Research Day

Today is my research day. Today is the day I concentrate on my own writing. After last week’s fiasco when I lost six hours’ worth of work at the touch of a button, I am being more careful this week. I am not multi-tasking. The only thing I have open apart form Word is Twitter. Twitter is non-invasive I find. I just “tweet” when I finish something, and I then reload the page and see what other people have been up to.
I’ve even got my mobile switched off and the house-phone is on answer machine – though it will probably still annoy me.
So, in a few minutes, I’ll be returning to Babel and carrying on with the scene where Kaleem meets the medics who are rebelling against Switch-Off. Then I shall try to repair the damage from last week. Writing is hard. Do we sometimes do everything we can to avoid it?

Literature Training

I’ve received a DIY guide “Getting Where You Want to be” from Literature training. It’s in hard copy and I find it very satisfying to work with. I still love the feeling of making notes with a pen in my hand, though normally my writing goes straight on to the computer.

It is fascinating, though, working through this document. I guess it’s going to take me about six hours altogether and I’m working on it an hour at a time. It really is helping to clarify where I want to go, but it also helps me to celebrate where I’ve already got to.

I do know one thing – absolutely certainly and without any doubt – I now must focus all of my work and money-making activity on writing. My university job does that to some extent. Anything spare must now also go into the writing.

It is my research day today.

I intend to spend a couple of hours on the current project – “Creative Language Learning” for Continuum. Then, I’ll finish my proofs for Butterfly. After that. I’ll read the items for the SCBWI critique group on Sunday. That will be, I reckon, about six hours. I’m sure I’ll feel highly satisfied.

Excellence in Writing

I think that is my bottom line. I am here to become the best writer I can ever possibly be. Anything else I do is really a distraction. I don’t think, though, that means writing solidly all the time. I definitely slow down after two hours / 2,000 words. I’m not sure I could actually do more in any one day. Work smarter, not harder has to be the answer.

Just how exactly does one do that in writing? Is it perhaps a matter of studying techniques more? More reading? More reading about what other writer have done? I lap that up anyway, don’t I? Full time.

Maybe it’s a matter of more focus. Well, I’ve certainly decided to do that. I have a day job which recognises my time as a writer and actually pays me in part for just being me. I’m very privileged and I’ll never forget that. I suppose I’ve earned it, but it didn’t feel all that tough, but when I look back, I realise I’ve come a long way. But there’s always further to go.

I’m currently reading Michael Morpurgo’s Singing for Mrs Pettigrew. It’s a collection of short stories, interspersed with details about how he came to write the stories. It almost seems like a book for children’s writers rather than a book for children. But it is, nevertheless, a book of excellent writing. Something definitely to aspire to.