How do I go about this writing thing?

As ROW80 round 3 is just around the corner I am starting to have a little mini panic. I suddenly realised that when I read all the posts on other people's blogs that people are either real planners before they write, knowing and plotting every detail before they start and other people write and plan as they go. I guess there are lots of people who fall somewhere between the two. What I don't know is what kind of writer I am.

I have been mulling over my goals and I think I am going to aim for writing or doing something writing related every day (with some kind of time expectation built in). This will be a challenge for me and will hopefully make me much more productive. What I don't know is if I should just start writing and see how I go or if I should do lots of planning beforehand?

Do people just feel their way and the way they write starts to emerge? Shall I try a mixture of the two and see what sits best with me?

HELP!

Conditions for writing

A recent post about how where you live can influence your writing by Lyndsay Wheble over at 'Tolstoy is my Cat' really struck a chord with me.

You can read it here : http://tolstoyismycat.blogspot.com/2011/06/literary-locations-will-your-work.html

I constantly think and grumble to myself that if I lived in a thriving big city my writing (or maybe more accurately my motivation for writing) would be so much stronger. Living in a rural/seaside town in Devon in the South West of England is the reason I have not written several outstanding novels. It is not because I never make myself sit down and write, it is because my writing conditions are wrong. This is completely ridiculous.

My writing conditions may never be better. Here's why:

1) I live by myself in a little flat (and I mean little). I can write whenever I want day or night and it doesn't get in anyones way. No people or children as distractions. No one to interrupt. I could ignore the phone easily if I wanted to.

2) My boyfriend lives hours away and we don't even get to each other every weekend therefore I have lots of 'time filling' to do when I am trying not to miss him (apologies if the soppyness of that makes you queasy).

3) I recently got wireless internet (I know, I know, everyone else has had this for ages) so I can actually move around and write. Although my flat is tiny this does open up the option of writing in bed. Hooray!

4) I technically do not work full time so there is an afternoon a week I could come home and write. Except I stay at work and do some work so my weekends are free. I could write in these free weekends if I actually MAKE myself sit down.

5) I am a teacher and therefore get lots of holiday time. Perfect for writing.

See, perfect conditions really. I need to stop my excuses and write. Bring on ROW 80!!

The ramblings of a tired mind

It feels like ages since I wrote something on here. In fact Saturday was the last day so that isn't that long ago. I guess it feels like longer as things have got in the way and I have had lots of posts I wish I had time to write. I started this blog during one of the busiest times I have at work. Whilst this may not have been that great an idea I think in a way it was a desire for a distraction. A reason to switch off my work brain. But work has crept into my evenings and weekends and I am going to need to get into a routine where I can post and write and still do everything else I need to do. Hmmmm.

I have been thinking of my ROW80 goals and I am really looking forward to being somewhat accountable. The struggle I am having is that currently I have two ideas for children's picture books and an idea for a longer 'chick-lit' type piece. I am struggling to decide which to start on. I guess I could do a mixture of both and set my goal as doing some writing/prep for writing for a certain period of time each day as word counts may not work especially with the children's book ideas. One of them is very well formed in my head so maybe it is logical to start with that one.

I wanted to be anonymous on this blog and I am enjoying the freedom my anonymity gives me. In a staff meeting with maybe 40 other people the other day my mind wandered and I thought 'what would they think and say if they knew I had a blog and I want to be a writer?' Gave me a weird sense of power, having this lovely secret all to myself and it also made me look around and think 'what secrets do all these people have?' Bet there were some good stories in that room.

Book club update

I went into WHSmiths to get the book I need for the book club I hope to go to but it wasn't stocked. So I trawled the charity bookshops in the hope that I might strike lucky but no joy. Finally found it in an Independent book shop so I now have the book to read! I have to say reading the blurb on the back it looks really good.

So I emailed the guy organising the group for the time of the group so I am kind of commited to going now and I am looking forward to it. It is not for ages so have lots of time to read the book and think of intelligent things to say!

Plus I got an Adele Parks book called Husbands for £1 in one of the charity shops which I can't wait to read. What a bargain!

Fiction Friday

The Fiction Friday prompt  at Write Anything (http://writeanything.wordpress.com/fiction-friday/) is
Your character is sick with sadness. Write a scene to explore why, or how, or what happens to them.

I have had a go at this and managed to write 465 words which I am happy with and I hope soon I will get the confidence to post my pieces here. I had a look back at some of the Fiction Friday prompts I have done before and found one I really liked. I liked the scene I had created and felt there could be a back story and I can see where it could go and although I am sure the characters are in no way developed enough the potential is there. Have been thinking of ways to try and work it into the idea I have for a longer piece (novel sounds too scary!) and will keep mulling it over and see where it goes.

I have noticed though that I hardly ever write dialogue into these pieces. Of the four I looked at there are only a couple of lines of dialogue. Literally under 5. I wonder why I don't include more dialogue? Especially as I am terrible at skimming over large descriptve pieces when I am reading. Maybe because I am trying to set a scene and cram so much into a five/ten minute piece of writing but this is definately something I need to look into and work on.

I think doing the Fiction Friday prompts each week is going to be one of my ROW 80 goals. That is one goal sorted! Yay!

The addiction begins!

Since I started this blog on Monday it has been on my mind constantly. Things I want to post about, blogs I want to make links to, ways I can make it work for me but not bore rigid anyone who might view it. It is so exciting! Bloody terrifying but exciting!

Yesterday I joined Twitter to hopefully get to know other writers...wait a minute does that mean I think of myself as a writer? Deep breath. Today I have signed up for ROW 80 which starts on the 4th of July. Two big steps for me but I am so glad I have taken them. Then I went onto my blog and someone (Lauren) has found my blog and left a lovely comment. Then I went on to the stats page and found it has been viewed in America and Germany. WOW! That to me is incredible.

It is amazing how motivated I am now. I can hardly start a blog and then say a bit later 'sorry, couldn't be bothered to sit down and actually write something to talk about on here so I will go now bye' can I?

So I have some plans in motion, ROW 80 being one of them as I love reading Kait Nolan's and Newtowritinggirl's updates on how well they are doing and I hope to look around the ROW 80 blogs for more motivation and inspiration.

Off to look at some blogs!

ps. I had to change the setting so it didn't count my own views of my blog in the number of views. Obsessively checking for comments is normal right?

To book club or not to book club?

For ages I have wanted to take part in a book group and think it would be a brilliant way to start dissecting books more to see what makes them work and help me figure out why I like the books I like.

At work some people are talking about setting up a book club on a Friday lunchtime (not weekly). I wouldn't even have to drag myself out in the evening but already the excuses are floating around my brain. Lunchtime is awkward, I get hungry by then. I am tired on a Friday. I like having lunch with a colleague who wouldn't be interested in coming. What if I have nothing intelligent to say? What if I hate the books we have to read? What if I can't suggest an intelligent enough book for the other members when my turn comes around?

I can talk myself out of anything! I am just scared of putting myself out there, of maybe not being as 'clever' as the other members. I think I should go. Once can't hurt and if I don't like it then I can fake other things to do on a Friday lunchtime that can't possibly wait.

Better find out the book we are supposed to read for the first meeting.

My first day as a blogger!

I am actually a lot more nervous then I thought I would be. It is strange really because nobody knows who I am so what do I have to be scared of? Over the coming weeks I hope to work out some kind of blogging schedule and set myself some goals to try and make myself SIT DOWN AND WRITE instead of simply dreaming about it.

Here goes nothing.....