Sunday 21 November 2010

Writing a Novel in novel places....


Me and the Novel went on tour this weekend.. I'm at 35,000 words and need to get to 50,000 by the 30th November... I can see the finish line, I'm just not sure if someone won't trip me up before I get there!

It was my good pal's birthday weekend in London. The hubby gave me a weekend pass, some pennies and a kiss on the cheek. 'Play nice,' he said.

Mindful that I still needed to write my novel, I set off with clean pants, a toothbrush and my computer.

The first train allowed me to write for an hour and a half before my battery went! I changed stations in South Wales (no. not the new Australian one, the original one.) So, feeling cheeky I asked to plug into the train conductors office, but was told that there was actually a plug for customers' use in the waiting room. Cool.

For an hour I tippy-typed till the next train arrived. Three and a half hours later, having typed all the way, (the seat had its very own plug,) I arrived in London Paddington.

The party was booked for a bar and restaurant on top of Waterstones book store in Piccadilly.... how apt was that? - my book was already in Waterstones and it wasn't even finished. It's fate, I'm telling you!

I was super-early so I toddled down to the coffee shop in the basement and continued to write for another hour.

It was very interesting in the coffee shop: There were masses of people drinking coffee and chatting. A group of three men, possibly an actor, a director and a producer, were reading through a very graphic mob-style movie plot.... [v. boring - so same-y - I'm not recommending it..] Distracted, I moved tables. I took a quick peek about: There were lots of characters including the usual poseurs pretending to read, [I'd like to imagine] their books upside down. Then there were the lovely studious-but-poor-looking types, drinking the same cold coffee for hours on end, reading all the store's books before stroking them goodbye and replacing them on the shelves.

Finally at six o'clock I packed up and joined the party on the 5th floor, meeting some really great women, friends of my dear friend. We eventually ended up in a Indian restaurant in Berkeley Square off Mayfair, where we drank cocktails. Mine, the Mumbai Martini, was made with vodka, passion juice and spicy Indian chutney. Bonkers but gorgeous.

**

The journey home was dreadful. I stood for almost two hours on the second train and it took me seven hours to get home. I feel jet-lagged but I will say that I met fantastic people on my journey: In particular a lovely couple going home to Camarthen and two tired but gorgeous-looking mums with children, going home to Liverpool after a christening. They looked particularly adorable sitting chatting to me from the loo, the only place to sit on the train! ......There really is nothing like a bit of a crisis to get us Brits laughing..... and we did laugh all the way through to my stop, after we'd first deeply the lamented the lack of jobs in the UK and seats on trains. Thank you so much for the camaraderie Mr World Wide Recession... [she said sarcastically!]

13 comments:

  1. I was that poor student making those coffees last and last so I could read all those gorgeous books! Quite in awe of your dedication...

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  2. What an adventure you had! I hate the standing for two hours part, but its cool to see you still got something out of that. Good luck with the rest of the words... How exciting!

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  3. Well done Lou! I too went on travels with my novel but only as far as my parents in Sussex where I continued to write it on their computer then failed miserably to e-mail it back to myself. My task today is to talk my poor computer-illiterate mother through 'sending e-mails with attachments'. My darling daughter also closed it down without saving it, losing 1,500 precious recently typed words... oh, and I broke my thumb. I feel like I'm running uphill in treacle.....

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  4. Tee hee! My word verification was an anagram of 'Stressee'. How apt!

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  5. Tattie: They did look so sweet, ploughing through their Waterstones basket of dreams

    Michelloui: It is really exciting. Hope I make it.

    Previously (Very) Lost in France: Blimey girl, stay home. How'dya break your thumb.... extreme sucking under stress? I still suck my thumb with a little cloth called a Gaga.... please don't tell anyone.

    Lost words.... too terrible to contemplate!

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  6. Awesome, Lou! I'm sure you will be able to meet the 50K mark! :) Thanks for dropping by my blog and for letting me know I'm not alone. :)

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  7. In awe at your tippy-typing. No stopping you eh!

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  8. Len: I'm so determined to get there.... I WANT TO BE PUBLISHED.... echo, echo, echo...(one day)

    MadameSmokinGun: You write like an angel, I love reading your stuff...c'mon write a book... y'know ya want to.

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  9. I came over from Len's. What a great site. How could I have missed it? Anyhow, I'm just north of New South Wales, the Australian one, ha ah. Love the post. Can just imagine the typing trip. I'm about at the same as your for NaNo. Just worked out I have to average 3,000 a day or I'll trip over. But I'll get there and so will you.

    I take my netbook with me to the library when I can. I get a lot more done than at home with all the interruptions. Luckily I've got a good bolt hole.

    Glad you made the most of the return trip. What a long day out!!

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  10. L'Aussie: Welcome aboard, your site is fab, count me in. I'm struggling today with my words, the house is in desperate need of a clean and I've got to take the kidlets swimming. Also there's news of big snow coming brrrr!

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  11. Wow- 35k is fantastic, well done :)....love the tube pic too

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  12. Outstanding job! keep up the great work and never give up! yOur an inspiration! Happy Thanksgiving by the way!

    Cheers!

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  13. Rachel: 50,418 words now, yipee

    natural selection: orry, bit late, Happy Thanksgiving yerself. I'm all inspired out now, bit of a rest and then I'll start the editing (apparently it needs to be more like 80,000 words....another 30,000 should be easy-peasy SHE LIED!)

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