Weekend Work-Out

Okay, so I may need to come up with a new title if I get any brainwaves, but for now weekends shall be known on this blog as work-out weekends. That is, weekends where I shall work things out. Work out where my writing is going, what needs fixing, changing, what I want to do in the future.

Today, I shall share with you what I worked out the other day: I want to write a prequel to Family Portrait/Snap Shot/Camera Shy. I know, it may seem as though I'm a little obsessed with this set of characters, but I really want to write about the main adult (Ella) in FP as a teenager. A lot happened to her as a kid, including an unplanned pregnancy and then adoption of that baby, and so I think it'll be really interesting to run with that story. It may seem as an easy option, as the characters are already set out, but I've decided I'm just gonna write it an see how it turns out =]I really want to get to know the character of Ella more before I write Camera Shy, and this seems like the perfect way.

I also need to find time to edit Oh, Brother, which I shall be doing soon hopefully - once my exams are finished. That one will be a stand alone book - I'm not totally obsessed with sequels and prequels!

Now, I need a title for that prequel... =]

Writing resolutions

So, I am a uselss blogger, but I plan to make 2010 the year I rectify that. At some point I'm going to sort out a blogging schedule for this blog, but for this post I shall apologise (sorry!) and do a quick update on my writing progress and my writing resolutions for the year =]

So, at present I have written thre books, all in various draft stages. Family Portrait is on draft six; Snap Shot is on draft two; and I'm currently doing the first round of edits on Oh, Brother. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out - especially considering I ended up writing it in 22 days! Still, it needs work of course. I've also started writing Camera Shy, the third in the Family Portrait/Snap Shot trilogy (I really need some overarching term for that - the *something* trilogy) although I know I need to polish the others and stop starting new things!

So, my New Year's Resolutions for writing:

1. Blog more. Yes, I need to keep it more up-to-date - I enjoy it, it's just finding the time!
2. Polish up the finished drafts I have, with the aim of having one ready this year to query.

So, I hope you all had a good Christmas, and Happy New Year to you all! I shall be blogging again soon!

Happy Christmas!

Happy Christmas everyone - hope you have a great day! I shall be posting more in the future, I promise :D I see a 2010 resolution in the making...

May your day be merry and bright!

Names!

I have a basic idea of what my NaNo novel is going to be about. Now, I need character names! The main characters are a brother and a sister, and I think I'm going for Jesse for the brother. I'm struggling to think of a girl's name for his sister, so I'm throwing it to anyone who has any ideas...

Please?! :D

I also need a surname, ya know, if you think of any!

*Cross-Posted to 'Family Portrait' blog.*

Writing writing writing

So, I'm actually blogging again :D I'm sorry for the extended leave, I'm just useless. In writing news, Snap Shot has reached 56k, and I'm hoping to finish it by Christmas! Yay!

I may be updating my general blog a little more often than this as I start NaNo next week, so here's the link in case you want to take a look - http://veggie-teen.blogspot.com/

Best go and get some writing done!

Writer's Block

Perhaps I shouldn't set goals; since I posted this I have been suffering from writer's block (which I blogged about here) and so have not managed to do that well in writing.

The first chapter of FP has been edited twice, however - including a whole rewrite of the first paragraph. Quick excerpt time, I think: please let me know if you feel this would or wouldn't hook you as the first two paragraphs (possibly prologue) of a book, and why!

When she ended up climbing from her window sill to the first branch she could reach, Imogen Meyer felt no guilt. She’d never much liked living by the rules. Sure, it wasn’t the easiest exit route from her new home, but she didn’t fancy running into her new family, which she undoubtedly would if she took the traditional way out. Besides, she reckoned she needed the practice; it wouldn’t be long before the Kingsleys were doing her head in – she knew it.
It was only a short period of escapism – she didn’t want her new family to notice she was gone – but it was enough to satisfy her for one evening. The house felt stuffy, overcrowded. There were so many new people she had to get to know, and pretend to like; she wondered for a moment if all the hassle was worth it. Angrily she dismissed this thought; she knew it was worth it. As much as she hated the prospect of living in this house, with these people, she’d have done it twice over if her little sister had needed her to. Abby had always been the most important thing in Imogen’s life; Imogen was not going to let her down just because she was faced with a difficult decision.

And, my word count for this week (well, just over a week, since I set the goals on Friday and it's now Sunday): 4000 words. Half my goal, but the goal was really a stab in the dark - and I have had writer's block. Now that it's cured, however (see the blog post here for how I managed that!) I'm off to write! =]

Goals

Ok, so, a couple of writing blogs I read set out weekly goals every week, so I have decided to do the same thing - it seems like a sensible way of getting motivated, although I'm actually pretty motivated writing-wise at the minute! I wish some of that motivation could be for school work, but unfortunately it's not :s

It'll also give me a reason to blog twice weekly! So, my goals for the coming week - a little premature, I know, but hey - are:

8,000 words on Snap Shot.
Now, the amount I write a week varies ridiculously, so I'm not sure how I'm gonna get on with a set number of words to hit, but we'll see what happens!

Edit chapter one of Family Portrait
I have a lot of friends reading FP at the minute, so I'm waiting for any feedback, but I've got some great feedback on Absolute Write, so I think I'm going to attempt to improve Chapter One this week, and make it a more exciting opening to the book.

So, I'll let you know how I get on with those!