Goodreads

Always a bit slow to pick up on technology, I finally found how to put my Goodreads list on my blog, selecting (after a couple of false starts) the option of posting the twenty-seven or so most recently-read books.

Still mostly crime novels, and generally a preponderance of Scottish  crime, which I began reading over a year ago in preparation for 'Not wanted on voyage', my NaNoWriMo2011 novel.   I'd not had anything against crime novels, but felt that there was plenty more other stuff I'd choose to read first.   Now, I own at least a bookcase full and have my daughter, youngest son and friends to thank for the loan of many more.

Obviously the original idea was to learn about crime writing.   Invariably I got hooked on the story and forgot to be watching how it was done.   Eventually I learnt to re-read those that I thought might usefully point me in the right direction, and at the same time I realised that I preferred those books which became a series, in which there was the development of a small cast of central characters.
Some, such as Stuart McBride - an early loan - I found too far from my natural style, but I am now wanting to re-read, others I found too awful for words and they were very quickly sent to charity shops, many were so good that I almost gave up there and then, and latterly, as can be seen, I have concentrated on those I was due to see at the Orcrime festival.

I've now got back into the habit of using the library too since, much as I prefer to own books, there is a space constraint:  already this year I have read ninety plus books ...

When 'Not wanted on voyage' is fnally done I shall return to the follow up, working title 'Susannah Elphinstone' (and ~40K words so far), but that's intended to be more of a thriller ...

Books on Blurb

All four of my books are now available on Blurb - all proof-read - and 'One that got away' completely re-designed.
15 page previews for each - just click on the image
And for the next month or so they'll be sold at cost, i.e. I'm not adding any profit onto the basic price just yet.
And I thank all my Six Sentence and Thinking Ten friends for their support, without which none of this would have been possible ...

17/28 - Holding steady

Today is red and read.
Seven thirty doorbell  was not, as I feared
(and swore aloud in anticipation at)
our neighbour reporting on the state of his foul drain
but FedEx delivering my latest Blurb order.
Deliciously satisfying, holding the results of
November's writing December's editing
in my hands.
So today I have been reading,  Some of the time.

Published!

Pressed the 'order book' button on Blurb for my NaNoWriMo novel - 'Holding steady' - and the already proof-read 'Theme for a Summer' and 'Reunion'.
Once these have been proof-read (I've learnt my lesson about publicising too soon!) they will be publicly available.

Eventually ... a NaNo adjustment

Julia said it a while ago & I have been trying it on for size but only now have I a proper insight into the need to readjust the birth of Bridie's baby and put it at the crossing point of a figure of eight story.   And an idea of how to do it.
So I'll be writing today.

Last day of November

Apparently one person in the Darlington & Tees NaNo region has written 460,000 plus words .... and there's another I think with 150,000 plus.   It's something to do with World Wars but I can't find out more detail.

Ten o'clock and I have already done my T10 piece for today and posted a well-polished piece ('Cast list for a Play') on 6S.  This is the third in a newly focused series of Shenanigans which, among other things, will possibly give me some novel-writing practice.   I should like to dive in blindly for the NaNo next year.

Now back to 'Holding steady' - tightening and attempting to put more in for Sean.   Also intend to re-size the pages as Julia suggested for easier on-screen reading.

NaNoWriMo - verdict of daughter

Bless her - she read it all a second time, ignored the typos and made some very useful comments and suggestions (like "start again" and "change the ending" - no, I joke ...)

More, she highlighted the areas I was also having doubts about - Sean too insubstantial, too hasty an ending, which was deliberately happy but with room to change ...I've been caught out before by thinking I've got one couple living happily ever after only to find that something else happens and I'm wrong.

So.   I think I shall aim to emphasise and increase references to the loving interaction  between Bridie and Sean and reconsider how I play out the ending, hopefully before I send it elsewhere ...

NaNoWriMo - verdict of spouse

Hmmm ... underwhelmed I think.   I asked him to make notes as he went ... but received a list of typos.   And he returned the typed pages with a look of ... puzzled embarrassment?, underlining both the gulf between us and the necessity to me of my 6S like-minded friends.

But then no doubt I look as pitying when he spends what he claims is a pleasurable hour polishing the chrome on one or other of his bikes, or stays up past midnight to watch yet another game of football.

I suppose to say it still annoys, irritates and amazes after forty-plus years proves I am , at least, not dead.

NaNoWriMo Day 25

My husband has read as far as page 50, AND says he's enjoying it. 


Stopping writing NaNo has enabled me to do other useful things - as well as soaking the fruit for a Dundee cake and hand-washing some winter jumpers and paying the Visa bill I have published on Blurb 'One that got away' - see above.   Only ordered one copy to see what the quality etc is like, but there are books by others I shall order next time - up to three for £3.99 p&p

NaNoWriMo day 25 - and a story at Pygmy Giant

Uploaded and verified - and the official counter added 300 words to my total - but my final count was 62185.

Shall I do it next year? - definitely!

And 'Joan unknown' at Pygmy Giant - http://thepygmygiant.com/ - a UK writing site which, in this National Short Story week, has a story every day.

NaNoWriMo Day 24

I have to say that printing the thing was not entirely a Good Idea - it has solidified, made concrete, so I have a different attitude towards it - I have corrected the typos and re-inserted the missing text but it feels no longer a still in progress piece of work.

I DO need to overcome this because on re-reading last night there are some horrendously bumpy transitions between paragraphs, and I am still unhappy about the repetitions and the insistent back story - this needs to be introduced more gracefully, more subtly within the action rather than as a relentless, essay-type recap.

I've read about the large number that sit untouched once the NaNo goal has been reached and I can see how this might happen - something that does spur me to return to it to make it more something I am not ashamed to read - I do intend to 'Blurb' it too, so it has to be done and not left to languish.   'Theme for a Summer Place' suffered from this, needs returning to (although this NaNo is the only one I have actually printed out ...)

Elliott has reached his 50K - and he works full time and has a wife and small child in his life too, as well as other time consuming musical interests.

NaNoWriMo Day 23

Read through printed version last night and this morning.

Hmm ... Deborah Ross's review of the latest Harry Potter film comments on the relentless pace of it all, and I think there is an element of this in the early part - my reluctance to bore as I go over the back story, but it IS a problem I think and I need to find a way to slow it down, but maintain interest.

Also there are several repetitions of facts, as if I don't trust the reader to get it the first time round.

Also there are thirteen corrections to be made, most minor but in one case a chunk of text has gone AWOL. 

Day 22 - 61917 - finished and edited enough to print!!!

Phew! - much editing, and possibly premature because my reviewer hasn't read beyond Chapter 6 - but today I decided to print it out, knowing that for the final, on paper read, there are bound to be some more corrections to make but essentially all I want to say has been said. 

A4 paper 3cm LH margin, 2cm RH margin, Georgia point 9 and it runs to 94 pages, each of 16 chapters starting on a separate page (wasteful because in some cases only 3/4 lines but easier for re-prints than trying to put on one document.)

Day 21 - 60720 words

Almost done - editing and some clarification required in some areas.   I know I could carry on editing forever but I think it's nearly at a point where I can leave it and not be too ashamed.

But right now I'm feeling bug-eyed, have been up since half four this morning, and need a cup of coffee.

Day 20 - 57217 posted 9.30 p.m.

Spouse out all day - and tonight - so no constraints.

Day 20 - 56012 posted at 4.30 p.m.

But the scariest thing is that I've sent the first five chapters to Someone Else for them to read and give me their opinion ...
I couldn't have done that yesterday - needed 24 hours to psych myself up. 
So far, she's been gentle ... so I'll carry on writing.  
But she says Chapter 3 needs some attention ... so I have to have another look at that - she's correct, I knew it was the worst of the lot.
At least I thought it was - perhaps ...?   no ... !

Day 19 - 53734 words posted at 9 p.m.

Having decided I'd give it a miss today because I was feeling a bit jaded I couldn't leave it alone (beats cleaning the bathroom for sure!)   I've abandoned the final section because it isn't making sense until I've written a few previous happenings because they might change things.

It is disappointing how sometimes it all flows beautifully and other times it just lumps along.   Was talking to my youngest son tonight who was bemoaning the amount of description etc. he'd come across in a couple of books which he found totally off-putting - he said he wanted something to happen within the first twenty pages.

Day 18 50215 words posted at 10 p.m. today

Done 50K.   But more to do to finish the tale.

Day 18

I DID write yesterday - I began what is intended to be the final, tying off, scene - but it wasn't going as I wanted to - very pedantic and plodding - so I stopped and because I am near enough to the magic 50K I decided instead to re-read some of the lesser visited chapters and see what dross needed removing.   The whole thing reads a lot more lumpily that I like and there is over much repetition ...
But, on the whole, I am pleased to have filled the gaps in the conversations.

Day 17 - 46876 words posted last night

Prior to November I occasionally used Thinking Ten prompts to experiment with plot lines or directions, putting my known characters into hitherto unimagined situations, discussing unanticipated happenings.  Many have been discarded as being far too alien but several have been incorporated, with alterations.   Some have been very useful indeed, enabling me to add a diversion - I was initially worried that not enough could happen to fill in between the conversations - and a couple will enable me to bring to an end one strand. 

Today's word count might be a high one because of these incorporations, despite the fact that I DO intend going to the gym today as well, even though it IS Wednesday.