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12 Books in 12 Months

writing books and blogging about it

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How to Focus on One Thing

The thing about writing a book every month for a year is, it’s not very focused.

I mean, obviously you have to focus on getting words out there.  But because you’ve got this thirty-day window to get the story down NOW NOW NOW, you spend the whole time splurging out bits and pieces of ideas at a rate of knots without ever getting the time to really flesh them out properly.  Everything exists in potentia and parts that aren’t working yet can be left for much later, after further thought and research will surely have occurred.

All of this is really exhilarating – but then you get to the end of the project and realize now you have to go back and start addressing some of those flaws.  Continue reading “How to Focus on One Thing” →

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Opportunities for Writers

Now that I’ve written the bare bones of twelve books, every publisher and their granny have announced their intention to accept manuscript submissions from un-agented newbies.  Well, maybe not all of them.  But a few. 

image via http://www.spencergreengds.com

Continue reading “Opportunities for Writers” →

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The Reliquary

Every month The Rogue Verbumancer posts a photo on his blog and demands the people of the internet write a short story about it, posting links to every entry at the end of the month for all to see.  He calls it the Pictonaut Challenge and you can join in too, if you like, for it is open to all.  This is my one for January.

Continue reading “The Reliquary” →

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Twins

Look, a twelve books twin!  It’s like when you go to a foreign country and there’s a town that has the same name as yours…

Canadian writerer Sandra O’Driscoll started her 12 books project last June.  The more mathematically minded of you will be able to work out that means she is still going.  And that means as I tail off and start blethering about other things, there is still someone on the internet whose brain is slowly melting from all the words they have to do.  Hooray!

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Time for Reflection

“How do you feel, now that it’s nearly over?”

Fraudulent, I think, but I don’t say that.  I smile sheepishly and go with something vague like “oh, I haven’t really got that far yet… Ask me in January.”

Eagle-eyed readers might have noticed that it’s January now, so I suppose I’ll have a go at answering that question from the perspective of four days hindsight.

I still feel a little bit fraudulent.

Continue reading “Time for Reflection” →

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NaNoWriMo – What Am I Doing?!

I wrote this post last week and thought I’d scheduled it for Sunday, but apparently not.  It’s still relevant, although the word count has changed a bit.  It’s about NaNo in the context of having been writing books all year.

An extract from some email correspondence with my dear Marmee on the subject of NaNoWriMo last week:

Me, Edinburgh, Monday afternoon

I’ve passed 21k so should get to the 23.5 tonight I think, although I’m still not feeling very inspired so it’s basically all attempts to explore the characters to see who is worth hanging it off…  At the moment I’m feeling it’s the least inspired thing I’ve done all year.  But maybe when I come back to it I will see something there.

Marmee, Blairgowrie, Monday Evening

Maybe the whole thing of 12 in 12 means you are more matter of fact and less impressed by your own writing than you have been in the past?  Most of us are struggling to get anything down, which I suspect is a barrier you have broken through.

Continue reading “NaNoWriMo – What Am I Doing?!” →

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