One day I searched Twitter for people directly related to writing and there I came upon a member called @writesideways. They have a website, well, a blog and I found some interesting information on there about the craft.
Just yesterday, the woman who is at the front of Write Sideways, posted something on Twitter that caught my attention. Filter words! It was my source of yesterdays reading.
Anyway, as I clicked on the link to her website a popup came up informing me of a free ebook if I signed up to her website. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
So tonight I've been reading the first few pages. It's not a traditional book in that it's not a fiction book, nor is it a non-fiction book where there's sections you read. It's a wordbook entitled Read Better, Write Better. Suzannah Windsor Freeman, the ebook's author, believes there's some sort of formula to writing a good, publishable novel. In this ebook, she has written a template that can be used whilst reading a book to look at what works and what perhaps doesn't.
I'm interested, I'm ready to give it a try. I don't necessarily want to write a book for publishing, but I do want to write a book. So really, any help I can be given, that's good enough for me!
Friday, 21 January 2011
Write: Jan 20th - In This Life
After a very, very productive week writing wise I was completely surprised by my lack of ability to put pen to paper.
I did, of course, I needed to and wanted to.
But I ended late (12.30 approximately) and my head was so shattered that I couldn't read through, check for mistakes and upload it. That will be today's task, whilst hopefully still being able to do a bit of writing to continue the story.
The distance I am from the end of the story makes my toes curl.
I did, of course, I needed to and wanted to.
But I ended late (12.30 approximately) and my head was so shattered that I couldn't read through, check for mistakes and upload it. That will be today's task, whilst hopefully still being able to do a bit of writing to continue the story.
The distance I am from the end of the story makes my toes curl.
Read: Jan 20th - Filter Words
I read a blog about filter words which was rather interesting and perhaps extremely useful. I used to use filter words, a lot but gradually I found they'd become redundant. When I'm struggling to write something I slip back into old habits, I know I do it, I just can't always stop myself.
But as the blog posts I read in regards to said filter words, both suggested that while it's an easy thing to write, it's also an easy thing to spot when reading. It's something I will have to remember to look out for when I proof read my own work.
I find blogs like this one completely useful for my own progress as a writer. I don't consider myself to be anything of an expert and I still struggle to form sentences. Heck, I still struggle to remember what exactly a verb is and how these adverbs and what not fit into the structure of a sentence.
Like many others, I wasn't taught the craft of writing well enough to know these things flawlessly. Yet I have an interest. I want to learn, to teach myself and have strangers writing blogs from the other side of the world to teach me too. That's one of the things I love most about the Internet.
The lessons, the information. You can teach yourself just about anything with the use of a computer hooked up to the world wide web. I once taught myself basic drumming, just the way the two sticks have to move to different beats sometimes. But I learnt it from a video I found on a website.
That's the power of the internet.
But as the blog posts I read in regards to said filter words, both suggested that while it's an easy thing to write, it's also an easy thing to spot when reading. It's something I will have to remember to look out for when I proof read my own work.
I find blogs like this one completely useful for my own progress as a writer. I don't consider myself to be anything of an expert and I still struggle to form sentences. Heck, I still struggle to remember what exactly a verb is and how these adverbs and what not fit into the structure of a sentence.
Like many others, I wasn't taught the craft of writing well enough to know these things flawlessly. Yet I have an interest. I want to learn, to teach myself and have strangers writing blogs from the other side of the world to teach me too. That's one of the things I love most about the Internet.
The lessons, the information. You can teach yourself just about anything with the use of a computer hooked up to the world wide web. I once taught myself basic drumming, just the way the two sticks have to move to different beats sometimes. But I learnt it from a video I found on a website.
That's the power of the internet.
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Read: Jan 19th - William Blake
I decided to spend a bit of time reading poems by William Blake.
I studied them at sixth form college which was very interesting I must say.
My favourite poem by William Blake is The Echoing Green, I was very surprised when one of the other students (Laura, I think her name was, she sat next to me) suggested that the poem was about death, the life cycle and that concept made the poem so much more interesting.
There are a few I don't know that I attempted to read and I didn't enjoy them all, but that's okay. You can't like everything!
I studied them at sixth form college which was very interesting I must say.
My favourite poem by William Blake is The Echoing Green, I was very surprised when one of the other students (Laura, I think her name was, she sat next to me) suggested that the poem was about death, the life cycle and that concept made the poem so much more interesting.
There are a few I don't know that I attempted to read and I didn't enjoy them all, but that's okay. You can't like everything!
Wednesday, 19 January 2011
Write: Jan 19th - In This Life
I've reached the final, hardest part o the uphill struggle and I'm hovering on the very edge waiting until the moment I can start sliding down that hill across the finish line.
I'm excited. I'm scared. I'm, well, I don't know what I am. But I'm ready and willing and wish I had all the time in the world to finish off my story.
Sometimes I get caught up in how many reviews I receive, but when I'm on a roll and I feel the writing flowing through my veins, reviews matter very little. Have you ever played in a sports game? Or done something dangerous? The feel of the adrenaline rushing through your veins, forcing you to want to keep going, to want to keep going whatever it is building up that adrenaline.
This feels like that. I have adrenaline not from the physical act of kicking a ball around a field or jumping off a high cliff, but from feeling the story there inside of me beginning me to write it.
It's amazing.
I'm excited. I'm scared. I'm, well, I don't know what I am. But I'm ready and willing and wish I had all the time in the world to finish off my story.
Sometimes I get caught up in how many reviews I receive, but when I'm on a roll and I feel the writing flowing through my veins, reviews matter very little. Have you ever played in a sports game? Or done something dangerous? The feel of the adrenaline rushing through your veins, forcing you to want to keep going, to want to keep going whatever it is building up that adrenaline.
This feels like that. I have adrenaline not from the physical act of kicking a ball around a field or jumping off a high cliff, but from feeling the story there inside of me beginning me to write it.
It's amazing.
Write/Read: Jan 18 - In This Life
I am angry with myself because I didn't do any official reading today. I did, however, have two chapters of my story that I wrote today and subsequently they both needed proof reading. So really...that counts. I read approximately 4000 words which is a lot of reading really.
Tomorrow I will try to do extra reading to make up for it. I think I'm beginning to realise that it's not about writing a whole essay/story or reading a whole piece of writing every single day.
I've written double what I could have even expected, which also involved reading.
I keep associating reading as reading fiction but in addition to reading the story I wrote, I've read a handful of long messages, some articles (not necessarily very well written but it's reading all the same). I need to stop restricting my reading to fiction because I could read an interesting article and that counts.
I'm very proud of the chapters I've written, I feel like I've accomplished something and that feels good.
Tomorrow I will try to do extra reading to make up for it. I think I'm beginning to realise that it's not about writing a whole essay/story or reading a whole piece of writing every single day.
I've written double what I could have even expected, which also involved reading.
I keep associating reading as reading fiction but in addition to reading the story I wrote, I've read a handful of long messages, some articles (not necessarily very well written but it's reading all the same). I need to stop restricting my reading to fiction because I could read an interesting article and that counts.
I'm very proud of the chapters I've written, I feel like I've accomplished something and that feels good.
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Watch: Jan 18th - Skins (US)
Watching Skins US, the remake episode, the one episode that is as good as a carbon copy.
Mostly just random notes that make little sense if you don't know Skins and Skins US.
Tony - I actually like this Tony, the UK Tony I couldn't stand, this one I don't mind.
Michelle - it's like there's some sort of mix up with Nips and Tony, where I like US Tony, I dislike US Michelle.
Cadie - I don't think she has the same vulnerable/completely insane feel as Cassie.
Unfortunately the whole concept of Stanley losing his virginity is a lot more clichéd in an American show.
I think I like Tea, I love the whole first scene with her, first time I laughed.
Stanley - I can't quite decide whether I like him or not.
I like Tony's parents, but then Stanley's dad shouting in pretty much the same way was a bit of a no no for me.
Chris - wasn't a fan of teacher obsessed Chris, but thieving, 'common' Chris is so much better!
Daisy - she is rather awesome in many ways! She's got a similar sort of sense to Jal, a strong head, the 'normal' one of the bunch and yet she's not Jal, she's different somehow.
Abbud - no real thoughts on her, a bit like with Anwar.
Eura - too early to tell since she's barely been in the episode. She's blonde, which is strange. I don't get the same 'wow, you're so mysterious' feel from her. I suppose I feel like she's just a none talking girl with nothing much about her.
Must admit, I didn't mind it, the episode was alright.
But the preview for the rest of the series makes me wonder how identical the whole thing will be. There might be a lot of people out there who haven't seen Skins but those who have are still interested in Skins US.
* when I say Skins I refer to Skins in it's original form, UK Skins. But as the original I don't want to refer to it as UK Skins like it's an arm of a bigger show, Skins in the UK is CSI, known only as CSI. Skins in the US is like CSI: Miami, so I wI'll refer to that as Skins US. I just wanted to make that clear.
Mostly just random notes that make little sense if you don't know Skins and Skins US.
Tony - I actually like this Tony, the UK Tony I couldn't stand, this one I don't mind.
Michelle - it's like there's some sort of mix up with Nips and Tony, where I like US Tony, I dislike US Michelle.
Cadie - I don't think she has the same vulnerable/completely insane feel as Cassie.
Unfortunately the whole concept of Stanley losing his virginity is a lot more clichéd in an American show.
I think I like Tea, I love the whole first scene with her, first time I laughed.
Stanley - I can't quite decide whether I like him or not.
I like Tony's parents, but then Stanley's dad shouting in pretty much the same way was a bit of a no no for me.
Chris - wasn't a fan of teacher obsessed Chris, but thieving, 'common' Chris is so much better!
Daisy - she is rather awesome in many ways! She's got a similar sort of sense to Jal, a strong head, the 'normal' one of the bunch and yet she's not Jal, she's different somehow.
Abbud - no real thoughts on her, a bit like with Anwar.
Eura - too early to tell since she's barely been in the episode. She's blonde, which is strange. I don't get the same 'wow, you're so mysterious' feel from her. I suppose I feel like she's just a none talking girl with nothing much about her.
Must admit, I didn't mind it, the episode was alright.
But the preview for the rest of the series makes me wonder how identical the whole thing will be. There might be a lot of people out there who haven't seen Skins but those who have are still interested in Skins US.
* when I say Skins I refer to Skins in it's original form, UK Skins. But as the original I don't want to refer to it as UK Skins like it's an arm of a bigger show, Skins in the UK is CSI, known only as CSI. Skins in the US is like CSI: Miami, so I wI'll refer to that as Skins US. I just wanted to make that clear.
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