Word Spun

Spring has sprung?

2012-01-12T11:38:00.001Z

What bizarre weather we are having – so much so yesterday I was out in shirt sleeves at 5pm watching the sunset – then I got cold and wondered why?!!

Had a funny sort of day yesterday, still can’t get anything done – and have to stop myself from trying to do too much when the waves of fog from my brain raise temporarily before it all descends and joined up thinking becomes something of the past.

Connectivity issues seem to be a problem here again at the moment. Hopefully the government plans will sort out Cullompton at some point and then I can stop wondering around looking for a signal at farm gates (!). There is some sort of metaphor here for a writer. I spent half my youth looking for a signal at farm gates with “DH” – the first time around… (dirty laugh follows….)

Mine cuts in and out (the WiFi signal, not sex life !!) on a regular basis and I am sat right on top of the router here, and have the latest technology. Down at the Merry Harriers, the local pub which still has character, panache and brill food… none of their card machines work consistently and John can be seen doing the “wiggle dance” in the doorway on many a night, which whilst highly entertaining and the stuff of folklore for future generations, shows how bad general connections and signals are! not a good vibe for a professional business, but it is fun and he does do the hip action with practiced aplomb of an entertainer…

So back to the knitting… thank you all so much for making such an effort to communicate with me. It has been brought to my attention that yet again commenting is an issue. I am so sorry. I have altered the settings again, and if all else fails

shani@dyeverse.org

will find me. You can also find this link on the contacts page. If you want your comment reposted to the blog, please say so, otherwise I will just answer you as best I can. But I do appreciate your interaction.

Back to knitting and the sock pattern…. no I did not make up the original pattern. It has been around in many guises for as many years as I and my mother and auntie before me. No I don’t know where it was originally published. Handknitted socks were the stuff of War I and War II knitting and you couldn’t pop down to a local store to buy some cheap nylon versions, so as kids we all had handknitted socks until the white ones became available (ugh).

On this return to sock knitting in about 2006/7 I used a basic pattern given free from Get Knitted when you buy their sock yarn. I have since found the same pattern given free elsewhere, in fact all over the place, with some difference in typo settings etc.

The one I found from Ravelry which looked fairly basic was Simple Sock Recipe, which I hope you can pick up if you are not a Ravelry member. (Ravelry is free remember, so please don’t feel reluctant about joining and you will find loads of people to help you if you are a newbie).

Otherwise try the local library or just google sock patterns, or try Sarah at the Spinning Weal… my short stop for everything..

When I next knit up a sock from the start, I will photograph it from the start and at various stages, and put it all together in a more readable pamphlet. From the photos I go this morning though, it seems that the two stars I was originally helping have now completed their first ones. So even though my description was longer than the original pattern !!! and very long winded, combined with everything we seem to have got there in the end.

Just reinforces to me though how much I do from memory and how difficult it is to write notes in or describe in another medium something you do instinctively or by rote. A bit like writing/drawing debate I suppose.

or photography one… here is Toby taking a picture of me taking a picture of him, on an afternoon which defied description. The weather, scenery and company were magical…

Amazing what can be achieved when you want it as badly as we have… thank you Adapted Vehicle Hire who so supportively stepped into to help when the motability vehicle became an impossible dream/nightmare (still being built and due to now be in the country at the end of January !).

To be told you can have something, but then the practicalities making it impossible, along with timescales which beggar belief…

Transport has changed our world and made so many things possible that just could not be done before… Just shame we had to sort it ourselves… no wonder I am stressed !!! – but so worth it…

for an hour we were normal again yesterday – as a family should be…

Happy Old Christmas….

2012-01-09T16:36:00.001Z

Just when you thought you were totally “feast dayed” out… there is one more you may have missed…

6th January, known to us as commonly as Twelfth Night, is in fact the Old Christmas Day…

So if you are still one of those who actually believes that Christmas Day is about the Celebration of Jesus Christ rather than a day of rest before venturing out to return all the unwanted stuff and take advantage of the Boxing Day Sales, this is welcome news.

It also explains something very deep within my psyche. I have always believed quite irrationally and against all arguments to the contrary that twelfth night is something to celebrate, and attach quite undue superstitious fervour to taking down the trimmings before.

I have never understood why I hold this belief as it is very contrary to my normal way of thinking – especially as I don’t actually celebrate Christmas as a Feast Day itself. So perhaps somewhere back in my dark distant family history I inherited this from those around me when I was small and every now and again catch a glimpse of magic in the dark and drab days which follow the removal of the tinsel.

So the fact behind the “feelings”

The Roman year was organized round the phases of the moon until old Julius Caesar realised (or rather all his advisers – astronomers, rather than MPs - did) that it wasn’t accurate . So it was changed to use the Sun as its starting point. Unfortunately this calendar (the Julian) overestimated the length of the year, and despite all kinds of negative easements, the calendar was 10 days out by the time Pope Gregory XIII got to grips with the problem in 1582. This new Gregorian calendar was adopted throughout Catholic Europe. (So this is where I probably unconsciously picked up the vibe – my folks were always resistant to change for changes sake…!).

Now as we all know the Protestants and the Catholics hardly historically agreed on anything, and being quite resistant to change stuck with their way of doing things, which effectively meant that Paris was a full 10 days behind London…

Now that would never do, especially with travel etc., opening up, so the Gregorian Calendar was adopted in the middle of the 18C across Europe.

So the date on which we celebrate Christmas now, is actually wrong and it should be 6th January, if you keep to the Roman way of thinking – and after all, Jesus was a Roman so it is only logical they would have know when he was born – eh?

Today the 6th is known as Epiphany (the word itself is worth looking up, meaning Vision of God) and apart from taking down the trimmings has been significantly unmarked for most of us without religious knowledge.

The only reason I even went looking for the info today, was because I am reading a fascinating fiction book about a group of Amish women, and they referred to new and old Christmas within that.

The book is published in Episodes, so if you buy the first one for 0.77p and decide you don’t like it, or it doesn’t work for you, you are not committed to buying the whole book. This appeals to me as I like to try before I buy and have found myself with a lot of nonesense on my iPad, and a lot of obstacles in my hallway and stairs I trip over, whilst I sort out what I really want to read.

I am thinking about undertaking a bit of an adventure down this episode pathway myself when I start back writing in the near future.

Anyway back to the stories. They are really well crafted and the characters and issues they are dealing with are growing on me. The authoress, Karen Ann Vogel, obviously has insight and personal experience of the community and I love all the little links and bits of knowledge that is included, such as traditional recipes and use of knitting looms.

Instead of trying to tackle a big project when I get myself back into the zone, I think I too will try some short stories with an underlying thread..

Back to my knitting and finishing my paintings…

and what are you up to?

IMHO

2011-12-30T10:11:00.001Z

In my humble opinion, blogging is an interesting and worthwhile past time, when used sensibly…

I love blogging, in that it serves a few functions for me…

a) Keeps me in touch with friends and relatives who with the best will in the world I cannot speak or visit with on a regular basis;

b) allows me to organise my thoughts and creative world in a way that writing on a blank sheet of A4 or a document in word doesn’t;

c) blogging is an interactive past time for me, in that I also follow other blogs and get all kinds of inspiration, confidence in my own thoughts and opinions, ideas and interests/involvement in my various fields of study and personal growth;

d) helps me part of a community that isn’t possible within the physical world as rarely are all my friends in one place at one time.. if ever;

e) and when I am working it showcases and offers a peek into my production process.

Where blogging goes a bit tiddles up is when others interpret my words in contexts they are not intended or within a different framework that the post was written in. It can take me days to write one blog post – which in the real world is not an acceptable work rate. Also blogging can sometimes overtake the actual “doing” part of my creative psyche and it is actually important sometimes to not be sat at the computer, but doing something physical instead.

More and more of this was happening over the past few months, so I have got into the habit of not blogging, and then have – horror of all horrors - drifted into the habit of not writing… and then it all becomes cyclical when the thoughts end up going around and round my head, rather than outpourings into the…. well where ever my random thoughts go when they leave my computer…

But this morning I felt the urge to blog and share with you my random thought experiment.

I feel at this moment in time as if I am in the “eye” of the storm. This holiday season has been strangely surreal. For once I have welcomed the absence of communication as this has meant the absence of worry or concern about receiving news which will affect the rest of my life and those closest to me.

I am quite stoic about the news, just don’t know what I would do with it, quite at the moment with Britain being shut down for the festive season. Apart from the shops and car parks and public houses and……

Curiously though something else has happened to my personae - I haven’t been my habitual ebullient and somewhat snarky self, fending off all well wishers with a “bah humbug” and attempting to place myself in a state of grace that allows me to suspend realities of social convention and accept that it is quite normal for various humans inhabiting the world around me to behave like eejits and therefore disregard their aberrations as linked with seasonal insanity disorder (SID instead of SAD).

Instead I have been sitting outside of myself, mostly knitting (or facilitating the Tobster as he goes about his seasonal travelling), watching others still behaving in this manner. What is different this year is that instead of pointing out the error of their ways and asking them to desist in my presence, or more usually removing myself from their orbit – I have just watched and “harvested” some of the most bizarre and comical moments – well what is one to do without Morecombe and Wise, with only Eastenders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street to keep me anchored in reality….? (mental note to check fire alarms, and that the first aid kit contains necessaries for unexpected deliveries..).

When I woke at stupid o’clock this morning with the reprise of yesterday’s vicious words, needs and demands, floating around my head, and the vile meal that we had eaten last night also repeating on me. I really was at a loss as to how to deal with the situation and so then I went off on a bit of thought experiment…

I concluded:

No wonder the waitress tried to clear the evidence of the crime before we had finished eating! (honestly – DH was mid mouthful as the plate was being whisked away !!!). She obviously wasn’t used to recognising empty plates – others were being returned having not even been touched. In our defence we hadn’t lost our taste buds, we were just desperate for some quiet time and driven by the need to refuel.

Even though I was cross at the time - It really struck me how the tightening economy has an upside – can’t see the near empty pub surviving the current economic hardships, as well as some of those we are unfortunately have to deal with, as we go about our daily business, remaining employed.

Also there is hope for my cooking…

I reluctantly have to accept that there is nothing I can do or say anymore to convince some that I really do have a philosophy of living and have boundaries that are sacrosanct.

Nothing, nada, will ever make me change my mind or approach on a couple of key issues – so bloody well stop trying. It is not your job to “change” me or mine to replicate you and yours. I do not disrespect you, but the tolerance of disrespect of mine is coming to an end.

Finally, most importantly of all – the realisation that no material/experience is ever wasted.

Have you ever noticed how successful characterisations are often reused time and time again? If you haven’t consciously, try watching Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill back to back. You will see similar characteristics reprised and rewritten.

So perhaps this is what defines my idea of a good film – one totally re-watchable as there are familiar characters and plot lines I can identify with whatever my state of humour. Familiar enough to be entertaining when watched, but distant enough as I don’t have to interact with the characterisations.

This is a bit like what has happened this holiday season. I have only interacted with those I really have had to – because I actually wanted to. The rest I have managed to steer well clear of, as they go about their parallel universal way of working and thinking.

---------------------

I have taken this thought experiment and played with it for a few more hours this morning after writing the above - and I am wondering if I have hit on what has behind my writing/craft block this year. The realisation that I had recycled my favourite characters and processes to exhaustion – with very little private quiet thinking time available to me anymore and being endemically too tired/overwrought/depressed/worried (delete as appropriate) to actively find the energy to replenish the stock.

Hadn’t occurred to me, that actually I could do nothing and just let it all come to me !

With my pragmatic head on….

I shall never be short of a stereotypical comically absurd character again….simples…

Then I can free my mind to create colour, joy and warmth with my textiles and then… the possibilities are endless.

I have a feeling I am going to enjoy this coming writing year as I plot and orchestrate some fun with my cast of absurd characters – as they interact with some of my more delightful humane ones – based on those whom I am blessed to know in real life as friends and family.

Will you recognise yourself? I wonder….

Morning “Me arty’s”

2011-11-07T14:25:00.001Z

I am having a funny old Monday morning here, back at the homestead – nicknamed the Windy Hill Farm Homestead by myself, and “The House with the Door handle where Midget Mum Dangled from” by the Great T.

Not sure whether I told you why the farm building became dubbed with this title. When Great T came to visit, he was sat in the car, whilst B and the lady who owns the farm were talking. I had taken the opportunity to go inside and put down some heavy bags. As I came out I tripped over the step, stumbled on the shoe grid, tripped backwards over the rock-fenced flower border and instinctively tried to steady myself with the only thing to hand - the door handle. I realised if I should let go then I would fall backwards squashing all the lovely flowers, and I really didn’t want to get banned from the area place so early in our relationship - so just held on as firmly as I could – dangling a little off the ground - hoping B would spot my predicament. He didn’t….

T did though and he, realising this was rapidly becoming an emergency in which his mother was either going to hurt herself, or embarrass him further, tried to attract his father’s attention – in vain though… you can’t stop B once he is in his “narrative flow”. Thankfully by now I had regained my balance – if not my dignity – and had righted myself to see an hysterical T in the car guffawing for all he was worth and B having finished his tale wondering what all the mirth was about.

Ah bless… all’s well that ends well….

Unlike Downtown Abbey…what on earth am I going to do now I do not have a purpose and a reason for Sunday nights? I know, I could make my way back as quickly as possible to find out who cannot sing, or dance – I have my choice of channel - which would be more fun if they just swapped the criteria over – we know Lulu could sing, why not stick her on the X-Factor and then Johnny – who we know can dance from his staging and delivery of Kylie numbers - would pop over to the dancing gig…

But I think I have lost some thing here in the translation regarding Downtown… all my serious writer buddies are rather disparaging of the series and wonder if some of the actors/actresses are playing for laughs.. I was following the twitter stream last night and it was rather pompous to say the least…and I haven’t got a clue why. Am I missing something?

I KNEW and KNOW people like these characters today. The only difference is they tend to dress up in pearls and tweeds now, not long dresses and top hats. But that said I was invited to do a bio of someone not a million miles from where I am staying at present only a few years ago and she was dressed up in a beautiful lace long dress – albeit moths had re-designed some of the lacework, so it was difficult to see in places where the holes were intentional or not – when I turned up to visit.

She was an engaging and intoxicating character – not unlike that played by the Grand Dame in Downturn Abbey. She was certainly not someone you would laugh at – but was a person very happy to be laughed with and was happy to mock herself.

Perhaps some of our more “learned” writers who know about these things could engage a little more with the general consensus of the viewing public. “Appointment TV” (which it was grandly dubbed by a reviewer, full of self- import and pomposity, and new dodgy hair streaks – as you could tell by the absence of Root Factor) which had really good viewing figures –v- manuscripts and tutoring which might or might not bring in a sheckle – I know which I would rather put my time and efforts into !!! and my name.

Oh what a lament… off to have my roots streaked…or was that my hair stroked……?

At the next convenient location do a u-turn and look for the sky

2011-09-02T10:53:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone…

Thank you all so much for your charming messages and I am sorry to have given you cause for concern dear reader.

The absence of blogging as been due to some creative time - quiet and healing. The return to my desk was then overwhelming and as I still am struggling greatly with paperwork – even the smallest of forms is defeating my written hand at present – so I decided to ration my time spent even thinking about words and get on with some of those irksome chores of the real world.

I have also been made redundant from my position of chief navigator, journey planner and captive nag arse – a sat nav has been purchased. I am still reeling from the consequences of this.

I now have to put up with some robotic voice telling me where I should be going as well as “him the driver”. I am sure this is not quite how it is supposed to work – but we have had some interesting journeys recently along roads we didn’t even know existed and ended up in destinations which are equally bizarre!!

But I do have a lot to report when I get around to going through my study notes, and I have had a summer which can be summed up as meeting fresh ideas, people and surroundings – all very inspiring and creative…

I am also finally tackling my issues with painting – particularly that thing about the painting having to be perfect… duh? If I don’t approach my textiles that way – or my writing – why on earth do I approach painting that way… So I am changing my habits…

I am doing a U-turn at an appropriate location and looking for the sky – I always do what I am told – even if it is by a blinkin sat nav – who knows she may be right !!

In the meantime, another use has been found for my spinning wheel…..

If I could just find one big enough for me – perhaps I could lose weight after all !!! Thank you dear Tom for leading the way….

I’d only write….

2011-02-12T13:43:00.001Z

if I had something to say which was constructive, helpful and expressive…a response Mr Amis should have made when asked if he would write for children… instead….

Well, It takes a lot to make me angry, even more to take me into the “red” zone, but I am well past that this morning.

The day started so promisingly…no post of controversy, the sun shining and then I happened to click on a link to the Independent on a Tweet.

Amis: I’d write for children only if I'd had a brain injury

Was the headline. The article – which isn’t on the link now, but has been altered to read the responses of children’s authors – was – well to say the least highly inflammatory, rude and ignorant.

Also to go by what has been going on lately I should not be surprised if the article actually contravened the disability discrimination codes. I am led to believe that the article was written on the back of a television programme in which Amis was interviewed this week.

If so – again I am totally shocked that it was allowed to air. I am going to check, and if it has, I shall be making a formal complaint, and will not let this go unchallenged…

So – moral of story? don’t read tweets on a sunny day…. or is it…?

Nope, following on from that, and whilst I was calming down, I received some other tweets – not really related – but it was in the order they came which gave me pause to think and a gestalt moment… I hope the authors don’t mind me sharing…

------------

The timeline started with this:

@periodwardrobe I have a 1460's gown to start today, I think I have given it enough thought to cut into the scarlet wool with the scissors! #periodcostume

My response:

@periodwardrobe that is the bit I get a chill in my stomach over....go for it !

@periodcostume responded:

@StrandedYarnsUK Ooh, especially if you have woven the fabric yourself - I wouldn't be able to bring myself to do it!

My thought here:

and that is the problem, when you are so close to something that you have invested hours in producing – yardage, fabric, articles, stories, that amazing watercolour painting – well you don’t want to mess it all up with a wrong move do you….?

Then my @writethewrite tweeted this back:

@StrandedYarnsUK- maybe this incident is something that will propel your writing in a new direction??? or cement an existing direction.

I thought about it briefly and responded…

@Write_the_Write have spent a long time thinking about it, so yep you are "write" - it isn't as if I haven't got the word "yardage"!!

-----------------

and suddenly the brain did that synapse thing and jumped the tracks. I have literally yards of text which I have written over the years – all destined for one project or another, but all needing editing to actually become anything worth reading…to anybody – not just differently abled.

I have been too frightened to make that first cut it into… don’t know why – and this is where the woven yardage and not wanting to make the first cut came into my head..

Not only do I have yards of text, I bet every writer I know does.. and those I don’t….

The issue with books for the disabled are they don’t actually exist! Goodness knows why when you consider 1:7 of the population suffers with brain-injury in one form or another during their life-time. A very untapped target audience I would say….

The books don’t need to be dumbed down, or words shouted – as the Englishman does abroad or issues clarified in idiot explanations. So famous authors do not need to worry that their erudite thoughts will be lost on the less academically abled. Brain-injured are not less academic, they just access their academia differently – and you have to have a wider understanding to capture imagination and draw in. Also you don’t get the instant feedback, if someone cannot talk, or assimilate as quickly as “standard”.

But trust me, the wait is worth it…. I have never met so many brain-injured people in my life as I have over the last 5 years and without exception they have taught me so much about myself and my writing, and the important of taking yourself out of your comfort zone to enter theirs.

The reward is priceless…You get to watch the face breaking open with a slow smile, which spreads across the face like a dawn breaking…. recognition and understanding happens and you can see it palpably happening, as comprehension reaches the eyes and the sheer joy and exhilaration that you have communicated with another person and they with you, is beyond words.

So what to do?

The text just needs to be “shorter”, you need to get to the point quicker, chapters, sentences all need to take into account poor memory, so there is more repetition and recapping – but this can be done through the characterisation. You don’t need to dumb anything down – just slow it down, cut out duplicated or unnecessary characters – your narrative arch needs to actually go somewhere with an artful plot… and take regular rest breaks….

Also the books need to be less intimidating – smaller sizes, easily handled – books are judged by the covers, so they need to be inviting.

The font, slightly bigger – but not too large – you don’t have to shout, it is easier just to follow larger text, and the sense of accomplishment as the page turns, invites the reader to return…

You don’t need to be brain-injured to write a book, for an adult or a child – but you do actually have to know your target audience and understand people.

Mr Amis does neither…

and neither has he had the sheer, uncontaminated joy of being in the company of brain-injured people…

Okay diddley Dokey

2010-02-04T18:50:00.001Z

Over the last week I have been on a massive learning curve. I started my IT course the wrong way around, which meant I had to submit the final assignment before actually doing the course – ugh!! and nobody thought to share that with me.

Still on the bright side this means that I have had to spend a lot of time playing – ooh no meant to say – researching what the various buttons do on these programmes, and I have learned SO MUCH…

It occurs to me that many of us do the same, we spend all day everyday just using IT to do what we need to do to function and get the job done, but rarely look outside those narrow boundaries. I know I have, it has felt as if I have sleepwalked over the last few months when undergoing tasks, now I can be creative !!

I have also got stuck in to sorting out what wordspun might look like. I haven’t got a clue is the answer to that – but it is worth having a go to find out…!!

On that note of happy exploration – I have also discovered a number of blogs I have started, but have for whatever reasons forgotten to update, so am posting to them now to discover what on earth I have been up to over the past few years…Nothing playing

Writers’ Rooms- Cluster

2009-10-19T13:41:00.000+01:00

Writers’ Rooms- Cluster

A writer’s house | PD Smith | Kafka’s mouse

2009-10-19T13:35:00.000+01:00

A writer’s house PD Smith Kafka’s mouse

Tree of Life Knowle West - Creative Writing Group

2009-08-20T19:17:00.000+01:00

Tree of Life Knowle West - Creative Writing Group

Look what I found... this has cheered up my afternoon. I have missed these friends dearly and was honoured to be involved with the project...

s

A blessay on birds, challenges and new horizons

2009-04-19T10:35:00.001+01:00

This is becoming quite a difficult post to write, because I don’t know what to really say, and unusually for me, I am searching for words to describe how I feel this morning.

Forgive me, as it may seem that I have lost my marbles, but I haven’t just trying to work through difficult concepts with words…

It might appear to someone who casually inspects my world, that I spend every weekend, moaning or reflecting on a grubby week, pile of To Dos and I just ricochet from one emergent grief to another, and nothing substantially alters - but this is not so.

“things” – intangible, unquantifiable, do change and alter orbit in my world, slowly and stealthily, unconsciously and unnoticed, until I wake up one morning, and I am conscious that the axis has tilted and I am looking over a different horizon.

The balance of grief and chaos suddenly changes, and I can take a big breathe and start on another project of resolution. There is never any shortage growing up and suffocating my creativity!!

I can also choose to pause and be happy for a moment, because there is no impending emergency…

This morning is one of those mornings where I give myself the gift of time to reflect, before moving on.

The morning started as any other – with all kinds of theatrical lines running around in my head – the muse had decided to visit …

I woke up properly, sat in my “Creativity Room” (which still needs a name suitable to fit its function if anybody has any ideas).

I looked around in creative contemplation at the mountain of wool, wallpaper (skanked from B & Q last week for Mood Boards), books, DVDs and sheer academia (yep – despite blogging like a plonker I do write seriously sometimes…)

In amongst all of this, sat inset into the desk is my computer – the portal to the outside world…

Happy and content, I switched on a CD and listened to a some song tracks, selected in a different time in my life and I got out my notebook… and waited for the muse to descend again – as I knew she would..

thought I would write a bit – and still waited for the promised inspiration… and then I got distracted by the bird song and the background music…

So here is my blessay which I wrote whilst waiting for inspiration:

We have no sparrows anymore. Does anybody know why the sparrows have disappeared from our world?

We though now have Goldfinches, Great Tits, Green Finches, Robins and a whole host of songbirds, including white doves…

Where were they hiding? and have they intimidated the sparrows away with their colour and songs?

I have no time again, I want to write a poem, warp up a scarf, finish some coursework, write a blog and finish off my notebook – this was their apportioned slot – evaporating…

So whilst I wait - I finish off my notebook, blog about waiting and because I ran out of paper and I am listening to music which I had forgotten I had…

Wicked – the title not a description – the track where the witches go through a statement of intent, set to music and decide they can overcome gravity…

That is what I feel I have done over the last few years – resisted the gravity of inevitability…

On phrase, paraphrased here – I am through accepting limits because someone says it is so –

how will I know that “it” is something that I cannot change – until I try I will never know…

Flowery words, set to sweeping notes, which defy being sung along to, because my voice won’t reach that high anymore – but so what !!

Toby is walking, despite being told quite categorically he wouldn’t be able to.

I am doing many things today, that I was told I couldn’t do, because I did not have the talent or ability, was female or a whole host of invalid reasons…

So, where was I, ah – back to moaning, but not quite…

If new birds can appear in my garden and bring sunshine and song on their wings, there is no reason why I can’t do the same with the challenges which come into my world, they don’t always have to be negative experiences - not sure about the singing bit though….

So this morning I am off to be happy, having written a blog – which needs working on, so forgive the ramblings – finished my notebook and a diet which will start again tomorrow…

Ping Factors...

2009-02-25T10:16:00.000Z

Good Morning everyone.

I have come up again for a breathe of fresh air after finishing
another (and it has to be said rather overdue, missing several
deadlines, oophs factor) commission.

Thankfully everyone is happy, people can now progress with their jobs
and I am no longer part of, or even the cause, of the current
economic downturn !! (I do love it when editors/producers get snotty
and through their weight around - you know who you are !! - their
nasty emails should be a book in their own right !!)

Anyway that is enough of my snide remarks for one day and no doubt I
shall pay for this arrogance and flagrant disregard for the higher
authority later!!

This morning, I want you to consider your "ping" factor.

I won't say to much or explain to you what I mean, because it is one
of "those" terms which transition coaches (otherwise known as career
counsellors) use.

How do you present yourself to others? and what does your
writing/subject matter/interests/dress codes say to your chosen
audience (or sad victim in my case !!).

First thoughts and if you can create a small monologue in under 200
words, please post and there will be much happiness and communication
within the group !!

Now, what is my ping what...?

hugs everyone

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Rendered more destinct by the Contrast

2009-02-17T10:17:00.001Z

Hi everyone, I have emerged from the abyss of an intensive writing project, done some knitting and spinning, and am ready to return to the world of inspiration - cuz I need some!!!

Can I offer you this thought:-

when we hear an English accent in an American Film it tends to hit our ear more acutely because of the contrast.

This is an interesting concept that we can transfer to our writing... I am currently reading a book by Anita Shreve - The Last Time we Met, where all the dialogue is written in italic rather than encased in speechmarks. At first I found this quite confusing because you meet the page in anticipation and bring to it expectations of convention...

But as I read on in the book I am finding this quite a liberating way of reading and allows quite a flexibility in interpretation.

So what I am saying to you today is...... have a play with your writing and especially when you are writing speech.

Do it differently - why not write speech in a different coloured pen? - that is what I did this morning and found it really interesting holding conversations in different colours - I was concerned when I reached for the extreme violet/red colour I have though !!!

Here is a prompt for you - if you are looking at a bare page...

"Rendered more distinct by the contrast"

Go for it and I would love some feedback.

hugs everyone
Shani

Stranded Yarns: Let go of Blame - and getting into a Habit...

2009-01-30T14:03:00.000Z

Stranded Yarns: Let go of Blame - and getting into a Habit...

2009-01-16T11:29:00.001Z

Writing in the Margins Thought to Ponder...

As a writer our world lives twice... once in our imagination and the
second time on the page.

There is no reason why the world can't live twice or even three times
on the page either.

When tackling a junction in a tale, write a couple of alternative
routes - nothing is ever wasted, you could use surplus pieces in
another story.

I share this tip with you, because I have just overhauled, quite
successfully, even though I say so myself, a rather tired and boring
tale using this technique. At each junction of the tale, I explored
the different options the characters could take, through each of the
main character's eyes... interesting and exciting where the results.

I find as a writer if I am not excited by the tale, why should anybody
else - and am happy to report in this instance, even I didn't know
where it was all going until the end which magically revealed itself -
like a piece of weaving being cut off the loom...

So tackle your discarded tales today, with red pen or track changes on
the computer and see how this might alter things...

then let me know....

hugs everyone.

Shani

__._,_.___

Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic

Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Calendar

Best wishes for 2007, and remember - don't just Talk about it or Dream it, WRITE IT @ http://www.writinginthemargins.co.uk
Don't forget to browse our sites for other linked Yahoo Groups which may be of interest.
For Journals and other Writing in the Margin products visit our shop at
http://www.cafepress.com/witm

MARKETPLACE

From kitchen basics to easy recipes - join the Group from Kraft Foods

Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

New Year Reconciliations...

2008-12-30T12:27:00.001Z

Hi everyone - again apologies for the absence of regular prompts and
tips as 2008 ends. I think my New Year resolution will be to have a
good look at my guilt complex !!

I would commend to you as the New Year begins that this would an
ideal time to look at writing habits.

It only takes 12 times of doing something to make it a habit - so
perhaps you could think about identifying a small project you would
like to achieve at in the New Year and break it down into 12 regular
chunks to do?

That competition you wanted to enter - the short story - perhaps you
could break the word count down into 8 sessions of writing, allow two
for editing, one for formulating into the required format, and one
extra for luck as if you are anything like I am, you will always
under guestimate?

That booklet of your poems, well 12 days of writing a poem each day -
that will make a good basis to form the booklet on and then self-
publish on Lulu..

These are some of my ideas - anybody like to share theirs?

Best wishes
Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Todays Prompt

2008-12-03T11:51:00.001Z

Hi everyone.

Sorry I keep disappearing off after having bursts of writing energy. Unfortunately my world seems to lurch from complication to complication and in an effort to keep my writing protected from this up and down momentum, I tend to wrap it in bubble wrap and put it on the shelf for a week or so.

So when I emerge again, unfortunately, it is like starting all over again - but I think you all might appreciate not getting a blow by blow account of my world - moaning in the margins was created for a reason !!!

The Travelling Notebook project is still high on my agenda, and again - when I have five minutes which isn't cluttered by vitally urgent legal statements, or rushing off to hospitals miles away from where I live for duplicated appointments (aaaarrrggghhhh.....), I will get this organised...

So if you are still with me .....this is the prompt for today....

I have been pondering a lot over the last week (when not trying to sort the universe out...) as to what function celebrities perform in our life?

So my prompt today and one I too am going to write about is... exactly that - define the purpose and reason for the celebrity culture that exists... make up your own celebrity... the challenge is yours to do what you will with.

Best wishes
Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

2008-11-21T10:13:00.001Z

"Who we are and what we do, the choices we make, the places, we visit all our informs our writing - giving it depth, tone and more importantly believability"

The above was how I started my notebook entry this morning, a difficult week having flown by - more difficult that normal even by my standards! so I decided to take five minutes and actually write something for me, from me and to me, before I was swallowed up by the events of the day.

I sat back and reflected on the above, admiring my neat copperplate writing, the picture it made on the page of my notebook, contrasting against the cream of the paper - shapes and shades of ink from the previous page tantalisingly showing through - and then realised just how pompous and downright factually wrong the statement is.  The sentence comprises assertions emanating from the controlling element of my personality and doesn't actually take into account the things I have no power over - such as weather, external incidents, health and temper of those around me, economics of the working world - the list is endless.

So my task for the day - which I extend to you - is take the above assertion as your starter and "pad" out some free writing with it. By pad out, I mean write a paragraph and then leave a large space, move on and write your next paragraph, leave a large space etc... so you are creating thinking room in your writing.

Then after having written about your world (or ranted as my kids would have said) - go back into the writing, with a differing coloured pen perhaps, and then fill in the gaps writing/contrasting about all the things which were imposed on you (or your character) externally - over which they had no choice...

So for me, this week would have been about clearing my backlog of work, getting some knitting projects done, clearing up my office at home, sorting out some complex responses to an ongoing legal case, writing my blog, finishing off and printing out some coursework, sorting out my CPD points. A very busy week by anybody's standards, but those were the things I chose to do (well sort of... !!!)

In amongst it though, I was diagnosed with some serious health problems which came as a shock, someone I am very closed to became very distressed about his world - which impacted into destroying all the work I had done on clearing up my home recently - I found I was massively overweight and had to (whether I liked it or not) start attending a gym and diet classes, which I simply don't have time for and my work is out of my control....

and I forgot about all the outstanding stuff I still have to do....

Do you see where I am going with this? I am sure most of you can relate to the above in some form or another, or find an equally chaotic narrative to write about...   then fictionalise it - expand it into a character - have your character solve the problem, win the day, or just sit down and cry, admitting defeat and self-loathing - your story... your puppets to move about your stage...

But everyone who reads your story will find some point in it where it is relevant to themselves - so my tale, as outlined above  - for all its conception from inside and personalisation to me, will have believability....

Best wishes
Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Starting Somewhere

2008-11-08T20:03:00.001Z

Monday Night's Great Western Writer's meeting is going to be on the theme of Starting Somewhere. I am not trying to plot spoil here, just giving an opportunity for anyone who reads this before Monday to give some thought to Starting Somewhere.

I have spent a lot of time over the last week writing up all kinds of technical and professional development papers. These have been very rewarding, surprisingly enough. I can see evidence before my very eyes in how I have grown in knowledge and understanding - not only of myself but my fields of expertise over the past three years.

So I would commend to you to spend a few moments on a regular basis making a note to yourself of things you have learned, encountered, or situations approached which have stretched your abilities.

You have to start somewhere - so start from today - What have you learned or written about this week?

Please feel free to comment and share with us your writer's journey.

Writing Tip for Today

2008-10-31T14:07:00.000Z

A favourite trick of mine, I thought I would share....

Writer's Block?

Have a look at the first line of the three novels closest to you.....

Consider - What do they have in common - or not?

Now write your first line - in the style of all or none.....

Consider - why had the author chosen the original opening line? if you know the novel well - what were they trying to achieve - do you think? Your opinion here, no right or wrong answer...

Now refer back to your first line - would this work for your line?

Still stuck? well you shouldn't be - you have just written something !! so make it bigger...expand.....

write a series of lines if that helps....until something strikes you as gold....

If all else fails, pick up your novels again and read... writing can wait until another day. One thing I have learned is that you can't force inspiration.

hugs
Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Why I.....

2008-10-26T11:31:00.001Z

For my "other job" I tutor aspiring writers to achieve their goals and dreams. This started off by accident a few years ago - as almost everything does in my world.

Strange that, I never seem to end up at the destination I set off for, even in a car. Something more interesting always seems to grab my attention and I am off...much to the irritation of people around me, and concern I suspect of people who rely on my constancy such as employers etc.

Recently a few people have asked how I ended up doing this, so I will give you a brief resume...

I started off writing short stories for magazines when I was quite young, after winning a series of competitions for young authors in the local newspaper.

The back story was that I didn't spend much time at school because of an ill mother and I had to find someway to fill the isolation - so chatting to myself on paper and writing letters became a very positive way to fill the days and deal with my grief.

The short-story work led to authoring books for years - usually in someone else's name and writing "voice" and this become quite a vital part of our income and existence when I had two small children - with or without a father depending on how my first husband felt at the time.

I have never been a person who is comfortable with centre stage, I love being the person in the background doing the "tweaking" and producing the effects, far more satisfying and long lasting. Undertaking this work allowed me to practice my art without necessarily being associated with it - useful when you don't quite know how you want to really express yourself, but don't want to be pigeon-holed.

After my marriage broke up I met up with someone who had been first of all a mentor and then a lover, who was an actor by trade. Whilst spending time waiting for him on sets, I was approached to do some filling-in writing - the words were bought by the 100s (so that is why if you ever get a letter from me you will need a ream to print it off.)

This bled into TV work in my own right, and then whilst spinning on a set one day (you have to do something to fill in the hours of waiting for the magic to be constructed! otherwise you would go mad) I was asked by a producer if I was interested in helping on a craft series they were producing. Craft was very "in"

I did and ended up working on some very interesting projects, which led me into many other areas of art, and when my children started struggling in school with basic literacy - I became involved in identifying and creating a phonics project - which I took off elsewhere and sold as a concept.

Having now lost my way totally - I was even being hired to be the "argument" in talk shows at this point - I needed to regroup and think about what I actually wanted to do - which was 9-5 and working in Law for a few years (no seriously - I REALLY did want to, that might have changed now though....!)

I couldn't give up the writing, even though I didn't have time for the craft any more and managed to carry on finding various niches for my work to find a home in - magazines again, articles, essays and complaining letters over the last year or so !!

Then about three years ago, I heard about a project for well-formed writers and went along hoping to be supported and be inspired into other genres. Well I wasn't supported, but I was inspired and not quite in the way the organisation intended I suspect.

I couldn't quite believe the cynicism I was confronted with, and blatant harvesting of ideas - some now turning up on TV without the creator's name being attached, so my suspicions were not unfounded...unfortunately.

So with a nasty taste in my mouth I sat down, analysed and identified what I would want to inspire and help me create, testing this on others, and this, along with feedback has since has grown into a series of workshops and tutorials - so much so that I really have to fight to find time to write for myself nowadays - the point of the whole exercise.

So that is why I write and why my knitting/spinning is so important to why I write.

They both are equally important to my identity and who I am.

Writing Prompts and Thoughts

2008-10-26T10:44:00.001Z

I have really been quite inspired this week (in between fighting off people who have mistaken me for a nice person who would like to do their job for them - you know the kind I mean !! ) by various elements of popular culture.

First of all, Ian Fleming and his notebooks - leifmotif moment here again...warning...warning...

I accidentally switched on a replay of a documentary which ran on the BBC this week and there were NOTEBOOKS - loads of them, scratchy little red ones with only lines and snatches of conversation... my hero after all....   Quantum of Solace was one of those little scribbles and - hey presto - there is a film !!.   I am sure more came in between but it doesn't give rise to the money shot of Joanna Lumley diving scantily clad into an azure rockpool - the whole image is a little lost on me, I am more fascinated by how she keeps her eye makeup on.

I look like a panda after having a few sly tears, how on earth does she do that....?

Anyway, I degress....

the second is a book I am reading - well have now finished.

"Divas Don't Knit" by Gil McNeil.

Now this book I quite happily accept isn't going to make a nobel prize winner or any other one - except perhaps in the woman's ASDA section. BUT it is a thoroughly enjoyable, predictable romp through the world of a person I can associate with. She is a young woman, who used to be valued in the workplace, had children and knits... a very dumbed down version of the plot, but the best I can do - whilst being shouted at on a Sunday Morning to come down stairs and do something else...

This got me thinking - what was it about the book that I enjoyed so much?

I could associate with this person's world and empathise with her journey. The narrative was easy and contemporary and it had associations with things I know about - encounters with Alpha Mums, being "volunteered" for things and knitting being only the three I can confess too !!

So all in all, this was a book that I would be quite happy to have written - so that is obviously the genre I am secretly aspiring to in my reinvented version of an author....

Thought moment - what books are on your bookshelf? WHY are you drawn to them? could this be your target audience really - rather than re-writing Tolstoy?   There is little snob value in achievement...

or if you can't face binning your synopsis - which is in fact the same size as a paperback novel - outlining your plans for a saga covering 20 books - perhaps you could just take a break for a month (oh during NaNoWrimo - how convenient ) and try writing something totally different - based on your bedtime bookshelf - just to humour me if you can't find any other justification?

Just a thought....

Thirdly - well I have taken to knitting in a big way - procrastination, colour, creativity all in one package and as far away from computers as possible..... so whilst knitting I was watching Desperate Housewives - Series 1 - Episode 5 through to 11 to be precise.

In my defence, before you all email with concerns for my sanity - I was having a really bad day yesterday and decided I just wanted to sit and achieve something - anything - and this was the only way I could do it and be left alone.. apparently I have the "face" when I am knitting - and it is the kind which deters all others from finding me another "job"....

Back to Desperate Knitters - oohps - Housewives...

Yes it is fairly, well words fail me ---- still fail me. I don't get the plot and don't recognise half the characters and as for the fingernails... but they do have some really good lines which weave through the dodgy camera shots and the woman with the jammy looking mouth...

So my prompt today... anashamedly paraphrased and re-written for you here...

"As a mother she spent her mornings preparing her husband and her family for their day, during the evening, she was supportive, loyal and an einstein with the homework - but to know the person you had to know what she did with her afternoons......."

So what did she do with the afternoons...?
Or what did he find her doing with her afternoons?

Twist and turn this little gem.... I have written three seperate plot lines - over three paragraphs on three pages - all completely different starting with the above - now you have a try....

Just a quick update on the travelling notebooks - I WILL get this started this week.... inspiration sort of got in the way......

hugs everyone - please post comments and thoughts... and any tips that you have found recently to get your pen moving....

Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Writing Prompt

2008-10-23T14:09:00.001+01:00

An epidemic is something which spreads without empirical proof supporting the reasons why - or at least the geezer on breakfast TV proclaimed it as such yesterday.

This got me thinking, an epidemic is usually a label attached to something unpleasant or dangerous, such as flu or msra, etc.

What if it was attached to something nice such as - love or payrises...

So I starting writing about that - and whot I wrote really made me laugh, so I suppose it served its purpose and spread a little happiness and exercised my chuckle muscles...

So I pass the idea on to you and would love to hear your thoughts...

Brainstorm the idea and go forth in a flight of fancy

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Writing Prompt

2008-10-19T12:03:00.001+01:00

Good morning great scribes...

First of all, apologies for the AOL bit at the bottom of these emails. I have found a way of sending emails to the blogs/groups to save time in multiple posting, unfortunately you get the adverts as well - which ironically was the reason I left AOL in the first place - hey ho...

Thank you for your telling me how irritating they are, I too find them quite so - but it is either that and prompts, or a nothing but a creative series of broken promises from me... sorry.

Today's Prompt

"I tell it to the Sea" - is a phrase I half-heard last night -

This made me think - what would I tell to the sea? secrets, dreams, pain, sorry or happiness - but the latter, surely I would declare to the world?

So my question today - what would you tell to the Sea? or what other place would you share secrets/dreams/aspirations or simply share with?

Would they keep your secret, or would it be theirs for onward transmission?

You choose - your piece of writing... go forth and produce...

and then tell us - if you want to share - either by posting to this thread of linking to the comments.

Best wishes and have a good writing day.

Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Hints and Tips - Notebooks

2008-10-17T13:55:00.001+01:00

I am back on the subject of notebooks again today.

Notebooks shouldn't be finished products in their own right - you shouldn't approach them with your neatest handwriting and with awe. They should be the "workhorse" of your writing - your personal point of reference for inspiration, creativity and generally getting you in the "mood" to produce work. My friend calls is the "twilight zone..." can't think why !!

Notebooks should be the starting points for developing ideas - the keyword here being "developing". Write a thought down once, then write it down again in a different way, then perhaps a third way. Revisit ideas from differing perspectives, on different days,in different moods.

Occassionally review and audit the motifs which emerge repeatedly, looking for a way to transfer them to a piece of writing which will frame them and convey the thought to maximum effect.

A notebook should be part of a "process" - so today, start a fresh page and write about something which has been bothering you and you would like to resolve....

Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Writing Prompt

2008-10-16T13:05:00.001+01:00

"you can safely follow the good advice of a trusted companion without thinking too much about the consequences"

the above is taken from my horoscope for today - the one on google. I find horoscopes a brilliant source for inspiration. They are worded so they are relevant to 1/12th of the population so are targeted at being general and specific as a person can want to read into them.

So - free write for 10 minutes on the above and see where you end up....

Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Writing Prompt

2008-10-15T20:59:00.000+01:00

Your opening few lines for today:

For a secret to be a secret - it can only be told to one person at a time...
but to save time and energy of repeating myself, I always tell my friend Moira first..

Last Friday, was no exception.... I just wish the floor had opened me up when.....

Now carry the story on...

See you tomorrow...

Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Writing Hint and Tip

2008-10-14T12:21:00.001+01:00

You don't have to write a novel each time you sit down to write, either at your desk or your computer. It is enough that you have actually WRITTEN something (well as long as they make vague sense and convey something to the reader - even if it is only yourself!!).

It is important to start the HABIT of writing, and you have to start somewhere and sometime, so start TODAY - now after you have read this prompt - no time like the present eh?

Define yourself in say - five sentences. Just freewrite for a few moments, in words, notes, just let your mind and pen wander. Then pick out the pertinent bits of how you would define yourself.

For example, I don't define myself through other's eyes and standards, I define myself by what I have inside and what I want to do and be in the world.

So I would go off on a five sentence rant about how I want to change the world one day at a time and where I would position myself to be most effective at achieving that change - today that would focus on something specific tomorrow it would be something else...

Some words will jump out of this free writing as most important, so work on them for a few more minutes.

There you go... writing done... and if you find this too personal, write it through the eyes of a fictional character... !! sometimes you never know which is which - am I fiction or am I real ? who cares...?

Best wishes
Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Hi - I am back...

2008-10-12T11:31:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone.

Things have been very quiet over the summer on the writing front and I am sorry that I haven't been able to really be around as much as I would like to.

As many of you know I have been juggling a lot of commitments over the past three years and all the plates I have been spinning came tumbling down, simply because I became too tired to keep an eye on them.  Everything just collided at once, but fortunately I didn't break many plates as they hit the floor but there were a few casualties and a few of my writing commitments, along with other things which gave me a lot of pleasure have been neglected.

That said, I feel creatively refreshed now, and with NaNoWriMo season beckoning so are my little writing brain cells therefore:

~ Regular prompts should resume over the next few months...

~ The Great Western Writers returns tomorrow night at the Bristol Central Library - free to everyone, just turn up with a pen and your imagination.

I am not going to return to some of my writing groups, I hope the members will understand that I only have so many days in any given week, and some of those have to be spent on me and my family.   You are though all very welcome to become members of Writing in the Margins, or visit the Great Western Writers at the Library.

Over the forthcoming months I will also be looking for a regular comfy "drop-in" spot somewhere central in Bristol, where any local writers/students can meet informally - say once a month - and I will be on hand for support to help you to your writing goals.    I tried this last year, but it all became too difficult, so I will make renewed efforts.

One other thing, some of my writing worksheets have turned up in places that they should perhaps not be being used !!  I won't go into details, but needless to say the only place you should see any of my worksheets are either at a course I am facilitating or via the website.

Can I remind you all that my work and time is given freely to assist everyone to reach their writing potential. It is not to be resold or used as the basis for writing tuition which is being funded either by grant or tuition fee to a third party.   All my places of inspiration are accordingly acknowledged and you will often find reference to other author's sites or classes - in the hope that you will get as much out of the resources as I have done.

These worksheets and prompts/hints are to be used in the spirit they are intended - to inspire your writing life.    Please remember this.

Best wishes
Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Sunday Muses

2008-09-28T13:21:00.001+01:00

This title works on so many levels. 11.33 this bright, beautiful warm sunny morning. Crisp autumn sun having burnt off shrouds of cobweb early morning fog. Not quite warm enough to write outside, but I have positioned myself at my "artistic" desk..to allow my thoughts to be illuminated by this unexpected gift of golden light.

I am now listening to Desert Island Discs -

"Social elite by being excluded.... "

"People give me confidence - reassure by being shocking which returns the power..."

Soundbites which enter my subconscious fingers by way of the conduit of the brain.

Okay enough - end of arty farty writing... dragged back into existence by the clearing of my attic, where the erudite instructions of Montse Stanley have been resurrected, and the installing of new curtains, which apparently hold many sins, they are the wrong size, the wrong colour... yada yada yada.... Now I am being accused of bag addiction, which whilst true is painful to acknowledge..

Now the job can't be completed because there is no keyboard or mouse... (curtains - keyboard and mouse - hey ho) - anyway I am a true womble since the summer clear up and no challenge will escape me.. I victoriously declare as I find them... and am booted out of my sunny room so that equipment can be linked up...

What a blinkin week this has been again. Back to work was like stepping of an escalator taking me through knitting and creative bliss and back in to economic chaos - literally and on all levels. It took me to Wednesday to actually work out what needed to doing from the mounds of shifting paper and to Friday to formulate a strategy to avoid doing it....

I discovered two:-

If I ask a question about each document on my desk and await a response - because the person I have asked is avoiding responding "Vwallahhh... " says she triumphantly... I have created a holding pattern worthy of international airports and can justify my existence whilst still getting nothing done... I don't think personally this will work for me on an ongoing basis, but it will work for me whilst I heal....

Then there is the Urgent - v- Important question - I had forgotten this handy time-wasting strategy but reminded by Social Services - "Yippee...." back in my tool box of all time brilliant fob offs it goes...

Couple this with out-of-office messages on my in-box and telephone message which explain that my phone is broken so I can't ring back unless your phone number doesn't have a 1 or a 9 in it ... and I am relatively unscathed..

Needless to say my knitting has suffered, but I have a couple of nifty knitty purchases to share later with you, and I am motivated to get my socks and Toby's jumper finished... actually I think I will take my spinning wheel with me...

Off to see Toby...

A Post I would like to Share and Commend to Others

2008-07-27T12:37:00.001+01:00

http://thewritersbag.com/writing-strategies/write-yourself-well

Writing Prompt

2008-06-30T13:42:00.001+01:00

"Issues of self-worth and net-worth inextricably entwined..." Discuss:-

Perhaps you could start with a definition of self-worth and net-worth - and then transfer that thought?

Best wishes everyone

Shani

AOL Email goes Mobile! You can now read your AOL Emails whilst on the move. Sign up for a free AOL Email account with unlimited storage today.

Rebalancing

2008-06-29T07:31:00.001+01:00

It has been a long time since I have blogged – April this year it seems when I checked.

I know why – I have lost the “habit” – the habit of listening to myself and rebalancing - by writing when all about me have lost… you know how the old saying goes and that is my very crude interpretation.

More importantly since April of this year, I have found myself speechless. Not writer’s block – this is more serious than that – I have just found I have nothing to “say”. Nothing to share. Nothing worthy of commanding to a page.

I finish my paid employment and then start studying, I finish studying and then I sit down or go to visit Toby. I visit Toby – and sort out the administration that makes his world tick. In other words, I am spending all my timing “doing” not “being”.

I am struggling to find a minute to actually call my “own”. Not “owned” by my employer, or my husband, or my children, or friendships, or writing groups, or….. any of the multiple personalities which make up “me”.

This has all very sadly come to a head on Friday of this week. Sadly for some, but not for “me”.

Enough is enough. I have spent the last 40 years of my life attempting to please everyone and forgetting to please “me”.

There is always time for that, to sit down quietly, not hold a conversation – just “being” when all else is done and obligations met to capacity – well there used to be… and when things got rocky and swells and storms threatened to overtake me and pull me into their vortex.

I knew there would be a time to rebalance and safe ground ahead, if I just held on and allowed the storm to go where it would. I couldn’t control “it”, but importantly I wouldn’t let “it” control me.

My belief in that happy every after though has now evaporated, like my belief in the tooth fairy and Father Christmas.

It is 6.19 on a Sunday morning – I have got up to write a blog – and what happens next? “Him who would like to be obeyed” has come down to join me, to keep me company. BLOODY WELL GO AWAY. Give me some space, give me some time, and more importantly allow me to rebalance and listen to myself.

I need company like a hole in the head, I need more tasks, projects, clearing up – I am drowning in the mess of my existence.

What I really need is time to speak to “me”.

So where was I – Friday – the end of yet another long week in the office, at home, etc. Actually in reality it was a very short week, where things were so bad I can’t actually remember where the week went.

I have spent all of it in heated-debate, not gentle disagreements, but full volume and brain fuelling sharpened and scythe-like tongue to capacity. On Friday – I even ended up in conflict with myself.

Now people who know me, know that I live for a challenge – nothing is ever excepted at face value – the “no” response is actually hardwired into my primeval brain as “yes of course” and nowadays, usually with the “how much?” query. (the subtext to that being – no price is too high to get me off their case).

But sometimes there are challenges just not worth fighting. I can’t go into details because of employee confidentiality and a lot of my other outside “stuff” affects others and is commercially sensitive, but quite frankly nobody would believe me if I did write it down…. Grim Lit is us… Perhaps that is why the mythical nirvana of employee happiness perpetuates? One of nature’s mysteries is how a body/mind forgets pain.

So I have reached the point of having to walk away, Ok – where next? Now this is the difficulty – how much of the rest of my life is crap as well? Well it seems quite a bit when I take a deep breathe and look about me at the wreckage.

Watching Grand Designs yesterday (whilst clearing up, knitting a sock, fall asleep out of exhaustion, spinning up some wool for Toby’s jumper, and generally beavering about). Actually I have to be precise about this – I was watching the adverts interspersed by the programme Grand Designs – have I missed something vital here? When did Adverts become the reason for watching the moving wallpaper? – I digress.

There was a segment about how far you pull a rotting house down, before it needs totally rebuilding from the foundations. This man started with a few internal walls, and next thing he knew he had no roof, no lintels – well no nothing to be quite honest… This could be a metaphor for my existence.

Because of time pressures at work I have stopped writing for relaxation. I have had to stop running my writing groups because I just had no preparation time – something that I have never had to do before even through the worst of times a few years back. I can’t face a computer now without feeling physically sick, and the noise just drains my thoughts.

The house has descended into the chaos that it always threatened to be. It contains three bedrooms, and a garden – allegedly. You would never believe it – I think there is a bathroom in there also somewhere and the kitchen… well that defies description at present.

I can’t even find my walking shoes, they have been immured into one of the rooms where one would not explore. I am not into finger pointing – but as I am out of the house all day, and late into the night – how has this happened? Can’t the other inhabitant just clear up? If you don’t need something – chuck it…

I spent last weekend in my bedroom for two days, just so as to stay out of his way and give him a chance to get started on this Grand Design – except he moaned all weekend about how lonely he was...and how he had to feed me – honest chuck – four cups of tea in 2 days and a couple of bacon sarnies does not a balanced diet make.

I had taken a couple of days off and decided to retrace my roots – I get more sense out of Dead Ancestors than those around me nowadays. At least they can’t argue back and find me a job to do (well one did, but that is another story !!).

I re-emerged on Monday morning to find absolutely nothing had been done – the bedrooms still looked like the set from Miserable (complete with swords and guns, but no swivelling or pivoting – no room) and to top it all the washing up was still there from two nights before.

Then I went back to the hell hole (don’t ask which one).

To be fair, I think he has now spotted the error of his ways – well with a few clues and a tongue-lashing – “Contempt is us” should be my middle name. We have made progress this week, a desk which has sat dismantled in one of the bedrooms has now been re-constructed into its intended location.

Sounds a small enough achievement, but fairly groundbreaking actually – I have had six months of being told how it won’t fit, and what a load of expensive crap it is (I was actually given it – so why should I care?), how psychologically I am damaging my oldest son – it is his bedroom (well he left a year or so ago, so how long do you keep the home fires burning?!!!! – perhaps that was why the wood was needed?) and the list goes on and on.

So happiness of happiness I started clearing up yesterday – and then it dawned me the gravity of the entire situation. I found all my prep and research work, my writing groups stuff, my former life, my study work as I undertook an archaeological dig worthy of Time Team (also on re-runs yesterday to fill in the time between Adverts). Note the use of ME in all of that – ME had become buried by the detritus of time.

No wonder I came to a total halt – the oxygen which fuels my existence – my writing – had been denied and almost destroyed.

So back to this morning – it is now 7.02 am, and the most amazing birds are surrounding me – I remembered the laptop is supposed to be portable, so have taken into the cold, but sheltered garden. I can hear something buzzing around me, and the fountains are silent. I can smell fresh air and hear the gentle swaying/rustling of the trees. I am transported back to Lulworth Cove – the YMCA where we stayed on the last family holiday before “the accident” – the peace of mind and tranquillity of Ti Chi before the day began (except I am not even sure I can remember how to do Ti Chi anymore – perhaps it is in the muscle memory somewhere?).

Okay, there are dead leaves all over the decking and the dog bowl really could do with a wash – which I am going off to do now - but for the last hour I have found “me”. That is all I need – an hour every now and again.

I don’t want to break the spell, but I am hungry – so must…

If I could just find a way of bottling this when I return to work tomorrow – then I think I have the way forward. Actually the answer is at hand, it is blindingly obvious – there all the time, I have a pen and paper, along with the ability to write – I can conjure up my world anywhere I want (along with a To Do list…J).

Problem solved – moan over… I can get back to being “me” – well once my batteries are replenished and I find where I left my ink… blue or green?

Today's Prompt

2008-05-27T18:32:00.001+01:00

Write a paragraph using these three words in it somewhere...

Gnaw
Threshold
Blaring

have a good one....

Shani

AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a tour now.

Today's Prompt

2008-05-26T10:18:00.001+01:00

Today's prompt - do you have a personal superstition about something? - anything? which is important to you? - write about it.....

I am not sure what mine are, so I am going to consciously watch myself over the next few days...

ps did you spot the deliberate mistake yesterday? - if so, care to share with us all why you think I did it?

AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a tour now.

Touching Base and Today's Prompt

2008-05-25T12:36:00.000+01:00

Hi - sorry about the recent radio silence again - I am very involved in some big projects at work, my course, and various other things in my life with very heavy deadlines, so am having to use friendship time to think.

I know this is no excuse for taking time out to write and keep in touch with friends, but on a practical note, I don't often get home until very late at night now and can't face the computer - the only strength I have is to pick up a bottle of wine....sorry.

Today's prompt is...

In the space between knowledge and the unknown, there is a place called supervision. - write about it....

Best wishes
Shani

AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a tour now.

How to fill a free day

2008-04-12T15:57:00.001+01:00

Yippee a free Saturday - a day when the sun is shining, wind is blowing, I don't HAVE to be anywhere and don't have any URGENT work on my desk and if I did - well tough.

So what am I going to do with this minor miracle - I must not waste it.... (fatally flawed first thought there - please spot) - shall I go to the Avon Spinners, Weavers and Dyers Guild meet? Nope - I would love to, but don't really want to talk to people today - just want to get my mind and thoughts all working in the same direction.

So I have sat at my computer thinking about the Great Western Writers meeting on Monday (still don't know whether this month's meeting will go ahead, something about a fire and the Library closing - on my To Do list....) and my friends at Cedar Writers (who I haven't seen for weeks due to work, Easter, and my illness) - and whilst thinking and prevaricating became inspired by the concept of an artist's/writer's journal sketchbook (which I already "sort" of do) whilst browsing through a book - and realised that I am "bombarded by people, chatter and rapidly changing surroundings......" not my words, those of Jenny Newman and Edmund Cusick -

The Writer's Workbook (Hodder Arnold Publication)
by

Read more about this title...

In the last few weeks I have done nothing but work, worry, meet deadlines, travel hundreds of miles, knit socks and frantically look for inspiration and the girl I used to be. I have been divining information from the ripples that other's stones have created in the pools of my life.

I am emotionally battered and exhausted from other's deadline's and needs - most of which are actually nothing to do with me. Sales people ringing constantly - rush, rush, rush - decision, decision, decision......

In a pompous voice - I imagine myself welling my chest up and bellowing.... "actually I don't have to either make rushed decisions or even speak to you - you are my customer not I your victim... " - oh I wish I had the guts to say that to them. But I don't - except I do tell them I am too busy and decline to continue the conversation - more often now than is perhaps polite.

So enough of the moan.... I am about making habits, not good ones, prevaricating - organising knitting patterns, rather than writing (always a bad sign).

So I am now off to finish "twiddling" and get on with some constructive stuff... I am going to write over the next few weeks a selection of short stories on and "around" the subject of knitting/spinning/weaving... I have been reading a book called "Died in the Wool" - light fluffy reading at bedtime which has inspired me (as well as sending me to sleep !!)

Died in the Wool: A Knitting Mystery (Knitting Mysteries)
by Mary Kruger

Read more about this title...

My close friend (well probably the only one I have left who is still speaking to me - so I think that qualifies her as close as well as long-suffering and understanding, actually to be precise I can't remember the last time we spoke - more fragmental email communications - "Hi Prairie dog here, sticking her nose out from out of her hole (self-dug) - how are you?" ) has published her latest book on Lulu this week - Mind and Motivation - well worth a read.

See you all again soon - and until the next time - keep writing !!!

Quote of the Day:
The thing I hate about an argument is that it always interrupts a good discussion.
--G.K. Chesterton

Tea leaves: initializing world

2008-04-12T13:09:00.001+01:00

I recently spent five minutes at my computer just browzing and thinking about not a lot - when I found I had been quoted somewhere.... !! made my day

Tea leaves: initializing world

Fwd: Writing Prompt

2008-02-15T13:29:00.000Z

"Don't let your history decide your future"

How often to you let your experiences dictate how you approach your ongoing writing (and life) challenges?

I often give to credit to people, that because they hold a particular position of trust, they therefore should know exactly what they are doing! it has become clear over the last two years or so that I perhaps have given too much credit for intelligence preceeding actions....!

"Once injustice affects you - you have to do something about it"

That is my stance in life, and when I do - my chosen weapon of war is the written word.....

What is yours - write about it........ write at least 2 paragraphs

Now turn it into a story... or store it in your file for another day...

Best wishes

Shani Phethean Hubble
www.writinginthemargins.co.uk

AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a tour now.

Where could you go at 3.30 in the Morning?

2008-02-10T10:57:00.001Z

Shani Phethean Hubble
www.writinginthemargins.co.uk

I am sat here, on a delightful sunday morning - at the computer (obviously !!).

My stomach tied up in knots, full of excitement for our son during the coming week (he has finally got funding for a Brain Injury Rehab Placement - not without considerable conflict in the last week or so !!) and I am stressed because I have run out of paper to print out the worksheets for tomorrow's meeting of Great Western Writers (nudge here if you have forgotten !!).

We were woken at 3.30 this morning by a young neighbour who needed a kind ear. Instead of being fraught by this, I am reflecting this morning about how proud I am that he knew he could come here and tell us his grief without fear of censure.

I am not reflecting with a big ego - "hey ho look at me, aren't I wonderful".

I am thinking about I am not sure where I could go at 3.30 in the morning and feel welcome.

So that is the prompt today....

Where could you, or your character go at 3.30 in the morning... what did they do? what did they say?

Shani

Shani Phethean Hubble
www.writinginthemargins.co.uk

AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a tour now.

Fwd: Writing Prompt - "a day which needs re-visiting in the future"

2008-02-08T15:30:00.001Z

Yesterday was a horrible day - well that isn't really very fair - it was one of the days where you had to really think on your feet all day, and I - in particular - had to call on all my resources of wisdom and tactfulness, which is OK when I am not tired, but a bit of a challenge when I was as fraught as I was.

I did though acquit myself quite well, so I am told - even though I ended up with a thumping headache and a feeling of desperation when I considered what kind of people I unfortunately have to mix with on an every day basis.

When I went to journal last night - I found I couldn't because I was so phased with the day.... I didn't quite know where to start.

So all I put was "a day which needs re-visiting in the future"

So that is what I offer you today for a prompt.... Take it as a first line, set the clock for five minutes and then write without taking pen off page or fingers off keyboard....

Post the results to the site, or put somewhere safe, without internal editor taking over, and we will return to this another day.... as the title say

AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a tour now.

Die Qual der Wahl (the torture of choice)

2008-02-06T19:45:00.001Z

The sun is shining today and all of a sudden it is as if someone has switched the lights back on. My world is still a mess, but it is almost a manageable one. It is amazing what a clear up at the weekend can achieve.

I still have a long way to go clearing up my thoughts, but still at least I am making some headway.

I am terribly behind with my tuition work - bringing a whole new meaning to first reactions to prompts - mine currently is the first reaction to anything - that'll do as a prompt.

I have just sat and written my inspirational piece on the New Year - being a Rat myself I am particularly looking forward to it, when I realised that I had forgotten to buy any paper... ah well, so much for being organised.

There apparently is a retrograde Mercury on the loose at the moment - the planet of authors and thieves (!) don't get the link there, but something to do with having to think on your feet.

Do you think my students will believe that I am into recycling if I print out their worksheets on the back of various A4 flyers which have come in the post this week? It has got to be worth a shot.

I am never surprised by some of the puns that can be had by playing on knitting words.... material whirled was the one this evening....

The Year of the Rat - a chance to make decisions...

2008-02-06T19:14:00.001Z

February 7^th is the Chinese New Year, which heralds the Year of the Rat.

New Year Resolutions offer the chance to start afresh to cast all your mistakes behind you. It invites you to clear your desk, buy a new notebook and with confidence that it will be all so different this time – you eagerly scribble away, quickly covering ground and confidence with your words. Then life gets in the way and you feel guilty because you have missed a couple of days, which then become weeks, etc.etc. So New Year starts to be about creating false starts and setting yourself up for failure of self-imposed goals.

The advice from those in the "know", well those who make a lot of money out of selling advice - is to replace these ill-fated resolutions with decisions followed by actions.

Resolutions tend to happen somewhere “off in the future… " - in some indeterminable time, place and plan which it is not possible to really pin down and because it moves off like the horizon line, or end of the rainbow - there are lots of readymade excuses for your internal editor to feed you… there are always good reasons to be found for not knuckling down and getting on with what you need to do to MAKE things happen.

If you want to change – start your journey from where you ARE - now, this minute - workout where you want to be and then – make a plan – set a goal and act on it…. Start where and how you mean to go on.

Saying out loud what you want to happen is the first step to making things happen. Writing it down the second step - there you go - that is two steps, now it is up to you to take the next

Thought for the week: -

You plant bulbs in the autumn because you have faith that they will appear in the spring. So what could you achieve this week in your writing world if you have faith?

Writing Prompt

2008-02-05T17:50:00.001Z

A day never goes by when I don't learn something... today my starter for 10 was

"hoised by his own petard"

We use this often in casual conversation and I hadn't really given it any thought - it was just something I say as a throw away remark.

But where did it come from?

Petard is french (meaning large discharge of intestinal gas). It was used to describe an explosive device which would have been used during warfare to blow open gates to castles...

It seemed to be first used by Shakespeare in Hamlet in or around 1609.

So by process of elimination I think it means being blown up by your own bomb....

So today's prompt - either write about something which was destroyed by your own hand or write about pyrrhic victory...

That should keep me quiet for a couple of hours !!

Best wishes
Shani

www.writinginthemargins.co.uk

AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a tour now.

Cedar Writers

2008-01-26T19:37:00.001Z

Cedar Writers

A good piece of advice

2008-01-23T20:19:00.001Z

New Year Resolutions and starting afresh - creating false starts and setting yourself up for failure of self-imposed goals.

The advice from those in the "know", well those who make a lot of money out of selling advice is to replace them with decisions followed by actions.

Resolutions happen “off in the future… " - in some indeterminable time, place and plan which it is not possible to really pin down and because it moves off like the horizon line, or end of the rainbow - there are lots of readymade excuses for not knuckling down and getting on with what you need to do to MAKE things happen.

If you want to change – start your journey from where you ARE - now, this minute - workout where you want to be and then – make a plan – set a goal and act on it…. Start where and how you mean to go on.

Saying out loud what you want to happen is the first step to making things happen. Writing it down the second step - there you go that is two steps, now it is up to you to take the next ones...

Writing Prompt

2008-01-22T13:27:00.000Z

Hi everyone - today is Tuesday - I am sure most of you are aware of that - but it came as a bit of a shock to me just now when I went to do something else and realised I had lost three days. How time flies when you are enjoying yourself - or in my case, having an extended set of heavy negotiations (or heated arguments by any other name !!).

I needlessly to say am ahead in the battle of words so far, but am not counting my chickens.... it isn't over until the fat lady sings - and my goodness me I can sing (well - make a noise that is loosely connected to that definition - I am fat anyway....).

The prompt for today is

"Locked boxes and different lives"

So any takers?

Best wishes
Shani

AOL's new homepage has launched. Take a tour now.

A writer's year - inspiration is all around me

2008-01-17T00:26:00.001Z

Shani Phethean-Hubble @ Suite101.com - Profile

2008-01-01T16:57:00.001Z

Shani Phethean-Hubble @ Suite101.com - Profile

finding Ancestors all over the place...

2007-12-12T22:16:00.001Z

We went to a funeral yesterday of my husband's Uncle, a lovely gentleman who reminded me a lot of his brother, Bruce's father who I loved so dearly for giving me a helping hand my own family fell apart.

I decided, in usual tactful manner, to interrogate the family over desert... a sort of this is your life in reverse... thankfully no-one was offended and I came home with a notebook of thoughts, happy memories and an amazing love story. Not to forget a brilliant storyline..."The Cousins"...

I was also amazed at the coincidences, there seem to be a higher than average number of linguists amongst the children of the "Cousins".

So I have had a murderous day at work, and after sitting in the bath licking my wounds, thought I would spend 10 minutes on Ancestry.co.uk.... and guess what... I found missing relatives, all over the place. I am still to verify them, but the coincidence is too great - I hope and another lively story I feel unfolding.

So a few months ago I had no relatives apart from my children, and now I have relatives all over the place, and because most of them are dead, I don't have to worry about offending them... I like being part of a family though, and that has really hit home to me tonight, just how much of my life I have spent denying that single fact.

One of the relatives asked yesterday which bit of housework I liked best, and I felt awful when I had to confess none of it.. I just do it to exist and because the house would fill up otherwise. But now I know why I don't do housework, I am part-ferret and there isn't time. So now I am going to eat my cold tea, which was cooked two hours ago and make up stories again..

Great Western Writers

2007-12-11T09:34:00.001Z

I run a super group, well sort of turn up and lead it to be more precise, called the Great Western Writers. It is a collective of all types of writers, from beginners to published, experienced scribblers in their field.

There are all kinds of mixed emotions about why I am so passionate about keeping this group going - I often consider it a duty, a guilt trip, something I need to do because all writers need a starting point, and I was lucky enough to have people who supported me in mine.

Over the last few days I have been really stressed and not particularly well, along with having a funeral to go to today, so I arrived last night not particularly prepared, because I was convinced they would all beetle off down the pub for Xmas drinks.

How wrong can someone be... three new members, amazing writing (by the yard as well as the page) but in particular there was one person who turned up just because someone told him he ought to write.....

Just goes to show... you never know where inspiration is going to appear in life, it can even happen when you don't think it will.....

Be Aware of Duty

2007-12-09T12:17:00.001Z

"To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart."

-- Pearl S. Buck

Many of us have been taught to do our duty. What does this imply to you? For me, ‘doing my duty’ means doing something I really don’t want to do. My heart’s not in it, and so the energy for the act isn’t there. I have to force every move. Usually, there’s underlying resentment. When this is the scenario, tasks may get done but there’s no gift to the world.

We do not truly serve the world if we give to others but neglect our own truth and our own needs. We need to give to ourselves as we give to others. IT’S NOT SELFISH TO LOOK AFTER OURSELVES -- IT’S ESSENTIAL!

"Forget the resolutions. Forget control and discipline...too much work. Instead try experimenting. Go in search of something to fall in love with...something about yourself, your career, your spouse."

-- Dale Dauten

"Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion towards men and towards objective things."

-- Albert Einstein

Taken from http://www.higherawareness.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was my starting point from the Higher Awareness team this morning. Duty... I seem to spend my who life managing my "duty". Dealing with my duty and being seen by others as performing and acting as expected, turning up on time, completing tasks within the schedule given (if that schedule is truly impossible). Picking up the pieces when others fall down on their duty - plugging the gaps and being viewed as a reliable, good all round egg.

Except I am not - a good all round egg. I become overwrought and overstretched when my mind is full of too many complicated tasks, with no means or sense of completion being available. There is no room to breathe and I feel and look like a frozen iPod. This sense of perpetual failure is crucifying me.

To be controlled and disciplined is what was expected from my parents, and their parents, and the ones before them. Therefore this is what I expected from myself and become increasingly frustrated when I don't live up to my own high demands.

Duty seems also to be the by ward and excuse for other's failures. When whoever, whatever, doesn't want to do something it gets dumped on me, becomes MY PROBLEM. I like an idiot then pick up the baton and run with it. Hoping that by resolving the problem, and making the problem go away, I will be appreciated for who I am... a practical problem-solving pain in the neck.

Then the other issue is people's grand ideas, conceptualisation. I have a very good friend, a lovely person who comes up with all kinds of really inspiring ideas, starts the projects and then loses interest. By the time though that her interest has evaporated, other people have become involved, and as they are usually people who are quite fragile and trusting, we are talking with mucking with someone's self-worth if the projects fail. As I can usually see the projects have legs, worth and merit, I tend to get stuck in to resolve the situation. I hate waste and letting people down, so am then left holding the problem.....I am a doer and a thinker.

Now this isn't always a bad thing - two of the writing groups I run at the moment have come from this stable of opportunity, or I should say similar background and have given me particular pleasure, but the two groups that I struggled with and people still on my back were from her leavings, and I should have done exactly that - leave it.

I would not be the person I am so proud of today if I had not had a sense of duty, moral ethics, code of conduct. I have learned so much and am so much because of my sense of duty, determination, grit etc.

But I am so tired though and fed up, my life source is being drained by people who feel their ability to conceive and create should be have priority of my desire to conceive and create. By people who think that they don't own their own problems, and by not having enough time to be in my own mind.

So I am going off to finish my Assignment (only a week overdue)
Sort out worksheets for another Writing Group tomorrow night
Finish some work that I didn't have time to last week so I can get a head start on Monday morning
feel guilty about not going to a Knitting Group that I wanted to this afternoon
and go to visit Toby.... all before I sit down and have breakfast...

no wonder I am stressed, if I do this on a day of rest, when do I get to rest... well there is always next week !!

Angela Booth's Writing Blog: Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: One Minute Fiction

2007-07-31T09:14:00.000+01:00

Angela Booth's Writing Blog: Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: One Minute Fiction

Weekly Writers' Journal Prompts: One Minute Fiction
I'm a fan of "one minute" fiction. These are short stories of around a thousand words or less.
These short fiction pieces make a great change of pace for your journal. If you're new to fiction, here's a fast way to structure a story. This works for short stories of course, but you can also use it in an extended form (keep adding complications) for a novel.
Here’s the Quick Story Structure:
• Introduction
• Complication
• Consequence
• Relevance
The Introduction is the setup, the "engine" that sets the story in motion. A static situation changes, as when a man wins the lottery, or when a wife discovers that her husband is having an affair, or when someone is fired, or whatever.
The Complication makes a bad situation worse. If the man wins the lottery, he can’t find the winning ticket. Cluster or free write 20 complications. Force yourself to think of 20, and don’t stop until you've reached that number.
The Consequence is what happens as a result of the conflict that's created from the Introduction and the Complication.
Your story must have Relevance. It's the theme, whether it's love conquers all, do as you would be done by, don't take anything for granted, etc. You should know what your story's theme is, but you don’t need to state it explicitly.
A prompt for your one minute fiction
I give my writing students short prompts to kick start their one minute fiction. Here's a prompt students enjoy:
You're on a crowded commuter flight. You're on your way to give a presentation to tender for a contract. If your company doesn’t get the contract, it will be forced into bankruptcy. The person next to you is a talker. You need to work. You...Write around 500 words, telling us what happens next.
Enjoy. :-)

Inspiring Writer

2007-05-26T15:46:00.000+01:00

This week I was really inspired by a writer I met and would like to share the link to a piece he has written for your inspiration.

http://www.thewritingcentre.com/?p=526

Best wishes

Shani

Inspirational Quotation

2007-05-23T17:50:00.000+01:00

Exhiliration of life can be found only with an upward look. This is an exciting world. It is cram-packed with opportunity. Good moment wait around every corner.
Richard M. Devos

Writing Thought

2007-05-13T09:14:00.001+01:00

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to
think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to
read, and all the friends I want to see."
John Burroughs (1837 - 1921) American Author

Writing Prompt

2007-04-14T10:47:00.001+01:00

Write down five things which have inspired you this week - if there aren't five things you can think of - then you need to really review your writing life.

Then write a couple of paragraphs about each - and see which have legs and wings.

hugs

Shani

Journalism Course - Bath - April 14th

2007-04-01T09:19:00.000+01:00

My name is Samantha Walker and together with journalist Phil Chamberlain am
holding a Beginner's Guide to Journalism in Bath on Saturday, April 14.

The course will look at how to spot and write both news and feature stories,
look at interviewing techniques and how to hone writing skills.

It will also cover how to get work published - and paid for it!

The course takes place at the Percy Community Centre from 10-4pm and costs
£45 with course materials and refreshments provided.

To book or for more information contact Samantha on 0784 9297734 or email
bathjournalism@hotmail.co.uk.

Comic Relief

2007-03-17T13:44:00.000Z

One of my colleagues made my day yesterday - he has collected every single red nose since the inception of this wonderful charity !! and could put them in date order - along with a trip down memory lane of the charity singles which accompanied them.

Now that is what I call useful knowledge !!!!

Sempiternal Horizons: Enjoyment in the Moment....

2007-03-12T00:12:00.000Z

Sempiternal Horizons: Enjoyment in the Moment....

Writing Conundrum

2007-01-10T18:46:00.000Z

This was a problem posed to me this week, and I have thought and thunked about it - but not can't see a resolution, so am posting it here for input.

A new member of the Writing Group I "run/lead" at the Library turned up and told me she had a novel she had written that she wanted published. She didn't want to instruct an agent, and no publisher she could find in the Authors and Agent's Year book listed in the genre her novel fel into would accept unsolicited submissions - so what next?

Well I thought about this, and thought - there has got to be some way around this - except I can't see how. Nobody does something for nothing she rightly pointed out, but what is in that proposition for a publisher? It might be the novel of the century, but yet again it might need hefty editing and they would not necessarily want to get involved. The agent (who I loathe to actually give any credit to their existence for, but accept in this instance) might attract commission, but they also filter out those manuscripts which might not necessarily make the grade - even if their authors feel so.

The novel isn't suitable for grant aid, and it wouldn't attract funding for a magazine, and the lady didn't want to go down the route of writing articles - self-publishing is out of the question because of the vanity aspect. So what is left? Competitions seem a no go, or an unwilling venture to pursue..

I was asked how I got my work out there - well I seem to have a talent for self-marketing - but on further questioning, I didn't feel my contacts were there to be shared or discussed. I wouldn't want to upset my very kind connections (and patient I should say .... the time they have had to wait for some of my work has been above and beyond the patience of some).

Internet research was dismissed, and also cold-calling - I was very proud of myself at this stage - I would have usually offered to take on the problem - but didn't !! ~ this after all was a creative writing course, not marketing one - my EI course is teaching me well.

I am now truly stumped... what else is there?

Podcasting - the New Writing in the Margins venture

2007-01-03T13:09:00.000Z

http://www.evoca.com/groups/writinginthemargins.rss

I have this morning created my first testPodcast.. I was so thrilled with myself and the opportunities that this now opens up - well what can I say. This is very fluffy and I even managed to get power crazed at the end by wanting to rule the world - we were supposed to write the world...

I would love feedback so we can smarten this up and make it more professional. Anybody with ideas for a good podcast hosting site?

You can subscribe to the feed through the orange link next to the Writing in the Margins logo

Blog of the Day Awards

2006-12-23T12:17:00.001Z

http://blogofthedayawards.blogspot.com/

What a brilliant idea and a good place to bookmark. All the sites here are of excellent quality and worth procrastination time !!

It hurts when...

2006-12-19T00:34:00.001Z

I have had to say goodbye to an old friend tonight - not because she was going anywhere, but because I am - I have moved on in my life.

It has hurt, because we have shared so much pain and laughter over the last few years, but when discussing a legal point this afternoon with a colleague at work, over something completely different- ie to know something is wrong or illegal and say nothing makes you as culpable as the person committing the deed - brought me up with a start.

I therefore can no longer listen to her confidences - because this will make me party to a world I have no wish to exist in.

This is a first for me... and I wish now I had taken this action a year or two ago... Life is too precious to be poisoned by such toxity in the name and disguise of friendship.

----------------------------------

It hurts when... I hear amazing music - tonight it is from the New Musical Wicked - track 11 - Defying Gravity... wow.... the words reached right into my soul and I physically hurt with happiness.

----------------------------

Writing Classes in different orbits

2006-12-05T19:57:00.000Z

Well I have been in a funny old mood today - I have done loads of work, but not actually managed to achieve much headway - the piles of files are in danger of collapsing around me as we speak..

The weather is cold and blustery and I have been thinking very hard this evening about New Year Resolutions - I have just found out that the Babylonians are the ones I have to thank for all the years of guilt and recriminations I have suffered, as I have castigated myself about my continual failures as a person.

It is difficult writing worksheets which are going to be put to two uses - face-to-face classes and over the internet. But it has been absorbing and I feel really inspired - I have produced pretty-coloured worksheets and am off to worry about how to transmit them (thank you work - I knew there was a reason I still hung on in there - the scanner is state of the art).

Somebody wrote to me today to tell me how inspirational I was - then wanted to give me a job. It is OK - I wrote back and thanked her and then declined the job - see it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks.

Talking about dogs we are thinking of going away in a couple of weeks, overnight to a Bed & Breakfast. I have worked out it is cheaper for the dog and Bruce to go away than for myself and him (and don't say it - I will for you - some say I AM a dog...) I am quite impressed with this thought - a whole night's peace and quiet...

So back to my New Year's resolutions ... if you do something 12 times it becomes a habit - now if only I can keep going for the 12 days of Christmas...

My task for tonight - TO DEFINE MY DREAM....

Recycling Disney and I am Happy

2006-12-03T22:45:00.000Z

Another one of those moving on days in life. Writing in the Margins has expanded to become a Dot.Net. Not because I really wanted all the grief of re-writing the website - just because we ran out of room and this one has a power-template.

Still this will inspire me to write, if nothing else will, and it was really good to get into the flow of writing again this afternoon.

------------

Sat with Toby in the Unit and we watched a Disney film - "The Sword and the Stone". It has been years since I watched this, and suddenly with fresh eyes it twigged the number of characters within the tale, which I recognised from elsewhere - talk about recycling !!

Archimedes the Owl looks very like the one which lives with Winnie the Pooh.

The tournament tents at the jousting events - would not look out of place in Robin Hood.

The witch looks very like the one in Cinderella.

The fish - pops up again in Little Mermaid.

The scene where the pots and pans are being washed by Merlin - also appears in a similar format in Fantasia and Cinderella - with elements of it in Beauty and the Beast.

I am so impressed. I have never realised this before, and this has inspired me to do the same within my writing. No good idea is a wasted idea...

-----------

Went off for a meal at the Rose & Crown in Nympsfield and were spoilt rotten, then back to the Unit to watch the end of Chicken Run.

and to top it all there was a moment in all of that - when I thought and realised - I am truly happy.

and now I am closing down the computer and having a good night's rest on that happy thought.

So Close I can almost taste it.....

2006-11-26T20:16:00.000Z

So close, but I fear not close enough. I have written like the wind today, and my character has become totally unbelievable - along with her friends (a bit like life then !!) - but I don't think it is going to be enough...ugh

Working hard at IT - whatever IT is....

2006-11-26T14:49:00.000Z

Finally sat down this morning and seriously addressed the mess I am starting to get in with life, ironing and everything else...and then wrote - seriously wrote.... ooh I feel betterer

and so - the moving on.....

2006-11-25T11:29:00.000Z

NaNo Quotation with the Last Week in mind....

2006-11-25T09:51:00.000Z

"Your work is carved out of agony as a statue is carved
out of marble." Louise Bogan (1897 - 1970) American Poet.

Writing Thought - become a Possibilitarian

2006-11-22T12:21:00.000Z

Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities - always see them, for they're always there.
Norman Vincent Peale

Writing Prompt

2006-11-14T20:14:00.000Z

Write an "apologue" involving "fritinancy".

Best wishes

Shani

Inspirational Quotation

2006-11-14T19:54:00.000Z

Go out into the world today and love the people you meet.
Let your presence light new light in the hearts of people.
Mother Teresa

Can't stop to Write....

2006-11-12T12:49:00.000Z

Toby has rung us - all by himself from the hospital - from the Patientline phone, and left a message on the answerphone :-)

Followed up by a hesitate phonecall from one of the nurses - asking when we can get in - nothing wrong - but !!! I dread to think what he is up to now he is better !!!

There really is no stopping that lad is there....

Week Two

2006-11-11T09:42:00.000Z

Dear NaNoWriMo Participant,

Hi there! It's Chris Baty again. And if you accepted the challenge in last week's email, you opened a comfortable word-count lead right out of the gate, increased that lead in the first weekend, and are now sailing far ahead of pace, preparing to plunge into the 20,000s.

You are looking good, feeling great, and your back is slowly accumulating an array of "kick me" signs, placed there by your fellow participants as you sprinted past us. A few signs, though, are a small price to pay for victory. And you *are* going to be victorious. If you are a day or less from 20K, you have everything it takes to win, and win big. Keep it up. Don't slow down. We admire you, even if you made us feel so bad about ourselves that we had to put those signs on you.

But this email is not for those doing exceptionally well. It's for the rest of us---authors with underdeveloped word counts, overdeveloped novel-guilt complexes, and sensational procrastinating abilities. Because we are the ones who are going to begin having serious misgivings about this whole escapade in the next seven days.

Why?

Because it turns out we are too busy to do this.

Or because a crisis has brought some novel-eating turmoil into our lives.

Or because our stories are really, really bad, and we're wondering why we're sacrificing so much of our time to produce a consistently crappy book.

It all adds up to the fabled Week Two Wall---a low-point of energy, enthusiasm, and joie de novel that strikes most NaNoWriMo participants between days 7 and 14. This is when our inner editors, who largely turned a blind eye to our novel flailings in Week One, return to see how things are going. And their assessments are never kind.

The plot is draggy. The characters are boring. The dialogue is pointless, and the prose has all the panache of something dashed off by a distracted kindergartner.

If you're feeling any of these things---or find yourself starting to feel them this week---know that nothing is wrong. In fact, you're likely on track for a great NaNoWriMo. Just lower your head, pick up your pace, and write straight into the maw of your misgivings. If you are thinking about quitting, DO NOT DO IT IN WEEK TWO.

If you have to quit, do it in Week Three.

I'm serious.

Because if you quit in Week Two, you're going to miss an amazing moment---the moment when your novel begins to click. You'll miss a genius plot twist you can't foresee right now that will suddenly elevate your book from a distressing mess to a sort-of-tolerable mess. And then you'll miss the euphoric breakthrough that follows that twist, when your book improves itself all the way to not-half-bad.

Not-half-bad will make you scream, it feels so good.

And you know what? The more you write, the better it gets. So make it a priority to write in torrents this week. Allow your characters to change, and have change forced upon them. Follow your intuition, even if it leads away from where you thought your book was heading. And know that writing a novel is like building a car. Your only job this month is to create a clunky machine that will eventually move people from one place to another. If your beast rolls at all at this point, you're doing great. Pretty prose, snappy dialogue, brilliant metaphors---they're all part of the high-gloss paint job and finishing touches we put on *after* the body is built.

In December, we'll have nothing but time for adding flames to our hoods and airbrushing a majestic eagle or pair of sunrise stallions on the sides of our new rides. For now, the 20,000s are calling, and we can't get distracted by the small stuff if we're going to get there. In the challenging confines of Week Two, our books will truly be built. Characters will evolve. Plots will unfold. It's going to be difficult at times, but once we make it into (and out of) the 20,000s, everything gets much easier. And envious tales of our literary feat-in-the-making will begin circulating amongst our friends, family, and co-workers.

At which point, we'll probably find a note or two on our backs as well.

It'll be awesome.

Keep plowing onward, brave writer! Good things are coming. I'll be back next Wednesday for some thoughts on Week Three.

Dreaming about my airbrushed eagle,

Chris
NaNoWriMo
8400 words and counting

Writing Quotation

2006-11-10T11:27:00.000Z

The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.
Denis Watley

So quit complaining and get writing on your NaNonovel.... :-)

Thought for Writers

2006-11-10T06:45:00.000Z

"Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding
the writing profession carries several myths: that one
must suffer in order to be creative; that one must be
cantankerous and objectionable in order to be bright;
that ego is paramount over skill; that one can rise to
a level from which one can tell the reader to go to hell.
These myths, if believed, can ruin you. If you believe
you can make a living as a writer, you already have
enough ego."
--David Brin

Progress is slow....but first must check I am not cheating...

2006-11-09T19:34:00.000Z

I am full of diversions as is normal with me, and today I got back to writing. I have this awful horrible feeling that I am cheating, so have decided I will go and ask the Forum on NaNo...

What I have done is write about the last couple of awful days through the eyes of a character - so it really is biographical - but I have ended things differently and taken a what if stance....

My conscious is pricking me, but rationally I think this is a sensible way forward, and I can get back on track over the weekend. I now have two "scenes", and my original Blog and the authorly comments.. what a blinkin mess. A bit like my mind and my life really :-)

I am very frustrated about leaving behind Secret Deeds again.. and I have a character stuck at a piano - an elderly lady, who is reminiscing about a babe in arms - now who the heck is she? I am becoming delusional through tiredness I suspect.

I have decided I am going to book a long weekend off before the end of the month and write deliriously happy prose as a kind of "constitutional"

NaNo Cartoon

2006-11-09T18:59:00.000Z

Will Write For Chocolate

All words are good words...

2006-11-05T19:43:00.000Z

I have had a really good writing day today, but only because having got stuck into all the stuff I was supposed to get done, I then went on a literary bender. I think I might have cheated a little - I was writing Silent Deeds before NaNo and got very stuck on the plot - well it was taking me somewhere I didn't want to go at the time because I felt very uncomfortable with exploring a part of my psyche.

Well today, whilst writing away in the personae of my ditsy character, and then replying to her as the more mature one and reflecting on her current intriques - I realised I could go off on a tangent with the previous one.

So I do - and to hell with the consequences. Then I realised after having written loads that it was absolutely useless and didn't fit in with the tone of the previous story - but didn't want to lose the wordcount. So I have found a way of utilising the wordage into the current plot, by making a subplot - a small scion story - are you still with me here?

I am concerned that having written the words without NaNo in mind, that isn't really on - but because they fit in so neatly with what I am doing - and I have written them today and they are new words - well to hell with it and hang the consequences. I now have a blog and a short scene.

Tomorrow is another day....

Just do It

2006-11-05T09:48:00.000Z

I found this in Writer's Digest Online. It's from an interview with Anna Quindlen - a woman who has my dream job as a bi-weekly columnist for Newsweek, when she was a columnist for the New York Times she won a Pulitzer and she's also written several novels.

Anyway, here's the advice she had to give to other writers:

"It all comes down to the Nike slogan. Just do it. So many people tell me, well, I'm thinking of writing a book. Does anyone say I'm thinking of performing surgery, or I'm thinking of designing a building? Writing seems to be the only profession people imagine you can do by thinking about doing it. No. Put your butt in a chair and write. And never mind feeling blocked. Everyone feels blocked all the time. Madeline L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time) once said, 'Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.'"

(from Nancy...)

NaNo Inspiration.....

2006-11-05T09:43:00.000Z

"You cannot see anything that you do not first contemplate as a reality."

-- Ramtha

How do you typically define yourself? Do you tell yourself and others that you are slow and methodical, that you have two left feet, that you are lazy, or unimaginative or that you can’t hang on to money?

In our unconscious self talk, most of us rarely say positive things about ourselves. List the positive and the negative ways you describe yourself. Then look over your list and contemplate how those definitions limit your ability to be cosmic in your outlook and performance.

(taken from the Happiness Project - so go on - believe in yourself....)

NaNoStall - Motor Matrol Cars and Fireworks

2006-11-04T20:36:00.000Z

7.57 at my desk at home. I have persuaded Bruce to go and visit Toby by himself, and I have spent the day in blissful inactivity – well it would have been if I hadn’t been suffering from the excess of alcohol and lack of sleep last night.

I really can’t get inspired by the NaNo stuff this year. I know I should – because I want to do it, and it is important for me and my self-fufilment. But having done it last year – the sense of achievement and excitement of companionship just isn’t happening. I still feel proud that I am involved in all of this – I saw an article on BBC news today – the Click Programme – and when they showed the familiar NaNo heading and I got really excited inside about being part of such a mass project – but then spent the rest of the afternoon cold and dozing on the settee.

I have tried to explain to B that I am happy to go and visit T but it is the inability to actually control getting home again that is causing me serious stress. I understand that he doesn’t want to cook, but I don’t want to sit in a pub every night either !! I have been out of the house since 9 working hard all day, and I just want to get home and put my feet up.

I wasn’t the most sociable of people before all this happened, so to have to have another needless conversation and spend time in artificial atmospheres is really draining me and my personality.

I love my NaNo project though - a blog written 20 years ago by a ditsy girl and then me 20 years later reviewing it. I write the ditsy bit whilst I am in the office and the review when I am at home and it is written in 1st person POV which is quite effective. I am though going to get some inciteful stuff into it - probably a missing baby somewhere...and definitely a lost love - but lots of laughter.

Back to the evening – lovely pub we went to, but unfortunately a couple were sparring on the next table. The wife – an elegant, over made-up, over-dyed lady – giving the poor man – with a face we vaguely recognised – grief about not having been allowed to attend a funeral in the front car. She hadn’t gone and spent the time to good purpose going through her husband’s desk….

That has to be a prompt for the future doesn’t it !!

Well Bruce is now back – Brain’s faggots are pending. I have got over my NaNo stall as well as having gone through a bottle of sparkling water, and the fireworks are kicking off all around. Tomorrow is another day – when creation of my character can continue, but for tonight I will rest.

I wonder what she did find in that desk?

Pep Talk from Chris Baty

2006-11-01T21:08:00.000Z

Dear Author,

Greetings! My name is Chris Baty, and I'm the director of National Novel Writing Month. Welcome to this year's noveling extravaganza! It's great to have you writing with us.

As impossible as it may seem standing here on the precipice overlooking a vast November, NaNoWriMo will be over before you know it. This month---like the book you started writing today---moves at a frightful pace. To help give you a heads-up on some of the spirit-lifting milestones and spleen-poking hazards we'll be flying past on our way to 50K, I'll be sending an email like this one to you every Wednesday of the month.

Which brings me neatly to the subject at hand: Week One.

Ah, sweet Week One.
Whether you're a first-timer or a NaNoWriMo veteran, Week One is epic. We step onto its stage clutching a few crumpled lines of dialogue, and bearing only the haziest notions of setting and story. And, when the curtain closes on the seventh day, we're improbably directing a strange and wonderful cast of characters, all of them eager to make their mark on the tale unfolding around them.
The keys to thriving in Week One are straightforward:

1) Surge early. To be on par for the month, you should be writing 1667 words per day. In Week One, try to get 2000 or 2500 a day, and beg, borrow, and steal as much of the first weekend as possible to write. You won't need to keep up this pace throughout the month, but nothing guarantees a NaNoWriMo victory (and a fun month) like opening up a hefty lead in the first week.

2) Know that you're not doing any of this alone. As you dive into your book, 70,000 other souls are going through the same ups and downs of the Great Sleep-Deprived Novel. Whenever you're feeling like hurling your laptop out the window or setting fire to your favorite noveling notebook, come to a local write-in or stop by the NaNoWriMo forums for encouragement and reassurance. Likewise, whenever you've had a ferociously productive writing day, celebrate by sending a pep talk or sports car or box of fantastically expensive Swiss chocolates to a writer in distress.

3) Embrace the fear. It's okay to be nervous. Nervous just means you're pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone---which is when great and magical things happen. Even if you have a complete story outline to serve as a map for the month, it's still terrifying to be stepping out into the frontier of your imagination. I blame this on a lifetime of exposure to the perplexing idea that art should be made by artists, and novels left to novelists.

As someone who has done NaNoWriMo for eight years now, I can tell you this: Novels are not written by novelists. Novels are written by everyday people who give themselves permission to write novels. Whatever your writing experience, you have a book in you that only you can write. And November is a beautiful month to get it written.

Have a great first week, everyone! I'll be writing like crazy until Wednesday the 8th, when I'll drop by your inbox again with some thoughts about the spleen-tastic adventures awaiting us in Week Two.

Write on!

Chris
NaNoWriMo

From the Desk of....

2006-11-01T21:03:00.000Z

From the Desk of the Museinmeltdown.....

NaNo writing has become a chore tonight. I enjoyed writing my character's blog very much today and found 924 words which made not only me chuckle, but my colleagues in work. Then I came home and tried to write some more from the perspective of the same character 20 years on, and boy did I manage to inject all kinds of positive introspection.

But then I got hung up on the NaNo site itself. The flash doesn't work, the word count doesn't work, and now I have stopped working... procrastination rules supreme.

Didn't stop me enjoying the writing process though and 3,something words on.... see you tomorrow and a special MASSIVE big hug to my friends Nancy and Lisa - come on girls we have nothing to prove but masses to achieve.....

Practicising

2006-10-31T23:28:00.000Z

Practicing writing tonight to see exactly how long it does take me to write this blinkin novel…

In 43 minutes I managed to achieve – 688 words, four website browses (research purely dear chaps) – answer 3 emails and ponder about what to do with spent candle. I have named my four main characters – and thought seriously about how I am going to carve anything descent out of the tired brain that I call my mind.

Procrastination tips..

2006-10-30T20:43:00.000Z

What are you procrastinating?

"The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting started." - Dawson Trotman

Procrastination seriously drains our energy and our morale. What remains undone nags at us.

What are you avoiding? Make a list of items and then review each one. Does it really need to be done? After you've reviewed your list, prioritize it and start one task today.

Please do not procrastinate taking one minute to write down your answer to this question. Capture it on paper and this will help build awareness, commitment and discipline.

"How soon not now, becomes never." -- Martin Luther

"Talk does not cook rice." -- Chinese proverb

"Do you know what happens when you give a procrastinator a good idea? Nothing!" -- Donald Gardner

An Author or a Writer? - which

2006-10-26T08:43:00.000+01:00

Trying to construct fiction over the last couple of days could be equated with sifting sand through fingers. I have managed to find even more things to divert me today – all of a sudden I found the need and the urgency to get my reviewing up to date. This is becoming obsessive.. writer’s block by any other name.

The last few mornings we have been watching the BBC before going to work. I have avoided this for many months now, because to be honest I don’t want my head full of the worries of the world before making worries of my own. This new remodelled Breakfast programme has had some good inserts which have surprised me.

The last two mornings they have featured authors. Cecelia Ahern (duh – why hadn’t I clicked that she was the youngest daughter of the Irish Prime Minister – and beautiful – no wonder her books sell…..scoul humph frown) whose books had not appealed until now, but hearing about her latest – I will look past the book cover, and a chap yesterday, whose name now deserts me, but not only has he produced four books this year, he plays in an awful orchestra… Now he inspired me. He doesn’t have time for Writer’s block to invite itself in.

Both these people of inspired me, and made me realise that trying to be an author – isn’t where I am at – at all. I want and NEED to write.. and that is why I am so frustrated at the moment. I don’t feel I actually produce anything of worth or note during any given day. I just shuffle never ending mounds of paper.

A book would lend authority to my words. Encase the dribble in a sandwich of cardboard, with a dust wrapper to cringe at. So it is just about trying to find the right book now for me to create – one word at a time…

Shani Phethean-Hubble
www.writinginthemargins.co.uk

Fat, Frumpy, Fourty and writing....

2006-10-24T21:13:00.000+01:00

I have suddenly found a burning ambition to classify my Favourites on AOL and to add all the tags in my Technorati site… what is this? – but virtual sand pouring through my hands?

I can justify it because it is important to actually be able to revisit useful sites that you find – but on the other hand – why am I playing this virtual game? Is the fiction too frightening? Yes I suspect so.

Lyme Regis has always been the home where my creative soul lives. When I crave for peace and quiet, fresh air and friendship, this is the place I run to. I have walked down the sands for hours, crying – the tears hidden by the salt water and rain. Disguise which might save my outward dignity, but inwardly I have nothing left to hid. I am lost – abandoned by hope and love.

Interesting how neatly real-life and fiction fold into each other, such as air being folded into a soufflé. Which is the truth here, and which is fiction or a little bit of my personal world brought to make my character empathetic and easy to relate to?

“goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend”

I am feeling fat and swollen – it is either menopause or pregnancy, I am not sure which would be the most welcome !!…
or it could always be some terrible disease such as those of old used to die of – but somehow I don’t think so.
I am just fat, under-exercised and stressed.

The cruelty of the situation is though that my skin is stretching and I am experiencing flutterings, enacting a phantom pregnancy. Not enough though to be, just a “virtual” one - like my novel. This said, this reminder from nature about a state of female being, and a state of womanhood that is long-since gone, can be used to good effect in my fiction. So instead of being a sad echo of a world that has passed, it is something my character can experience first hand – an inspiration to make my character exist in her own right – a metaphor for giving birth…

As I recall – almost as difficult as writing !!

No Problem - Eh?

2006-10-14T20:50:00.000+01:00

17th October - a day to be heard

2006-10-13T21:03:00.000+01:00

Hi - please click on the above to join this historic event. It is easy to get involved. All British Members on the 17th October write a blog about their day. Warts and all. Discussing your transport, the weather, all the mundanity of life. Then post it to the Website on the form there.

You will then become part of history !!

Best wishes Shani

My Muse lives - in the Fridge of all places...

2006-10-08T19:28:00.000+01:00

It is difficult to define where my Muse lives, sometimes it is on my shoulders, sometimes it is in my heart, sometimes the identity of my muse is confused with the identity of others – and sometimes she just appears out of nowhere when I least expect her.

She is definitely a “her” I have decided, and she has a soft Irish brogue, which lulls me into believing that I can achieve anything. Her brogue is so soft that sometimes I have problems hearing her over the clatter and toxic chatter of everyday living.

Today my muse has visited, she has allowed me gentle time to think and exercise my imagination. Not too much – the imagination has been corralled for so long now, it has almost forgotten how to run, its heels hobbled by guilt and other peoples imposing agendas.

I have organised myself for class tomorrow, have considered how I am going to frame the exercises. How I am going to encourage others to find and identify “their” muse. But what I must say is this – you find her hidden in the most unusual of places.

This week she has been in “his” fridge. Oh I was so cross with the mess, and the upset earlier in the week – that along with the ironing and “oh joy” discussing our world on a bleak tired night in the middle of the week, and then when I came to sit and write the first page of my new best-selling – dust covered novel - in the Undiscovered Authors day yesterday at the library – I wrote about this insult to my world and sensibilities… Wow – no experience is wasted is it. As I sat on my haunches and surveyed the world – except it wasn’t me it was Sarah – bless her – and I have a funny feeling she is going to give Philip a run for his money. Except I don’t know because I haven’t written that bit yet !!

No experience is ever wasted, however insignificant, or at the time so distressing you really don’t want to remember it again – write it down – get it out there, flesh it up later – or not – the choice is your own, as yesterdays was mine.

Undiscovered Authors

2006-10-08T12:16:00.000+01:00

Something to do after NaNo madness.....

NaNoWriMo time.

2006-10-07T11:31:00.000+01:00

That time of the year again - thinking about the future and my writing world. Stopping for a moment at 11.23 this Saturday morning, and realising that it has been a long while since I wrote any fiction...

So today - I must do something... but first I have to work...

I think I have decided to write 25,000 words with 5 stories - on the subject of Sine Dei... another day..

Library of Life

2006-09-24T12:00:00.000+01:00

A really good idea that I would like to share, which has come from the Writing on the Run website...(details below...)

LIBRARIES OF LIFE
By Cyra Miles

I keep one folder in my computer and label it as "Libraries of
Life."

When I am drained of ideas to write, I think of my colleague
and the way she handled the temper of a raging boss or I
describe the teenager next to me in the bus who seems to be
out of the world. And sometimes, I make imaginary conclusions
to my writing or the reasons for the peculiar behavior of the
boy in the bus.

With such ideas for writing exercises, it helps me develop my
imagination and ability to be more descriptive.

BIO:
Cyra Miles is in her twentieth something. She finds writing
as a sanctuary for her thoughts and an intellectual bliss.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:
Could you start a "Libraries of Life" folder to stimulate writing
about characters and topics with that undeniable ring of truth?

-------------
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR 100-WORD WRITING ON THE
RUN IDEA

FOR THE TIP OF THE WEEK:

Mail to: writingontherun@aol.com with your best 100-word idea for
making time and space to write. Include a 25-word bio. If we
publish your idea in the newsletter, you will receive a byline and
the bio in which you can mention your own writing projects. For
those of you who are starting to write, this is a good way to get a
quick publication credit. For seasoned writers, it's a generous way
to share your knowledge with struggling starters.

Sempiternal Horizons: A New Aged Fairytale - The tale of the Digital Camera

2006-09-16T19:50:00.000+01:00

Sempiternal Horizons: A New Aged Fairytale - The tale of the Digital Camera

Journals and How to Use them...

2006-09-10T10:41:00.001+01:00

Back to the Journal advice - I have now come across this from the Original impulse.. sorry for all the emails this morning- but I suggest you print this out, and post it in the front of your new journal...Shani

Play with these suggestions to enliven your journal writing.

Lists Make lists about yourself and the world around you. Try listing things that, if someone were to read them, would give them an accurate picture of who you are. Some lists: things you love or hate; people you admire and why; things you would never do; advice you would give to a teenager; top ten lists of any kind.

Rants Your journal is a place to really let rip and tell it like it is - for you. What would you do if you were in charge of the world? What's wrong with the world and how would you change it? What rant would you write if you were telling off that terrible driver on the highway or the person who gave you bad service? Unleash your spunky, cranky self.

Everyday Objects Take a page from Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet who loved things. Neruda had two households full of objects that had meaning for him, and he wrote odes to them. Try your own odes or tell stories from the perspective of your objects.

Mine Your Essence Who are you underneath the surface? Write a description of your spiritual beliefs. Write an essay that you would submit to NPR's "This I Believe." Dig deep.

Take from the World Bring other items into your journal. You may wish to glue in pictures and textures that please you. You can do this at the beginning of a new notebook or as you go. You may also wish to write in inspiring quotes.

Free Write Make a list of prompts and keep it in the back of your journal. Set a timer for ten minutes and write on each prompt.

Ooze into Art Pick up pencil, markers, crayons, paints - anything to add color and form to your words. Don't worry about being an 'artist', just play.

Play with these ideas and develop your own. Visit my blog for a wee list of journal prompts.

Cynthia can be found at:
http://www.originalimpulse.com/

Writing Inspiration and Advice

2006-09-10T10:41:00.000+01:00

I have subscribed to this newsletter for quite a while now, and would heartedly recommend it for all levels of writers - beginners through to experienced. It never fails to remind me of some obvious things I have a tendency of overlooking... I suggest the particular excerpt below you print out and hang up by the Fridge... Shani

Inspiration for Writers

Excerpt Weekly Newsletter written by Cynthia Morris -

"Life, and the creative life, seem to be full of obstacles. That dang day job. The million distractions at home - housekeeping, spouse, children, the overdue library books. The need for all distractions to be cleared away so we can settle in to the fluffy comfort of the writing zone.

Bunk. All bunk. In my years as a coach, I have discovered the truth behind all of our obstacles: we are our own greatest obstacle. We act in cahoots with our fears to make the creating difficult. Why do we do this? Who knows - I'm not a psychoanalyst. But I do know that if we can recognize our inner saboteur, we are more likely to be able to sidestep the excuses and do what we really want - write. Here are a few ways to step out of your own way and into your satisfying creative life.

Recognize your saboteur. List all the reasons why you are not writing the way you wish you were. As you list the excuses, notice the undertone. Notice that deep down, you don't really believe them. They are lame.

Stop being a victim of your circumstances. I know you want to have everything in place, orbiting around your need to create, but that's just not your reality. So work with what you do have. Victim mode is repellent to creativity, so drop it like a bad habit.

Get clear on your destructive tendencies. What exactly do you do to veer away from your creativity? Surfing the internet, lying around reading, compulsive shopping or chatting... make your own list.

Develop constructive tendencies to replace the bad habits. If you weren't toodling around, wasting your precious creative forces, what would you be doing? Make a list of constructive habits that feed your writing.

Assess limiting beliefs. What ideas are lurking in your mind that may be holding you back? be rigorous about those little thoughts that actually loom large and get in the way of your progress.

Surround yourself with people who believe in your highest expression. Don't allow your life to be co-opted by those who don't understand your creative needs. There are many people out there who do want to be around successful creative people - that's you!

Be kind to yourself. Having self-compassion and respect for yourself at every stage of the journey will do wonders for getting out of your own way.

Taken from an Email Newsletter by Cynthia Morris - OriginalImpulse.com

Subscribe to the Newsletter http://www.originalimpulse.com/subscribe.shtml

Shani Phethean-Hubble
www.writinginthemargins.co.uk

Connecting with childhood

2006-09-10T10:38:00.000+01:00

This time of the year brings the inevitable nostalgia for going back to school. Sometimes we wish we were kids again, cycling through the seasons based on or school schedule. While you may or may not be a student (or wish to), there's good reason to become childlike.

Children share many of the traits that are necessary for creative types. It's ironic that we spend much of our childhood yearning for adulthood, and much of adulthood wishing we had the innocence of children.

Enjoy being an adult and having the best qualities of kids. Use my handy guide to connect with your - I won't say it - you know.

Be curious. Forget that you know everything and are the master of knowledge of all things important. Become enamored of questions rather than answers. Some good ones are: What's that like? What if I...? Not knowing is often a better place to be than knowing, and being clueless is an essential part of the creative process.
Forget time. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi popularized the concept of 'flow' in his book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Flow is the state where we are so focused that we forget the time. When we're engaged in our creative work, we often find ourselves outside of time. Kids are like this, playing for hours and becoming so absorbed that parents have to repeat their calls to supper. My clients report that this forgetting time is one of the best gifts of doing creative work.
Be playful. Allow yourself to be silly and lighthearted. Pretend that you don't have any responsibility and can just enjoy the play of the moment. Make play out of anything, not just games. What if your job were more playful? What would that be like?
Allow emotions. When I hear kids crying on the street, I often envy their ability to simply feel and express what's there for them. As adults, we learn to shut away our emotions in favor of looking good or coping. While you may not throw a crying tantrum because you can't have ice cream, you may wish to be more childlike and let yourself feel what you are feeling. Our emotions are a major part of our intelligence, and when we lock them in a dark dungeon, we deprive ourselves of a great part of our human experience.
Be limitless. Kids fall in love with new things every day. New interests, people, things to do and see - remember how vast the world was when you allowed yourself to dream? What would you do if you didn't impose limits of time, money and mores on yourself? Another irony is the freedom that seems to come to older people. I've talked to many people who, in the latter part of their lives, throw concerns about what others think out the window and just enjoy themselves. What would be possible for you if you started that right now?
Let others take care of you. Sometimes we shut other people out when they offer help. Remember how nice it was to be a kid and have someone else take care of the details? Try sitting in the back seat of control sometimes and let others run the show.
Get excited. Allow yourself to go nuts over even the smallest pleasures. When we become jaded and rush past all the good stuff, we lose the ability to savor life. Be excited about new discoveries in your art.
Be spontaneous. We're so over-planned these days, even the kids. Give yourself time each week - each day even - to let something unexpected happen.

Journals and life

2006-09-10T10:12:00.000+01:00

I have been away for a few days, taking a sabbatical and re-thinking my life in general, and whilst away heavily used my journals and sketchpad to help resolve the "problems" wanging around in my head.

I came back to no less than 30 emails from various people, some members, some browsers, but all on the same subject - advice regarding journals...

Now I am always bleating on about journals - I would say use them, or you will loose your threads and thoughts by the time you get back to your chosen spot to write your piece. This is a fact of life, your brain fills with new thoughts, and though kick the old ones out of the way. Because of the importance of journals they need to be easily accessible wherever you happen to be in life, and need to something you can train yourself to use as second nature.

Now there seem to be a number amongs us who don't know where to obtain the "right" kind of journal :-)

The "right" kind is the one which works for you, and one that you will use, not leave on your desk looking pretty. So it really is a matter of trial and error....

To help - I use A4 journals for fiction - more on the page and I can brain-storm, I use A5 journals for writing out notes and experimenting - easy to locate in the future and I have a small journal in my handbag for those fleeting thoughts of cynicism etc.

So there are as many different journals as you have uses for...

I have found this site for the Americans amongst you... and I am sure you can add your favourite places to it... and if all else fails the local stationers should help.

http://www.nomadjournals.com/index.cfm

There is no magic answer to writing successful prose, no "hidden" way in - it is what YOU WRITE in the journal that helps your journey to success, and HOW you use it... not the journal itself.

I hope this helps, and if any members who also write would like to add to this thread with your own tips and solutions, please do so.

Best wishes

Shani