A new age

I've recently discovered technology. Sort of. You see, I'm used to writing story plans by hand, using my favourite type of pen (blue papermate, if you must know). This includes character profiles, settings, chapter summaries, history... The sort of thing that takes up a lot of time and ink and leaves an indentation of the pen on your hand. You know what I mean. I excused it all though, because that was what writers did. They suffered for their art. Right?

Wrong! At least, in terms of handwriting a plan. I was complaining internally about having to write out the same character profiles for the fifth time because my ideas had changed (as ideas do) when a sort of revelation hit me: surely not everyone goes through this torture?

I asked around. Turns out, I'm one of the last few dinosaurs who actually bother with such an extensive waste of time.

My obsession

Have I ever told you about TV Tropes? I probably shouldn't say things like this but it's like my Bible for writing. Or my encyclopaedia. Or a very, very, very useful book. Whatever, it's a great website for all sorts of things.

Need to know what an epic is? TV Tropes. Not sure what Cyber Punk consists of? TV Tropes. Have an interest in tearjerkers? TV Tropes. Want an effective way of keeping toast crumbs out of the honey jar? Me too.

The point is, no matter what the genre, subgenre, category, cliché, popular phrase, media, topic, misconception is - TV TROPES HAS IT. At least, there was never anything I couldn't find on TV Tropes that had to do with any of those things.

Tools of my trade

I've gone all artsy and obscure this week. I've been considering what tools I use for writing and what I have to show for it. It's more than just about notebooks and pens, I wanted to look more closely at the basic instruments that allow me to write. For example, an athlete or a dancer use their bodies for what they do and it shows a lot in the way they look. Forget a nice crisp tracksuit or dark leggings, their passion shows in every muscle and bruise of their body (if they're really good and dedicated, that is).

What do I have? When it comes right down to it, my hands. And oh boy, are they interesting utensils for writing. Ladies and gentlemen, here I present to you the incredibly pretentious faux-art exhibit I'm calling "Hands":

This is a random dark area on my left hand that appeared a couple of years ago with no warning. Funny thing is, my 'twin' brother now has the same thing.

Rarely shared fiction

Earlier this year I entered a short story competition, held by Laura Thomas Communications. I didn't win. I didn't even get shortlisted. But I did have fun and I received a lot of useful advice, so it wasn't all in vain (I'm pretty sure I need to work on my endings...). Thanks to a drive to enter another competition, I didn't feel like writing much of a post today so here is my entry for your perusal:

Witches Aren't Born

Tansy Klemens, six year old chatterbox, had pushed her parents to exhaustion in anticipation of their visitor. She followed them around the house, pestering them with a hundred questions until they shut her in the playroom out of desperation. By five o’clock, Tansy had tired herself out and resigned to taking up a vigil by the window.

She saw the moment the mysterious guest arrived. A woman in a bright floral dress flew down in front of the house from a fluffy white cloud that descended gracefully from the sky. Once it was near the ground, the woman stepped off neatly and the cloud returned to its place in the sky.