Snow Pictures for Research...

Woke up today to find last night's light snow had actually left a couple of centimetres around the place, so I decided to take some pictures before it thawed or got trampled.



Overnight snowfall

There's a stillness with undisturbed snow. You could imagine yourself in any time period at moments like that, as the everyday sounds are muffled and don't intrude on your awareness.




All's Quiet in the Garden

I suppose I really should be taking advantage of this snowy scene
to get on with the Christmas story that was intruding last
week.

I'll probably write out the couple of scenes that have developed
over the weekend with the snow getting my thoughts working.

I will be putting my weekly total on my blog somewhere, plus a
running total.

Visiting Blackbirds

We've been putting a variety of food out to cater to the
assorted birds, big and small that have been landing in the garden.

The two Blackbirds are regulars from early morning to late dusk.


So I'm off to get on with my Monday chores so I have time to start
on this week's word count.

Safe travels if you are out and about.



Finding a Balance...

The good news is that since Monday I have exceeded my weekly minimum 500 words. Now I just have to keep with it.

I did 382 words on the novella, and am now ready to tackle the next scene, bringing my hero and heroine back into close proximity; after a short chapter where they weren't together, but the hero was there in the discussion that took place...

I'd intended to get on with that scene, but I had to get this other story out of my brain. I really couldn't write a scene between one couple, when another pair were telling me about their history.

Some characters have less patience than others...

So I decided to write the notes down in whatever order they came out- settings, back story, snippets of dialogue, secondary characters and important moments all mixed together.

As the story is set around Christmas and there is a snow involved, it was useful to be able to sit at my desk and look out of my office window, watching the snow fall, noting the movement and appearance on different surfaces.

In less than two hours I'd added 880 words to my total. And my brain is now clear to get on with the Nottinghamshire novella, while my subconscious continues cogitating this Christmas story.

It's always bothered me that whenever I start to write what I intend to be a short story, or a piece of flash fiction, I get to the end and it has turned into a scene from something that needs to be so much longer to be right...

But I've decided there's no point worrying about it. I'm grateful that I have enough ideas to choose from for when my current project is completed. And unless I make a concentrated effort to stick with one story, I won't get anywhere, so I mustn't let myself get side-tracked as I have before.

So week one of my new plan has been a success- so far...

Total: 1,262.