Everything electronic is on a go slow. The answer, of course, is to reboot the computer. That, however, would mean forcing outlook to close. And outlook has been at the bottom of most of today's semi-shutdown. It is now open in safe mode. It took a mere 47 minutes to achieve that blessed state.
But, at least now it is working. Itunes has decided that it does in fact love my shuffle - well at least now that I've booted Spotify off the desktop.
I'm finally giving up. Switching off. I may return. Then again....
Wednesday 3 August 2011
Thursday 17 March 2011
Procrastination and the common cold
I'm suffering from both of these afflictions and can't quite decide which is worse. On reflection, the common cold may just have the upperhand as I think it is the cause of my procrastination. But I could be wrong. The throat soothers I rescued from the far reaches of my desk drawer are a tad sticky. The promised liquid centre is, in fact, a solid sticky mass that is currently congealing its way around my teeth. They are, I think, rather ancient. At least I can't actually remember buying them and there's only a third of a pack left. The last time I had a sore throat and needed soothers was way before Christmas.
I had sat down at my keyboard with the avowed intent to write a couple of hundred words, in this my lunchtime break. Instead I have struggled to tweet and have been distracted by the various links to "tips for writers", which keep appearing on my twitter page. Most of those I went to were about avoiding procrastination, a tad ironic don't cha think?
First thing though, I did finish up the murder scene of my new story. I wrote it straight through and then went back to read it. It scared the hell out of me, I think I may have nightmares. What scares me more though, is the fact that I imagined all this horror. I think I need to tame it down a lot, after all I'm writing a murder/mystery not a horror story.
The second soother is even more sticky than the first - something I did not think possible. I shall have to abandon my writing endeavors and go find some floss....
I had sat down at my keyboard with the avowed intent to write a couple of hundred words, in this my lunchtime break. Instead I have struggled to tweet and have been distracted by the various links to "tips for writers", which keep appearing on my twitter page. Most of those I went to were about avoiding procrastination, a tad ironic don't cha think?
First thing though, I did finish up the murder scene of my new story. I wrote it straight through and then went back to read it. It scared the hell out of me, I think I may have nightmares. What scares me more though, is the fact that I imagined all this horror. I think I need to tame it down a lot, after all I'm writing a murder/mystery not a horror story.
The second soother is even more sticky than the first - something I did not think possible. I shall have to abandon my writing endeavors and go find some floss....
Tuesday 15 February 2011
Not another set of writing tips!!!
Every writer has their own set of tips and thoughts and just about everything, on how the writing thing gets done. I know this because I think I've read them all.
The thing about writing is you just have to do it. No amount of reading about what you should, or shouldn't, do is going to get it done. And just because these 10 things work for some bigshot writer, doesn't mean they're going to work for you.
Do you really need someone to tell you that to be a writer you also need to be a reader? If you don't read books, how can you write readable books? Do you really need someone to tell you that show is way better than tell? Really?
I went once to a creative writing course. It was the worst experience of my life. All these budding writers vying to show off their skills and tell their stories. They didn't need to impress me, I wasn't there for their writing I was there for my own. They willingly crunched their thoughts and ideas into the formats demanded of the course leader. Now, I have to come clean and admit that I learned more about me as a writer at that course than I had in the years of writing in solitary in the proverbial darkened room. I didn't learn how to construct a story in 30 minutes - I learned that I was a slow burner, taking ideas, logging them, allowing my brain to sift the good from the bad, reconfiguring and eventually coming up with an idea that might lead to a story.
I learned that sharing my half baked thoughts is something I'd rather do with my partner, than half a dozen strangers - no matter how into writing they might be. And that I don't think in the same way that that particular group of individuals all seemed to be able to do. I also didn't want to please teacher. When I write I want to come out the other end with something that I want to read.
So my writing tips.
1. Know what you like to read and why.
2. Write for you first and foremost - afterall, you read other peoples' books so there must be an audience just like you out there.
3. Listen to what others have to say, but make your own mind up.
4. Share your thoughts and writings with those you trust to tell you what they really think, preferably non-writers themselves they won't feel the need to compete.
5. When you do find that writer buddy who helps you without comparing your work to theirs, treasure them.
6. Write, write and keep on writing. Then read it over and over, editing it until it looks like something that might interest you if you were to pick it up in a book store.
7. Try turning it into an e-book and read it on your kindle or ipad - it's amazing how this changes your view of what you've just written.
8. Above all, enjoy the person you are.
The thing about writing is you just have to do it. No amount of reading about what you should, or shouldn't, do is going to get it done. And just because these 10 things work for some bigshot writer, doesn't mean they're going to work for you.
Do you really need someone to tell you that to be a writer you also need to be a reader? If you don't read books, how can you write readable books? Do you really need someone to tell you that show is way better than tell? Really?
I went once to a creative writing course. It was the worst experience of my life. All these budding writers vying to show off their skills and tell their stories. They didn't need to impress me, I wasn't there for their writing I was there for my own. They willingly crunched their thoughts and ideas into the formats demanded of the course leader. Now, I have to come clean and admit that I learned more about me as a writer at that course than I had in the years of writing in solitary in the proverbial darkened room. I didn't learn how to construct a story in 30 minutes - I learned that I was a slow burner, taking ideas, logging them, allowing my brain to sift the good from the bad, reconfiguring and eventually coming up with an idea that might lead to a story.
I learned that sharing my half baked thoughts is something I'd rather do with my partner, than half a dozen strangers - no matter how into writing they might be. And that I don't think in the same way that that particular group of individuals all seemed to be able to do. I also didn't want to please teacher. When I write I want to come out the other end with something that I want to read.
So my writing tips.
1. Know what you like to read and why.
2. Write for you first and foremost - afterall, you read other peoples' books so there must be an audience just like you out there.
3. Listen to what others have to say, but make your own mind up.
4. Share your thoughts and writings with those you trust to tell you what they really think, preferably non-writers themselves they won't feel the need to compete.
5. When you do find that writer buddy who helps you without comparing your work to theirs, treasure them.
6. Write, write and keep on writing. Then read it over and over, editing it until it looks like something that might interest you if you were to pick it up in a book store.
7. Try turning it into an e-book and read it on your kindle or ipad - it's amazing how this changes your view of what you've just written.
8. Above all, enjoy the person you are.
Friday 11 February 2011
It's been some time since my last confession
I've been doing so many things since before Christmas that blogging just seemed to fall by the wayside. I decided that there would be no New Year resolutions because invariably those only last a day or two.
Instead, I decided that February would be my month of action. So starting today (I only just thought about the month of action thing over breakfast), this month will be my starting point for loadsa stuff.
Like, as I'm in New York and the biathlon is in Fort Kent, I'm heading up there today to spend the rest of the weekend with snow, skis and rifles. Who knows, I may even get a little skiing in myself.
Then it's back to the UK. And in all honesty, I have to knuckle down and reduce the chubby factor associated with these cheeks. Trouble is when my writing is going well, and it is :) my eating keeps pace. Too much snacking, not enough walking. Maybe I should buy a treadmill, then I could write and walk.
Then again, maybe not.
Instead, I decided that February would be my month of action. So starting today (I only just thought about the month of action thing over breakfast), this month will be my starting point for loadsa stuff.
Like, as I'm in New York and the biathlon is in Fort Kent, I'm heading up there today to spend the rest of the weekend with snow, skis and rifles. Who knows, I may even get a little skiing in myself.
Then it's back to the UK. And in all honesty, I have to knuckle down and reduce the chubby factor associated with these cheeks. Trouble is when my writing is going well, and it is :) my eating keeps pace. Too much snacking, not enough walking. Maybe I should buy a treadmill, then I could write and walk.
Then again, maybe not.
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