NaNoWriMo

I've succumbed and registered to take part in NaNoWriMo this month. I've no idea how I'll actually get on, but I'm going to do my best to achieve 50,000 words in the next 30 days. I must be mad.

So, without further ado, I'd better get on with it.

Are you taking part? If so, you'll find me under: SilverBee.

Reading In The Sun

This is a picture of last night's sunset.

After months of writing/editing, all I'm hoping to do this weekend is relax in the sunshine. The forecast is that the warm weather will last until Monday and, as the temperature is supposed to be in the mid-twenties, I'm going to make the most of it. So, apart from walking the dog a couple of times, all I intend doing this weekend is catching up on some reading and a lot of relaxing. What a bonus that we have this to look forward to, especially in September. Long may it last.

What are you hoping to do this weekend?

Paragraph Planet

I'm very excited. Paragraph Planet featured my paragraph, 'Be Quiet Alice' on their site on 17th August. You can read my paragraph and those by other writers both unpublished and published, as well as interviews from contributors to the site including Judy Astley, Emlyn Rees and Gabrielle Kimm.

I discovered Paragraph Planet when reading Anita Chapman's blog recently and saw the link to her second featured paragraph, How It Was.

Anyone can submit 75 words - no more, no less - and it can be about absolutely anything.

How about giving it a go?

Writing About Imaginary People

Sometimes even imaginary people argue back. Does that make me nutty? No, it's because I'm a writer and I'm probably trying to wrestle the character's conflict into the story and onto the page, so that it pushes the story along.

I do think that in order to write you have to be fairly solitary, however, I've found that writers make great party guests. After spending so much time by themselves plotting, planning and writing, they usually have the best fun when they mix with people. 

You'll probably find that writers will never be bored because however dull someone might be when they're talking to them, the writer will always be trying to figure out a way to utilise what the other person is saying. They'll probably be studying their actions, or maybe a personality trait or two so that they can find a way to include it into the latest work in progress. Now I've said this I'll have to concentrate on looking fascinated while doing my 'figuring out'.

Do you agree that writers are great fun at parties?