When I write.

I can’t stand to write in silence. Peace and quiet are really not conducive to my creative process. Even when I was at University I could not study in silence and so I have to create noise. Sometimes I will put on a TV series that I have seen many times before, but I can end up getting distracted by that too.

So my favourite thing is to play music and my favourite person to queue up is Lindsey Stirling. I find her music very uplifting and the lack of lyrics means I don’t have other words playing in head while I try to write my own.

Though my rhythm gets a bit messed up by those awful YouTube ads.

The easy way out

Sometimes when I am browsing the shelves at a book store I have a depressing thought.

“Rather than trying to write an original story full of tension, intrigue and dark humour, I should instead just write teen romance/drama with Vampires, or werewolves, or whatever monster is trending.”

But I don’t think I could make it past the first chapter before my inner muse died.

Favourable Forgetting

When you want coffee but can’t find your favourite coffee cup. So you give up and grab another mug. But when you open the microwave you find your favourite mug, half filled with lukewarm milk.

Guess who is having 2 cups of coffee, at the same time.

Overdose

I am starting to suspect that my new brand of coffee pods have a higher caffeine content. I am only having my usual 2 cups of coffee a day and it is making me jittery and giving me the shakes.

Hopefully I will build a tolerance of will have to lower my daily intake and I find it hard enough only drinking 2 cups.

Create in Chaos

I am not the tidiest person and where I work, I tend to make a mess. So needless to say my computer desk is a disaster. I don’t even know how long it has been since I cleaned it or what might be laying beneath.

But it is always a good sign when my edited copies are on top of the pile. If they slip below I may never see them again.

Coffee Confessions

Sometimes I make a coffee just to keep my hands warm. The sad thing about it is that I mostly end up drinking cold coffee.

Right now my hands are really cold so I think it is time for another coffee.

Unexpected Absence

Sorry for such a long absence. After a fantastic holiday in Western Australia my life went to hell, several times. Writing has been impossible unless I wanted to write teen angst.

But things have just about settled and I will try to resume my editing schedule.

Now I just need to pick up the same vibe I had before the break.

Fatal Inspriation

I am currently on holidays travelling around Western Australia. This means I have long hours of driving with nothing to do but watch the scenery. That and daydream about new characters and story ideas.

Oops.

I have been trying very hard to not allow myself to be distracted by other ideas while working on Coffee, Cats and Murder. In the past my lack of focus is one of the main reasons I end a project part way through (also terrible writers block). But while driving, mostly on the first day, I have created a whole storyline from start to finish. And I expect that while driving today I will continue to refine and play with this new world.

Sigh. I promise that I will focus on Coffee, Cats and Murder once I return… and maybe try to write this one on the side.

Very Little Writing Happening

Today I spilled coffee on my shirt. Now I smell coffee everywhere I go. Makes me really want to drink coffee.

That is all.

Writing progress this week- None, and will be travelling during the school holidays so it will be a bit quiet here for a while.

A little bit of inspiration

Reading is like a gateway drug that leads some to the destructive lifestyle of writing. Almost every book I have ever read has impacted me and my writing in someway.

As a teacher though I have seen first hand that the ability for creative writing in children seems to be dwindling. The amount of times I have been given an awkward recount of a movie or a game. It’s kind of a worry.

http://ideas.ted.com/are-our-kids-getting-worse-at-creative-writing-6-sci-fi-and-fantasy-books-to-share-with-the-app-generation/

This is a great list of books that can give that important spark of creativity. This is directed at teens, but in my opinion a good book, is a good book. Regardless of its target age.

Plus I always like getting recommendations of new books I should read.