In which I talk about reading.

Hello folks.

I think I’m attempting to spread myself too thin.

I have several ‘projects’ on the go at the moment; my everyday 500 words, this blog once a week, I’m trying to read a little more (more on this in a minute), I’m trying to journal a little more, I’m making my own diary insert/pages for my Filofax for next year (all by hand!), keeping up with keeping the room tidy (though I really must dust my desk again), getting through my ink samples, getting through my gel pens and attempting to get through my reams and reams of paper that I somehow keep acquiring. (I’m thinking I should actually attempt to make some mini notebooks out of some of it. Like I said I was going to do months ago? Yeah, I never actually did.)

The boyfriend got me an e-reader last week. Nothing fancy, just a Kobo Mini. It’s on sale in WHSmith’s at the moment, from about £49.99, down to about £29.99 (until the 30th I think, like an extended Father’s Day offer), but last week the staff got a special “have some money off for working so damn hard!” coupon that brought the Mini down to £19.99. (Which I believe was available for that weekend only?) I’d been talking about saving up for one, so he brought one home for me. And you know what? I actually kind of love it. It’s tiny, but not so small that it’s unusable. And you can change the font size so you don’t end up with like, six words per page on the screen. I ended up using it quite a bit on Sunday when we went to the boyfriend’s grandparents for the day. I can’t get over how small and light it is. It weighs practically nothing.

The Kobo store/website isn’t the best thing in the world, but I don’t think any e-reader website is going to be as easy to use as Amazon. But that’s okay, ’cause I can just download things as epub files of pdfs and put them on my Kobo that way. Actually, it’s much easier to browse the store on the device than on the Internet. Whoduvthunkit?

I’m not saying that I don’t have any books to read, because I do. I have… Way too many. Or maybe I don’t? It just looks like I have a lot because so many of them are as thick as a brick (I’m looking at you, Game of Thrones). And really, I find that quite intimidating. Which I find both annoying and stupid. I used to read books that thick for breakfast. Then again, I guess that’s what easy access to so much technology does to you? I don’t really know. I’m still very much in the “I can’t seem to spend time reading when I could be spending that time writing” camp. Which also annoys me ’cause apparently so many people think that you can’t be a proper writer if you’re not an avid reader too. Whilst I think this it utter bollocks (in my opinion), I do think I need to read more. I want to read more, I just find it difficult.

I’ve got a bunch of the free ebooks on the ereader at the moment, and I think the majority of them are crime novels. Which are not ones I’d pick up and buy in a book store. Admittedly almost every ebook I own was free. Books are expensive, and I’m just not sure about buying a book I might not even like? You can’t exactly go and exchange a book because you didn’t like it, and it’s not like there’s a trade in service anywhere other than Amazon for books. Also, physical books take up a lot of room. (Two reasons why I wanted an ereader – ebooks are generally cheaper and obviously an ereader doesn’t take up very much space, even if it’s one of the more regular sized ones.) So yeah, I think the e-reader is a good thing.

I mean, it’s not going to stop me buying the occasional physical book, because that would be silly. It’s the same as the whole… Digital music download versus physical CD thing. I don’t mind downloading music, but I’ll go and buy a physical disc if it’s an album by a favourite artist. You’ve got to support your favourites.

Anyway. I’m going to leave you with a quote, which I think I copied down right. I hope I did. I’m not sure where I read it either though.

“Books are no more threatened by Kindle [ereaders] than stairs by elevators.” ~ Stephan Fry.

Until next week!

Danni

X

Blog post word count: 776 words.

An update, of sorts

So since last week, I’ve done no reading of my new books, but have probably panicked many times every time I walk past the huge box that sits in my room.

Since last week I have also started a new project, which I hope to keep working on. The setting is a desert island so I’ll have to see if I can find something new to do with it. My notes read “More Lord of the Flies than Lost” so we’ll see. The draft may get abandoned like many others after several hundred words so I hope I can keep interested for long enough.

Editing and finalising my novel has come to a complete standstill which is a bit rubbish but I feel more time away from it may help. After being constantly crowded by something for several years, I think it’s good to step away for some time and work on other things. That, and I don’t think I could bear to go through another draft.

Reading is also going quite slowly. I read Jonathan Coe’s A Touch of Love, which satisfyingly didn’t have a twist like some of his newer works. I now actually own all of his books (I think), including the newest one Expo 58 which I won from a Penguin blog and isn’t out until September.

At the moment I’m reading Charlotte Street by Danny Wallace which is a pretty easy read. It reminds me a lot of his non fiction work and is actually something I can imagine him doing. I’m just over half way through at the moment and am enjoying it, so that’s good.

I want to read Mark Watson’s The Knot, mainly because I got his book Eleven as a free ebook on my phone and want to see what another of his books is like. I nearly bought it yesterday but changed my mind but I’m sure I’ll pick it up eventually.

That’s all for now,
Lil

On criticism and explaining away.

As my twitter bio says states “instead of writing my novel, I tweet about how I’m not writing my novel.” When I’m not tweeting about not writing, I’m usually here, writing about my novel. Now, if we’ve managed to get our heads round that…

One of my fears is having to explain my novel to someone. I was always annoyed at school when English lessons took the route of “why did the author do this?” or “the author used the colour _____ as a symbol for what?”. Sometimes I think delving too far into a novel’s meaning takes any enjoyment from it. There is no need to explain the story away.

One of my favourite parts of The History Boys is when they have a discussion about the Holocaust and putting things in context. Posner says: “But to put something in context is a step towards saying it can be understood and explained. And if it can be explained, then it can be explained away.” I feel like this about some critical thinking, you can over analyse it too much and the original sentiment disappears under criticism.

Earlier on, another character, Scripps, says “You can’t explain away the poetry.” which highlights another issue I have with critical thought. A lot of poetry is written in moments of great personal meaning, to explain that away would be like invalidating the poets thoughts. Some poets do make illusions or refer to certain colours and moods, but is this not just part of poetry? There may be no grand scheme behind it.

There is nothing wrong with interpreting novels and poetry in your own way, but I found it very irritating when we were asked to decide why we thought the author had done something. Some people write with no agenda but to tell a good story. Sometimes I feel teachers should just let them do that. Stories are much more exciting when discovered alone, instead of having them forced upon you.

*insert witty title here, preferably with a 80s music montage*

Hello folks!

I’m feeling might fine and dandy today. It might be the oddly bright weather we’ve had recently. It might be the fact that I’m utterly enjoying writing at the moment. It might be the fact that I’m expecting post. Or there could just be something in the water. Who knows? And frankly, who really cares? I’m going to grab this good mood by the horns and keep a tight hold on it. Wouldn’t you?

So anyway. I re-tidied my desk, like I said I would. The underneath looks much better now. Even if I haven’t quite learnt where everything has been moved to yet, but I’m getting there so it’s not all bad. Hurrah for productivity!

Writing is going very well actually; my word count at the end of the second month of the Year of Continuous Writing is 39,516 out of the 182,500 word goal I have over all. The target for the end of yesterday was 30,500 so I’m a little bit ahead of myself. Yay!

Reading isn’t going so well, but I’d rather not read if it means that I get to spend most of my time writing y’know? I think it’s a fair trade off myself. Bedsides, it’s not like I’m not reading a single thing – I read a lot of reviews, articles, blog posts and fanfic online so… Yeah, it all counts. To me anyway. For me? Whichever way. I still think that it counts.

The post I mentioned last week? Yeah that’s coming, I promise. I’m working on it when I’m not working on about a bazillion over things at the same time. I keep thinking about it so it’s not going away any time soon. I just have a to do list as long as my arm.

If you follow my stationery Tumblr you might have noticed that I recently completed my collection of J. Herbin ink cartridge tins. Woo! Yay for small achievements!

On that note, I’m going to leave you with a photo that I took recently that I’m quite pleased with.

Until next week guys!

Danni

x

Blog post word count: 350 words.

Lamy Fountain Pens – April 2013

Throwback Tuesday!

So for this week I thought I would look back on two things I have mentioned before.

First, on the 8th of January I posted a list of books that I wanted to read this year. The list below will show you how little of them I have read. Anything crossed through, I have actually read, anything in italics I have started.

By Royal Command by Charlie Higson
Finish A War of Nerves by Ben Shepherd
At least one book by P. G. Wodehouse
The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
The Last Expedition by Captain Robert Falcon Scott
Start Christopher Isherwood’s diaries
For The Sake of Example by Anthony Babington
At least one book by Evelyn Waugh
Re-read – if possible – Brideshead Revisited and/or The Absolutist
Finish C. S. Lewis’ Narnia series
Finish The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell
Finish T.H White’s The Once and Future King (or Sword in the Stone at least)
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
One James Bond book by Ian Fleming
The Memorial by Christopher Isherwood

As you can see, it’s not going that well. I’m battling through the introduction of The Worst Journey in the World and also have a foreword to contend with before the book actually starts, but as its non fiction I feel if I don’t read these two things I may get lost in the text. According to goodreads I am 8 books behind my 50 book goal for this year. This should all change when I have to start studying books again in September, though my plans there are: read all the books once to get the general gist and try to enjoy the story then read them again to analyse them and tear them apart and start hating them…

Second thing I thought I’d bring back was WWW Wednesdays as seen in this post from December. Here goes!

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you just finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently reading: As mentioned above, The Worst Journey in the World. Very slowly. Also still reading British History for Dummies and plan to start brushing up on my Shakespeare ready for September.

Finished reading: The last book I read was The Longest Journey by E. M. Forster, which unfortunately was not as good as I had hoped. Some parts were so good and the writing was amazing but then there’d be two horribly dull chapters to make me hate the book again. I also read Howard’s End is on the Landing by Susan Hill which I mentioned several weeks ago, which I really loved.

Read next: I have no idea. I want to read everything! I may start some literary diaries as they are quite easy to read in small chunks. (Not that I’ve done it before, I read Evelyn Waugh’s diaries over two days while researching an essay…) or something I don’t have to think too much about. Or perhaps something from the list above.

That’s all for now. Now, off to work on the novel…

Lil

Late one again this week, sorry.

Next week we are starting a new ‘project’ where each week we will all write about the same thing, each one of us choosing the topic each week. I’m not sure how long this will go on for but if there is anything you, our readers, want us to talk about, let us know in the comments.

So, after last week and finishing the book, I am feeling a tad uninspired. A new idea is sort of bubbling around my head but mainly only vague ideas and a few lines here and there but I don’t really want to start it until I’ve finished some of the other projects I’ve started over the last few years. I keep starting things and not finishing them and its getting rather annoying.

I started something for a uni module called Writing the Novel that I want to finish and I want to finish this years nano failure and last years nano follow up. I’m sure there are several other things on my list that need finishing (my failed children’s novel!) but I will get on with that at some point.

I have an ideas notebook that keeps getting ideas put in for novels, plays, TV scripts and sometimes just ideas with no saying which format I want them to take. I want to write in lots of different medias because I think it’s interesting to see how the process works in different formats. As I’ve mentioned before the thing I really want to write is a play but its finding the right idea that works in that format that’s the hard part.

That’s all for this week, hope to be back next week with a bit more substance,

Lil

Currently reading: The Bellwether Revivals, British History for Dummies and The Longest Journey.

Since last time, I have found out that I didn’t get into the master’s degree that I applied for, so that ongoing saga has come to a close. I am looking into other options though, so don’t think this is the last you’ve heard of my education adventures.

Another ongoing saga that has come to a close (for now) is my novel. I stressed about it last week, but last Friday I sat down and finished it. If finishing a book means changing a pivotal plot point right at the last minute, then that’s apparently how I do it. Characters motivations have shifted slightly and I think this is the best version of the book there has been so far. Which is good.

It’s strange to think how much the book has changed since the summer of 2010 when I started it. It’s come a long way. The premise has stayed mostly the same but quite a lot of the characters have either changed in motivation, for example, one who didn’t really have a valid reasons for his actions, or have come stronger in their characterisation. One character was there simply to serve a purpose, which really isn’t good. While every single character does not need extensive backstory and a lot of time to shine, if they are there for a reason (which  they really should be) flesh them out a little.

Reading wise, I am battling through E.M Forster’s The Longest Journey. I say battling because while it is really, really well written it is dragging just a little. Every now and then something so good will crop up though so I’m hoping I can stick with it. I have a pile of books on my bedroom floor that I don’t have shelf space for, even though I got rid of a lot of books to make shelf space. Never mind!

I am also reading British History for Dummies, because while I know a lot about one specific time period, the rest of my history knowledge is not that great. I really enjoyed history at school but as I was never encouraged to carry it on to GCSE (something which makes me angry to this day) I didn’t pick it up again until AS level, which I failed miserably. I sometimes wish I had done it through GCSE and A level and studied it at university, but you never realise these things until you look back on them. There’s still plenty of time for me to brush up though.

That’s all for now,

Lil

Sorry this is so late this week!

Originally I was going to do another photo post of the new books I have bought recently, but the fact I’ve now bought some more and that I haven’t got them off my camera means that will have to wait for another week.

I’m not really sure what to write about this week as I have no structure in my posts (something I may have to remedy.) I’m trying in vain to finish my book, which at the moment has stalled to a stop (again). I’m really annoyed at myself because of this, as when I was writing it for the first time, I was really excited about the story and wanted to write every day and long into the night. Now, I can’t even face opening the word document because I don’t want to see what’s on the other side.

I’ve only got one page of notes to edit and then it should be finished. I say “should” because every time I work on it something else decides it needs editing and usually it’s a problem I hadn’t even noticed before! I find it really irritating because I always think its nearly done and then it hits me that it really isn’t.

I worry about the book, mainly because even after all this time I don’t think it’s that good, or that it’ll never be finished. I can’t face not finishing it because I want to tell this story so badly and I also want to be able to move on and tell other stories. I’ve tried putting it aside and working on other things but I keep telling myself I should be working on the book, on the main project.

I think not having the book finished was one of the reasons I failed so badly at nanowrimo last year. In 2011, we had finished uni and the book was in its “resting” phase (it is apparently a good idea to leave the book a couple of months between drafts, work on something else and come back to it with fresh eyes.) and I managed to finish. Last year I tried to write something I wasn’t really committed to, while knowing I actually should just be finishing the book.

I’m meaning to work on it this week. Lets see how that goes.

Lil

In which I talk about why I’m still a writer: some praise and a small rant.

Hi guys!

I finished reading “The Fault in Our Stars” last Wednesday night. I just couldn’t put it down once I picked it up again. I’m not going to talk about the plot or discuss it at all really, I’m just going to say this: it’s the saddest, yet the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read. John Green’s use of the written word is absolutely amazing. If I can ever write just one sentence that’s even half as good as anything he writes then I shall be a happy writer.

Right. So that’s that.

So. Yes. I call myself a writer, because that’s what I do, right? Even if it’s not something I get paid for (that’s an author. An author gets paid to write, a writer writes.)

The thing is, it’s not the only thing that I do. I mean… I do a bunch of other things. I don’t spend all my time, or indeed all my free time, every day writing, thinking about writing, or whatever.

Does that make me any less of a writer?

I don’t personally think so, because writing it still what I do. A lot. Not all the time because I burn out easily apparently.

That’s another thing I keep meaning to mention in other posts, especially my NaNoWriMo ones; it’s important to know your limits people. Nothing is more important than looking after you. No book, no party, no story that you’re writing is more important than looking after yourself. Also, don’t shut yourself away, don’t shut yourself away and push out people you know. Don’t become a hermit. Don’t pass up seeing people just to write. I’ve done that once or twice and once you’ve realised what you’ve done it feel horrible. If you keep doing that there will be no one left to celebrate with you when you get that publishing deal (if that’s what you’re going for.) It’s all about balance.

Erm. I digressed a bit. So… Yes.

Does the fact that I don’t spend all of my time writing, plotting, planning, researching, thinking about writing or whatever, make me less of a writer?

No. Absolutely not. I have other responsibilities, so do many, many other writers and authors. Most writers have families so they can’t spend all their time writing and working on their craft.

Besides; writing, at least for me, is fun. If I have to do something all the time, even if it’s something I like, it stops being fun, and starts becoming more like work. More like a chore. And chores aren’t that fun. And if writing becomes like a chore (and therefore stops being fun) then I’ll lose interest in it, like I did while in university. And that really is the last thing I want, especially due to recent events. But that’s another issue.

Erm. I don’t have anything else to say on that really.

In other news. I have a new stationery blog. Well. It’s a Tumblr really, where I post photos of my stationery collection. That blog is here and gets updated sporadically.

I’m still reading; a little bit, but it’s still more than I did last year, and I’m trying to dive back into writing again. Properly. Especially now that I know what my issue and/or problem so I’m working round and/or through that. It all feels good. And, I’m keeping up with my 750 words every day. I’m on a 33 or 34 day streak so far and I’ve earned my Albatross badge (for a 30 day streak). next up; the Phoenix! Which is the badge you get for a 100 day streak, but that’s nothing compared to the Space Bird badge. That’s for a 500 day streak. (Seriously, if you want to encourage me to do something; give me rewards or a sticker chart of badges or something. It works.)

Hm, yes. I believe that’s everything from me this week. I’m going to go and attempt to kill off some more of my gel pens.

Until next week guys!

Danni x

Blog post word count: 666 words.

How To Choose What To Read Next

Wow, tricky title.

So, how does one go about choosing what to read next? Sometimes it’s an impulsive grab from the shelf, others its a long, drawn out consideration.

This year I made a list of the books I wanted to read in 2013, which I posted several weeks ago. This list was always allowed for deviation, the books were always just guidance, mostly things I have been putting off (such as the last book in the Young Bond series), or books I have owned for a long time, or things I have started and put to one side (mostly non-fiction).

I have made some progress and ticked Isherwood’s The Memorial and Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader off the list. I also made progress on the Narnia series by reading Prince Caspian. I have started Scott’s Journals, but only made it 13 pages in. Something tells me that trying to read this book, which requires a lot of concentration, in bed was not my smartest idea.

When going to choose the book I was going to read next, I picked up a couple and weighed them up, did I want to read a book I’d bought recently, or something I’d been sitting on for some time, did I want to read something off ‘the list’.

No, apparently not. While browsing the disappointingly small Christopher Isherwood section of my bookshelf, I noticed the even considerably smaller E.M Forster section next to it (it consist of two books, one I have read, one I have not.) and decided to look at The Longest Journey. I skimmed the first page and then took it to read in the bath and so, the book was chosen!

Yesterday, I bought a book based mainly on the cover (it reminded me of the design of The Strangers Child by Alan Hollinghurst) and by the top blurb on the book (the synopsis I later realised was inside the front cover) which mentioned ‘privileged Cambridge students’ and ‘echoes of Brideshead’. I fear I am becoming a little predictable. The book in question is The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood. I hope I actually get round to reading it this year. I am actually quite glad that I don’t really record what I bought and when otherwise I would feel terribly guilty about not reading something until years after I bought it.

Better get reading,

Lil