Last day

It is the last day of NaNoWriMo and I have just under 14,000 words left. I don't think I'll get them all done by the end of the day, however, I do know how these last few words go, so I still have a direction and an ending. Likely chance I finish it in a couple of days time, just in time for Uni next week.

Then it's down to me to write three essays, redraft some 3000 words for an assignment and get all of that done, including seconds drafts and maybe third drafts, before the 13th December.

Yeah.

Two weeks of panic coming up.

And I've heard that many of you have been hitting those numbers hard and getting close or even past 50,000 words. So congrats! to you guys! *Imagine confetti falling from the ceiling to cover you.*

Celebrate all you writers who took part. It ain't an easy journey and it certainly is worthy of a reward. No matter what  that reward is, enjoy it.

As I said up there *look up* my reward is four assignments. *Yippee*

Happy Writing.

Update!

I know I originally said I was going to aim for 75,000 words this November, BUT I've taken it down to 70,000 because the last thing I need is a lot of stress. I am currently at 45, 287 words and there is still a hell of a lot to happen. I don't even know how my character's going to get out of her current situation yet, but, ya'know, I'll figure it out.

In the meantime, I hope you guys are doing well in terms of word counts. Feel free to let know and have a 30 second poem on Winter.

Winter

Cold nights

nip at your toes

and bites

at your ankles.

Wrap up warm

grab a hot drink

get underneath

that blanket and stay.

The leaves are gone

and the trees are bare.

But still they wave

as you walk on by.

Puddles grow

and begin to freeze

forced to change

with the weather.

Snow may fall

or it may not,

but the white flakes

sprinkle their dust everywhere.

A look of wonder 

fills the horizon.

It gets darker

so get in sooner

but do not reject

those clear cold nights.

Look up at the sky

and see the stars

and moon.

Bright and inviting

despite the cold.

Oh boy

There is 6 days left to this event (not including today) and I've only just hit 40,000. EEP!

So far, today, I've written 4,000 words ish and I intend to keep going until it's time for bed. Tomorrow, I'm repeating the plan. Tuesday, the same thing. Write and write and write until Saturday when I can sit back, crawl into bed and sleep from being worn out.

I hope all is going well for you guys.

Happy Writing.

Water

Water

A still reflection
of shining blue.
A gust of wind
and it shivers.

In a stream
it runs downhill,
jumping and hopping
over pebbles and rocks.

In a river
it runs a little faster
sweeping through the gaps
and twisting the corners.

On a beach it waves,
wafts white foam high
and collapses
when nobody waves back.

In an ocean
it is home
to the millions of life
we cannot see.

It simmers in the sun,
waits to be told
where to go
and where to stay.

With a twinkle of the eye
it rests
letting the night
take away its pain
until tomorrow.

Let's be straight

Several hours ago an author (I'm not going to name names) a female other (to make it easier to talk about) tweeted that she's published a series of books for writers wanting to get to the next level in writing i.e. NOT beginners - and this was put into the tweet.

One of the first questions I can see coming to your mind is "What makes a beginner writer?" If that question doesn't cross your mind, well, why not? Seriously. I saw this tweet and thought "Why are we classing writer's as beginners and advanced? What's wrong with just writer?" And I can understand what they're talking about.

To an extent.

Fair enough saying that people are have just turned to writing, they may need a little help or push in getting going. We all did and that's the hard truth. But when this author states "My books are for those who have mastered the basics of writing."

Huh?

Mastered the basics of writing? Is- Is that possible? Is that even a thing? Seriously? Mastering words? Putting a sentence together? Seriously? 

"If you need to ask what the basic techniques of a writers craft is, you're better off with a beginner's book."

BUULLLSHIT

Seriously. Feel free to disagree. Feel free to argue with me or this above author, but seriously. I'm doing a creative writing course and you know what I've come to understand the basics are? Putting words together. Paragraphs that are indented. New speaker = new paragraph. Flow. All of that other basic shit. In essence, we're all past beginner and somewhere on the scale of improving. 

Yeah there's the whole making the words work and making the reader interested crap. But that's not basic it's practice. You can't sum up lack of ability into beginner. You can't. 

This one guy on Twitter asked this woman, "What makes a beginner compared to an advanced writer? I.e what are the basic techniques you're going on about? How are you able to decide all of this?" (through several tweets) But legitimate questions yes? 

And the woman freaked out. "If you need to ask you must be a beginner. A beginner is someone who hasn't mastered the basics. Advanced writers don't need to ask for a definition." 

I read these replied and I was shocked. Flabbergasted. 

So, because this guy asked this woman for what she defined to be basic crafts... he was an idiot and a moron (which is what the conversation later devolved into on Twitter when she called him a prat and a moron to her followers. Mature. Very mature.(for those who could not tell those last three words, read them with a jugful of sarcasm))

I just... the guy asked a few simple and basic questions to which she did not reply and now he's a prat who is also 'obviously' a beginner for asking her to define what she calls a 'beginner' writer and 'basic crafts'. 

Your comments on this very slight yet annoying issue is welcome. Agree or disagree with me or her? Lemme know.

Happy Writing. 

Oops

Okay, so as you can probably tell I have neglected this little corner of the internet. And my NaNoWriMo story for the time being.

Yeah.

I feel bad, but it was my boyfriend's 21st and on the Friday we went to a pub, Saturday we ate dinner with friends, Sunday was me attempting an essay and Monday was us eating pizza and visiting my mum.

So it's halted a little.

But all is not lost.

Once this essay is finished I can burn through the next few thousand words. (She says) Also, within the past month I've submitted a poem and a short story to competitions. Now I'm waiting to be told I haven't won. Anyway, for now, enjoy a poem about.... *fumbles* *scratches head*

Autumn

Orange leaves fall

and scatter themselves

across pavements.

We trod

and kick

and scatter them more.

The wind grows cold

it nips and bites

closes us into

ourselves.

Wrap up tight.

Grab a scarf.

Without a coat

you'll suffer.

Gloves are handy.

The sun

sinks lower

with passing speed.

Quicker

the moon rises

and the dark descends.

On starry nights

we look up and point

at the white glow 

that paints the sky.

Day 11...

It is nearing the end of Day 11 of NaNoWriMo. As you can see from the little bar in the top corner of this page, I'm not doing too badly. Whilst to NaNo's count I am almost halfway there....

as you can tell from up there, I'm not. In order to reach 75,000 words I should've been writing 3k words a day. So, by the end of the today I should be on 33k.

Nah, I'm gonna be halfway through 24k.

BUT! My plan!

To write 3.5k words a day. It is a giant push and somehow, as well as pumping out the words, I am ahead on Uni work too. *woop woop*

So.  I'm going to be doing my best to steam roll through this story (Yeah can't talk about it yet. Super super super secret!)

How are the rest of you folks doing?

Happy Writing!

Illness

Illness

It may start with a cough

Or even with a wheeze

Maybe it's the rough

that twists your stomach with a squeeze.

Sudden or gradually

It'll come to us all

Nobody is immune completely

to everything. We all take a fall.

For some it's a simple remedy.

For others years of tests.

You may ask when are they ready

to give you a result, yet...

Never is it pleasant

or simple.

At the end a triumphant 

cheer. Or away they slip.

Sometimes it is the last straw

that drags a person away.

With a single final draw

of breath, they've crossed

the land of the dead.

Voice

I want to talk about voice... again.

Voice is a difficult 'thing' to grasp. It is how the narrator speaks, how the characters think and how they speak. But every voice is different and this is what makes our jobs, as writers, harder.

By all means, have a narrator who is completely detached - by this I mean imagine a camera following the character and they report what they see.

But it isn't easy to write a voice and stick to it.

At the moment I'm writing in the voice of a character. First person past tense is not easy. I'm a third person kind of girl and writing in first person, for an entire story, is difficult and brain racking. Add into that I decided my character would be American. Do you know what that means? Using American terms and spellings: closet, drapes, customized, color, judgment, pasteurized. Being an English person who is trying to write with American spellings and terminology...

It's killing the editor inside of me. I still don't know if I should use 'cup' or 'mug' and I won't know for a while.

But first person texts are where voice is more important. It is one of the most important things. With a poor voice, your story falls apart. Keeping up the consistent voice, is even harder.

But it is doable.

Happy Writing.

15k

I have finally hit 15k! :D And I am still ahead of NaNo's word count. But behind on mine by 12,000 words!

EEP!

Ah well. I'm doing my best to write 3k a day *cries*

How's it going for everybody else?

Morning

Morning

A cusp of light

breaches the horizon.

Brightens the sky

and opens the day.

Sleepy eyes awake

and push out the dust

that the sandman 

sprinkled last night.

In a daze people walk

the sun still bright

blinding them

for a few moments

Until the day is opened

and the beauty revealed.

Update

NaNoWriMo is going.... okay. I guess. I told you how I'd set myself the crazy goal of 75,000 words by the end of November right? I'm sure I did.

Well that means 3,000 words each day. Doesn't sound so bad does it? So I should be at 21,000 by the end of today....

12,835 so far.

Yeah.

I'm ahead on the 'normal' word count. Way ahead. But WAY behind on my own word count.

So I got some big catching up to do. *cries*

How's your story coming along? Let me know with a small comment or two.

Happy Writing.

Letters

Letters

Put them together

and they make a word.

String a lot of them

and they make a sentence.

They hold meaning.

One letter

is the difference

between dead

and dread.

They make the language

create it 

invent it

and shape it.

Let them stand like soldiers

or let them slouch

like drunkards on a

Saturday night.

Small or big.

Squished or spaced.

Tall or short.

Clumped or separate.

Letters

make the foundation

of any word

of any sentence

of any story.

This month...

...I will try my best with regular posting, including those 30 second poems, but I may not post as normal. Why you ask?

For many reasons:

1) NaNoWriMo. Yeah. I'm attempting this. Way behind on my own personal word count so far.

2) I have two essays due this month. They take priority over anything. Especially if I wish a good grade.

3) Life. I need a life too. 

But I want to thank you guys who are visiting and who are reading. Comments are always welcome and I shall do my best.

In the mean time, have a few poems I made some time ago:

Run away

Let us run away

Let us never look back now

Don't, let them find us.

Silent

Alone and cornered,

Segregated from the pack

The silent tears fall.

Happy Writing.