My Writing Week 2(8)

Hi all,

Well it's nearly the end of February and I was supposed to be rewriting a novel I wrote the first draft of a few years ago: I'll Just Sit Here and Watch it on My... Instead, I have just about finished chapter 26 of Stalking Tigers and there are at least two chapters to go. I have passed 120,000 words so at least there is plenty of scope for cutting when I finally get around to editing it.

I often wonder how people get the time or, more appropriately, make the time to write. I read about people writing 2,000 words or more a day. The other day I read a message on an online writing board where someone said he wrote 80,000 words in January (he said it needed heavy editing), and here I am struggling to get 5,000 words out in a week. Well at least I am sticking to the mantra followed by some of these prolific writers in that I am writing every day - I have done so since January one 2008.

Stephenie Meyer has numbers 1-6 in the Victorian best seller list this week. Not bad for someone who Stephen King says can't write. I'm not prepared to submit my brain to reading a teen vampire/romance novel to find out for myself. King compared Meyer to J K Rowling who he said could write. I have a Harry Potter novel sitting in the shelves ready for when my curiosity finally peaks. I think watching two of the movies didn't help as I was left wondering what the hell all the fuss was about (I have recently enjoyed a couple of teenage films including the Golden Compass).

It was such a joy to be able to finally do some reading for pleasure last Saturday, the one night I wasn't too tired and my eyes weren't bushfire smoke irritated.

Yep excuses, excuses, I think I need a personal writing trainer. Someone who will stand behind me yelling "WRITE WRITE WRITE you lazy illiterate" and rap me over the knuckles every time I try to click on Facebook or switch the TV on or get up to wander out to the fridge, or pick up a newspaper ("Hey, you don't need to be informed to be a writer," he could yell ). He would be a pretty exhausted and hoarse personal writing trainer by the end of each day.


Graham.