Volunteering Fun!

This week I did something a little different and spent the week volunteering with Animated Exeter, Exeter's Animation festival.

It's been a hectic week, with so much other stuff on as well, but I'm so glad I did it, it was FANTASTIC. I met some amazing people and the whole atmosphere was just so brilliant and lively... and it's impossible to put it into words. It's so great to spend time with a bunch of people all so enthusiastic, and friendly and all there because they chose to be. Everyone was just so great. And I had great fun helping out in workshops (even though I knew nothing about animation it was fine because the kid's software was so easy to use) and stewarding events and out on front of house answering questions, sorting groups out for a game that was running.

I saw lots of people I know from the other volunteer stuff I do at the Phoenix too, and also people I know from all over the place, so that was cool. And most of the volunteers were English students, so that was awesome.

I could go on and on, but I won't. It was a fantastic week, and all came to an end last night with an end of festival party (after we had to stand in the freeeeeeezing cold for an hour in a park for a firework finale thing), which was awesome. Had a great night and we all bonded even more as a group.

All in all, it was fantastic and I'm definitely going to do it again next year. I really enjoy doing that sort of thing, and it's great to know that I can do it! Whoooop :D Now things are back to normal, and luckily I have my usual volunteering to get back to, although I really want to find some more festivals to volunteer for. Does anyone else do any volunteering??

It does mean that my work and writing has suffered, so today I'm cracking all with that, although feeling a little coldly :(

'We got no fears of growing old... we got no worries in the world'

I saw Mcfly on Saturday, for the first time on this tour (The Keep Calm and Play Louder Tour, which is a nice spin on the Keep Calm and Carry On poster that has been EVERYWHERE in the last few years), but for the... well, I think I've lost count of the number of times I've seen them live. Of course they were AMAZING as ever and made me fall in love with them all over again. It reminded me just how I adore them. It was definitely one of the best tours that they've done in a while. They did lots of old songs and fan favourites which was brilliant, and meant that Tom got the piano out again.
They also did a song which they've never done live EVER and it made me cry <3 Another one of my favourite songs which I wasn't expecting also made me cry too. Thanks guys.
They were just so wonderful <3 As always.
Anyway, just a quick hello. Trying to make myself get back into a good working routine and get on with my essay and dissertation. Easter weekend has been crazy but hopefully things will be quieter now. All of my friends at home are disappearing this week, so things are definitely calming down.
I also got a chance to sit down with my drafts the other day which was so lovely.
Happy Easter everyone!

Home Again.

I'm really impressed at the number of people doing this A-Z blog challenge. Well done everyone! I did consider doing it, but I think it was a lucky decision that I ran out of time to organise it, because I'm already behind with everything else that I'm meant to be doing!

Arriving home has thrown my usual schedule into chaos, with so many different distractions, and no one really around to level with the same work commitments. Yet, and hopefully once everything has settled down this will be true, I thought it would be good to be away from all the distractions and be able to focus. So far not true. It's been chaos. I suppose the distractions come in different forms, and here there seem to be plenty. My writing has had to take a back seat as well, with so many other things to focus on. Oh well, it'll all sort itself out soon... I hope.

Today, so far, has been quite good however, and I have a whole free day, which is hopeful. Well, here goes...

Outlining.

So I did what I usually do: started writing, and then realised that actually I need to write a better outline than just 'chapter one' 'chapter two'. So, having got some words down, and a start, which I like, and also a voice which I like, I sat down to write a better outline and really plan this, so I had some idea of how to get everything in and make it go how I want it to go. Harder than it sounds.

Although, I did do this with Love Actually on in the background, so no wonder I was easily distracted. But I needed some Christmas cheer. Anyway, having seemed to have wasted the whole day* - I suppose I've done THINKING, and thinking is good, and an important part in writing I have realised, I dont' always have to be writing, but sometimes I just want to be. And at the minute I want to come up with some short stories for my CW portfolio. PLEASE INSPIRATION GODS.

So, as I say, usually I start writing and then realise I haven't thought enough/planned enough - apart from NaNo of course where I have to wait, and it's probably quite a good thing, having a deadline like that, although I find it hard to set one for myself, because I always think, well no, why don't I just start now? THIS IS WHY. I am learning. Anyway. It gets me the voice and the way I want it to sound. And it definitely helps to start. Otherwise I am a little stuck, vaguely knowing what I want the story to be and not sure how to tell it. But now I know. More anyway. Sort of. I think I'm going to type it up now and then stop staring at my computer screen....


*Although I have been doing general LIVING, which is always good.... I had breakfast with a friend, did some Christmas shopping, some reading, some messing about online, had a friend over for tea, more reading, looked through a file of academic work.... but it still doesn't feel very productive. At that loose stage of having handed in everything for this term, and its the last week and a bit, and I know I have work to start doing and I constantly feel like there is something I should be doing, but I don't know it, because I'm not entirely sure what IT is. I'll be freaking out in a few weeks, about the amount I have to do, I know I will. I also think, ahh I have the whole afternoon/evening to write. But I don't get as much done as I hoped. **

**That was rather long and irelevant. Sorry.