Brass. Composing....

 Two things. Number one: the paper house has finally caught up with the modern world and created a Facebook account - keep your eyes peeled for 'Jennifer Thomas Writes'. Number two: novel number two is well on its way.

Brass is an account of the Yorkshire miner's strike through the eyes of a young woman, eager to find her place within the changing North. 

I am very excited and can barely move my fingers fast enough to type the story spiilling out. Yorkshire is close to my heart and there are many parts of this, while writing, that have genuinely moved me.

 

The research continues. Many thanks already to the wonderful libraries that grace our country. Spending most of my time browsing their shelves and irritating their staff, I can be found on my days off hiding in the deep and dark corners of these magnificent places. If you don't already, I strongly suggest you take a wander down to your local library, and have a gander at the treasures waiting for you in all the words of those wonderful, wonderful books.

Until next time, 

Mrs Thomas.

NaNoWriMo

November is the month of Nanowrimo - National Novel Writing Month. It is 30 painful days where writers write like crazy to reach a fifty thousand word goal. That works out at just over 1600 words a day. Putting it this way sounds a lot more doable no?

So, dear reader, I have joined up - six thousand words in and I am loving it! There is a wonderful sense of community, with local forums with regular chats and meetups. It feels great knowing that thousands of other people over the world, too, are staring at a blank screen struggling to get started. The forums offer a great place to share ideas, discuss worries and just to have a general vent.

Writing a novel is a dream for many; Nanowrimo provides us with a target and reminds us that this dream is possible, you just have to get your head down for a few hours a day.

This concentration on quantity means you cannot get caught up on the quality of your writing - JUST WRITE. It may be crappy, but having thousands of crappy words is a better start than an empty page. This is exciting. Let's see if I feel the same way on November the 30th, rushing to reach that 50K mark.

Here are a few tips on writing a first draft (because that is what Nanowrimo is all about) from a creative writing cheat sheet:

Writing Your First Draft

Writing a first draft of your creative writing project – whether a novel, short story, poem or play – can be a bit daunting. Follow these handy hints to help you organise your thoughts and manage your time:

• Don’t worry about a great opening line yet. Simply start writing wherever you like.
• Keep the flow going in the early stages – keep writing without stopping, going back, re-reading or changing what you’ve written.
• Remember to show not tell – think about how to dramatise what you’re writing about and create visual images.
• Start somewhere else and get going again if you become stuck on a particular passage.

From reading to writing.

I am stepping into the unknown. Having read fiction for years I've come to the point where I say to myself, why not me too?

Creating a piece of readable fiction is my dream. Actually writing it is my nightmare. 

Thank god for motivational infographics, writers' forums and TED. Yes, TED, my favourite place to learn awesome stuff and to generally feel better about the world.

This video in particular is especially apt. 

David Kelley - How to build your creative confidence.

Thanks, Mr Kelley. Now, back to the notebook...