Mick’s Musings: Fun! Fun! Fun!

Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun…now I need to find the time to have that fun.

When I’m writing, after the first few hundred words, so long as it’s flowing, it is fun. Characters I’ve created/am in the process of creating, stand up and wave their little paws at me (I like cats, heck knows why half the time, but my latest WIP has a quite prominent feline who seems to be making a bid for freedom) for attention and sit down to share a metaphorical cup of tea with me. Then there’s the (mostly) welcome appearance of a new character that I hadn’t even considered when the idea for the story first came to mind, and even after I’d actually done some planning!

With this WIP, it looks very much like it’ll now be starting at chapter three. So, what does that mean for the Prologue and the first two chapters? Well, not really wanting to throw anything away, I do believe that quite a bit can be incorporated into forthcoming chapters and I also have to admit, it does start off the story a lot better. It’s straight into mini-crisis, always a good way to start.

Thank you Kate T for the suggestion.

As far as these new characters? It’s a welcome to Tippy’s Posse. Okay, so she’s currently called Poppy, but I have a few too many characters whose names begin with the letter ‘p’, but I still like ‘Poppy’ so it’s really a case of watch this space.

All in all, this WIP is trotting along nicely, though it’s nowhere near as far along as I wish it was. Followers of this (too intermittent) blog are probably aware that I’m in the New Writer’s Scheme of the RNA and we’re allowed to submit a MS each year, to be received by the end of August. It’s always best, I feel, to submit a finished MS (whether first draft of multiplies into), but I wasn’t able to this year. Totally my own fault as this is the third WIP I’ve started this year. I got side-tracked by two others that just petered out, before getting stuck into this one. Really wish I’d have found this story a while ago as I know I’d have had it finished and gone through at least a few amendments by now, but that’s life and it’s better to get something looked at than nothing. I now wait with bated breath, but am determined not to be too upset if it does get a roasting, as I know it’s only a first draft of the first ten chapters.

I also let procrastination rear its head last month by having to type up first drafts of two short stories that wouldn’t get out of my head until I’d done so.

I’ll finish by congratulating my good friend and fellow blogger here at Novel Kicks, Bella on having her debut release ‘It Started at Sunset Cottage’ accepted for sale on the shelves of Tesco. I currently have to stop off at every main unvisited Tesco store I pass to go and see if I can find it! Good game, good game!!

by

Mick Arnold

Mick reviews books and will also be chatting about his experience as a male author in the romantic genre. Mick is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association, New Writers Scheme. He lives in Northamptonshire and is the proud keeper of two cats, Gus and Elphaba. When he’s not trying to write books, Mick has a deep-seated love of reading that he’s brought from his teens to the current day with no signs of waning. He’s also mad on the music of the Beach Boys and enjoys the theatre and humouring his Manchester United supporting wife. Mick can be followed on Twitter: @mick859