Wednesday, 22 September 2010

Fresh Starts...

I love this phase of the writing 'cycle' - my latest wip is now in my editor's inbox and I'm now forgetting about it and dreaming up characters new.
It's always a huge rush of relief, excitement, and nerves when I send a book in but the best way to cope with the 'what will she think of it' worry is to get on with the next.
But I also like this time because I tend to slow down after the huge, intense period up to deadline - this is when I stick my head up and notice that all the blossom are on the trees - the daffodils are out as are the magnolias - just exquisite. I'm ready to recharge and the world is full of possibilities.
I have the best of intentions - to detox from the V (high caffeine fizzy drink) and M&Ms diet of the last few weeks, to get more sleep, to do more exercise, organise my paperwork... this will last until I suddenly get the rush on the new book (or the revisions on the last).
But I always find I write much more in my journal at this time and look at craft books a whole lot more etc.
It is Banned Books week in the US next week and on Twitter my attention got drawn to YA author Laurie Halse Anderson (no relation!) - I confess I hadn't read her book Speak (in my defence my eldest is 7 and I haven't read my YA in recent years. But I have it now and have started and am so drawn into it already) - anyway I went to her website when I read that her book had been questioned. She has some awesome things to say about censorship - and I don't believe anyone can watch her reading her poem based on reader response to Speak without going teary. So I trawled her website some more - and any writer who says they listen to lots of techno and house music while writing, and who suggests people turn off their telly - well, there's an instant connection for me. Then I found that back in August on her blog she had a Write For 15 Minutes a Day program - every day she posted some tips and a writing exercise. I know, I'm over a month too late but hooray for subject tags on blogs because yes, for this latest 'new beginnings' cycle, I'm going to do Laurie's WFMAD programme - to stretch the creative muscles and just do something different with the start of each day. I already have the habit of writing every day - but sometimes it's good to go sideways, hey?
Every writer should read her ten point list of advice to aspiring authors - do so here - at the bottom of the Writing & Publishing header.
Happy reading & writing everyone!

3 comments:

Lacey Devlin said...

Congrats on finishing Nat! I'd love to be in your editor's shoes :) Enjoy the break!

Natalie Anderson said...

Thanks Lacey - although honestly it's not that much of a break - more a 'slow down for now' - which is just as wonderful to be honest :)

Jackie Ashenden said...

Congrats, Natalie! Well done for finishing. I must go and check out those links...