Isabel Allende and me!

Before I tell you what Isabel Allende and I have in common [apart from writing] I want to thank P&D from TW for acknowledging my wearing of and dancing in High Heels on New Year's Eve, see comments in last post. However the OH wants to know what you mean by S&M, was it just a typo or is he missing something!!!!!!!!

In my last post I didn't make it clear that it was in fact my Blogiversary on the 8th January, three years to the day. I think I have mentionned before that I get an e-mail every day from The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor. It has a poem and gives the birthdays of poets and writers from around the world along with interesting facts about them. It was from this that I read about Virginia Dare[see previous post,btw how can I put in a link to a previous post can anyone advise me?] Anyway in the e-mail for the 8th January there was a piece about Isabel Allende, already one of my favourite authors. On the 8th January 1981 she heard that her beloved Grandfather was dying so she sat down to write him a letter, it became the novel 'The House of Spirits.' Since then it has become a sacred day for her to start a new book, apparently she gets up early and goes alone to her office and lights candles for the 'spirits and muses'. She surrounds herself with fresh flowers and incense and meditates then tries to write the first sentence in a trance as if somebody else is writing through her. That first sentence opens a door into an unknown world that she must explore with her characters. She doesn't have an outline and doesn't look back at what she has written until the first draft is finished. She starts a new novel every 8th January!! She carries a notebook with her at all times and constantly takes notes, keeps interesting newspaper articles and writes down stories other people tell her, then she looks at all her notes for inspiration.
Oh if only I could say that my 8th January was as productive, but reading about how she prepares herself for a new work is inspirational and instructive. I have read many of her books including Paula, a memoir she wrote for her daughter who lay dying in hospital.
On a lighter note we have atleast one other thing in common a love of food and cooking, and cooking for love. Her delicious book 'Aphrodite, a memoir of the senses[1997]' is a cookery book with a difference. It incites the senses with its beautiful language and sensuality and the recipes are to be prepared with love for lovers. Even without the recipes this is a book to savour again and again. That book was published in her 55th year and she is still writing amazing books. Such a talented lady.

A New Year and a new look.

As you can see from the second photo, which is the view from my desk,we have lots of snow here and having nearly completed this post the electricity went off and I lost everything. Now I shall save as I go along oh my grasp of technology is still very limited!! For this reason I have only made small changes to my blog and will make further changes gradually.

I started this blog three years ago so that I could join the Novel Racers, I hoped it would help me get my novel moving forwards and give me confidence in exposing my writing to strangers. I think it has done both and I have encountered lots of lovely people via this blog who have given me lots of encouragement.

The three years have been a roller coaster of ups, finishing the first draft of my novel in November 2009 and moving house, and a terrible down which will be with us always. Now a new year stretches ahead which we look forward to positively. I have a second draft to complete and a new novel to start, plus other ideas.

Last year I wrote a list of things I wanted to do before a milestone birthday in 2011. I am pleased to say that I accomplished two of them on New Years Eve. I wore high heels for the first time in many years and I danced the Paso Doble [amongst lots of other dances] with the OH. No photo of the dancing but I do have witnesses who will hopefully leave a comment to that effect. I hope to cross off more from my list this year, watch this space!

So my first post of 2010 and I wish everyone a very Happy and Creative New Year. Good luck with everything you do.

Happy Christmas everyone.

Sorry I haven't been around much over the past few weeks, we have been busy trying to make the house look presentable for the festivities. Not an easy task but it doesn't look bad now.
Christmas is still a difficult time of the year for us but we manage the best we can. Keeping busy helps as does a few glasses of wine.
I hope to be more consistent with my blog next year and shall be updating you on the progress of the second draft of my novel.
So to all the Novel Racers and other visitors to this blog have a lovely Christmas and a creative 2010.
See you all in the New Year.

First draft finished, well sort of !!!!

Now I am not claiming victory in the mini race with JJ, who by the way has done really well this week, but I have been struggling all week and have come to the conclusion that I have gone as far as I can for the time being. I have a bit over 70000 words and I have four pieces of research to pull together, which will get me close to my target of 85000 words. Now I have to start the second draft. It has taken me three years to get to this point and I feel the need to take a fresh look at the whole ms. It has to be a complete overhaul and I think I need to step back for a while before starting again. I also have a lot of other work to be doing over the next few weeks leading up to Christmas.
So I am taking some time off from my wip and I shall start the second draft in the new year. This will give me some time to do some other bits and pieces of writing and blog a bit more hopefully.
Sorry to leave the race early JJ but I shall be following your progress and will not accept any slacking. Perhaps you in turn will ensure that I get back to my wip in the New Year and not allow any bleating from me!!!!
Maybe we can have a race for second draft finished, no only kidding, one thing at a time, no multi tasking on the wip front. Although I might just make the odd note for my next wip.

Sunday word count 8

Oh dear a very bad week, only 500 words and they felt like pulling teeth. I seem to have reached a bit of an impasse. I have been writing this first draft for THREE YEARS [started October 2006!!!!] and it has been written as and when an idea comes to me. Now I am not quite sure where I am. Finding where the continuity is missing is proving hard work. So like JJ I have to spend some time working through what I have already written and filling in the missing bits plus a bit more research to do. Atleast for that I have some friends in England who have very kindly agreed to help.
I think next week will be hard too but I am determined to sort myself out and get the rest of the draft finished.

Sunday word count 7

Well another week gone by in a flash, where do the days go? I did another coffee morning for the Novel Racers last Friday which is my excuse for not posting here.
Now I won hands down last week but it was a rather hollow victory as JJ has been in England looking after her parents, and she may still be there. Where are you JJ?
Anyway my words for last week a reasonable but not spectacular 2800. This gets me over the 70000 mark so I really feel as if I am on the home stretch.
Just a few more weeks and I will have the Holy Grail, a first draft of my first novel woopee!!!!!!
There's no stopping me now, but a few cheers along the way will still be very welcome.

Sunday word count 6

A better week even though I didn't manage a post about the builders, I did host the Novel Racers coffee morning on Friday. I have got a bit stuck with some research I need to actually finish my wip so asked for help from the Novel Racers. They have given me some good ideas about where to go for help. So hopefully next week will see more progress.
Anyway back to the word count, I managed 2800 words, better than last week but not as many as I would have liked. So over to you JJ how was your week. Not too stressful I hope.