Travel and Black Boxes

I am sitting in the study in Cornwall having watching the most beautiful sunrise wondering how I got here from there sort of thing. What a week this has been. Celebrated Dh's birthday, had hang over from hell (might there be a connection I wonder?), flew to London, went to a book launch, picked up ds2 and drove to my beloved home! I think I may have left my brain somewhere along the way..........

However it was with sheer joy that I was able to attend the wonderful Caroline Smailes' launch of Black Boxes. It was joyful on sooooooooo many accounts I just have to list them:

-Novel Racers (finally meeting in person Calistro, Leigh, CC, Julliette, Cathy - of course I had met the wonderful Kate Harrison before - lucky me!)

-Meeting Caroline in the flesh

-Catching up with the glorious Biddy

-Meeting Judith who in my jet lagged state I couldn't quite place why I knew her (please forgive me)

-Holding in my hands my own - and signed just for me- copy of Black Boxes which in the flesh, so to speak, is so much more beautiful that the image of the cover portrays on the 'puter screen!

-And finally just the buzz of being a part of a friend's success

I, as always, took a few photos so that I could share the event. I haven't outed the people in them.......see if you can guess.

Mugs

Over on the Novel Racers' Blog , Debs has posted the mug she usually takes to the shed with her. It had me thinking...do I choose the same mugs for writing? Well yes, it would appear I do. The first one was done at the pottery cafe in Fulham before we left and inspired by India Knight and Nervis Thomas' book The Idiot Proff Diet - I use this one for green tea, the next in line is dd's - I steal this one for redbush tea, and the final one is my coffee mug. Do I get out of sorts if I don't have the correct mug???? Not really but slightly. Will have to see if my output is adversely affected by mug choice! Is your choice of mug among your writing rituals?

Subconscious

The writing is flowing pretty well at the moment but I find I am startled at the what is coming out. I know this sounds peculular but it's true. This book has been mulling in my head for over a year so my mind has had plenty of time to work with the basic seed and feed it well. However I thought I knew where it had sprouted. The last 7000 words just goes to show how wrong I can be. Despite my key ideas and basic plot this story has twisted in some very new directions for me - scarey but good - well, at least, at this point!

I continue to try and limit myself on Black Box Widgeting.......write a couple hundred words then two goes......there are some new interesting choices coming up now not to mention some fabulous blogs. If you have stopped by because of the BBW- what were the choices that brought you here?

Finally I can confirm that I will make to the launch of Caroline Smailes Black Boxes. I am so excited that things have finally fallen together and that wonderful sil was able to accomodate us in London!

Word Choices

Sex. Writing it has been a tricky affair for me however, in the wip, the second scene is straight in there so to speak. It was such fun to write. I mean serious fun. I love this character who is quite a rotten apple and this scene shows her voracious appetite. I wrote the scene without 'my mother' on my shoulder (Dad, if your reading this break it to her gently). The only concession to editing in the scene was the word I choose to type for part of the male anatomy. I wrote not the one I wanted to, but a more gentle term. I did this in the off chance that dd might started to edit my work as she is prone to do.

However I forgot I substitued the word when I handed the first ten pages to the Dh to read. I normally don't have him read my work but this book is a slightly new direction and I wanted some feedback.

Five minutes later I crept back waiting to be told what a lot of tosh it was but no. He enjoyed it??? He had trouble with the opening which we discussed then he said - you know what's happening and you rushed it. The reader needs more set up. Good comment I thought. I then ventured to ask him about scene two.......was it too much? would it upset a reader? Dh said upset no, but he would change a certain word as it it didn't fit with the character. Couldn't agree more - must remember to change all before I have some else read it.

Still addicted to Black Boxes widget. Give it a try. What are the choices you have made?

Black Box Addiction

Aside from chocolate I have never faced addiction before .......but the widget has gained control of my mind. Must refocus on wip and for all the questions except the one relevent to the current work!

If you are visiting from Black Boxes you are most welcome and I promise I am not normally this easliy distracted! If you haven't tried Black Boxes - know that if you click on decide you may never be the same...........

Caroline Smailes - Black Boxes

Finally I feel like I am catching up - catching up with writing, the blog world and just about everything in general. This is good indeed.

In the process of catching up I realized I have missed so much. Blog Friend and fellow Novel Racer Caroline Smailes has a new book out this month. Some may remember her first book, In Search of Adam, and if you read it you will never forget it. My review is here. I look forward to Black Boxes knowing it will probably rip me apart inside yet build me back up by Caroline's powerful writing. Time will tell but in the interim she with help of Stray have launched the most fun widget.......you could spend all the hours of your day, believe me.......

Two other bits to go with this.....one part of the widget allows you to ask your own question. Well, what came out of me I realize just may lie at the heart of my wip. Time will tell....

Finally if I can work things properly, i will be able to attend the launch in London of Black Boxes and I can't tell you how excited that makes me. I just need to line up all the dots to make it work. Keep your fingers crossed for me and let me know if you become addicted to the widget.

WIP - current word count 2100

New Toy

Well the new book is firmly underway. Thus far just over 1000 words. I have tried to work one progress meter today and failed dismally as you can see. I didn't get up at five this morning but at 6:45. I need to break myself in gently. So tomorrow its 6:30 and so on.

I have to say the only reason i have made it too 1000 words is the new constant companion in my life pictured here. This nifty little things means that with a spare five minutes here and there i can whip it out and work. I lose so much time during the day by having to get places early - otherwise no place to park. So for school pick up 13:30 I leave the villa at 13:00. We live less than a kilometer away. So I sit in the car normally reading which is good but with time so tight at the moment writing is better. I suppose i could try long hand but i think switching between the two might be too much for my addled brain to take.

Can you write in short segments or do you need a decent stretch?

It Has begun

Well, it's not a promising start but the new book has begun.........186 words to be precise but at least it is under way and i am no longer faced with a blank page. It's funny but I can already feel my characters coming to life.

However for the moment progress will be painfully slow as I have very little free time. I am comtemplating what i did this summer to find the hours - early rising! With the late start of school, 8:30, until the end of Ramadan I could get a few hours in if i woke at five. Just might have to bite the bullent and become a lark.

Are you a lark or a night owl?

BTW thansk for the progress meter info. Will get myself sorted tomorrow!

Back to School

It's the first day back at school for dd and my first catch-up day. However it will be far too short as it is Ramadam hours.......so no writing today, but tomorrow will be a different story.

This past week has been so hectic. Leaving Cornwall despite the rain was awful. Then I had to cross the threshold on ds2 moving on to senior school. He was ready I'm not sure I was! Ds1 was a star as always becoming more responsible by the day. There are days when I wonder why I had children but mostly now they remind me all the time how glad I am that we did!

So tomorrow will be kick off of new book. I will try and sort out a prgress meter because the link I have to the old is gone. Does anyone has any suggestions?

Greetings. I am counting down the hours until we leave Cornwall and more than a bit panicked that I haven't finished all that I need too........I have a check list a mile long.

So I won't write much but just say I am dying to start writing again which is good but it won't be until next week. I doubt I will have Internet access until Friday so until then keep well!