Friday 15 March 2013

It's going slowly today - how I keep going

Earlier this week things were going well I was in the flow or writing and editing.  I took my laptop to work with me, editing and re-writing on the train. Usually I write at home where I have masses of notes, and papers for props surrounding my laptop. I have proved to myself that I can sit down anywhere and write which dispels the myth of the isolated artist sitting around for inspiration. My play journal was filling in my twenty minute writing slots, but I've been so tired these last few days that the notes are nowhere near the finished piece of writing I wanted to send out for competiitions this week. 

Today it's going very slowly, I have little energy left. In my manuscript, The Wish Bone, I am editing Chapter 24, writing a scene around two teenage boys, Danny and Freddie.I have to think myself into their worlds and their language and it's stalling. The most useful thing  that happened today was my teenage son saying 'Piss off' in conversation. The correct swear words are a key to characterisation of my cast of characters. Mum says, 'Oh God', Dad says 'Christ', and Freddie will now say 'Piss OFF'. Obviously not all at the same time. 

Getting the voice right is key and this is what I'm striving to achieve as I edit. 'What I did' by Christopher Wakling is a fantastic example of a novel with an authentic voice. The child narrator is a six year old boy full of vibrant energy whose voice stays consistent from his struggles with getting dressed to the way he describes the world using his world view of his favourite Attenborough programmes.  In a world full of noise and throwaway content the writing that shines will have a unique voice and the book will have heart, soul and spirit. That is why I edit. I'll come back to it tomorrow. What else is there to do? 

In the meantime here is some inspiration that I found useful today, given to me by my writer friend Diane, who is writing a book in 30 days.  This is her favourite quote:
and here is some visual imagery from me: 




Happy writing, friends 


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You're right. Oscar says piss off all the time.