Today is a 3 for 1!

I haven’t had chance to blog for a few days, but I have been busy scribbling away in my notebook. So here is my 3 for 1 post:

‘One cannot become a good writer without becoming a good reader.’

This is a truth that any writer should be happy to subscribe to.

So, what kind of reader are you?

I am a greedy, sometimes half starved eclectic reader. Or a binge reader perhaps? Actually I’m not sure how you’d describe a person who is half way through half a dozen books, each different from the next, who devours blogs on a regular basis, and scours Amazon like most women shop for shoes.
The only books I don’t really enjoy are Horror or a particularly harrowing read – perhaps ‘enjoy’ is the wrong word - lets just say they are not my cup of tea.

The exercise for January 5th was to think of one special book you remember reading as a child. Remember how it affected you, which characters meant the most to you and whether you learnt anything from it. Then re-read, so that you can relive the magic.

Mine was Enid Blyton’s ‘Magic Faraway Tree’. It really was magic to me and I have never forgotten it. I haven’t found my copy yet, so re-reading will have to be a task for another day.

Effective Titles

The exercise for January 6th was to brainstorm titles, for a piece you have recently begun, to be creative, and come up with a few to choose from.
I decided a mind map would be a good idea for this exercise. I find using a mind map really helps me to generate lots of weird and wonderful ideas. Obviously there’s lots of redundant titles left over once you’ve made your final choice but ‘Waste not, want not’ as the book says. Sometimes just having a title can inspire an idea for a story, so I’ve saved the leftover titles to use as prompts in the future.

Creating Characters

The exercise for January 7th is to write a one to two page bio for your character.
To understand what might make your character more realistic, think about some of the people you already know. How they behave, what characteristics they might share and which are individual to each of them.

You could include these attributes:

Physical or behavioural traits
Temperament
Beliefs or lack of them
Their fears
Their likes and dislikes
And their eccentricities.

How do you see your relationship to your readers...

...Teacher, entertainer, a voice for the Everyman?

Today I shall draft a poem or letter addressed to my fellow citizens. I will share one idea for making the world a better place.

Fred gives some suggestions; Civic responsibility, faith in a higher power, educational reform!

I smiled broadly when I saw that last suggestion, ‘educational reform’ now that’s something I can really talk about. In fact I may have trouble shutting up once I get started - it’s the one subject I have more than a just few ideas about.

... Well, it is good to be passionate about your subject. Time to put pen to paper...


You can find all the details of the exercises in this book;

Acting on Your Resolution

The exercise for today is to make time. Easier said than done, it’s already tomorrow and this is yesterday’s post. Still, make time I shall.

The idea behind the routine and making writing habitual is exactly what I’m aiming for. However, I was a little amused when it said you should “test the waters” for a few days, to see if you can actually manage four to five hours writing a day... WHAAAA – laughs raucously – I have a three year old!
'Maybe two would better for you'... frankly, even that is pushing it, but then 'pushing it' is usually a good thing. ;-)

P.S. You should decide what writing you'll be working on ahead of time - today I decided to use my 'time' to work on setting.

In a Frenzy

It’s just over a week since Script Frenzy began, and already I can feel my script morphing into a novel.

I decided to take up the challenge because I’ve never written a script before - so why not? And as everyone is so quick to tell you how few writers make it big, or even earn a decent living from writing – I decided diversity must be the key.

Unfortunately, so far I’ve managed just a handful of pages - still, there’s 22 days left and I’m feeling very enthusiastic and inspired about my subject matter. But there’s no denying it – my script seems to be heading like word seeking missile toward novel territory.

Even so, as an Apprentice Writer, all practice is good practice - so that’s what I shall do!