I have a very exciting announcement! This afternoon, I wrote. Actually wrote fiction. Yes, after what seems like an eternal hiatus, I worked on my novel. It felt so unbelievably good, I honestly have no idea why anyone would take drugs!
My WIP hit a bit of a block last time I was working on it, but the break with all things creative seems to have done me the world of good and I wrote a whopping 5k words! Let’s hope I can maintain this momentum.
Yes, I know it has been a while since I blogged. I could come up with a million and one excuses and I have been busy (ridiculously busy, even), but I believe that you make time for what is important and the sad fact is, of the things on my to-do list, blogging is way down at the bottom. Way down.
I’ve started a new job. Well, technically it isn’t all that new. It is where I worked last year and a lot of my responsibilities are the same, but I have a brand new job title, more hours, more work, more (slightly) money. Here, isn’t it pretty? I genuinely love my job. It has an almost magical feel about it and being surrounded by so much history, not to mention the stunning Italianate gardens, is inspiring.
Which leads me to my writing, or lack thereof. I’m actually struggling to think of any fiction I have written this year. I keep thinking there must be something, but I really don’t think there is, which makes me sad. I love writing. It relaxes me, it’s cheaper than therapy and well, it’s just what I do. I need to get back on track with it.
My studies have taken over a little. My two modules overlap a little more slightly than I first thought and juggling two courses at once is blooming difficult. Example: a week on Moday I have an exam and an assignment deadline on the same day. Yes, the SAME DAY. I think we can safely say I won’t be the best person to be around come next weekend. Despite the stress, I’m enjoying it and I’m doing well. I’m not one to blow my own trumpet, but I got an A on my last two TMAs. Ahem.
On a more personal note, the kid turned five at the end of last month. Seriously, when the hell did that happen? I’m so proud of him. He’s in the top groups for reading, writing and (surprisingly) maths and more importantly, he’s kind, polite and well behaved, most of the time.
Despite the fact, I never seem to know whether I’m coming or going and I’m drinking more coffee than can possibly be good for a person, everything is going well *touch wood*. I finally feel like I’m on track with where I want to be. Of course, there are a few hiccups (one look at my house is testament to that), but c’est la vie.
**I am (still) in the middle of setting up a brand, spanking new blog for survivors of Domestic Abuse, something which I feel very strongly about. If you have, or know someone who has a story they would be willing to share (anonymously or not) or would like to be involved in some way, please get in touch.
Watch Over me by Daniela Sacerdoti
5/5
The Story
Eilidh Murphy’s world comes crashing down as she loses her longed for baby and her marriage ends. At rock bottom, she returns to Glen Avich, in the Scottish Highlands. Back in the comfort of the place where she grew up, she is reunited with childhood friend Jamie McAnena, who as a single dad has his own demons to fight.
With a helping hand from beyond the grave, in the form of Jamie’s deceased mother Elizabeth, the couple are drawn together.
Characters
The characters made this story. Every character was perfectly drawn and I found myself genuinely caring for them. I loved the characters of Eilidh and Jamie, but the supporting cast in Glen Avich were all equally endearing. Sacerdoti switches between the first person point of view of the main characters, which she manages in an understated way that most writers don’t quite pull off.
My view
This is a strong contender for the best book I have read in ages. I was captivated early on and Sacerdoti’s writing is so subtle that I didn’t even realise it was happening. The overall theme is one of accepting the past and moving on, which is one most people can relate to on some level. I cannot recommend this book enough.
The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland
Rating: 5/5
Story
Emma Beckett’s cautious world comes crashing down around her as she loses her fiance and her job on the same day. With her best friend Alice, she embarks on the ‘Pollyanna Plan’ to help her ditch her pessimistic ways. Meanwhile, Emma’s love interest Will has his own set of problems.
Characters
I love the premise, as a convert to the world of positive thinking myself, I could really feel for Emma and understand her. I found the characters believable and more importantly, really likable I found myself really rooting for Emma and Will. Talli switches between the points of view of Emma and Will, which meant seeing both sides of the love story.
My thoughts
I loved this book. It was easy to read – I managed it in a single flu-ridden day – and left me with a warm glow. Talli touches on more serious matters in The Pollyanna Plan than some of her other works. (I don’t want to give away any spoilers, you’ll just have to discover them for yourself.)
I love the way Emma learns how to overcome her problems, learns how to really love and how to follow her dreams. It is the perfect story of making a new start.
Writing, you’ve gotta love it, eh? Or not. I have a love/hate relationship with writing. At the minute it is hate.
Don’t get me wrong, I love writing. I love getting the jumbled up mess inside my head out onto paper (or the screen). I love that I can turn that blank page into something. I love the crafting of a tiny idea into a fully fledged story and I love creating characters who never fail to surprise me.
I also hate all of the above.
There are times when I sit with my laptop and the words flow. I get lost in what I’m writing and the characters take over and I get that euphoric rush of writing.
More often than not, though, I sit at my laptop with a blank page, the blinking cursor mocking me. I drink coffee, I try to get ‘in the zone’. I browse on eBay, procrastinate on Twitter, colour code my underwear drawer. I do anything and everything to avoid writing.
When I do finally get around to writing, I type slowly, every word painful to conjure. I torture myself with derisive thoughts ‘You’re a rubbish writer’ ’Even if you finished your book, nobody would want to read it’ ’Give it up and watch telly’.
So why do I bother? Why spend my time doing something, that for the most part, I don’t enjoy? I can only describe it as like a weird, masochistic compulsion. No matter how painful it might seem, I can’t help myself. But hey, it’s healthier than drinking and cheaper than therapy, so I’m okay with it.
Swimming Home by Deborah Levy
Rating 4.5/5
Story
Swimming Home follows poet Joe Jacobs and his family – emotionally detached war correspondent Isabel and their teenage daughter Nina as they holiday with friends in the South of France. The arrival of Kitty, naked in their villa’s pool pushes the already tense atmosphere to new extremes. I’m usually really good at guessing where a story is going, but the tragic ending managed to catch me off-guard, though in retrospect, the clues are all there.
Characters
I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likable, from deeply troubled Kitty, to the despondent Isabel and of course, the selfish, moody adulterer Joe. One concern I did have was the sheer number of supporting characters. For such a short novel, there are a lot of characters, which makes it difficult to really get a grasp on them all and I couldn’t help thinking that perhaps some could have been cut, or at least pushed to the sidelines.
This aside, I found most of the characters compelling. Each character has their own set of problems, which the shifting point of view helps us to explore. I found myself intrigued by Kitty, wondering what had happened to her to make her so troubled, something we never learn in the book.
Long after I had finished reading, I found myself thinking about the characters, which can only be a good sign.
My thoughts
I really enjoyed this book. It is not an easy read, in that it is deeply unsettling and the answers aren’t handed to you on a plate, but this is part of what makes this book great. It is quite a short novel, but it still manages to pack a punch. I found it quite dark and unsettling as Levy explores the devastating effect of depression. Levy’s use of simple, yet poetic prose lends it a haunting air, and the structure, which may seem complicated as it switches through several points of views, in a way mimics the state of mind of the characters.
Overall, I loved this book and would highly recommend it.
I completed and ‘won’ NaNoWriMo, but it all left me feeling a little dejected. As I verified my word count at just under 51k, I didn’t feel the euphoria that I expected I would. I thought I was overtired, but the feeling has stuck.
It is now ten days past NaNo and I’m still trudging on with my novel. Not at the rate I was during November, but slow and steady. I still love my story. If anything, it seems to be flowing better now I don’t have the constant pressure of expected word counts hanging over my head. I’ve read through what I’ve already written and I have to admit it isn’t as rubbish as I expected. All in, NaNo was a positive experience, I just never felt that completing was much of an achievement. In fact, I’m almost disappointed I didn’t write more. Odd.
How does everyone else feel about NaNoWriMo now that it’s over?
Well, we’re finally here in the final days of NaNoWriMo. I’m behind. Again. It’s finally dawned on my today, that I always get behind at the weekend. What with the kid being off school and the boyfriend off work and all the Christmas shopping, family commitments and such, I struggle to find the time to sit down and write. If only I’d had this revelation earlier in NaNo, I might have been able to combat it by writing more during the week. Never mind, it’s all part of the fun.
My main struggle, apart from the constant game of catch up, is switching my brain from one task to another. Even when the kid is at school, I have to interrupt my writing to answer the phone, pay the window cleaner or do boring chores like the weekly shop or clean the bathroom. I hate this. I wish I could just sit and write like it was a 9 to 5 job. But, I can’t and I suppose I’ll just have to make peace with that. I often find it difficult to emerge myself back in the story after I’ve had to stop, meaning I wander off doing other things, because my momentum has gone.
It’s also difficult for me to switch from study mode to writing mode. Academic writing and fiction writing are very different, obviously and after prolonged study, my NaNo writing starts to sound like an assignment and vice versa.
Overall, though, I’ve quite enjoyed this year’s NaNo so far and even though I’m languishing behind where I’d hoped I’d be, I still feel confident that I’ll ‘win’.
How is your NaNoWriMo going?
There are only eleven days left of NaNo and any smugness I may have held about it being relatively easy so far have flown out of the window. I’m behind and I’m lacking motivation to catch up.
It’s taken me all evening to slog out 2k words and it was almost physically painful. I know where I want my story to go, but am having a few problems getting there. It started as I crossed the 25k mark. My elation at being halfway through was short lived as I realised I was only half way through. A fatigue washed over me and I found myself wishing for December 1st. Never a good way to feel.
All of my usual doubts crept in. My story is rubbish. My characters are rubbish. I am rubbish. See a pattern here? Yesterday I was giving serious thought to quitting But I haven’t. I’m still plowing on in the hope that I can write myself out of this funk.
I keep repeating my mantra that if it was easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing. Let’s all hope I’m right.
Oh, and next year when I say I fancy a challenge in November, tell me to try Movember. It would be a heck of a lot easier.
So, we’re twelve days into NaNoWriMo and things are going okay…ish.
Last week, once I got over my insecurities, I found that things went well. I kept up with my daily targets, even going over on a few days. I feel like I’ve really settled in to the story and any worries I may have had about pursuing the thriller route have vanished. I think I’ve gotten a real feel for my characters and the story is coming along nicely. It turns out that I have quite a twisted mind, when I think of it.
This story calls for more research than most other stories have. I’m researching as I go along and rather than slow me down, it makes me more enthusiastic about writing. My only worry is someone ever going through my Google history. Who knows what they would make of my searches for strip clubs, guns, poisons and human trafficking.
An interesting side effect of NaNo, is that it’s making me organised in other areas of my life. Because I know I have so much to do, I’m more conscious of how I spend my time which is in turn, making everyday things run smoothly. I’ve even managed to get a week in front with my latest OU module. Interesting.
I have slipped a little behind over the weekend, with a full day of family commitments on Saturday and a migraine taking over Sunday, but I’m confident that I’ll catch up.
Ask me again in a week.
