Sitting on top of the world

...can't believe how nervous and excited I am...

Recently I've been chomping my way through Writing Without a Parachute: the Art of Freefall by Barbara Turner-Vesselago. To keep up with the book I have to write everyday. Its been brilliant. Revealed my Writers Dragons and dredged up some long forgotten stories that have become little 'shorts' in their own right. I'll re-visit them some time in the future.

However, in the mean time, and the more exciting news is
 that it has has propelled me (like a rocket) to actually having a go at writing
 a 50,000 word (minimum) piece of work.

 (Unheard of for me. A total far-off fantasy. Feel like I'm sitting on top of the world.)

Yes I'm actually going to write a novel. I have signed up with NaNoWriMo with 80,000 (plus) others from around the world and committed myself to a month of 'just doing it'. I can't fail, the only goal I have is to have a go for myself. (The goal is to complete in ONE month: November.)

It's not for anyone or anything else other than me.
It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to have an audience or an outcome.
It doesn't have to be graded, peer reviewed, riveting, publishable, or best-seller material.
It simply has to hit 50,000 words or more in one month.

Just signing up with a blank canvas has propelled me forward. So far I've got:

• a rough story, 
• a bit of a skeleton/story-board, 
• several linked plots, 
• four key characters
• and  a focus and reason to write.

The real writing begins 1/11/13. But in the meantime I have developed the characters.

Already way ahead!  

I have never in my life sat down and actually run through a character development process.
Filling in details about each of the players including physical details, aspirations, perceptions, favourite foods, bad habits,  inner and outer personality traits, dreams, fears, hobbies, secrets etc, has already sunk me into another layer of the story.

I've surprised myself with the depth and twist of each of their characters. 

And especially the light and dark of the human condition that accompanies all of us. 

Just by doing this process I've stumbled across an intriguing parallel between two of the personalities that I wasn't even aware of. I am so looking forward to letting the story pour its own juice. The idea has landed. The scene has been set. I have no idea about the content. I'm simply going to sit down and write every night and let it flow.

All controls will be turned off. Inner critic, pedantic editor, merciless judge will just have to take a back seat and give the creative magic of a free-falling penstress lots of space to dance and sing and write.

Write through the block, write through the terror, write 'fear-ward'.

And here, just for you, a sneak preview at the very, very, very brief synopsis:

Three young women, a weekend summer music festival, and a tale that weaves and weeps both tatters and tapestry of  unexpected experience and consequence over the next decade of their lives. 

 Intimacy comes at a cost. Shame, guilt, fear and the need for forgiveness or revenge stalk the shadows, underpin life choices and demand attention.

I'll keep you posted

Lv D