This blog was designed with a mind to track my progress as I attempt to finish writing my first novel and get it published.
It is more likely to feature all the things that distract me along the way, namely my cats, shoes, obsessing over lots of lovely books (none of which I have written), the cats again, dancing, choir practice, clothes, more books, sparkly stuff, the cats, and the general perils of living life as a left hander.
Welcome to my blog!
I am a lefty. I write vertically, cannot use can-openers and was recently foiled by a right handed ladle (I will have my vengeance...) but more than this, I generally seem to approach life from a different angle. I appreciate that this may have nothing to do with being a lefty and may just be my own dysfunctionallity, but after earning the nickname 'Lefty-Flip' after a frustrating game of Guitar Hero, it seemed an appropriate title for this blog.
Well before the whole of May goes by without a single post (how did that happen?!?!?!?!) here's an update on what I have been up to...
Reading this!
ACID - Emma Pass
So excited to finally have my hands on this book, but to do it justice I will save that for another post!
The big news this month is that I have (finally) reached a point where I have a complete readable draft! So I am currently annotating my way through this...
I have some big plot holes to fill, and a character whose gender currently changes mid-chapter (I changed my mind, that's all!) and a whole bunch of clunky sentences to fix, but it's getting there!
The more professional editors and writers amongst you will no doubt be familiar with the standard editing symbols. I however seem to rely on a series of smiley faces, frowny faces, scribbly red pen, and pencilled comments in the margins!
For your viewing pleasure...
I'm not always that harsh on myself - there are plenty of smiley faces too!
Right, back into the writing cave I go! See you next month!
I spent last weekend putting up what I think will have to be the final bookcase in my house. I have run out of room, but not run out of books! I clearly need to get a bit creative...
Walls made of books maybe?
Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'top shelf'...
wonder what books get kept up there?
Saves on wallpapering too!
Includes hidey-holes for Le Cat
I love this idea! Trying to figure out if I can get it to work on my stairs. Although, I have enough trouble with the cat tripping me up every morning though, so maybe not the safest idea!
Now this is how you make bookshelves out of a staircase!
I'd love to see that the rest of the house looks like.
I've always thought 'Don't judge a book by its cover' was a pretty crappy analogy for anything because, well, what else are you supposed to judge a book by if not its cover?
I'm not talking about books you've read, re-read, the ones you've given up on halfway through - I'm talking about the shiny new books on the bookshelf, the ones with clean uncracked spines - the ones that whisper buy me buy me as you walk past...
But assuming you also need to pay your rent this month and can't spent your entire salary on books what do you base your decision on?
If you care about the opinions of strangers you might check out some reviews. If you trust your friends taste in books you might listen to their recommendations. You might have some favourite authors - I'm on a Darren Shan kick at the moment (demons, vampires, zombies - he's not let me down yet!) But if you're hanging round a bookshop, killing time on a rainy lunch break what have you really got to go on Yep, that's right, the cover.
Here are a few books I have bought lately based on nothing but the front cover:
'Just your average boy-meets-girl,
girl-gets-sucked-into-Hell story'
Who is this girl? What's with the weird lava demons reaching for her feet? Why does she not look remotely scared by her surroundings. And if I take her hand will she lead me out of this Hell-hole or will she rip my face off. Judging by the look on her face and the fact that her name is 'Anna Dressed in Blood' it could go either way. Awesome. Buying it!
Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, one night a ghost appears from the darkness.
It is Po, who comes from the Other Side.
Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.
This picture doesn't really do the book justice. The writing and the spine of the book are gold, as is the keyhole around image - and as for the illustrations inside...
These had me reaching for my pencils and dusting off the sketch pad - beautiful!
This is the year Blue will be drawn into the strange
and sinister world of The Raven Boys.
And the year Blue discovers magic really does exist
I'm not normally one for romance, even the doomed and torturous kind, but I was swayed by the Poe-esque ravens and mention of magic!
September is a twelve-year-old girl,
Somewhat Grown and Somewhat Heartless,
and she longs for adventure.
One word... DRAGONS!
Yep, sometimes that's all it takes.
It goes both ways though. There's a particular book I ignored for about four years because the front cover was so rubbish. It wasn't until the fourth in the series came out with a Dragon on the front that I thought it might be worth a read...
You may have noticed things have got a little daft the past few weeks... Well there is good reason for that! Quite simply, less blogging equals more writing!
Well January is already sneaking on by, and I have yet to decide what I want to do with the year! Time for a new year checklist I think...
Well the first has nothing whatsoever to do with writing... This time last year I moved house. I went from renting a single room in a shared house, to renting a two bedroom house - so why do I have no room for all my stuff?!?!?! It's insane. I need to have a clear out. I am also ridiculously overdrawn after Christmas so I think an epic ebay session is needed!
Next on the list is my stack of books to read! It's possible it might be taller than me now. I considered making a rule that I can't buy any new books until I've read one on the list but... but... not buying books?!?!?!?! I've already given up chocolate and alcohol this week - books is all I have left!
I also have grand writing plans this year, some semi-secret, some top secret and some... not secret at all! I'll be needing some guinea pigs soon (obv not real ones, though that would be cute!) to test my writing on...if I'm brave enough!
