Video killed the radio star...

Above is the photo I took at the end of the video I made of myself reading out loud (obviously) the short story for January 2016. The plan is to upload this recording to YouTube on the first Sunday of January. This is so more people are aware of my stories and also so I get practise at reading stories out loud, because that is totally a thing that I will need to do once I am published. 

I will post again when I actually upload the video on Sunday 3rd January. I've got things ready quite early but CHRISTMAS is coming and that has quite a way of disrupting plans 🎄🎁

I wasn't terrible when I watched the video back. Usually I find it really strange hearing myself as my voice is quite high itched, but this time I didn't sound like I'd knocked back some helium! I'm a bit nervous about putting a video of myself online but then I figure that not many people are going to see it anyway so it doesn't really matter.

Today is also my birthday 🎈 so you should check my Twitter or Instagram if you want to see photos of the fab cake I made 🎂🍰😄

Take care,

Victoria

First roll of the story dice!

So as you can see from above this is the roll of the dice I have to work with to create a short story for January 2016. Hm... I will definitely have to think about this one. I've got no certain ideas right away. A love story perhaps between a book seller and a fruit seller who get involved with a car chase and a mystery? Maybe.

Take care,

Victoria

I failed Nanowrimo, but that's ok.

Well, writing didn't go as well as I hoped it would this Nanowrimo. However I'm not going to let that get me down. I'm still continuing on with the Lady of Smoke and Mirrors story (20,157 words as of this post). I'm going to keep writing that story until it's finished and then I'm going to let someone other than myself read it! This is my pledge for 2016.
I did have the excellent excuse that I started a new job the same time as Nanowrimo and so I didn't have the time or energy to devote to it, but then I also didn't put aside enough time for Nanowrimo. Swings and roundabouts really.

I'm also organising a project with my writing group to create a story collection around the theme of Milton Keynes to celebrate the 50th birthday of Milton Keynes in 2017. I've created a website to keep track of what's happening with the project here: http://mk50storycollection.blogspot.co.uk/ The stories need to be in by 1st May 2016, so that's another project I've got to work on. I'm going to develop that 'fairy tale of Milton Keynes' idea I've had knocking about in my head for a while. Basically fairies in the shopping centre. I'll post more about that as I develop the idea. That's another pledge for 2016.

My third pledge for 2016 is to blog more. This isn't much of a writing blog and so I am going to do the challenge of writing a short story each month. I picked up a set of story dice from Tiger Store in the centre the other week and so I'm going to use those as a prompt for a story to post online each month. Feel free to join in! I'll post what roll of the dice I got later and then I will post the story in January.

I'm feeling positive about my writing projects as we move into the New Year. I have a plan! It's always nice to have a plan, or at least goals of some sort.

Take care,

Victoria

Municipal Liason = organising ninja!

I've been busy organising meet ups for Nanowrimo at Central Library. Information about which can be found in the Milton Keynes Region Forum and the Milton Keynes Nano Facebook Group.
I'm a little unsure as to whether to organise a Come Write In at Central Library for each of the Saturdays in November as I'm no longer working at that library and so I won't be there each Saturday to host the Write Ins and make sure everyone is ok. However writers are hardly souls and I'm sure can amuse themselves with their own writing. Or at least, they should be able to!

I'm also being bitten by a different plot bunny to the one I was plotting out for Nanowrimo. I need to put this one in a hutch so that I can concentrate on what I have planned! And that is what I'm planning to do today - plot some more so that I have a plan of where this story is going. Yes. I have a plan! Shocking I know.

Take care.

Nanowrimo 2015 and a (3rd) Prize Winning Story from 2012

Hello all!

My account at Nanowrimo is all updated with my new project and can  be found here: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/quothvictoria 
I am Municipal Liason for Milton Keynes once again so I will be making plans for Write Ins at Central Library in Milton Keynes for each Saturday in November. There will probably be other meet ups and writing related adventures which will be posted about here: http://nanowrimo.org/regions/europe-england-milton-keynes

My Ella story that I had started at a previous Nanowrimo has stalled. I still like the story but I just can't seem to write write the darn thing! So that's going on hold for this new project for November.

I'm going to post below an old story that I wrote for the Speakeasy writing competition in 2012. I won 3rd Prize! I still have the certificate. It was a very proud moment for me. It was strange re-reading this story because it's quite an eerie tale and I didn't think I was that good at writing stories like that.
I hope that you enjoy reading it.

ttfn.

October - Count down to Nanowrimo!

Well, a lot of exciting things have been happening. None of which are novel related. Mostly it's the fact that I have a new job which is looming in my mind. But it's a good looming. An exciting new start!
Also starting next month will be Nanowrimo once more. And once more I will be entering. I'm starting a new project as my current projects are annoying me with their unfinished-ness. Which is totally a word, by the way.
I'm blaming watching a glut of Hiiro no Kakera on Crunchyroll for this idea appearing in my head. I just kept thinking of mysterious forests and supernatural boys.

Working title: The Lady of Smoke and Mirrors

Basic Synopsis: Her mother had always refused to talk about her family but the girl wanted to know more about where she came from and the father that died before she was born and whose death had driven her mother from her ancestral home. She travels secretly to a small village in a mountain covered in a pine forest. Here she discovers the strange legacy of her family and the families that border the forest and whose fates and bloodlines are all tied to that ancient forest and the beast that is sealed there.

Working Novel Cover:

Novel cover photo found here: http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-smoke-and-smouldering-ashes-after-a-pine-tree-forest-fire-was-put-14587150.html

This of course may all change by the time November starts, but for now this is what I'm working with. Just need to decide on some names and finalise characters. And plot of course. 

ttfn.

Well Hello There

Right. I have signed up to Camp Nanowrimo here: http://campnanowrimo.org/campers/quothvictoria in the hope that this Summer will be the season where I actually finish a novel ready to be read by someone other than the gremlins on my computer.
I'm an optimist.

I still can't decide which project to focus on -
Magical School
Mermaids and Privateers
Or just Something Completely Different?

I think it's going to have to be the Mermaids. I've been working on that project for months now and have done a lot of world building and planning. It's just the actually wriitng of the actual novel that I seem to not be able to do. Hm.
My goal is 30,000 words in July which works out at under 1000 words a day. That should be totally doable. Totally.

Oh well....