El Husbandio couldn't disagree more. He thinks receiving a book is an insult, almost! He'd much rather be gifted 'something useful' like socks or a gift voucher. And not a Waterstones one!

Personally, I can't wait to get stuck into these two novels: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale (which I really liked, read earlier this year - not yet seen the TV series), and The Shadow King, by Maaza Mengiste, a new author for me, an Ethiopian-American writer. Thanks mum and Lou G!

Keep reading, 

Lou x

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I'm currently reading Barbara Kingsolver's 'Flight Behaviour', and I struck a real gem among her words last night, cuddled up in bed. The protagonist, at this point, is going out to check a scientific instrument, showing dedication and interest in a project she never dreamed she'd be working on, right in her backyard (page 323). It's pouring with rain and yo-yoing between 30-40 degrees Farenheit (it's an American book). 

Doesn't it make you shiver? I can remember mornings like that...

It's good writing for empathy and atmosphere, but the real reason I wanted to share this masterful (part) sentence was to showcase the skills Kingsolver has for 'show, don't tell'. The idea of this tool for writing is to create texts which enable the reader to tune into the story through action, words, thoughts, senses, and feelings of the characters involved, rather than through description.

Why is 'show, don't tell' so important? It's essential to good writing, and something I try to achieve on every page I write. The writer is hinting at a subtext, in this case, the personal description and character of the protagonist. She is clearly someone who needs to wear glasses (or perhaps chooses to - but in this case, most people would leave their specs at home if it was raining, should they not require them for more than a fashion statement!), who owns a decent outdoor weather-ready coat, and the character needs to be able to see clearly for the task she's about to undertake. The creative writing leaves it unsaid, unshown, yet obvious about what the character looks like in a basic form. You can get all of that from one little sentence about a waterproof hood. 

The old adage 'show, don't tell' is so important to writing it's now included in Key Stage 2 English classes in English schools. Bravo!

Anton Chekov put it brilliantly:

​However, 'show, don't tell' should be implemented with some caution. According to writer James Scott Bell, "Sometimes a writer tells as a shortcut, to move quickly to the meaty part of the story or scene. Showing is essentially about making scenes vivid. If you try to do it constantly, the parts that are supposed to stand out won't, and your readers will get exhausted." In other words, use with restraint! Joshua Henkin also agrees. The object of the work is to find a perfect balance between a deep, vivid picture conjured in the readers mind, and allowing them to fill in the blanks themselves.

Over half way through the (thick) book, I'm not enamored with 'Flight Behaviour'. Yet, page by page, I notice examples of fantastic writing I hope to emulate one day. And that's reading, not critiquing. I'm reading as a reader, not as a writer (for fun!), but hopefully some of the better examples of writing are drip feeding into my consciousness, day by day making me an improved writer.

Check out these quick and dirty tips on showing, not telling from Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty - well worth the read.

I'd love to hear if you've been struck by a specific sentence or two while reading. What has the text spoken to you?

Lou x

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For anyone who’s not read the wonderful book (debut novel by Khaled Hosseini), here’s a brief description of the story of the kite runner from Kabul:

The Kite Runner is a powerful and dramatic story which leaves a lasting impression on anyone it reaches; it sold over 21 million copies. It’s a fast-paced, haunting tale of cross-cultural, international friendship which follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Afghanistan is a divided country on the verge of war. Childhood friends, Amir and Hassan are about to be divided too. On a beautiful afternoon in Kabul, the skies are full while a kite flying tournament is taking place, in which the boys compete together. However, neither of the boys could foresee the events of that day which tear their lives apart.

The story is passionate, gripping and gave me a much needed insight into the history of Afghanistan. It became a country with a personality and made it more ‘real’ in my mind, not just a war-torn disaster. The characters were instantly relatable and believable and the on-stage portrayal was better than I had  conjured in my imagination. I was utterly absorbed, pained to watch (in a good way) and sad to see this masterpiece end. Visit the reviews section of the play’s website to see how other people received the production – it’s a shame it’s no longer touring.

There has been a movie adaptation of The Kite Runner, of course, (2007, grossed $75m), but it failed to strike me as much as the live performance did. There must have been quite a lot of pressure to make a good job of the stage production, as the book and film were so popular.

Now, I have a mixed opinion of books turning into other forms of performance or media. I have yet to find more than a handful of movies which are as good, if not better, than the book. (Check out my blog on how to survive a film adaptation). I have been lucky enough to have seen Wicked and Phantom of the Opera, both born from a novel (I’ve not read) but no more such adaptations, as far as I can remember. It can work really well, I’ve heard, and indeed did for both the two mentioned.  A bit more was at stake in seeing a newly boxed The Kite Runner though, being one of my favourite reads. My theatre experience is largely of musicals from school trips and one instance of ballet, one of a comedy play and a Shakespeare play. That was years ago, and I was well-overdue when I visited Oxford last September, but should I have gone for something entirely new to me, having loved the book so much?

I probably should have blogged about this closer to the event, when memories were more fresh and the play was still on tour, but I’ve finally got there. And I think it’s still with talking about. The characters were engaging, convincing, and there was real heart in the actors’ performances. The way the kite festival was portrayed on a windless stage was genius, and the music was perfectly synched to the emotions of the story. I absolutely loved it. And it seems a lot of people feel the same way: a standing ovation through the theatre. The Kite Runner’s stage production was nominated for Best Regional Production in the 15th Annual What’s On Stage Awards (results here - robbed!). It's such a fantastic way to enjoy a work from a great writer and you feel like you're re-reading it with a live audience, all enjoying it together. 

Want to know more about plays flipping books to stage audiences? Check out this fab article from the Financial Times about the pitfalls of turning books into plays. Michael Morpurgo (of War Horse fame) even has something to say about his books being 'stage-ified'. yes, I made up that word. My works won't be on stage any time soon! 

Which other books would you like to see turned into a stage production? 

Lou x

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Confession time: I haven't worked on my novel, ‘Scrabble Pieces’, since around August two years ago. I remember taking the day off work in the summer sunshine and smashing my word count target of 2,000 words… and then stopping.


























Why did I stop writing?

I made an extra effort to focus on my monthly column with MK Pulse (I’m no longer with them but I wrote for them for five or so years), and as my blogs continued to grow, I threw myself into my travel blog and this Miss Write website. My writing definitely took a new direction of platform and style away from the novel.

And then life got complicated – an engagement, a wedding abroad, a visa and legal arrangements for El Husbandio, bouncing back and forth between Costa Rica and the UK as a result, job changes (2), moving house (3), a house purchase on-going, all the stress that comes with such life events… and all while working hard in my day job and having a full social life. This all happened in the last 20 months alone. And that’s not counting 2013 – a mega year of travel for me as Costa Rican relations hotted up.

Still, that’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have stopped working on my novel. Just 15-20 mins a ay would have kept things ticking over. When I paused in writing, I had 85-90% of a great plot laid out in my head and I was still determined to make a full-length work out of it. I loved the storyline, and loved it even more for showing how my writing’s come along since ‘Girl Meets Boys’ (a novella, 2009, now out of print). I love the feeling of "I can write better than this, and I will write better than this!!!"

How am I going to restart the motors on my half-finished draft?

From memory, I currently have 30,000 words or so stored in chapters on my external hard drive. The thought of re-reading (cringing?) my way through the incomplete first draft attempt doesn’t appeal too much, but I need a refresher. I need to get to know my characters again, remember their stories, refocus on their journeys and the aim of the story. Part of writing ‘Scrabble Pieces’ requires me to forget what I know to write the story as well as possible, so I need to remind myself how to remember to forget. It works, honest! I need to remember the reader knows less than I do about how the book ends…

And I don’t fancy re-reading all this on-screen. I spend enough of my waking hours looking at a screen for my day job, so my eyes will welcome the rest and it’ll be a totally different writing method for me to try. I’ve never been much of a handwriter since I got my first laptop (12 years ago).

So what’s the plan?

I plan to rewrite via handwrite. I am going to scribe what I’ve produced so far in an A4 notepad from the computer screen. All 30,000 words of it – and beyond! My 2005 undergraduate self, struggling over a 5,000 word “dissertation” (I know, it was tiny as far as dissertations go!) would have a heart attack thinking of it, but why not? I have the time, I have the inclination, and I feel like I’ll really get to understand and remember the scenes, storyline, characters and their dilemmas, becoming that much closer to the essence of the writing. I hope to become re-absorbed into the story, like a reader would hopefully be, page-turning. I intend to use this resulting boost to finish the thing.

Another benefit I hope handwriting will bring is it’s easier to make notes as I go along. I can scribble all I like, insert extra pages and mess around easier than a tidy typed page. Yes, I could cut and paste my way through a novel creation on a laptop, but I feel like making notes is more organic, allowing the ideas to flow. Perhaps this is because it’s more natural to hand write than to type? You don’t see great works from centuries passed being typed, and look at their staying power.

It’s been good taking a break – you know I love my blogging – but it’s time to test myself again. Who knows, the break might give my book a new lease of life. I’ve developed my style, become more confident, and I’m ready for a new challenge. I don’t especially enjoy challenging myself in reading, but writing is a totally different story. Bring it on!

Whether this new tactic works or not, we shall have to see. If it does work, fantastic. I can’t wait to get onto the editing stage and have a shiny new book of mine in my hand. If it doesn’t work, I’ve tried something new, reminded myself of how great ‘Scrabble Pieces’ is and will be, and, what I’m most excited about, undoubtedly I’ll discovered more parts to the story my previous scribblings on the keyboard didn’t think of.

I think my hands will be aching in pen-holding shortly!

Wish me luck.

Check out Chuck Wendig's fab blog 25 Ways To Get Your Creative Groove Back As A Writer if you're planning to get back into writing too; it was a big help to me.

Lou x

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I found this video recently on You Tube (yes, I'm way behind!), and have had memories of it pop back into my mind frequently since. I found it inspirational and encouraging, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

Take a look; there's so much advice from how to avoid a cliche from English novelist Martin Amis, to Zadie Smith on faith in fiction. 

Keep writing, 

Lou x

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No, before you start, I'm not going to blog about Twlight. Or any other vampire literature. And I've never written a piece about vampires. Zombies, yes (check out DAWN OF THE DINERS!), but never vampires... as of yet!

I'm asking you today, are you, as a writer, a vampire?

What am I getting at?

Do you suck the life blood from other writers?

Do you put other writers down? Everyone needs a bit of encouragement sometimes - even the big players! No one writes because they hate to write, everyone is just trying to express themselves. Next time you're at a networking meeting, writers group or contributing to a forum online, try to check if you're being constructively critical (if you need to critique) and be nice!

Are you drawn to myths and legends?

Vampires are often drawn to stories and tales of fantasy occurrences. Being a fan of this genre isn't anything to worry about, but don't let it become a blood-sucking obsession. There's a whole plethora of themes and genres out there for you to explore - don't limit yourself to what you're familiar with. Try romance or comedy, for example. You might find your calling!

Do you close the curtains in your study to keep out the sunlight?

If you're overly sensitive to sunlight, then you might want to take a closer look at your situation. You may not be a fully-fledged vampire, but I'd make sure you are getting some form of light during the day. Hiding in your study or bedroom all day furiously typing or thinking your way out of your current creative block isn't healthy. An absence of natural light can reduce creativity, make your brain work slower, and everyone needs a bit of vitamin A. Get some sunglasses and go for a walk at lunch time - the fresh air will do you good! 

Are you nocturnal?

Does writing at night work for you? Well, I suggest you stay with that tactic, then, if it's how you work best, but I recommend you keep away from garlic. Make sure you are getting enough sleep though as this can affect how productive you are whatever time you sit down to write. 

Check out Gaia Online for tips on how to cope best if you're a nocturnal writer. 

Do you bleed through your work?

There's a famous quote from Ernest Hemingway: "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." Put your heart and soul, your blood, sweat and tears into your writing, and it'll work. Your readers will see the passion you have and connect with the story. It's hard work, exhausting and a long process, but if you really work hard and put all you have into your piece, you'll achieve. 

For more about bleeding in writing, check out this post from Quote Investigator. 

Do you suffer from vampire-like mood swings?

No one likes a moody housemate/spouse/offspring. And writers can be this. So, my advice is, check yourself. Try to write to make yourself happy, and embrace the tough times. Some days you'll feel the muse, others you won't. Try not to take it out on your family and friends - they don't deserve it, chances are, and if they do, subtly put them in your novel and kill them off! 

Have you ever melted in the sunlight?

Oh, ok, time to stop!

I hope you get my point, anyway. You are a writer. So, write! Write your own stuff, get creative and...

For more traits of vampires, visit Real Vampires. Give yourself the full check-up!

If you're disappointed this isn't a post about how to write a vampire novel, check out these tips from WikiHow and another from Inanna Arthen: Think Outside The Coffin.

Lou x

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I'm not happy with the title of this piece, but I hope the story itself works out well. This was read at a recent Towcester Writers' meeting. We were given a prompt of THE DIARY. 

--------

WAKING UP

Tuesday 3rd June 2014

No alarm clock had been set for this morning, and it wasn’t an accident. There was a medley of clothing strewn over the floor. There were empty bottles in the bin. Some unrecognisable keys lay just inside the doorway. Someone needed to open a window. 

It was the morning after the night before. At least, Kate assumed it was still ‘morning’. The sun streaming in through the half-drawn curtains certainly suggested daylight hours were firmly in progress – and it was promising to be a hot day. She didn’t want to open her eyes; Kate recalled the disorientation of going to bed last night and could only imagine the mess which waited to greet her. “Morning!” … a sprightly greeting she imagined, coming from imaginary lips of the muddle. “Now, clean me up, you bad girl!”

Kate’s legs felt like they were glued to the bed sheet as she attempted to roll over, the light Egyptian cotton sheets almost too much of a physical burden. Blindly fumbling on the unfamiliar nightstand for some paracetamol, placed there yesterday in anticipation of the headache pounding in her temples, she nudged the man sleeping to her right.

It was his turn to wake up.

He looked so peaceful, dammit. As relaxed as a monk on dope. How did he do it? There was no sign of the same aches, exhaustion or plain suffering Kate was experiencing. She’d seen it before, and no doubt, she’d see it again. Many people had a higher tolerance to those kinds of shenanigans than Kate did. It was just so bloody infuriating. Well, irritating at the very least. She couldn’t summon the energy right now to feel an emotion more extreme than ‘irritated’.

Forcing her eyes to open more than a paper cut’s width, she wasn’t sure if it was condensation running down the window panes, or if her eyes were having that much of a problem focussing. It was so damn hot. She tried to remember whose idea this had been.

‘Never again…’ Kate thought.

Wednesday 4th June 2014

This morning, Kate was her own alarm clock. Body clock reset from the events of the last 48 hours, she was ready to go. The more familiar room was tidy and aerated this time, the window blowing in a slight breeze. This morning the sunshine beckoned instead of threatened.

“Up! Up! Let’s go!” Kate cheerfully said, poking the same man in the ribs. “Come on, we haven’t recovered from yesterday to waste today in bed!”

Shortly, you would find man and wife a drink’s spill away from their ocean view balcony. Cocktail in hand, toes in sand. The holiday Down Under was just beginning. 

Lou x

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My wonderful local library, Towcester Library, are holding a book sale. This was no ordinary sale... Anyone can go along and grab a jute bag and fill it with books! Amazing idea - and it only cost £3 per bag. I say "per bag" because I could have walked away with one on each arm, but I showed great restraint in only filling one. That's more than enough to last me until the end of the year and through my next holiday, hooray!

I was a little disappointed there was no one volume there which was on my 'to read' list already, but all the better in a way - my 'to read' list has become longer and I am going to be trying new authors as a result of some literary gambles. Nothing could be worse than Don Quixote, the novel I'm reading at the moment for part of my 30 Before 30!

So how did I pick my books?

Three of them are a present for my fiance: Surviving Extremes (just his cuppa tea), Villainous Victorians (he loves history) and a book on how to improve your swimming technique. He wasn't too overjoyed with me choosing the last one for him - he's a good swimmer already - but I think he was 66% pleased, so that's not bad!

Another book chosen is intended as a present for a friend I'm borrowing a car parking space off next month. He loves to travel by bus and gets his money's worth of his pensioners bus pass, so the Great British Bus Journeys was irresistible as a little 'thank you' present. 

And the rest of the books - all for me! Whoopee! Cancel my social life, I'll be reading! 

I'm chuffed I found an Iain M. Banks novel (love him), and I know Small Island is a winner; I read it a few years ago and loved it - so glad to have my own (almost free) copy! Jodi Picoult is a throwback to my teen years, so it's a bit digressive, but I know I'll enjoy it. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry will bring back memories to anyone in my Mr Leslie English class at school - we studied it for SATs or GCSE (I forget which) and I can't remember any of it, so I grabbed this copy to remind me. It's one of those ones you should read, if I remember correctly. The rest are total mysteries to me, author and title. I hope I'll discover a new writer I love... if not, they'll all end up in a charity shop!

I'm starting to wade through the volumes this lunch time with Paul Torday - The Girl On The Landing. 

#ILoveLibraries
#ILoveBooks

15 books for £3. That's 20p each. Bargain. Thanks, Towcester Library! 

Lou x

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P.S. I pinched the title from an actual campaign - check out Books Are My Bag on Twitter or search #booksaremybag!

A week ago today, the literary world lost one of its greats. 

Sue Townsend 
(2 April 1946 – 10 April 2014)

Sue Townsend was an English writer, best known for creating Adrian Mole, the character which first introduced me to the comic and poignant genius of this woman. 

Did you know, the diaries of tortured teenager Adrian Mole sold more copies than any other work of fiction in Britain during its decade? The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ was a gift from my mum when I was an angst-ridden teenage with a secret diary of my own. Mum opened a door to the world of Sue Townsend, and I hope I can encourage you to begin reading her books too. 

You might be forgiven in thinking that Mrs T was all about just one spotty teenager, but you'd be wrong. Sue's work includes novels, plays and works of journalism. Her warm and touching writing opened up the world of books for me beyond Roald Dahl when I was a young teenager, and I have been a fan ever since. 

It made me wonder though, how many more of her books can I still look forward to reading? A quick look on Wikipedia revealed Sue's full fiction bibliography. Gotta love the internet!

Adrian Mole series

• The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ (1982), her bestselling book READ IT!
• The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (1984) READ IT!
• The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole (1989) READ IT!
• Adrian Mole: From Minor to Major (1991)  - an omnibus of the first three, plus a bonus section
• Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years (1993) READ IT!
• Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years (1999) READ IT!
• Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction (2004)
• The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole, 1999–2001 (2008)
• Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years (2009)

I've still got a few Mr Mole books to read, then - I had no idea! Whoop, whoop!

Other novels

• Rebuilding Coventry (1988)
• The Queen and I (1992), a story about the British Royal Family living a "normal" life on an urban housing estate. I've wanted to read this one for long time, so it might be the next ST one I devour. 
• Ghost Children (1997), a novel covering issues of bereavement, child abuse and women's self-esteem through their body image. 
• Number Ten (2002) READ IT!
• Queen Camilla (2006)
• The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year (2012) READ IT - just before ST died. Recommended - hilarious as well as touching.

Which books have you especially enjoyed by the late Sue Townsend? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Have a look at the lovely obituary Sue's publisher posted, then get into your favourite online/local bookstore and grab one of her books. You won't regret it!

Enjoy the long weekend, 

Lou x

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This is my book shelf. 

I love books and just wanted to share my shelves with you this week. It's nothing special, a fiver off a car boot sale, but these shelves are special to me. 

You can see it's not all books... I don't have a lot of storage in my current place and my DVDs need somewhere to go!

I have many more books than this - my windowsill is also piling up with books I want to read in the future. My elephants are kept company by books I love. 

I try to keep the books I know I will read again, but sometimes my list of books I want to read (and therefore have a copy stored somewhere) is an even bigger pile!

The ornaments are treasures from my life. I collect elephant figurines, so there's a few here. I also have gifts from my boyfriend, a hardy plant (can't believe it's still alive!), and one of my favourite photos of me. I really feel like these three shelves reflect who I am!

I will always have a book shelf. I tried out the phenomenon of the ebook last week, and I still prefer paperbacks. Even if my living quarters get too small one day for an actual bookcase, I'll probably pile my books on top of the toilet or something - somewhere!!

What does your bookshelf look like?

Lou x

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