Right, now where was I?

It's remarkable how quickly one can fall out of the habit of writing every day. It's been almost two months since I worked on my current novel -- mainly due to travel and stuff -- and it would be very easy to drift along past Christmas without delving back into it. But with so many … Continue reading Right, now where was I?

Apparently the WIP doesn’t suck too much

Today I'm blogging instead of writing in the cafe. I thought it was time for another practice post with the bluetooth keyboard. I've spent time this week researching local sim options for my forthcoming trip, having decided to forgo mobile roaming costs -- besides, I like the idea of having data access on my smart … Continue reading Apparently the WIP doesn’t suck too much

Fantasy and the Fast Diet

Today I ate just 500 calories' worth of food. I've decided to try out 'The Fast Diet' and today was my first fasting day. The Fast Diet seems to be all the rage just now. Check out the web site for the full deal, but in essence it involves fasting for two days in the week, … Continue reading Fantasy and the Fast Diet

10 rules for writing first drafts (via copyblogger)

Really short and sweet post today... I just came across the following poster from copyblogger. It's quite pertinent for me at the moment as I try to finish-the-hell-out-of-this cursed, er, fantastically wonderful novel. Yeah. Stuff to remember... Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger. You can also download as a PDF from … Continue reading 10 rules for writing first drafts (via copyblogger)

Spring wishes

The blossom is out and the last couple of days I've worn a tee-shirt. Yes, it's been a gorgeous sunny end to winter and next week Spring officially begins with forecast temperatures in the mid-twenties. The blooming of Spring and the crackle of Autumn are my favourite times of year. I'm always ready for the … Continue reading Spring wishes

On a writing (not reading) retreat

In many ways I suppose this could be a good weekend for reading. But that's not what I'm supposed to be doing... I'm at a writers retreat. I'm supposed to be writing. I'm here in a house with eight fellow word wranglers. There are laptops everywhere. The floor is strewn with cables.  Wine is being mulled... … Continue reading On a writing (not reading) retreat

Quotes for writers who are stuck

I've been working on a novel for a while now. I'm getting very close to the end of the first draft, but the closer I get to the end, the harder it gets. Something's not gelling. I know the ending -- have always known it -- but I can't quite figure out how to get … Continue reading Quotes for writers who are stuck

Identify what’s important and make time

In this life there are always things we want to do, and things we have to do. Then there are the things we should do... All this has me writing really long to-do lists, at which I often stare perplexedly trying to decide which item to tackle first. Sometimes it's a challenge to figure out … Continue reading Identify what’s important and make time

How DISC informs my ‘Creative’ writing process

Last year sometime I had occasion to undergo a DISC behaviour assessment during a professional development course. It's one of many such psych tests commonly used by organisations to develop (and sometimes screen) employees. They're fascinating things. Anyway, I was thrilled to discover that according to the DISC assessment I am a 'Creative'. "Huzzah!" thought … Continue reading How DISC informs my ‘Creative’ writing process

Postscript: Camp NaNoWriMo

With all the excitement post-Conflux, I've ended up almost forgetting to wrap up the big challenge for April -- Camp NaNoWriMo. The target was 25,000 words in 30 days, and once again I was on schedule -- ahead of schedule, actually, with around 21,500 words written with a week to go -- when I hit … Continue reading Postscript: Camp NaNoWriMo