Tag: blogging

Camp Nano Winner 2018 – Things I Learnt

Posted on by rebeccachase
I did it! I completed Camp Nanowrimo, I’m officially a winner.

You can find out more about Camp Nanowrimo here. Reaching my goal, i.e. writing 50k words in one month, was one of the most difficult things I’ve taken part in as a writer.

Camp Nanowrimo learnt

Let me tell you why:
  • I haven’t written more than 10,000 words on one project for nearly two years.
  • I chose to write a YA genre novel – I’ve never written a YA piece before
  • I had a ridiculously busy month in my day job, launching a project I’ve been leading on for 6 months
  • 6 months ago (i.e. when the day job changed) I lost my creativity

 

Why am I telling you this? Because I’ve learnt some things from my first camp experience, things that may help you too:

I can’t write every day

That’s not to say I didn’t but I found it difficult, nearly pushing myself to illness to make sure I was writing my set amount. I’ve read on twitter about how writers should write every day as it helps you create something. It doesn’t help me! I need time to think out the next section I’m going to write. By constantly writing I can’t find the space to think, tease out and then solve the problems. Which brings me to another point.

I need more than writing in my life

Shock, horror, did I say that out loud? I like to formulate plot, work out points, meet up with friends and discuss writing but I also like having a life that isn’t about writing. That’s not to say writing doesn’t filter through to the other parts of my day but the last month I ditched a lot of things to get the novel written; exercise, socialising, sleep. I’ll be spending the next month trying to lose the weight I gained during the month!

I can write more than I thought I could

I asked my boyfriend for his thoughts on what I might have learnt and this was his contribution. It’s easy for me to see the negatives but he’s right. After the first week I didn’t believe I could achieve the 50k goal, after the second week I didn’t believe I could achieve it, even up until a couple of days before I finished I knew it was touch and go. As a writer you might get negative reviews and lack of interest from publishers but ultimately for me no one brings my writing down like I do and I need to remind myself of my strengths and what I’ve achieved instead of what I haven’t.

Never underestimate the importance of chatting with other writers

There was one particular moment when I was sitting on a train, knowing that was my best time to write and yet the motivation had disappeared. I chatted with another writer on twitter, Anne Pyle, about needing to write and she gave me the energy and focus I needed. Within 10 minutes I was back on it. I wrote another 2,000 words that day. I don’t think I would have written another word if it hadn’t been for her.

I love writing

In the last year when my creativity left me I was unsure whether I should focus on my day job rather than writing. But this month reminded me that I do adore writing, even when it’s a struggle to get pen to paper. I love channelling things I see and imagine into writing. It’s a great place to work through my frustrations too.

And a last thing I want to share. The day after I finished my 50k novel an email popped into my inbox. A short story I wrote last year has been accepted into an anthology.  What a way to end the month!

What did you learn from either this or a previous Nanowrimo? Leave your comments here or on my Facebook page or Twitter page.

Sunshine Blogger Award

Posted on by rebeccachase

Gracie Mae DeLunac asked me a few questions for the Sunshine Blogger Award.

Per Gracie Mae’s blogpost: “The Sunshine Blogger Award is a “get to know the writer better” type of blogging exercise, with a couple of rules attached:

  1. Answer all 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.
  2. Nominate eleven bloggers in return and write eleven (possibly fiendish) questions for them to answer.”

Sunshine Blogger Award Answers

Here are my answers to Grace Mae’s questions:

1. What is your favorite movie/tv show quote? What is it from? Why is it your favorite?

I love the television show Psych and they have some excellent but random quotes, including the title of one of their episodes, “Poker? I Barely Know Her.” But they don’t tend to translate well on paper. However, I do love “You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off” from the film The Italian Job. I love that the film is full of charm, good British fun and the escape scenes are incredible. That said nothing beats a night in the pub spent quoting Anchorman quotes. Those nights are endless.

“I’m very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany.”

One day I’ll be able to tell people this.

2. What do you like to think about most when plotting (Characters, plotline, plot twists, villainous acts, etc.)?

Plotlines and the secrets that go with them. Why do people do what they do, what is their background and how will that affect the plot.

3. What is your preference of “apocalyptic” groups: zombies, aliens, or mutants?

It may sound foolish but I think the biggest apocalyptic group are humans with all their weird forms and dastardly minds. After that…maybe aliens.

4. What kind of food do you eat to feel decent enough to write?

I tend to binge bad food like chocolate and crisps when writing. But they’re not good for my energy levels and I think I need to find better foods.

5. Do you bring your own personal views (especially political and religious) into your tales?

I tend not to get political in my writing, it’s not the right place for it. However, my knowledge of Christianity, and my experiences of it, falls into my stories in ways even I don’t expect.

6. Would you say you “commune” better with nature when gardening [hands on], lounging outside [kinda near], or viewing it from inside your place [far away]?

I respect nature the most when I’m walking or sitting in it. Nothing like summer rain hitting your bare skin as you smell freshly wet grass, love it.

7. What is the strangest/rudest thing you have ever heard your written characters say?

One of my characters is crude to the point of vomit inducing, she says whatever she wants and mostly she wants to say dirty, liquid based, stomach churning things.

8. Paper or plastic or re-usable?

Re-usable. A close friend is an environmentalist and I’m scared of incurring her wrath.

9. What movie/book/show would you say has made the most impression on you? When? Why/how?

I’m not sure I’m proud to say this but Dawson’s Creek had a profound effect on me. It was the first time I cried at love and unrequited love. I learnt that bad boys aren’t necessarily bad (yep, I fell in love with Pacey) and their imperfections are what make them interesting. It showed me the power of humour in drama too and it helped me to believe that in the end you can “ride” off into the sunset. Sometimes the right guy isn’t the obvious guy, at first anyway, this has impacted my writing too. That was in my mid to late teens.

I also enjoyed things like Cagney and Lacey and X-Files as a child. Strong female leads are inspiring to a young girl.

The most significant books for my writing were those written by Karen Rose. Through her I learnt about building sexual tension. I also saw that sex in books doesn’t limit the characters but opens them up to explore the impact of their past while finding a new future. Also, they can have sex and fall in love, it doesn’t have to be sex just for the sake of it. I started reading these about five years ago and have now read every book she’s written.

10. What is your favorite color? [Monty Python reference? ? ]

Blue. I swear 80% of my clothes seem to be blue without any planning on my part.

11. If you were able to publish one of your tales and go somewhere to showcase it (author tour, opening night for the movie, etc.), where would you go? Why?

If it was my Trying Every Angle series (a sports erotic romance) then I would love to take it to the next location of the Rugby World Cup. In 2019 it will be Japan. Alternatively to America, maybe California, to an erotic writing event.

My Nominations

I nominate bloggers:

R.B. O’Brien Author
CK
Candace Khun, CandyKaBoom
John Dupree
Paul Jameson, Modquokka
R K Hawthorne
Sarah Correia, sarahguestperry
Lady Writer, Eva Deverell
Elia Winters
Kelly Sedinger, Jaquandor
Molly, Mollysdailykiss

My eleven questions are:

  1. What is your favourite song? Do you have a significant memory attached to a time you listened to it?
  2. Where do you love to blog/write the most?
  3. If you could make up a fear of something what would it be of and what would it be called?
  4. Italian or French? (in whatever context you decide)
  5. What do you think killed the dinosaurs? (can be as creative an answer as you like)
  6. What is the strangest thing you’ve ever had to research for your writing/blogging?
  7. What can you hear right now? What would you prefer to be listening to?
  8. What do you do when you feel you should be writing but are lacking in inspiration?
  9. What is your greatest achievement?
  10. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life what would it be?
  11. Who is your favourite author and why?