Doing it my way

I completed the challenge to write a flash story every day during November. Phew! On the last day I had a mini writer's block. I stared at the blank page and had no idea what to write. I put a few words down but couldn't take it anywhere. It was evening, and I don't write so well at night. So, I decided to leave until morning. Of course, that morning was the 1st December - a day of a lot happening. It was time to light the Advent candle (when I'd found where I'd put it. This is becoming all too familiar!), and to open the first door of my Advent Calendar (yes, I still have one). It was also the day of the concert I had been rehearsing for with the choir. Could I find time to write something as well? Apparently, yes.

Rehearsal with the band before the concert

The coming of Christmas suddenly gave me an idea, and I was able to write a piece before donning my festive outfit and Christmas socks, grab my words folder and go and catch the bus. By the way, the concert was a great success. It has been two years since we last performed live and the audience was very appreciative. Our programme included For Good (from Wicked), Shona Malanga (Zula traditional), I Heard it Through the Grapevine and Sail On. We ended with a couple of Christmas numbers.

Merton Cemetery

Yesterday, I went walking in the freezing cold. This walk was a staple lockdown route last year and early this year, but I've not been there in months. I went to say hello to the horses in the field and see what was around in the wetlands. I also popped into another haunt from those times, Merton Cemetery. I took lots of photos here in lockdown, including the one that is one cover of my little book Where It Ends. It will now forever hold a place in my heart.

This morning I started some new writing. I have no idea whether it will go anywhere or not. I'm just having fun writing at the moment. I'll write what is on my mind and then I shall take time to flesh out my characters and see if it has any potential to run anywhere. Some might say this is a waste of time to write this way, but I cannot plot everything out in advance. It squashes my creativity. I plot in stages sometimes and very often I have no idea of endings. This can lead to panic, but then I have a flash of inspiration. My theory on writing is that you can always go back and change things. I never have a pattern to the way I work. Even editing. Sometimes I edit as I go, but mostly I leave editing until the end and just get the bones of my story down. Of course, there are those pieces I begin and then leave. Those times I have to read through the whole thing before I can continue!

One thing I have learned is that I need to do things my way. I don't write to a market. I don't stick to one genre. Both of these things are rather frowned upon, but that's not me. I like to be free to write what I want. As I write mostly flash and short stories this is easier anyway. I do always stick to submission guidelines, however.

I should get my act together now and submit some poetry to a few magazines. Well, you never know....!