Good Morning to all in Nanoland and beyond. Thanks to all the encouragement and tips, I'm now finding it fairly easy and very enjoyable to explore Nanowrimo. The best time for me to write is right now, early in the morning and it's a cathartic experience seeing how my character's deal with their emotions and desires in life. I never knew all that slightly darker, edgier side could be so much fun! And there's the softer side too.
Life is definitely changing again, whether it's the Nano month or simply time to move on, I'm getting more involved in certain aspects of life and letting others go. Like other writers, housework is becoming less and less interesting, though my house and other animals desire attention, I'd rather be doing the writing and assignments and other activities.
Certain of my wonderful girly friends also think it's time I started dating again, so dipping my toe bravely in the water and seeing where it goes. It gives up plenty of ideas to add into the writing mix, and I now have lovely Doctor Mike thinking it's time he found himself a lady to have some fun with! Bless him, I like Mike best of all the characters, he's funny and sweet.
So lots more exploring going on in Ellie's household. Time to move the bones and get dressed, as college calls this morning. The rain patters on the conservatory roof and life opens up a whole new range of interesting prospects for my day and the journey of the characters.
Happy writing,
Love Ellie xx
Wednesday 17 November 2010
Sunday 14 November 2010
Writing whatever the mood........
An interesting moment dawned on me yesterday. a Sunday that felt a bit of a struggle with interuptions and going with other people's wishes and desires. The writing was in tune with the mood, unsure of direction and lacking in any energy. Avoidance became the easiest way - what is it about resistance that convinces us it holds sway? ( I feel it now tugging at me, censor yourself, rather than open up and write what's really here).
I joined a friend and her family for tea and after the delicious meal and laughter over the spaghetti, we stood either side of the kitchen counter and unravelled our Nanowrimo efforts. It was a brilliant moment of clarity when she said to me "Write about what you are feeling right now. Give it to one of your characters and incorporate it into the story." Genius! I suddenly felt the freedom in that. When I arrived home, a new character duly appeared in the guise of the prevailing emotion and began to share her part in the story, giving clues and openings to one of the main characters traits and behaviour. There are now several pieces of paper beside me on the bed with ideas, clues, reasons stories might be rejected and conversations needed between characters. (Dialogue is not my strongest point, though you might not believe it from the way I can natter!)
The nugget here is the permission. Permission to write from whatever we're feeling. From anger. From frustration. From the utter despair of having to clean up after an elderly pet for the second or third time that week. From the blockage or resistance. Because by giving our characters a dose of these very real feelings, they become whole and human too. They each hold parts of the jigsaw yet to be revealed to the story and to the reader. Isn't that a great gift of life? We all hold bits of the jigsaw and when we share these with each other, we help to spark a new way of thinking and being that adds colour and interest and helps to work out the challenges that go on around us. A gift for us and for our characters as they develop and share their lives.
As the frost paints the rooftops and the mist descends on this November morning, wishing you an inspiring and warm start to the week.
Much love, Ellie x
An interesting moment dawned on me yesterday. a Sunday that felt a bit of a struggle with interuptions and going with other people's wishes and desires. The writing was in tune with the mood, unsure of direction and lacking in any energy. Avoidance became the easiest way - what is it about resistance that convinces us it holds sway? ( I feel it now tugging at me, censor yourself, rather than open up and write what's really here).
I joined a friend and her family for tea and after the delicious meal and laughter over the spaghetti, we stood either side of the kitchen counter and unravelled our Nanowrimo efforts. It was a brilliant moment of clarity when she said to me "Write about what you are feeling right now. Give it to one of your characters and incorporate it into the story." Genius! I suddenly felt the freedom in that. When I arrived home, a new character duly appeared in the guise of the prevailing emotion and began to share her part in the story, giving clues and openings to one of the main characters traits and behaviour. There are now several pieces of paper beside me on the bed with ideas, clues, reasons stories might be rejected and conversations needed between characters. (Dialogue is not my strongest point, though you might not believe it from the way I can natter!)
The nugget here is the permission. Permission to write from whatever we're feeling. From anger. From frustration. From the utter despair of having to clean up after an elderly pet for the second or third time that week. From the blockage or resistance. Because by giving our characters a dose of these very real feelings, they become whole and human too. They each hold parts of the jigsaw yet to be revealed to the story and to the reader. Isn't that a great gift of life? We all hold bits of the jigsaw and when we share these with each other, we help to spark a new way of thinking and being that adds colour and interest and helps to work out the challenges that go on around us. A gift for us and for our characters as they develop and share their lives.
As the frost paints the rooftops and the mist descends on this November morning, wishing you an inspiring and warm start to the week.
Much love, Ellie x
I'm having a few tears this morning listening to Abide With Me on Good Morning Sunday. It's Rememberance Sunday, and a good day to give gratitude for so many things. I ring my lovely Mum to see how she is (she's not been at all well this week) and she is doing so well and we share her friend's brilliant idea of making Christmas easier for her.
I'm nearly in the middle of Nanowrimo, the National Novel Writing Month that has so many of us writing like crazy to achieve the goal of 50,000 words. I'm really pleased with getting so far and though words are lagging a little, it's so worthwhile keeping going to learn so much. It's keeping me on track with other tasks in life (college asisgnments, Christmas and cooking to name but a few). I've discovered my best times for writing are very first and very last thing. There is flexibility in the order of writing, whatever pops in to be attended to are the words that flow, whether they come in the middle or at the end.
Today the characters tell me they're not speaking nearly enough with each other, so it will be very interesting to see what else they share. This process is an unravelling, expansive world all of it's own, that comes through the hands, but is not of me somehow. After going to a mind mapping workshop this week, is it the great sub-conscious speaking? And just how much of that do we share with others?
Going now to catch up on those 600 words owed from yesterday, to look after the lovely chocolate labrador who is not well either and to give thanks for so much richness in every area of my life and remembering those who have given so much to care for us all.
Happy, gratitutde filled Sunday,
Love Ellie xx
I'm nearly in the middle of Nanowrimo, the National Novel Writing Month that has so many of us writing like crazy to achieve the goal of 50,000 words. I'm really pleased with getting so far and though words are lagging a little, it's so worthwhile keeping going to learn so much. It's keeping me on track with other tasks in life (college asisgnments, Christmas and cooking to name but a few). I've discovered my best times for writing are very first and very last thing. There is flexibility in the order of writing, whatever pops in to be attended to are the words that flow, whether they come in the middle or at the end.
Today the characters tell me they're not speaking nearly enough with each other, so it will be very interesting to see what else they share. This process is an unravelling, expansive world all of it's own, that comes through the hands, but is not of me somehow. After going to a mind mapping workshop this week, is it the great sub-conscious speaking? And just how much of that do we share with others?
Going now to catch up on those 600 words owed from yesterday, to look after the lovely chocolate labrador who is not well either and to give thanks for so much richness in every area of my life and remembering those who have given so much to care for us all.
Happy, gratitutde filled Sunday,
Love Ellie xx
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