Thursday 23 September 2010

Started writing

Well, I promised myself I would make a concious effort to start writing fiction this year, after many years of putting it off, writing one or two chapters and getting no further or just simply making my life far too busy to do it.

This time I decided that enough was enough, with all the issues going in on my household over recent months I need to do something for me as well.

Yes I do currently have the Open University to contend with, which is why I thought I would try my hand at writing short stories first, just to get some practice in, and also, generally write more, joining the ( I didn't know it existed!) blog community.

This week, though I should have been concentrating on a very rapidly looming Open University final assignment and when I mean final, it's the final assignment of nine months work and if I don't complete it, I fail. Not really an option, it just means I have to work really really hard at the last minute. Anyway, the point being, is that this week, I have written my first short story.

It started out as an idea scribbled down in a note pad, and then promoted to the ranks of my computer screen where I typed idea's, paragraphs and characters. I went a little off course and reigned it back in, edited it, read blogs giving advice, took notice, added things in and then today I was very nearly happy with what I had. I spoke about what I had been doing with two colleagues who were in the office with me at the end of the day.

I enthusiastically offered to send it them via email for their honest opinion and regretted the offer as soon as the words passed my lips as I knew that if they found it bland or just plain rubbish, then they would just be polite to me.

I heard the bleeps on the computers as the story arrived and watched as both female colleagues looked at their screens and started reading. Iris stated she would give critique if I really wanted her to, so I sat quietly yet fidgetly waiting. She finished first and said it was really good, all sentences and paragraphs in the correct tense and she really hadn't expected what was done and that it was really well woven in.

I then moved my attention to H as she read, and I waited. She stopped reading, looked up me and I saw she was crying! Oh my, words I had written had taken her into the story and she had cared so much she cried. She loved it. What a compliment!

Yes, as a first short story I fully expect it not to be made to publish level, but I need to do this, get plenty of rejections, learn my writing and my own style and keep going. I'm really serious this time. But honestly, it really did have me grinning like the proverbial cheshire cat when H cried.

I think I just started writing!

3 comments:

  1. Congratulations on taking the first steps to blogging and writing. Good for you. Enter our flash fiction competition each week,
    http://authorsonshow.blogspot.com/p/flash-fiction.html
    it'll give you experience if nothing else. I'm rubbish at it, but I do it to help me grow.
    Secondly, put what you have written on Authonomy, it is a site run by Harper Collins. Not good these days for comments, but it will certainly help, it did me and now since starting writing only last November, I have two completed books with publishing houses being considered, a literary agent, one more completed book for e-book market and three other works in progress. Not only that, I founded and run a site called Authors on Show promoting other authors.
    That is all in less than a year. If I can do it then anyone can - Go for it girl!

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  2. I'm a member of a few writing forums. I have done a few OU writing courses. I have love writing - you may have noticed.
    If you would like to swop stories - I wrote one today - please email it over. It is so addictive. Would love to see you published. : )

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  3. Thank you Askamedium for your kind comments and encouragement. It's one thing I've found since reading other writers blogs, is that everyone is really encouraging and believing in themselves and each other. It's such a great world to become involved with. I have looked at the Authonomy site and will consider putting any work I write that is long enough, up there. I have also checked out the other site you gave me. All the information I can get at the moment I am taking it in, soaking it up like a sponge.

    Congratulations on your own achievements this year. I think my own progress may be a little slower, with two kids, a full time job and an OPen University course, completely unrelated to writing. But After this short story this week, I am feeling suitably enthused :)

    Hi Effie, thank you for your comments and your friendship. I'm hoping to send the story to a womans magazine over the next week or so and see what happens. It's just a first step. I'm also checking out lots of blogs and area's to do with writing and have even bookmarked one with a competition that closes at the end of December. Flash fiction 500 words.

    I think I need a note book to carry around with me to jot idea's down as I have them. That is definitely on my to do list.

    As for sending you the story, my nerves would go through the roof, it was bad enough giving it to a girl in the office, never mind a real writer!! I will be sticking at it though :)

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