What did you write today?

[Amber]

Did you write today? Don't feel bad if you didn't. Everybody needs a break every now and then. Even that very important guy took one day off.

If you wrote, how long did you write? I wrote today. Of course I did. I wouldn't have started this conversation if I hadn't written today. I wrote for over three hours.

What did you write today? I wrote what I'm calling 'Dragon Trash'. I'm 100% sure I need a new title. I think elsewhere I've called it YA or coming of age, and I'm also 100% sure that's pretty much and quite totally a misnomer. Or, named MIS. Incorrectly named and otherwise WRONG. But as a new title hasn't occurred to me, Dragon Trash it now currently be.

It is, in point of fact, actually a young adult as in twenty-something story which I feel sure would be just as suitable for those teenagers looking for something perhaps a little more adultish to sink their teeth in. Sex. We're talking sex people. Although, no sex to date, definitely sex to come. Pun totally intended and typed with the cheapest of intentions. I harken back to my teenage years where romances were forbidden me but Jaqueline Collins was just fine and remember fondly the one or two lessons it taught me and believe, farbeitforme to tell people what to like or not like or even when to like it. That ain't my job.

...and since I can't keep this up, I'm posting this thread.

 

[Rich.]

I harken back to my teenage years where romances were forbidden me but Jaqueline Collins was just fine and remember fondly the one or two lessons it taught me and believe, farbeitforme to tell people what to like or not like or even when to like it. That ain't my job.

...and since I can't keep this up, I'm posting this thread.

Funny. Brilliant.

Did you write today? Yes, I did.

How long did you write? I don't know. I wrote in little bits around the kids, lastly on my phone while the little one fell asleep on me. I had to stop because my arms had gone numb.

What did you write today? I wrote a bit about a magic system for the novel-in-progress. It was hard going. I'm trying to write magic that's not just a prop. I also wrote a bit about the beliefs of my protagonist and the people around her. This creating-a-secondary-world malarkey is a deep, deep rabbit hole. And lastly I wrote, in summary, the last scene of the story. I'm sure it'll change, but now at least I've got something to shoot at.

 

[Carol Rose]

I wrote 1K on the next book I hope to have to Evernight Publishing in a few weeks. It took about an hour.

 

[OperaDivaAlix]

Amber,

I'm really liking this post.

Sending you a viral Hi5

Did you write today? Yes and I written some music too. And yes, it is hard to sing and play piano at the same time, still years later. I spent about 2 hours on my Writing Group Thread and I've been reviewing and tweaking my first three chapters. Not too much. I'm going through that see-saw kinda phrase at the minute. Do all writers get it? Or is it just me. Trying a few different angles etc. Huffing and Puffing, several cups of earl grey later.

If you wrote, how long did you write? Not as much as I would have liked. I do two classes at the gym a day, at least five days a week. Just taking it easy, easing back into it. Due to a bad back injury I had a few years ago. I still suffer with now. Its just one of those things and plus I have a heart condition too. But hey ho! There is someone out there always worse than you. You just gotta make the most of it, haven't we.
But every time I went to hydrate myself I had a quick look on here. The only time I won't use my phone is in the company of my friends and family. I was solo, so why not

What did you write today? I've answered that above

 

[Amber]

Funny. Brilliant.

Did you write today? Yes, I did.

How long did you write? I don't know. I wrote in little bits around the kids, lastly on my phone while the little one fell asleep on me. I had to stop because my arms had gone numb.

What did you write today? I wrote a bit about a magic system for the novel-in-progress. It was hard going. I'm trying to write magic that's not just a prop. I also wrote a bit about the beliefs of my protagonist and the people around her. This creating-a-secondary-world malarkey is a deep, deep rabbit hole. And lastly I wrote, in summary, the last scene of the story. I'm sure it'll change, but now at least I've got something to shoot at.

Awesome.

Are you a stay at home dad? I have a deep and abiding admiration for stay at home dads.

When you say magic that's not a prop, do you mean magic that occurs organically? Or, I suppose you could also mean magic that comes from within.

I always get confused about magical realism. I had to look it up again. I believe Chocolat is magical realism. Are you trying to do something using that sort of magic? It seems to interweave myth and more mundane things.

Do you figure create your world before writing word one or do you write and then figure out your world?

 

[Amber]

I'm going through that see-saw kinda phrase at the minute. Do all writers get it?

It's very seldom just you. I'm very critical. Sometimes I actively hate my own writing.

Or, if I think about things just the right way, every story I've ever written will seem like the same story. Nothing original. The same phrases repeated over and over again. The same cheap tricks.

Or, sometimes everything I write is really about something else.

At such times, its better to stop thinking. Move forward.

If you find yourself seesawing you might try working on something else. I have a stupid number of things I've started.

 

[OperaDivaAlix]

I all honesty Amber. I'm very anxious about Pete's review. Litopia, all of this is new to me. Have I made the right choice joining Litopia. Your a great bunch of people here and Pete he's just fantastic he really is. What other Agent gives up his own time for us writers, no-one. I'm more than happy to review anyone else's work. But when it comes to mine. Maybe I put my work up here too soon. But, I needed to do something to make me prepare for it. But at the same time I have to face this fear one way or another.

 

[Rich.]

Awesome.

Are you a stay at home dad? I have a deep and abiding admiration for stay at home dads.

When you say magic that's not a prop, do you mean magic that occurs organically? Or, I suppose you could also mean magic that comes from within.

I always get confused about magical realism. I had to look it up again. I believe Chocolat is magical realism. Are you trying to do something using that sort of magic? It seems to interweave myth and more mundane things.

Do you figure create your world before writing word one or do you write and then figure out your world?

I am a stay-at-home dad, yes. I have a deep and abiding admiration for the countless generations of women who did this before I ever thought to have a go. It's immensely rewarding, but by far the hardest thing I've ever done. Stay-at-home dads are a minority everywhere, I guess, but particularly so here in Spain. Mediterranean machismo, you know?

The magic I'm trying to write is both organic and from within. It's a skill everyone possesses, at least potentially, like gymnastics -- some people become Olympians while others haven't done a roly-poly since they were nine. It's not magical realism, but rather high fantasy (no orcs, elves or faeries, mind you).

One thing I'm trying to do is severely limit the scope of what you can do with the magic. In the world I'm creating, it's not very practical, and not held in high regard.

Myth does play an important role in the story, invented myth, at any rate. The story is basically about a girl who stops a war, and finds within herself a little bit of magic that people thought was only the stuff of legend, a kind of healing magic, something deeply connected to the earth.

As for creating the world, I write a bit of story, invent a bit of world, back and forth, back and forth. All a bit holistic.

 

[Amber]

I all honesty Amber. I'm very anxious about Pete's review. Litopia, all of this is new to me. Have I made the right choice joining Litopia. Your a great much of people here and Pete he's just fantastic he really is. What other Agent gives up his own time for us writers, no-one. I'm more than happy to review anyone else's work. But when it comes to mine. Maybe I put my work up here too soon. But, I needed to do something to make me prepare for it. But at the same time I have to face this fear one way or another.

If I was still into metaphysics I'd tell you, "There aren't any wrong choices."

But now that I'm not, I'll say, "It can't be a wrong choice." I mean, what's the worst that can happen to you?

I agree that Agent Pete is absolutely fantabulous but it's been my observation that agents do things like .... go to conferences ..... judge contests .... listen to speeches at conferences .... participate in panel discussions at conferences ... and in many other various ways get up close and personal with writers all the time. Sounds dangerous if you ask me.

So while he is the only one doing this particular thing, I have to tell you .... agents donate their time in various ways fairly often. Which isn't to take away from what Agent Pete is doing.

This isn't do or die.

Everyone feels differently about their own work. It's a lot easier to critique than be critiqued.

 

[OperaDivaAlix]

Too disappoint people Amber.

 

[Amber]

I am a stay-at-home dad, yes. I have a deep and abiding admiration for the countless generations of women who did this before I ever thought to have a go. It's immensely rewarding, but by far the hardest thing I've ever done. Stay-at-home dads are a minority everywhere, I guess, but particularly so here in Spain. Mediterranean machismo, you know?

The magic I'm trying to write is both organic and from within. It's a skill everyone possesses, at least potentially, like gymnastics -- some people become Olympians while others haven't done a roly-poly since they were nine. It's not magical realism, but rather high fantasy (no orcs, elves or faeries, mind you).

One thing I'm trying to do is severely limit the scope of what you can do with the magic. In the world I'm creating, it's not very practical, and not held in high regard.

Myth does play an important role in the story, invented myth, at any rate. The story is basically about a girl who stops a war, and finds within herself a little bit of magic that people thought was only the stuff of legend, a kind of healing magic, something deeply connected to the earth.

As for creating the world, I write a bit of story, invent a bit of world, back and forth, back and forth. All a bit holistic.

I have a soft spot for stay at home dads. It might be because I'm still angry at my son's invisible dad.

Your story sounds interesting. The reason I like science fiction and fantasy is because I enjoy imagining how people might be different if the world was different -- or society was different. Which always never means making the world a better place. There wouldn't be any story then. But I like the way fantasy and science fiction highlights our values, our assumptions, and our perceptions. We see ourselves through and sometimes in the eyes of another world.

I suppose I make my world on the fly. I often have to go back and change things.

 

[Amber]

Too disappoint people Amber.

They'll get over it.

 

[MaryA]

@Rich, your WIP sounds fascinating and I hope you post something for us to read and comment on. I'm not sure what you mean by high fantasy though. Magic realism (Latin American, Marquez, Allende etc) I get.

I'm working on a short story that seems to be losing its plot.

 

[Barbara]

I wrote ... NOTHING.

But in all fairness, I'm doing background work on my protagonist, a nice guy who turns into a bit of nutter. Still, not putting words to computer feels frustrating, and progress is slow. (Day job. Why on earth do we need them?) I'm also feedback-ing someone's work (And jolly enjoyable it is too. It's nice to read good work.)

 

[Carol Rose]

Writing right now! It's 4:30 AM here, and yes that is how early I get up on weekdays. LOL! I try to sneak in writing before I have to go to the day job. Word count goal today is 2K.

 

[Barbara]

Writing right now! It's 4:30 AM here, and yes that is how early I get up on weekdays. LOL! I try to sneak in writing before I have to go to the day job. Word count goal today is 2K.

Hey @Carol Rose. 4:30? Wow, that's impressive! The earliest I manage is 6 AM, then I write furiously until I start work at 10. On the days that I work from home, I always leave my MS open and grab every free moment I get. On the days I work on the airbase, I don't finish until 8 PM, but I always sneak an hour or two afterwards at night. Still, at the mo, it just don't flo, and the words elude. Hence a good time to do some feedback. (And I'm enjoying it too.)

 

[Carol Rose]

Hey @Carol Rose. 4:30? Wow, that's impressive! The earliest I manage is 6 AM, then I write furiously until I start work at 10. On the days that I work from home, I always leave my MS open and grab every free moment I get. On the days I work on the airbase, I don't finish until 8 PM, but I always sneak an hour or two afterwards at night. Still, at the mo, it just don't flo, and the words elude. Hence a good time to do some feedback. (And I'm enjoying it too.)

I'm actually up at 4:00, but coffee, feeding the cat, and Facebook/promo comes first. LOL!

 

[Barbara]

I'm actually up at 4:00, but coffee, feeding the cat, and Facebook/promo comes first. LOL!

Yes, cats come first. I agree wholeheartedly. I drop EVERYTHING for my furry boy.

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Unusually, I did no creative writing on Monday, though I did several hours of extensive research for my WIP, on such disturbing subjects as hacksaw wounds to human flesh, that nature of concrete burns to skin, cirrhosis of the liver, the embalming process and the history of embalming fluid and how its ingredients have changed in the last 100 years.

I sometimes wonder at my own resilience, which may have been fortified by working in a medical library in the 1970s, where the illustrated textbooks and research papers would make most people tremble and vomit!

 

[Sea-shore]

Did you write today?
Yes, 700 words for the homework for my writing course at City Lit in Covent Garden.

If you wrote, how long did you write?
An hour and half

What did you write today?
The homework was to write a scene for an older character when they were an adolescence. I wrote about my antagonist being passive-aggressive with her mother.

 

[MaryA]

How are you finding that writing course, @Sea-shore?

 

[Sea-shore]

How are you finding that writing course, @Sea-shore?

Hi Mary. I would say I like it very much. The teacher is very supportive and knowledgeable, and other writers are lovely mix of beginners and seasoned script writers.

 

[Sea-shore]

I'm lucky to live in London to have this very affordable writing course available to me, but it does take up the whole of my Thursday with train ride there and back, but I have found it absolutely worth it.
Do you have any writing groups where you are Mary?

 

[Rich.]

I have a soft spot for stay at home dads. It might be because I'm still angry at my son's invisible dad.

Your story sounds interesting. The reason I like science fiction and fantasy is because I enjoy imagining how people might be different if the world was different -- or society was different. Which always never means making the world a better place. There wouldn't be any story then. But I like the way fantasy and science fiction highlights our values, our assumptions, and our perceptions. We see ourselves through and sometimes in the eyes of another world.

I suppose I make my world on the fly. I often have to go back and change things.

Oh, nasty, I'm sorry to here about your son's invisible dad. That kind of thing leaves a mark. My old man was a soldier and generally elsewhere when I was a kid. We've still never quite worked things out. It's definitely a factor in me wanting to be there for my boys.

It sounds like we like sci-fi and fantasy for pretty much the same reasons, and that we both do most of our worldbuilding on the fly. I've been thinking about it overnight, and I guess the story always comes first for me, at least the bones of it, and then I hang the world around it. Like I said, back and forth, back and forth. I would find pre-building a world before inhabiting it with storypeople to be extremely boring, I think.

--

@Rich, your WIP sounds fascinating and I hope you post something for us to read and comment on. I'm not sure what you mean by high fantasy though. Magic realism (Latin American, Marquez, Allende etc) I get.

I'm working on a short story that seems to be losing its plot.

High fantasy (among the many other definitions you might find) is basically everything that has its roots in Tolkien. And I would include Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series in that bracket (she admired Tolkien, even if she (very much) didn't want to write like him). Wikipedia has it as:

High fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, defined either by its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, and plot.​

In my case, the story is focussed on a single character, a journey, and a friendship. But the canvas on which the story takes place is epic in scope. The world is secondary, fully made up (albeit with bits and pieces borrowed from history and mythology, alongside the bespoke stuff). It's a world in which I would like to tell many stories, this being simply the first, but time will tell if that wish pans out. Once I've got something readable, I'll start posting it here (you have in fact read, and given valuable comments on, a sketchy short story that was the germ of the idea for the main character, Haika).

I think the best kind of genre fiction takes all the tropes and flips them around in unexpected ways, but still leaves them recognizable. Genre's like a comfort blanket, and you don't want to give your readers a sheet, when they're expecting a duvet.

I hope you find your story's lost plot!

 

[OperaDivaAlix]

Did you write today? Yeah Rewritten my first chapter

If you wrote, how long did you write? 4 hours. I didn't write more, just cut words instead. Does that count?

 

[Rich.]

If you wrote, how long did you write? 4 hours. I didn't write more, just cut words instead. Does that count?

Yep. Very much so. Most of writing is editing. Polishing, polishing, polishing – as time and sanity allow.

 

[Barbara]

Oh, nasty, I'm sorry to here about your son's invisible dad. That kind of thing leaves a mark. My old man was a soldier and generally elsewhere when I was a kid. We've still never quite worked things out. It's definitely a factor in me wanting to be there for my boys.

It sounds like we like sci-fi and fantasy for pretty much the same reasons, and that we both do most of our worldbuilding on the fly. I've been thinking about it overnight, and I guess the story always comes first for me, at least the bones of it, and then I hang the world around it. Like I said, back and forth, back and forth. I would find pre-building a world before inhabiting it with storypeople to be extremely boring, I think.

--


High fantasy (among the many other definitions you might find) is basically everything that has its roots in Tolkien. And I would include Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea series in that bracket (she admired Tolkien, even if she (very much) didn't want to write like him). Wikipedia has it as:

High fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, defined either by its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, and plot.​

In my case, the story is focussed on a single character, a journey, and a friendship. But the canvas on which the story takes place is epic in scope. The world is secondary, fully made up (albeit with bits and pieces borrowed from history and mythology, alongside the bespoke stuff). It's a world in which I would like to tell many stories, this being simply the first, but time will tell if that wish pans out. Once I've got something readable, I'll start posting it here (you have in fact read, and given valuable comments on, a sketchy short story that was the germ of the idea for the main character, Haika).

I think the best kind of genre fiction takes all the tropes and flips them around in unexpected ways, but still leaves them recognizable. Genre's like a comfort blanket, and you don't want to give your readers a sheet, when they're expecting a duvet.

I hope you find your story's lost plot!

@Rich. Great to read that you're still with Haika.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

I've written a tribute for my husband to deliver at a wake for an old friend of his who has sadly died of pancreatic cancer, leaving a wife, son of 16 and a daughter of 13.

I've written and sent in an advert for a daughter, actor and makeup artist trying to get established with her make up services locally.

Worked on a poem, my own; The Fool.

Written some bullet point cards to help a new student, studying modern poets, to whit, a poem by Ted Hughes and another by Plath.

Varied day today.

 

[Barbara]

I've written a tribute for my husband to deliver at a wake for an old friend of his who has sadly died of pancreatic cancer, leaving a wife, son of 16 and a daughter of 13.

I've written and sent in an advert for a daughter, actor and makeup artist trying to get established with her make up services locally.

Worked on a poem, my own; The Fool.

Written some bullet point cards to help a new student, studying modern poets, to whit, a poem by Ted Hughes and another by Plath.

Goodness, @Katie-Ellen Hazeldine, your first writing task today ... that can't have been easy. How sad!

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Yes. His poor wife wanted the hub to write a tribute to raise a few smiles. Writing isn't Il Matrimonio's thing, but I could help him out there, at least. The material was there. A man he'd first met when that man was only twelve, he died at home, mercifully helped by morphine.