Two faced ...almost

180 words into my 1000 word article ... I need a cup of tea.

Even the washing up looked appealing.

Then I saw some eyes ... having cleaned a bottle, I added a mouth. I ran off to get my camera. If it'd been turned 90 degrees anti clockwise I could've made a devil face because it has horns. I opened up Photoshop to make a devil face for all our pleasure.

And then I realised what I was doing...

Amateur Alert!

Just because I stopped posting about that article, doesn’t mean I got it finished. Until now, that is.

For those of you who don’t remember, I was asked to do an article by Andaman Discoveries for the English language daily newspaper The Bangkok Post about my trip to the sustainable tourism project. It was one of four articles – the other three being for magazines that are just grateful to get something to fill the pages…

The Bangkok Post article was sent off before Christmas and while I was away on my Skyros holiday I received an email saying that the editor had said it read like a PR piece, and if it could be rewritten to include more of this, and less of that, she would still consider it. I wasn’t able to do anything about it then but told them that I’d redo it in the New Year.

Good gawd, what went wrong? Well, I tried to use the framework of what I’d done to tweak it to their brief – cutting corners? Well, yes, I guess. I tried jamming the square article into a round hole, but it just wasn’t going, despite every effort on my part to persevere. Eventually I accepted that I had to start from scratch, but still I held on to one or two paragraphs that I believed were relevant. Eventually (again) I realised that I’d somehow fallen in love, somewhat myopically, with certain bits of writing from the previous article. The sooner I admitted that they were wrong and didn’t fit the journey for that article, I was nearly there.

It was agonising and I’ve learned, but reckon I haven’t done myself any favours. It’s taken me six or so weeks to deliver; I’ve properly cocked up and come across as a right amateur.

And now, if it comes back not right again, I think I have to say farewell to my fledgling career in journalism …

Heavy Weather Making

I really am making kerfuffle out of this article.

I’ve been trying to adapt it in the ways suggested by the editor.

I loathe jigsaw puzzles but find writing an article a bit like a puzzle. I sit typing away not really sure what my story or angle is, and then a little while in I suddenly realise what the shape is, what my argument is, or whatever and a few shuffles of the paragraphs into a different order and I’m getting there.

But I’ve finally come to the conclusion that here, with this article I’m trying to fit a round peg into a square hole.

Today, after my committee meeting and a revolting lunch (I made it myself), I finally accepted this. I’d got a good idea what the shape/angle/story is but no amount of wedging or ramming the old version into the new hole was going to work. It doesn’t fit. There is nothing else for it: I’ve got to ditch the old one and start anew.

So I started rewriting.

I’ve been writing on and off for hours, and I’ve wrung out only 324 words so far. I think I might stop now and restart when I’m fresh in the morning.

Instead I could start my index cards with the scenes I’m planning. Ooohooo, that feels like a good decision.

Today

Today I've been on 'loyal friend escorts friend to hospital for moral support' duty.

It was nice to have the day to natter and drink tea (shame about the occasional hospital procedure!)

I walked for twenty minutes to the end of her soi (street) to meet her at 7.10am this morning and while I walked I worked lots of plot stuff out ... now that I understood after my 'clearing of the fog' moment. This, accompanied by my JFDI moment, means that I am itching to get going on my novel. Hurrah.

But, I've got to finish the article *sigh* and I've got a committee meeting tomorrow.

So to give you all a good laugh at my expense cheer us all up I'm posting a couple of pictures of my teabags which are waiting to be sewn into a patchwork quilt. Of course.

Have I made any sense at all today?

(Please don't stop coming to my blog - this is only a small part of my personality.)

Need to be braver

This week I interviewed the first person for the article I’m planning.

I was very excited because I bought an electronic recorder for the job. It’s a bit like stationery – you know, it kind of 'did it' for me!

I know my interviewee socially and I wanted an organic discussion rather than a long list of questions. Because we know one another, that’s exactly what we did: we sat and chatted about the subject. When her answer threw another subject up, I could just ask that question next.

I know how I feel about the theme in question, but I want to find out what other women think about it, and I didn’t want to prescribe her answers with specific questions. I don’t know if that’s a good idea – my ‘how to' book on the subject (I kid you not!) said I should have a list of questions…

I’ve chosen a random-ish group of women, and until I hear what they all say I won’t know exactly what direction the article will go in.

The interview/chat went rather well.

But.

I think that because I knew her a bit, I didn’t ask one or two of the really personal questions…

I think I may have to become braver.

Can't believe...

Can't believe I left pork Dim Sum off my list of Good Things. BIG Mistake. So here is some pictorial food porn ...

I managed to write 1000 words today - well this evening. I've worn myself out trying to avoid writing and in the end, it worked out fine. (Must remember that.)

And I've nearly finished my article this month.