Family Life

The juggling of family life and writing a book. Sat here now my daughter is watching Ben and Hollys Little kingdom.  It’s lovely to have the kids home but they can hinder creativity.  Time spent with our children is special but it’s difficult when you have a book begging to be written as well.

Trying to prioritise the needs of family life and writing a book is important.  My children come first and today my daughter and I have been for a walk with grandad and her two cousins.  It was lovely to get out of the house and just walk.  Now I’m sat at the kitchen table typing, looking at the egg sandwich that she has abandoned.

Writing my book

I haven’t worked out a new name for Cambridge University yet, and I’m now giving more thought towards the agency that my protagonist works for.  I’m sure that once my first draft is completed, (at roughly – 20000 – 30000 words away).  Then my second draft will be a complete reworking.  I’m aware that I need to think more about showing not telling.  As a new writer, this is a new concept that I need to work on.  I have purchased books to help me, but it is understanding what I am reading to then be able to put it into practice.  I am sure I will get there eventually but it is a daunting prospect right now.

It’s interesting how a book evolves. Lying in bed a few nights ago I thought of an idea for the ending.  In the dark, it would have impossible to write in my notebook so I texted myself instead.   If I hadn’t texted myself I would have forgotten my new idea by the morning.

As a pantser, I am sometimes surprised by what I am typing.  The characters will sometimes start to write themselves, which is very helpful.   There are times I will delete blocks of text but I am now trying to keep going and then edit later.

What else have I been doing?

I am still doing Facebook Live.

Tuesday and School Holidays – 23rd July 2019

Today in the rain, my book and life – 26th July 2019

July is nearly over and this month I have been working on  Camp Nano Wri Mo. I started with an aim of 10000 words, by the end of tonight, I hope to have achieved over 25000 words, I am nearly at 24000 now. My novel is now over 54000 words so I am getting there slowly. I have been including blogs and novel in my monthly word count, its all words, so in my mind it all counts.

I’m now reading more.  I have a pile to read, but right now I’ve been reading a book by fellow blogger Janet Gogerty.  Her book ‘Brief Encounters of the third kind’ has my attention right now.  I’m sure I will soon be purchasing parts two and three.

Despite school holidays, I have another two weeks at work before a break. Finding the motivation to get out of bed, when the rest of the family are asleep is hard.  Having two days off a week is good though because I can still spend some quality time with them.

I have decided to start a newsletter.  You can subscribe to it either in the link on the right-hand sidebar or below this post, depending which device you are reading this on.

Today

We have had a walk today. Storms and rain have been forecast for this afternoon.  Right now the sky is a grey / black colour but the sun is still shining. I’m now wondering when the storm is going to start.

I am hoping to start writing a short story or poem for justmuddlingthroughlife.   My last short story, Summer breeze and a need for music, (Written for Grammy’s Grid).  I have been asked for another part. I’m considering making a part two from the next sentence word prompt.

I then hope to get back to my novel later. I am enjoying writing it despite the amount of work involved.

Family life and writing is a difficult balance but, I keep telling myself that it can be managed as I am doing it.

For more see, Research, reading and developing my writing

Research

I’ve learned that writing a book involves a lot of research. It is not just about writing.  Trying to put my book together one word, one sentence at a time. There’s a whole world in my head but getting it on paper is a challenge.  I could sit down and tell you all about it.  Actually writing it is something else, worldbuilding and creating believable characters.  My reader has to want to read it and not give up.

The genre that I will usually read is a crime thriller.  I have purchased ‘The Time Travelers Wife’ all in the name of research. This is not a book I would normally read and the print is very small. I’ve been told that it is a good book so I do need to make the effort.  I had borrowed it from the library but I didn’t read it on time.  It had been reserved by eight other readers.  If my book is this popular then I will be happy.

As I write I’m becoming more aware of how little I know.  Reading and research are essential here, but I also need to understand it.  I think a Science Fiction expert would be very frustrated with me, trying to explain parallel and alternative universes. Black holes and white holes.  Despite being fiction the book needs to be authentic. So, the true Science Fiction reader is not getting frustrated with errors and plot holes.

So, why did I start to write a Science Fiction novel when I’m not an expert? Here is my short story, The Secret Time Warp.  This is what started me down this road as I realised that it had potential beyond 1000 words.

Cambridge University

I have been writing about Cambridge University UK.  One of my major locations.  I’ve never been there, and I’m sure that visiting is not as simple as turning up and trying to find the science labs.  I could ask a friend to take a lot of photographs and describe the atmosphere or phone the university and make an appointment. However, it is about two to three hours drive. So, I’m now thinking of creating my own university.   I had been using Cambridge because that is where Professor Stephen Hawking was.  He is the true expert on time, though he believed that we can not travel backward as it goes against the laws of physics.

So, what else have I been doing?

I am still doing Facebook live,

Today and what I’m planning for the week – 16th July 2019

Blogging, writing, holidays – 20th July 2019

I am trying to keep up with my reading but admittedly I’ve not been reading Science Fiction and I need to.

I’m still doing Camp nano wrimo and have written over 16000 words so far this month.  My novel is now nearly 49000 words, yes still a lot of writing until my first draft is finished.  A long time before I can print it off and put it in a drawer for a while before the work of editing starts.

I have still been writing stories on my blog, just muddling through life. 

It is hard work to balance everything and keep up.  I was reading another blog last night that said you should be able to write a 100 000 first draft in six to nine months.  I’m assuming that this is writing full time without small children and writing a blog or two. I’ve found that my writing has slowed down, but most of my initial ideas are on the page.  It is now developing and continuing to create.  It is also finding the time to read and do the necessary research.

Today

It is the school holidays and I was planning on taking the children to town.  The UK weather today is about 28 degrees so we are staying indoors where it is cooler.  We were watching the My Little Pony movie together but my six year old has just cut her hair.  The sight of blonde hair falling on to the chair just made me tell her off.  I now have a crying six-year-old. My eight year old is demanding dinner and he wants it now.

As for me, I hope to get another blog post written and maybe a Facebook live later if the children let me.  I’m now off to work out what is for dinner, it’s only 12.00.  The children seem to eat more when they are not at school.  They are always hungry.

For more see, Writing and the writing flow

Trying to maintain the writing flow I’ve had many late nights. Once I start writing, if I’m in the moment I have to keep going, otherwise, I may forget my ideas. My characters speak to me as I’m writing about them, do other writers find this?

Maybe I need to plan more and have a set structure. There are so many arguments for and against pantsing. If I could meet Lee Child for coffee, I would have many questions as he is amazing at it.

The process and keeping up the writing flow is never easy, I’m sure even successful authors will struggle some days. The thought of spending the day in my head creating is maybe not as idyllic as it sounds.

The pressure on the author of writing words on the page and then putting them in the right order. Making every word count and trying to make the reader feel something for the characters. Writing a novel is an art, one that develops with working hard on your craft.

I’m trying to write daily, which I don’t always manage. Some days I am just too tired to even consider putting my laptop on. They say you should write daily, even if it is just adding words to a journal. It is important to keep those thoughts flowing.

I’m still doing Facebook live,

New blog post and newsletter – 9th July 2019

Life and writing – 13th July 2019

There is a way of getting facebook to alert you when I’m going live, but I’m not sure how.  Also, please do follow my facebook page if interested.

I’m still working on Camp nano and my work in progress is about 45000 words. It is slow progress, but I deleted a lot of words by taking out some characters. Characters that don’t add to the story should not be included. Knowing this I have quite a few characters, but I feel the story needs them. For a first novel, I’m not sure if I’ve taken on too much, this certainly is a learning curve.

Last week I decided to start a newsletter, please subscribe if interested.  I will try and send links to recent posts on this blog and Just muddling through life

So, today I need to think more about my book.  Right now I’m rethinking the location.  Do you set it somewhere you know? or do you make a fictional location?  I’m thinking now the location will be fictional but may be based on somewhere I know.  It will be based in the UK.  I’ve only been to America once and that was two weeks in Florida, so I haven’t experienced enough to write about it.

I still need to work on my characters, see this is a very slow process, it is for me anyway.  Life keeps getting in the way of the writing flow.

I also have a lighthouse to redesign.  Yes, that is a completely different blog post.  It is my six-year-olds homework.  Currently an empty squash bottle with paper around it.  She was going to take it to school yesterday but daddy said he would make it better.  Yes, the competitiveness of being a parent.

Anyway, so I’m now going to go, make another mug of tea and think more about my book.

For more see, Developing my work and craft as a writer