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I am an aspiring writer living and working in Hull. I working on a novel, as well as writing short stories to keep my writing skills fresh. I decided to start a writing blog to connect with other writers. So please, take a look around and leave some comments - I'd love to read some of your writing blogs too. Nari X

Thursday 9 December 2010

Decreased Productivity = More Vampirism...

Dad's Christmas present sorted!

I'm really quite excited about Dad's Christmas present, and I can freely blog about it, I think, because he is not much of an internet user. I was in Doncaster a few weeks back getting to know the place before I had to go to my practical test for the YMCA receptionist job (which, by the way, fell on its arse because the stupid snow delayed my train and I was late. 'Don't call us, we'll call you.' Those were almost their exact words. Needless to say, they didn't.) and as I walked past WH Smith, I noticed a poster about a book signing by The Hairy Bikers. For anyone who doesn't know, they are celebrity chefs, and my Dad is a massive fan. So I was very excited. Bought their new book '12 Days of Christmas' and noted down the date so I could go back and get it signed. 

I popped back on the 7th, last Tuesday, and queued for an hour (yes, there were that many people. I was quite near the front.) before they arrived.

They are lovely chaps, and were having a proper giggle with people, but I was a bit out of place, I felt. I'll admit, I didn't really know what to say other than 'My Dad is a big fan'. I'm pretty bad with this kind of stuff, but anyway, I got the book signed, said thank you and was on my way. I keep wanting to tell Dad about it but I can't, of course. 

So, an update on my writing productivity... well it's lagging. Every time I sit down to write I end up scrolling through aimlessly, randomly editing bits and pieces, thinking about how much needs to change before I can call it a first draft and despairing at how much time that is going to take. I was either naive or overly optimistic to imagine I could possibly get it finished by the end of November. But I can't push it back again, it's already taken four years to write and I feel like I'm wading through treacle. 

And whenever I get to this sort of stage, silly things happen. I have mentioned before that my characters have a tendency to become vampires when my attention is waning. Well, it's happened again. I've been getting worked up over my ending, trying to get it done, but not. It has turned into a very abrupt realisation that the fact that Andy and Ryan have been fighting over who gets to eat Lauren is void because Lauren is also a vampire. So they give up and go home.

It's all very amusing, but I'm cursing myself, because I realise how much effort and how many words it took to write that, which could have been put towards actual writing. In all honestly I think I'm itching to edit. 

I went to Hull Central Library today to do some research. I know. Wrong order. But I realised my research into things like insomnia, phobias, various injuries aquired is very limited. I'm trying to base everything on vaguely recalled experiences. And maybe that's why my story is seeming quite thin. 


Part of the problem with my lack of focus is perhaps to do with the state of my desk (right). Yes, that is my credit card bill pinned to Ryan Hunter's thigh... hope it didn't hurt. I've cleared it up a bit, though now my bed is covered... I need to sort my life out.


On the plus side, I'm now on The Goodwin Centre's Local Work Guarantee Scheme, which means I can apply for placements and work trials with a much bigger chance of acceptance, and hopefully a job at the end of a 13 week placement. 


4 comments:

  1. I must confess I am jealous of your father's christmas present! I was fortunate enough to see the Hairy Bikers at Wakefield Theatre Royal in February. If I found out tonight that they were returning I would be knocking down the theatre's doors first thing tomorrow for tickets!

    My characters have a tendency to turn into mages or shape-shifters.

    Incidentally, best of luck in getting a great placement! :)

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  2. Liz how many times have I offered you a great ending for your story / a GREAT scene... always original and fresh. You just gotta say oui =P

    Did you tidy your desk in the end?
    A messy desk is a messy mind!

    But...melon.

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  3. Thanks HC :) It was a shame he was all the way down south, otherwise I maybe could have got him to come so he could actually meet them too. But I'm hoping it'll be a nice surprise. They were very lovely blokes.
    Nikki- I mananaged to tidy my desk enough to work at... though there is a suspicious looking pile of stuff now on my dehumidifier... I'm this close to just plastering your ending on and calling it quits... you'd get like 0.0000003 % of the earnings, that sound fair?
    X

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  4. Deal!
    And when I write the Paradox of Proximity (patent pending) you get... a cheeky grin!
    Love you =)
    x

    ReplyDelete