Bella

  • Oh wow @hilary, what an honour!! Congratulations again on your placing. I hope you had a wonderful time at the launch x

  • Squidge posted an update in the group Group logo of December SloMoDecember SloMo 7 years, 7 months ago

    My slomo so far has been to draft a Christmas newsletter (rather a Marmite thing, I’ve found, for the recipients), planned a few writing exercises for a group I’m talking to tonight (which I will also be using for NIBS next week), and about 150 words of something I like for Room with a View (although I have no idea where it’s heading or why I’ve…[Read more]

  • I see we have four new members who could use a vowel or two in their name. What’s that all about?
    Anyway, Wlcme!

  • Oh, Elle – just read your flash piece. So sad and beautiful. Congratulations.

  • Tomorrow is the launch of the Bath Short Story Award anthology. Excited about reading a page or so from my story, and meeting other winners and shortlisters.

  • JaneShuff posted an update 7 years, 7 months ago

    Am bored. Am very bored. Hairdresser is running an hour late.

  • JaneShuff posted an update in the group Group logo of December SloMoDecember SloMo 7 years, 7 months ago

    Got my 500 words done. The first 500 words of a new WIP. Had to remind myself several time – Don’t get it right, get it written! Suspect it might show that I loved doing my research a bit much! Tomorrow’s target is the same – 500 words. Then I’m off to London for a big weekend so won’t get anything written until I get back. Hope you’re all doing…[Read more]

  • Hilary posted an update in the group Group logo of December SloMoDecember SloMo 7 years, 7 months ago

    Sorry I’m late, but here now for mutual encouragement. I’m working on structural edit of novel, having done one and two-thirds drafts. Have been trying to hone and clarify main story arc and am now trying to work out how and where the subplots intersect/have an impact on the main plot. Like some of you, I am feeling the fear, mainly because it’s…[Read more]

    • Oh good luck! I feel your pain! Are you doing the splendid post it notes!?

    • Congrats on being a runner up, Hilary. I also feel I’m making progress then decide the opposite is true. It sounds as though you’re making v good headway. The structural stuff needs doing and you’re doing it. Congrats on that too, and pat yourself on the back.

      • Thank you, Libby and Raine. Yes, post-its have played a part; also multi-coloured highlighting in Word. It all helps.

        • I use a chapter plan in a separate word doc too. This can be changed as often as required but without it I’m lost.

          • Well done @hilary on pushing on. I know what you mean about the false summits, but keep,faith. It does just take that long. If it’s any consolation I’m on draft, er, 20 with at least another round of edits to go! And trust me: the agent will wait, there’s no rush. I took a whole year between the request for the full and sending it, and it was fine.

  • JaneShuff posted an update in the group Group logo of December SloMoDecember SloMo 7 years, 7 months ago

    I didn’t have a lot of time today but I think I have got the planning to the stage where I need to start writing. So that’s the plan for tomorrow. Although I won’t have a lot of time, so I’m going to do the background research for it tonight and set myself a gentle target of 500 words.

  • Squidge posted an update in the group Group logo of December SloMoDecember SloMo 7 years, 7 months ago

    Very late to this – two days gone already! – but I blame it on an overnight visit to Germany to see friends and celebrate Advent.

    SloMo… I jotted a few ideas down for Room with a View, then decided I didn’t like them and another idea popped into my head this morning. Not sure it’ll work, but might play around with it this afternoon. I shan’t…[Read more]

  • Philippa East posted an update in the group Group logo of December SloMoDecember SloMo 7 years, 7 months ago

    Okay, well today has gone well, I think. I managed about two hours, working on balancing the various twists, climaxes and (false) resolutions in the book. I think I’ve managed to pin down the problem more clearly and sketch out a general solution.
    I still have to work out the specific details I’ll need to add into the story MS itself to pull…[Read more]

  • JaneShuff posted an update in the group Group logo of December SloMoDecember SloMo 7 years, 7 months ago

    I am loving redaing what you’re all planning to do in December.

    Having spent yesterday and today running and manning the local twinning committee’s ‘sell English products to the French’ Christmas stall in between dodging the Gilets Jaunes to take my OH to the airport, my aim tonight is to do enough RL work to free up tomorrow morning for a bit…[Read more]

    • *reading

      • That would be a very good end of year @janeshuff. I hope you are all ok over there. Awful to read about all the anger and destruction x

        • Thanks @kazg. Luckily we are far from the mayhem of Paris and the gilets jaunes here were peacable enough. However they’ve started blockading the Port du Commerce which means no petrol deliveries and there was a spate of panic buying over the weekend which means the pumps have run dry!

          • Oh yikes! Hope the blockade lifts soon, although I have to admire their protest power! Good luck for the writing today – and without the OH to interrupt!

          • Oh no, hope you don’t get stuck! yes, the French know how to get protesting, don’t they? Phlegmatic they are not. Good luck with the writing @janeshuff

  • Philippa East posted an update in the group Group logo of December SloMoDecember SloMo 7 years, 7 months ago

    I’ve been inspired by the goals your guys are setting yourselves. I think I’m going to set myself the SloMo goal of doing (up to) three hours’ editorial work a day (on the days I’m not at work). That, for me, is enough time to get some solid work done, but hopefully not so long that I panic myself with how much I should be achieving. And I plan to…[Read more]

    • I think I often try to do too much of that really close editing in a sitting, so start out being really thoughtful and ending up just drifting. So yes, time limits are probably something I need to be better at. Feels funny to limit your own writing time, rather than RL limiting it for you!!

      • Yes, good point! But I agree, I think there’s a danger that we over-tax the creative subconscious by hammering away at idea-generation for too long.

  • Well done, Raine.

  • Philippa East posted an update in the group Group logo of December SloMoDecember SloMo 7 years, 7 months ago

    Hello Everyone, and thanks so much @raine for setting this group up.

    Like Seagreen, I have editing work to do over the next month or so, so I am hoping I can make slow and gentle progress on that. I’m currently grappling The Fear / Resistance, so joining you all in this supportive place will be helpful, I hope.

    My main panic is that these…[Read more]

    • I know exactly what you mean about The Fear, both in general and in the specific form you mention. Encouragement: a few days ago I fixed a problem in my old revived MS that I’d been shrinking from for, literally, years, si if I can do it you certainly can.

      • Thanks @richardB. “Shrinking from” – that’s exactly it!! I know I just need to take a deep breath, and step in. Quit worrying about the outcome and just engage with the process.
        I have four clear hours tomorrow morning to work, so hopefully I will make some progress. Out of interest, Richard, what was the problem and what was your fix? (if you…[Read more]

        • The problem was the one I mentioned a couple of days ago: the bloated chapter full of stuff the reader already knew. I was shrinking from it because there were several threads/issues involved and it was going to be hard work keeping track of them and figuring out what I could get away with losing. I solved it by being bloody ruthless – something…[Read more]

          • Oh well done on the ruthlessness! And that sounds like such an important thing to have fixed. I wonder if part of our Fear can come from the sense that if we try to change tricky elements in the MS, the whole thing will fall apart….

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