Finding my mojo

 

Writing can be an up and down business. I don't really believe in writer's block as such. It's more to do with how you feel, and I certainly don't worry about it. If I'm writing and I get stuck, I'll walk away for a while, maybe move to a different form of writing, like poetry if I'm struggling with fiction, or vice versa. Otherwise I might just leave writing for a while and spend more time reading or doing something else. Eventually something will spark me back to writing again.

I've spent the best part of this year so far on my new novella. Work has been intense since having an editor critique for me. Lots of cut and paste, moving timelines and extra scenes followed before two read-throughs - one on the laptop, the other from a printout of my manuscript. Those edits then had to be fed back into my file copy. I was beginning to find myself separating from the work. I'd read it so many times I was falling out of love with it and I could no longer judge my own writing. I pushed myself to get the edits into my file copy earlier this week, and then couldn't resist a tinker to the ending! Finally, I have sent out my manuscript to a couple of friends for feedback. It's a weight off me.

Free of all that work, what was I to do now? I have lots of work on my laptop that needs editing, stuff I've not looked at in years. There's also a work I started last year (or was it the year before), which I'd mislaid somewhere on my laptop and then found again. I could go back to that. Submissions have plummeted to a record low this year, maybe I should see what I had and which submission windows were open.

It is the latter I did. I went into my flash fiction file and took a look at a few stories I'd written. With some editing I improved them (hopefully). I ended up sending out to three publications, which involved two flash fictions and three poems. It felt good. 

Maybe it was the act of spending so much time on one manuscript that was wearing me down. I felt unproductive, as I had nothing to show for it. That isn't true of course, as I was working really hard. I was just conscious that I wasn't really waiting on subs as there was nothing now to wait on, and it was going to take months before the novella made anymore headway.

I was feeling that I'd lost my mojo, especially as I was struggling to keep positive about the novella. It was time to try other things. One of things was attending a crime writing workshop on Saturday morning in Wimbledon Library. It was good to be around writers again, and the workshop was interesting. Run by two local authors crime writers, Joy Kluver and Biba Pearce, there was an introduction of the type of crime novels one could write from procedural to cosy crime and all else in between. We had go at writing a first scene, then split into two groups with a tutor and shared our writing or notes. There were two further exercises about characters and setting and lots of advice. I think there will be follow up workshops in the future. 

While I enjoyed the workshop, I'm still not sure crime writing is for me, though I love reading it. I do have one crime novel written during a frantic NaNoWriMo event some years ago, but I've not been back to it, and I would need expert advice on some police stuff (I mainly Googled it!). Sometimes I write around the edges of crime, but never full-on crime with all the police procedural stuff. However, I love forensics to the point when I see a police forensics van pass by I get all excited, and I've read quite a few books on the subject. However, I never dismiss the idea of writing any genre.

The the other thing that helped me find my writing mojo was reading the latest copy of Mslexia magazine. I enjoyed an article about indie authors and as always I went to the back pages to see which submission windows are open. This was also helped by the email I received from Robin Houghton with a list of poetry publication deadlines for June. Sometimes things just come together. Hence the submissions already mentioned.

I didn't think I'd be submitting anything this month apart from my poem to Visual Verse, so when I found it had been published I took that as a 100% success rate for the month. I'm going to have change those statistics now. My poem Curtain Call is based on a photo on the website of a cat.

What next? I don't know yet, but at least I've found the excitement in writing again and that's what it's all about.

The best bits of 2018

Hello everyone. On this last day of 2018 I should really be doing a review of my year in writing, but I'm not! I'm just going to stick to the highlights. These were having three poems published by The People's Friend and having a poem published in Light Through The Mist Anthology late in the year. I also made a few appearances on the website of Visual Verse and Paragraph Planet. I am not dwelling on the rejections!

On location

Best workshop was the one I attended at CityLit on dealing with negativity/rejection in the writing world run by the most excellent Helen Cox, also the workshop on Flash Fiction by Michael Loveday at the Hastings LitFest.

At present I am editing a novel ! wrote three years ago and recently I went off to do a little research in the area where the house my character lives in is set. I had to clear up a few things that looking online doesn't really sort out. If the place you set a short or novel in is made up then you don't have to worry about this. However, if you set your piece in a real village, town or city then you need to get certain facts right. Of course the writer does have licence to alter some facts to suit the story, but otherwise it is great to have some first hand knowledge of the place you are setting your story in.

This time (because the house is most important) I have floorplans and have enjoyed placing the furniture on the plans! In fact it is so easy to get carried away with the research that it can interfere with the writing. I find I go off in all directions when I find something of interest which probably has nothing to do with the story.

Taking photos when out on location is essential. That's no hardship for me as I love taking photos. It's another thing I get carried away with it.

Wishing you all a very  HAPPY NEW YEAR and I hope you will join me again in the next.

Hastings Literary Festival, plus some art and walking

My room overlooked the seafront

I said I wasn't going to do festivals and conferences this year, yet when I saw this one at Hastings I decided to combine it with a mini holiday in Eastbourne and only book a couple of sessions. This worked out right for me as I managed to combine a few of my interests in one long weekend.

I'd booked a lovely B&B on Eastbourne seafront where I could watch the sunrise and hear the sea lapping at the shore in the night. I spent many evening in front of the window watching the world go by, gazing at the sea and listening to Smooth Radio!

I arrived last Thursday around 2pm and once unpacked and revived with a cuppa I set out for an easy walk along the seafront towards Princes Park where hubby and I took the boys when they were young (Fort Fun is opposite and we took them too!). I indulged in a chocolate ice and ambled around the park before going back into the town centre for something to eat.

Princes Park, Eastbourne

Friday was, for me (and in the words of Lou Reed) a Perfect Day. I caught the bus into Bexhill and headed for the De La Warr Pavilion (long been on my list for a visit). I loved it and had a chance to enjoy the first of my passions - art. Modern art is growing on me! I bought a cappuccino and sat out on the balcony enjoying the sun and the view. I had to tear myself away from the shop, though I did by a book by Grayson Perry.

De La Warr Pavilion,  Bexhill

Inside in the Pavilion

It was time for my second passion - walking. I walked along the coastline all the way to St Leonards. I was amazed by the difference in cliff formations and was in my element. With the sun warming me, the cloudless sky, the sound of sea and the great views I enjoyed this walk more than I can express. Once in St Leonards I decided to check out the venue for the first workshop I had booked. It was held in a room in the Horse & Groom Pub. I soon found it and went off to buy some lunch and ate it overlooking the beach.

The workshop was Songwriting. Yes, I thought I do something different yet familiar. The first song I ever wrote was when I was around 10 years old! As a teenager and into my twenties I wrote songs on my guitar and taped them onto cassette. A few times I even collaborated with penfriends of mine. They would send me lyrics and I would tidy them up so they would scan and put them to music. I don't read or write music (despite singing in a choir) but I could work out chords. I'd send them back the songs when I'd recorded them. It was fun to do and that was the main thing.

When I married the guitar was packed away and I hardly ever wrote, though when the children were small I did sometimes accompany myself singing Christmas carols and I taught both boys the bass line riff to Smoke on The Water by Deep Purple! However, their interest in learning guitar was soon lost. A few years ago I did take a Songwriting course with Coursera and came away with an 89.9 pass mark! So, when I saw this workshop I thought I'd go for it.

Our tutor, Anna Page, was in a girl band which got close to signing with a record company several times but it never quite happened, and now she gigs and teaches. She taught us structure and to write what motivated us, what we were passionate about. Those who were particularly musical could use some instruments Anna brought along and there was a piano in the room. One guy had brought his guitar and offered me use it if I wanted. However, I was struggling to write lyrics due to the noise of people playing and singing into phones! We were told we could move around and had use of the bar and that's where I headed. I was trying to write a song about loving solitude. It was going to be a sort of love song and why I needed space. The distractions and a discussion with 'guitar man' the lyrics ended up that I couldn't find any peace!

Two things didn't work for me. The room we used was poorly lit and had no windows (it was once and old garage) and the distractions. For this type of writing I need total peace and light! Going into the bar was far better. People were talking but there were only a handful of people and I could switch off. My lyrics are not great. I'm not going to be using them. However, it was a good exercise and we all read out our lyrics. Some were able to sing their songs. I never got that far. Anna gave us some handouts and I shall be working through those.

My attempt at some lyrics didn't quite work.

Strangely, when In woke the next morning an idea came into my head. I had a subject and some rhyming words and I sat in bed with sun streaming in and wrote the lyrics for a whole song. All I need now is some music (which might change the words as I put it together). Anyway, I was pleased.

A full set of lyrics written the following morning.

Sunrise over Eastbourne

So, Saturday I took the train to Hastings. My second workshop in Jerwood Gallery wasn't until the afternoon so I had time for some browsing around the old town, visiting a church and some antique shops. My workshop ticket gave me free entry into the Jerwood Gallery exhibitions so I enjoyed looking around. I went over to the Book Fair. I knew which books I wanted but they didn't have them. I think that's because they were by famous authors who were giving talks and doing book signings.

The workshop I attended was by Michael Loveday on Flash Fiction. We soon delved into some writing, picking a location for our story. He guided us through the structured method and in between talked about what flash fiction is. We read some flash fiction pieces on a handout sheet and then discussed how they made us feel and what made them work etc. We paired up to discuss our own workshop pieces a few times. We then attempted to write a new piece using a different method - by choosing three random pictures and trying to find a link. We then discussed this method. It was interesting to see how different methods worked for people. Some preferred the structured method while others preferred the more random method. I struggled with both but strangely the structured method worked slightly better and that was a surprise because I'm not a planner. I think I shall try and use this method for a few new pieces and see how it goes. I found this an interesting process and Michael a great teacher. I never write well in workshops because I get anxious but I learn a lot, and that's what it's all about. There were more handouts to take home with recommendations for a book, a reminder to the methods and other information. Some months back I bought a copy of Michael Loveday's book Three Men on the Edge (V. Press), a novella-in-flash. I must get round to reading it now.

On my last day I met up with brother who lives just outside Eastbourne and we took the bus up to Sovereign Harbour where neither of us had ever been. We had a lovely walk and lunch before coming back into Eastbourne. There was an MG car rally which was interesting - there is something nostalgic about classic cars. We then said goodbye and I went off to the pier to buy some sweets to take home for the family.

Sovereign Harbour

It was a lovely long weekend and well done to the Hasting Litfest for putting together a great programme. I might not have got to everything I could have but my aim for this break was to take time for myself. I am one for variety in life and would have hated being stuck inside the whole weekend, especially as the weather was so gorgeous. This was a nice combination.

Evening falls over Eastbourne