Wednesday 7 November 2007

Stalled

This is awful, I know what I want to write, and it’s good, it’s fun…and I just cannot do it. Yesterday I managed a grand total of 500 words – that is pathetic! And I don’t think they are even good words, as I have been growling at them today. In fact, my lovely story is now annoying me immensely. Is this what happens, do you think? There’s no point taking a break from it, as technically I haven’t wrote anything of value for over a week, so I have had a break already. I have come to realise that there it is really hard to write when you are worrying over something… It’s nothing major, just something that depresses me in the back of my mind. I think this feeling is going to stay for a while, sadly, so I need to work out a way to keep writing through it. Ah well…

Anyway, moving on swiftly to research. If in doubt – research! Even though I pull my hair out and obsess a bit too much over it, I do love getting everything as correct as I can. As a reader, I totally appreciate it, and if I ever get that far, I am determined not to short change anyone lovely enough to read this novel. Today my google history says: Holly hocks winter, December plants, 1960’s cars, Alice through the looking glass, Italian boy names, sewing machine 1963, winter jasmine, the Queen’s Golden State Coach, and styles of houses in Islington. Sounds, erm, fascinating, eh?

The Internet is great for initial research, but so far the best thing I have found is going to the nearest research library to look in actual reference books. So when this is nearer the end, I think I will camp for a few days in the local library and polish everything to make sure it’s as good as I can get it. That is, of course, assuming I can kick this chapter ten a bit further down the road… Right, c’mon Jayne, just two pages at least?

5 comments:

music obsessive said...

Ooh! I love quizzes! In answer to your Google Searches and without any research at all (honest) the answers are:
1. Oh God! I don't know anything about gardening.
2. Damn! More plants.
3. E Type Jag and Hillman Imp
4. Victorian Fantasy nobody understands
5. Giovanni
6. Singer
7. Bloody Hell, more plants.
8. Glass
9. Georgian

Have I won?

Jayne said...

Hahahaha I love your comment! And good guesses, let's see what the answers were:

1) I was looking to find out what happens to holly hocks in the winter, whether they still stand as tall or if they wither back to nothing. Apparently the answer is they are cut back in the autumn, but I still don't know if you actually see anything left of the plant. It's a passing observation, I might skip it.

2) Ah, yes, what would still be flowering or showing in a garden in December? Winter jasmine was the answer (from my bumper book of Flower Fairies). *looks sheepish*

3) Ooo thanks! I was trying to visualise the street in 1962 - I chose a dark red Ford Consol Capri, and a green Morris Minor Traveller (as I love that car!). I wanted nothing too flash in a way, just what normal people might have if indeed, they could afford a car! What do you think, there wouldn't have been many cars around I suppose?

4) Hahahaha - absolutely agree with this! Let's see, ah yes, it was in ref to nothing being what it first appears.

5) I chose Vicenzo, but will change this to your suggestion in honour of you cheering me up :)

6) I actually found one called a Jones - it was a 1963 one on ebay that had the original receipt, which I thought was a bit handy. Never heard of a Jones though, was so going for a Singer until I found that.

7) Ah this was just checking the winter jasmine would be in flower.

8) The coach plays a bit of a part actually - here though I was trying to find out where the driver sits (and he doesn't, Edward VII took the driver box away, and the coach weighs 4 tonnes so everyone just sort of walks alongside it).

9) Considering I used to live there, I should know this... I plumped for Victorian, but you are right, I think they are mostly more Georgian, esp with the large sash windows.

And prize... prize... how about first read through? :)

music obsessive said...

It would've been nice to get full answers like this after your 'A' Levels! Looks like I just about scraped a pass here.
Q4 - you're about spot on, although the limits of my memory bring back things like the Ford Anglia and the Austin Cambridge.
As to my prize, well I'd be honoured, but I'm quite prepared to pay for it when available!

Jayne said...

I'll check out those cars as well, cheers! And... I noticed you were in the latest edition of Record Collector, strangely enough, so was I (although under a different name, just to be annoying!). I'm just listening to Fanny 'Im Satisfied' on youtube - never listened to them before, but they're good!

music obsessive said...

Yes, they are good. They are one of the few bands that I liked then and still like today. Have a look at their live version of 'Special Care' on YouTube.
And writing under pennames! I wonder which it is...