Wordfeud and giving up

As it's a month since I wrote my resolutions I thought I'd have a wee looksie to make sure I was keeping on task. The swimming is going OK, although I have been ill pretty much non-stop since January. It's little things but the evidence seems to point to a person who is a tad run down, so instead of swimming it seems that there will need to be a more general and balanced getting 'healthy' thing to do with the swimming coming back asap. 

I wrote a synopsis. OK, I'm not saying it's a great synopsis or the best synopsis I will ever write, but it's a damn sight better than the one I churned out in a panic in November. Then I also wrote a query letter. This I have to say is very weird, but it was a lot easier condensing my story to a paragraph then a one page synopsis. As for the rest of the letter I think I tackled it too business like, but again this is something that I plan on getting better at. The revision is knocked on the head, but, oh there are always some buts. I'm doing some final edits. Well it was meant to be edits, but it seems that there are a couple of chapters that could go. Not started that first draft yet. Crit group is good. In fact can I gush for a moment? They're fantastic. Signed up for a SCBWI thing, more about that later, after this year's run of illness, I'm still a little worried about my 'itis' curse and SCBWI events. And I've been very good with the social networking thing too.

And finally to the post title, I warn you that I'm about to get a little cryptic. I'm a bit addicted to scrabble like games. In fact there was a while when Nicky Schmidt beat my butt quite regularly. I almost friended a complete stranger on Facebook because we were pretty evenly matched scrabble wise. Did you know that qi is a word? Yep, I was pretty addicted. A few week's ago a challenge to  play Wordfeud was put forward. It's a complete ripoff of Scrabble and I'm sure it'll get pulled soon, but in the meantime I'm in the middle of ONE game. You see I took up the challenge and after a couple of goes she gave up. Then I started a game with a stranger and the same thing happened. On both occasions we had played a few goes and I was winning (at the time). There's another girl (she's actually an egg and may be a he) but I am beating the pants off her. I like her, because she is persevering and even though I am well and truly thrashing her she hasn't given up. You see, people like egg girl are important to me, because they don't give up. Even when things get tough. Maybe they are naive, and a little over optimistic, but maybe she'll also get better as I did when I was regularly whooped by Nicky. So as I head off to London* for a peaceful week away, my words to you are don't give up. Don't give up the little things like Wordfeud and don't give up the big things either.

*Actually I'm already in London, but I'm going armed only with a camera, notebook and an iPhone (almost tech free!)

It's not time for the holidays yet

One of the things I never appreciated about France until bagging a Frog was the importance of holidays. At work the february school break is called Ski break. Now as one who has never skied, I can drop a whole load of reasons why I don't want to try (and regularly do to my sister in law as February swings round), but this major clue about where holidays lay in the French psyche still didn't get through to mine. The summer holidays are called 'Les grands vacances' another big clue, and I'm sure I've written here about how Paris clears out during the summer. And Boulogne Billancourt as Paris' 21st arrondissement is no exception. If anything, last year our residence was like a ghost building as we rattled around here post move. So why am I mentioning it now? Because in order for the big clear out to take place, the French spend January scouring the internet looking for somewhere to stay. And frankly all those holiday villas, houses, apartments are  starting to blend into one and I can't look at another 'annonce' right now. 

So, here I am turning my mind to my writing resolutions 2012. Thankfully, what with it being January and all (just about) EVEYRONE has already posted theirs, so I've pilfered the useful ones!

1. This one isn't directly a writing one. Someone wrote about mind and body and I'm certainly happier when there's a little physical activity  going on in my life. NO! *blushes* I meant exercise, sheesh. So I'm going to swim once a week. I was aiming for 1k, but my sports coaches have pointed out that first I need to stop pushing off the sides of the pool! 
2. I will write a synopsis (Thank you writing gods. Nicola Morgane's Write a Great Synopsis came out YESTERDAY). 

1. I will write a query letter (I think that's Nicola's next book!)
2. I will knock the revision of current WIP on the head. 
3. I will send off some pages to the editors/agents from the December conference I attended. 
4. I will write the first draft of the thing that I started in November. 
5. Crit group is a must (especially since we've shifted to evenings and there's a bottle of wine involved). 
6. Maybe attend one SCBWI thingie. 
7. Keep an eye out on the Chicken House website and see if they're running that MS comp again this year. (Part one of that plan is now in place in that I follow them on Twitter). 
8. Keep the social networking manageable -No Tweetdeck, cull regularly. 

And lastly I will take the balloons down. Party time is over, it's time to get to work. 

In other news...

Those pesky writing resolutions...

are just not forthcoming this year. In my hazy memory those resolutions just came really easily last year, whereas this year I'm all kind of ooo, aahh, mmm...


So should I do them? I think I should, because they are motivational and it'll be nice in 2013 to say that I achieved them, but I just don't seem as pumped up as last year. 

I think I know why.


The dreaded synopsis

I've never written one before. I've never written one before because although I've started millions* of first drafts, I've only finished two and I've only revised one and now I'm at that stage where I suppose I have to do the dreaded synopsis, followed by the even more dreaded query letter.

Now, while I've done some research on the query letter and can recommend Kidlit and Help! I need a publisher as two sites that can help you get over that obstacle, I've not been paying much attention to the synopsis and more to the point what I've come to realise is that 'I don't get it'. I can write, I'm fairly sure I can. I can even turn out quite a good story if I say so myself (oh yeah, I am saying so myself), but this synopsis thing just gets me. What is it meant to be?


With that in mind I did a search and found many sites, some that I even remember reading before. While each site has its own take, the advice is pretty similar: single spaced unless it's more than a page, simple present, give the tone and voice of your WIP, give everything away. But I still don't get it. 


Having recently made the best god damn chocolate cake I've ever made in my whole life (with a lot of help from the frog), I realised what I needed was a recipe. 


I have found a site that I think might just work. I'm only on step 1 and this time next week I might be tearing my hair out and swearing, but here it is, I hereby present:

How to write a synopsis of your novel

in 7 easy stages, or not. I have yet to find out. I'll let you know how I get on.


Oh Bo*!/£ks I seem to be breaking the one resolution I've made!


Well I haven't broken it yet, but I'm considering it. Caroline Smailes over at In search of me has posted a challenge:

• Are you a writer?

• Would you like to be a writer?

• Do you write flash fiction?

• Do you fancy seeing your work published?

I can whole heartedly answer YES to all four questions, so I'm wondering. If you would like to consider too, then please click on the link below. The deadline is the 11th January. The flash fiction piece is to be no more than a 100 words and should be inspired by a youtube music clip. 

A challenge and the chance to see your story in print

Right, that's enough news now. I better go and do some writing. 

Coming up on the blog:

Interview with author of The house on the corner Andrew Leon

*That might be a slight over exaggeration. 

It's that time of year again

Last year I posted a bunch of writing resolutions, I had a little look at them when I was planning this post and was mostly rather chuffed. But despite that there was also this little niggle. Things that I've started and then not had the time to finish properly. So before I have a good think about this year's writing resolutions, I'm going to try and stick to the tenet:

Know thy limits

in other words:

I challenge myself to take up NO CHALLENGES 

While this might seem to be a contradiction, my idea this year is to FOCUS on writing and to spend less time flitting about on the internet going: 'ooh look shiny new blog badge and blog challenge'. Looking back at last year's resolutions, that's exactly what I was and I achieved everything on my definitely list. I did finish the revision of my WIP. I did tentatively get a BETA reader. I went to LOADS of grit group meetings and yes, I occasionally had to get a babysitter. I started on something new and I only abandoned the blog at the end of the year. 

On my maybe list I did not apply for the SCBWI work in progress grant. I was umming and ahhing about it in January, and as the deadline neared I had the opportunity to pitch my WIP to agent and author John Cusick, so I turned my focus to that instead. 

Number 2 on my list was to go to a SCBWI event. I ended up attending the Pitch session and the December conference. Woo hoo me. There was a cold niggling away in the background, but I managed to get through the weekend sans 'itis' and I had a really enlightening MS review.

Number 3 on my list included starting yet another revision on my current WIP. I've worked out how to use the editors in Scrivener and using what I've learnt about editing at the December conference, I'm doing a general edit before I present the whole MS to my crit group. 

Coming up on the blog:

• 2012 writing resolutions
• A book review or four 
• Two new author interviews 
• 52 photos!

A Memory: The seagull is landing Part II

Every summer, Paris empties during the months of July and August. It's called 'les Grandes Vacances'. It used to be my favourite part of my holidays as it was so quiet. This year we're living next door to a building site, which is apparently good for another couple of years. So to be honest I'm quite looking forward to getting away for a while and hogging someone else's laptop. We may even get to see some seagulls landing again, but there'll be a different backdrop of trees in Richmond Park. See you soon and enjoy your holidays. The Friday photo will appear as usual and I shall return mid August with some good news about the progress of my WIP (I hope, no there will be, maybe, definitely).

A quick return of the Sunday Roast?

No, not really, it's just what with having found two new yummy recipes on BBC Good food and tappety tapping away to the background music of the bread machine, I could easily forget that I'm writing a post about writing and to share a link. 

I'll get the link over and done with first. On Tuesday it's Fete de la Musique. This is an event that has been going on in France for as long as I've lived here. On the longest day of the year everyone is encouraged to pull out their instruments and tune up their singing voices and go out in public and sing and make music. I on the other hand have signed up to do the Summer Solstice Scrawl Crawl. It's a kind of Europe wide thing SCBWI event. The idea is to COMMIT yourself to doing something CREATIVE and then posting it up on the Scrawl Crawl blog. At first I said I would revise a chapter of my WIP, but that seems kind of boring compared to a road trip, or sketching in Madrid, London or Paris (all cities I've lived in BTW!) Anyway, we'll see what I come up with on Tuesday. Whatever it is, I may be getting a little help from the Boobalooba.

So as we are halfway through the year and I'm feeling kind of pleased with myself I thought I'd have a little reflection time and pat myself on the back.

On the first of January I set myself some goals. In my definitely category I said:

• I will finish the revision of A twist in the Tail.

With the critique group we decided that come the September crit meeting mine and my fellow writing buddy Jan Williams will have finished our revisions.

• I will find, beg, ask someone to read the whole draft and critique it (any offers will be gratefully received and obviously I would love to critique an MS in return.)

At the last crit group meeting we discussed 'workshopping' the WIP. I also have a new Kiwi critter, so that's all working out fine and dandy. Plus I should just get over my jitters and send my first 5,000 words of to the Litopia buddies for assessment. The worse that can happen is that I'll be turned down. 

• I will endeavour to go to all the critique group meetings, even if it means organising babysitting. 

I missed one! I had a doctor's note because I had a bad limp, which turned out to be tendonitis of my gluteous maximus! Does that count? But I still critted everybody's work. Oh! And then there was the other meeting where Uncle Pat Pat babysat, because my mother was having tea with my MIL; I still wonder what they talked about.

• I will start work on something new, either The Sands of Time or The Trelawney Funerals. 

In fact I discovered Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake method. I went through steps 1-9 of it and can't bear to do the scene breakdown of the last three scenes because then it will be finished, well apart from the all important bit of writing the first draft! So, this one I feel I have done in spades, although what I chose to work on was neither THE SANDS OF TIME or THE TRELAWNEY FUNERALS.

• I will not abandon the blog, even if at some point in 2011, I won't strictly be living in Paris any more, and I haven't done any exciting wandering for a few years. 

I set up the scheduled once a week photo and when I scroll down and see that there is no text between those pictures I do feel a little guilty. But you're not abandoned blog, honest.

Finally happy Father's day to all you dads out there and with that I will go see how my bread is doing. 

A bit of a ramble...

Yesterday I started off my day by browsing Twitter and clicking on links and then some more, and then some more. I tell you this because yesterday there was no decorating or DIY. Nope, we have hung up our rollers and as one of my bosses used to say: "thrown some money at the problem." A nice little man is going to go and paint our walls on Monday. This is not to say that I've hung up my rollers for good. There will still be the hallway and entrée to do in the summer, but it's the size of a postage stamp (well 2 postage stamps). So, let me ramble on some more about what I've been reading.

Firstly, I spotted this very helpful article by Chuck Sambuchino. It's a link to five different articles about what makes something a Children's Book (Middle Grade in these articles) or YA. I was particularly drawn to this as when I first started my WIP I insisted on calling it 'tween! Just go and see what Kidlit has to say about that. Each article has a slightly different viewpoint and I found that I could pick a teensy weensy little fault in each person's reasoning, but on the whole each article furthered my understanding. I'm not going to summarise the articles, because I really want you to go and read them. They're good, go on.

See, they were good weren't they. So I spent the afternoon trying to write a synopsis of a page and failing, but safe in the knowledge that my WIP was a Children's book and my future WIP is YA. After having a last crack at the synopsis just before bedtime and shaving off a whole three lines, I had a last look at some links and came across this article by Katie Dale about happy endings. If you read through the comments everybody has a different opinion about whether teen fiction should have a happy ending and that was when I had my 'Aha!' moment. The whole way through my current WIP I've been a little uncomfortable about the happy ending. OK, it's not completely happy, there's death and separation, but on the whole, in my head, it's a happy ending. And for me that's what makes it a Children's book. Now in the YA to be written thing, I keep thinking, blooming hell that's a bit dark and while I suppose everything works out in the end, it certainly doesn't for the MC. The first time I wrote it I remember thinking that perhaps the ending was a little too dark. So, I've thrown in this little ray of hope, but it ain't for the MC. So, maybe as well as all the other factors that make a book Children's or YA, it's whether the ending is happy or not.

So with that, I shall leave you to go and do some more shaving and scraping to my synopsis. Oh and that's a picture of some chocolate cupcakes I made this morning with the bubba. She took one bite and decided she didn't like them! It's a good job I only had one egg and had to halve the recipe.

Back to work, back to reality.

These holidays have been a bit unusual in that I haven't made the usual push forward that I would normally make on the wip. Still, I haven't been completely neglecting all things writerly, but I'll just tell you a little bit about the other things that have been occupying my time first.

We finally, officially, truly bought the apartment of our dreams just outside of Paris (but it's still got the metro, so I'm OK). We tootled off and watched our first sunset from our new front room with a glass of champagne and an over excited two year old. The next day saw us stripping wall paper, filling holes and cleaning walls down. By Wednesday when every decorating deadline we had was out the window, the floor people telephoned and told us they were coming a day early to put the floor down. You could hear the Frog's smile on the phone! So we then went home and started packing. We are now surrounded by 60 odd boxes and I've had to tie the Frog to the sofa today to stop him packing some more. We've enlisted some help for next weekend, as apparently the pink of our bedroom 'ne va pas du tout!' and if anyone fancies some babysitting, we've got at least a million coats to put on in the bubba's room before it's presentable. Oh and the floor should be finished.

So apart from that, I did make it to the whole crit group meeting this month rather than the last half of it. It was a good meeting as those of us who had been to the pitch session were keen to share. We brainstormed ways of sharing our work and set some deadlines (SEPTEMBER) for finishing revisions (aaah!).

So, in case you haven't heard of  it, my crit group has opted to use Dropbox. Dropbox is one of those cloud thingies like Googledocs or Picasa web album. It's a space to put documents that you want other people to have access to, or if you want to back up documents. It has a rather spiffy option where your documents are automatically synced each time you work on them, but this only works if you use the document from the Dropbox folder. For my wip I am working from the dropbox folder so that absolutely everything is backed up straight away, but I'm still a bit scared that my wip is out there, in a cloud, so I've got it on my computer as well! Another advantage of Dropbox is you can have 2GB for free. Having only stored photos on a cloud before, I didn't realise that in terms of documents, that's actually quite a lot of space. My wip took up 0.2% of the space, so now I've copied EVERYTHING on it. And there is a folder for my crit group where we can drop our files in for critique.

As well as that, I recently joined Litopia. It was mentioned on Elen Caldecott's post over at ABBA last month and I thought it sounded interesting. In my quest to gather crit partners, I thought this site might prove interesting. As well as asking people to be your crit partner you can also apply to become a full member and have your work critiqued by lots of other people (I'm not exactly sure how this works), but the ultimate goal is that one day you can PITCH directly to an agent. At the moment I'm dipping my toes in gently, but someone did ask to be my crit partner. Funnily enough she comes from a place I had never heard of two months ago and then I spent a half hour in the company of a teacher who explained to me how he was going to retire and farm bees there. I don't think I will ever look at honey in the same way. I thought it was only wine that was treated with such reverence, but then maybe I'm a little biased on that front. Oops, big digression there. Yes, crit partner, got one, so we'll see how that works out.

And then tomorrow it's back to work, so a little semblance of normality will return until the paint roller is forced into my hand again next weekend.

JaNoWriWe... or how not mope around like a sad sop

We're buying a flat (YAY!) before the 11th April and then after the 11th April we will start decorating and moving and all that stuff that is involved in moving. Before the move there is a shed load of stuff to do. To ward off the stress headache that is threatening to become a migraine, we brainstormed it all on a giant post it this morning. Oh, I kid ye not the post it is giant, see...

that's an ordinary sized post it beside it. Anyway the flat buying and all that, that's not the point. The point is that all this is going to suck on my time, more to the point my writing time. And funnily enough Better writing habits then starts talking about scheduling your writing time. I've heard talk of it before, but they are more specific: day and time. And I'm adding a little extra of my own: word count goal.

This week the Frog is on a business trip for the whole week. He's not even been gone four hours and already I'm moping around like a sad sop. I'm watching the bubba from the kitchen as I wash up and she gives Dimple the polar bear time out for who knows what and I'm thinking awww the Frog is missing this. I cannot do this. I cannot do this all week and fritter away this precious writing time. So, business, business, business.

Sunday: nap time: 400 words. (I'm being realistic, I am after all a single parent this week- and I'm revising, 1666 is all well and good, but they tended to be on the crap side).
Monday: eat with the bubba and do NOT snack on evil goodies afterwards - 250 words
Tuesday: eat with the bubba and do NOT snack on evil goodies afterwards - 250 words
Wednesday: eat with the bubba and do NOT snack on evil goodies afterwards - 250 words
Thursday: eat with the bubba and do NOT snack on evil goodies afterwards - 100 words (it's staff meeting night and I'm brain dead).
Friday: Do NOT leave your keys at work like you did last year! Go out have fun and don't get drunk* or you will wake up with a hangover and the Frog will not be home to save you in the morning.

That sounds reasonable? No?

*Remember that nowadays you get drunk on two glasses (especially if it's bad wine, maybe you should stick to beer).