Category: Writing

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#blogjune places to visit Reading teaching Technology Work Writing

#blogJune day11

One thing I’ve noticed about me recently- my eyesight is SHOCKING! I think I’ve just been doing so much staring at computer screens, I’ve done irreversible damage. Which is sad.

On the up-side, these glasses I bought at Rainbow Beach a few years ago might look a little strange (I think the orange-and-blue colour scheme screams ‘$15 chemist-bought reading glasses) but they’re SO easy to read with and they don’t cause headaches šŸ™‚

Plus, I really rather like the colour orange!

Have a blessed day yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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Random thoughts Writing

49/52

Six weeks ago or thereabouts, I posted how ecstatic I was that the ‘human encroachment’ into my favourite writing place had been dismantled and removed. The beauty of the natural environment would get the opportunity to restore itself! I was so happy!

I guess it wasn’t destined to last. This was what greeted me the other day:

Sigh.

Here’s hoping you have a more successful week, retaining the beauty you’re wishing for in your life, dear Reader.

– KRidwyn

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momentous events Random thoughts Writing

40/52

I’d been saddened over the last couple of years at noticing human encroachment (ie litter and worse) at my favourite writing spot. I’d even given up going there… for months.

Imagine my surprise when this greeted me the other day:

Evidence of humanity’s more disgusting habits: gone!

I like it when things go well.

Have a beautiful week yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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Writing

12/52

Meet Xaf.

She’s the dragon keeping me company while I write.

Cute, yes? I think so! She always makes me smile šŸ™‚

Have a smile-y week yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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momentous events my novel-in-progress Writing

9/52

It’s been four years in the making. But the Repressed Races series has come to…

Yay!!!

And now: to edit. Sigh.

Have a week full of closure yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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my novel-in-progress Random thoughts Writing

1/52

I’ve decided, instead of New Year’s resolutions for 2019, to try implementing two pieces of advice I’ve been given in the past several years.

The first was from a nurse helping me through depression following the birth of child number 2. Her piece of advice (among many others, most of which I use regularly) was to have realistic expectations – for myself, as well as for others. That’s a tricky one for me – but one I’m going to try to remember in 2019.

The second was a few years ago, from New York literary agent extraordinaire, Janet Reid. She wrote a blogpost responding to a question I’d sent her; the gist of her answer was for me ‘to focus’. Again, something which is going to require more than a little training, for those of you who know me IRL… but something that’s worthwhile, I think.

So in 2019 I plan to ‘focus’ on my writing. The novel-in-progress, that is, not my blog. Hence the plan to post photos each week. Starting with this:

 

The view from one of my early-morning writing spots. Peaceful. Quiet.

Amazing, hey!

Anyway, here’s wishing you a wonderful week, dear Reader šŸ™‚

– KRidwyn

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Reading Review Writing

On re-reading

Iā€™m re-reading my all-time-favourite novel again at the moment: THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas. Iā€™m not entirely sure why I love it so much, just that I do. And each time I read it, I find more and more to love.

Take, for example, this segment:

ā€œThe two friends sat down to dinner; but as they were eating, Albert could not refrain from pointing out the marked difference between the respective merits of Signor Pastriniā€™s cook and the one employed by the Count of Monte Cristo; and indeed, honesty obliged Franz to confess, despite the reservations he still seemed to have on the subject of the count, that the comparison was not to the advantage of Signor Pastriniā€™s chef.ā€ (p. 401)

and this, four pages later:

ā€œThe two friends did not presume to repay the count for the luncheon he had given them: it would have been poor jest to offer him, in exchange for his excellent table, the very mediocre fare that made up Signor Pastriniā€™s table dā€™hote. They said as much openly and he accepted their excuses with evident appreciation of their thoughtfulness.ā€ (p. 405)

What gorgeous writing! Wouldnā€™t you agree? That first sentence, in particular, is 73 words long!!!

And have a fantastic, literary week yourself, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

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random scribblings Scribblings Writing

What would you do?

I was given a progressive story to finish recently. This is what I had to work with:

  • 2 love-struck teachers, John and Angela. They’d been kissing for the first time, in the school break-room, when
  • an explosion had occurred and they’d been knocked to the ground. Angela had been impaled, and John was also much the worse for wear.
  • Enter cleaner, George. He tells them he’s called the ambulance and encourages the two teachers to talk to each other. They declare their undying love (yeh, I added the adjective here because hey! irony!)
  • explosion number 2.

Oh – and finish the story in just 300 words.

So now what? What would YOU do?

If you’re interested in my take on the story, read on below. If not, that’s fine! Have yourself a fantastic week, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn

*****

Now it was Georgeā€™s turn to be thrown to the ground. He landed heavily on his vacuum cleaner. John, whoā€™d finally managed to stagger upright, was blasted down again. This time, his temple hit the corner of the lunch table. Heā€™d never rise again.

Angela, disoriented, bleeding profusely from multitudes of cuts, tried to rise but couldnā€™t. Her legs wouldnā€™t support her. She could feel her body growing weaker. In her pain, she didnā€™t notice a man stride into the destroyed room, gas mask covering his head and a thick black coat disguising the rest of his muscular body. He kicked Johnā€™s body out of his way.

George, regaining consciousness, groaned loudly. Leaning over, the man hauled him to his feet. ā€œLeave.ā€ George, spluttering, quickly decided this was not a man to trifle with. Eyes wide, he took the strangerā€™s advice and fled.

Not even bothering to watch, the stranger had calmly sauntered over to Angelaā€™s broken body. He removed his mask, his face flushed with hatred. ā€œI told you,ā€ he spat.

ā€œHenry?ā€ Angelaā€™s whisper held pain and confusion. ā€œWhatā€¦? Why?ā€

ā€œWhen you broke my heart two years ago, you promised me ā€˜never againā€™,ā€ he roared, over the wail of approaching sirens.

He grabbed the piece of window frame embedded in her abdomen and twisted it slowly, painfully. ā€œYou lied.ā€

ā€œButā€¦ā€

ā€œNo,ā€ he snarled. ā€œYouā€™d promised. It was easy enough to get the gas contract for this stupid old school. A piece of cake, letting it leak into this break room over the past several weeks. Just waiting for today. For you. And him!ā€ His eyes glittered crazily; her eyes, tear-filled, lost their sheen of life.

The sirens stopped, replaced by screeching tyres on the gravel outside.

Henry, smiling grimly, surveyed his handiwork, then slipped silently out the back door.

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my novel-in-progress random scribblings Random thoughts Scribblings teaching Technology Work Writing

Moving right along…

So now the musical’s over, I’ve been head down and getting stuck into the work I’d been (of necessity, mind you!) neglecting. Housework, gardening – oh, and my students’ assignment drafts too, don’t forget! I’ve also had enough head-space to actually ponder the commencement of writing again, would you believe? And I also found 15 minutes in there somewhere, last week, to FlowState… although what came out was embarrassingly pitiful and barely worth keeping, but writing is writing and a skill practiced is a skill improving, I always say. (Well, okay. I made that saying up just now. But it sounds significantly better with the word ‘always’ in it, don’t you think?)

What’s FlowState? You ask. Well, it’s a horrific tool which forces you to write by threatening to remove all your words.

Originally, you could set the timer for 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or 30 minutes. I preferred that. But with an update a year or so ago, they removed that functionality, leaving users with only a 15 minute option.

And the idea behind it is that you WRITE for 15 minutes. No hesitating, just writing. Adding word after word to the screen. Or else!

If you hesitate for longer than 5 seconds (from memory; I *think* it’s five but I’m too scared to check it and see) the words fade on the screen and when they’re gone, they’re gone forever.

You’re forced, you see; to write, and write non-stop, until the timer finishes, and the work is saved.

And believe me, you do NOT want to stop at 14 minutes and 55 seconds! I did that before, and lost literally hundreds of words. Yes, I cried. And yes, I also stopped using the app, my own solitary protest, for several months. But returned though, because it’s perfect to get the writing mojo happening (rather than the thinking mojo!) and the threat of losing work is enough to keep the fingers tapping keys šŸ™‚

Anyway, so that’s what I’ve been doing.

That, and dreaming about publishing.Ā If only Book 7 of my Justine Browning series would write itself!

 

Have a great week, dear Reader šŸ™‚

– KRidwyn

Categories
Reading Review Writing

Review: WRITING WITHOUT RULES by Jeff Somers

As a Reider – a commenter on (literary agent extraordinaire) Janet Reid’s blog – I was fortunate enough to hear about this book, WRITING WITHOUT RULES by Jeff Somers.

Now, I’ve read numbers of titles on ‘how to write and sell your book’, ranging from Stephen King’s ON WRITING to Chuck Wendig’s THE KICK-ASS WRITER. These particular two have stood out to me as the two ends of a spectrum, and many, many, MANY other titles within that spectrum have inspired me and encouraged me in my whole ‘get-your-butt-in-your-chair-and-get-your-novel-finished’ aspirations.

Not since reading Catherine Deveny’s USE YOUR WORDS though, have I read a more down-to-earth ‘just write, and finish what you write’ philosophy espoused so clearly. And it’s exactly what I (in my current “I can’t do this” frame of mind) needed to hear. And the footnotes! Hilarious!

Jeff’s wit sparkles, and I laughed aloud throughout each of the 20 chapters. The first ten chapters – on writing – were more applicable to me than the second – on selling – however now I’m in the winding down chapters, drafting Book 6 of a 7 book series, I can see that the latter half of his book may indeed become more important to me in the (hopefully not too distant) future.

As Jeff Somers is a client of Janet Reid’s, and as I am an unashamed Reider familiar with her take on literary agenting, it was not only a pleasing confirmation to note that her own views are firmly held by her client, but that the ‘inside jokes’ he made, were ones I am also (partly) familiar with. I smiled, I laughed, I took copious notes, and the fact that emblazoned across the back cover demanded that I:

STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND WRITE!

YES, YOU: WRITE!

made me smile every time I picked it up. [Because even though the blurb insisted I write, the premise behind actually being able to read the hard-cover book I’d been given for my birthday (thanks, Mum!) was that I needed to stop what I was doing – even if my current activity were writing – if I was to read the book!]

But it was worth it. Worth missing out on the writing time. Because it’s a great book. And it you’re an unpublished writer – or even a published one, come to that – you’d find this a good read. And if you missed clicking on that link at the top, it’s here again now if you wanted to buy it directly from Jeff Somers’ blog.

And have a great week, dear Reader!

– KRidwyn