Getting back to normal

Look at my new, gorgeous notebook. It’s a belated birthday present from the loveliest Leigh. It scores on so many levels:

• A gift
• A parcel in the real post
• A notebook
• Illustrated with classic Penguins
• Handbag sized
• With elastic to stop the pages scuffing (this is SO important. Readers, please don’t underestimate the necessity for this simple piece of stretchy design.

I haven’t done much writing these last few days because of Husband, half term, the holiday that wasn’t, one or two personal problems. Yesterday I sat down to do some and I managed only 150 or so. I’m not sure what happens next – well I know roughly. She’s got to react, but have I walled her into a corner with no-one to react to? Should I bring on a man with a gun? Perhaps that scary lady can email me again.

So today, I was a bit nervous of starting and finding I’d got nothing to say. The 150 odd words I did yesterday brings my total up to 15,000, so first I went off to add that to my sidebar so that I could glow in the words I have achieved. Then I did the rounds of the updated blogs, and well, bloody hell, she’s gone and done it again: Calistro has some fantastic news that’s given me another kick up the backside. So I’m off now to do some writing … whether I’ve got anything to say or not.

I shall report back. Please send me frightening emails if I don't.

UPDATE: 704 words

“Statement of the bleedin’ obvious”

I am feeling all relaxed and light of problems. This is my last day on Koh Chang and the rainy season has gone away for the day … but still I’m at my laptop. (I ♥ my laptop.)

Calistro left a comment yesterday that made me laugh; she said: ‘…that’s utterly astonishing… Have I missed something? How did you go from writing 100 words a day on Helen’s blog to well over a 1000? I want some of that fairy dust please!’ and then after chuckling again at her tone of total incredulity, it made me think. These are my tips:

1. Sign up for a mentoring scheme in which you will submit 10,000 words for critiquing when in reality you have only 4,000 words of your ‘masterpiece’ written.
2. Have a lovely Husband, who despite writing course being cancelled, lets you ago anyway to gorgeous jungley island all on your lonesome while he holds the fort at home.
3. Have people on your sidelines, shouting for you: encouraging, having faith and then shouting some more. (I know it’s not the most exciting blogging; me telling you how many words I wrote today, and what DVD I’m watching… so thank you for still appearing here!)

In truth, it’s not just those points, and it’s funny that it was Calistro that made me think about it, because it sort of started with her.

It’s hard work, this writing lark. I know that – if you came here telling me it was just sitting on my lardy arse and typing, well, I’d say ‘it’s not, it’s hard work.’ I knew that. I’d read it in multiple ‘how to’ books, I’d heard it from writers, I’d read it on the internet. I knew.

It started a few weeks ago when Calistro got her agent. I was so pleased for her – she really has worked hard for it … and she works full time. I felt utter delight; I knew I wasn’t near that situation so my reaction didn’t involve an iota of envy. I was 4,000 words in and I could see that I had a long way to go before justifiably feeling ‘why not me?’

It spurred me on. It made me think ‘I want that to be me…’ So I began to think about it: about how to do it, about how to get to that situation so that even if there are no guarantees, at least to get to a place where your manuscript goes out.

My TLC writing holiday got cancelled and I felt sad but I recognised my need for feedback. I’d got no real idea if what I was doing was right. So fast forward to the idea of mentoring with TLC: my excerpt came back with some good things on it. It was better than I hoped for and it had suggested to my reader that, albeit assessed only from one chapter, I might possibly be in possession of the skills required to do this.

‘I did that chapter,’ I thought. ‘It was hard but I shaped it and put the things into that she thought demonstrated that potentially I might possess the ability to do this. So right … (can you hear those cogs turning?) if I can do it with one chapter, I can do it with the next.’

Slowly – because clearly I’m not very bright – it began to dawn on me. The writing is really tough. It’s HARD. Am I the only one who hadn’t comprehended this? Am I the only total twit who hadn’t grasped the fact that, not only is it not easy, it’s actually, really bloody difficult?

So, if you’ve read this far, you’re going to say ‘Yes? And your point, JJ, is what?’

And, well, I suppose my point is – I suppose I have a couple of points: that ability or talent is irrelevant if you don’t do the hard graft … there really isn’t any ‘fairy dust’? And while I knew all along that it was tough, I guess I didn’t really quite believe it; until now.

Cracking on

I am recovered and cracking on. I was writing all day yesterday. Every time I visit Calistro’s blog I realise plain, old-fashioned work is the way to get on. She might make jokes about the luck fairy, but that woman works hard. She puts the effort in. (I know some people work really hard and don’t get the rewards and that’s bum luck, but if I sit back and do no work there’s only one outcome.)

Anyway, I’m fairly sure you’ll all say 'whatever works for you,' but it appears that I need to get things right, before moving on… “Just get the story down first” doesn’t seem to work for me. I can’t bear all that mess. So I’ve finished Chapter One – for now – it’s certain to change again, but it’s done for now and not a first draft anymore. And I’m a couple of hundred words into Chapter Two.

I had made a comment on Sunday to Husband over lunch that I felt like going to Kinokuniya, one of the bookshops here and giving my bank card a bit of a bashing. (I imagine this was all part of the recovery programme) but Son’s ears pricked up and he asked if he could come… Now, I never say no to books for Son (or Daughter) but this was THERAPY. The damage inflicted to my bank account needed to be caused by books FOR ME. So I suddenly lost interest in going, since I’ve just purchased 3 books for Son online. As a reward to finishing chap 1, I went off today to Kinokuniya to do some abuse.

Here’s my booty:

Bottoms up to Calistro

I was going to come and talk about orchids and packaging today…

…and then I read Calistro’s post and now I can’t be bothered to tell you the drivel I had planned because it’s not nearly as exciting as …

…Calistro having an agent who ‘absolutely loved’ her book and I’m really, really excited for her.

I do feel a warm glow at predicting at Manchester Novel Racer meet back in … April/May I think, that Cal would be next and it feels particularly good to say ‘I told you so’. I know there are no hard and fast rules to these things, but it seems to me that Cal did it right. Of course, there’s not a right way to do it but if there were, this would be it.

Serving one’s apprentice in the short story market: selling, being placed and getting commended, demonstrates writing ability and seriousness to one’s attitude (despite the fact that the short story is such a different beast to the novel.)

Fantastic news.