Starting over

Someone else has written my novel.

This is not the blog post I had planned to write but the discovery at the weekend that someone had beaten me into print with my fantastic idea, was such a shock that I am compelled to share this experience with you.

I am always interested in what is being published, both as a reader and writer. A couple of days ago, I accidentally hit on a recent new title and read the blurb with something akin to horror. The novel is virtually identical to the one I have been penning these last weeks and months.

I feel as if I already know the main protagonist in this new book as she is the twin of the main character in my own unfinished tome. Not only that; the themes, subsidiary characters and storyline appear to be almost identical.

How can this have happened? Did I accidentally leave the synopsis on the train, divulge the details of the plot at a writing group or maybe the author hacked into my computer?

The truth is that simply that the author got there before me. There is no copyright on ideas and someone else has had the same thought processes as myself. The fact that this other writer also believed that this book was worth writing, makes me feel that the premise was a good one. It has to be said that if I had got on and penned the book when I first had the idea, I might well have been the first one into print.

I should also mention that the aforementioned book has been self published and without reading it, I have no idea if it is any good. It was suggested by a friend that I should carry on with my original project and look for a mainstream publisher but, for me, the damage has been done. The book is no longer my own and I have to start over.

Frustrating and disappointing as this setback is, there are some positives. Over the past few months I have developed the habit of writing every day (well nearly every day) and my fledgling novel has grown. If I can do it once, I can do it again. The prospect is not quite as daunting as it once would have been.

So, my existing 35,000 words are being set aside for the time being and I am developing a new idea. I may retain one or two of the original elements but in essence, it will be a completely different book.

So what have I learnt from this experience?  

Simply to get on and do it – before someone else does!

Little Black Book

I am the proud owner of a little black book (LBB). In fact every writer, aspiring or otherwise, should have one. I actually own several such books and they are not all black. I have notebooks in all colours, shapes and sizes, some expensively bound, some cheap notebooks and a whole host of gimmicky ones that have caught my eye when on my travels.

My LBB  does not contain telephone numbers, nor does it dish the dirt on past acquaintances, but to me it contains far more important information - the contents of my mind. Wherever I go, I am never without a notebook and pen so that I can jot down ideas as they occur to me. If I don’t do this, that great new idea will fly out of my head as quickly as it landed there. I know this to be true because it has happened several times in the past. I will have an idea for a character or a twist in the plot but by the time I sit at my computer to write, it will have gone.

When ideas are flowing, I have whole scenes and lines of dialogue swirling around in my head and I have to get them out on paper – fast. Editing and polishing comes later but those initial words and phrases have to be caught and harnessed as they come tumbling out. If I am nowhere near my desk, I reach for my notebook and record my ideas, ready for when I have the opportunity to write them up.

I always have a notebook by my bed so that if something comes to me in the middle of the night, I can just write it down. Recent bouts of insomnia have led to some very creative output in my LBB.

A few years ago, I had a brief flirtation with a dictaphone and I would switch it on and voice record anything that occurred to me during the day. I can’t explain why but this just didn’t work for me and I didn’t get nearly as much satisfaction as I do from scribbling in a notebook. Maybe it has something to do with hand-eye co-ordination, I can’t say for sure, but I quickly went back to my beloved notebooks.

If ever I am stuck for something to write about, I can revisit past books and breathe new life into old ideas but more importantly to me, the notebooks are a record of my literary journey and a reminder of how far I have come (and how far I still have to go!).

Consequently, I now have a large collection of notebooks. Some are full, others contain just a few scribbled notes, but I would never part with any of them.

In common with all writers, I need very few essential things in order to continue with my craft; a computer, a quiet space and time to write just about cover the basics but, for me, the most essential piece of kit will always be my little black book.  

Seven Things (you didn't know about me)

Thanks to Natalie Roberts at http://natalieroberts1.blogspot.com for awarding me a stylish blogger award.

Be sure to check out Natalie's blog.

So, in the interests of being a little more light hearted than usual, here are my seven things:

1. My friend and I won first prize in a fancy dress competition on holiday. All the girls had donned bikinis and Leis and gone as Hawaiian babes whereas we raided the cleaners’ cupboard and went as Mrs Mops (proof if it were needed that ‘uglying up’ will always get you the Oscar). 

2. I began my working life as a PA, to which I was never suited, and during an important meeting I once served the MD his coffee in a sugar bowl.

3. Early in my writing career, I received a silver cup for writing letters (Writers’ News Letter Writer of the Year).

4. I appeared on TV one leap year after Esther Ranzen accosted me and my boyfriend (now my husband) in the street and got me to go down on one knee and propose to him, even though he had already asked me to marry him.

5. I nearly died when I was 17 after going into anaphylactic shock from eating a nut toffee. 

6. I wrote my first travelogue in my 20s on a trip to America and included information on staying in Las Vegas, San Francisco, LA, New York and Washington DC. Wouldn’t mind repeating that trip now!

7.  In Turkey with my husband, a man offered to buy me from him for 10 camels.

Now all that remains is to nominate some new victims (sorry, bloggers): 

http://jayneferst.blogspot.com

http://coffeeandroses.blogspot.com

http://idabelallen.blogspot.com

http://anti-laureate.blogspot.com

http://academicproofreader.blogspot.com

http://emsyjo.blogspot.com

http://mommy-beadzoid.blogspot.com

http://lifeinarhyme.blogspot.com

http://xmummy1986x.blogspot.com

http://keencoaching.blogspot.com

http://fourdownmumtogo.blogspot.com

http://balancingbookswhileherdingcats.blogspot.com

http://8waystosayilovemylife.blogspot.com

http://teresaashby.blogspot.com

http://writing-bug.blogspot.com

 

Getting on with it

A close friend who teaches creative writing gave me some good advice this week: ‘It doesn’t matter how the words come out, just get them down on paper’.

In the past I have been guilty of editing and rewording too much in the early stages of writing and have ended up spending so much time perfecting what I have already written that I fail to get the rest of the story down.

This time I am adopting a different approach; producing words every day to keep the plot moving forward, no matter how dreadful the writing. I have set myself a realistic, achievable daily target of 500 words which also means that on days when I double this figure, I can give myself a pat on the back. When I fall short, because of other commitments, it is not too difficult to catch up.

Schemes like NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month http://www.nanowrimo.org) in November encourage wannabe writers to churn out a novel in a month with the aim of producing a workable draft. Judging by the growing number of participants, this approach obviously works.

Having written mostly non-fiction articles in the past, I have always believed that planning is key. With fiction, I am beginning to see that it is getting on with it that counts. In the early stages, it has little to do with what you write but the fact that you do.

I have also noticed that on a good day the story just flows and takes me in unexpected directions, so much so that my opening chapters will have to be completely changed later on. They will, I am certain, be much better for it.

After all, many books on the bestseller list would never have been published if the author had submitted their first draft. Good books are not written, they are rewritten and the magic happens during the editing process.

With that in mind, I can happily continue producing 500 words of unpolished prose every day for some time to come.

What's in a name?

This week I have been naming my characters.

The process started me thinking about how important it is to get this right. For example, a boy named Liam might conjure up a different mental image from someone called Alistair. 

Admittedly, this could be considered as stereotyping and we have all met that lovely man or woman whose name doesn’t match their personality. That doesn’t change the fact that we would expect a character called Sophie to behave differently to one called Courtney (no offence intended to anyone with these names).

Like everything else, names come in and out of fashion, and popularity is determined by a number of factors from TV soaps and pop stars to royal babies. Some names carry certain connotations such as Kevin after Harry Enfield’s famous character in Kevin and Perry. 

Then there are cultural and regional factors to be taken into account. Irish characters might have names like Siobhan or Dermot whilst those from America could be Bruce or Jason, Hilary or Lindsey, depending on their intended age. A Carlos might originate from Spain (and might suit a hot blooded Mills and Boon type character).

It is also important to think about the age of your characters. It would be hard to image anyone having a granny named Chardonnay, but Gladys, Hilda or Dorothy would work. Harold, Edward and Thomas would be plausible for an older generation of men but then a lot of parents today are reverting back to these traditional names when naming their children.  

I also read an article recently that highlighted the effects that texting and abbreviating was having on a nation of new parents resulting in alternative ways to spell names, such as Alex-Zander, Tray-C or Cam’ron. 

And I thought that coming up with names for characters was the easy part!

The art of distraction

One thing has become abundantly clear to me this week as I have set about starting this huge task I have set myself, and that is how good I am at avoidance techniques.

It is strange how appealing the washing up, ironing, even cleaning the toilet, have become when faced with sitting down at the computer and writing. The aforementioned are all tasks that I usually loathe and put off at all costs but when faced with a blank computer page, they suddenly seemed far more attractive.

However, I am pleased to report that I have not been completely wasting my time whilst indulging(!) in household chores. All the time I was scrubbing and mopping, I was also plotting and scheming as gradually, characters started to form in my mind. So much so, that I feel as if I already know my heroine as well as myself, in fact she be my new best friend (just as well, perhaps, given the amount of time we are going to be spending together).

By the time, I did get down to sitting at my desk, I pretty much knew, not only who my characters were, but what is going to happen to them (that’s not to say that they won’t be taken in a completely different direction at a later stage, but that surely is the fun of it, it’s a mystery to me and them).

I have a title and an outline of my novel. I have also sketched out the characters and written a list of proposed chapters, scenes and events I am planning to include. It doesn’t feel like huge progress but it is a start.

Next week will be challenging as I have several articles to research and write as well as ferrying the children around in what promises to be, an impossibly busy few days. However, I am looking forward to building on these foundations and actually start the process of writing chapter 1.

Now where did I put that duster and polish?

A very public resolution

New Year is traditionally a time to take stock. To look back on our successes and failures and think about what steps we can take to fulfil the goals we have yet to reach.

Every January, I say that this will be the year I pen that novel.

And every December, I wonder where the time went and why I haven’t got past the first few chapters.

That is not to say that I haven’t been writing at all. In previous years, I have promised myself that I will follow my dream and do what I enjoy. This has yielded some success but not in the direction that I originally planned to go. I have had many articles published and until recently was the Editor of a parenting magazine. I have edited, ghostwritten, proofread and polished all kinds of manuscripts for other people. 

But I have yet to write that novel.

I have started many times. I have spent long hours slumped over the computer dreaming up plots and breathing life into characters who, for a time, become my imaginary best friends. I have written synopses, detailed plans and sample chapters and on one occasion, even got so far as to approach prospective publishers. I am an excellent ‘starter’ but I have yet to complete a book.

Which brings me to the purpose of Novelist in the Making. Last year, I was asked if I would write a blog for a parenting website and, after much deliberation, Mum in the Middle (http://muminthemiddleblog.blogspot.com) came into being. At first I found the idea of an online journal that, by definition, had to be updated regularly, rather daunting but it has proved to be a valuable learning platform. Having a blog has taught me the discipline of writing on regular basis, the value of keeping a notebook in which to jot down thoughts and ideas and, possibly the most useful lesson of all, how to write for an audience. Knowing that other people are going to be reading your work and commenting on it makes you think much more carefully about the content. 

Blogging is a public domain and if your blog is to be successful you need readers and, in that respect, it is perhaps not so very different from being a novelist (or indeed any other kind of writer). For me, the main purpose of this blog is to keep me motivated. Having publically announced my intention to finally write that book, I will be much more likely to keep going. And if I ever feel tempted to give up and forget the whole, crazy, hare-brained scheme, I will (hopefully) have a whole online community to help me get back on track (or else face the shame and humiliation of failure).

So, here it is - a blog about the process of writing a novel from inception to publication (now there’s a dream). I may not be the first and I definitely won’t be the last but with your help, I might just get to finish that book.

Kim Kimber