What's Up Wednesday (2)

Welcome to another edition of What's Up Wednesday, the weekly meme hosted by Jaime and Erin.

 WHAT I'M READING


I've been reading a lot this week. I've raced through several books including, The Sin Eater's Daughter (soooo good), The Shadow Cabinet, and the The Farm Beneath the Water. And I've just started I Was Here by Gayle Forman - been looking forward to this one! 

WHAT I'M WRITING (+ A WRITING GOAL)*


I'm still plodding on with NOWHERE HOUSE, editing and adding words. I hit 30k, my target, yesterday though, which makes me very happy. I need to get back to editing Sweet Little Lies. Things are much the same as usual!

So this week, hoping to finish going through Nowhere, hopefully add some more words, and maybe start some editing on SLL again. We shall see....

WHAT WORKS FOR ME

The sticker/calender method. I talked about this last week briefly, and I know that others have written about it recently as well, but this week I realised just how quickly I've got used to it/how well it works in encouraging me to do things so that I have stickers on my calender and don't just spend time just messing about online! There's nothing better than being able to reward yourself with a few stickers! 

WHAT ELSE IS NEW 

Last week I went along to the Waterstones Picadilly Harry Potter Book Night as part of MuggleNet to take part in a fun quiz. It was a great night and incredibly surreal! You can read a piece I wrote about the night for MuggleNet here.

Merry Christmas and end of the year roundup! (p.1)

Wow. I can't believe it's under a week until Christmas day. I don't know where this month - and this year has gone. I've been rather absent from this blog in the last few weeks, and I apologise for that. I didn't mean for this to be my first post of December, but for various reasons I haven't felt like blogging, and I've been rather under the weather. But I'm feeling a lot better now and looking forward to Christmas!

Recently, I was wondering what have I actually achieved this year? (Yes, I've been feeling rather down). But, looking back at this blog and some of my writing projects, I realised that actually, yes, I have been rather productive, and on the whole had a good year. Sure, there have been really sucky things, but on the whole, it hasn't been a disaster!

First off, this blog - I've kept it up to date, and been able to get into a semi-good routine (that's slipped recently, oops!).  Among other things,

I've written about NaNo,
YALC, which took place in the summer and was amazing,
returning home to live in the countryside again,
a magical year with MuggleNet,
another trip to the Harry Potter studios,
A YA masterclass with Sarah Crossan and Julia Churchill,
Fowey,
and my beloved cat, Posie.

While I wasn't so good at blogging regularly at the beginning of the year, I've certainly got more into a routine this second half of the year - writing about countryside things and things to be grateful for! It's safe to say that it's certainly been a year full of twists and turns. It's funny isn't it, looking back on the year, and seeing what has and hasn't been achieved, unexpected things that have happened, and more. I suppose I have achieved more than I thought, and it's not all bad things.

Writing wise, I have revised Treading Water a couple of times, and got it up to a good standard. I've had good feedback on the story too. I've completed two full length first drafts (and a shorter one), and started at least two other things that I have since abandoned. I've written several short things and done lots of things for MuggleNet - plus I completed my MA.

And now, to celebrate Christmas and all that it brings. To eat lots of yummy food, spend time with people I love, do festive things, sing carols and catch up with friends.

I hope everyone reading this has a really wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year. Merry Christmas to you all - and thanks for reading over this past year!

One last post to come this year - what I'm looking forward to next year.

Another magical trip to the Harry Potter studios!

This week I returned once again to London, but this time for CHRISTMAS AT HOGWARTS! Christmas at Hogwarts is the current special feature that the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter are running, which showcases - well, you guessed it, Christmas at Hogwarts!

Warning: this will contain spoilers for the tour and the Christmas special, so don't read on if you don't want to know! 

A Magical Year

MuggleNet celebrated fifteen years the other week. MuggleNet is a site that I’ve known about for a long time, and always used to visit for my Potter news. For Potter fans it’s a go to resource for news and information about the Potter world.

And then a year ago, I happened to see on Twitter a call for applications for journalism interns. And I thought, well, why not. I’ll give it a shot. Writing and Harry Potter – two of my favourite things. It would be perfect - I wanted something new to do, a new challenge, and I wanted to be develop my writing skills. So, I sent the email off and forgot about it. I never thought I’d ever be picked.

But a few days later a wonderful email dropped into my inbox. The email told me that I had been chosen as one of the interns. I don’t know how I managed to compose an email back that wasn’t full of OMG/I CAN’T BELIEVE IT/THANK YOU SO MUCH. But somehow I did (in fact, I think I underplayed it quite a lot).

And so the journey began.

I couldn’t believe that I was lucky enough to be a part of that amazing team and be able to write things that were posted on MUGGLENET itself. It was a dream come true, and very, very surreal. I threw myself in there, with plenty of enthusiasm and determination to do well.

And then, by December I received an email to tell me that I was being promoted to a full time staff member if I wanted it. If I wanted it - of course I did! Despite receiving the email so early in the morning, I was bouncing around delighted, because I couldn't believe it - I couldn't believe that they wanted me and I had discovered that it was something that I adored doing. And it was a bonus that everyone on the team was very welcoming, happy to help out with any questions, queries or issues, and lots of fun as well. I was a bit nervous of everyone at first, but soon settled in. It was a wonderful thing to be a part of, and it was amazing to feel part of the Potter world in a way that I never had before. And it was so good to be surrounded by people who cared as much as I did. I kept it to myself for a while, because I loved it so much and it was special and I just loved being a part of it. I was soon given my own MuggleNet email address, invited to my first staff meeting, and started helping out with some things for the upcoming site relaunch. And just like that I was thrown in in the most wonderful way.

Since then, the year has flown by, but it has been amazing and so magical. I have been able to attend the Studio Tour TWICE for the site, writing up a review about it, reviewed books, written countless articles, helped out with other projects on the site, and helped to solve that J.K. Rowling anagram she posted on Twitter, as well as other things I'm sure I've missed. I have made wonderful friends and over the summer even met Toni in person, one of the other writers who started at the same time that I did. I have been given a whole new world and I adore it. It's impossible to quite explain and describe all my feeling towards this, and how much I LOVE it.

Once again, I find that I have to thank Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling for so much. And of course the wonderful team at MuggleNet for taking me on and letting me be a part of all of this. So thank you all for such an amazing year. It's been incredible. It's amazing to be part of such a hardworking, dedicated, and enthusiastic team. Thank you for EVERYTHING. And I look forward to what's next and all the magical things to come.Here's to another magical year!

Spring is finally coming!

It feels like it's been a long, long time since spring, and summer, and sunshine, and warmth. The South West has been hit particularly bad recently, with floods and strong winds, and the coast line being battered violently. The main train line, I'm sure you're aware of, into Cornwall and the rest of Devon has been destroyed at Dawlish. My poor beautiful Fowey has been battered too, with constant floods, and the beaches and coast being hit hard. For a few days too, the entire South West was completely cut off by train to the rest of the country. That was a strange feeling.

But Spring it seems is around the corner, and we've had a couple of beautiful days. It's so nice to feel the warmth of the sun on my face again. It definitely lifts my spirits, more than I ever think it does. Spring flowers are coming out too - daffodils, crocuses, and primroses. I love seeing Spring flowers. It's one of my favourite times of year. It holds so much hope The promise of warmer, longer days, and beautiful flowers, and happiness, and summer ahead. I just love this time of year so much.

The longer days - they make me very happy too. It's so nice that it's not dark at 4 o'clock. I could go on, but I won't.

It's been a while since I blogged. I really don't know where the time has gone! I feel like I'm very busy at the moment, with barely enough time for a lot of things, let alone blogging! I seem to have what feels like hundreds of projects on the go (my own fault) and so I swing between being perfectly happy with the amount of things I'm trying to do, to freaking out at the amount and not really getting ANYTHING done on any of them, because I keep flicking between them, or being unsure what I want to work on. Oh, and I have to plan out my script for the end of this module, and start thinking about dissertation ideas. Oh yeah, so I'm not taking on much at all.

But then, I was away this weekend (at the Harry Potter studios - AMAZING, such an amazing trip. I love it there so much. Best day ever. And also catching up with my wonderful friends from home <3), and following that I had a couple of busy days, which meant I didn't have a chance to sit down for a solid period of time and get any writing done. This morning I finally got a chance to just sit and write, and I forgot just what a feeling it is, and how much I need it just for myself - and my own well being.

So despite all that up there, I know that I need to write, just for me - and I don't mind what it is, whether it's blog posts, small ideas, working on bigger drafts, writing news stories or whatever - just writing the words is what I need and want. That's what I live for. It puts my mind at rest, means I can get out all those crazy thoughts in my head, even if it's through a character living in the Swiss alps training to be a spy (current work in progress and rough draft btw - no idea where it's going, but it's fun). I need writing. It's not just a desire to be published or whatever, it's a deep, deep need, that I think I've always had.

And this got way deeper than I imagined! I'll leave it there for now.

January blues and 'Potter' ramblings

I was going to write a post about how terrible it is that I haven't written a post yet this year (how has that happened? I don't know, I'm sorry) and what has happened this year and how low I'm feeling at the moment (January blues), but instead, I've become lost in a YouTube vortex of JK Rowling videos.

It happened because I re watched Deathly Hallows P2 the other night (having watched some of the others over the last few weeks) and that one more than any others brought up a web of emotions and just nostalgia and disbelief at how wonderful those stories are, and how important they are, and the power of the story and the message of love, and all that. And just how intricately plotted they are. How important they are to so many people, me included.

Watching all these videos of Jo makes me remember just how much I look up to her and how much of a hero she is to me.

Of course there's that tiny bit of me that is sad that I will never write something as popular or wonderful as Harry Potter, but then I have to step back and just be happy about what I write, because I do love what I write. Anyway, that's beside the point.

Thinking back to that kid who found the first two Harry Potter books in her stocking one Christmas and didn't expect her life to be changed in such a big way by the book series, it's mad. I just did not know at all how huge this would all be for me and how it would change my life and my world, in the best way possible. I'm sure I've talked about this before, and just how important the books and characters have been in my life. But still, some things struck me (again). Mostly that Harry Potter is a series about LOVE. Most importantly, a mother's love for her child, and this is evident throughout the whole series. ALL OF IT.

That is the main plot line, the main feeling running through the WHOLE STORY. A mother’s love. Harry potter is about how much Lily loved Harry. How that love is unbreakable, never goes away, no matter what. She wasn’t alive for the whole of the series, yet her love had the greatest impact on the whole story. She was always protecting him from afar.

I know this is nothing new, but I just love it.

So many feels and emotions from that last film. 

In other news, January is nearly at an end (how?) and the January blues have got to me. Sigh. Today seems a bit brighter though, a bit better. Maybe helped by a good night's sleep and the fact that it's now light until about 5. Yay!

Writing wise, am plodding on as usual - switching between far too many projects and wanting to work on so many different things. Is good at times, but then I find myself just switching between things and actually getting nothing done at all, which is not so good. But am cracking on, and also focusing on Treading Water, and getting that maybe ready to query in the near future. Maybe.

Reading 'Fangirl' and Fanfiction

If you know me well, or not at all to be honest, then you will know there are certain things that I am a HUGE fangirl for. So you won't be surprised to learn that when I heard about Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell I knew I had to read this book as soon as possible. I don't usually write book reviews on here, but every now and again there comes a book I just have to talk about, and with this one I wanted to talk about more than just the book.

This was one of those books I got and couldn't put down. It made me emotional and nostalgic,  and tearful - really it made me into a blooming mess for days. When I finished I wanted to hold it to me FOREVER. This was the book I've always wanted to read and always wanted to write.There was just so much in this book that I got and identified with, regarding fandom and fanfiction and just so many of Cath's experiences were relatable. It was almost as if I was being written about, and I know a lot of people will have thought the same thing. It didn't help either that the world of Simon Snow was clearly so inspired by the Harry Potter world and fandom. Although I was never a part exactly of Harry Potter fanfic, I did read some, and have been a part of other fanfic worlds. Which leads me onto another reason for this post - fanfiction.

I wrote recently about NaNoWriMo and the HUGE influence that it has had on my writing and writing journey, cheesy as that sounds. One of the other big influneces on my writing is fanfiction. Yes, I know, it doesn't always have a good reputation, and certainly in the book Cath comes up against a writing professor who is snooty about it (that whole thing - I was just like GIRL what are you DOING? That did annoy me, but I guess it was to illustrate a point). Anyway, people are dismissive of fanfiction, but that's often becasue they don't understand it.  I totally get the professor's point in Fangirl that she needs to start developing her own characters and voice - yes of COURSE she does. But any writing is good, surely. It's a wonderful place to start and pratice, because that's the key to writing, practice pratice pratice. Didn't somebody say you neeeded a certain number of hours of pratice and experience, in for example, writing?

BUT, for me writing fanfiction gave me several things:

Firstly, ready made characters to develop into your own. This helped me learn how to develop settings and worlds and having all that in place meant I was able to experiment with writing LONG pieces and I was able to write longer stories because of it.

 A ready made support network and instant feedback. This is important. I was so lucky to have a wonderful group of the best friends ever around me and we all wrote and shared things with one another, gave feedback - even wrote stories together. The best experience ever. And then there is the thrill of just posting something and being able to get replies straight away. You're out there. This is like twenty first century Dickens. We shared installments as we wrote them, got instant feedback and response, and people who wanted to read on (most of the time). Of course there were times I should have edited more and more, but you learn. Writing fanfic is like the best learning curve in the world. 

Most importantly, it gave me the desire and inspiration to keep writing. It was the best writing pratice in the world. Where else are you able to just keep writing like that and be a part of a writing community that also happens to be huge fans of the thing you love? Without the fanfiction community, I would probably be hundreds of steps behind where I am now with my writing. It helped me develop my voice, character, plotting, settings, structure - EVERYTHING. You make mistakes, but you learn from them. You learn what works, what doesn't. All in all, it's good practice.

Writing fanfiction is exciting, and thrilling, and I spent many many hours reading and writing fanfic - obsesesing over it. Of course it all tied in with being a part of a fandom - and for me that fandom was Mcfly.  I read a bit of Harry Potter fanfic, but never got it in the same way. I guess you get used to a certain thing. One of my friends was addicted to Potter fanfic and just couldn't understand how I could read and write things about people who were real. But that seemed more 'real' to me I suppose.

Between NaNo and Fanfic, I have clocked up HOURS and hundreds of thousands of words of writing practice for which I am thankful. I have a huge 'fic' file on my computer, and it's hilarious and also very embarassing to look back at old writing - especially my first ever fanfiction, written in 2005 (it's AWFUL) but it's also wonderful just to see how far I've come since then.

Writing fanfic is the best fun in the world, and it gives you that extra time in the world you love and with the people you adore. And it's the best learning curve ever. I know some people don't agree, but fanfiction will always have a HUGE place in my heart. I used to spend hours at school scribbling ideas and writing fanfic - I was always writing and that was the best thing ever. I dont' feel like I've said everything I wanted to, or expressed it very well, but this book brought all these memories back and made me nostalgic. But I'm not ashamsed to admit how important fanfiction has been to me. I don't think I would be where I am now without it.

Well hello there.

Me again. It's been a while. In fact I didn't realise quite how long, until I realised this morning I hadn't blogged in a while. I seem to have got out of my regular routine, what with one thing or another - being home for the summer, WIMBLEDON (!), Murray WINNING (there could be a long excited ramble on that, but I will spare you all) and this somewhat amazing weather we've been having, I seem to have abandoned my computer (no bad thing AT ALL) for the great outdoors. That isn't to say that I haven't been doing lots of writing - I have been busy editing, editing, editing. Amazing myself by just focusing on this one story, although getting a little restless to just write something, anything, I don't care what, but when I try nothing really happens. Hmph. Hard to put stuff into perspective I suppose, because I am writing/editing, just getting restless for a new project. I still adore this one I'm working on however. I really do. Still adore the characters, the setting, the plot - all of it. And they're still so much in my head, which is wonderful.

Strange how things happen - the two projects I'd planned to write over the last few months have just not happened. But I'll get round to them one day. At the moment just going to focus on some editing, and you never know I might start something new. Do feel like need to make the most of the summer and the the chance just to write! Have stalled a little with books, seem to just be rereading things I have read tonnes before. I guess it's comforting. For instance in the last few days I have whizzed through Order of the Phoenix, Half Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows, making myself unnecessarily emotional. Silly. Nothing else seems to be gripping my attention at the moment - apart from the wonderful Laura's second draft of one of her stories, amazing - but I'll find something, I'm sure I will. What else?

Over the weekend I completed my 'Start Windsurfing' course and got a certificate (!) for it, which was awesome. The best weekend, and perfect weather! Learnt a lot, and although it was frustrating at times, it was the best fun ever. Quite a few bruises and aches and pains to show for it too! Looking forward to carrying on.

Fingers crossed too that we are off down to Fowey at the beginning of September, can't wait!

Anyway, that's enough silly nonsense from me for now. Off to edit in the sunshine!

J.K. Rowling Live

On Friday night I was lucky enough to see J.K. Rowling speak at the Bath Lit Festival. Seeing Jo live and actually getting the chance to meet her fulfilled one of my dreams. Jo is one of my heroes and biggest inspirations, and her words have been a huge comfort to me over the years. Harry Potter has helped me through some difficult times and has always been there for me to reread.

So, the talk itself was fascinating and brilliant. It was so wonderful to hear her speak, particularly as she so rarely makes public appearances. She talked about everything from The Casual Vacancy to Harry Potter to growing up to being a writer. I noted some things down because I didn't want to forget them, particularly some of the things she said about writing.

One of the first things she was asked to talk about was the adolescent characters in The Casual Vacancy, which if you've read it, are the characters that she is clearly drawn towards writing. She agreed with this and said that she was so fed up of seeing what her kids were watching and seeing a 'romancised adolsence' on TV. She wants to portray the pain and loneliness that teenagers feel, and not sugarcoat it. She also said something along the lines that being a teenager is a lonely time, and even the most extroverted teenagers are lonely and thinking inwardly about themselves as they try to figure out who they are.

When asked about whether the enforced loneliness of writing was difficult for her, she replied that 'I crave it'. I know this feeling so well that I was delighted to hear her say it! She also said that having to balance children and a family life, she is particularly good at switching her writing brain on and off, and scribbling things down when she needs to. I find my writing is often a bit like that, and so it was interesting to learn how she works! I love finding out how other writers work. She was asked several other questions about writing and advice for young writers.

About The Casual Vacancy she said that she had never set out to write a book 'like that', but the idea was one that had grabbed her and she knew she had to write it.

As for what she's working on now, she said that she's working on another children's novel (squeeeeeee!), which is probably for younger children.

And finally, about Potter and the potential of another book, she said well, probably not (she was asked about the possibilities of a Maurder prequel, and after a loud cheer for it, laughed a bit and said she didnt' like prequels much).

An amazing night, which is already a blur to me but I feel very privileged to have met one of my heroes and that she has signed my book! I can't remember much of that interaction, except I managed to blurt something out to her and that was it. An amazing moment. I have so much to thank Jo for. A totally inspirational evening.

Still hasn't really sunk in. I mean I met JK ROWLING! EEEEEEEEEEK!