Most of my life I have been a dreamer. I did not enjoy school, maths was my least favourite subject. I have always written poetry and at one time I wrote some song lyrics.
None of this came to anything, just a small child with dreams that were not followed. My childhood writing is buried in a box in my loft somewhere, one day I might find it again.
It was after a particularly stressful day in 2017 that I first decided that I was going to write a book. I had felt that something was missing in my life for a while and I needed to do something.
I then realised that I will often think of things, ideas that I can write about. That night, I typed the first chapter of my book ‘Rosie’. A crime novel which at almost 30000 words is now filed in Scrivener on my laptop and one day I hope to continue.
They talk about writer’s block, but I’m thinking that ‘Rosie’ is a bigger undertaking due to the amount of research that needs to be done. I have spoken with HMP Downview, who were very helpful but I’m not an expert on crime.
I started my blog in October 2018 as my writing had slowed right down and I knew I needed to write more. Feeling stressed with life I found that writing can be cathartic.
In February 2019 I decided to expand on my Secret time warp short story. I have read so many times to just write your first draft and get your ideas down, this is quite hard. I keep going back over it.
At the moment it is about 37000 words. There is a lot that needs developing which is good. However, reaching that magic 80000 words will be a huge achievement.
So, what next with my writing?
For my novel, I need to get to know my characters. To sit down and interview them. I might sit and have a conversation alone with a Teddy bear.
I need to get to know their world and really know them, including things like their favourite colour. I’ve been told that once I know my characters writing the story gets easier.
I’m continuing my blog and my short stories. I take part in Blog Battle every month (1000 words based on a word prompt) and will write other stories as well. I will also keep writing my poetry.
All, whilst trying to run my home, spend time with my kids, help with homework and go to work. Very little in life comes easy, writing a novel is actually very hard.
I have great admiration for all the Authors that I have enjoyed reading. Enid Blyton was one of my favourites as a child. I loved the Pullen Thompson sister’s; Ruby Ferguson – Jill books; Patricia Leitch – Ginny and Shanti; The Silver Brumbies; My friend Flicka and many other pony books.
I am thankful that my parents refused to buy me the pony that I desperately wanted. Going to school and mucking out stables in all weather’s. I’m sure it is not as great as it seemed in my books or ‘Horse and Pony’ magazine.
As an adult, I’ve read many Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Lee Child books, amongst many others. A writer needs to read to help with their craft. I’m now making more of an effort to make time for reading alongside everything else.
So, if you see me sat staring at my book or Kindle, it’s because I’ve found a few minutes to catch up with my reading.
Life is busy, but one day this will be worth it. One day the hard work will pay off, I just need to keep going.
61 Comments
johnrieber
You have a great plan, but also take credit for the writing you are doing on your blog…creativity presents itself in many forms!
Marian Wood
Thankyou John, I have a very long way to go! Just keep hoping..
johnrieber
Good luck to you!
Marian Wood
Thankyou!
clairelomax2018
Firstly I love the idea of blog battle, I might have to check this out.
It is so important to set manageable goals, you e got this!
Marian Wood
Yes blog battle is very good, yes I have a very long way to go! Thanks
josypheen
It’s really cool that you have already written so much Marian! I hope you’ll keep writing (and reading) in those spare moments. Plus, at least now you have the huge writing community to help cheer you on.
Marian Wood
Thanks Josy, I’m sat here reading through it, wondering if I’m crazy to have such high hopes.. I have a long way to go, and honestly I do need the cheering on. Thankyou!
josypheen
But you’ll never get there if you don’t aim for it, and then go for it! 😉
I think you’ve got this.
Marian Wood
Thankyou Josy very much! X
joylennick
Go for it, Marian – writing opens doors in the mind and you’ll be surprised what you’ll find there! I’m an ‘old hand’ and still find it a challenge, a fascination and a NEED! For me, there’s nothing quite like reading and writing for nourishing the soul, and keeping the brain alert! Best wishes Joy
Marian Wood
Thankyou Joy,! I’m writing hoping for the best, hoping that it is ok.. lots of work but I’m hoping it will be worth it in the end and that I will get there..
fancypaperblog
We must persevere! Like John said, creativity shows in many forms so be proud.
Marian Wood
Thankyou Orla!
Ashley
One day it will pay off. Just have to keep pushing and try to find the time. You are such an excellent writer that I know you will succeed. Talk to that teddy bear or go get that pony you wanted and interview it.
Marian Wood
Thanks Ashley, I hope you are right! yes I need a conversation with Teddy and completely bore him.
Trent Peek
I give you credit for being a writer. I stopped screenplay writing and focused more on directing and producing becuase writing is tough.
Marian Wood
Thanks, yes writing is alot of work, just hoping it is good enough after all my efforts. I’m sure directing and producing is hard work as well.
Janet Givens
I love your new website and look, Marian. It’s clear, clean, and easy to follow. You are living that old adage I love: “writers write.” That is, simply, what we do. Keep going. Write from your heart. Tell the truth. I look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Marian Wood
Thankyou Janet very much. Thanks for your encouragement and support.
Gary
Really enjoy reading about how writers find their craft. It gets beyond just the books and finds the person. Oddly one of my dust covered manuscripts has a core character called Rose! How are you finding Scrivener? I have it, but am so used to Word it seems to have a learning curve that I might not adapt to.
All looking good here too. I so desperately need to re-theme my blog. Seeing your plan is quite refreshing too. Sets a positive sense of purpose. I might just get on with the publishing procrastination engine misfire here now!
Marian Wood
Thankyou, yes 1st novel is in Scrivener, 2nd is in word. I found Scrivener complicated and hard to get my head around. I think it is possibly good if you fully understand how to use it, which I don’t.
Yes I’m trying to be positive and really hoping that my manuscript once written will be good enough for approval by an agent one day. It is a very long road and I’m also aware that an agent will possibly want to look at my blog and work.. social media..
Yes if you have something ready then stop procrastinating! It might cross many agents desks until some lovely agent says yes..
Gary
I’ve heard that too. People who have got to grips with Scrivener all say they never go back. Trouble is it’s not the most intuitive piece of software I’ve used. I have to offset familiarity with word against time to change. Not only that most editors and proofers use words track changes and prefer word documents. Scrivener can convert yes, but if I’m sorted with Word I can’t see me changing now!
Agreed re social media too. I had a game plan to build up followings before looking to push publishing hard. I now need to polish the sites up a bit and step up the pace. That means staying positive that what I’ve got is good enough!!
Marian Wood
It seems to be a very long road especially if you want to traditionally publish with heaps of persistence and perseverance. I’m hoping that having a following will help.
Gary
Very hard to get a trad book deal nowadays alas. With agents I think it’s often down to luck too. They receive hundreds of submissions per week so giving each full attention must be difficult. Also many now use digital imprints too. If sales of those are good then some keep track and offer another road in…if they accept your work for the imprint that is! Many authors are now going it alone due to length of time to find agent. Some drop lucky as I said, others can spend months or years.
Anything to grow social awareness does help though. Most now ask for social media links. I set off down that road two years ago and until recently was very proactive. I’m now having internal debates about the whole process lol.
Marian Wood
I’m aware I could be waiting years and years! The other option is spending loads, being self published and then joining the thousands of other self published authors and making very little money.
It is very hard! I’m just hoping that with some sort of following it will help..
It’s not an easy road to be a published author!
Gary
And you wonder why I procrastinate lol.
Still, I’m growing a stockpile of manuscripts in the meantime too! In fact next months BlogBattle (prompt known….benefit of admin ?) is sampling something new from a previous manuscript.
Market saturation is the big enemy though. How to stand out from a crowd. Hard, but maybe not impossible!
Marian Wood
Lots of competition, the need for that special something. Sounds like you have alot that might possibly be accepted!
I think sometimes it is hard to not procrastinate.
Gary
ha, ha, yes. All are interlinked in a way too. In fact next months BB has just been drafted. Possibly the start of another book whose first is done. I’ve two novels drafted, the one I mentioned proofed, another five chapters short of an end and an epic with almost a novel of backstory compiled via prompt words and the entire A to Z challenge last year.
Then procrastinating hit and things haven’t quite returned to full productivity. It hit the publishing dilemma and indecision did the rest!!
Marian Wood
Well you have certainly got alot completed.. just need to finish, perfect and then submit.. that’s the hard bit.. then wait and wait.. procrastination is a hard one to get through!
Gary
Tell me about it! I’m quite expert at procrastinating nowadays!! I do need to find my blogging and writing habits again though. Why is it bad habits are dead easy to find and good ones are terrible to dig out??? Must revisit the mindfulness posts ?
Marian Wood
Maybe good habits are harder then bad ones.. I’m not sure. It is easier sometimes to put things off. Mindfulness is hard work too ha ha.
Gary
Or is that a bad habit putting it off to ensure no good ones usurp it? #mindfulness
Marian Wood
Years ago my husband wrote a screen play. He’s never done anything with it and since then other people have had similar ideas. He now needs to do alot of work updating it. I think if you can avoid putting if off then don’t put it off.
Gary
Wise words. Most of the time it’s about managing what hours we have. Forming a writing habit and ensuring the time given to it isn’t broken into. I know I’m capable of 1 to 2 thousand words a day. Even if I strip it to 1000 and average 5000 per chapter that’s still a chapter a working week not including weekends. NaNo in the past has twice hit 50K too. I shall start with revisiting an old character in this months BlogBattle. See where it leads and be a tad more mindful that putting it off is merely procrastination at its very best!!
Marian Wood
It’s 21.30 now and I haven’t started writing yet. Balance is such hard work. You do very well if you can do the Nano 50k. I struggle some days to do 500 words. There are days though where I can do over 2000 words. Some days I can be disciplined and other days life gets in the way..
Gary
I know the feeling! Some days discipline melts into other things. Mind you any words a day is a bonus. Keeps the habit growing. I realised earlier that BlogBattle posts take very little time and mine hit 1000 words without too much trouble. If that’s not saying I can flipping write more often then what will ?
Marian Wood
Some posts are easier then others. I wrote 1600 words last Friday whilst baking a chocolate cake. However adding more words to my novel is alot harder. And yes you are right about writing often.
Gary
Very true Marian. Although I’m often so zoned into a novel write I find it easier than blog material! Might be I should stick to writing and forget blogging about anything else lol. Speaking of which, the new BB prompt is out and I’ve actually published a ramble after this discussion! Have to thank you for that burst of do it now lol
Marian Wood
Ha ha, I’m trying to get my head around stable with not mentioning horses. That is a very prompt blog battle post. Yesterday I managed about 530 words on my novel and 556 on my blog.. the main thing I think is trying to write everyday. Your blog helps promote you! It is alot of work being a writer.
Gary
Very funny. I saw Stable and closed horses right down as way too obvious lol. You say prompt entry, but I call it admin perks. We decide on the prompt words a year head and schedule everything. This wasn’t one of mine though. It does mean, of course, I should be well ahead of the game yes lol
Definitely, write everyday. You hit well over 1000 words yesterday so well done. You should be doing Camp NaNo if you can hit rates like that too.
Marian Wood
Ha ha, you could spend a day typing blog battle entries, very organised.. I am doing camp nano. I’ve mentioned it in yesterday’s post. I’m aiming for 15000 words but if I get near that then I might then aim for 20 000 words. (I’ve also mentioned it on Facebook live.. trying to be brave talking to the world.. ha ha).
It is quite nice to write alongside others and support each other.
Gary
So you did! Age related amnesia lol. 15k is good target too. Writing buddies are really good to have too. Once I’m back up and running watch out!
Marian Wood
Yes I’m sure you can churn out alot or words. I’m certainly not doing proper NanoWriMo.. maybe one day but not now..
Gary
NaNo proper is a huge commitment. I’ve written a few posts on that too. Very unforgiving if you slip on the word count. The Camps are good for practice, as it were, but I feel they are more to get writers into good habits to extend beyond it. Obviously I should take my own advice!
YesterdayAfter
Loving your new blog and your great plan! Keep doing what you love no matter how long it will take! You already have a lots of great material with your writings! Keep following your path! Best wishes! <3
Marian Wood
Thankyou, just so far to go! Right now I’m sat here stressed with character development and annoyed that it’s sport day today, that means an afternoon sat on a hot field watching kids do things.. I might take my kindle with me, unsociable mum.
You Can Always Start Now
Happy you are writing. It is funny how we love to do things in childhood, put them aside because well life. It is great you recognized you were missing something and pursued it. So many people don’t. Great idea interviewing your characters I think there are questions to ask characters on line as I remember seeing them at one point.
Marian Wood
Thankyou! I just need to keep going and believe in myself! Yes maybe one day I will dig out my childhood poetry. I’ve realised there is so much I need to know about my characters, it’s hard when it’s all in my head. Thankyou!
Ritu
Marian we all need to go through this journey, to make our writing the best we can 🥰
Some journeys are shorter, some longer, but they are all for a purpose.
You got this 😻
Marian Wood
Right now, I’m wading in self doubt.. but if I don’t write this then I will never truly know what could have been. Right now King Herod is featuring.. things have taken a bit of a worrying turn.. the surprise of pantsing a novel.. thanks Ritu x
Ritu
Pantsing makes these twists possible!
Marian Wood
I retweeted Lee Child earlier.. the expert Pantser who doesn’t know the endings to any of his stories.
Ritu
🙂
susielindau
Keep on writing! It’s all about getting your words on the page. Good luck!
Marian Wood
Thanks Susie! I am a huge overthinker! I need to keep going forward, thanks.
arv!
A lot many of us don’t enjoy school for some or the other reason. Hope you will be able to finish the book fast, Marian
Marian Wood
Thankyou Arv.
arv!
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Dee | Grammy's Grid
Thanks for linking up at the #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 2!
Marian Wood
Thankyou Dee.