NaNoWriMo Week 3

Well, I reach my third week as a NaNoWriMo participate with 26000 words tucked firmly under my belt. I'm extremely pleased with myself for sticking with it and continuing writing even though at times I just wanted to give in. This new-found dedication has also made me more focused that this - producing works of literature - is what I want to do with my life. Sigh.
The story is on track, though I'm still not sure if it's any good or has potential, but I'm passed the stage of caring right now. Just have to keep on with it. I do like some of my characters, though my main character is extremely whiny; I'll have to do something about that if I ever redraft.

In other news, it's freezing cold today, and I don't have any winter clothes, nor can I afford any. Guess it's a good thing that layering is still in fashion. Just wish I owned one item of clothing that did not have a fault with it, be it a hole, a tear or a dodgy zip. Poor poor me!

Edinburgh

Our little trip to Edinburgh was really lovely, though not long enough. Managed to meet Robin for a drink, but unfortuantely we had to leave early, as we were so tired from our 8 hour drive there! Next time, we're flying, definitely! We went exploring around the castle and saw the Scottish Honours (though Alex wouldn't let me steal them, even though there was only one 'guard' and she looked really bored and overweight, so I think I could have taken her - element of surprise and all that. I've always wanted my own crown...) and then we went shopping and Alex bought loads of books and then we went for tea at the cafe that claims to be the 'birthplace of Harry Potter'. It was really nice cafe, actually. There was a big window with loads of light and a perfect view of the castle, and writing paper in a holder by the fireplace, and they made proper camomile tea and yummy hot chocolates and the food was great too. Alex has his own 'I did this in JK's cafe' story, but I don't think it's fitting to write about it here! We also went and had the most lovely dinner at the Loch Fyne in Leith, with the nicest waiters and waitresses in the world! It was a great trip.
I am now, though, officially Poor, with a capital letter and everything. I think I have enough money to pay for bills this month, but I don't have any money for food or luxury items (like washing powder, shower spray and singing lessons). Luckily, I think I have enough in my cupboards to last me for about a week, if I ration myself, but after that, I'm not sure what I'll do. Guess it'll help me lose a bit of weight, and I still have my vitamin pills, so I guess I'll be getting some nutrients, even if they are in pill form. I've decided not to audition for the next show at the Concordia, as I just can't afford the rail fare to get there. But on the plus side, that does mean more time for writing. Hurray! I'm just so sick of not having enough money to live on. I mean, it took four weeks of saving just to go to Edinburgh on the cheap for the weekend. And I need new glasses, and a hair cut, and I really need to go to the doctors but can't afford the prescription cost, and all of my clothes have chosen this month to fall apart, and it's just so depressing. Sorry to moan, but sometimes you just need to vent, you know?

Lara

The main protagonist of my 'fantasy' play is called Lara. I've chosen this name because it sounds a bit like 'la la' as in, a bit crazy. 'Lara' is actually a variant of 'Laura', which means 'Laurel', and apparently St Laura was thrown into a vat of molten lead by some angry Moors. So make of that what you will.

I have just written a plan outlining the scenes I want to write for this play. So far there are 10, and it doesn't end happily. But then, I don't think you can live happily in a fantasy world in the 21st century - a cyber world, fair enough, but not one where your imagination runs riot and goblins leap to your defense and your only friend is imaginery. I have a number of scenes sketched out in my head, and am scheduled to write a few of these in full over the weekend, seeing as I'm not working and have only a singing lesson to distract me (if you don't count Alex!).
I had my first migraine in six years yesterday, though it was a pretty mild one - only my top lip went numb and my hands were funny, but I didn't vom, so that was good. Got to sleep all afternoon, which was great. Then I watched 'Joy Luck Club', and because of the damaged state of my brain I was convinced I was chinese for about an hour before Alex came over to look after me. All better now though, you'll be glad to read, though I'm going to try to take it easy over the weekend too. Meeks gets back on Tuesday and we're all going out, so that gives me something to look forward to.

So, the above-mentioned play is going to be sent of for the Verity Bargate award, and I'm also working on two new stories for a couple of short story competitions. I wrote a chapter of Inter Vivos on Wednesday, so things are all go here. Wish I had more time to dedicate to writing, but that won't happen until at least my credit card and overdraft are paid off, so I'm looking at - five years maybe? So when I'm 31 things should really start cooking...

Strippers

The new short story I am working on is about a stripper called Honey and her abusive boyfriend, and so right now I'm researching pole dancing and strip clubs. If any of you have ever been to a strip club, please can you give me all the details (or if you wish to remain anonymous, you can email me instead!). I would go myself, but can't afford it. See, this is what Arts Council money should be for! :-)

I have my characters mapped out for my fantasy play (see previous post "Magic"), but in true Lucy-tradition I have yet to write anything since the page of dialogue I wrote in January. But if I stick to my new writing rota, I should be able to work on that tonight.

So, I've created this writing rota, and although it's a little crude it should hopefully keep me motivated and on-track to finishing some of the projects I have ongoing. I was supposed to finish Inter Vivos in April, but that went down the toilet, so my new deadline is a completed first draft by October - that doesn't sound too unreasonable. I also need to begin and finish my fantasy play for the Verity Bargate, so will need a good finished draft by June. At least being too poor to go out anywhere has its advantages.

The sun is out, but it's still cold

Yes, it is. I feel deceived by mother nature because it is so bright outside, but when I go out, I have to wear my winter coat. Of course, this could just be a phenomenon experienced by me with my abnormally cold blood, but I still feel justified in complaining about it.

Anyway. I should be working on the second draft of my play (deadline 30th April), but instead I am playing the Sims and reading Harry Potter (yes, I have the mental age of a twelve year old). My audition was unsuccessful for the leads of Witches of Eastwick, so at least I don't have that to distract me anymore.

I really want to write some prose again, and I was thinking this morning about getting back to Inter Vivos. One of the things that put me off writing it was that I had to come up with all this science and politics to explain events in my story, but I'm now thinking that if I make it more into a fairy tale, I don't have to worry about the correct procedure for heart transplants, and historical guerilla movements, and I can just make it up. I still want to finish this first NANOWRIMO draft, but then after that I can go back and rewrite most of it again. Also, because I chose to write in first person, it means my feisty heroine isn't in fact feisty; she's more passive because the narrator role has made her the observer rather than the doer. So I plan to fix this too.

I'm having a serious financial crisis, so am having to work at my second job every weekend to try to scrap some cash together, which does not give me a lot of free time to write. Time to hide The Sims 2 disc I think. Right after my pet cat gets a promotion...

Lazy and Poor

I've had a pretty unproductive weekend yet again. I wasn't scheduled in to work, so had the whole two days off. On Saturday I slept til 3pm, and was still ready for bed again by half 10!
I have come to the conclusion that I'm never going to 'win' NaNoWriMo. There's little hope of me writing just under 40,000 words in two weeks. And it's all my own fault. I'm not sure whether it's just plain laziness or 'mental exhaustion', but either way, my brain would rather veg out in the evenings than create a novel (even a poorly written one). My stringent budgeting this month (£5 a week food budget - oh yes!) has meant that I still have cash at the end of the month, but it's exhausting and depressing living on the poverty line, especially when I have friends four - five years older than me who can afford houses and posh cars and brand named food products, and vegetables and things like that. I could do with a holiday, but obviously I can't afford one. I'll be working til I drop, I guess.
I've figured out how Nox (my NaNoWriMo heroine) is going to escape the mental institution, which had me stumped for a while, but actually getting down to writing it is hard. I'm going to keep writing the story after NaNo has finished, and hopefully turn it into something worthwhile. There's just not enough hours in the day. And poisoning myself wth caffeine and staying up later and later to try to get things done is making me ill (physically and mentally). Sometimes I wish I was passionate about accounting or something else practical, and then at least I'd be well off, in a secure job, with proper employment structure and progression, rather than scribbling away at a quarter past midnight each night with the vague notion that one day someone will read my scribblings and offer me some money for it. Sigh. This post is turning into a bit of a rant, and it wasn't meant to be. Think I'll go and make a cup of tea, and hopefully I'll feel better afterwards.

Time

Recently, finding the time to write has become more and more difficult, and it's so frustrating! I work two jobs, have rehearsal twice a week, so when I do have a spare evening, I'm so knackered I can't really get anything constructive done. Anyway, going to post a picture to cheer myself up!

Lucy :-)