Wednesday, November 30, 2011

All hail NaNo. NaNo is Dead.


Well for another year anyway.
The eleven months until the next NaNo is our opportunity to polish off the work we have on hand.

I am glad that I found my way into NaNo. I didn't win. But I didn't loose either.
I learned that
1) I need a routine. (Daawh!)
2) I need a computer that isn't used for surfing youtube and google translate by boy and girl child.
3) I need a place to write where my Hubster can't glance at the screen and shout from accross the room. 'Is that a monologue?'

I got stuck in and now I have an idea for a novel.
I have the beginning down on paper. I have the skeleton for the whole story in my head. Its just a matter of getting it all on paper.
Then I need to polish it up a bit. Make sure the characters are interesting enough to catch peoples interest (how do I do that?)
Its only a simple love story with a few twists and turns. I have my photo's of my leading men and my leading lady. So far so good.
I have to admit its the furthest I have gone yet with a story.
I have no where near the 50k word count. But I don't feel like a failure.
So go me.
Until next year.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

National Car Test

I had to take the car for her NCT yesterday.
It's a necessary evil and one I could well live without.
I feel like I am re-sitting the oral Irish in the leaving cert every time the notice comes in the door.
Palpitations, butterflies, sweaty palms, breath catching in my throat, you name it I had it.
Not quite the full panic attack yet but well on the way.

I decided I had better take her to the doctor and get her the once over.
The Hubster did his bit and changed windscreen wipers and checked oil and water.
My garage man is a small set up and generally I think he treats me fairly well.
He gets me sorted and usually he doesn't charge the earth.

However
This time he gave me a bill for 300 euro
Shock, grabs chest, wants to vomit.
You can't be serious!
300 euro for changing a few light bulbs!
6 weeks (ish) before Christmas!
Are you going on a cruise or something.
Of course I don't say any of these things to him.
I mumble something about waiting to see if she passes and then I'll get him his filthy lucre.

My car runs on diesel so I was particularly worried about her emissions,
I was afraid her brakes were wonky.
Isn't there a timing belt that can explode and turn the whole car to dust?
(OK even I recognise that doesn't make any sense)

I got to the test centre in Little Island in plenty of time and pulled up into the queue.
A small wiry man in his 50's (lets call him Joe)
checks a clipboard and marches up to my open window
'Hello BJ' says Joe
'Aren't you clever' says I ripping open an envelope
(my tax disc which I'd bought and paid for at the start of November but kept forgetting to put up)
Who'd have thought my name would be on that clipboard.
Who'd have thought you could read.
'Don't worry about that ' says Joe 'We'll test it without tax, insurance anything'
'That's great' I say not really knowing what's so great about that. At that stage the butterflies were giving me a real problem and I had difficulty swallowing.
I had some selection boxes on the back seat which I thought I would have to lug into the test centre and out again because they are so touchy about leaving 'valuables' in the car.
But Joe reassured me they'd be fine. 'The lads might eat a few, but don't worry about that'
Ha Ha what a riot.

Inside there is a queue which the lads behind the counter chew through pretty nifty and before I know it I am in the waiting room.
It's stuffy in there and they have a huge TV screen high on the wall.
I can't help it, my eyes are continually drawn to it and my neck begins to creak.
They are showing Coronation Street Omnibus.
I hate it, its driving me crazy,
They won't break me I think. I'll stick it out.

Who am I kidding?
I'm off out the corridor heading for the fresh (as cold) air outside where the smokers are.
At least I don't have to watch any more Corrie.

I ring my friend who tells me about being sober at a birthday party the night before.
I can hardly concentrate on what she is saying , they have finally brought my car in to the warehouse test centre for testing.
A full 25 mins after my appointment time.
So much for being penalised if you're late.
They get you for being early too.


I watch as they check her lights (with their expensive bloody bulbs) in the mirrors.
Then they drive her on to some roller thingys and rev the hell out of the engine.
My friend is still talking but all I can manage is the odd hmm here and there.
They hoist my car up under the ceiling- people walk about and take no notice .
My baby is up in the air and nobody cares.
Something distracts me and I look away.
When I look back she is gone.
Disappeared.
I hang up on my friend abruptly.
I need to find out what happened.
I see the skinny guy with glasses who's been abusing my baby.
She's Passed
Woo Hoo
I can't hardly believe it.
I can breath easy again for 2 years .

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Overheard Man on Phone

Hello Mam. It’s Jim here.
I just said I’d give you a quick buzz to say thanks for the card.
I got it this morning.
Yes you’re right. It’s my birthday today.
Thanks very much.
It was a bit of a surprise getting a mass card.
What’s that? You made a mistake?
You bought it for Mikey Kelly. I never knew he passed away.
Oh he didn’t you bought the card by mistake. I see.
Still. It gave me a bit of a start.
What’s that ? Louise Kelly is home. She has six kids! That’s a small army.
She was always a big girl. I can’t imagine what she is like now after six kids.
Oh Grand and slim you say.
You did what? You asked her for her diet so you could tell me!
How did she take being asked her private business?
Oh you were tactful. That’ll be a first.
No I don’t want to hear how she lost 8 stone in 6 months.
Well she was never as keen on me as you were on her.
She married a doctor. In New York.
Didn’t she do well for herself?
No Mam. I won’t call up. I don’t think she’d have any interest in meeting me. I’ll go and have a few pints for my birthday with some of the other bachelors and maybe some nice fat girl who doesn’t think she’s too good for me will give me a kiss for luck.
Good bye now Mam.
I’ll call again next Sunday.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Somebody died.

Then somebody else died.

Then somebody else (a man and a woman) tried to hide the bodies.

Tried to float them off in the river.

But they were spotted by somebody else on the opposite bank.

So far we have five characters involved in this ‘in the dark of the night’ scene.

It sounds like a novel doesn’t it?

Like something James Patterson or Stephen King might write.

But its not fiction.

Its very real.

And it happened last Sunday night in the small town of Bandon in West Cork.

The whole community is upset and dismayed that this darkness could come to their town.

The woman involved is said to have psychiatric problems.

The man involved is Romanian and very little is known about him.

One of the victims (27 year old man) had problems as a youth and spent time in prison.

The second victim (English man) very little is known about him either.

The town is in mourning.
So much loss.
So little gain.
It’s all just too sad to think about.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Smug Writer before Fall.

Well I am feeling very smug about my WIP.
I have got an idea of how I want the story to pan out.
My Megan Fox character is broken hearted because of her ill treatment by her husband (he doesn't beat her or anything...)
BUT
I didn't want people to not like her husband he couldn't help himself really so I wanted some inspiration for someone very likeable and then I found this pic of Ryan Reynolds.

Who could hold a grudge against some one as cute at that!
You'd have to be made of stone.

I just look at him and all I want to do is sigh.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Hello Friday


Well I am feeling much better today about my writing. I have a first (draft) first chapter which has my 'meet cute' in it. (anyone see 'The holiday'? where Kate Winslet meets Eli Wallach and he expains how when the hero meets his girl for the first time in the movie it was called a 'meet cute')
So I am a bit delighted with it. My hero is blonde and gorgeous so for inspiration I am using this photo of the late Heath Ledger.
For my female lead I am using this photo of Megan Fox. I really like her glasses. Really she is a bit too thin for my character but she is doing fine inspiring me to write which this exercise is all about.




I am now ruminating on my next chapter and how I will get my characters to over come their conflict and finally live the happy ever after dream.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Quote stolen from Chuck Wendig.

'You know the difference between the two groups? The big herd never finished a thing. Endless novels begun, and just as many never completed. The smaller group — the ones breathing rarefied air — are those writers who have finished something. Most don’t. That’s the big separation. Most never finish what they start. And you cannot ever be a successful writer if you don’t complete the stories you begin.

It’s the first and most critical step.'

I am having trouble keeping my word count up to NaNo's rigourous standards. However after reading that post of Chucks, that quote above in particular I feel re-energised. Its a case of so NaNo says 50k in 30 days, but what if I set myself a goal of getting to the end of each chapter until I have 10-12 good ones and maybe the beginnings of a good first draft. I like my story and the characters its just a time problem I have at the moment.
So I shall carry on and pursue my dream.
If I get this novel to the place where I can say its finished and I am moderately happy then I will have won this particular battle.
Good luck people.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Life Collides

This is what I am calling my NaNoWriMo.
I think its a good title because this is whats been happening to me all weekend.

Instead of being roughly 14000 words on the page I am at 3213, only 223 up from Fri.
You would think the weekend would have offered up more productivity than that.
Ah well thats what happens when you are stretched too far.
Must do better.
Good luck to everyone who is attempting this.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Oopps only at 2190

Well. If you are following the whole idea of NaNo I should be at 7 to 8 THOUSAND words.
Ahem.
I'm a little behind.
Life gets in the way as somebody famous once said.
So back to the grind stone.
I am enjoying the attempted disipline of it.
I am liking my characters in my head at the moment getting them to flesh out on the paper is not as easy. I'll drive on and see what happens.
There are huge plot holes and bits not quite write.
However as those in the know are saying December is NaNoEdMo.
(National Novel Editing Month)
Or else because Christmas will probably elbow it out of the way I'll be doing all that in January.
Oh never mind!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

OKay So I've missed the boat a bit.

I decided last night in the middle of feeling terrible because I have the 'flu. And boychild's phone was set to cuckoo everytime it hit the hour and woke me up twice. At 3am and 4am. So I got up and switched it off! Had to be done.
Then I dozed a bit until Hubster woke up at half past six cause the extra hour thanks to daylight savings hasn't kicked in to his head yet.
Anyhoo.......
I am going to attempt the NaNo challenge and write 50k in 30days (less now cause I am 2 days behind.
So
wish me luck!!
Oh and I will be trying something in romance with a bit of comedy.