Nano Wrimo Fever – pre-November

I’m so looking forward to writing my novel of intensity that I’m uber planning already. Do other people plan before they take part or do they just go with the flow?

When I last completed the 50,000 words – in 2007- I had a bit of an idea in my head and just wrote but now I’m rather older, more experienced, I just want to plan and take it carefully without cheating – myself at least. I really enjoyed writing my last novel and as I wrote with gusto I took it for granted everything would turn out a grand success. However, I hadn’t included any time for editing once November was over so my first draft with only slighted edited first 3 chapters still sits in my desk drawer.

I think now, because I’ve included some editing time in January I should manage a little more success in the grown up way you can do when you take responsibility for your own actions.

I wonder are there any more Nano Wrimo contenders this year who are planning out their writing time and steps for success?

Maybe it won’t be as easy as I’m hoping this year.

You can but try! Good luck everyone!!!!!!!!!

Jackie Kay Scots and Rocks Away Tonight!

I’ve just returned from watching the poet Jackie Kay in The Art Club in Glasgow. She was fabulous – excellent poetry, amazing humour taking puns beyond anything I’d ever thought possible. If you’ve never read or heard or seen Jackie Kay reading her
work and talking to the audience, find a way to do it and soon. Like she said (quoting Maw Broon) – you’re a long time dead just give it a shot.
Live poetry just rocks!
(I’m looking for a good picture to insert but don’t want to lose that poetry high!)

Sunday Haiku ....April 8 2012

Reblogged from Cheryl's Yoga Shanti:

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beauty lies within

when we know we are all One

our divine wisdom

 

Om Shanti

Cheryl

 

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Such beautiful flowers! Gorgeous pictures. Don't you just adore spring?

Another Poem to be included in my pamphlet poems: “Work in a Cold Place”

Today I was talking about these poems in the context of my writers’ group and I referred to my pamphlet subject as my Iceland Era, maybe that’s a better name for this collection of poems starring strange characters and strange events. It’s amazing what can happen when you feel your brain practically freezing…

Here is my latest addition to share – the writers in the group were interested and oddly enjoyed it but what do you think?

In Response to a Customer’s Request to Speak to the Manager

The boss isn’t in today.

He’s under specialist training.

 

That means he’s having his

program renewed before

staff become suspicious.

 

I think it’s too late.

We all know brain hoovering

is routine management training.

 

His program consists

of 3000 comments:

I saw the disk one day

when his head popped

open at lunch.

 

He thought nobody noticed.

Or at least he assumed

we’d all lost our minds 

too.

 

The 3000 comments program

consists of racist, misogynistic, 

ill informed, rude, remarks 

and quotes.

 

Head office uses this

as a control.

They have a company

loyalty button which

remains depressed –

as do the staff.

 

 

Monday, ain't it Great!

Reblogged from Cheryl's Yoga Shanti:

“We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.” Henry David Thoreau

Its Monday, my favorite day of the week. Yep I know that makes me weird, but Mondays are fresh, bright and a new beginning, even if only on a small scale, like a week. So how are you going to spend your new day, your new week?

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I know it's Tuesday but every day needs a positive slant. ;-)

Should We Only Read ‘Amazing’ Books?

Reblogged from Savidge Reads:

That might sound like an obvious, or even slightly silly, question but it is one that I have been asking myself over the last few weeks. There have been various things recently that have made me ponder this and so I thought I would use the blog as a sound board for them, but also to see if any of you have pondered the same things too.

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I used to plough on till the end of every book I chose to read, now I think life is too short and might even give myself up to 100 pages before I give up. I still accidentally find some great books as you suggest and often it's just luck.

Healing occurs naturally

Reblogged from Heroes Not Zombies:

I often say to patients that there is no healing other than natural healing. What I mean by that is that all the drugs, and all the surgical techniques used in modern medicine, act directly against pathology. None of them actually stimulate or directly support self-healing. Yet that's the only kind of true healing to exist. An antibiotic might kill a bug, but its the natural self-healing which repairs the tissue damaged by the infection.

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Top Ten Hottest Authors of Our Time

Reblogged from THE LITERARY MAN:

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"Yes, she's hot," said the Portly Producer, over a boozy brunch, as the Literary Man flipped through a young author's debut novel, finally arriving at her sultry jacket-photo. "But she's author hot," the Portly Producer continued, possibly gaining weight with every second that passed. "Author hot. No offense, bud, but authors aren't quite known for their looks. Now, take…

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The Mind Map - Give your ideas a visual form: Novel Writing Prep Series

Reblogged from Sara Toole Miller - Fiction & Non-Fiction Writer:

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You have your idea.  You've done your research.  You know something about your main character.  Maybe you've even taken a crack at your first scene.  And now you're stuck...  All those plot points we talked about in the 3 or 4-part narrative structure?  You're having trouble coming up with plot points.  You just aren't finding the ideas that you need to carry this project through to a finished novel. 

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I like this idea a lot. I show kids how to write their stories drawing mind maps of sorts but I really like your more complex version of the basic idea I start teenagers off on. I guess being an adult and being a writer there is no restriction of time and a bell ringing to signal the end of class. Last time I used a mind map was for writing a poem but it seems even better for drawing plaot and character ideas for a novel. Thanks for sharing. :-)