NaNoWriMo time again! (Nearly...)

Gearing up for NaNoWriMo as I always do this time of year. I have the idea, I have vaguely started plotting, although I'm leaving that until nearer the time. If I do it too soon I'll want to start writing next week! I have something else I want to try and finish typing up first before I embark on the next NaNo challenge.

Although I'm wondering, should I be doing this? I'm meant to be focusing on poetry right now. I've done NaNo six times (I think... that seems a lot, but it must be... seven if you count camp Nano this year) and I'm beginning to wonder if I should still be doing it. What do I get out of it? It has been great at getting me to focus on writing a draft, and writing every day and I have learnt so much from it. Those drafts have all been fantastic experiences and pratice, and I'm so glad that I've done it. But I have this automatic response now at this time to year to begin planning my next NaNo novel and I vaguely wonder why.

But then, the draft I did last year has formed the back story/future story of a character I am now writing a children's series about. I wouldn't be writing this series if I hadn't written that draft.

But should I be moving on from it? I don't know. I like doing it. It's become a part of my year that I just accept now.

And I know tomorrow I will be re signing up on the website. 

EDIT: What did I tell you guys? Re signed up for this NaNo. I think I was just moaning. Here's my profile http://nanowrimo.org/en/participants/sophie  xx

Poetry Fun!

Had my first poetry seminar/workshop today and it was really awesome! Am part of a really nice, enthuastic and talented group and I enjoyed the poetry way more than I thought I would. It's an exciting challenge after all.

Now I have to imerse myself in poetry and poetic forms and stuff. It'll be good. It's something different, and it'll all help with the fiction. I like having something to work towards anyway. So glad I'm doing this, and I'm excited about the next few weeks!

Right, off to find some new poets to read and write some poetry!

Which reminds me, can anyone recommend any good contemporary poets I could try reading? Need to try and find some new ones! Thanks!

First Day

You know how anxious I was about the MA and stuff? Well we had a college day today, where we found stuff out, and got to meet the other people on the course. It almost felt like first day back to school! I met some really lovely, and saw some familar faces too, people on the general English course, and got to hang out with some cool people (including my wonderful friends who are doing this with me) and also to meet the few people on the Creative Writing MA. Which was awesome. Everyone was really nice and they were all awesome. The tutor, who I had come across, but he had never taught me, was awesome too and so encouraging. I'm so excited to start it now! And so glad I get to do it with awesome, friendly people.

It was weird because before today I hadn't really realised that I would be a postgraduate, a master's student, and it was weird when it hit. A postgraduate. Me! Ha! It seems crazy. I never thought I would be, and yet here I am.

It's hard to describe just how I feel about it, and how excited I am and enthuastic about this. I can't quite explain, I'm sorry! I hope you get what I mean from this babble.

Anyway, I'm even more excited about getting started. I don't even mind that I'm doing poetry now. Although I may start moaning in a few weeks... I'm so glad I'm doing this though. It seems so right.

And I got to finish off the day by doing some awesome arty screen printing with some cool kids.

One Year

It's been a year since I started this blog. Is it bad that I don't even remember starting it?

It feels like so much has happened in that year. I'm impressed I even kept it going - I had never managed that before, so I'm happy with that and pleased that I've managed to do that successfully. I'm glad too that I took part in campaigns and blog things - and over the next year, I definitely will aim to take part in more and keep up with them! I have managed to connect with so many wonderful people. So thank you all of you for putitng up with my ramblings and everything.

As usual I'm glad I took part in NaNo, and will be planning to this November as well, and even Camp NaNo too.

And the year I blogged about - the year that I thought would be my last year of university before I headed into the big unknown, has become something else. Return to uni and still the scary unknown, but a differnet sort of challenge to the one I envisaged, mainly because of some wonderful friends and things that I enjoyed more than I thought I would. So here we are.

Here's to another year (at least) - let's see where this one takes us! 

Back and happy.

Back in Exeter! And, hey, it's fine. I'm glad to be back. What did I say? I always hate that inbetween bit, when you're packing up to leave one place, but haven't arrived back yet. And moving into a new place is always difficult.

I love it though.

I love my new house and new housemates and I'm so excited about this coming year. Looking forward to my course again now, although I think I might not get to do the module I want to do which sucks (I might end up doing poetry after all :( ) but it's fantastic to be back. Revisited my favourite coffee shop again, and its always nice to find things how you remember. Oh and I love this place so much. I forgot how much. So good to be back. Yay!

Short post because going to go help my housemate with some supper. Yay! :)

Anxious

I don't know if I should be writing this, but I'm going to.

I'm scared.

Scared about starting my MA.

I'm sure that's just natural, because it's something new, although I'm going back to the same place and living with good friends and things like that, and going back to a place I love, but that end of summer anxiety is kicking in, and I'm scared.

I want to do it. I really do. But part of me, that horrible doubtful part, is wondering why I'm doing it - why I'm putting myself through this. Do I really need to do it? Will I gain anything by it?

Too late really to have those doubts.

I mean, I'm excited. I'm definitely excited too. I do want to do it!

It's just things are going to be different. Of course they are. But it's going to be good. It's just these stupid anxieties and nerves. I feel a bit better now....

Also, I got a new camera yesterday so I have been snapping away and it is all very exciting. I love it! It's a bridge camera, so it takes awesome photos. And Murray's through to the US open final. Awesome.

p.s. Next time I post, I'll be back in Exeter!!

End of the Summer Feeling

The end of the summer is drawing closer.

And although I want to go back, now that I've confirmed the date, even though it was when I wanted to go back, I feel funny about it and don't want the summer to be over. It's always the way isn't it?

My brother went back to school yesterday, and the sense that I still get of back to school nerves is ever present. September is a funny time.

I already feel sad about the loss of the summer - although this week promises to be hot, that's just teasing you know?!

Does anyone else feel like this?

On the other hand  - went to the Paralympics on Monday which was amaaaazing, and going to the HARRY POTTER STUDIOS TOMORROW. So excited! Going back to Hogwarts!!!!!!

Trouble Focusing

I'm at that strange writing stage where there are so many different projects I want to be working on (and not all of them necessarily straight forward writing) that I can't quite settle to any of them and it means that I don't get anything done. Some of them are at a point where I can't do anything at the moment, whilst others I could do more on or get started with, but for some reason I'm not.

And while I have been doing lots of edits on my draft, I have kind of got to the stage where I keep changing a word, and then changing it back again and feel like I should leave it for a little now, and focus on something else for a while, but it's hard. Editing never seems to be done; which is the nature of writing and editing, and probably my nature too, but I think until someone's read it, it's hard to keep doing all those small things and feel like it's making a difference.

I hate it when I'm at this point; too many things to do and I can't focus on any one of them. I seem to get that a lot. 

Does anyone else ever have this feeling?