Saturday 18 May 2013

Bite-sized chunks

I'm reading a biography of Lucy Maud Montgomery, creator of Anne of Green Gables and many other novels. It's a scholarly and interesting read, but I've been fascinated by how many plates she was spinning, all the while being prone to blue patches like my own.

Apparently, one of her secrets was that she 'only' wrote for two hours a day. Two hours doesn't sound a lot, does it? For a full-time writer. Who had to write everything without the benefit of computers. (Imagine how long correcting a draft would take).  But it was enough for her. She was prolific. If you spend the minutes and hours, the days and months take care of themselves,  I suppose.

Which all goes to show, cultivating a writing habit is definitely the way to go.

And on that note, back to the story-writing  I go.

Thursday 2 May 2013

Apprenticeship

I'm trying not to feel discouraged at the moment. So far all my efforts this year have resulted in no success in competitions. Was it arrogant to think they might?

I have enough on to keep myself positive; the next project(s) are alluring enough to soften the perceived rejection. This month's Writing Magazine contained some real encouragement from well-published author Judith Cutler. She says, "Writing is a craft you have to learn: you wouldn't expect an apprentice bricklayer to build a mansion at the end of his first week, would you?"

This is why writing magazines are so valuable while you're trudging through these learning experiences...little nuggets of encouragement. I'll be digesting the rest of the magazine over the next couple of days, and hoping for more inspiration!