Tomorrow, I’m off to my first writing course since… ooh, 2010? A whole day dedicated to writing and learning more craft. I’m excited, and very grateful – it was my present for our first wedding anniversary from El Husbandio, back in August. I’m so thankful he’s supportive of my writing, and I can’t wait to meet some new like-minded faces.
 
So what do I hope to gain from this course? It’s entitled “Tools for Fiction Writing” with Louise Green, and, quote, aims to “help you start, improve and develop your stories by looking at some of the key elements in any fiction writing such as plot, character and form.” Last time I went on a course (Winchester – highly recommended!) I learned a lot about structure in writing 60,000+ word stories, which I’ve managed to capitalise a little on for my current work in progress. This time, I hope I can learn skills so I can reach that 60,000 word count goal and get past the 35,000-40,000 brick wall I crash into. This book has legs for a marathon, but it’s slowed to a crawl.
 
In comparison to my writing from 2010, I believe I’ve grown. I’m working on including more emotion in this work, trying to really touch the reader, and I have a lot more experience with a wider audience, having blogged for various new websites this and last year. My portfolio has expanded, adding the ‘bake’ aspect to this Miss Write blog, and I’ve grown in my own personal experience too. This all, surely helps in improving my writing skills. Meeting new writers also helps me by inspiring work and enthusiasms, so I can't fail tomorrow - even if I'm surrounded by anal academics and proffering poets!
 
I know this course, even if there’s no specific gems I leave with, will encourage me and give me the boost I need going into a winter of writing. I haven’t been as dedicated as I should have been in re-starting the penning of my second book, since pledging a re-visit to the script back in August. You know, a two week holiday, a full-time job, buying a house and moving twice has its distractions!
 
So, tomorrow, look out Bristol University. I am reminding myself of my WIP tonight – it’s only 20 pages at the moment, so that’s no challenge. I’ll be writing like a beast, hopefully, through November – my own scaled down, more sociable, gentler version of NaNoWriMo.
 
Pens at the ready, I’m ready to write!
 
Lou x
 
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I love a good literary festival, and most of my dear blog readers hail from the USA, so here's my unmissable list of upcoming lit fests in the USA. 

Enjoy - let me know if you go to any, but be careful not to let the literary festivals ruin your social life!






National Book Festival, Washington DC, USA, August

Miami Book Fair, USA, November

Brooklyn Book Festival, USA, September

19th Annual F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Festival October 10, 2015 Rockville, MD, USA

National Book Festival – Library of Congress

National Mall, Washington DC

Wisconsin Book Festival, Madison, WI (October)

Texas Book Festival, Austin, TX (October)

Louisiana Book Festival, Baton Rouge, LA (November)

Decatur Book Festival, Decatur, GA (September)

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Check out more great America book festivals via @travelleisure. 


Lou x


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Time to find for writing can be a challenge, we all know that. However, when you do find that 10, 30, 60 minutes you can dedicate to your craft, how can you be sure you're writing efficiently, making the most of your time typing?

In this post, I spoke about 'power writing'. I stand by this tactic; it is great, but are you getting the most out of your precious minutes?

Are you forcing writing when it's not flowing?

When words are not forthcoming, don't try force them onto paper or screen. Take a break (lunch, walk the dog, phone your mum), get some fresh air - you'll feel refreshed when you return to your laptop. 

Do you type inefficiently?

Many people can speed up their typing and make it more accurate with some basic touch typing lessons. Have you considered this? Take a look at Typing Club (free online training) to test and train yourself, or, for a deeper study of typing, check out Typing Study. 

Some pointers might also reduce strains on your wrists or fingers having been sat in an awkward position for stretches of time. A different shaped mouse might make all the difference. 

Are you distracted from your major project by more 'fun' or 'easy' writing pieces?

I am guilty of this. I don't kill my frogs, choosing what and when I want to write. Such is the luxury of an (mainly) unpaid writer! If you find blogging or writing poems easier, for example, save them for a 'warm up' exercise at the start of your time writing, then move on to the heavier work. It'll satisfy your creative brain and start the day with something fun. You can always come back later, when you've done some hard work - best to set a target and reward yourself here. Stay organised and you'll go far. 

Do you find yourself typing slowly, making sure the sentences are perfectly crafted, spelled and structured?

Again, a typing course might help here, but you need to restrain that internal editor of yours. A first draft is exactly that: a draft. You are fine to, nay, expected to return to it and improve, tweak, remove sections at will. Spelling doesn't matter - even if you spellcheck doesn't pick it up, your second draft will. I actually find the second draft more fun, as the bulk of the text is there. I've got it down, now it's time to perfect it. 

Are you a research fiend?

Research is, of course, necessary for any decent piece of writing. This is all well and good, but 'research' could go on and on as an activity. Take stock: what do you have so far? Could you write a few pages or chapters with what you've gleaned already?

Lou x

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Best get straight to it - my number one writing tip is.... *drumroll*

Write a lot. 

Writing every day is a sure fire way to improve. Write every day, or several times a day if you can. And you know you can commit to that. It only needs 10 minutes. 


Writing is like learning a language. The more you use the skill, the more you immerse yourself in it, the more skilled you'll become. 


Write stuff for yourself, write for a blog (I'm always open to guest writers here and over on my travel blog!), write for paper publications. It doesn't matter if you show anyone, just get it down. 

It does get easier, like anything, with practice. 

Go for it this week, see how you get on. 

Lou x

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Latest post here: Recycling in Sweden ("Atervinning i Sverige")

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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Flash fiction is a style of fictional literature or fiction of extreme brevity. There is no widely accepted definition of the length of the category. Some self-described markets for flash fiction impose caps as low as three hundred words, while others consider stories as long as a thousand words to be flash fiction.

For some reason, Flash Fiction has worked for me this week, and I have had the least busy week in months! Take a look at some of the tiny stories I've created and let me know your favourites. 

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The capital letters in his name seemed too direct, too harsh; she didn’t intend those sentiments on this one final letter.

The presence of a lasagne cooking in the kitchen charged over as she entered her parents’ house, deep, welcoming, and appetite tempting… Something wasn’t right.

All night wasn't enough, morning came too soon. 

The first orange on the tree gloated an ironic gleam as us that summer; fertile, bright and new. 

I feel like the hunter but i'm looking for a place to hide. 

All you had to do was stay. 

He broke my finger that morning, and healed my heart.

Sequins and lace say more than flowers. 

Say you'll see me again, and not just in the queue for unemployment benefit. 

"I'm gone forever if I leave now", she said calmly through the cigarette smoke. 

I've decided the love I gave away I want back, yesterday.

"Perambulate" - the first word I learned at university scared me beyond academically. 

His warm hands closing around mine calmed trembling and promised all. 

Champagne flutes played like tinnitus in my ears.  

The bottles clanged like bells for Mass as Paulo wobbled down the footpath, ignoring his religious duties for the fourth Sunday in a row – he had better things to do, better things to drink.

"Sooo... three months in, Ana, how has marriage surprised you?" my sister prompted.

Drip, drip, drip; the house had never sounded so lonely.

The crack in the window played a tune not unlike a U2 single – any U2 single – from Simon’s childhood; two decades ago, but still, the blood stained his conscious thought. 

"We thought she'd be better off with second years - you can't gamble on who you'll meet in Freshers' Halls."

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See you soon - busy weekend ahead so it may well be next week before I post here again, but why not come over to Born to be a Tourist and see what's been happening on my travel blog?

Lou x

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This week I told my beloved Towcester Writers Group that I am leaving. Tuesday was my final meeting as (founding) Chair, and it was quite an emotional evening. 

Don't panic, I'm not quitting. I still count myself as a writer, and will really feel the loss of being Chair here. Be reassured, though, that I am not giving up or bored of this wonderful group. I'm leaving for a positive reason: I have a new job... In this case, it means moving over 100 miles from Towcester to Bristol. 

I have been Chair of Towcester Writers since January 2012, and have become so proud of this great group of people and the club we have constructed. The website gets around 100 views per week, and we do connect quite a bit on Facebook. Some of the members almost feel like family - I see them more frequently than some of my family, at least! We have poets, memoir writers, bloggers, comedy and crime writers, and a shared interest in cakes. Oh, sorry, writing. On many occasion I have laughed until I have cried at something written, but conversely felt the silence fall over a poignant, personal piece, bringing tears of another kind to our eyes. 

These writers are talented. They are good people, loving and welcoming, old and young(er) - we don't have anyone under the age of 30, strangely, but they're always welcome! I love these guys!

Over the last 32 months (!!) I have planned a programme which I hope inspired and encouraged our writers. We've studied the writing process, had a fun evening learning how to create convincing character names, and I ran several workshops, including ones on getting the best out of social media and writing for a different perspective. We've had a few guest speakers - poets, writing mentors, other prose writers - meetings of which has been very interesting and encouraging. It's been beneficial to see beyond Towcester for the stories and skills of other (relatively) local writers. Most evenings for our group, however, are open mic sessions. The theme is set the month before, and 99% of the time people have stuck to it. I never fail to be amazed at the different stories which come from the same very simple prompt. 

I want to say a special 'thanks' to Gilly, who was the person who originally approached me about starting a group. Her encouragement and belief in me started it all off, really, and our on-going friendship means a lot to me. Also, thanks to Kate at the library, who unfailingly lets us in and out of our venue, even in lambing season.

Towcester group is continuing after I leave (hooray!), so if you fancy going along to a warm, friendly group of varied talent and with different genres and walks of life, pop along one evening. 

                                      Third Wednesday of the month
                                Next meeting is Wednesday 19th November
                     Towcester Library, Richmond Road, Towcester, NN12 6EX 
                                                    7.30 - 9.30pm

Take a look at the community on their Facebook page and give it a go! It's just £3 per session, which includes refreshments. 

Towcester Writers: I will miss you. Take care, be happy, and keep writing!

Lou x

This week I was to share the video above. This was a real gem of a You Tube video I discovered through Paula Reed Nancarrow. Isn't it fablulous?!

If you want to find more gems related to writing, take a look at Paula's blog. She'll make you very welcome.

Happy weekend all - and I hope you get your typewriter/laptop dancing through a word count!

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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Image courtesy of Vampire Bibliographica