Wednesday 25 February 2009

Word Count: 2307

Finally an afternoon's work I am satisfied with. The day didn't start well. I slept until one (which isn't that unusual) but felt strangely motivated after breakfast. Also, I haven't got any money and writing, if nothing else, is a cheap way to entertain yourself.

I think the new found motivation comes from the feeling of guilt that auntie Andree's recent visit instilled. She has always been really supportive of my hobby. Reading my work and offering criticism. But I had to tell her I had not really written anything (except ugly poems about infidelity) since Katy left me.

Tuesday 24 February 2009

Word Count: Unchanged

It occurs to me that maybe I should do more than one thing a day.

Monday 23 February 2009

Word Count: Unchanged

Excuses for not writing this week have included: Working at the pub Friday and Saturday; pub quiz Sunday; Uncle Alan and Auntie Andree visiting Norwich today. Excuses for not writing next week are likely to include: House hunting tomorrow; Chris's birthday Wednesday; back to work Thursday.

Thursday 19 February 2009

Word Count: Unchanged

I have decided, after three days of no progress and two late nights at Havana Bar, that maybe I don't know how to write a novel. Maybe my early failures are due to my method of starting at the beginning and ploughing on through until either the plot makes no sense or I become bored with the idea. Maybe. Still, here is where I have an advantage over other failed prospective writers. I live with two successful writers. Chris and Kate both have MAs in creative writing from UEA. Chris makes a living as a writer, translator and teacher of English and Kate's first novel is due to be published in November. I'll ask them them how they battle through these early stages. Sage advice awaits, I'm certain.

Tuesday 17 February 2009

Word Count: 60

This really isn't going well. I hated what I wrote two days ago. Tore it to shreds for a bit then abandoned it in favour of a new idea. I normally find this the easiest part of trying to write a story. A few thousand words of enthusiasm in the first couple of weeks and then the law of diminishing returns is my usual pattern.

Sunday 15 February 2009

Word Count: 122

Probably not the most successful debut writing day in the history of literature. I've got a hangover and I lost a lot of money in a poker game last night. Not real money of course. Nobody at the 'big-boys table' (as Little Hannah christened it when I began to play there three years ago) can afford the stakes we play for, so we all chuck a cursory ten or twenty quid in and then rebuy with ious. I lost sixty six quid in ious last night. Fortunately, Kieron owed me forty five quid from an earlier game. Our game hasn't had a credit crunch yet. We all assume everybody is good for their debts. But I suspect that if we all called them in at the same time, our game would go the way of the economy.

I have a folder of Word documents dating back 10 years containing paragraphs like the one I wrote today. Opening lines of abandoned stories. Seeds of ideas that never take root. It can make for depressing reading. At the time of writing each one, I genuinely thought that they would grow into a publishable novel or story. But, to date, though some have become large. None have been completed. But that's about to change... (althogh probably very slowly)