Hello Lazy Perfectionista and Cally of Brighton. What is it about Brighton that attracts wannabe writers, I wonder, for I live here too (see In the beginning…) as does Lucy Diamond, though she is no longer a wannabe but a been there, done that, got the book jacket, writer. (I am a third through Any Way You Want Me and thoroughly enjoying it.)
I came to Brighton to read English at Sussex Uni, stayed on to do an MA with the hope of completing a D.Phil but ran out of money and have been trapped here ever since. I can't think of a more pleasant place in which to be trapped, except Paris perhaps.
I have written professionally all my life, first as an advertising copywriter then in any way that would earn me a crust. But I have always wanted to write something of length. Part of the reason I studied at as a mature student was to learn how to write more than 200 words at a time.
I am working on my second book - the first I half wrote many years ago and have long since lost. My present effort doesn't have a title at the moment and I must admit I am finding it a struggle. I think I set about it the wrong way, i.e. with no forethought. On the other hand, is there any correct way to set about writing a novel? However, I shall see it through. I used to run cross-country so I feel I know all about the ups and downs of long distance writing. (At the moment, it seems all uphill but I am sure it must peak at some stage.)
I wish bonne chance to all my fellow racers and remember to take on board plenty of liquids - preferably white wine.
2 comments:
Don't know about no forethought is necessarily the wrong way to write. I know of several regularly published novelists who just sit at the keyboard and start typing. Block (iirc) author of "Telling Lies for Fun and Profit" has written dozens of novels that way. II've only sold two novels, but much of my published writing is in the 30-40k novella range. I usually have checkpoints or stepping stones or short-term goals or what ever you want to call them. Four to six key objectives I need to hit on my way to the end. How I get from one to the other is never clear to me when I begin writing. And I have been known to abandon points I thought were vital going in and adopt new ones. So don't hinkk of the no-forethought method as wrong, think of it as the way you're doing it this time.
Thanks for those comments, kevin, most encouraging. I like the objectives thought as I have a number of events that need to take place, which I suppose are equivalent. It's just a matter of getting to them in a probable manner.
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