Tag Archives: Italian

Discipline. Or a staggering lack of…

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If you’re new to my blog, then you may be surprised to learn that I have been lacking in discipline lately.

If you’re not new, or just plain know me, or have read about what I got up to just over a week ago, then you’re probably sat there with a raised eyebrow uttering the words; “In more shocking news, the earth is round.“

So, the start of the month I wrote about knuckling down to NaNoWriMo (where I have to write 50k words of The Novel), hammering the Open University courses that I’m doing (Italian and Creative Writing), and generally just working hard.

I failed. Miserably.

I managed about 6,000 words of NaNoWriMo and I have 3 days left to rustle up 34,000 more. No one can do that. No one. But I am determined to have ALL those words written and ready for editing by the END OF THE YEAR.

I’m two weeks behind on the Italian course. I can claw that back. I’ve already transferred the CD to my iPhone and have been learning bits and pieces while at my ‘real’ job – driving a school bus.

I’m a week behind on the Creative Writing course. That isn’t a problem, as I smash that when I sit down to do it. In fact, I destroyed a weeks’ worth of coursework in one morning a couple of weeks back.

But, I’ve also let a few people down. Jay Tabrys has given me an opportunity to write for him and his www.welovecult.com and I’ve let him down, although technically I don’t start until 1st December. He’s the main reason I gotta get my shit together.

Marni Mann – always there, always encouraging me, always sticking by me. I owe her a book.

Anyway, I’m not gonna waffle on, but needless to say, I’m gonna pull my shit together and set things straight. No more drinking/partying/destroying cities until I’ve got things in order.

Oh, well except for London 16/17th December. Soulwaxmas party in Brixton. That’s gonna be my only big blow-out before New Year.

Promise.

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NaNoWriMo and The Book Is Back!

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Ok, let’s go back in time, to January, when I wrote THIS BLOG. Ok, now you’ve either rekindled your memory or learnt something new(ish) about me. Well, for the past ten months I have worked at it, but no where approaching the sort of time and effort that I should be giving to it.

So, allow me to introduce you to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). This was an event started by Chris Baty back in 1999, where he and 20 others in San Francisco decided to spur each other on to write 50,000 words of a novel within a month. The following year, 140 participated… the next year 5,000. In 2010, over 200,000 took part. NaNoWriMo had taken the writing world by storm.

And now, I’m participating. The Book is getting new life breathed into it. I wanted to write 5,000 words a month, and so far I’ve rustled up 20,000. So, NaNoWriMo is going to supply me with 50,000 words which will make The Book almost complete. This could be the motive I need to get things back on track… although, as you may have recently discovered, I am to become a published writer…

But, I can’t rest on my laurels, I need to get all guns blazing, and the undead in my head need their story telling.

So, sit tight, and I’ll be updating my Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress accounts with my wordcounts all through November… as well as growing a moustache of epic proportions. November’s gonna be a helluva month.

And, if anyone is interested in taking part, Nicole Cook has written her own brilliant strategy on attempting NaNoWriMo. You can read her blog here. It’s well worth taking the time to check it out, and I shall be using her strategy myself!

Also, an honorary mention goes to my partner-in-crime, Marni Mann, who is going

The Delectable Marni

NaNoWriMo along with me, and with both our aims of 50k for our books, Marni should have all but finished the sequel to her first novel – Memoirs Aren’t Fairytales – which is due for release in December. And you will buy it. Please. She’s been a massive influence on my own writing and you really need to see what the mistress can do herself.

Ok, that’s all from me. I have to prepare for today. So far, I’ve shaved my face completely clean for the first time in almost/over 15 years, I started a Creative Writing course, and I also start an

Nicole Cook

Italian language course.

Oh, and some small thing called National Novel Writing Month.

Wish us all luck.

What Jode Did Next.

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Jode’s going back to school, that’s what Jode is doing next.

Well, back to the Open University to be more precise. You may or may not know that I’ve been underpinning my writing ambitions by doing some OU courses over the last year.

Creative Writing

I completed an introductory course for An Introduction To The Arts, as well as Creative Writing: Getting Started.

I’m now on to the big hitters – the 60pointers, as they are called, as they form 60 points each course towards my English degree.

The two courses I’m doing are Creative Writing… and… Beginners’ Italian.

Ok, the writing one speaks for itself, but… Italian?

I love Italian. I love the country, I love the lifestyle, the history, the football, the women (of course) and one day – for a writerly ambition – I would love to own a little villa sat on a hill overlooking the sea while I write my next bestseller. There’s no harm in ambitions is there? And we all know that I have had many, and completed all but one of them so far!! (finishing The Book, that is)

Beginners' Italian

So, between 9am and 2pm every day (and most evenings) I will be studying a language, perfecting my art/writing, as well as churning out more pages for the criminally unloved Book.

Stay tuned.

Alla salute!!