Writing, Little Things, and fangirling

Well, I've been a little quiet on the blog this week, and apologies for that. I hope eveyone's had a good week! I've been busy doing lots of writing, among other things. My non-NaNo draft is steaming ahead - hit 30k earlier this week, which I was delighted with, although I'm not planning on getting to 50k by the end of November. I'm surprised by how much it's taken over - I have got rather into it, more than I thought, and thus editing has taken a back seat (more than I attended). I will get back to that when I've finished this draft. Sometimes its rather nice to just work on writing something new from scratch.

This week has turned very wet, and bit chillier, which has meant the big winter hats coming out!  Today is a very wet and grey, which means hibernating inside and enjoying some comfort food.

Mockingjay came out this week, about which I was very excited and absolutely adored (despite a traumatic cinema experience). I am now addicted to the song, The Hanging Tree, from the film, which I can't stop singing.

And a trailer for Pitch Perfect 2 was released, and I am so excited!

So clearly, this week has been very fangirly.

Here are some things I've been grateful for:

Warm fires, 
Old friends, 
Memories, 
Catching up, 
Articulate,
Crafts, 
Festive times, 
Imagination, 
Writing, 
Books, 
Fangirling,
Rainy days. 

Have a good rest of the weekend everyone! 

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! 

The Little Things

I didn't manage one last week - so here's an extra large one to make up for it!

Writing friends, 
Books, 
Bookshops, 
Coffee,
Hot chocolate, 
Silence, 
Crafts, 
Glue on fingers, 
Writing, 
Harry Potter, 
Christmas fun,
Laughter,
old friends, 
MuggleNet, 
generosity and kindness of people, 
community. 

<3

We will remember them

This week I have been in London again (and I'm actually going to be there again this weekend!). It's always a bit of a culture shock, especially after a few hermity days!

But I had a lovely day, hanging out with fellow writers, bloggers, and booky people, Emma and Cole. I'm already looking forward to the next trip - and hopefully Laura will be able to join us this time. I may have bought a few books in Foyles (ooops), and we drank lots of coffee and hot chocolate - perfect!

I have been busy writing, and creating - doing lots of crafty things at the moment, and I share them with you shortly (when I have time to write up a post!).

Otherwise, this week has been dominated, and rightly so, by remembrance. There has been the moving art installation at the tower of London, which I didn't get to see, but just from the pictures, I could tell it was breathtaking.

I know there are mixed views on all this, but it is important to remember. I don't want to go into it all or get political etc, but as someone who has friends/accquiantances in the armed forces, I think that it is important to not only remember those who gave their lives fighting in the past, but those who are serving now, which is what remembrance does. It is important, and I am glad that our country recognises it in the way that it does. I am currently getting my grandad's Second World War poems ready to hopefully publish them, and it is so moving to read through them, and try and imagine that boy of nineteen. So many young men, so many lives lost.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Little white lies.....

So, I wrote this epic post the other week about why I'm not doing NaNo, and all that jazz. And I'm still not. Not really.

I mean, I'm not OFFICIALLY doing it, not on the site or anything, because it doesn't work for me and I know I can write a draft and I don't want this to be a draft I cast aside. But.... I am working on something new. So I am unofficially doing my own version of NaNo. If I write at least 500 words of this day I will be happy. I am still editing another story, and I just unearthed another half finished draft I really want to finish, so I don't know if I'll prioritise this new project yet. The plot is still a little muddled too! But hopefully it'll begin to make sense soon.

BUT so far it is going well. And it's good to be writing something new, even if I am still working out many of the details.

I've slowed down in the last few days, but picking it up again now, and it's going well again. 

How is NaNo going for everyone?  Are you all still plugging away with it?

A cold chill

Well, I think winter is definitely here! This week was much colder than it has been up till now - hats, scarves, and gloves have been cracked out.

This was the deer I saw last week on my walk:

Beautiful!

This week has been a mix of weather - wet and dry, but also chilly! It's been a week of lots of layers, and hats and scarves. I spent one morning this week helping to rake up leaves, and also set up a bonfire! Sadly we had the bonfire during the day, rather than in the evening, but it was on Bonfire Night so I think it counts! That bonfire smell is wonderful isn't it? And it certainly lingers!

Also this week, I received my MA results (with Merit!), which I was delighted with - and very relieved. Time to crack on with the real world now I suppose though....

I've also been writing some short poems, so here's another autumn themed one (although I suppose it's nearly winter now!):

Autumn Morning 

The ground is speckled with a thin 

layer of white, which glistens

in the morning sun. Outside, 

you can see your breath

form in the air and footprints

lie across the twinkling grass.

Webs hang between plants and branches, 

lit up and shining 

like twinkling lights

far away from here.

See you next week!

P.S. I've also been making some YouTube videos recently about books and things. Check them out!

Autumn (a poem)

Leaves are flying around,
Like confetti from a gun.
The sky is pale grey
and the tree tops are bare.
Wind rattles the window panes
and the air is a sea of orange
and brown. The leaves
Settle on the ground.
Crows dip and soar by,
Seek solace in the trees.
It is Autumn now, I think,
as the leaves swirl and fall.

Sophie, 
November 2nd, 2014.