Eleven Kinds of Loneliness

The application form for the Writing Scheme is now it's way through the postal system and will hopefully land at its destination before Wednesday's deadline. Fingers crossed.

I have also found myself with a new short story to edit and also a flash piece. One is about the end of the world. again. I am obsessed at the moment with think about society collapsing or the world's resources running out.

Richard Yates. You might him from the adaptation of this novel Revolutionary Road with Kate Winslet. I came to know the name through my Bookselling days. A few novels would sell every few months and I would file them in the fiction section without much of a second glance because my heart was for Margaret Atwood. But it wasn't until I had seen the film and then researched about him that I discovered his short stories. Eleven Kinds of Loneliness is brilliant. Yates turns ordinary situations into looking at the human condition with only a few thousand words. "Ordinary into the Extraordinary" was a lesson we were always told at university and Yates shows us that the tutors weren't crazy. I would highly recommend this book for any short story writer or novelist. Yate's book is the best short story collection I have ever read. Its going straight on my re-read list.

The Accidential Notebook and Other Dilemmas

I am nearing the end of a notebook. One page left and it will be another filled. I like the achievement of finishing notebooks but there is also the fright. What sort of notebook shall I use next, will I be able to write on the pages? The previous notebook (well I didn't even fill half of it but it needed to be shelved) had plain pages and we didn't make friends. I like my uniformed lines unless it separate sheets of plain paper and then I like to write in slopes.

The notebook that is nearly the finishing lines was an accident. Its one of those cheap reporter pads and was meant for making notes at the LBF but on the train journey I started writing a new scene and carried on from there. Because it was a cheap notebook - I didn't feel bad for writing rubbish or ripping out pages. There was a sort of freedom.

I have several choices for the next notebook. A penguin '1984' notebook, a moleskine book (A5 in size, bigger than my normal selection), a notebook with wide lines (i like the small lined books) or buy another reporters pad. I love buying stationery. I could stand in a shop, staring at notebooks for hours. I think about the sort of things it would hold, if its portable for my handbag and train writing, if its durable. No body wants a pad with a paper cover. You need one that lean on. Also I like books with the spiral spine and you can roll over the writing and not worry about editing on the previous section. In the past I have had a pocket Moleskine, a spiral bound notebook, another moleskine rip-off with different coloured pages.

What a writing dilemma.

Maybe road testing each one could be the solution. "Notebook's got talent" coming to a blog near you soon.

Wordcount Wednesday

This week's look at the word count is a day late, not because I wanted to up the word count and show off with another billion words written but because I have been ill. That is not the only excuse. Yesterday the urge to write a short story took over and I went for it. 1500 words later and I just need to add a few more details. Usually I sit down, plan the structure, maybe write some longhand. Not this time. My fingers thudded the keyboard most of the day. Its a comedy story set on graduation day. Sometimes you need a bit of comedy to cheer up one's self up on a sick day.

I have written 2,224 words this week for the novel.

Total - 25,806.

I have also organised the files on my Macbook too. Each chapter has its only folder. All that's left to do is merge the several documents I have for each chapter.

Sometimes getting post is more exciting than emails (especially the rejecting type). This week my tickets for Edinburgh Book Festival arrived and the latest Mslexia. Heaven.

Book Binge

Last week I had a book binge. I now have eight new books to get my eyes around. That is also including two new proofs. One is Douglas Coupland's 'Generation A.' I am going to try and read it before Edinburgh in August.

Look at that beautiful stack (and retro carpet - funky!) of books. I like making books like pretty. I think it is the Bookseller part of me.

I have also had a splurge with making some submissions. Some are new stories, some have been sent more than twice and now I am waiting to hear back. One magazine has closed to submissions (I missed the notice on the website - should not trust Duotrope) but I will try when they reopen and another said a story was too long (again, Duotrope).

Since my binge I have felt ill. I currently have a cold (no, its not swine flu) and feel dreadful. I am currently sleeping, reading, watching faceless day time television and sleeping. There has been some writing done too. I am keeping topped up with 'day nurse' and hot blackcurrant.

o2 are rubbish, LG phones are poorly made and some writing too.

This week I have been doing battle over my LG KT520. My mobile phone is one of those 'stylist' slide phones but my one had literally broken into two (the screws have come loose). Under EU law and mobile phone rights, I have the right to demand they fix the phone for free or replace it as I have only had it for ten months (two year warranty). Apparently 02 (my service provider) is telling me that it is physical damage caused by the user. Tell me, how did I make the screws come out, They aren't even visible! So the company are calling me a liar and keep pushing me to another department. I wrote an email of complaint and customer services have dismissed it and told me to write another. Even one of their call centre staff said I had a case against them.

I have been very upset by this - and now the o2 shop in question (the Stevenage branch) do not know when they will return my broken phone. Thanks a bunch.

If you gave googled about the LG KT520, don't buy it. You should also read the reviews on 02's own site. People have complained about the phone switching off and not coming back on and also messages not deleting. I have also suffered those problems too.

I also have a cold too. I have done some writing in the garden this morning but my concentration is starting to lapse into the sore throat department. I have written 425 words this morning and I still need to read a writing friend's story.

Also I found this website. Text to movie. You can create free films. You just add the dialogue. I thought it would be good when testing out conversations in scenes but I think screenwriters will like it too.

Wordcount Wednesday

Even though the heat makes it unbearable to sit in the spare room (Office sounds too grown up), I have still been able to write this week. Either during my lunch break, waiting for the evening train, in bed, on the sofa and the odd occasion, the desk.

Total : 23,564

I have been too focused on the novel to write any more to a short story in progress. But I have entered three competitions and submitted to some other magazines this week.

Writing Structure

I seem to be writing this current chapter (5b) differently from the other ones. The earlier chapters were written chronological but this one is more of a patchwork. I started with the ending as I knew where the plot needed to be by the end, then some of the middle as I have crucial parts that just needed to be written at that moment and then the beginning.

The only problem is I need to link them - add more details, take out an repetitions over the several files. All the chapters have at least four or five files - I need to be more organised and merge them at some point.

I finally have a title too or at least a working title. If I mentioned it before, than that was only an idea but now it feels more permanent now I have written the title down a few times. I have also checked on Amazon to see if any other books have that name. Only two non-fiction titles. Nothing that would clash.

Last Minute Competitions

Its the final days for the Bridport writing competition. I entered about ten minutes ago via online entry so you still have time. I have entered twice, once at the beginning of my writing 'career' (sounds strange saying that but I guess its time to be professional) with a story that now makes me cringe because of a silly, silly plot and dull characters. I also entered last year but with a story that still needed work.

I wasn't going to bother but one of my favourite authors is judging. So I am hoping my entry gets pass the readers and into her writing mitts.

I am also about to enter the Guardian competition too. The closing date is my sister's birthday.

Wordcount Wednesday

This week has been full of anticipation as my sister is nearly ready to have her baby, waiting to hear back about several pieces and I also won a Moleskine notebook on Twitter.

The novel is at a stage where I have never been before. I have reached over twenty thousand words. I have never written that amount of words for one project. I have come close and then abandoned the idea but this idea keeps me on my toes.

• Novel word count - 21,888

Edinburgh International Book Festival

I have booked a cottage in Edinburgh at the end of August for a relaxing holiday away from decorating and the day job. I'm also hoping to catch the tail in of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Tickets went on sale yesterday and I was refreshing the website until it started working (around lunchtime) and I have some tickets to go and see two of my favourite authors:

Douglas Coupland

Witty, clever and entertaining, Douglas Coupland's international bestselling novels walk the tightrope between optimism and paranoia. Generation A mirrors his debut Generation X, this time with a near-future world where bees are thought extinct, until five people in different countries are stung on the same day. A hugely original contemporary voice.

Margaret Atwood

The second opportunity of the day to see one of our greatest living writers. Come and hear all about Margaret Atwood's new novel The Year of the Flood, an apocalyptic vision and a new beginning. In a world where systems of religion and science have been pushed to extremes, a group of survivors build a new life based on their faith. Powerful, important, beautiful literature at its very best.

I have until the end of August to contain my excitement and also to think of any questions. Please don't let me stutter because of nerves!