More novel writing until it is finished...

So university is finished for the year for me. I am seeking to keep writing this novel and letting the story and central character reveal itself and herself to me as I go. I am resisting the idea of editing and being critical at this point. I am following the advice of many published authors who have said or written they wrote solidly for a number of years before they actually got the techniques or the craft of writing novels to where they felt it became more effortless. Phillip Meyer said he got better at writing good work, because he wrote for a few years with no success and probably bad writing until he understood intuitively how to successfully put the narrative together.

In many things practice makes perfect and writing is no different. I am seeking to write this narrative, for my own enjoyment as well as I would like to tell Sarah's story and to finish another novel. I have finished one. Peter Carey wrote three before he was well received by a publisher. I have realised I have written short stories for many, many years probably 20 years or more, and I have an idea how to write a short story. Now I have only been attempting novels for about five years, on and off, and only having finished one completely.

I am definitely learning from my university study and from feedback from tutors or other people and reading other novels. But, actually writing is going to teach me the most! So I want to do this every day. I wrote 1100 words today in an hour. That is not that hard is it?

Hemingway said to leave your idea with inspiration left so you are spurred onto continue the next day. Write so that you want to come back to it the next day. He even advocated not thinking that much about it until the next day and letting your unconscious work on it. He said reading other authors was a good idea so you didn't think too much about your work. I think this is good advice. It's good to have an excitement about what you are writing for the next installment.

In my novel I have an idea of the scenes I am going to write. They are in my mind. This morning I wrote some of them. I have also learnt that I need to slow my work down. To create scenes in a more full way. These are things you learn from feedback. I wonder if being a journalist goes against me in some ways cause our articles have to be so sparse and economical with words. I need to take the time to create atmosphere in the scene. I find I understand how it works in a short story but I need to translate this into my novels, exploring characters and backstory in a deeper and more interesting way. This novel I am writing I am seeking to work out how best to put in backstory and I am revealing things about her background through dialogue etcetera.

Peter Carey said in an interview with me, that each chapter he writes is like a mosaic tile, very important to the overall effect of the novel. He is so right. In each chapter, a sense of suspense, tension and climax should be created, so the reader is riveted and wanting to read onto the next chapter.

Once I finish my film subject next semester, I am thinking of giving university a break for a bit, so I can focus on writing. However, we will see, stay tuned for next year. I do love university. I found that it rushed my work last semester and this novel needs to breathe and live. But hopefully over this break I can write some substantial chunks of it. I wish to complete this novel for myself, and then rewrite it. According to what I have read, Jane Austen rewrote a lot of her novels so I need to get better at this skill.

These are my current thoughts. I have enjoyed writing this morning. I am going to try and maintain this momentum with this novel. Thanks for reading. If you are a writer, I hope your work is going well.

Novel Idea (Noodle)

Why do they call it a novel noodle? I am not sure. Well I have to take a novel idea to university today and it is clear my novel idea is no longer the same. Over a year ago I had a clear novel idea and had developed this idea fully and written a plan and everything and then major events happened in my life and now this novel has changed. It has to change.

I no longer wish to write the narrative that I had devised. But now I am a little bit lost with whether I should try to tweak the idea and still use it or start a new one.

I seem to have these commitment issues to novel ideas. This happened when I did Veny's Year of the Novel. The problem for me at the moment is that I have lots of short story ideas and the longer piece is eluding me. But I need to take something. So I am feeling a little apprehensive about the fact that it is not fully formed.

The tutor tells me you can use an idea you have right now but everyone in my tut are so sure about their narratives and so well into the novels. As usual I am the one who is artistically unsure of which one to commit to or rather had one that I cannot write anymore. It has changed but to what?

Anyway, it's all interesting and crazy. Maybe I just like living closer to the edge or something. I have to have an idea I am sure of and that I love otherwise how will I be able to present it to the tut class? In the tuts they make you share out loud writing and ideas, however writers are interior people. I don't understand why we have to be exposed every week, when most of our lives if we get published will be discussing final products that have been edited and worked on for years.

Why should we read out something we have scrawled in a few minutes and feel so vulnerable when if we become published authors, journalists like me will interview us and we can comment on what we have done, not write something half baked for the journalist to snigger at in the interview.

I will keep you posted. If anyone else has had doubts about their novel. Let me know. I should get back to my Novel Noodle they call it. Why Noodle? Anyway it's all fun and games...

Moving Forward

My novel in my mind and on paper is moving forwards. I am really keen to get a first draft done of this novel, and then start rewriting. I am reading The Dirty Beat, by Venero Armanno. A great book full of beauty, empathy and strong characters.

There is something mysterious in art, a piece of work that takes people to a different place, like the Heart of Darkness did to me when I was a teenager, transported me, mesmerised me, and like the Snows of Kilamanjaro did to me at university and the Unbearable Lightness of Being, Cry the Beloved Country and many other books. They draw you in and change you. They affect you and remain with you for the rest of your life. Well that's what good books do to me, profound books. Not just a book that is enjoyable but ones that affect you for the rest of your life.

Some books I enjoy their style and structure and I admire the way the novel is written but there are other books that remain forever dear to me, close to me, intimate friends. Music can be the same, intimate. I would love to create something close to this.

Is there any quiet, anywhere?

Hey everyone

A bit of a rant today. I was thinking about quiet and how in our industrialised society we have a lack of it. Radio, television, IPODs ( I have one) the gym even has television playing while you work out so we won't be bored for a minute (or to have time to think), we drive everywhere, go to shopping centres and hear advertisements incessantly, attend classes or jump our of planes or do anything rather than sitting and contemplating. There is something manic about how we live now.

I don't think there is anything wrong with doing all of these things. A balanced life exists with adventure and activity and relation with each other. But I find myself sitting impatiently waiting for my daughter's cross country to start and I wonder - why has waiting a few minutes become so disturbing? Patience and taking things a little slower, is a big challenge. We do have lots of demands on our time. And I do.

Two children, a PR business and doing the accounts for our business, trying to run everything that needs to be done for kids and having a husband as well. I am very busy.

However, I just know deep down, there is a need for more quiet. Catch some moments, don't be afraid of silence, or waiting. Writing has to be done in quiet, or at least sort of quiet. I can't really achieve the quiet thing for my writing, but at least I can think about it on my walks.

I do grab some moments and they have to be quick with all I have to do.

(As an aside: I am reading this book written by the man who started the novel in one month idea and he believes that busy people can get more creative work done. I don't know if this is always true. Look at Van Gogh who focused totally on his work for 10 years and how much he achieved, it was phenomenal. In the last 90 days of his life he completed a painting a day. However, I am hoping this is true (that people busy with life can achieve creative work) because like most of us we have to work for a living.)

Back to the quiet issue as Bob Dylan says (I can't remember right now which song), "they'll take your mind away from contemplation".

Even in places like church - there is little silence, in the place that was meant to retain the sacred and provide a place for people to contemplate and be quiet, there is a sad lack of this as well.

You see, wide ranging rant.

Also, I have gone back to my novel again and decided to try and just write intuitively. Does anyone know how to write back story? That is my problem currently. My goal is to keep on going to finish a draft. There is something in the writing that teaches us.

This morning I read a Hemmingway short story - The Nun, the Gambler and the Mexican (I think that's what its called) the narrator says that one of the characters didn't like to think much at all, except when he was writing. He relegated this sort of exercise to when he was writing, probably pretty true of Hemmingway himself, considering how he chose to live his life.

Do you think this post was rambling enough? Anyone's thoughts are always appreciated.

Next post I might talk about - some writing software I have had a look at. I can't recommend it totally, as I have not looked into the opposition to the product. But stay tuned.

Beach house escape

Hey everyone

I have just returned from a holiday on the Northern NSW coast, a little town just outside Yamba. Our view was the dark green of the national park and rolling white waves breaking in vivid magnificence not too far away.

We stayed in a gorgeous bungalow wooden house filled with French antiques and interesting quirky things like a room outside with a looking tower and a rustic wooden cabin below with double bed and television.

It was quiet in this tiny town. Not school holidays yet. The pristine beach and the clear cool waters were virtually deserted. A luxury I revelled in, living in Queensland, I hate how there are crowds on every beach possible. We played and boogie boarded in the waves.

Apart from this I read Bob Dylan's Chronicles and loved it! It was great to read about an artist and how it all happened for him. In this little cottage with the wind whistling through the spaces in the wood - I could see myself writing a novel here. It was so still and serene - I lay out in the sun on the wooden deck. (I did get sunburnt by accident). I don't know if any of you have retreated to write a novel or anything as glamourous as that, I have not had the opportunity yet, but here - with the French atmosphere inside (and French surfing magazines as the owners were French) - made me feel as though I was living in my own little cultured oasis. A beautiful one, where you could have peace and write a piece of work you'd be satisfied with.

It was great. As everyone always says, refreshing to get away. Especially with interesting reading matter.

So I am a little more inspired for my novel now. Have started thinking about my main character again. There is a great quote in the notes from the YON course that says: "If you're novel doesn't keep you up at night, then it won't keep your readers up either." Something to that effect anyway. It is starting to interest me again, maybe its because I had mental space again. Anyway - I think the pressure of the novel course is good too, because now we are getting down to talking about our novels and I am wanting to get back into it and use some of the things I am learning.

Does anyone else have any novel frustrations or triumphs? Thanks for reading. More later.

Year of the Novel first workshop

Hello everyone

My first Saturday session of Year of the Novel was on the weekend. It was really great! The mini lectures we had were great about character, structure, narrative ideology, how to create characters.

We did a cool little acting session where we created a character in groups and we got to ask the player out the front various questions about this character. Needless to say there were stitches of laughter! A cross dressing man in a bikini, a womanising politician who said he loved a "good shag" and the King of the Bear Clan, Urs. It was very interesting and funny and we learnt a lot about all of the things we need to think about when creating characters.

Especially, mannerisms are a good thing to remember in creating a character.

It was really great to meet other authors, or would be authors. It was a tad depressing hearing how long it takes even for established authors to produce their final drafts of published novels. It was good to be reminded that the "pros" are still struggling with the craft even after they are well established for 25 years.

I am going to go through my notes and pick out some great quotes for you, in my next post.

We have exchanged email addresses and I think that will be really great to keep in touch with other writers in this sometimes frustrating and hard to continue process!

Having two children myself and having to work as a copywriter - to make a living to feed my children, I know what it is like to get distracted by life! Surviving and general living.

Anyway - more later. It was a great day. Highly recommended next time this course comes around if you live in Queensland or if the other states offer this kind of thing, just to keep some kind of focus happening the whole year round!

Happy writing or reading whatever your thing may be!