The last four days have been packed with writing, learning and adventure! I’ve had my first dose of “Writers’ Doubt” , I’ve learned how to slide into writing mode without causing my fictional characters too much distress and I’ve received my first piece of feedback.
Two more tragic deaths have occurred (I know – alot can happen in four days) and I’m learning to get comfortable with writing even in conditions of “poor visibility”.
I’m editing like Stephen King and gaining confidence in the natural direction of my story.
In short, I am beginning to feel like a real writer 🙂 .
You can watch the highlights of the last 4 days here ~
Today I’m back at my writing desk and learning to adjust to the natural speed of my unfolding romantic novel. I’m learning to follow, rather than push, the pace of the story. I’m slowing down and noticing more : not just about the story I’m writing but about other things too 🙂 .
As I intend to write every day this week, I’ll post my daily videos on my YouTube channel and I’ll write a summary blog post (including an amalgamated video) every three or four days.
For today’s adventure, I start to get real with the leading lady in my romantic novel! A quote from Anton Chekhov, and yesterday’s interview with my friend Tiffany Kay, got me thinking about how true to the “real” female protagonist I was being. I spent the morning putting myself in her shoes and inviting her true character to unfold.
Chapter one has been edited : the action is the same but the character’s responses now feel really authentic. I sense I have something more stable from which to launch the rest of the story.
Now that I am no longer ” lying” about who the heroine really is, I can relax in the knowledge that all I have to do now is follow her all the way to the end of the tale. Well, that’s the plan anyway 🙂 .
Phew : that was a toughie! I am just emerging from a 2-hour writing session and I’m emotionally wrung out. Romantic fiction might be a light read but it is far from a light write :).
I’m not only learning that writing brings emotions to the surface (and that those emotions can be used to move a story forward), I’m also learning that to write romantic fiction, you have to fall in love with your own fictional characters. And when you fall in love with them, you care what happens to them.
Wow – it’s the last day of April already and that means guest adventures and a monthly adventure summary! But first to the action of the day.
Today’s adventure into the world of romantic fiction reminds me of the universal appeal of men in uniform (I just want you to know that it was my lead female character that demanded the uniforms and not me.)
With a much shorter writing window available to me, and in danger of feeling the pressure, I have carried my lessons that my previous adventures have brought me into today’s experience ~ placing my awareness on presence, connection and the opportunity for personal discovery kept me well and truly in the flow today 🙂 .
Looking back on this month of adventuring, I am amazed at what happens when you are prepared to pay attention to the “call to adventure”. I’ve received advice from Richard Branson, JK Rowling and Tony Robbins (my Invisible Counsellors) ; I’ve learned how to make video trailers ; I’ve hosted my own TV show and now I’m writing a book! These are all things that I had not even imagined last month. A real pattern is emerging and I’m beginning to piece together a way of sharing my adventuring experience and my adventuring philosophy with a wider range of people. This is far too good to keep to myself 🙂 .
Now let me introduce you to todays’ guest adventurer : Ian Barnfield who is a fan of the Paleo way of eating. In Ian’s video, you can watch thei thoroughly modern cave man try his hand at foraging for wild food . It’s really worth a watch.
So. I did it! I’ve written my first chapter today and learned quite a bit in the process. And that learning is mostly about me : I found myself creating a ball-busting all-action heroine. Nothing feminine about her. Nothing soft about her. All too keen to take control and show the men around her how weak they are.
Oops. That is definitely not the stuff that Mills & Boon heroines are made of. I’ve taken on the challenge of adhering to the genre “rules” , so a small (okay quite large ) rewrite was required! The heroine is now much softer, more feminine, full of vulnerability, welcoming of protection. I can safely say that not only does she feel very “Mills & Boon” but she is also teaching me a thing or two about being a woman. I am watching and learning 🙂 .
With chapter 1 concluding with the tragic and untimely death of a gorgeous hunk of a man’s man (and with the added bonus of a vulnerable soon-to-be-guilt-ridden heroine in definite need of rescue) , I can feel the next chapter in my fingers already.
Here’s today’s video. I made 3 short videos over the course of my writing day and ventured into the world of merging 🙂
A heavy day of coaching has meant a late adventure for today! On day 2 of my romantic fiction writing adventure, I make my final preparations before putting digits to keyboard 🙂 .
I spend some time today finding a “way in” to the story. In addition to plot development (well, I didn’t actually “develop it”, I invited a loose plot  to appear and it did!), a  light bit of YouTube immersion helped me to get a better understanding of my heroine’s back-story and of  the source of her unbearable guilt.
Conditions are looking good for tomorrow and we have clearance for take-off 🙂 .
Today’s the day I start my romantic fiction adventure 🙂 . This first day has been all about getting my actors and theatre organised : I’ve even come up with a title!
I am noticing some interesting changes in me already. The most noticeable of those changes has been a desire to draw as part of the writing process. At this point it is important that you know that I was told by my art teacher at school that I had no talent for art at all. I never draw, paint or sketch. It just hasn’t been my thing. I believed the teacher.
Yesterday, I had the urge to buy myself some coloured pens and pencils when I bought my notebook. I respected the impulse and bought them. This morning as I “summoned” my characters to the theatre, I began to draw. It felt like the drawing was all to do with me “seeing” the story more clearly. The act of drawing felt like a bridge between my world and the world of this emerging story.
Here are my reflections about my first day as an author 🙂 ~
It’s day 100 already! Reflecting on my adventuring over the last 3 months, I am beginning to get in touch with a real sense of richness, a real sense of density,a real sense of  living. It feels like something is distilling itself .. and it feels like it has a distinctive flavour. I just can’t quite put it all into words … yet!
On this 100th day, my adventures take a new turn. It feels like I’m crawling out onto branch  of a very old and solid tree. It feels old and yet very new. Safe and yet very exposed.
If you remember back to my Invisible Counsellors adventure, you’ll be aware that JK Rowling suggested that I’d already written a book. Based on the insights she offered, today’s adventure has been about taking the first steps to bring a book to life.
he last four days have been packed with writing, learning and adventure! I’ve had my first dose of “Writers’ Doubt” , I’ve learned how to slide into writing mode without causing my fictional characters too much distress and I’ve received my first piece of feedback.
Humans Resourced 