Raise your glass... or cup.

Hellooooo! I couldn't say cheerio to 2014 without popping in for a gab first!

Have you all had a good year?

2014 has been mighty hectic. Life has taken me in directions I would never have fathomed a year ago. Some notable shenanigans that currently spring to mind:

• Having several short stories published, namely Wee Hammy, The clown was suicidal, and A beautiful, terrible tempest.
• Creating a mammoth resource for writers: A-Z of Creative Writing Warm-Ups.
• Being completely sickened by the way the food bank debate was sneered out of parliament, and subsequently volunteering at my local food bank.
• Finally summoning the courage to attend Weegie Wednesday.
• Becoming a First Aider. Don't worry, I'll fix ye!

• Landing a new job in Digital Marketing, which has been a steeeeeep learning curve, I tell ye!
• Taking part in the 12 week Artist's Way program (more about that in the new year, but you can read Week 1 here).

• Falling head over heels in love with Kilchattan Bay, Rothesay. Take me back!

• Falling even more head over heels in love with Anstruther. Sigh, swoon...

• Finding myself completely immersed in the Scottish Referendum debate (I'll never get over it).

• Enrolling on a part time degree course in Design & Innovation.
• Signing up for the SNP.

• Having my coupon (and recipe) in a cookbook for Cash for Kids charity (more details here!).

I have no idea what 2015 has in store. I usually adore creating resolutions and reassessing my goals, but to be honest, I'm just hoping to keep my head above water!

There will be more writing.
More work on the novel.
More blogging and documenting life on this wee website of mine.

I hope you're all having a lovely Hogmanay. And I wish you health, wealth and happiness for 2015. Everyone's out partying hard, while we're cosied up next to the amber glow of the Xmas tree, curling up while the wind batters against the window, and I'm sipping on a wee tea.

Cheers to you and yours!

xx ◦

Raise your glass... or cup.

Heaven

Today's post is a tad late, as I spent the evening writing a short story for my writers group on Thursday! Lets hope today's post is worth the wait...

Today's A to Z Blogging Challenge is H for Heaven.

My idea of Heaven is: an eternity locked in the Voltaire and Rousseau bookshop on Otago Lane. Seriously, just throw away the key...

1. What's your idea of Heaven? Using your stream of consciousness, scrawl the description as you see it in your head. Now, think of one of your characters. What would their idea of Heaven be? Does a person's idea of Heaven say something specific about them? Ask people what theirs is and you'll find it probably does.

2. Sketch a mind-map using the key word as the nucleus, then branch out in whatever direction you please. You might find yourself going in completely unrelated paths (which I personally prefer). Do a five-minute freewrite incorporating as many (or few) branch words as you like. Here is my mind map (created using the SimpleMind app on my phone).

3. Choose one of the following sentence starts and freewrite for a few minutes, letting the words tumble out without a second thought:

• It was their Heaven, but my Hell...
• He was only allowed entry to Heaven on one condition...
• I couldn't bear to tell her it didn't exist...

I find it best not to read my freewrites for at least a few days. Why not stuff them in a drawer and surprise yourself? It's blatant evidence that our minds work in mysterious ways. Plus, I defy you not to find an array of story seeds amongst your work.

Do you have any writing warm-ups you'd like to share?

Take care,

Catherine x

Note: All photo prompts in the A to Z Challenge 2013 are my own. Feel free to use/copy/share to your hearts content. Help yourself. :)

◦

Heaven

Abandonment

Today marks the first day of the A to Z Blogging Challenge 2013. How can it possibly be April already? This is devastating. Slow down, time/life...

Although I haven't been blogging much of late, that's all about to change: I shall inflict upon you twenty-six blog posts over the course of April! I thoroughly enjoyed taking part last year, and will no doubt make it an annual tradition. Find out more about the challenge here.

My theme for the A to Z Challenge is: writing warm-ups.

I find if I start a writing session with a five-minute warm-up, I have a much more productive session.

There are several ways I like to do this. For each day of the challenge, I shall suggest various exercises such as photo prompts, mind maps and freewrites. I'm confident you'll find your muse lurking beneath one of them. Grab a cuppa and a notepad...

Today's warm-up is A for Abandonment.

1. Whose hat is this? How did it end up there? Simply overlooked by a harassed, unobservant mother (why is she harassed?)? Or a clue to something more sinister? Scribble down a scenario/character profile based on the poor wee hat.

2. Sketch a mind-map using the key word as the nucleus, then branch out in whatever direction you please. You might find yourself going in completely unrelated paths (which I personally prefer). Do a five-minute freewrite incorporating as many (or few) branch words as you like. Here is my mind map (created using the SimpleMind app on my phone).

3. Choose one of the following sentence starts and freewrite for a few minutes, letting the words tumble out without a second thought:

• It was hat & scarf weather...
• She couldn't find it anywhere...
• The rain made it soggy...

I find it best not to read my freewrites for at least a few days. Why not stuff them in a drawer and surprise yourself? It's blatant evidence that our minds work in mysterious ways. Plus, I defy you not to find an array of story seeds amongst your work.

Do you have any writing warm-ups you'd like to share?

Take care,

Catherine x

Note: All photo prompts in the A to Z Challenge 2013 are my own. Feel free to use/copy/share to your hearts content. Help yourself. :)

◦

Abandonment