The Good Patrons of 750 Words

3 cups

Many years ago I began the Morning Papers but continued for only a few short weeks when I was rudely interrupted by the torment of a tortured romance! When a friend told me recently that she was doing them and showed me Julia Cameron’s book I was inspired to start again. I’m still doing them, in longhand, every morning without fail.

Having woken up my writing bug I then discover 750 words. OMG I want to do this one too. Once I figure out that this one being online means I can take advantage of writing in two different ways I can’t not accept the challenge so I sign up.

And what a revelation it has been. All the ideas that were roaming around in my mind for future applications have now been assigned a poem, or a piece of writing of some sort. Some have even been written. This I’m very happy with.

And to top it all off at a poetry performance night the other day someone mentioned NaNoWriMo which I forgot all about until I bumped into it later the next day. Write a novel in a month, I thought! Now HOW could I do that?

On the bus going to the theatre the next night, stream of consciousness notebook open on my lap, with the bus turning my normally artistic script into stunted creatures hobbling across the tramlines, I devise the basis of the novel. I’ll heave out that old idea that’s been hiding at the back of my mind waiting for a book and combine it with something new I’ve been thinking about and voila! If I can write this many words per day I reckon I can write enough to have the first draft of a novel in a month, no worries mate, as they say in Oz.

I can hardly believe that I am plotting this after so many years of avoiding it but see what this writing practice does for you………. Chris Baty said ‘No Plot, No Problem’ and I really believed I would have to figure mine out as I wrote but twenty five minutes on the number 176 with a focused mind and I was sorted.

It really is true that the more I write the more I can write and in the process my brain is making connections I never ever imagined it would.

My thanks to you Buster for having the brilliant idea of putting up this site and for making it such fun; I love the badges and the coffees etc. I’ll say hallo when I come to Seattle next year. I’m sure I’ll recognise you in the cafe.
Maggie