Writerly Chat & Flat Packed Furniture

There have been many things going on this week. Lots of projects to sort out and to start. I had a great chat to a colleague at work, who also has an interest in writing. We were chatting about our various manuscripts and their stages of development. It is interesting to know that I'm not the only one who has WIPs at different points of completion. I've always completed the manuscript and then put it aside for a few months before going back to it. This is to help me when I go through to do the first 'serious' edit. One of many during the creation period. I'm more productive when I have few projects on the go at once. If I get a little stuck with what my characters have done, then I move on to something else for a while and leave them, the characters, to sort out the problem before coming back to find out how they have dealt with the situation. It may seem odd, but it appears to work for me.

My current WIP is a novel that comes under the helmet of woman’s commercial fiction. This piece is mostly light hearted, but follows the twists and turns of love that may or may not end happily. There are definitely shades of darkness running through shown within the sub plots. I'm loving writing this as it is totally different from my children’s work or thrillers.

At the same time as writing the above, I'm editing ‘Locked Inside’ a YA novel. I've had some fun with the edits so far and it is being well received by my writing group. And the good thing about the circle is that they don’t hold back on their punches – if it is lacking in the bells and smells or the POV has changed or the plot is saggy, they find the glitch and as a result the editing improves. If you've not joined a writing circle or group, then I really suggest you find one, but not one where everyone says ‘That’s Lovely, dear’ you need people who are determined to improve their own work and at the same time have an interest in helping others in the group. It is a two way thing. Writing is a solitary existence and sometimes the support of other like-minded people really makes a difference to the overall end product.

I am loving the writing process at the moment – long may it continue.

Windmill Writers has been going through a few changes, as I've reported here before, with losing two members of the group. However, we are still an active group and welcome new ‘active’ writers to get in touch. If you are interested in the group and live in or around Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted or Chesham then why not pop along to The Windmill Pub in Chipperfield, Hertfordshire, on a Wednesday between 19:00 – 21:00 to meet us and see what we are about.

This week’s writing prompt has been inspired by my experience with flat pack furniture, the building of and the dismantling of the old unit and then aiming to utilise the old unit to create some extra shelving for beneath the new desk. You will not believe how long it took and how many issue

s I had, not to mention the bruises! I'm not telling you my story here, you are going to create your own.

Prompt:

Using one person only: The package arrives eventually. It is heavy and only your character can erect it Show us how they go about this. What interactions they may have with others. Show us how this effects them and the process involved in the creation of the flat packed package. Think of all the pitfalls and how that could encumber them. What is the end result?

Using two people: The package arrives eventually. It is heavy your characters have two hours to erect it. Show us how they go about this. What interactions do they have between them and those they may have with others? Show us how this effects them and the process involved in the creation of the flat packed package. Think of all the pitfalls and how that could encumber them. What is the end result?

Using a group of University students: The package arrives eventually. It is heavy your characters have two hours to erect it. Show us how they go about this. What interactions do they have between them and those they may have with others? Show us how this effects them and the process involved in the creation of the flat packed package. Think of all the pitfalls and how that could encumber them. What is the end result?

So go on, get writing.