Novella Diary, Claw, Day Fifteen

So I wrote a long post this morning, all of which seems to have vanished into the ether when I failed to save the diary update after entering the first writing session of the day. I’m slightly irritated by this, since it means I’m going to be going from memory when it comes to working […]

Novella Diary, Claw, Day Fourteen

Today I tried to open up a web browser on Odin the Desktop about thirty seconds after I sat down. Disappointing, really, since I’d almost broken myself of that habit (I still wanted too, but I usually remembered that Odin is internet-free and therefore not much good for web browsing). One of the interesting parts […]

Novella Diary, Claw, Days 10 to 13

So I didn’t get online a lot between Friday and Sunday, for a whole variety of reasons, so this is going to be a pretty truncated entry that covers the last four days. Strap yourselves in. Day 10 Things I did today: woke up on the Gold Coast and had breakfast with my parents; drove […]

Novella Diary, Claw, Day Nine

I hate this chapter. I hate this book. I hate this blog series and wish I’d never started it. I hate the mornings. I hate the fact that I have to the Gold Coast this evening. I hate the fact that there is so much of the book left to go. I hate the fact […]

Novella Diary, Claw, Day Eight

Late start today. For reasons. Actually, no, I owe you a better explanation than that. So here’s the thing: I’m going to the Gold Coast tomorrow night for an awards ceremony. It’s a work thing, and I’m going as the work representative, and it wasn’t something I’d planned for. This is bugging me. Not in […]

Novella Diary, Claw, Day Seven

Really? A week in already? It doesn’t feel like I’ve been at this for a week. Two chapters down. Chapter three about two-thirds done now. By rough word count I’m about a quarter of the way through the book at the point I’m writing this (after session 7.1 below); but narrative points, I’m a little behind. Experience […]

Novella Diary, Claw, Day Six (Write Club Edition)

Today’s Monday, which is my regularly scheduled write-club day with the inimitable Angela Slatter. I’ve talked about this plenty of times on the blog before (as has Angela over at her virtual home), but for those who are new around these parts: Write Club is a once-a-week meet-up with Angela where we basically catch-up, drink […]

Novella Diary, Claw, Day Five

Another lazy day with a lot of time away from the keyboard. Most of it was spent writing other things, some of which were work, some of which was not. Kept thinking I should go write some novella now, then didn’t. Watched some Arrow. Watched some new sci-fi show put together by SyFy channel in […]

Novella Diary, Claw, Day Four

Went and delivered a library presentation for work this morning, which is one of those things that’s both awesomely fun and enormously draining. You’d think, after eight years doing the teaching thing at university, I’d get over the pre-presentation nerves and post-presentation crash, but it still happens every single time. Once again, I didn’t end […]

Novella Diary, Claw, Day Three

The big plan for today: finish Chapter One and nail the sucker down. This’ll mean a lot of focus on the final scene in the chapter, plus some whole-of-chapter revision once that’s done to knock off the worst of the rough edges, take out the narrative tics that creep in (my characters spend a lot […]

Novella Diary, Claw, Day Two

Here is my morning routine on days that I am heading to the day-job: the alarm goes off at 7:00 AM. I check my email and social media on my phone, go through my morning ablutions, shower, and breakfast. Ordinarily I’m front of a writing computer by 8:00 AM, which gives me an hour of […]

Process Notes

ONE I am, slowly but surely, learning how to write again. TWO 2012 was the year I set myself the task of learning to write while working a day-job. It took me the better part of the year to figure that out, but I got there. Get up early, write a handful of words, let […]