Write this time - the cheerleading and consistency thread

[EmmaH2022]

Hello! It seems some of us would like a daily thread, not just for accountability but to chat, and encourage, and to see that someone else is pleased that you or I wrote something today!

I have set this up for any writing. Whatever you are writing, let's be cheerleaders for each other. I have started and failed to finish a couple of Nanowrimos and just want to get in the habit of daily writing. I've got some story ideas and some memoir bits I'd like to do. From there, I hope to decide on a project for next year.

I might do 200 words, I might do 1000. I just want to post every time I get some writing into my day. And hopefully others will do too. Just feel free to put anything here really.

I shall be posting here tomorrow to tell you I have done some writing!

I'm going to monaick mhor in december for five days. Not sure how much I'm looking forward to sharing a room tbh!

Looks interesting
have you been before?

What a good idea for a thread.

@BecauseOfIndia I write what is usually classed as chick lit. I dislike the term - mostly family relationships and life in France as I used to live there. I would say the style is a bit Maeve Binchy (but not as good unfortunately!)

I have two published books and I'm 30,000 words into the next.

Waves hi I cam from the now deleted thread, but thank you for all the feedback.

I may start small at the moment but at least try and write something creative daily.

I am trying to read more too (unsure who made that suggestion) so please do send any recommendations my way. Right now I am reading All the Things We Cannot Say.

Ooh this sounds interesting. I’m looking to read more ‘chick lit’ although agree I dislike the genre name. It’s 100% not my thing AT ALL, but then staying at a friend’s in Spain (having forgotten my kindle) I ended up reading a Jane Green and really really enjoyed it. Never read Maeve Binchy so will add that to the list too!

Ah, the book is actually called Every Word You Cannot Say.

Hello Ode!

Chick lit is such a broad term isn't it.

lurgy is pretty fierce, so struggling to even read anything familiar. Plops. I'd just started The Power by Naomi Alderman.

Hi Emma

I've read through the entire thread now - I am not really sure what kind of thing I am going to write, I have been trying poetry / creative writing, but I also had an idea to try and write an autobiographical journal with reflections for therapy (I am writing due to trauma, I should probably be honest about that).

The last time I was sectioned I wrote something that perhaps I should not have shared on mumsnet, I do want to finish it but I may stick it to a password-protected blog rather than in an open forum.

How does the process work for actually having something published? I mean I doubt I will ever get that far, so I am asking out of curiosity.

Haven't heard Maeve Binchy's name in a while- I should probably re-read some of her books, I think they are quite soothing aren't they?

Hi Ode
I must read some Maeve Binchy too!

Publishing - for your shorter pieces, you could try submitting to magazines.

for novels etc, traditional is finding an agent to represent you and hopefully sell your work to a publisher.

I am feeling rubbish, constantly blowing my nose and coughing, so no work or writing for me tomorrow - but I will check back to cheer people on.

just realised many posters will be off their routines due to half term won't they.

@OdeToOceans If you write on a password protected blog, please could I have access to it? I would be very interested to read it.
Getting published is hard, unless you are either famous already, or have thousands of social media followers. I prefer to self publish, even though there is still a diminishing stigma to it.
I have heard that publishers don't do the advertising for you, a book can take up to a year to appear in print and the royalties are small. Self publishing addresses all these obstacles, and it can actually be quite fun!

Hope you feel better soon @EmmaH2022

Thank you
at the "shivery and deep cough" stage

so any cheers will be silent! How's everyone doing?

Hope you feel better Emma.

Bit of a rubbish day today with the CSA inquiry report being published and just pondering that it will probably not mean anything actually changes. And then my therapy team have been pants so I’ve put everything in a box that they gave me to deliver tomorrow as I just want closure and don’t want it all in the house with me. It definitely the end of that therapy process.

I wrote a poem and I also updated some parts for my online CV.

@Avidreader69 yes of course - I haven’t figured it all out yet on how or where I can password protect it.

Thanks Ode

good for you, not just for writing a poem but on such a damn difficult day. I hope you found it therapeutic.

Hi all, I saw this thread and it's exactly what I need! I've been writing a novel for over 10 years (yikes) but it's quite a complex plot and set over 3 books so I've really struggled with plotting. I've taken long breaks from it over the years but I always come back to it, I know that it needs to be finished and that it's been in my head all these years for a reason!
I've written 90k words so far but I need to rewrite a lot of it so this thread will hopefully help motivate me!
I'm currently on maternity leave but baby is in a pretty good routine now. I'm planning to write during his first morning nap today so I'll report back if when I do!

Hi Panda welcome along! That sounds great and an excellent commercial option. I tried to think in terms of a series, many moons ago.

I have been up all night coughing, can barely engage brain to be on MN. Can't get fever down. I sense a boring weekend. Write for me, lovely ones!

Welcome Panda and EmmaH2022 sorry you had a rough night. Do you have paracetamol? Hot honey and lemon can be soothing for a cough.

Avid thanks. Paracetamol isn't touching the fever.

I am slightly alarmed by the cough. It is very "deep" with an odd sound - a bit like my pneumonia cough. But I am going to assume I wouldn't be cheerfully chatting on MN if I had that again.

I gather they don't routinely give antibiotics for it now anyway, so I'll just wait.

I was meant to a local am dram thing tomorrow, with individual sketches written by local people. Shame to miss. I vaguely know the lady who works behind the bar and we were going to meet after for writing chat - she wants to write scripts. Hopefully she won't forget me and we can meet another time!

she has got two really good ideas going and she disciplines herself to write quite a bit, I was hoping she'd be a good influence. 😂

I have copied and pasted something I have recently read, about first drafts of a novel. It's here:

First, congratulations on finishing a first draft! Not many folks get that far.

Now: Go through the entire book and write it again.

I don’t care if you’re a super-genius who makes Tony Stark look like a complete numpty, if you have a first draft you’re so far away from publishing that publishing is a distant speck waaaaaay off in the horizon.

Write it again. Polish every single sentence.

When you’re finished, write it again.

Nobody’s first draft is a final work. If you’re a skilled, experienced writer with many popular published novels under your belt, you might have something that’s ready to show someone else by your third draft, maybe.

If you’re talented and lucky.

More likely, you’ll need 5–6 drafts. And that fifth draft will probably look quite different from the first. This is how it works.

So go through the entire book and write it again. And again. And again. And again. Make every word shine. Make every sentence sparkle. Check and re-check and re-re-check for continuity. Be willing to delete parts you really really like, if they don’t serve the story. Be willing to rewrite even when you really really don’t want to, if there’s a bit that isn’t working.

Once you’re done with your fifth or perhaps sixth draft, find a substantive editor and pay them. Get feedback from people you trust—and I don’t mean your parents, I mean people willing to tell you “This bit is crap.

I thought it was interesting, but I 'm not sure I would ever get to five or six drafts.

Avid interesting. One reason I found Nanowrimo a problem was that I felt the days I wrote badly, it was a waste of time, and I would imagine that a lot of writers who do several drafts are not using their time that carefully?

I have been lucky to meet Tom Bradby and talk to him about his novels. He writes in snatches of time between interviews and all his other work. I'd be interested to know if someone like that does lots of drafts.

Totally separate thing - I've just heard this new Taylor song. I think her writing is extraordinary, always, I don't know how she does it. This really resonated with me and then has a bunch of self referential comedy stuck in the middle of it. So clever with her words. (Maybe her best storytelling is Last Great American Dynasty.)

@Avidreader69 That post is so brilliant and so true (except the last part about about paying an editor of course...)

As I said earlier - I made the rooky mistake of sending my manuscript out to 6 agents far too early, it was about the 2nd draft and I thought it was a work of total genius! I cringe now when I think how unfinished it really was.

I am probably on about my 4th full rewrite / edit, and it's challenging enough in itself, but on top of that I have my partner and my mum both telling me to leave it alone and just send it out - "Stop rewriting it!!" But I know it isn't ready, and I don't want to blow it with any more agents. Sent it out to Juliet Mushens super agent in that first round 😩

My partner is basically getting fed up with the fact that I am spending less time with him because I try and write at every spare opportunity I have.

Emma I love that song! She's such a genius. I've been listening to the album non-stop since yesterday. Think Anti-hero, YOYOK, and Midnight Rain are my favourites. She's an amazing storyteller and I love how her voice has matured. (I'm a massive fan, if you can't tell!)

Hope you're feeling better today. I've made some progress with my novel outline - I'm going to work on that some more today. It's gorgeous weather here but very windy, so a good day to write and then go for a windy walk along the coast later.

Glad everyone is progressing.

It's another lurgy day here, sadly. Nothing will shift, including the fever.

I do have some writing notes from classes - I am going to dig them out when my bones don't hurt.

BecauseofIndia what sort of things are you looking to edit? I haven't got a full first draft so interested to hear!

beastly I only listened to two yesterday, will listen to the rest today. As a good a writing class as any. This week is big for songwriters - the 1975 and Taylor. Although frankly, simplicity can be key. One of the most important lines the 1975 have in the new album is "Don't fuck it, you muppet, it's not that deep". 😂

I'm now reading Murder on the Orient Express as I'm too feverish for the Power (which is new to me).

I have often wondered if there's a way to invoke the power of songs in writing. I have definitely read stuff that has filmic power, but not sure I've read anything that is reflective of lyrics. I don't even want to use the word "lyrical" because it doesn't convey what I'm trying to say.