Month: October 2020

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November will be Novel month

carolyncordon

I’ve been playing at the idea of being an actual novelist, writing little bits and pieces for this ‘novel’ I’m supposed to be writing. But there’s been more playing at it than actually putting in strong work at actually writing this novel. I’m not happy about that, so have decided November will be the month for me to put my shoulder to the grindstone, and really give it a solid chunk of this novel written.

This ‘novel’ “Winds of Death At Talloola” is to be the first in a series of Cosy Murder Mystery novels, all based in/or around the town of Talloola. Talloola is a town I’m created for this novel series, and while I love this town and the people living in it, the actual writing of the first novel is taking its sweet time to get going.

My laptop keyboard looks different this one, but both are capable of assisting in writing a novel!

But I’ve decided today, that in November, I am going to make sure my novel progresses at a fast rate than it has been, and to make sure that happens I will post my word count in a comment on this post every day if it is at all possible to do that. And barring unconsciousness, it should be possible!

So, I hereby declare November to be the month the first in the series of “At Talloola” books gets much closer to the end of the novel than it is to the beginning. At the moment, with a word count of around 20,000 words, I am around 30,000 words away from an acceptable word count. This novel should be around 80,000 words by the time I type ‘The End’.

I did a tiny bit of maths, and it looks like I need to do an average of around 1,000 words a day to get to where I want to be, and I’m sure I’m able to do that. I just need to sit down and write, a something, no matter how small, every day, and put in some bigger sessions if and when I can. If I sit down where I’m sitting right now, at least once a day, which I do, every single day, then I can meet this commitment!

Yes, for me, November is definitely Novel month, and it is also, coincidentally (or not) NaNoWriMo where in November, many people around the world commit to writing a novel (of at least 50,000 words) in the month of November. So if they can all do that, I can meet my own challenge too!

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Getting On With Things

carolyncordon

Blog posts don’t write themselves, and nor do novels. I am somewhat embarrassed at my lack of progress with both this blog, and my Cosy Murder Mystery ‘At Talloola’ series. The blog is going to manage fine, because, obviously, I am currently writing a new post for it. The Murder Mystery series though, and my main character, Meredith Webster, are sitting around, twiddling their thumbs.

That looks a little like the Talloola Campground. I wonder who those people are? Possible victims, or possible murderers? Or maybe just people at the opening of the Mallala Campground, and neither victim nor murderer … Yes, well that’s who they are, actually, but it’s fun to play with ideas!

I got excited by my series again last week, when I saw, and both chatted about, and wrote about in my last blog post, a brand new character for my series. I’d seen her whilst lunching with a friend, and the ideas came bubbling up in my mind. The odd stray idea pops up still, regarding that character, but no words for the novel are happening, either the first in the series, nor one particularly about that character, if that’s the way I end up going with her.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but if I haven’t, here goes: Live gets in the way. That’s an undeniable fact of life. There are things we have to do, that are totally unrelated to writing, any form of it. Eating, tending to household duties, looking after the dog. Unless I were writing a blog post on a different blog, or writing a different kind of novel, these things are completely off target, for my blogging/novel writing self.

And there are important other things, my personal health and well-being, for instance. I have a Chronic Illness that has no cure, Multiple Sclerosis (MS). There are treatments, and I’m doing will with the DMT (disease modifying therapy) I am currently taking – the medication Gilenya. This medicine, and my mostly healthy lifestyle and positive life attitude mean I am able to live an almost normal life.

MS might be making me a little more forgetful and disorganised than other people without that disease, or it may simply be my nature to be so, but I certainly feel a little scattered at the moment, and so am behind in a few things, including this blog, and the novel. But when I say I’m a bit behind, it doesn’t mean a lot – my schedules on these things are self-imposed.

I don’t have to write a blog post every day, or other day. I don’t have to write a Cosy Murder Mystery series. I simply decided that’s what I want to be and do, and if I don’t do them, my life will still continue on, regardless. I could go back to being a poet, and member of a writing group, without the pressures of being a regular blogger and novelist.

But if I did that, I will feel a bit like a failure … Ah well, I’m getting back into the blogging thing, with this particular blog post, and perhaps a little later on today, I’ll get some more of my novel written. After all, the idea of being the writer of a Cosy Murder Mystery series is a very attractive idea to me, and I am a bit in love with the idea of spending the rest of my life writing Cosy Murder Mystery books, in the ‘At Talloola’ series.

Do you have an idea of who you want to be seen as, for the rest of your life? I’m middle-aged now, at 57, and while my lifespan might be slightly reduced because of the MS, barring accidents or unknown potential illness, I still have at least thirty years of life left … So that’s what I want to spend that time doing, blogging, and writing Cosy Murder Mysteries. And talking about doing those two things, and doing all of the needed things to further a career in doing the things.

Writing books is only the initial part of being a writer, actually getting books published, and marketed and sold, can take a lot of time too. And living a life worth blogging about, and getting ideas for writing, these take time too. Hmm, I really should get on with that novel writing, goodbye for now, I’ll be back soon, why not let us know how feel about what I’ve written?!

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A Fine Weekend of Poetry!

carolyncordon

Today, Sunday, has finished off a fine weekend of poetry for me, and some of my writing group members, and others. Yesterday I, and Marie, one of my writing group members, attended a poetry related event in Mannum, South Australia, run by Colleen, another group member, who now lives away from Gawler, but keeps in contact with meetings online, or if she has travelled, and is close enough to Gawler, catches up with us if she can.

Today, I and the same group member who travelled with me yesterday, shared the presentation of a workshop on particular poetic forms. I covered three Japanese forms, Marie covered the Cinquain, as well as giving details, and in fact actual copies ‘Possible Words’, a magazine that is a possible option to submit our writing to, giving those present a very useful resource.

I am satisfied that I rose to the occasion well enough, even though I only realised a mistake I had made with my handout for the workshop. A big oops, but it still went more than well enough! Next time, I will make sure my handout is what I thought it was, first, and make sure of it, before I leave the house! A bit embarrassing but not to worry, poetry still was written, and written well!

I had my books there for possible purchase, and read from some of them, so even though I didn’t make any sales on the day, the works are now known to others, and I am known too, as the writer of the poems and books, which may lead to more things, who knows. Poetry and I go together well, and I have much of it to share with others, whether on the weekend, or any time at all!

Reading my work and hearing others read their work is a lovely way to spend time, and I love to do it, especially with friends! If you have regular poetry events you attend, I love to hear about it! Our writing events in Gawler happen at the Prince Albert Hotel, where they know us, and we know them, and it goes together beautifully well!

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Joy of Finding a New Character!

carolyncordon

I was lunching with a friend recently, and was absolutely thrilled to find a person walk along the street, and then into the cafe where we were sitting. As soon as I saw this woman, my brain began working on ways I could put her into my novel, or if not in the immediate one, which is first in a series, then in books that follow.

So I’ve decided how this new character connects with someone in my town of Talloola, where the action for my Cosy Murder Mystery books are set, and I’ve made up some decisions about this woman, her name, and some details about her ‘interesting’ ideas of what she considers to be suitable clothing for a small and mostly quite staid country town.

It was lots of fun to chat with my friend about it, as we sat there, as I spoke the ideas that went through my head about it all. Fun times, and I hope I can bring it all together in good ways! This new character (Prudence – she doesn’t mind being called Pru, but don’t ever call her Prude, she may spit at you!), she knew one of the characters, Steph, who has the hairdressers in Talloola, when they were both living in Sydney.

There are still some details to get organised, but that’s part of the fun about writing a novel, lots of people, and lots of plot to get happening, and all fitting together! If anyone is out in the real world, looking unusual, or doing odd things, and I see you, you may end up in one of my books too!

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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Working On My Comedy Act

carolyncordon

I was given a ‘write a new poem a day for 8 days’ challenge the other day. I was to write the poem and then invite another poet I know to take part in the challenge too. A new poem and another new poet to invite. I thought about it, a fair bit actually, and began writing my first poem. Then I thought about it some more, and about what I had planned for the next eight days, and decided not to do it.

I had a fair bit planned for the next week or so, and while I certainly was expecting to write some new poetry, I didn’t want the fuss and bother of posting it to Facebook, and thinking about who might be the poets I would invite to take part.

Some people love these challenges, other loathe them, others are in between – love them sometimes, and hate them other times. I’m a bit like that. So anyway, I have actually written two new poems these past couple of days. The first one didn’t thrill me, so I gave up on it for now. The other one though, the other one I actually like quite a bit.

Being a writer of any kind, you are your own first critic, and when you love a new piece of work, it can feel strange, especially if you usually can see all of the flaws in your work and are more likely not to like it, than like it. This new poem though, I can see only good things in it, at the moment.

I’m planning to read this new poem at a poetry event I’m attending next Sunday, and I hope the poem gets a good reaction from the audience, with lots of smiles, if not open laughter. This poem talks about a possible comedy act, and doing a comedy act has been something I’ve thought I’d like to do some time. I just don’t know if I can do that, whether I’m funny enough for it, and so on.

Anyway, here is that poem:

Speaking of Tools …

Job done, and done well

At least as far as I can tell

Two hand rails, to help if needed

Not right now, but previous times heeded

I’m very impressed with this man’s work 

Got on with the job, didn’t shirk

One thing though after he’d gone

A tool left behind, silly, John!

This device is one I don’t require

Do it yourself? I don’t aspire

To do it myself, I’d rather pay

And get a better job done, that way

But this tool could work in a comedy act

I’m thinking now, as a matter of fact.

Comic talk of older lasses

Planning on catching tight young asses.

Those football playing younger chaps

Looking for ‘an experienced lady’ perhaps?

Mismatch you think? Maybe not

Those sheilas really know what’s what! 

My comedy act, will concentrate

On older women, on the prowl, out late

Wanting to catch a fine young beau

To train in the arts of … well, you know!

So the yellow tool that man left behind

Will be great for the act I have in mind –

“Desperate woman wanting a ‘grinder'”

Just what they need, their own stud finder!

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Tell me what you think, do you think it’s funny? I do, and I’ll do my best to ‘perform’ the poem, rather than simply read out the words, with expressions, and hand movements. Hmm, I’d better print it out and get practicing!