Life's getting in the way

Well I'm working again and the hours are erratic and very long so when I do get home its mostly spent trying to catch up on 'things that must get done!' and reading / writing. I haven't been reading a lot which is poor, as my bookmark in the Ambassador's Mission never seems to travel very far through the book, and I've hardly had time to write - which is the real tragedy!

Missy is doing well, but with the for mentioned time issues and the rain (that caused my room to flood - luckily laptop off floor), or trainings hardly progressed and the fitness worries, and dressage issues are nagging at me. Our first show is only a month away!

I must also apologise to wonderful Yolanda, my self appointed proof reader who has edited my prologue and I haven't even looked at it yet, but I think fear has something to do with it as I know the pain that comes with proof reading.

But hopefully, if I push through, I can make it in this hectic holiday season, get everything sorted, including presents on a very tight budget and still have time to keep my wits about me!

Happy holidays and season's greetings!

CM

First training session

It's been raining every evening for the past few days. The red clay ground here is slippery and sticks to everything! Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the rain, I always am - even when last year at every show we attended at least one of our horseboxes got stuck ... but that’s another story. Today I decided to ride, and somehow managed to get up early.

Missy, my Saddler, Arab, Warmblood cross mare, is currently in her last week of her African Horse Sickness vaccinations (I'm so glad I did it early this year as AHS reports are already coming in), and so it's time to ease her into her work again, and to prepare for our first Eventing show in the middle of December.

Well today's training did not go as I would have liked, and I already am a day late because of the weather. Missy was not impressed that she could not spend her morning snoozing in her stable and she showed me just how annoyed she was by sticking her head extra high up whenever I requested anything other than a loose reined walk - oh I can just imagine how our first dressage training session is going to go. Mind you, the ground as stated before, is not ideal for riding at the moment and even our sand arena is waterlogged, so I mainly just walked. I made Missy walk over poles, low jumps, up and down hills and occasionally just trotted a few strides on ground that looked fairly stable. I also decided to go on a walk outride, but after Missy got two frights up our driveway at who-knows-what, I thought better it and turned around. Our back field is huge, but the clay ground is just as slippery, if not more so as it’s on a slop; so it meant more walking. I could tell Missy was getting pretty fed up at this point and when her paddock mates started to be taken out to their field I decided to call it quits.

Ok so our first training session was not very successful, and only lasted twenty-five minutes, but at least I actually had the resolve so get up early and ride, despite the weather that looks like its threatening rain again. I will probably see if perhaps the ground can dry out a bit, and try again on the weekend, as after 5 weeks of not riding, both me and Missy need to get seriously fit before our next show.

Reviewing my own novel:

Under one of the forums of NaNoWriMo, it was suggested that one writes a short, positive review of one's novel. So here it is, read it and weep ... probably as its rather poorly written ;)

I found C M Meridians first novel; Blue River Chronicles: Full Moon Rising, a refreshing take on a well-worn out, and badly portrayed genre of claw and fang, that we all have gotten a little tired of lately – or is it just me.

While the book focuses on the turmoil of high school life, and the troubles of being a creature of the underworld would present to a hormonal teenager, it remains true to the traditions and folklore that has come to be lost in modern fang fiction. No sparkles, puppy love or even elaborate powers to fill in loop holes in the story line, as there are none!

Full Moon Rises, draws one into he mystery of the story and the life of the character quickly. Causing the reader to sympathies with him and his every day struggles on who and what he is. At one point I wish I could have climbed into the book, slapped his girlfriend aside, and given him a hug, whispering the words ‘I understand’ sweetly in his ear.

This novel was captivating, engaging and left me wanting more after the cliff hanger of an ending. I cannot wait to see what the next novel in Blue River Chronicles will bring.

Searching for opportunities

Wow I had a great weekend, it was the end of yea function at our stables and we had a great time! I got the trophy for Eventer of the Year, and it was no surprise, not to sound vane, but I am good at Eventing and it helps to be only one of four people at our yard that event. It was great fun that we all played games, catches (I was not caught), balancing on barrels, trampoline games, stalk the lantern (one of my faves) and hiding-go-seek in the dark and in a very bushy/woody area - I hid up a tree and was not found (yay me!)

My odd trophy

Now it Monday again and that means I have to try and be productive - though me and my sister decided that spending two hours watching Burghly and FEI Showjumping was not a bad way to start the day. Well now it early afternoon and I have sent out about 10 job applications *sigh* its never fun. And I seriously need to catch up to my word count for NaNoWriMo, as I really want to submit my book to potential agents by the end of November so I need to get a move on!

Oh, I'm going to look for sponsorship for my Eventing again. I say again as I did contact sponsors and they said yes! But the suppliers of their product in South Africa said no *sob* so I was told to look for new ones.

I am seriously getting in the mood to ride again, which is great! Riding almost every day of the year can make one get tired of it, and this break really help me get a longing for it again. But now that mean both me and Missy need to get fit - yep an out ride is definitely on the cards this afternoon.

Cheers
C

No time no time

Its the thrid day of NaNoWriMo and I'm only just over three thousand words! Oh my I've just been so busy looking for work ( I quite last week) and trying to get everything organised on the dosen paintings I need to do for christmas that I find it so hard to keep up with the word count.

Ok so last year I got over 50 000 words in like 15 days, but tonight I am joinung a write in and I don't want to be like "um my word count, ... do I have to answere that?'

A write in is gonna be a new experience for me, meeting like minded people that are essentially strangers, and they've had a meeting already so I'll be the new one .... nervouse!

Well my first layer of paint has dried so off to continue my current painting.

NaNoWrMo - I'm ready!!

Its that time of year again - NaNoWrMo!

I must admit that I wait for it anxiously, counting down the months and constantly deciding and re-deciding what I will write! Last year due to issues that I can't quite recall, I was very late and had to write my novel in 15 days to finish in time and I did! Though 'Deep World' needs some serious work, but it will have to remain in the 'not now' folder for a while longer.

I'm going to re-write my first book in my Blue River Chronicles series - OK maybe this is cheating as I've already written it, but I will be re-writing the whole thing, as even though I THOUGHT I was ready to publish it, having written the first half of my second book has shown that I need to give the first book some serious work again if I want it to jell with the rest of the story - mine you I still think Book 1 is great, but at present it feels too much like a separate story, and if I want BRC to be 4 to 7 books, I want my readers to know that I have planned out the whole story from page 1.

NaNoWrMo starts tomorrow - I can't wait! I've even illustrated a scene from Book 1 in anticipation

My characters lead the way

In terms of maybe years or experience, I am a fairly new writer. Having completed my University courses in English Literature and Creative Writing only last year; though I have been developing my stories, especially my main one, namely Blue River Chronicles, for many years, having made up the main character in my early teens. Him being the result of listening to my brother’s music while staring the poster of my teen idol on my cupboard door - but that’s another story and I’m rambling a bit.

The point I’m getting to is that it still amazes me how a well-rounded character actually seems to write the story for you. I’m busy with my second book in the BRC series and in the short time of about 120 000 words (about one and a half books), my character has grown so much; his personality has developed and his true character has come through. I had always planned to make him rather gloomy at times and a little down on himself, but apparently he did not agree with that.

As my story processes, I find him to be a lot more optimistic than expected, in spite of the terrible strife I have put him through. I have found my character reaching out more and more to those around him, instead of pulling back as I had expected, and this is, I am pleased to say, a natural development of him, and of the way the environments and scenes I put him in, contributing to his development. To force him to reform to my ‘expected’ outlook on him, would be to stem the natural development and flow of the true nature of his story, or like eating a pickle with chocolate – doable, but the result is undesired.

The reason why I’m stating my … well adoration, if I can call it that, to my character’s initiative to developing the story, is because in my second book he meets his love interest - his true love interest. I did not want them to fall head over hills for each other, like some characters that spend an hour together and now they’re soul mates - no I’m not that type of writer, but as my main two characters started to spend more time together, it was clear that there was attraction. I had not planned them to kiss until the end of my third book, but to my surprise I ended up writing a kissing scene in the middle of book two that left me blushing by the end of it just as deeply as the female antagonist, who had expected it just as little as I had.

To let the characters lead the way has now become a style that I have adopted in my writing, and the results have been pretty good in my opinion. I might have a destination in mind and a few scheduled stops on the way, but it’s clear that my characters will decided the route we will take on our journey, and that is perfectly fine with me, especially when we end up in a wonderful place by accident.



Juliet and Tristan



How to Cure Writer's Block

All right, maybe that’s too dramatic, but face it; there is nothing worse when one finally finds that precious free time, make a mega cup of coffee, get a comfortable spot, flip open your laptop and …..

Exactly that! You just stare at the screen. I usually type some words, just to get frustrated and delete them, or I force myself to continue typing and almost always when, in a few days or so, I review everything I’ve written so far, I end up deleting this strained dribble. And don’t give me that ‘I never get writer’s block’ nonsense, I use to say that, but then I realized I might not hit a wall, or my mind may not go completely blank, but when the ideas are mandatory, put-on and don’t flow easily from your prospective imagination onto the page – well, that’s also included as writer’s block in my opinion.

Now how to solve this problem? Well I will list some suggestions that friends have given me, and that I have found to work or not work:

• My friend said: take a long hot bath, seep in the water and let your mind wonder and the ideas will flow in - well this method is utterly ineffective for me as I’m not the type to ‘seep’, and I find the hot environment and the not so comfortable bath, unproductive to creating ideas. I have tried a hot shower but then the hot shower scene in my second book just keeps popping into my head and no, it’s not kinky in any way.
• Brainstorming - just jot down ideas of where you want to go with your story or your character, and it will help you form ideas and plots - this is effective to a point with me, but then when I write, I tend to constantly stop to check that I am following my ‘mind maps’ and it does disrupt the flow, I also tend to lose these pieces of paper.
• The next method, and one that I have found many writers use, is to listen to music when you write, I tend to listen to Rob Thomas when I write sad scenes, Taylor Swift when I write intimate scenes etc - it is effective and helps to put one in the correct mood. But generally my infinite - though still not long enough - playlist on my laptop is set at random, and there is nothing better than a good ‘mood’ song starting to play just as you start to write the scene, it’s like the universe giving you a leg -up.
• Another way to get the juices flowing, and one that is terribly important in my opinion, is to read! Reading a writer that writes in a similar genre to you or in a similar style, helps to put one in the right frame of mind and helps the process flow more.
• On the same note, watching TV shows or films that inspire your writing is always a good way to go and a sure-fire way for me to get ‘writing fever’. Though I am not so fond of the show, but since my main book that I’m focusing on at the moment is about a werewolf, I watch Teen Wolf. The story annoys me, the acting is terrible, except ‘Stiles’ - I practically only pay attention when he is shown - but it does inspire me and almost guarantees that I end my Monday nights writing feverously until the early hours of the next day.
• Now the last method I use is one that I have found takes time, and usually I don’t get to writing until my next free time session, but it works really well for me. If I am in a scrupulous ‘funk’ on how to write through a particular scene: I stop my writing, close my eyes or leave them open (warning dazed look will result) and imaging the main character of that scene waiting for me in the sunlight, at the end of a path that has wound its way through dense, dark wood. I approach and greet him and we stand on top a hill, below us is a grass field and beyond that is the scene I’m having trouble with. I and my character start to descend the hill together and walk through the field. On the way I ask him questions like ‘how he will think it will play out’, and he asks me questions like ‘why I want him to do a certain action’ excreta. If your character is very developed and true to his personality, the answers will help one find out what is wrong and right about the scene and usually by the time we have arrived at the edge of the field, I have bantered enough with him to know what I have to write next and where I am going. This method is highly effective and works very well for me, but I have not heard of anyone else using it and I have gotten a few quire looks when I mentioned it to friends.
• Another method is to just forget about writing for now, put one of your favourite ‘uppity’ songs on loud and dance around your room not caring if anyone sees you and leave writing for another day – I recommend ‘Determinate’ by Lemonade Mouth for this!

Ok now back to writing. All the best with your writing and cheers for now – C M