Today, I downloaded Scrivener, which is a fabulous and fabulously-complex writing programme that brings together all the things its creators decided that you may need to get your novel out into the world. It’s got lots of nooks and crannies and interesting features, ways of tagging and comparing and building out your story. According to a facebook writing group I joined, it’s definitely worth using, even if you only use a smidge of it.
So, today was the first day of actually getting writing. I’ve been faffing and avoiding and wabbing freely, mostly by putting off getting going because I want to have all my ducks in a row. I think there is a lot of ‘writing’ that looks like work but kind of/entirely avoids actually writing chapters. It’s the problem with all the books I’ve ‘written’ in the past (aka, none). I sit and plan and break stuff down and feel like I have to know all the things about all the characters before I even begin.
This time, I’ve approached it a bit differently, and with more intention than previously, except for my last novel idea, which I wrote lots and lots of info about all the characters, wrote and rewrote a one-sentence summaries of the story, and then put it in a folder and didn’t carry on.
This time, my approach has been more of a ‘pants’ than a ‘plot’ (writing by the seat of your pants). I know the big story arc, and I know a bit about my characters, but I’m going to explore and discover as I go along.
Wow, this song is odd, but kind of inspiring.
“Saddle up your horses
We’ve got a trail to blaze”
Also, worth noting that most of today has also been a form of wabbing – learning how to use Scrivener. But now, as the podcast says, I’m out of excuses, so I’ll go write.
Day 31.
Writing song:
Everyday Adventures 