Freedom From The Mundane - A Writer's Blog

Got up at 5.30am (the alarm went off at 5am but I was still dead). I showered, dressed and made the coffee so that by 6am on the dot I was turning on the laptop and opening the blank manuscript for Slick. It felt magic to be finally sitting down and getting the project onto paper.

The first sentence came easily: "The man slurped from a cup of strong coffee." (That's all yer getting). But maybe that's because I've had the first couple of chapters pre-written inside my head for a while now.

I wrote 11 pages before work and during lunch (3140 words), so not a bad start! I'm aiming for an average of 2000 words per day. That would work out as 60,000 words be November 30th if I kept to it. Taking into account the bad days I'm bound to have, I'll need to get ahead of the game if I'm to do it. That means more good days as well as a good start.

Using my chapter synopsis is helping me stay on track with the story, but already I've found myself swaying off course. There is ALREADY a new character involved, who I just know is going to have a say in the final outcome. I knew it would happen, but there's nothing I can do to stop it. Once they are in my head they have a life force. Once on the page, they have a presence and a human quality. Unless I kill them off - muwah, muwah!

I left work early and nipped home for an hours kip to revive myself after a hard day before I went out to snooker. I had set my alarm for 6pm, but at 5.45pm Gail called - Ian had done his back in. While I hate to see the old bugger in pain and hear of his discomfort, the silver lining of this particular dark cloud was I could have a non-rushed dinner then resume Slick in the evening.

I turned out another couple of thousand words before I knew it. I was totally engrossed in it, carried away without disturbance and able to concentrate fully. By ten o'clock I had brought my final first day total to 5886, an equivalent of almost three days average word count I had been aiming for. When the bad days come, I'll have a nice wee cushion to fall back on.

A website of note that was launched yesterday, and worth checking out is : City of Literature

Now here's the autumnal work plan!

November's GDR

This month obviously only has one theme taking over everything else - NANO!!

Fiction
* NANOWRIMO - Slick - 50,000 words before midnight on 31st

Poetry
* Publish Poolside Poetry

Non-Fiction
* Begin work on Scotland's Treasure for January column - Spotlight on Aberfoyle. Locality, history, what it offers, getting to etc. Might include the Blockheads gig review
* Carry out interview with Scottish poet

Marketing and Promotion
* Prepare and submit press release for Poolside Poetry
* Complete cross-promotion with Fife B&B for Fringe Fantastic
* Follow up meeting with owner of Elves Shakespeare bookshop
* Keep website up to date

Reading and Research
* Finish reading The Flood and Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin
* Start reading The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster
* Start reading John Harvey novel

Other Projects
* Stay on top of editorial work for TSDR

Daily NaNoWriMo Progress

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