Other uses for newspapers...

Today's post for my A to Z Challenge, is dedicated to N for Newspapers.

Don't laugh, but I collect newspaper clippings of stories that grip my attention, for the purpose of using them as inspiration in my stories. 

Over the years, the clippings have accumulated to a rather mighty mass of drama and scandal...

The biggest benefit of these clippings, for me, are the finer details. For instance, how many months pass between a crime and it's trial? Or what might a defence lawyer have to say about a particularly despicable client (they usually speak about the criminal's state of mind or mitigating circumstances, which could be good for fleshing out a nasty character, perhaps)? What happens at inquests for unexplained deaths? 

I also like to read witness comments on incidents; they really paint a picture for you. The options are endless and I'm sure you could spend hours poring over the stories, should you feel so inclined.

If you like to read newspapers online, here's a great link to an abundance of free publications (and limitless potential for stories!) for London Newspapers (you can skip the registration: I don't bother registering).

Would anyone else like to admit their hoarding habits? Come on... don't leave me hanging!

Today's N music video is for November Rain, by Guns N' Roses. An exceptional display of musical genius.

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Other uses for newspapers...

Keeping It Simple

Well, here it is.

My first novel outline.  EVER.

It's just under 6000 words, split into "developments".  Not scenes, chapters, plots, or POVs.  Just... development thingys.  This is Novel Writing: Catherine Stylee. 

I did try to do the "Chapter 1 = This Happens" structure, but it was messing with the flow of my story.  I'm taking a leaf out of Stephen King's "On Writing" book and telling the story first.  I'll work on the craft later.

Years of novel-structure research has been cast into the fire, in favour of Lazette Gifford's advice in her booklet: NaNo for the New and The Insane - A Guide to Surviving NaNoWriMo:

"An easy outline is to list 30 points in your story which can be written in about 2,000 word clumps.  You only need 1,667 words per day to reach 50,000.  If you have 30 things and write one each day, you'll reach your goal. It's that simple."

So, my outline describes what happens, from start to finish, in very brief detail.  The different colours establish a new event, whether that be a change in perspective or new dilemma (but not restricted to such).  There are 34 "developments" in my outline.  My shoddy maths tells me that a 50k word target will boil that down to 1470 words per development. 

I'm confident that I can waffle on for more than 1470 words for each, so I might just get to that self-imposed 70k mark!  Fingers crossed...

I don't know if it will work; It's quite a haphazard approach for an organisational geek like me.  I've got no choice but to go with it, now that NaNoWriMo is 3 days (and 13 hours) away. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

How are you all getting on? x

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Keeping It Simple

Just when I thought I was out...

... they pulled me back in.
Al Pacino (although I prefer Silvio Dante's version)


I've fallen victim to an illness, no doubt suffered by many NaNoWriMo participants.
I'm suffering from the disease of misplaced perfectionism.


NaNoWriMo isn't about creating a breathtakingly wonderful debut novel.  I need to remind myself of this.  The purpose of my Nano experience is to simply complete a novel.


It will be good to practise the craft; establish the basic fundamentals of storytelling (a beginning, middle and end; a satisfactory opening and resolution etc).  I want to write fabulous novels, in time, and consider this as part of my training.


To say I've been prone to over-thinking recently would be a gross understatement.  I've been beating up my poor little story, trying to force a better premise out of it.  I've been torturing my characters, demanding they yield to my creative demands and confess their juicy secrets.  Tony Soprano is rummaging around my head with a vengeance.

As much as I love Tony (who doesn't adore the big, cuddly, cold-blooded killer?), he's not what I need right now.  I need Paulo Coelho.  I need his serene presence in my psyche, telling me it's going to be alright and helping me along my path to wonderment.  

I'm not religious.  Your God is My Paulo, though.  If Paulo were rummaging around my head, he'd tell me "when you find your path, you must not be afraid.  You need to have sufficient courage to make mistakes".

He'd pat me on the shoulder and say "whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want.  No one can hit their target with their eyes closed".

And finally, he'd reassure me "there is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure".

So, aside from re-reading The Alchemist, I will spend the weekend working on my plot/outline with fresh eyes and less pressure.

What would Tony say to that?

"Why don't you get the f**k out of here before I shove your quotation book up your fat f*****g a**."

Charming!

How are you all getting on with your NaNoWriMo's, people?

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Just when I thought I was out...