Hi Cornelia,

No, I'm not doing it this year. I'm still working on the one I started last year, albeit very slowly. The research seems to have taken over, and I'm more interested in that than the actual story at the moment.

I haven't written anything about the Pendle witches, although I've often thought I should, given that I'm in spitting distance of the area. Maybe the next one

Dee

I know what you mean about the research taking over. I love doing research. Someone I know writes true-life crime and spends days and days archives.

Maybe the novel was the one about the young woman with the ponytail who lived in the countryside and went out jogging. She had friends at a local hotel/pub and was an artist hoping to set up a business in her cottage, I think. It was very strong on a sense of place, which is important to me when I'm reading a novel. Some likeable characters, too, but a bit short on conflict. Was there a fight on a cliff-top? That was good. Having said that, I like crime novels so I'm always plot-driven when it comes to writing.

Well, I think I'll just use the month and see what happens.There seem to be thousands at it in London and lots within a mile or two of where I live. Maybe we should have a badge to help us recognise one another.

Sheila

My, but you have a long memory! That was Paying For The Gallery, the first novel I wrote. The MC already had a gallery in a barn in a Yorkshire Dales village but was going bankrupt due to tourists being driven away by the foot-and-mouth outbreak (that dates it!). As you say, there was nowhere near enough conflict, although the fight on Bradda Head in the Isle of Man was pretty good, in my opinion. Sadly, my agent read it a couple of years ago and hated it… LOL!

Well done for finishing it, Dee. Yes, I think I didn't like the hero because he was a property developer or at any rate someone with plenty of cash, all a bit convenient and I think the heroine slept with him and then had second thoughts. It was down to some misunderstanding and he redeemed himself in the end. It's a shame your agent couldn't think of rescue as there were obviously some very memorable parts. Never mind, maybe you can re-use the fight scene at least.

Sheila

I feel that everything I write teaches me something, so even if it doesn't get anywhere, it's still worthwhile.

Yes, I definitely endorse that sentiment. And I just wrote a 500 word short story in less than an hour, so I'm feeling more hopeful of being able to type fast enough. The needs a bit of work, but the word count is OK.

Sheila

Oh, well done Sheila!

I feel that the first novel I tried seriously to write, which only reached 30k, was me getting certain issues out of my system. The second (now at 60k, going to finish in NaNo to about 90k) is less chock full of my own little obsessions, but I can still see them. I think this one might be able to be turned into something worthwhile, but am not certain.

However, I feel that when I write my third, I won't be so keen to get my obsessions out, and the writing will be much better as a result. Hope so, anyway!

Deb

Yes, I think I'm in about the same situation but I'm going to finish off my first novel, started in 1987 but I kept getting stuck and writing short stories instead. I think I can make it into a 'proper' novel now because it does have an ending.

First I have to type up the last 50 or so pages onto my computer, from a hard copy. I'd put aside the original discs until it was too late to find a computer that still used them -I decided to start typing it up but got bored after 130 pages. I've got about twenty chapters. It needs extra chapters and a re-structure.

I think a lot of writers seem to have obsessions that don't go away.

I'm going to follow a manual for my re-write as I'm so clueless on my own.

Sheila

Hi Sheila, i'm up on nano now, I'd forgotten it resets in october and thought my account was still there!

I thought you were The Baztec or something? I had you from last year. Your account remains from year to year - it's just the numbers etc which reset.

Deb

Wel, seven days on I can say NaNo was very good for me, because it encouraged me to type up the last 10K words of the first draft of a novel. Previously it was just in hard copy form.

I feel I can get to wrok on it again now.

Sheila

Great stuff, Sheila. I think NaNo is hugely good for motivation. We don't feel alone as we toil. It really helps me.