I had time off with extreme anxiety and spent the next (almost) two years clawing my way back.

The past few months have been… well, even more complicated. I felt like a rag-doll being pulled from every direction, just waiting to rip at the seams. Last week I quit my job of 17 years. I am now teetering on the edge of deciding whether to make a break from a 28 year career. You could say they won. You could say I snapped. I say I saved myself from a downward spiral.

For the next three months, I am throwing myself into full time writing. My goal is to clear my head of past anxieties, improve my health and rid myself of this ongoing, acute back pain that has plagued me over the past several months.

It is a scary concept – no day job, full-time creating and a lot of future hard work – research, rewrites, edits. Writing has always been cathartic for me; I don’t see why my current situation should change that.

It seems NaNoWriMo has come at a very opportune  time. I may not make the 50,000 word goal but I will forge ahead with my current manuscript, The Department of Curiosities, and learn to enjoy life once more.

NaNoWriMo word count. Day 5:
Total Words- first draft:  

Of Life, Health and Writing.

Of Weddings, Planes and NaNoWriMo.

What a way to start NaNoWriMo. I spent the weekend interstate for my brother’s wedding. I had planned to visit the state museum – in steampunk attire – but ended up nursing acute back pain while trying to get my first words down for NaNoWriMo. Try writing on the plane (a first for me) while on pain medication…

Earlier in the week, I began preparations for the month long writing fest:

• I cleared off my desk and filed a mountain of papers, in readiness for writing.


• purchased two new note books for handwriting (I hope to have to buy more)

My motivations for the month. Top 10 reasons to do NaNo:

1. to get this story out of my head and onto paper


2. to forget (and chase away) my recent anxieties and stresses by creating something – catharsis (when I write – or create something – I am more relaxed -even when grumbling over editing).


3. to return to my discipline of writing daily


4. to finish this first draft and get a move on.


5. the challenge – to push myself to a new monthly word count (maximum is 15000 so far)


6. no one else can write my story


7. To finally find out what will happen to my characters. (yep, panster)


8. Since I was 9 years old, I have dreamed of being a writer. I had better get on with it then!


9. to kick procrastinaton in the butt!


10. I love to write.

So far my word count is minimal. At at least I can stand up and sit down unassisted now and I have taken significant steps to reduce the stress and anxiety which has been the root of the recent back issues.

Today we fly home (more meds) and I start a new chapter in  my life, as well as my book.

NaNoWriMo word count. Day 1:
Total Words- first draft:  

Of Weddings, Planes and NaNoWriMo.

Of NaNoWriMo, Wizards and a new Novella.

November is going to be busy. In February, I booked four weeks holiday (that is a whole complicated story unto itself). I intend to attend my brother’s wedding, try to catch up on garden landscaping and sorting out the edible plants for summer, attend two workshops, Supanova (convention) and a work conference – just to name a few. Most of all, I intend to give my first full-on NaNoWriMo a really good attempt. I look forward to a creative distraction to current stresses.

I attended both NaNoWriMo camps this year – in April and July. Camp is like a mini-NaNoWriMo – you can choose your own project/s and word limit. For my very first camp, I aimed for 10,000 words. I finished with 15,000 words for the month (a record for me).

Doctor Jack‘s first draft was finished in May – totaling 35,000. My first novella (now with my beta reader). In July I decided I needed complete rewrites on a short story, The Day of the Dirigible and make significant headway on my work-in-progress, The Department of Curiosities. The experience was invigorating. I procrastinated less, I wrote more.

April BLog Posts: Now I have done it! There is no turning back? / Of Deadlines, Short Stories and Novellas / Of Post Camp Progress, Pantsers and Plotters.
July Blog Posts: Of Rewrites, Camps and Villians.

November’s NaNoWriMo has a new set of rules and will provide a much bigger challenge. Word goal is 50,000 words. I cannot start writing it before the 1st of November. I can outline the plot or characters. In the past, the project had to be a new one. Recent changes appear to allow for continuing with a current WIP, as long as it is new writing and no rehashing of previous work.

As this is way above my personal best word count for one month, I will not be disappointed if I do not make the target.  If I do manage to keep my muse on target, curb my procrastination and manage to make the goal, I will be overjoyed!

Whatever the outcome, I have two options now open to me: to make a start on my second novella, The Wizard of St Pauls or forge ahead with the first draft of The Department of Curiosities.

The Wizard of St Pauls is a story has been mulling around in my head for over a year. It is more gaslamp than steampunk. It is set in the same steampunk world as The Department of Curiosities, with a different agency battling a unique section of society.

On the 1st November, I will know which way the muse takes me. I will keep you posted on my progress and word count, via November’s posts.

NaNoWriMo Word count.
Total Words- first draft:  

Of NaNoWriMo, Wizards and a new Novella.

Of Thankfulness, Sharing and Christmas Spirit

No matter how stressed my life is, I am thankful. I live in a country where I have personal and religious freedom, relative safety and major political stresses. (I shall refrain from a rant on the short-sightedness of the current government.) I have a roof over my head, a loving family and food to eat.

We do live in the lucky country.

Christmas is less than two months away. Celebratory-specific items are already filling the shelves. Santa is readying for his annual parade through Adelaide streets to take up residence in his cave. (No rants on the materialistic nature of the season either.)

Today I am grateful. Today I think of all those who are less fortunate than me, of the millions of children who have very little. Today I braved the claustrophobic hell of the local shopping centre. With my family for support, I gritted my teeth and endured the crowds. Our goal: to buy items to fill this year’s Christmas Shoebox for Operation Christmas Child.

This is the sixth year we have participated in this project. It is simple. Fill a shoebox with items – Six things to light up the world of a child in need: something to love, something for school, something to wear, something to play with, something for personal hygiene and something special. Add $9 to cover transport costs (we pay ours online) and drop it into a collection point (one of our friend organises one). The boxes get delivered to children in countries throughout Asia and Africa and other places where children are less fortunate.

   

It was well worth the discomfort of the crowds to share a little joy with a child.

You can donate  to Operation Christmas Child, via their website.

Of Thankfulness, Sharing and Christmas Spirit

Off the Artboard: Octoarms go live on etsy

I have a fascination for cephalopods. (Handy, as they seem to be a steampunk trope.) I was reading 20,000 Leagues under the sea and had an image of a kraken crawling out of the book. This sparked an idea which compelled me to make my first Octoarm bookmarks, starting my Portable Art Collection.  It was not long before I started making necklaces and earrings.

I have been rather distracted lately. Life has been… interesting. With some major stresses, even writing has been more difficult this week. In an effort to distract myself from current issues, I have delved into my box of creations and did some organising – and was inspired to make some Christmas tree decorations, which have been added to my Portable Art – Octoarms page.

Cephalopods and Christmas – cheered me up. I hope you will enjoy them as well.  Why not share the cheer with a fellow geek? Christmas is not far away.

You can now buy Octoarms earrings, pendants, bookmarks and tree decorations at my new etsy store: Off the Artboard.  Payments via Paypal for your security.

Off the Artboard: Octoarms go live on etsy

October Tea and Tidings - flies out tomorrow.

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October Tea and Tidings - flies out tomorrow.

On Character Development: What was the thinking behind that?

We all want engaging characters who will grab the attention of our readers and entice them to keep reading.  Advice abounds. Books have been written, blogs posted, lists compiled – all to aide in the development of believable protagonists and antagonists (and secondary characters).

Many lists start with basics – the physical attributes of the character – name, age, how they dress, ‘quirky tick’. Other recommendations encourage us to delve into their background – where do they live? Where were they born? What is their vocation? Childhood, friends and family relationships can all help mold the character – either heroine or villian. All of the above can effect how a character will react to the various conflicts writers throw at them.

One writing mantra that is constantly drummed into my brain is:  use active not passive writing. Our characters must do things. The most elaborately created background and detailed descriptions will not make a character do something. Throwing plot twists at our heroine will not always guarantee she will be forced into action. For this, our characters must have motivation.

Ask the following questions:

• What is their greatest desire, their motivation?
• What does the character want – from people, from any situation?
• Will outside influences alter these desires?
• How far will they go to obtain it
• What will they do when their goal is realised?

By asking (and answering) the above, our characters should will evolve, revealing their personalities in response to the developing plot. This change should be ongoing. Ask the questions often; each interaction, every event has the potential to lead each character in a new direction, driving action and possibly altering our character’s motivation. From these little things, stories can grow.

 

On Character Development: What was the thinking behind that?