I set myself a challenge - finish this set of re-writes on The Novel by the end of the month. When I set myself this challenge I had only done re-writes on 2 chapters. I have since made excellent progress. I downloaded a program called Scrivner - I meant to download it last year but put it off. Recently someone I follow on Twitter was raving about it so I decided to give it a go. Well, it's now enabled me to re-write 5 more chapters with such ease I am embarrassed I didn't download it sooner.
If you're a writer I would recommend. It's great for writing novels, any kind of manuscript really, and it has a nifty 'script writing' setting for any budding script writer (which I kind of am and will be studying at some point in the next year of my degree).
I just wanted to share this joyous discovery with you guys because I know a lot of my followers are writing comrades ;)
Also, on a writing note - my local Starbucks is where I like to do some of my writing. The manager, who is also a writer, has informed me of a short story competition run by Costa coffee. Now I know they have their Costa Awards thing, and they pick great books, but this is a really great opportunity for unpublished authors to get their writing into the world. It closes on the 7th september, so not much time to write a 4000 short story, but if you're interested you should check it out HERE.
I don't know if I will have time to enter (plus, short stories are not my forte, I am not that skilled at story telling) but if you write you should definitely check it out!
I love saying that. This is my new saying of this week:
"I'm going to Harrogate for a couple of days, just gotta get outta town... unwind..."
Because no one ever says this in the UK, it's such an American thing to say. And I love it! hehe.
So yes, all, I am off to Harrogate for 2 days (1 night for all you night counters) and staying in what looks like a LUSH apartment, but I'm kind of scared it's going to end up a dump. Although research says otherwise, I'm still worried... oh well.
It's the fella's birthday so we're visiting his once home town... out of many home towns. He used to move around a lot, but this place is one of his favourites so who am I to stand in his way? I love Harrogate. Any old spa town really. So for the next 2 days I'm going to be chilling (literally) in the park, walking around the streets, going to the cinema (That amazingly old Odeon they have there... if they're showing anything other than Titanic. Not watching that again), and eating my face off. I feel I need this. I'm stressing about Uni work and real work and writing. Well, not writing. I'm loving the re-writes for my book, but it's always playing on my mind and I just need to breathe for a bit.
In other news... I have no other news. This past week has been filled with nothingness. But that's ok, riiight? I have been trying to figure out how to succeed in my next assignment for uni, which is to find and write for a magazine competition/ publication that is suited to my writing style etc. So I need to find a magazine which has, like, a fiction competition or something. But I am the WORST person when it comes to finding anything. Can't find the salt and pepper in the cubboard, can't find a competition in a magazine. So, yeay... but not really.
I'll huff, I'll puff, I'll set your furniture shop on fire!
Isn't that how the saying goes?
I don't know! Riots. That's what I'm talking about. Well, not talking about because I'm quite happy to let the elephant stay in the room - I won't talk to it, I won't feed it and eventually I assume it will go away of it's own accord, because it will get bored and want to return to it's natural habitat. (but hopefully not steal from, or burn down said Habitat).
It's all over the news and now the riots have hit Manchester and that's all anyone is talking about. Well. I refuse, so if you want riot news, go elsewhere. I'm not going to harp on about how scallies are running around and the police won't use deadly force, like they should be doing!
My blog today is about... well, it was about 2 things really. The first being I just got back from my run (I decided last week to jump off the treadmill and run outside, why the hell is it 100% harder?!), and I did ok. I'm not a fit person. I have asthma and as a rule I like to be lazy. What can I say?! But 2 miles in 25 mins (roughly), is probably the best I can ask for right about now so I'm saying hurrah to myself. I need to tone up and I have decided running outside is my way forward. I need to find better running songs to listen to though, so if anyone has any suggestions - please help me out! I find anything by Katy Perry is good, especially my favorite one - E.T... oh come on... it's amazing! Kiss me, ki-ki-kiss me!
I'm totally doing my makeup like this next time I go out for a run! hahah!
In other unrelated topics I wanted to talk about fitting in. I never really fit in anywhere, and part of it is because I don't want to, but sometimes I find myself on the outside looking in, especially when it comes to Internet society. I don't want Internet 'fame' - what I do want, and what I used to have on some sites, is a community. Because that's what the Internet is great for! You can talk to people as much or as little as you want about specific topics and not feel the need to know about their personal lives, unless you actually become super duper friends, in which case you add the on Facebook and photostalk them until you realise you're being a crazy person.
Community - it's the Internets silver lining, but I sometimes feel like I can't quite get my foot in the door. This place is great for that, this old Blogger here, because people drop in and out and if they like you they follow you. I never really feel any pressure to out-do anyone or try to be anyone else on Blogger, because I try to be as honest as I can be and people can like it or lump it, but I don't feel like I'm truly a 'blogger'. I don't feel like I'm in this blogging community. I'm trying to get onto a site with a forum at the moment, which will help with my writing, but I can't seem to because of technical difficulties, but I also want to try to find actual writing forums, a place I can go and get involved, enter competitions and such - but as I'm not involved in that world I find it really hard to even find the door... I can't even sneak in an open window because I don't know which one will lead to a nice community and which will lead to... dum dum dum, certain death.
Now, this blog didn't make sense because I lost my train of thought, but if you stop by here and know of any good writers forums or a site that hosts writing competitions, I would really appreciate some guidance, as there are SO many, I don't know which ones I should be looking at!
I've recently decided that I'm going to try to acheive my ultimate goal and write. I'm working on a degree, but also working on a novel. If this doesn't work out, I'm going to have to start looking for what people call 'a real career' (these people are idiots).
I've recently decided that I'm going to try to acheive my ultimate goal and write. I'm working on a degree, but also working on a novel. If this doesn't work out, I'm going to have to start looking for what people call 'a real career' (these people are idiots).
