determined to not write a novel or what?

the picture below is NOT to judge any differences between novelists and other authors. it did seemed appropriate though to demonstrate different approaches. and i don't know if there is a chance to switch between a hare and a tortoise. i don't even know if it is necessary to yearn for such a change.

here's the story.

the gazillion's read of my Copper Moon concluded in finding said novel a short story. an extremely looooong short story. there are no real conflicts, no real evolution of some of the characters (well, at least the main character should show some signs of development - and i don't think the mental and physical changes she present qualify as signs of major development...)

-

the story i wrote lacks some of the important elements of a novel. period.

but as for the reason behind?

here are my takes (and i hope to hear yours in the comments section .... )

it is either

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1. the result of my previous experiences with writing.

you know, i am a free-lance journalist. i mostly write on agriculture-related subjects like how to deal with rodents in your house, how to build up a glass house and what are the most important gardening activities of a month and the like. i translate scientific papers. it's all neat and dry and i have no problems with that.

but a garden pond has no character development and the species composition of arthropod assemblages of potato fields show no conflicts either.

it is all description.

and as for literature? some of you might have read some of my pieces.

it's short prose at its best, but mainly flash fiction and poetry.

these are reflections of a state.

no development. nothing long-ish that starts somewhere and goes to a definite direction.

flash fiction is okay, because that reveals a status quo.

but composing a decent short story had gave me hard times and i did not excel at all.

so, reason number one: lack of experience.

potential reason number 2.

my status. my own character.

what if some people are just not 'natural born novelists'?

what if a person's certain psychological factors determine one's affection towards a certain type of writing?

say, a person who loves life, indulges in many activities, lives whole heartedly tends to write romantic stories with lots of actions?

say, someone else, who tends to analyze people around him favours to write psychological stories instead, with less of real actions but more beneath the surface?

what if a natural conflict avoider just can not bring his characters into a real conflict?

someone who is content with contemplating the events of life without interruption just finds content in describing status quos?

if the latter is the case, it is not my characters who are in trouble.

i am :)
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as for the time being i read, and read, and read :)
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photo credits:
http://dscottangle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/tortoise-and-hare.jpg

the pack is diverging

i started to read my novel again, but stopped at about page 5.

i kind of tried to read it with the eye of someone completely fresh to the story.

isn't it frightening that it took me two years to get the necessary distance?

i'm kind of okay with that - as long as it helps me, though.

-

this time i found that the pack is quite a diverse one.

it was not a brand new experience, though. i kind of knew it right from the beginning.

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let me explain the simile.

in my novel, there are parts, sections or paragraphs that are filled with actions. the characters move forwards, confront each other, try to explore something.

there are other parts where they ponder about their lives and relationships and some other parts that are descriptions. sure the descriptions are there to underline a feeling, or make the reader anticipate an action and so on...

but then again, some, if not most, of these descriptions are just tapestry. decoration. almost poetry, if you like. and not tightly needed in the course of actions. these descriptions are valueable. i like them dearly. most of them are palpable, full with emotions and all that stuff we love in emotional poetry.

not the cheesy kind, mind me. not in my novel, or any of my writing.

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so, back to the 'pack'. i fancy my novel a pack of wolves. (my main character is a werewolf, btw, a really good one at that, with lots of social awareness. she only kills 'bad' people.:)

there are individuals, but they all have to behave as one, as a pack.

and as far as i see now, my individual wolves are not acting as one.

they diverge.

see what makes me sad about my novel?

i'm thinking about splitting the pack.

with lots of considerate writing, i'd have a crime-story like novel with less emphasis on the description and more on the investigation and action.

and as for all that poetry-like stuff?

i fancy of saving them for other times.

-

any suggestions?
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the photo above was taken from this website.

in the distance 2

where i stand today, i see the mistakes, or most of them, of Copper Moon - and also the merits, if any, of the novel.

from where i stand, it is not easy to see the merits, but there surely are some.

you know, the time spent between today and the novel's writing has grown large enough.

i see Copper Moon as a writing.

it kind of hurts.

-

having taken part in a writers' course in March-April 2012, and having been part of a writers' supportive community eversince, i have been given lots of great insights and useful advices, either directly or indirectly.

but all these information made me weaker. i can no longer step up, raise my head and pronounce in a clear and definite voice that yes i am a writer.

i am just someone who used to write.

these days i just can not write.

i know so many rules yet i know i don't know much at all.

i felt much better when i used to write just by instinct.

-

-

in the distance

I often listened to Mariza, sometimes the same song on and on again, while writing Copper Moon.

I am now fairly familiar with some of the main features that made the writing inappropriate for publishing.
-
Some writers are able to look at their own writing as someone else's, from a distance, but for me, creating this well-wanted distance took about one and a half years.

I know see that at some particular parts of the novel, my words simply do not, or not completely convey the background, the meaning I intended to say.

Sometimes main points and reasons are missing.

I mean, I make little of these explanations avaiable for the reader.

Yet some readers do prefer obscure writing and like to discover the story on their own.

-

Strangely enough, some of the actions in the story have the opposite mistake. They are described to the most minute detail, leaving not really much to imagination.

Now I see all those mistakes.

Are those really mistakes?

-

I do not consider myself broken, although the music now makes me sad.

-

At the same time it makes me proud of what I accomplished with having written Copper Moon.

It may take a while to polish to let it shine.
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Cheers,

uhm, bad news :(

the second editor did not find my copper moon worthy enough for an e-book.

i asked for a detailed explanation.

i tried not to make a drama out of it, but asked, very politely, for an explanation that may help me working towards being a better writer.

the only answer i got so far that the novel had a bad dramaturgy. oh, the irony. they must be right for i am sort of unfamiliar with the meaning of dramaturgy.

:(

writing course

the large publishing house, the one that had the novel contest is starting a virtual writers' course. the curiculum is tailored to each and every writer's needs. 

there will be tasks and lectures on various aspects of writing.

-

the bottom line? is that the course sounded great, but due to the high fee, was out of my reach.

and just guess what happened today?

three writers who took part in the novel contest were selected to enter the course free of any charge.

guess what, i am one of them.

i can't tell you just how excited i am.

-

i will surely let you know about some details as the course commences.

some more info

ahem, i am better informed as of now :)

Copper Moon was found good by one of the two editors (that is one positive reaction) and has not yet been seen by the publishing house main editor (sorry for not being familiar with the English terms, but i think you get the meaning :)

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the story now will get read by the second editor.

if s/he accepts it, my novel goes to the main editor.

if s/h finds it good, too - the novel will be published as an e-book.

and the main editor might find it good enough for paper.

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publishing on paper is expensive, more expensive than on e-material, anyone can see that, but i've been told that if the first (electronic) story does well, my second story might get easily published on paper.

-

so this is where we are now.

more news on that by the end of this month.

-

i find the option about the 'second novel' a bit funny, and out-of-reach, because i don't just write a novel on order and i don't write it easily ... :))

another good news

next friday, the writers' group i attend will hold a meeting with one of the editors, who accepted my story. of course, the reason for asking her to attend our regular meeting is not my story :)

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she will be here to give a short lecture about editors, about what editors expect from authors, about the inevitable cooperation between editor and author and so on.

on a side note, my copper moon will be acknowledged for having been selected for an e-book edition as well.

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howl along with me :)

for i am excited.

at the end of the second round the editors UPDATE: one of the editors chose my writing to get published as an e-book.

i know next to nothing about e-books.

i don't know if this ruins/lessens/alters the chances of getting it printed in a traditional book.

for when it comes to e-material, i for example, don't spend a penny.

ahem, i know, it is quite a debated issue, so let's not talk about it :)))

still...

i am EXCITED, excited and excited a bit more, and i howl for two reasons:

1

it is full moon

2

full moon has a definite key position in my story. if it was of any doubt for any of you, my Margaret is a werewolf :)))

being excited is one thing, and i am still to hear your similar stories. share any of your strange reactions when your first/second short story/novel/thing was accepted/published.

the second round

now my story is in the second round. it is currently being revised by an editor, but at the same time, the second chapter is now public for readers, practically to anyone. within a couple of days i get to know whether my writing gets to the third round. if it gets a negative response from one editor, it is over. if it gets a positive reaction, it goes to the second editor. this is how the selection works in this competition.

- - 

one of the readers commented. he said that the first chapter was disappointing to the point of being unreadble for him, but this second chapter was something completely different. he quoted some of my lines saying how much he liked them... go figure :))) 

- -

another reader, a woman said she found my sentences two short, and was expecting something interesting to happen. but that never did. i agreed with her: the length of the sentences are in reverse order with the intensity of the story. if you write in long, winding sentences, your story slows down. short sentences suggest intense action. well, i had short sentences, but nothing intense happened. i agree, this might disappoint the reader.

- -

the third reader, another woman disliked the characters and did not found enough motive for their behaviour. she liked that the reader is introduced into the mind of Nancy, but i think she was expecting some action instead. there was a metaphore which she did not noticed for example and found it confusing. at the same time she was right saying that some explanations are necessary for the readers' involvement. - -

the first round

as you may have gathered from some of the posts below, a publishing house was asking for my story.

there were 54 contestants and i shared some readers' opinion about the first few pages.

now the first round is officially over and 13 authors had to say goodbye.

guess what, i'm in among the 41 to go for the second round! yay!

:)

the first few feedbacks

the first two chapters of my novel called 'Copper Moon' were published on a website of a publishing house. they are having a challenge for a month, i guess: each day a new novel (the first 10 thousand characters of it) are published and the readers are encouraged to read, comment and criticize the excerpts.

the publishing house does not really relies on the results of the public - they have their own editors to evaluate the writings.

those who are found good by the editors will get published, either on paper or on e-book, or both.

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well, today was my day and so far i have a ratio of 1 (positive) to 3 (negative) comments.

mind you, those that disliked my novel were phrasing their opinion quite matter-of-factly, so nothing intrusive or personal. the most important failures of my novel, according to these people, are: the unexplainable time and event shifts; overflow of poetic description, which they found boring; and finally they found it hard to follow, they thought it was obscure and fuzzy.

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the one person who liked it said my sentences are gorgeous and that she liked my style.

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i guess both parties have just points.

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go figure.

-

and i'm just learning the way to react and accept these reactions.

not easy, not easy.

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one moment i'm all 'my writing sucks and these people have pointed out my flaws so correctly....', while in another moment i'm seeking potential ways of improvement, while yet in another moment i'm all 'what the hell do these people know about my protagonist, anyway?', and in yet another again: 'jeez, it's not enough if i know a lot about my mc, i have to make other people know more about her in the right and proper way.'

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happy thanksgiving for those who celebrate it!

NaNo 2011: a decision

i call it quits.

as official.

well, may be, later on, or next November.

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i am not heavy hearted, or anything.

this decision just seemed logical for many reasons:

1-lack of strong drive to write the story. feeling unprepared.

2-being excited about the possible new jobs

3-being occupied by many really important tasks around 'the opening of the season'

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okay, i'm moving on.

implying i'm gathering new elements, analyzing experiments and emotions from the past - all these will later be incorporated into my story.

as for a working title, i am thinking about Lunae Saturni, latin for Moons of Saturnus :)

i wish to connect/relate events and/or people in the story to certain different moons. i fancy about getting information about the celestial objects and find relation to certain issues/persons/plotlines within my story.

i think it sounds nice and may, yes, may turn out great in writing, provided that the writing is good. :)

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note to myself: what is this new found obsession with moons?

reality check :)

do i like the thing i wrote in 2010?

yes.

do i like the idea i was about to write about in 2011 as much as i liked the idea of copper moon?

no.

do i feel the drive, the need to write as much as i felt in 2010 about copper moon?

no. not ever near.

do i have two job offers pending?

yes.

are they quite good?

yes.

have they appeared quite out of the blue?

yes, very much.

did i have any job possibilities in 2010?

no.

does our family have financial problems this year?

very much, yes.

do i prefer being reasonal?

yes.

do i give up on NaNo 2011 altogether?

no.

it this self-interview over?

yes.

did you like it?

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oh, shoot.

dear visitor, take a look at the sidebar :(

see me in shame for not having written a word in this year's NaNo...

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but.

but!

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the thing i wrote in 2010 got the interest of an editor. she asked me to send it in and now i have a couple of days to polish it.

i think it is quite reasonable to stick to reality.

i have copper moon and it might get some publicity.

i rather care about something that is within reach and only needs a bit of touch* here and there - than letting it go for something that does not even exist...

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and it's only the second day...

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* i know, i know...that littler touch here and there might take days or weeks...pondering, re-phrasing, re-structuring... whatever...

copper moon _is_, the other thing (the novel i am supposed to write in 2011) is not.

what is it?

it happened just a couple of hours after having lamented here on the lack of ideas....
i had to take a train and then had to walk 30 minutes...
i watched the signs of autumn around me....
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i was asking myself the following questions:
1-
why do i suddenly find my original idea for NaNo'11 somewhat boring?
(a post-apocalyptic half-romance, half-realistic story centered around a middle aged woman who has nearly lost everything but her faith?)
is it, and/or the setting truly boring?
is it overrepresented/overshared in/by movies/modern literature?
what is you opinion?
2-
can i come up with something i, the writer-to-be like?
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answers to question 1 are kindly waited/appreciated among the comments of this post, thank you very much :)
-
one potential answer to question 2 was this: whoa, yes, and i started scribbling frantically on the street, not really caring about the passers-by. mind you there were not many of them, you see, it was a bit raining :) :)
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so i have this other idea: it's about a half human, half other-wordly creature, and their species is about to invade the earth.
what dou you think about it?
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i'm not so sure :(

in 2010 is ventured into NaNo-land, because i had an idea in my head, an idea that would not leave me. it grew in my head and all i did was letting it out with the help of NaNo's community and rules.

2010 November was painful and funny, rewarding and challenging a the same time.

i got attracted to it :)

-

i was, and still am toying with the idea of doing NaNo again.

trouble is that i lack any strong idea, any notino that would refuse to eave me.

-

this time last year i was scribbling notes to self about the future story, was writing outlines and sketching characters. at present i don't seem to have any of these moments :(

NaNo again... ?

it is inevitable...

we all see it coming...

november, the month of NaNo.

-

do you plan to participate?

what are your plans?

(share as much as you feel appropriate)

-

as for me, i have not written anything long since the NaNo in 2010.

that piece is still not finished.

something at the back of my head keeps telling me that it is unwise to start a new project without finishing the old one(s)... any pros and cons?

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i do have a plan for 2011, though...

in a post apocalyptic setting, it's a story about someone evaluating his (her?) former life and personal connections, relationships to lovers and friends.

i am still lacking the main purpose, hee.

an ice-breaker

wow, just today i sent a 10 thousand-character piece of Copper Moon to a publisher/editor/whatever. she is a reliable person, not just 'some random people from the street', so i knew what i was doing, don't worry about me :)

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i consider it a small step on my way.

and yes i know, this is just the beginning.

-

finally, i am turning my mind again to that writing.

a little hiatus

i know it's been a while - this note is only a short reminder that i am still alive out here :)

now i have another writing project going on, and i am planning to return to revise Copper Moon.

-

when i finished writing while doing NaNo in November 2010, i totally believed that i would revise the short story in December, or January at the latest.

-

but life interfered... and my lazyness...

-

i did some re-readings, some minor revisions, but most of the writing remained untouched. i am still aware of the elements of the story/polt/characters/events that needs major or minor polishing, and i hope to finish it some time later on.

i have some notes, suggestions for corrections and i still have the story in my head. which is a sure sign that Copper Moon is not yet finished - :)

-

there is hope, isn't there?

:)

Jerom and his story

yesterday i wrote a short story called Jerom's story.

-

here's the synopsis:

Jerom finds himself locked in a mental asylum. most of his inmates are criminals. Jerom is convinced he himself is not insane.

he makes friends, starts to feel at home, but still does not know why he is locked up here in the first place.

on a rainy day he starts hearing voices talking to him.

eventually, he becomes insane.

the staff finds out and reassures him in his (new?) state of mind.

Jerom finds being insane a great way to feel happy about being locked in.

he no longer cares about the reason.

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now, i planned to have a second part and a third part, too.

in the 2nd part, the reader finds out about the reason Jerom is in the asylum, that is, when the crime is described.

in the 3rd part, the reader finds out about Jerom's background, uhm, like a neglecting and/or abusive relative or something like that.

-

now, i don't think i want to write part 2 and 3.

-

my reasons:

to keep the intensity of part one, part 2 should be gory and sick. i don't think i want to write that way.

-

part 3 on the other hand, should be a cover-up for Jerom's sin.

-

and i don't think i want to give Jerom a pat on the shoulder. i don't think i want to take away the guilt. if Jerom did wrong, he should be punished. if Jerom, say, mutilated and or killed his wife, or set a little baby on fire - this is crime and evil. i don't want to give hims redemption by saying: 'oh, you poor Jerom, you did have a nasty childhood'.

-

what's your opinion?

the hunt for copper moon

basic situation:

at home we have two computers.

one for me (work and hobbies like blogging and writing) and one for my son (for playing). the second one has some internal problems so the sound comes out distorted.

this computer has a great monitor, but it sometimes just decides to go wrong.

-

about two weeks ago:

my computer said hello and was unable to find disk c and d...

fortunately, these are on a mobile rack, so i was able to switch to the second computer and was happy to see that my manuscript of the novel, along with some other writings (that are unavailable anywhere else) are still readable and manageable.

-

until this very day, when this second computer just does not find racks e and f (those named c and d on the first computer)

it might or might not mean that i lost my writing.

-

i might or might not go mad

-

i hate computers.

kind of a whining

there was this guy on the online literary site who saw a couple of paragraphs from my manuscript. he was quite unimpressed i guess.

he kept telling me it was 'bad', the 'words were unsuitable', and finally that 'even an 8-year old does better'.

i see his point: he doesn't like my writing.

no problem with that.

but for god's sake.

putting his opinion this way is anything but helpful.

i asked him a couple of times to make his point clearer.

i asked him to name actual failures.

like... 'the verb in the second sentence (in paragraph 3) does not suit the action.' or.... 'when Margaret seeks advice from his father, there are too many blah sentences between them'...

like... i think you get it.

but no, he kept repeating that is was bad completely and kept referring to people who decided to throw away complete manuscripts....

so, i kindly asked him to leave it alone.

just leave it alone.

changing the names

i think I mentioned earlier that i wished to change the names of the characters. i thought i would write the novel in English, but i opted for higher diversity of vocabulary and deeper expression of thoughts so i wrote it in Hungarian.

-

in a literary website some people commented that names are unimportant as long as there is a great story going on, while others used the old 'nomen est omen' argument to encourage me to choose carefully.

-

the main character, a former Sarah, is going by Margaret, but now I am seeking a fine Hungarian alternative.

i think i get a great one by Greta, which is of German origin and has the same feeling: 'a' Greta sounds strong, yet close to nature. it feels like a feminie name that has no connection to any major religion. (this issue was the main reason to reject 'Sarah' - although a name i do like very much.

also Greta has a clear reference to Margaret.

-

her mother is going by Nancy at the moment, but that must surely go.

there isn't anything similar in the Hungarian, so i have to invent and use something else instead.

-

her father, now Kyle - the same situation.

i think i'll try Attila, which is a Hungarian name meaning father. Attila, the hun has a dubious reputation. some historians say he was good, some go for bad. some even venture into saying that the huns have nothing to do with the hungarians.

the same goes to Margaret/Greta's father: Nancy thinks he was attractive and seducing on one hand and flirtatious and careless on the other.

as Margaret/Greta has received quite a bunch of remarkable genes from his father, the simile may go further on...

i think Attila will do.

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what's your opinion?

how do you choose names?

or do characters with specific names just appear seemingly out of nowhere, begging you to be writing about them?

revision and title

yesterday i broke my habit of not revising my NaNo manuscript.

i started to revise it right in December, but found everything to my liking, so i decided it was not the time to revise, so i quit and have not revised/reread ever since.

but behold!

just yesterday i browsed my computer and somehow chapter 7 caught my eyes.

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i read it at once in one reading (it is only 2300+ words) and...

i felt the same emotions between the characters i had felt when i was writing it in November.

chapter 7 is about the main character saying goodbye to all that ties her to her present life. to her friends, family (what is left of it, that is...), work, the flat she lives in, her landlady, her present lover, and a man she she also loves.

i recall having written this chapter almost entirely in tears, because it is so moving. or, so i felt. i don't know what reaction it will have on future readers, if there would be any, but it definitely made a strong impression on me.

yesterday's big surprise was that the words, that is, of chapter 7, still have the same impression on me when i read it.

-

now don't get me wrong. i am not saying that i am overwhelmed by my writing's quality. it's just that it makes me feel the same way over and over again.

-

question 1

do you think i am ready to revise?

should i wait some more - or is it already too late?

-

question 2

the Hungarian title translates to 'Pebbles of the Moon', or 'Moon Pebbles'

which one sounds better?

you see, i don't really get the difference between the two suggestions. do you?

if none of these sounds great, the book will go by the title 'Copper Moon'

-

mwah-hah-hah

'the book'

it is not even translated to English.

:)

writing

all right, this is just a short check-in to make you see that i am alive.
i just don't seem to find time to toy with my manuscript, but, well, later on, sometimes...
-
in the meantime i sometimes do write, but whatever i write i write in hungarian.
i know i am not what people call a prolific writer.

NaNo news 14

i think the necessary time to separate myself from the manuscript has elapsed.
just the other day i have started to re-read chapter two again and voilá - i got no further than the second paragraph and found at least five 'already's.
-
i think i'm in a good state of mind to see the mistakes now :)
-
have a happy new year filled with bunches of new manuscripts for ya all!

NaNo news 13

before i started revision, i wrote a few lines about the purpose of each chapter. like in chapter 2 for example, the aim is to 'get the reader know about the family the main character arrives into' i wanted to describe the events and circumstances that 'precede the birth of the main character', because she is a fetus to be born at the very beginning.

the reader finds out how 'the parents had met', how the 'family of the mother rejected the father' being part of the family in the future, etc.

at the end of chapter two, there is a strong indication that 'the main character comes to life'.

these are the very words i sketched for myself before starting revision.

-

i have revised chapter 2, and sent it via email to that someone i mentioned earlier.
i corrected all typos, subject and verb mismatches and the like. believe me, there were only one or two of these throughout the 4100+ words.
-
i don't know if i'm doing it right.
i seem to be getting lost somehow :(((

NaNo news 12

i have finished it and let it rest for a week.
-

i have changed the title in the hungarian version. to me, in my own language, 'copper moon', or as it was in hungarian 'velvet moon' and 'bronze moon' sounded cheesy.

and in general, almost any [adjective]+[noun] sounds cheesy as a title.

unless it's a strange/strikingly new/original combination it does sound either cheesy or boring. I mean, even i would not buy a book with the title 'velvet moon' (in hungarian).

so now the title is changed into h_oldk_avicsok, which roughly translates to 'pebbles of the moon'.

i wanted to include the moon in the title but faced that since the twilight series (which is a huge attraction in hungary, too), reading the noun 'moon' on a title almost instantly makes the reader associate that book with the series.

which is a sad thing, for beacuse of this newest and successful branch of pop literature, some words might just go missing from the vocabulary of normal people.

it's not that i haven't watched all the 3 parts.

yup, i did an in almost one go.

shame on me?

hm...

but i don't want people associate the series with me and my novel.

if you ask me though, i am all team jacob.

but that little secret should remain between you and me :)))

-

now i have a friend who helps me with the first revision.

we go chapter by chapter.
-

NaNo news 11

this surely is one of the last posts about NaNo 2010.
i am kind of desperate and sad.
i still have 5500+ words to write and almost two days.
mathematically speaking, it is quite difficult, though not at all impossible.
but.
-
i don't know how to finish it!
heeelp!
:))
i am unsure about the ending.
:s

-

anyway, i'm back to writing.

NaNo news 10

i have finished (sort of) chapters 1.2.3.4a.4b.5a.5b. and 8.

now i am writing chapter 6.

-

i introduced some new characters, but at the moment all they do is serve the purpose of telling the story of the main character. they don't really have a life of their own.

any comments on that?

-
also i have had some problems with time in the story. when and what happened, for how long something lasted, when did mc moved from town a to town b , when did mc changed her jobs, and so on.
i figured out i have to write short and outlined biography.
i bet writers out there start with such a biography, it must be so obvious...
-
i have 19thousand words to add and only 6 days to accomplish this goal.
i am being realistic.
i don't think i wll do it on time.
according to nano statistics, i should write 3000+ words a day to finish on time.
my average words per day is 1300+.
mathematics.
-
:(

NaNo news 9

on saturday (20 november) i've finished chapter 5b.

i let some new characters appear in the story - they just wanted to be there. it's magic.

:)))

while finishing chapter 5b, i was literally crying - for it ends with a moving scene between MC and her mother.

i don't know if this scene is cheesy or not, but it is still a draft that can be revised and rewritten later on.

-

today (21 november) i have finished chapter8, which is some sort of a counterpart for chapter1 (which is also a poem).

-

yesterday i did exceptionally well, wrote about 2500 words, but today i haven't had the chance to write. i only had time to write this short poem, so today's word count is about 500+ words.

NaNo news 8

i've finished chapter 5a.
but now i'm happy i'm light yellow (as opposed to orange)
i wrote less yesterday then i had done the day before yesterday and wrote less today than i did yesterday.
-
well, these past two days have been hard for me.
not only had i finish writing and turn my computer off around noon, only to return dead-tired by 11pm, but i am kind of stuck.
i don't think the story works, i have to few characters and events going on.
maybe i should have opted for a (somewhat long-ish) short story instead.
-
bye for now.

NaNo news 7

this time i am a bit over halfway into chapter 5a, where the events are happening in the present time, along a definite time-line and i don't have to arrange and rearrange my thoughs about continuity. it also one of the most exciting pieces in the book, well, that is what i say.

-

no-one else has ever read it, but i will test it on my husband first.

too bad, he's not into fiction at all.

he prefers historic writing, memoirs, scientific and other non-fiction books.

NaNo news 6

so, well, i have finished chapter 4a - for there has to be a 4b as well.
i have not invented as much into chapter 4a as i thought i had to.
the story just unfolded without adding too many new characters.
-
i keep reminding me that this is a draft and i may add or remove anything later on.
-
saturdays and sundays are not the best days to write.
the kids are at home and on saturday i had a choir session between 10am to 1pm.
but these can also be considered as lame excuses.
-
i wanted to write chapter 4b today, and sketched some small scenes while i was still writing chapter 4a.
i'm working along those ideas.
-
yesterday i was browsing the nano site and found out that some people manage to write as much as 7,000 words a day.
i just don't understand.
it makes me want to stop.
-
bad thoughts.
:(

NaNo news 6

as you can see on my NaNo word count widget (see the sidebar), i happened to have managed at least one day to write slightly over the recommended average (indicated by green).

i wrote well into chapter 3, the chapter i didn't feel like writing two days ago - see the post below.

but somehow i managed to see what is going on at that part of the story.

standing at about 4,000 words alone, i declare chapter 3 ready.

well, for the time being, that is.

-

so, whenever i have time during the day, i'm off to chapter 4, which is supposed to be about the school years of my Margaret.

this is when she finds out and realises that she is a bit different from the others, this is where some other characters emerge and act beside her immediate family.

(in chapters 2 and 3 it was only her mother, father, mothernal grandparents, her aunt and a nurse at the hospital).

now in chapter 4, i have to create her teachers, schoolmates, first love? - oops, i had no idea about that ;)

-

so far, so good.

i'm enjoying the process.

-

NaNo news 5

yesterday i wrote chapter 1 (which is a poem about 150+ words) and wrote about 800 words into chapter 3. well, chapter 3 did not go as well as i thought it would/should have gone.

-
chapter 2 is a compilation of fragments of memories, mixed with the events of the present - and it fit chapter 2 well, but i got tired of it by the time i reached chapter 3.
-
in my plans, chapter 3 was way longer than chapter 2 - but now i face the situation where the events i foreplanned for chapter 3 are no longer of special interest for me.
-
i'll give it another go today and will move on to a more exciting chapter 5.
-
i don't know whether it is a wise decision or not.
all i know is i have to write.
-
for statistics, see the widget on the sidebar.

NaNo news 4

the first week has gone and instead of 12,500 words i am at 3,900+
-
as of today, i am more than happy to announce that my main character, to whom i will refer to as Margaret has come to live: her mother has just given birth to her in the second chapter.
according to my plans, the first chapter is one single poem.
the second one, which i have completed today is in its draft version and is about 3,900+ words.
-
also i would like to draw your attention to photography blog, where some of the photos has inspired me in one way or another to write the story.
-
and my next goal is to start writing chapter three, which, according to my plan is about the early childhood of Margaret.
-

NaNo news 3

it seems a bit tough a challenge for me to write as much as i have to.
i may come up with all various excuses, such as the dental operation, the swollen head (yesterday it was so bad i sometimes had difficulties using my eyes properly) and i got tired very easily), also the kids are at home...
-
still, the story wants to come out and i trust the drive i have to finish it.
i will keep you updated.
-

NaNo news 2

well, the word count totalled 600 yesterday.
today it was a tough call at the dentist. i had four of my front teeth removed (due to the accident), my upper jawline drilled and one implant placed into the hole, and one tooth treated.
although drugged with painkillers, i wrote about 200 words today.
(which makes the total about 800. - instead of 5000)
i feel tired and dizzy and my face is swollen.
there should be better days to come.
cheers,

NaNo news 1

i have started writing it.
today we had a trip, so i brought along paper and pen notebook and wrote it by hands.
now i'm typing it into my computer. i have no laptop.
the nano site is not working properly. i can not upload today's writing.
according to my calculations, i have to write 2500 words each working day. i keep weekends for family.
i was supposed to write 2500 words today.
actually the word count for today is about 400. not really fine, is it?
the thing is i made myself working.
-
i am going to the dentist's tomorrow. i don't know if i can write a line or not after the 'events'.

NaNoWriMo 2010

it all started with a photo in February, 2007.
i toyed with the idea for a while, and even had a conversation with the main character in the summer of 2007.
for a while, there were other projects of writing and not-writing.
i started and finished Halo.
Vesper revised it, helping me genereously with grammar and plot issues.
i will revise Halo again.
it is on its way.
-
at the beginning of October 2010, while in Holland, i got a strange inspiration towards Copper Moon.
this is the news i wanted to share with you, but my accident interfered. it still does, but i digress.
i saw new characters and plot-lines emerging.
i was and still am, thrilled by the new possibilities.
i am still unconvinced that this will make a novel, but again, i digress.
i wish to finish it and i signed up at NaNoWriMo.
i will write it in hungarian.
the aim is to write 50,000+ words.
i will just see.
:)
good luck to us all.

a long way to go :)

i have started to adjust Halo according to Vesper's notes.

basically, i accept all grammar suggestions; and try to find an alternative wording for every strange or unclear spots.

halo is 13 pages, 32,000+ characters - i go slowly.

-

here's one example of the unclear spots.

the original text, now edited between three stars goes like this:

***He kept the uphill march (...) towards his goal. He panted with the late morning heat. His physical score was somehow lower now – he needed food. ***

i bolded the expression Vesper questioned.

in italics, here's what she added:

Maybe ‘condition’ is a better word here, or maybe something like ‘He felt weeker now…’

the thing is, Hail (the main character) is playing a computer game at the moment. i fancy this is a game where the state of the player's physical, mental and spiritual characteristics are displayed in a scale-like fashion. if a player scores low on the physical, it means that he is weak. the reason behind weakness can be either hunger, a previous attack, age (too young or too old), or lack of certain muscle development. if one scores high on the physical it means he is strong.

i wonder if should go like...

/-/He panted with the late morning heat. His score on the physical scale was somehow low – he needed food./-/

-

what do you think?

-

at the same time i am quite happy to say that on my trip last week i have returned to my beloved copper moon.

more on that subject later on.

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some note on Vesper's reply

i received the manuscript red all over and i liked it :))))
it means Vesper have thoroughly combed it, and found, i suspect, all the grammar mistakes.
i don't mind my grammar corrected - i use less english these times and my knowledge is failing. i have to get back in shape.
-
as for vocabulary, i'm so glad she checked it, too. at times i must have picked a words from a Hungarian- English dictionary without actually checking the words current meaning in one of the online English-English dictionaries. it is a great advice to check the words before using them the only trouble is you (=someone who's native language is not English) are never sure about which words to check... sometimes you have a rare word, you think you know the meaning, but you are wrong.
i think i've got to be more careful with rare or old words.
-
reading some occassional 'very nice image' among her inserted comments pleased me quite much :)))
-
and in some places my writing was not clear enough.
i will have to go through the text, which i will do gladly.
here's one example. the original text is interrupted twice by Vesper's remarks.

The stand [V1] was still soaked in the darkness of the night and the trees kept hissing [V2]

[V1] I’m not sure what you want to say here.

[V2] Interesting choice of words…

for V1, the stand refers to the place where Hail (the main character) spent his night. this stand is mentioned in a couple of sentences before. Hail has already left it. perhaps this reference is late and should be inserted a bit earlier. 'being soaked in the darkness...' is supposed to mean that it is still dark. i know 'soak' refers to a thing/object/material/textile being saturated by some liquid, but i thought it would make a nice and fresh expression.

for V2, for 'hissing trees', i went for something to express how the small branches and leaves kept rustling, crackling among one another. i wanted to add a sense of danger.
perhaps i was wrong with that idea.... perhaps this just doesn't work in English.
:)
i will have to revise and possibly re-place this sentence.
-
finally, i would like to express my thanks again for her.
-

a short answer to Vesper

who has taken her time and read my short story.
she asked quote Last night, they were showing an ad on tv about an xbox game named "Halo". Does it have anything to do with your Halo? end quote.
my short answer is a definite no.
-
for a long answer, read further...
it all started with Jason. he had this contest where the photograph we had to use was named Halo. it showed a forest with a clearing and a ray of sunlight.
i simply kept the name of the photograph as a title.
basically i used the original meaning of the word - my hero is looking for something to illuminate his life. he is looking for a clear stance. a victory. a light within the darkness of the tangled branches.
-
so, I finished my contest entry (limited to 250 words) with the title Halo and just when i was thinking about expanding it to a larger piece have i come accross the actual game named Halo.
-
the original idea had nothing to do with the game, but once i figured out Halo is a name of a game i kind of started to enjoy the coincidence. it may or may not draw readers who have played (or are still playing) with the game for example.
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halo - the first reader

Vesper, the first one to read Halo besides me, has finished reading. she keeps me informed about her opinion about the piece via email. it feels so great and exciting.

i'm patiently waiting for her comments on the story and her grammar suggestions.

this flower goes out to honor her time and efforts.

*covers head*

my dearest readers,

please accept my apologies for not replying you sooner.

-

i have two blogs in english and one in hungarian and this particular one is the one i frequent the least these days.

as you probably know this particular blog is dedicated to writing 'copper moon' and 'halo' - so when i'm not writing and have nothing to say about writing these pieces; well, than i say nothing.

i have not posted a single line since march; which means these projects has been out-of-work since march.

i am sorry for that -

-

-

but now, behold!

kindest vesper has made an offer to review 'halo' - which offer i simply was unable to turn down, i think you all understand ;)

so... this is just great news i think.

vesper will be of good help for me to polish the short story.

-

i hope all's well with you...

please check my replies for your kind comments in the previous post.

revision

is only a couple of days (a minimum of 10) ahead...
i'm doing a translation job that's taking my brains, but once i'm done i think i'm ready to wade through those couple of pages.
any suggestions about doing revision?
shall i start at page one going all the way to the end?
or shall i jump between sections?
which shall go first?
grammar or overall message?
what other approaches proved useful and not useful for you and why?
any ideas are welcomed.
thank you!

retreat

I joined a writers' group last March. I was enthusiastic about the group.

I was looking for a peer group to have my work judged, encouraged, revised and corrected. perhaps I set my expectations too high.

-

last September, I took up singing in a women's choir. Since sessions overlap, I preferred singing.

I am still on the mailing list and can reach anyone I wish; I know about the events (e.g. public readings) going on, I receive the monthly assignments via email.

but I don't actually get to those monthly meetings. I miss the lectures, the practical instructions, the on-the-spot exercises, and most of all, feedback.

-

To be honest, I've never found the amount of feedback sufficient enough in these meetings either.

Especially in the case of those home-works. I think designating homeworks is a great idea. None is expected to came out with the next piece worthy of a new Nobel-prize in literature. None believes these home assignments are the best pieces of one's either . They are exercises, and should be considered as such. They all need a revision.

-

For example, the latest task was to write a dialogues for stage performance. The limit was one page. We had to focus on the movements, bodily actions of the speakers. The main task was to write an accurate, minute decription of the participiants. There were three themes, and we had to write one dialogue per each theme.

I wrote two dialogues, and compressed as many sorts of body movements as possible. I visualized my characters on stage. Sometimes I added a verbal (spoken) line or two just for the sake of adding more actions to the scene.

I submitted my work to the group.
-
I expected a feedback on my job along the lines of... 'scene1 is not realistic, because the female character moves too much. such movements are not justified by the theme. Scene2 is better. there is a definite action-reaction going on between the movements of the two characters' or... you know... something like this. something very short would have sufficed for the purpose quite fine.
but you know what?
I received no feedback at all.
I know people are busy... everyone is.
erm, everyone, including me.
a home work is a job for both parts.
I do expect a teacher to revise and comment on the job I've done.
that's what teachers are for.
-
the result?

I somehow no longer find time to do the homeworks.

I am very sorry to have gone through this experience.

-

on the mailing list however, I came up with the idea of setting up a blog where we can debate over the piece of writing. in the case of a invited-commenters-only version, privacy and publishing rights issues are not a problem.

the reply from the administrator of the mailing list was that there was a blog for this purpose, but it was not used.... well... it was not advertised among the members of the group.... it was not a really alive blog either :S

no other reply to my idea turned up on the list either.... :S

-

so I keep on reading your blogs (listed on the right bar beside the body of the post), keep picking up information, experiences, hints and experiments about and with writing.

I write whenever I have to, and stick to it. that's all.

-

how do you get sufficient feedback? what is your opinion about an appropriate feedback, anyway? :)

-

cheers,

your bitter but faithful reader.

first draft

I've finished the first draft of Halo. this is official :)))

actually, I have finished it a day ago, but the last few words are a poem written by one of the characters, and I had to do some research and generally, I disliked the way the poem was first written.

now I'm kind of satisfied with it and now I'll relax my brain. my plan is to revise it within a couple of weeks.

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1. I understand that seeing a novel published is great a cause to celebrate one's authorship, but does finishing a draft have a same effect on you? do you celebrate it at all? I think this is highly personal... it depends on the writer as a person, and yes, this is what I'm interested in: people.

-

in the meantime I'll be sure to check out Jason's new contest. there are always a great number of suprising, inspiring and outstanding short pieces. I'm looking forward to read my friends entries, but I am open to read and enjoy all sorts of ideas, style and theme.

-

at the moment I have one idea in mind, that might make a nice poem as an entry, but I'll just see.

-

2. are you planning to enter?

another full moon

this wonderful and inspirational photo was made by our next-garden neighbour.

-

I'm working on Halo again. I hope to finish it quite soon. This evening, when the kids were finally in bed (it's still school holiday, so it's quite difficult to make them go to sleep...) so I was pouring myself some tea in the kitchen and my husband was brushing his teeth before going to bed, and he was about to talk to me, which he did, but with not much of a success, for I saw my MC sitting outside a lonely railway station - and you all know the feeling :)))

-

you are invited to share some of these interesting spurs. tell us about a situation, funny/absurd/strange/normal as it may be, when inspiration hit you in the middle of something ELSE. like you were doing some shopping, but had to grab a pen and scribble a few words down on the shopping list for example. -

a few words before it's over

UPDATE: I browsed this blog only to find my thoughts about music and about finishing Halo QUITE a time ago. ouch. I've been postponing finishing for quite a heap of justified and unjustified reasons for such a long time it hurts now just to think about it.

---

what is over?
no, not the blog - although it has shown positive signs of dying over the past few months. I am sorry for that.
I was kind of distracted from writing the story (named Copper Moon) this blog was set up for in the first place.
first I started to write another piece (named Halo), got on with it quite well - well, at least it has been the good case for a couple of weeks, but I'm kind of stuck now. to be honest I have been stuck with Halo for a good couple of month now.
I have written some 5,2k words and the story is about to end within a few pages. according to the original idea, there are only 3 scenes left.

-
the problem is that Halo is more like a vignette. a vignette of 5,200 words? - I hear the roar and/or laughter from the virtual distance.

-
I have to face it: the story has no real story. it's rather like a description of someone's mental and physical breakdown. no real plot. no real evolution of the main character. Halo kinda lacks all these. it does give hints and suggestions, some of the passages are quite likeable and realistic, some others need some revision, some passages fit into the story quite well, some others seem to fit a much larger story instead.
-
I think I just have to force myself to finish it (= write those final 3 scenes) and decide later on about the manuscript. UPDATE: I have already added 1K+ characters to Halo today. Who-hoo.
-
1. any opinions?
-
and finally, thoughtful Rick has asked me not to let music take the place of writing. heh, if only he knew I took up singing :)))
he will know now, and there's nothing wrong with it. I sing in a women's choir, we do religious and folk songs, and the like.
but I think I quite accept his thoughts about finding it hard to escape music in this modern era of ours. some people even go further into claiming that 'they refuse to be in silence' - now that is so very sad. these people do not allow their inner voice be heard by themselves. either b/c there is none... or b/c those frighten/tire/bore themselves...
I'm all into music, and with a few exceptions, I like all sorts of it from ancient pagan chantings to folk songs, from Mozart to System of a Down to ambient...
but sometimes it takes silence to get your thoughts heard.
-
so, what is over?
why, 2009 of course.

2. How was your writing year of 2009?

The Full Moon at 2 September.

There has been a lot going on lately... or is it just that I'm more tired... ?

-

This is a post about one of the homework we were given in the writers' group.

-to be continued-

feeling the moon

I found that somehow the Full Moon has an influence over me.

I'm more sensitive, inspiration seem to just come... I don't mean it makes me a better writer at all, but the flow is higher - and does it make me a werewolf?

do any of you experience anything similar?

not so good news-or are they?

summer's here and the kids are at home.
I have next to nothing in the inspiration department so all I can do is frown at my own non-compliance of my wow to keep on writing.
sad and pathetic I know, but I'm sure it will get better.
it just can not get worse I'm afraid :))
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but no, that ain't true.
I did write four poems inspired by a short-lived strange feeling toward a special someone, plus I wrote a fifth one inspired by a long-span strange feeling toward one (other) special someone - coding, just coding here, my all...

*edited by me: all the five poems are in Hungarian, but one of them is translated into English with the help of my blogging-friend Chris.
-
which means that yes, I can pat myself on my back for in case of a definite need, there *is* inspiration and writing.
what else can anyone hope for?
-
I hope you are going on fine with your writing projects, my dear.
be well,
SzélsőFa

Third meeting

The third meeting is due today.

In the email circular our leader suggested that there would be less projects and more fun in the classes.

This time I am way behind with my homeworks. We had like 4/5 tasks and I'm finished with 2.

-

One of them was to revise one (or one part of) my previous work.

-

I have two ongoing projects (wips). One is Halo, the other one is called Copper Moon. I have not contributed a single line to the latter in more than a year. Do you think it means I will never ever finish it? I don't think so. I want to finish Halo first, you know.

-

So, since none of my longer-sized wips are ready I re-composed a poem instead.

It is a simple 8-line paganistic poem.

I adjusted the number of syllables so as to have the same length of lines, removed 2 cliches and 1 inappropriate word. I chose more suitable words and expressions. Also I changed 1 word to avoid unnecessary repetition.

This poem is written in Hungarian.

-

I usually do this revision as a habit, you know.

Now the strange thing was to do it deliberately and with defined methods.

I tend to write impulsively, which sometimes results in quite a flow of words, sometimes with not a word at all for weeks. I assume this is not the right way, but I find it hard to manage and control my inspiration. I don't even know if any control is possible.

Whenever I'm finished with something I usually check the thing over to remove and unwanted repetitions, cliches, misused words, inappropriate subjects and objects, verb usage, grammar and so on.

I do it impusively, too -

How your writing's going?

Another task

We were given lots of tasks in the first meeting.
Some of them I described in the posts beneath this one, and there's one left.
It was called : Change your life.
At first, you had to choose an important event of your life. Most preferably, it needed to be a conflict, an exciting moment, something with lots of emotions involved.
Once you had this memory in mind, you had to write it
1-in first person singular
2-in third person singular
3-having different POVs, preferably from each person involved
4-with all the persons 15 years older/younger
5-in a completely different set of emotions (say, if the original story was happy, now you had to write a sad one)
6-in a completely different set of events, but with the exact same set of emotions (say, if you had an uplifting story with a birth involved, you had to re-write it about, say, a car accident, but with the same uplifting tone.)
-
I'm sorry but I don't have the time to translate my versions, I might do this some time later...But not now.
I chose an event that happened to my son in his classroom.
There were him, his best friend and a bad guy (a third classmate) and this bad guy's best friend in the story. I wrote it from each of their point of views.
I chose to re-write the story when the characters were 20 years older. The guys became co-workers. The whole event has taken up a more detached tone, with a tired feeling.
For number five I chose that the bad guy was good.
For number six I changed the setting to a skiing camp, where the main character decides not to go on with the camp so as to avoid something that made him fear.
-
It was really interesting to see how different the monologoues of the different characters were. The most difficult thing for me was to define the range of emotions (for tasks # 5 and 6).
The most challenging task was to write #6. Interestingly though, once I had a sparkle of inspiration I finished it off quite quickly and nicely.
-
This #6 was the one I read aloud at the second meeting.
I wonder what people thought the original story was....
:))))
-
'll be back with more news soon.
Cheers,
SzF.

My answers and a new task

Dear readers,
I am thankful for your answers for my three *whatif*s.
The game is not closed, so you may all contribute another completion anytime you wish.
Yet, as I promised here are my three finishing lines:
1-What if everyone in a park suddenly fell asleep?
Everyone would be having the same dream in which they are having a garden party with balloons and funs and jokes so that when people gets awake, with the same memory in their mind, they all share smiles and laughter with each other.
-
2-What if someone, working in a car repair shop fixed a tank (a sturdy army machine) out of the parts the shop normally uses?

Suspecting conspiracy, he starts his own private investigation into the company.

-
3-What if a family found out that they have to move into a foreing country?
A painful farewell party is organized and given, when love-and-hate relationships formerly hidden came into the front, leaving former friends as enemies, and former neutrals as close friends.
-
And now, since my computer is due to another re-installation, I'm leaving you with another task. I mean this is a task we were given, but it's kind of fun so you are encouraged to share your results with me.
The original task was to pick a recent day of my life.
I had to write about the events in a.) first person singular; b.) third person; c.) in sentences containing not more than 10 words; d.) in one long sentence; and finally e.) using only nouns, with a limit of 40 words for the day.
I did it dutifully, but it was a tedious task.
I found doing a.) and b.) a bit boring, but the difference between various POVs came out nicely.
Task c.) was really, really boring, because I love long sentences when it comes to description. I think this task was to make events appear faster than they really were. Any opinion on that?
Task d.) on the other hand was really challenging, because we were not allowed to use 'and' as a connection. Task e.) came as a refreshing one and it created a dramatic effect.
-
Now, if you are still in the mood for a game, pick any of a-e. and write it in the comments section.
And as I'm taking this course in Hungarian I will not translate tasks a.-d. - anyway, they are quite boring, but I'm presenting you with my solution for task e.
-
March 3.

Awakening.
Chicken.
Corn.
Bed.
Kitchen.
Breakfast.
Quarrel.
School.
Discussion.
Notes.
Plans.
Pen.
Writing.
Music.
Exercise.
Tiredness.
Slaughterpants.
Garden.
Chase.
Axe.
Neck.
Feather.
Skin.
Intestines.
Meat.
Lunch.
Boy.
Girl.
Games.
Joy.
Home.
Table-tennis.
Tiredness.
Laughter.
Dinner.

Homework for April

The followings were among the homework we had to finish before our April meeting - my notes are in italics.
Task One:
Complete three sentences starting with 'what if'. I guess this exercise helps gathering new ideas, finding a nice start for a plot perhaps. Strange as it may seem but I'm new to the terminology of writing. If I misuse any word, please let me know so that I can use it correctly.
We had to write our threes right during the meeting and our homework was to answer each of those three questions in one sentence.
Hear my three 'what if'-s:
1-What if everyone in a park suddenly fell asleep?
2-What if someone, working in a car repair shop fixed a tank (a sturdy army machine) out of the parts the shop normally uses?
3-What if a family found out that they have to move into a foreing country?
You turn - if you have time and willingness, that is, of course.
Finish my 'what if'-s with your answers. One sentence per each question, please.
I've written my three answers to these, and will be willing to give them away within a couple of days.
But I'd love to see your versions, too.
Let's play, if you're in the mood for a little game.

The first meeting

Hosted by the local library, the the first meeting went easier than I expected.
I had this fear of getting into
a.) a group of published, and/or otherwise famous authors, where I would definitely feel minor and unworthy,
b.) a bunch of people with no talent, in which case the idea of visiting the group would deem pointless.
It turned out that the group consists of aspiring authors with talents of different kind. They both have the drive to create and they are eager to learn.
I think this is an inspiring environment for me.
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The leader of the group is an author of several fiction books. He's middle aged. He listens to our works and takes his job seriously. He's kind but firm when it comes to managing a debate. So far, first impressions are good.
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And now about the actual events:
There were two newcomers, including me. When everyone arrived, we introduced ourselves. I'm far too shy when it comes to public self-introduction. I want to make a good impression yet stick to the truth - the outcome is an honest, but not-so-flattering mumble of words. Pfft.
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The leader talked about some basic aspects of writing a longer piece of work.
Most of the topics he covered were covered with my fellow bloggers. I recall Charles having mentioned the importance of pacing (i.e. alternating between fast and slow, events and dialogues, etc.).
He emphasized the importance of an outline.
These things may seem far too obvious, but the main point is that they only seem so. The leader admitted having to send 100k of his new novel into the Recycle Bin due to the lack of a coherent outline.
I think his honesty may make these sessions more valuable.
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Every once in the while his speech was interrupted by handing out and/or checking exercises.
One of them was to analyse three poems by a famous Hungarian poet named Pilinszky János, one of them was to write 3 sentences starting with the ever famous 'What if...'.
Then, we were to read our writings.
As I gathered, each time tasks are given. Everyone gets the same set of tasks as a homework.
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For this occassion one of the homeworks was a so called self-inducing paragraph.
The task was to write the first sentence just about anything we want. The second sentence however, had to be composed by using 2 or 3 words of the same sentence. The third sentence had to contain 2 or 3 words from the first two sentences and so on - until you feel it's finished. Here's my job (translated into English)
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Looking out of the window she saw braches covered with snow, sparkling in the sunshine against the clear blue of the sky. The world was covered with snow; branches were mixed with the sunshine. In front of the window on the small garden path a cat shook some snow off of himself. Mixed in his coat, there were black and grey mixed with the shower of snow falling off the branches. The path was grey; his pupil was black against the blue of the sky. In the frame of the window, under the branches a hunter was on his way on the garden path.
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I read my version, others have read theirs, too, and we had a little discussion.
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Finally, we got our homework for the April meeting.
Pending computer availability, I will probably inform you about those as well.
But since the language of this course is Hungarian, I will or may not be always supply you with the actual texts I write as homework.
Yet the problems explored in a homework are universal.
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My overall impression was that I will definitely attend next time to see how it goes. To floow the others, to improve myself...
When I informed my husband about the nature and quantity of homework he raised his eyebrows….
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One

Phew, I'm back from the writers' club event I attended for the first time last evening.

- I'll be back with details soon.

a simultaneous post

Well, my home computer is broken but will be up and ready within a few days.
Surprisingly enough, I seem to enjoy the peace the lack of internet means in our home.

In the meantime, let me draw your attention towards my other blog called Gondolatok az erdőben. Don't get warned away by the Hungarian title. I write my blog in English (well, the one I know).
The Hungarian title means 'thoughts in the forest', or 'forest thoughts', and is basically about anything I face in my real or imaginary life.
Whenever I have anything to publish is getting published here. Poems, writings, photos and musings about everyday...it's all there, while this one is about writing only.

Thanks for your attention.

Dear all,

Blue death has taken my home computer. This I write from the office PC of my husband.
We are trying to find the best solution as soon as possible.

goin' local

while I am an advocate for local thinking (as an opposite to globalism) it never occurred to me to actively search for a local circle of writers...
it seems now that the opportunity is just here fine at this very point of my life :)
reading my mailbox I came accross an ad for the March session of the local group of writers/poets. As far as I see, this is a helping group, a writers' class, if you like, for any unpublished writer or writer-to-be.
I remember when Paul wrote a post about going to the first of his writers' class. His was excited about it and so I am.
I don't know anyone.
I contacted one of the organizers in an email and got my first homeworks...
More on those later on...
Did I tell you I was excited?

funny or sad?

I returned to see how can I possibly finish writing Halo. I opened the word document, isn't that great? This is something I have not done in weeks.
I found 22,000+ characters and a couple of instructions to move further on.
I also found this particular sentence labelled (by me) as **a bad example of mismatched subjects and actions**
Here we go:
Hail’s left foot moved forward and raised his sword above his own head.
---
Oops.
---

The online game is over

inspiration here you come?
-
I'll be working on it ;)
Cheers,
your not-a-writer

*covers head*

hm, the server I'm playing is about to close within two weeks now.

Which means I'll have more free time and brain capacity to focus on the work I've started.

As a (bit of a silly) New Year Resolution, I woved to finish Halo this year.

I have no illusions about it - since at the moment I haven't got the slightest notion and inspiration as I used to have. But I'm being patient with myself.