The Hungry-Man is on its way!

Major news! The Hungry-Man is one step closer to publication today!

Today I finished the first proper version that has all the right bits in the right places! Please excuse me (or feel free to join in) while I have a little WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!

Ye gods, I hope you enjoy it. I'm exhausted. The analogy of giving birth has never felt more true. From the embryonic initial idea to the (almost) final 64,000 word book-baby, I feel I have more than carried this one full-term. False starts, crises of confidence and some downright terrible writing have plagued me for over a year. I think I'd have rather had morning-sickness and piles! I definitely had the backache and strange cravings in the middle of the night...

But it was worth it. The mad scribblings of NaNoWriMo, where I stripped back my original short story into post it notes and then wrote 54,562 words in three weeks (before collapsing from exhaustion), have been pruned and sorted, edited and added to, and what has emerged is a pretty awesome tale (well, I think so- and so does my Mum- tee hee) of the special bond between a dog and his Mummy, and how far he'd go to keep her safe. It's even a little bit scary too. And you might cry a bit. If you have a dog, you've got no chance of avoiding either emotion. (But I promise no dogs were harmed in the making of this novel. Well, maybe one... but he's not real, so it's OK- isn't it?)

As chuffed as I am today, I know I'm not quite ready to present The Hungry-Man to the world yet (would that be like a christening? Another Strange Idea). It still needs a little more work before it can find its feet and toddle off into the big wide world. By the time I've tidied it up a bit more, I expect it to be a little heftier and healthier, but I still think it's beautiful now- even covered in lack-lustre verbs and unnecessary adverbs.

I just wanted to squeee a little.

So- SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

I'll keep you posted xxx

Friday Five: best Valentines Day tunes

 

 Happy Valentine's Day!

 Were you swamped with cards and flowers this morning? Overwhelmed with chocolate hearts and surrounded by teddy bears and balloons? Or are you reading this while you wait for your starter to arrive at that lovely little restaurant in the expensive part of town? Good for you, if you are! It's nice to be loved and I like that we have a special day to push us into showing it.

 

But, even if you're not loved up, Valentine's Day is still fun. There are lots of pink things in the shops and bulk-buying chocolate is perfectly acceptable. And there are some great deals to be had on bouquets of roses the next day! (I love a bargain!)

 

This year, being single, I will be spending the most romantic night of the year enjoying the whopping box of Lush goodies my dogs bought me (thank you, boys) and the excuse to sing along in the bath to the slushiest songs ever sung!

Here's my special Valentine's Day playlist, just for you xxx

 

Friday Five: Places to fall asleep

Happy Friday, everyone!

I've done it again... come home from work, fed my boys, eaten my tea, sat down on the sofa with a cuppa to browse the internet and see what's going on in the world- and just woken up.

A waste of a Friday evening? Probably.

An unusual occurrence? Certainly not.

Impressive? Maybe... let me explain.

Happy New Year!

Well, what an interesting year 2013 was! Hang on- wait- or was that 2012? I'm losing track! Or maybe it's just that all my years are interesting? I certainly try!

Before the messy drinking begins, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported and encouraged me as I made the scary leap from aspiring writer to real one- whether it was spotting typos, suggesting names, fact-checking, or telling me everything there is to know about greyhounds. You're all awesome, and I'm sending you big hugs and lots of (virtual) cake.

Thank you too to all those who bought Late and the first of my Strange Ideas. I hope your 2014 surpasses your wildest dreams in terms of health, wealth, happiness and pretty things.

As for me, I have at least two books coming out in 2014, and I hope to have another go at public speaking where my leg doesn't shake so much I can't see the words to read aloud... I'll keep you posted on how that goes!

Happy New Year! Make 2014 the year you Live What You Love.

Lou xxx

Unhappy endings

I am posting this because I don't want to write today. I am writing this instead of the difficult scene I have been dreading ever since I knew it must be written. I am writing this because it is a distraction from the terrible words I must write in order for my story to be complete, as it should be.

Today I have to kill a character. And it will break my heart.

I know I shouldn't be so attached to imaginary people who only exist inside my head, but it's difficult, when I've heard their voices, watched their movements, known their loves and fears and hopes and dreams to end it all with a few taps on a keyboard.

But it must be done. Just not quite yet.

What I have learnt about my characters this week

Another NaNoWriMo post tonight, for which I refuse to apologise.

In case you hadn't noticed (I may have omitted to mention it- ha!) I am participating in National Novel Writing Month, the aim of which is to give procrastinating writers a swift kick up the bum and bully said bum onto a chair in front of a keyboard. Or notepad. Or stone tablet. Whatever tickles your fancy. And then encourage them to write. I say encourage, but cajole, threaten and bribe might be more accurate. Honestly, they're very nice about it though.

The target is a measly 50,000 words in 30 days, or a mere 1,667 words per day average. No problem. Except when I have a late meeting. Or a friend to meet down the pub. Or a Supernatural box set to watch. All three of these spanners have lodged themselves in my works this week. Nevertheless, I have battled on, as my word count (top right) will testify.

NaNoWriMo- my initial impressions

I am typing this with one finger, very slowly. The reason? NaNoWriMo has broken me.

From a flying start on Friday night (if you don't count the dashed-out prologue to break the ice on Friday morning) to a solid effort on Saturday, punctuated with 500-word sprints in between cups of tea and housework and schoolwork, to a still-enthusiastic if slightly ridiculous Sunday morning effort, I'm shattered.

My vision is slightly blurry and I keep bumping into things, my neck hurts and my bottom is completely sofa-shaped. The boys are feeling neglected already (although they have had more frequent short walkies than usual) and I have a ringing in my head from too much caffeine. I'm a mess.

But I'm loving it.

My Ten Commandments for NaNoWriMo

Today I begin the epic quest to write and finish a novel in 30 days.

This will not be without difficulties, and so I have drawn up a list of rules that I must follow in order to be successful (and clean, with a job) over the next month. If I can stick to these, all will be well.

Here they are:

 

1. Thou shalt not let the day job suffer- this is thy quest, not thy employer's.

2. Thou shalt write at least 1,667 words on a week day, and aim for 2,000.

3. Thou shalt not lie in on weekends, but shall rise with the dawn to write 2,500 words on those days.

4. Thou shalt not neglect thy terriers, for lo they will perform dirty protests if regular walkies are not adhered too.

5. Thou shalt not eat Haribo by the bucket, as thy is wont to do when sitting at a computer for lengthy periods of time.

6. Thou shalt not idle thy time waiting for more Candy Crush lives, but shall banish the iPad from thy sight until the daily word count is reached.

7. Thou shall make use of quiet moments to reflect on thy novel, and scribe every idea on post-its for future reference.

8. Thou shall shower every day and eat too, for a smelly and hungry writer is no joy to the world.

9. Thou shalt not go home to commence work on thy novel until planning is completed and books have been marked.

10. Thou shall phone thy parents at least twice a week, or face the wrath and woe of anxious fretting that thy have been eaten by terriers.

Keep an eye on my counter (the blue one, top right) and feel free to berate me if you think I'm not writing fast enough!

A true ghost story

As you know, I write ghost stories. 

As you may have guessed, I'm a believer. 

But you may not know that I've encountered a few ghosts myself, and seeing really is believing. 

The event I'm about to recount is true and, apart from minor vagueness caused by the passing of time, factual. It may not be the most terrifying tale you've ever read, but I'm betting it will be on your mind the next time you're driving at night on a badly-lit road.

The BEST Haunted House video you'll ever see

Happy Halloween! Have you had any trick or treaters yet? I'm busy with Parents Evening tonight, so will have a few tricks and treats of my own to dish out... mwa-hahaha!

A bit of a fun one today, to make a change from all the spooky goings-on you're bound to experience tonight.

I don't know if any of you watch Ellen, but this is worth five minutes of your time even if you don't. One of the show's writers is a real scaredy-cat, and every year they send her through a Haunted House where she screams and freaks out in a way that would be comical if it weren't so genuine. This poor girl is really scared, but manages to have a giggle about it too. A true heroine! Or just a glutton for punishment?

This year, she was joined by Andy, who also works on the show, and Amy looks tough compared to him! I especially like, "Stop it! Stop it now!" and "Are you #*$@ing kidding me?" as he hides behind Amy and occasionally uses her for cover! This is the funniest video I have seen in a long time, but then, I do have a Strange sense of humour.

Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!

http://youtu.be/zjQTpJYcPBI

Remember: Late: a ghostly tale is free to download this week if you fancy a scare with a touch more subtlety...