Signs of Spring.

Signs of Spring

Weather here in Cornwall is steadily improving. Although we are still getting bouts of heavy rain and white stuff, (could be snow could be hail), they take the form of showers and between the showers glorious sunshine. As you can see from the above picture the spring bulbs are beginning to poke their heads out of the cold soil.

With the coming or at heralding of Spring I have started to look at my goals for the year. I want to publish my first novel in December this year. This is my top goal for this year.

Today I realised that nearly two months of 2014 have passed by and my work in progress (WIP) has not progressed very far. I need to increase my productivity and regain some of the momentum that I had in the later part of last year. I need to finish my first draft by the end of April. Then I will have time to rest the manuscript and revise it before sending it to be edited.

At this point I am committing to writing 10,000 words a week. This works out at 2000 words for five days a week. This will give me the flexibility to achieve my writing goals while working shifts in my day job. With approximately ten weeks till the end of April I will have written 100,000 words by this point.

All the best goals are based on rewards so I am hereby committing that I will only be allowed my Friday glass of wine if I have written my quota of 10,000 words in the previous seven days.  I like wine so this should work.

Words written here don't count.
Wish me luck everyone.

A change of plans.

A Lego Lair



Today is a day I normally reserve for writing and generally completing the tasks that are difficult to accomplish with small children in tow. However, today this was not possible mainly because a poorly car means no transport. So I have spent the day playing Lego and watching Curling at the Olympic Games. Well done to GB men's team for getting through to the final. I hope the women's team manages to pick themselves up and win the bronze medal after their narrow defeat today.  Love Curling!

We managed to get out and about today there was a break in the weather when the rain turned to drizzle so we went for an adventure. It didn't last very long as little legs became tired but we did see some rare sunshine.

I have also been playing around with Wattpad some more today. My graphic design skills are non existent but I need to improve on my appalling cover art. I currently have a short story on Wattpad called Dimitri. It is set in the future and tells the story of a young man locked in a secure facility. But it needs a better cover.

So I have been looking at creative commons images in the hope of finding something that I can turn into a cover. Then I need to work on the blurb to entice people to read it. I think that Wattpad is a good training ground for an aspiring Indie author. I am certainly learning how not to rush my work out for the sake of publishing. With the long road ahead of me to publish my first novel, (I'm aiming for December 2014) there will be much temptation to say "good enough" when actually I have many more months of editing and revising to go before the book is the best I can make it.

In April my number of scheduled writing days will increase. Anything I accomplish before then is a bonus, and leaves me lots of time to play Lego and go on adventures with my children.

Click here to see my Wattpad profile

Using the seven senses in writing.

Most people believe that there are only five senses. In fact there are seven. By this point you are probably mentally listing the five senses. I'll make things easier for you and list all seven of  them now.
Taste
Touch
Sight
Hearing
Smell.
Proprioception
Vestibular

I support adults with cognitive and physical difficulties. Many of the people I support have difficulties in processing the information given to them by their bodies or senses. My role basically involves thinking of new ways to help involve and empower them to greater participation and control over their own lives. I never expected that my day job might inform and help my writing.

As a writer, I spend my writing time describing the experiences of my characters. I have been trying hard to help my readers feel what my characters feel. Trying to translate the thoughts and feelings of my characters into words that convey that experience to my readers.  Today I was looking at articles on how to improve my writing, when I came across a post on the writing lessons learnt from the Alfred Hitchcock film Rear Window.

One of the tips involved writing using all of the five senses. Including things about tasting food, or hearing sounds, describing smells. All of these things are vital and help a reader imagine themselves in a character's shoes. However, there are seven senses. This got me thinking.

How can I write about proprioception and vestibular senses in a story?

Proprioception is the sense that deals with your body. If your muscles ever hurt after a workout that was proprioception. Having pins and needles in a limb is because of proprioception. Lying in bed and feeling the weight of the duvet or blankets is due to proprioception. Some people need to have this sense stimulated to provide comfort in times of distress.

Vestibular is a posh name for equilibrium or balance. If you've ever been really dizzy after spinning round in a circle that was due to your vestibular sense. I am particularly prone to ear infections and sometimes have felt like the room was spinning round when lying in bed. This was due to my vestibular system. The system is basically all the little fluid filled tubes inside your inner ear. These tubes act much like a spirit level.

But how to write about these 'new' senses? There are many helpful and accepted ways of describing the other five senses. But writing about the other two is more difficult. In my gut I think that I need to try and incorporate these two senses into my work more.

In other news I have just discovered the music of Pete Seeger who died last week. I'm loving it and feeling inspired to pick up my fiddle once more.

Links:
The article I was reading that inspired this post.
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/6-writing-lessons-from-alfred-hitchcocks-rear-window 
Dr Temple Grandin who is an authority on Sensory issues and Sensory Processing disorders.
http://templegrandin.com/
Where have all the flowers gone by Pete Seeger
http://youtu.be/T1tqtvxG8O4