I Got a New Toy!!!

This my friends is a digital pen...it means that i can write on paper and it will automatically transfer it to my laptop and convert it straight to text!!!

I have been looking for something like this for a while now and with my block starting to lift it looks like it has come about at the right time.

Happy New Years everyone, next year is already looking up for me :D

Lock it in??

So I got an email today from Fanstory.com asking where I went and they even offered me a 70% discount on two full years of membership to rejoin.

I really liked Fanstory when I was on it. It didn't help get my novels written but I honed writing skills. With all the contests on there I was writing short stories, poems and my own stuff was getting edited and critiqued for me.

So it had me writing, but then I fell away. Tech, work and life in general took me away from writing...again.

So my question is this...is this a sign? Why has this come now? I have finished tech, starting to go to the gym which should help reduce stress and help me think again. So should I pay for a two year membership and try to stick to it?

Update 11/08/10

Sooo things are looking good!

For the last couple of days I have been working on Practically Dead. Thursday Friday Saturday and Monday! Thats awesome for me and the ideas are just flowing so well.

I am going to start on the first draft soon and after that I will be taking a page out of J.Kayes book and doing weekly word count updates.

I think I am unconciously putting off starting the first draft again. Once I get past those first few painful chapters...hopefully it will start flowing of it's own accord.

Something I was thinking about last night.

Last night I had an urge to write, there has been something that I've needed to write for a year but have been putting off. Last night I was finally ready to write it.

A short story detailing 1 day of my life.

I had the words in my head, the scenes ready and the emotions waiting to pour out of me. I was going to wait until the morning (even though technically it was the morning at 1AM) but wanted to write it then.

I started at my desk then when nothing happened moved to my bed. I got out half a page and packed it in because nothing sounded right.

I am not a night writer. Even though that's the kind of write I always wanted to be.

I alway thought it sounded cool, someone who was up at 3AM in the morning with words begging to be put onto paper. Well I have story ideas and scene ideas at 3AM, but I can never ever put them onto paper.

If I start early, like after dinner...it flows...but starting late is a no-no.

I suppose I have an okay image in my head of what kind of writer I am. Sitting up the back of my college classes writing chapters of my book instead of a business plan...

Will make for a good story some day I hope.

Have you ever been forced to write a book?

I feel like I am...in a way.

Last year something horrible happened to me. In which trust was betrayed, relationships were severed, many lies came to light and the cops got involved.

I am writing about it, to get it off my chest...but it's not an accurate retelling. It is sensationalised in some areas, down played in others and focuses a lot on me and how I dealt with the year after it happened.

Considering that twelve months still haven't passed since this event happened, well...I'm not rushing to write it. It's extremely painful and I'm not even sure how I am going to write it yet.

Someone I know, who knows in detail what happened seems to think I am going to "sell my story" because I am writing about it. I know they think that I am going to write about how hard it was and the details of the court case that ensued (within legal limits of course).

I don't want to "sell my story" though...I want to move on. I have never wanted to write for money...but they see this as an opportunity.

They saw that I was working on Practically Dead yesterday...which was kind of awkward because although people know I write, they never see me write or ever read my work...

They asked me if I was still going to write the other story...I told them I was but that I wanted to work on this first....

"Why on earth would you want to write about something like that? You should be writting the other one...you could be one of those people that sells their story you know..."

Even after telling this person repeatedly that I didn't even know if I wanted that story ever to see the light of day...they still won't listen.

Have you ever felt this way? What did you do about it?

It's this kind of crap that makes me shy away from the things I like doing...

I am back on track!

Well, almost...

I chopped off the Lizards tail today so hopefully he will leave me alone for a little while.

I am currently working on Practically Dead which is my vampire story. Although I didn't add to the word count today I did a nice brainstorming session whilst I was minding my Pop.

Being able to spread out on a floor with paper in front of me for some reason gurantees results if I am trying to work out a problem or think through a situation.

So I have fleshed out the bad guy and the love interest! The setting which I was having a bit of trouble with and the types of myths I'm using.

The setting is Australia and I am kind of worried if anyone outside of Australia were to read it...because no one seems to know anything about the country.

It's not like oh...my book is set in new york right near Central Park.....everyone knows where that is...no one really knows where Perth is....

but I am going to take that as a good thing because that means I have a little more breathing space. hopefully i can make it work.

Now to start working on the first draft again...

The Lizard ate my Tortoise!

Well, at least...he chewed off a leg.

I read a very interesting post today about how the lizard stops us from writing.

WAIT! - Please don't leave, hear me out.

The lizard loves fear, writers block and excuses. Of which I have an abundance...

I am terrified of rejection.
Can't write a single word when I pick up my pen.
And should really wait until I finish work or go on holidays before I sit down to do this again.

This year so far has been a write off...completely and utterly. So, I have a new plan.

BABY STEPS.

It seems stupid and completely unproductive but my new goal is 500 words a week.

Starting right now!

I am NOT going to think about the fact that on that method it will take 2 years to write one draft, I am hoping for rhythm.

Rhythm is what I want right now and if that rhythm comes in the form of 500 words a week, so be it.

I am partially throwing the "structure" of my stories out the window and reverting back to my old ways of flying by the seat of my pants, because ever since I started thinking that I needed to plan everything down to the last detail, I stopped writing.

I am NOT and organised person, I am a chaotic and creative WRITER.

And tonight I will be playing Sims 3 <<< Damn you, stupid lizard

When Inspiration strikes

For some reason inspiration always strikes me at work.

New story ideas, detailing current ideas, a fix in a plot flaw that I wasn't expecting.

Work does that to me, so I wonder where inspiration will strike after next week? See I resigned on Monday, next Friday is my last day.

No more work = no more inspiration???

We shall see.

Please Inspire Me!!!

I am on the verge of getting hyper with non-activity (double negative I know) because I haven't written. I know when I am about to get bombarded with inspiration or a creativity hit because I get butterflies. For once in my life this is coming at a perfect time.

I am going to start on The Pact tonight! But I need something to push me over the edge with inspiration and excitement and that is usually you guys!

So tell me something, ANYTHING about writing, current progress, current goals, a quote...ANYTHING to push me into unstoppable writing mode which is so rarely attainable at a good time when I have a spare moment.

Please!!

Can you ever create an evil main character?

I need some book recommendations to see if this has ever been done.

An evil main character.

Not a protagonist and an antogonist...

Just an evil bitch as the main.

Too excited!!!

Only 6 more days until I'm free for a month! And what will I be doing with the month long freedom I will have earned?

Writing The Pact I had the idea for it last week and it has not left me alone for a second since then. I am fleshing out new things in my head for this story every second, and there is usually one recently read book on my mind at all times...well at the moment it's my book that I haven't written yet lol.

So get ready for The Half Dead Tortoise to be back with a second wind starting on the 21st of June, I will be back, and I will be OLD!!! I turn 19 on the 22nd...that has come around very, very quickly...

I think I am finally ready to take writing seriously...

A change happened the other day, one I really wasn't expecting especially now.

I have always wanted to write, and always have, but it was always fun stuff that I never truly took seriously. A couple of days ago that thinking changed. No longer did I want to just write whatever, whenever and however I liked. I wanted to really, really write. I wanted to write properly, I wanted to create something that wouldn't just make me happy but that would make others happy as well.

No longer do I want to just write anything that comes out, I want to create a real novel. So it's time to go back to the basics. Plot construction, proper use of dialogue and language, proper structure and formation...all that gumph.

I also want to plan a novel before I write it, not just fly by the seat of pants any more because think about what would happen if I knew what would happen, there would be less ramble chance and a deeper plot and properly formed sub-plots...which would be pretty awesome.

So I am going to need some help, if you will. There a too many writing books to count out there, and I would like to know which ones work. I don't have the money anymore to be able to buy 20 books for only 5 to work. 10 books and 5 working though I can handle.

I have heard lovely things about Orson Scott Card and James Scott Bell (apparently people with the middle name "Scott" know how to write...)

So who else is there and are there any particular books I should be looking for.

Thanks ever so much...and we will see how long this will last.

Writing: A Poem

I won a writing contest :D this is the poem I entered. It's pretty crude because I wrote it in about 5 minutes, so pick it to pieces if you want. I will fix it up later, when I get the time...I just needed somewhere to put it because I'm cleaning out my inbox.

 

Writing is release,
Writing is a cure,
Writing relieves the pain,
and makes my heart pure.

 

Writing picks me up,
Whenever i am down,
Writing starts a smile,
Replacing the ugly frown.

 

Writing stops the rage,
When it starts to stir,
Writing stops the tears,
when emotions start to churn.

 

Writing is who i am,
Writing is what i do
But above all else,
Writing and soul are one not two.

Copyright 2010 The Half-Dead Tortoise. Amanda-Lee Finch

(basically, if you steal it, I will hunt you down)

Where do I want to be in 20 years time?

I have been thinking about this recently, especially seeing as I have been having trouble with Tech recently. I put this on this blog because it also heavily revolves around my writing.

The short term goals for the last two years have been, finish tech get a good job, everything else will come later. I still want them to definitely be the short term goals, but where do I really want to be in 20 years time, when I'm 38 years old.

Basically, to finish the full blown Advanced Diploma of Accounting, it is going to take another one and a half years of massive stress and exhaustion to complete. What I really want to do is finish the Diploma of Accounting and get a good job. With want I want to do with my life, in all honesty, the Diploma is all I really need, it has the budgeting subject that I want and doesn't gravitate too much around tax. Well it's going to start to.

Basically I am bad at tax, really bad, I don't like it, have a hard time understanding it and nearly cry every Wednesday when I have to sit through it. I don't want to work in tax, I want the fun budgeters job which is at times tedious will always take a very very long time involving a lot of research and a lot of re-working of numbers, that to me, is what I want.

But in 20 years, when I am (hopefully) married, have had as many kids as God is willing to bless me with, watched my cousin and brothers do the same. I want to be successful, I want to have money, I want to have a family, so where does writing fit in? Well that's what I need. I recently read Tempest Rising, a Jane True novel...she needed to be near the water, other wise she got tired, angry and all around nasty to be around...well writing is my element, I need it.

It would be ideal to be published. Deep down although I refuse to admit it to myself, or to anyone else...I want so badly to see my name on a book on the shelves. I want so badly to read a blog like Storywings and see my book there with a great review, I want people to look at me and think "writer" not accountant or business woman or No 3 on Australia's rich list, or "oh that's so-and-so's granddaughter," I want book lovers to see me and say "hey, she wrote that series," or "That book of hers I read really touched me"

And yeah, it's selfish, yeah, it's unrealistic and yeah I'm probably not good enough, but I feel so very deep deep down, that writing is what I should do.

I don't want to throw away my job or my money or my future place on the rich list but I do want to write, be known for my writing.

I want it so badly that tech is suffering. I should be studying right now instead of writing this, I should have been studying the day I decided to finally type up all the work on The Queens Dresses and I should be thinking about certain Note and Statement formations at night instead of dreaming up ideas for Practically Dead.

So what do I do? I don't want another year of tech, I want to finish this year so badly that I'm thinking of running to my mum right now and begging her not to make me go back. I want to get to Christmas this and be finnished, I want to get out of my shitty dead-end job and work in a massive company that will pay me lots of money to tell them how much money to keep aside for certain operations and most of all, I want to write.

I have tears running down my face at this very moment, which is making it very hard to write, because I have finally reallised that is what I want and need and that I am really wasting time and money by continuing subjects that I don't really need next year.

Why? Because I am scared shitless.

I am terrified of failing, I think I always have been. In life things to do with getting it myself have always come easy and this is going to be hard. I am going to have to work hard for what I want and I am going to have to sit down and research certain things so that I don't look like the idiot writer who said classic guitar instead of acoustic. I want to be diverse and write different genres, I want to be provocative and creative and unique.

I am also terrified of telling my family that I want to leave tech after this year. My boyfriend will be over the moon because that's all the more time he will get to see me...but the rest.

My dad who has always said (and I agreed) that it may be hard but in the long run it's easier to get the study out of the way young, and I have 3 years on everyone else.

My mum, who paid for all of this for me, who's eyes sparkle whenever I come home with distinctions on my semester reports.

And most of all my nan, who is my life. Who only wants to see me happy, but also sees me as "the smart one" I always had the good marks and never really had to work for them, she sees the stress I'm under but we both have the way of thinking that to back out now, would be quitting...and we aren't quitters.

I don't really expect an answer because this is so long and rambling that even I wouldn't read it.

Do I become a quitter? Back out of the last year of tech because I don't strictly need it and because it's too hard...or do I keep going? stress myself to the point of week-long sickness, which is currently what is happening, keep my writing on the back burner which kills me inside every time i see the multitude of empty folders with names on the side, begging me to be filled with ideas and drafts.

I hate saying it's too hard, nothing has ever, ever been too hard as far as brain power goes...it's going against so much, but it also makes so much sense.

In 20 years...I want to have kids, I want to have a sustainable job and I WANT TO BE A PUBLISHED AUTHOR

Does this make you mad?

Ok, I will admit that I have a very over-active imagination, but last night someone said something to me that hurt a little.

Basically I came up with a very far-fetched fantasy idea that I am still wondering if I could get to work, it would be difficult but yeah...doable.

I was telling someone about it, someone I place a lot of value in and he pretty much shot me down. It was a very raw idea, something that could be incorporated into something else. He hasn't read any of my work and yet told me that it's a far cry from what I usually write...fantasy, paranormal, far-fetched weird stuff is what I write.

I don't know, I'm probably over-reacting but it just hurt that someone who hasn't read anything I've done, who doesn't even read books in general could start telling me that I couldn't just go and write a book about that and that I should flesh out the idea more before I even start writing it...like does he think I'm stupid?

"Oh yes, today I just pictured a fairy in a pretty yellow dress who looked a bit like an acorn and has a sparkly wand...I am going to write about her now with no idea of any of her adventures...dum dee dum dee dum..."

Like I know that there are going to be a shizer load of people that are going to dislike even hate my work...but at least they would have read a couple of pages of it first before forming that opinion.

I don't know, I think I just wanted a bit of support from those I love - far too much to expect, I know. I'm a long way from even thinking of pursuing a publishing dream, I just write stories that make me happy.

I think I've just started writing a children's story...

A full on Dr. Seuss style rhyming children's story...

It started out as a poem about a vampire and turned into a monster under the bed type cartoon Play School story.

Hmmm, I think this might be called "branching out"

Now when I finish it, I will need some Mum's opinions on whether or not they would actually read it to their children...because it might be deemed a bit scary.

A Question for the Poets - Do you revise/change your original work?

Poetry for me has always just flowed. And I have always felt that a true poem written by me, is the original one that flowed when I first sat to write it down. Sure I have gone back and re-read later but once it is out, that's it. Not like a novel or short story that needs to be tweaked and changed fifty million times before it even begins to be right.

I have always felt that the true nature of the poem can only be captured in that one sitting, when it is first written, later on you won't have the feeling/inspiration/thought process that first spurred you to write it.

Lately though I have been reading some of my old work and have found a couple of missed beats. I'm not a free verse writer, I am meticulous in rhyming and rhythm, but sometimes, when I just want to finish something off I will stick a word in that if said a certain way can be right, but not really.

So now I have a dilemma, go against my belief of "first draft is true draft" and go with "three years down the track I thought of a better line that could fit in there"

So do you ever change your poetry after yo have first written it? If so, how much is too much. I don't want to change the vibe of the poem, which I think is why I'm so scared to change any part of it, in my head, it will cease to be a feeling, and just become another bunch of words on a scrap of paper.

The Tortoise is Hibernating...

No matter how much I need to write, I just do not have the time at the moment.

I am concentrating too much on Storywings and my writing is being neglected. Not only that but I am having trouble with one of my classes. I am not going to try to a start writing until I have cleared the stress off my plate, otherwise my stories won't come out right :(

I have a couple of poem ideas that have been trickling in lately, I just can't seem to grasp onto them, you know how the details of a dream are at the edge of your conciousness and everytime you try to grab them they slip further away...well that is what is happening at the moment. And it sucks.

After the 18th of May I am going to try and get back on the shell. Until then, I will have to try to stay sane.

It's not a matter of want, it's a NEED...

I have been in a bad mood all day, one of those moods that are completely irrational, everything pisses you off and nothing can calm you down.

Then i started thinking, i realised that i haven't really written anything for close to two weeks. I have to find time tonight when i go to my boyfriends house to sit down and write, maybe while him and his brother play peggle.

There's no want to write right now, there is a need to write...before i lose my temper and screw something up.

It's inspiration time again...

It seems that i am getting another wave of inspiration, which is excellent! but i need to start writing faster to keep up lol

i just had another new idea for a story, The Mystery of Alyse Standfore. I got it from (accidently) facebook stalking one of my friends friends. She had an interesting face, and it made me wonder who this chick was.

is that weird?

How do you determine your POV?

First Person or Third Person...that is the question.

Are you a first person writer or a third person writer?

Do you prefer one over the other?

Do you only write in one style?

I always considered myself a third person writer, but now that I'm older, and can sort of understand emotion and thought processes a little better I have been swaying towards First Person of late. It might also be that since I started writing more recently, after experiencing what I did last year writing myself into characters so much more intensely now helps get out the feeling, and anger that have hung around since last year.

This morning when i started Jail Bird i started in a First person, then crossed out the paragraph and re-wrote in Third Person...have you ever done that? Can one convey feelings as strongly in Third person as they can in First person?

hmmm...thoughts?

Update: switched back to first again lol

I have found a second wind!

Ok so I have been slack. I haven't written since i last posted, but i just got an idea. I don't know if will ever be considered a real story, but it's what's on my mind right this second and I'm actually writing it for now...at work.

Yes, my work ethic just dropped another couple of notches lol.

Regardless, I'm writing and i feel better. Yeay!!!

On another note, a character in Finding Ashleigh is named "Tish"...but I can't think of the real name for her...just Tish...what is the expanded name for the nickname Tish?

Not Patricia
and not Mortisha (i actually was considering it as a sick joke, and to reference The Adams family throughout the story...but im not going to now lol)

Any ideas?

I'm back on the shell!

With a new story idea too!

I have a thing with talking to myself, and once again I have talked myself into getting back up on the shell and plodding along. I had an entire conversation in the bathroom with the mirror thinking about how exciting it would be to be able to tell someone about the exhilarating feeling one gets when finishing something. Then I thought about finishing a novel, maybe two, three, four..the whole 20? And it got me so excited that at 11 o'clock at on Saturday night I just had to pick up my pen and paper after the little pep talk.

What did I write? Finding Ashleigh. A new novel idea based on a recurring dream I've been having since I was fifteen.

I also got around to typing up what I have already written! Awesome! So that is something I can check off the lists.

And for those of you playing along, my writing feat on Saturday? 1249 words. Boo-yeah!

I fell off my tortoise :(

OK so i stumbled. I didnt do anything Saturday, Sunday and I wont be writing Monday or even Tuesday because i have a huge exam to study for.

I'm not used to studying, so it's taking some time and this exam is worth half of my final mark. So I will get back on to the bandwagon on Wednesday and then have fun on my four day getaway for easter by writing to my little hearts content. Also after Thursday i have two weeks off tech!!! I will be able to write, read and run as much as I want and I won't be wasting three hours of my day, which really wastes 6 hours because when i get home at 9-9.30 i can't be bothered doing much.

YEAY!!! Can't wait until Wednesday!!!

still going!!!

that will be 6 days in a row thank you very much!

am part of the way through Remember. But i think it will be having a change of name very soon...maybe My Husband or something like that.

Consecutive Days writing: 6
Current Project: Remember

I'm not hiding! I wrote again!

Usually when i dont post it means i didnt write, but yesterday i wrote! It wasn't much but it was still something! and im proud of that.

Reading stephen kings short stories of late have inspired me to pursue one of my own. I used to love writing short stories but then got caught up in the novel writing. Today i had an inspiration for a piece. And that is what i want to work on until i finish it, for now.

Short stories have never taken me that long to complete. A day or two at most. So for today, that is what i want to focus on, i may still write a bit for Practically Dead, but i want to work on Remember for today.

Consecutive days writing: 5
Current Project working on: Short Story - Remember

I backed up for round two today!!!

Not only writing for the third consectutive day...but i wrote twice today!!! I finished another 4 pages of Practically Dead! I don't even know how many words that is because i hand write on an A4 pad...will have to figure out the average words for one page.

Yeay!!! So excited!! I wrote a total of 8 pages today!!! That's a new record! I might even have made the 1,000 word count for today after that effort!

Number of consecutive days: 3
Number of projects started: 4
Project currently working on: Story #10 - Practically Dead

Still working!

Ok maybe it might not be 1,000 words a day, but i have been writing everyday for three days! which is a bit sad that that is a new record...but still 3 whole days! I've finished the first chapter for Practically Dead and the final chapter...i just felt i really needed to write it this morning.

Thats 2 chapters! Im so proud.

New challenge is to see how many days in a row I can write! I will try the 50,000/50 later, when I find a rhythm.

Number of consecutive days: 3
Number of projects started: 4
Project currently working on: Story #10 - Practically Dead

Its working!!!

I love it when you pick up a pen and it magically jumps across the page for you!

Just this morning in my twenty minutes of work I started on Practically Dead! I was thinking about it and even though I have a some inspiration for The Queens Dresses, I don't want my first completed novel to be an erotic one...bad Juju as they say. So I'm currently working on Practically Dead (I am so going to have to change that name...it doesn't fit at all) for the 50000/50 challenge.

As of right now I'm sitting at 150 or so words...yeay!!!! Will finish some more tonight before tech :)

All systems go!

I have been in a rut. I haven't written, haven't posted and haven't cared....not like me...stupid men, steal my inspiration.

Aaanyway, J.Kaye has joined the 50,000/50 challenge write 1,000 words a day for 50 days....excellent! I literally got a tingle when I read this. I will try and focus on one manuscript for the next 50 days!

The challenge was originally started by Sarah at Confessions of the Un-published and the reason she did it was because she is having the exact same problem as me.

I have a tech break coming up soon, so that's two whole weeks of free nights! And we're going away for Easter ka-ching! what better time than right now.

I am starting a bit later than everyone else, so instead of finishing on the 1st of May, i will just finish on the 4th. simple...no getting out of this one.

I literally got a tingle when i read about the challenge, my fingers flexed and warmed up, my brain is whirring at top speed thinking about which story to conquer (probably TQD), my heart is jumping around in my chest and i am feeling much better after feeling down in the dumps for no apparent reason the past 4 days. and you know how guys do that foot twitch and make their knee go up and down sub consciously...my foot is currently doing that twitch...

Half Dead Tortoise has awoken from its slumber...to plod along another day!

The Half Dead Tortoise has been a little dead

It looks like the Half Dead Tortoise may have died...but dont worry readers! i will get back on track!
Hopefully this week :)

New things are happening and i went down very hard with bronchitis last week but everything should hopefully be getting back on track!!!

Got a bit more done!

Well not much really, another paragraph of TQD

Its funny, i know what i want to write in the second chapter, but its hard getting there in the first...i need to pad it out a little some how without seeming to pad it out.

I was thinking of reminiscing so i might try that when i sit down to this piece again.

im still reeling over the awesome summary i wrote for it...not being up myself of course hehe...awesome meaning long, and written...not excellent writing lol.

Grammar Help

No one has perfect grammar, not even the Queen, and she speaks the Queens English (look, i made a funny!)

And i found heaps of great hubpages to help me - and you if you want - to not look like an idiot when i write.

• Five Common Grammar Errors 
• Most Common Grammar and Spelling Mistakes 
• 5 Common Mistakes that make you look dumb   - thankfully i dont do any of these :) the linked pages are incredible though.

Punctuation.

Punctuation, don't you just love it?

Well, there are ways of screwing it up royally, so here are some things to help ease the punctuation pain.
You guys probably won't need alot of it, but I do at times :)

• Commas vs Semi Colons 
• Quotation Marks 

Editing

Editing *shudders* I like to think im good at it, but in actuality, im not.

Editing to me is hitting the spell checker in word. So here is where im going to put tips and pages i come across that help with editing.

Editing Tips:

• Anything that isn't essential to either character development or plot progress isn't needed.

Editing Pages:

• Easy Self-Edits 
• Word Overuse 

Now when it comes to the big E i will hopefully have a bit more help :)

I did something again!!!

Wow this week has been awesome!

This morning i wrote out a full summary for TQD!!! Four pages long in a bout half an hour and my writing wasnt that big.

then i wrote about half of the first chapter!

im so happy right now!

i will type up the smmary as soon as!

i have cousins coming over in an hour though so im not too sure if anything else will get done today...but four whole pages!!!

YEAY!!!!

I did something!!!!

I started on the first chapter of TQD yesterday! My creative juices are currently flowing when it comes to this story and i have found my perfect comfort once again in a pen and paper.

All these years I've been trying to sit down at a computer screen to "save time" and "minimise errors" when in actual fact it has been and still is a complete waste of time. Computers are too distracting, for me, as soon i get on the computer, check the blog, check facebook, check email, stuff around on facebook for an hour, another hour on the blog, inevitably someone will start talking to me on msn which is another distraction.

Last week i ended up reading about Megan Fox's clubbed thumb.

But since I've started writing properly again at the start of the year, i've achieved more than in the last five years. And the last time i wrote so much was when i was first at tech and i would get bored in class and write poetry instead.

I force myself to review straight onto the screen, but writing, i just can't anymore. There was a time when i could but it just wont happen now. So now i keep a pad of paper in my car, my tech bag, at work and at home. And its working wonderfully...

So do you guys find paper and pen/pencil easier or the computer? What distracts you most?

Finishing a first draft here i come!

New Story Idea - #18

We're up to 18 ideas now!

I was looking at a book that someone gave me for christmas. Not actually reading, just thinking about it and i suddenly thought of persephone. The greek chick that got stolen by hades...well ill have to read up properly on the details of the myth...but i remember most of it from a book i read years ago..

Anyway, ive had an idea about incorporating it into a story...yeay me!

So i suppose that the book is working, yeay! And i didnt even have to read it yet.

The book is about Myths and folklore from all over the world. I like history :)

I wrote my first ever prologue!!!

I wrote my first ever prologue last night.

For the Queens Dresses...i started writing and it went differently than what i was originally aiming for...its like a letter to the readers and it turned out great! Hopefully i will get the first chapter done soon..yeay!!!

TQD is currently taking up my brainspace so it will be taking priority for the moment :)

Lazy as again...

After being so excited last week about my excellent work at tech...i didnt do a damn thing all week.

I did write a heap of reviews which i have been falling behind on, but nothing on the novel front.


in other news:

For the first real time in about 10 years a member of my family has taken an interest in exactly what im writing...but i think she thinks im writing the true details of the last six months of my life...not the covered over and protecting identity version...plus a couple of embellished and down toned details - play up the feelings, down play the boringness of my life.

im not too sure what she expects of my writing...to be perfectly honest i hope that my immediate family (not including my brother and cousin) dont read that particular story because they will know things that ive never told them.

im so used to them not knowing what im writing or not caring that its a little odd to be explaining some of the stories to them...seeing as especially my nan, who has always held some interest of my work, doesnt really have a taste for ghouls and vampires and assassins....

and im not even going to tell them about "The Queens Dresses"...that would be the most awkward conversation in the world to have with your mum i think...

what about you guys?

do you have someone who knows the details of what you're writing, what if its something out there like sexually explicit romance novels...i suppose it might be different for people who arent 18 and whose mums probably wouldnt chuck a fit if they knew you knew what sex was but regardless...is it hard to talk about?

i suppose my writing has always been my escape, like my reading - the content, the subjects, the characters have always been my secret...no one around me knows what i read or write...so to be asked is kind of odd for me, especially in person...obviously i can tell you guys :)


yeah so that little ramble went on longer than expected but anyway :)

Toned down the absurdity

Okie dokie, if anyone will remember the worry i had about the absurd idea, its all good! Guide Me is back on track and because of a turning point in my life - like literally, new outlook and stuff...happened on Sunday - its all good, no more absurdities, and ive thought of the ending and the epilogue!

Yeay!!!

Tech is going to be great this year!!!

Last night i got to tech at 5.30pm...class didn't start until 6 so after eating and finding my way to my room i had 15 minutes spare! I wrote two scenes for Guide Me

Yeay!!! so happy. I might even try for a chapter of Practically Dead tonight yeay!!!

It's going to work, in some weird and wacky way everything will come together!

New Schedule

Okie dokie...thought i was full before...

I need help to work out how to fit my writing in around my schedule

1. Full time job - 7.30 - 5.00
2. Tech - 5.00 - 9.00
3. Gym - 9.00 - 10/10.30

This is my typical day starting tomorrow...

I added in how long it takes including travel...

Full time job...obviously necessary
Tech...a definite until the end of next year at least
Gym...its a must, not im a gym junkie, but if i dont my temper flares and i lose control (yes, im crazy its ok)

Reading i can fit into places...but writing, i need a bit of help...

i dont have tech on Mondays Fridays or weekends

I actually wrote this this morning and Corras comment on my last post made me want to post it :)

I just had a thought...scary i know

I just had a thought, a horrible one really. Tech is starting again next week - dum, dum, dum - so inevitably the blogs will suffer. it's good in a way that i do a fair bit of fiddling at work...like now...but what about next week?

A full time job and tech and reading and writing and blogging...will there be enough time?

I will need to work out a system (well, duh)...i've thought about the reading, a couple of chapters before class should be enough to get through a proper amount of books, maybe i could write after class while im waiting for my dad to pick me up theres a good 10 minutes there...blogging...is it possible to do it when i get home? 11pm posts...hmmm...

ill still read in my lunch hour...can't do much else really.

looks like i will be doing a hell of a lot more on the weekends...

I just dont want my writing to suffer like it did last year...no more excuses remember?

hopefully it will all come together...any suggestions though would help

2/2/2010

This blog is working!!!!

I wanted to post today but i didnt really think i would write, but i didnt want to post that i hadnt done anything so i did something!!!

I typed up and greatly expanded on the Practically Dead Outline!

I think i might do a summary tonight as well and ill be writing chapters soon!!

1/2/2010

I had a new idea today!

It will be affectionately know as "Reborn" no idea what genre yet and I have yet to flesh everything out, but i have an outline i want to write down. It's a pretty stupid idea, but we'll see where it goes.

Progress!!

I finished two Outlines yesterday!

Once I start writing them down I can't stop! It's excellent I got lost in my own little world for about half an hour yesterday and I was really proud of the outcome.

Pity the rest of the day didn't go so well...

I Kind of Did Something...

Ok so today didn't exactly go to plan.

1. My mum stayed home
2. My cousins came over

Today I realised just how much of a recluse I am. I thought about every situation I could be in and I was continuously brought back to the fact that I would rather stay home with my literature.

Seeing as this has been the topic of conversation in my family at the moment, I had to make nice and socialise today. I was a good girl and spent all morning with my Nan, and all afternoon and night with my cousins.

Which means that although I was itching to get upstairs...and away from people...I didn't get anything that I wanted to done. I finished a chapter of a book I was reading and and I kind of got a summary done for Escaping Destiny. Wow.

And I know I'm going out tomorrow, so I'm not going to get anything done then either. So now I'm a little depressed because this weekend has been wasted as far as getting somewhere goes.

Now my sinus is setting in which means I will dose off in about an hour, but I can't think properly. So nothing more shall get done tonight.

Bum!

I did something!!!

Yes! I did something, granted it wasn't alot, but it was something and in my books it definitely counts!

I made up the folders for Arranged, Practically Dead, Crutch, Language Barrier & Ghoulish Tendencies...yeay!!!

Tomorrow I have a goal, and I promise to post on whether or not I do it.

I want to get Summaries and Outlines for all of my folders...wish me luck!

New Ideas!!!

Ok so I had three new ideas today!!!

True I have no idea where I'm going with them yet BUT they are possibilities!!! I love possibilities!

Tomorrow I have the day off but I'm busy, hopefully I will be able to write down some summaries.

Right now I need to put down my book and pick up my pen, but that has been hard lately.

I have an idea - but I don't know if it seems too farfetched...

I always thought that anyone who wrote a book about themselves was extremely self absorbed. So I am definitely being a hypocrite, because I am writing one...

The last six months of my life have been well...hell.

I want to write about it, get it all out of my system and move on, but it just seems so far-fetched. I never write for people, I always write for myself, but I'm almost worried that if anyone did pick it up they would just laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Has anyone ever encountered this? Did you just write it anyway? Did it all turn out ok?
 

I'm Promising Myself This Now...

• I promise myself that every time I sit down to write I WILL NOT edit, at all. 
• I promise myself that I WILL write until my heart is content and not worry about spelling or grammar.
• I promise myself that I will finish a chapter BEFORE I re-read.
• I promise myself that I will not stress about what is not done and just keep writing.
• I promise myself that every idea will be written down.
• I promise myself that every scene no matter how silly or out of order will be written for safe keeping.
• I promise myself that I WILL finish something.

This is my affirmation to myself. I promise myself that I won't break these promises.

Progress Sheet

Story #1

Title: Rose Wine (Assassins Trilogy #1)
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Summary: Started
Character Summary: Incomplete
Outline: Needs to be typed up
First Draft: 2.5 chapters completed

To-Do: Character Summary, Outline, Finish chapter 3

________________________

Story #2

Title: As It Happened (formerly Guide Me)
Genre: Recount, Non-Fiction
Summary: Incomplete
Character Summary: Incomplete - not necessary
Outline: Incomplete
First Draft: 1 chapter completed


To-Do: Outline, Summary, Start Chapter 2.

________________________

Story #3

Title: Cherry Brandy (Assassins Trilogy #2)
Genre: YA, Fantasy

Summary: Incomplete
Character Summary: Incomplete
Outline: Incomplete
First Draft:


To-Do: Summary, Character Summary, Outline, Finish Rose Wine First!!

______________________

Story #4

Title: Apple Cider (Assassins Trilogy #3)

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Character Summary, Outline, Finish Rose Wine and Cherry Brandy first!!!

_______________________

Story #5

Title: Escaping Destiny

Genre: No Idea...Fantasy/Supernatural?

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Needs to be typed up

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Character Summary, Outline

_______________________

Story #6

Title: Living Ink - Screenplay

Genre: No Idea...

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Needs to be typed up

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Character Summary, Outline, Start writing first act

_______________________

Story #7

Title: DDSS (Dan, Del, Sam, Sel)

Genre: YA

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Make a folder for it, Decide whether or not it will be a series!!!

_______________________

Story #8

Title: The Queens Dresses

Genre: Adult/Romance/Erotic?

Summary: Complete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft: Chapter 1 half written

To-Do: Character Summary, Outline, Finish Chapter 1

_______________________

Story #9

Title: Addicted

Genre: YA

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Needs to be typed up

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Character Summary, Outline

_______________________

Story #10

Title: Practically Dead (Vampire Series #1)

Genre: Adult/Romance/Paranormal

Summary: Half Done

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Done

First Draft:Chapter 1 done, Final Chapter done.

To-Do: Finish Summary, Characters, Finish Chapter 2, print out what has been typed.

_______________________

Story #11

Title: Technically Dead (Vampire Series #2)

Genre: Adult/Romance/Paranormal

Summary: Half Done

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Kind of

First Draft:

To-Do: Make a folder for it

_______________________

Story #12

Title: Ghoulish Tendencies

Genre: Adult/Romance/Paranormal

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Characters & Outline

_______________________

Story #13

Title: Language Barrier

Genre: YA? Romance? Fantasy? Adventure?

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Needs to be typed up

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Characters & Outline

_______________________

Story #14

Title: Arranged

Genre:??

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Characters & Outline

_______________________

Story #15

Title: Mother

Genre: ??

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Make a folder for it.

_______________________

Story #16

Title: Crutch

Genre: ??

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Outline & Characters

_______________________

Story #17

Title: Reborn

Genre: ??

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Outline & Characters, Decision - Screenplay or Novel?

_______________________

Story #18

Title: The Persephone Idea

Genre: ??

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Outline & Characters

_______________________

Story #19

Title: Vampire Series #3 (the Cousin idea)

Genre:Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Outline & Characters

_______________________

Story #20

Title: Finding Ashleigh

Genre:YA? General Fiction.

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft: Chapter 1.

To-Do: Summary, Outline & Characters

_______________________

Story #21

Title: Jail/Gaol Bird

Genre:General Fiction.

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Outline & Characters - work out setting, America, London, Australia (title depends on country...)

_______________________

Story #22

Title: The Mystery of Alyse Stanford

Genre: YA

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Outline & Characters

_______________________

Story #23

Title: The Pact

Genre: YA

Summary: Incomplete

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Outline & Characters, Type Up first part of Characters.

_______________________

Story #24

Title: The Adventures of Dale and Alex

Genre: Action/Comedy  -  Screenplay

Summary: Partially done

Character Summary: Incomplete

Outline: Incomplete

First Draft:

To-Do: Summary, Outline & Characters. Get as much info into Celtx as possible

What's in a name?

It is going to be inevitable for people to read this, see the title of the blog and think what?!

Well the reason for the name "Half-Dead Tortoise" was because it was what I compared myself to in regards to Alyssa and J.Kaye in reference to their writing blogs. Here is the comment I left.

hi!!! i just read her(Alyssa) success story before i came here hehe...
im no where near where you guys are in regards to finished...im like the half dead tortoise...
you did however inspire me to get organised...I GOT FOLDERS...now i need to put some stuff in them lol!
ive always been able to find excuses for everything...maybe i should just suck it up and write what i want...heres hoping hehe.
maybe i should start a blog for the writing as well...it might motivate me to do something...otherwise every post would be: accomplished this week - nothing
well at least i got the folders...now i can remember the names of everything im trying to put on paper hehe...

And so The Half Dead Tortoise was created. Considering how hard it was for me to come up with "Storywings" (my book blog) compared to this blog...i am quite surprised...its like it was meant to be...

Hopefully this blog will serve its purpose and i will have something completed by the end of this year.

Why I write...

I've just dedicated an entire blog to writing. "Why?" you may ask.

It's simple, writing is who I am in essence. Yes I love to read and I like maths and scrapbooking...but writing is part of me. Everyday I write something, everyday I think about writing, most mornings I wake up with a scene in my head that i want to write down (not that i do that often.)

Writing for me is a release. Im good at talking yes, but i can never express myself with speech the way i can with text. Words out loud aren't the same for me as they are on paper. "As the warm breeze blew across her face, she revelled in the thought of seeing the lusciousness of the flowers in bloom once again."

That on paper to me is beatuy, but if you say something like that out loud, you sound like you swallowed a dictionary...nerd.

You can put so much on paper that we just can't say to one another, that is why i write. I can say everything ive ever wanted to say, sometimes i rewrite how i would have done something in real life, how it would have turned out had my wits caught up to me at the right moment.

Writing gets all my emotions out of me, it is in it's simplicity, my release.

If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.  ~Toni Morrison

Let's see how this goes...

Ok, so yes I class myself as a writer - even though I'm a trained accountant - writing is my passion above all things because it lets me just get it all out of my system and I've been published so there.

J Kaye from J Kayes Book Blog and Alyssa Kirk from Teens Read and Write inspired this blog because they are pretty much doing the same thing on their blogs 365 days of Novel Writing (J Kaye) and Demonic Attractions (Alyssa).

Now I know I am no where near them in regards to "finished" although as a writer one really can't ever be "finished", but i will give it a go, because it also might make me get my finger out and actually write what I want to.

Thanks to J Kaye and her awesome organisation skills she inspired me, I organised all of my ideas into folders and labelled them (something extremely foreign to me).

Now I actually have to put something in said folders...

I've got some stuff in there, the first two chapters to my book "Rose Wine" and the first chapter of "Guide Me".

I will list everything I'm attempting to write and put it up in a post...because I absolutely love filling in check-lists (ironic for an unorganised person isn't it...) so once I see them there all empty and and anorexic...I will just have to fix it.

So lets see how this goes my goal for the year is to get a complete first draft of something completed.