Pinterest for Writers and ROW 80 Check - In.

Why Do I Have A Picture of The Olsen Hotel? Read and Find Out!

Writing Challenge:

Today is not so much a challenge to write, but a challenge to help writing. 

My best friend laughed at me when on the weekend I said I had finally discovered Pinterest. However, no one told me how amazingly useful it could be for a writer!

For those of you who, like me, might have seen it referred to but don't actually know what it is: Pinterest is basically a website for scrap-booking pictures from everywhere - uploading your photographs, 'pinning' pictures from wesbites, 'repinning' pictures from other people's Pinterest boards, etc. 

You start your own profile, and then you can create boards. You give the board a title, pick a genre such as 'architecture', and start pinning away. You scourge the internet, and using the little pin it bookmark thingy, it will automatically add any picture you choose to your board, where you can also add a short description. As it always links back to the original photograph, the copyright issues are different to blogging (you aren't claiming it's your photograph.) 

You might have clicked onto why this is so great for writers: book story-boarding!

On Saturday I started a storyboard for my 1920's Romance - After The Winter. I started with looking at 1920's fashion websites, and pulled out some fabulous pictures for some of the different dresses she could wear in various scenes. I then moved onto looking up 1920's cars for my playboy (I've gone with a Bugatti, is super sexy). I had in my mind set the majority of the action in an expanded version of an Italian town I visited while I was there - Piedeluco. So I went through and found fantastic shots of the town and uploaded a few of my own. I also picked out certain places for where they would first meet. But, being imaginary, I then took some pictures from a piazza in a town on the Almalfi Coast because it was just perfect for a series of cafe scenes. I also have images of the two actors I would get to play my main characters. As I was looking for pictures, I came across little bits of information, or details, which I will have to go an add in, because they are just interesting. 

And now, people are following my board because they love the feel of all the images. So, when the actual book comes out... well, hopefully they will like that too! I can also point potential agents towards it saying 'here, get a feel for the book'. 

So, I challenge you to start your own Pinterest board for one of your books. There are plenty of images around us, and it gives a whole new dimension to your writing. Once you've started it, add your board link to the comments below and we will come and visit!

ROW 80 Check - In:

So, continuing with my Round of Words in 80 Days writing challenge, which very conveniently adapts each check-in to what I think I can accomplish. My goal has been to write a post or article each day. How did I go?

Thursday I did my actual Check - In for 100FD, a day late but it made a better story, which covered all my Thursday posts. 

Friday I turned my Personal Fitness Base Camp post on ITB syndrome (common in runners) into an article for submission with Unique Article Wizard (aff link).

Saturday I can't actually remember what I did... hmmm... that's a bit worrying because the entire day seems to be gone. Oh well, possibly didn't do any writing that day. Though at some stage on the weekend I did create some articles for submission based on The Five Day Writer's Retreat. The new website should be up and running this week, which will be awesome. It looks amazing (I've got a graphic designer working on it for me :D). So, later in the week, drop by www.thefivedaywriter.com.

Sunday I started my Pinterest board, which you are welcome to follow if you would like to see what other images I add about the book. I also wrote out my Half Marathon training report for this week (completed all training, though in a different order, and lost the weight I had set out to do, so yah!), though didn't post it.

And then... Well, I had planned to come home from church and publish articles on all three of my blogs (have you checked out www.buffyandgod.com yet? My newest blog, on practical theology.) However, after church I got invited out to dinner which was great. On the tram home at 11pm at night, thinking it might be a bit late but I can get at least the fitness post published, I start going through my bag to find my house keys. Hmmm... 

I get off the tram so I don't miss my stop, and sit down in the empty shopping centre to go through my bag more thoroughly. 

After emptying absolutely everything out of my bag, I had to conclude that I had left my keys in my apartment.

Add to that, my mobile phone battery had died. 

Now normally my best friend would have a spare key, and she was working night shift at the hospital, so it would have been a bit of a bother catching the tram back into town, but doable without inconveniencing anyone else. 

However, she had recently given me back my key so I could lend it to someone who was going to be crashing, but didn't. So it was still on my key ring, in my apartment.

My other spare key? With my family in a small country town an hour out of Melbourne. No phone, and the trains wouldn't be running. 

Locksmith? No number, no phone. 

And I couldn't bring myself to just turn up on a friend's door step, hoping they wouldn't be asleep when I rang the bell. 

So, instead, I just walked into the nearest hotel and said 'Do you have a room for the night?'. 

The first place, I have to admit, didn't have a room, and suggested I needed to get more friends (how rude!), but the second place was happy to accommodate me. They are also one of the more expensive hotels in Melbourne! (I stayed at the Olsen, for anyone who wants to know. Justin Bieber stayed there when he recently came and did a tour. It's a little bit trendy and hip, but also just a few blocks from my apartment). 

Luckily they had a phone charger and in the end my mother agreed to drive down and drop my key to me, as I also had a medical appointment today in the city which made it hard for me to get up to her and back. 

But, it was distressing, slightly fun and adventurous, and I'm very glad I have a credit card so didn't need to sleep on the streets. It is also why I didn't post last night.

Don't forgot to post your Pinterest board in the comments! I'd love to see what you are all working on. (Except if it's erotica, maybe no boards for that.)

ANZAC Day Challenge and ROW 80 Check-In

Lest We Forget

For all of you not in Australia, you might not have realised, but today is one of our most important public holidays: ANZAC day.

It is a celebration and recognition of what our armed forces have sacrificed. It marks the anniversary of the first military action Australia served in, in World War I (we are a pretty new country, aren't we?). The Australian and New Zealand forces landed at Gallipoli on the 25th April, 1915. It was a complete disaster militarily speaking - 8 months and 8,000 Australian's died (which when you think how small we were, it was a huge number). However, it became an important part of our national identity, as the ANZACs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) were brave, and courageous, and everything you would hope you would be if faced with that situation.

(If you don't know anything about the landing at Gallipoli, I highly recommend the movie with a very young Mel Gibson in it).

Now the day also commemorates all our soldiers since then.  It is probably one of our biggest national celebrations. 

Melbourne Dawn Service, Today.

As an Australian Army Cadet, I used to get to match in the parade with all the soldiers, carrying their banners. Still remember the time when after we had finished one of the old soldiers told me it was a tradition that you had to kiss the Sergeant Major. 

'Oh, who's the Sergeant Major?' I asked completely innocently. 

'Me.' He said with a cheeky grin.

Writing Challenge:

So, for today's check-in (which is a day late, I know, but this makes it more interesting) I'm going to give you an ANZAC day themed writing challenge. It's pretty simple:

Think on the words lest we forget for a full five minutes, looking at them in different ways, and then write anything that comes.  

ROW 80 Check-In:

My goal was to keep trying to write at least one blog post or article per lunch break. 

Monday I wrote up my half marathon training report for last week for Personal Fitness Base Camp. (Two weeks complete, yah! And I'm starting to be better at handling the longer distances, I think.)

Tuesday I tried writing my inspirational piece for the ROW 80 blog, but have kept that as a writing challenge for Sunday, and instead took part from The Five Day Writer's Retreat and turned that into a silly, but hopefully amusing post for Kait. 

Wednesday I started my brand new blog! I had always meant to have the three: Writing - Fitness - Theology. And finally I do. Buffy and God - The Blog is up and running! I was also super happy I could get www.buffyandgod.com as my domain. I mean, yeah, how many other people would want that? But still, I'm glad it is all mine now. 

Thursday - It's a public holiday, so I didn't have a lunch time, but I've started putting together a video review of Lite'n'Easy, a weightloss program in Australia, which will go on Personal Fitness Base Camp, as well as my YouTube Channel. 

I have also posted on PFBC today about IT Band syndrome (common problem for runners, and how to fix it. Growing up in a medical family does have it's advantages, just saying.)

I've done this post for 100 FD.

And I'm still hoping to post on Buffy and God - The Blog about faith. It might have to be saved as a draft and published tomorrow, though. 

So, I think that is a kick ass effort, if I do say so myself.

Now, I want everyone's opinion. All ROWers and 100FD fans, what do you think:

I'm looking to my new self-publishing project (or perhaps I'll try and get it traditionally published if someone snaps it up soon enough.) And there are three options:

1. Castle Innis book 1 - the first draft is 90% complete. Late 1700's historical adventure/romance. (see Synopses for a more detailed description.)

2. After the Winter - my nanowrimo from 2012, probably 70% complete (as I need to re-write the beginning as well). It's a 1920's romance set by the Italian Lakes. 

3. A completely new, unthought of Chic Lit. As my little sister very kindly pointed out today 'You could write from experience '30 and still single', but add in the perfect guy at the end.' Thank you Jenny! But yes, yes I could. And maybe I would be lucky and it would make the guy materialise. (Anyone else seen Ruby Sparks?) 

So, those are the three options I'm looking at for the moment. Anyone with feelers out in the market, historical romance still going strong? Better off with chic lit? How do we feel about the 1920's? Great Gatsby is coming out to the movies soon, so that could increase interest.

Last Chance to Win 'Bird By Bird'!

Just a reminder, you have another 12 hours to enter the Trim'n'Taut writing competition in order to win a copy of Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird.

Quite a few people have commented, but no one has actually left an official entry!

So, be the first and you could be the winner!

Yours,
Buffy.

Time To Rejoice in Small Victories

ROW 80 Check In: 

You will notice that there is no writing challenge today. 

On one hand, you could be cynical and think this is because I'm too tired to think of one. Or, you could be positive and see it as purposeful ploy to point you towards my last writing challenge: Trim'n'Taut. The challenge is to take an entire story, and trim away all the side plots, etc., until you get a tweet length summary of the book. I opened this up as a writing compeition, with the prize of a copy of Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird for the best entry. The competition closes on Wednesday 24th April, so you still have a few more days to think of an idea and post it!

So, my goal was to write an article or blog post every lunch break. 

How did I do? 

I think 'atrociously' comes close to summing it up. 

Thursday I was just flattened by the time I got to lunch, and so contented myself with visiting other ROWer's blogs for inspiration, safe in the knowledge that I had Friday off from work so would be able to make up for it then. 

Come Friday, I managed to get to the gym to do my half marathon training (I've just started training for my first half marathon. Read more over at Personal Fitness Base Camp), and then had planned to go shopping, do my wriging, and then go out to dinner with friends. Instead, I took a 4 hours afternoon nap and had to rush to meet up with my friends. Got home late after a cocktail had gone quite to my head (yes, have lost all my college training, cannot take more than one drink now) and so collapsed into bed without another thought. 

But that was okay, I could make it up Saturday! I knew I had to attend a family lunch (my grandmother has just turned 98! I have some awesome genes. Just saying) and then said I would come for dinner at my brother's new house (yes, he's finally moved out of home, again.) But I could still write in the morning. Except for the small fact that I was meant to have gotten my grandmother's present on Friday when I went shopping which I didn't do. So instead I was rushed around trying to find a present, drove out to my parents, had a fantastic lunch with family (grandmother was very happy to have all her children and half of her grandchildren there), visited my brother, went to see movie with my brother and sister, and then got home tired. So I just went to bed.

And to be honest, today almost didn't happen either. 

But it has. So, I suppose, that is a small victory. 

When you can't make large victories, you might as well rejoice in the small ones. 

Don't forget to add your entry for Trim'N'Taut writing competition!

Trim'n'Taut Writing Challenge with a Prize and ROW 80 Check In

Courtesy of Glen Pebley, at stock.xchng

Trim'n'Taut Writing Challenge:

Last check in I gave you the transformer writing challenge: to take a tweet or Facebook status update and like a transformer, keep unfolding it until you had a story outline. 

Well, today we are going the opposite way. The challenge is to take a full story and trim it  down into the length of a tweet. 

Why?

Well, first of all it helps you really focus in on the key elements of a story.

Second, it is a great skill for pitching. If you can think of the snappiest way to present your whole story, rather than rambling on for 3 hours trying to describe everything, you just might be able to pick up a publisher while in an elevator. 

Third, we all like to tweet about our books, don't we? 

To make it more interesting, I'm offering a prize to the best attempt in the comments. I'm going to offer a copy of Anne Lamott's fantastic book on writing 'Bird By Bird' because I believe every writer should read it at some stage. 

There are three categories, but the overall winner will be from any of them.

The beginner level challenge is to take a short story or a TV episode and try to condense it all down into one sentence. 

(I will just say that my best friend is very good at this, harsh and cruelly so. When I won a creative writing award at college she came up and said 'I hope it wasn't for that story where he ran, ran, ran and then fell off a cliff.' Of course it was, and unfortunately that was a pretty accurate description of the piece, but hey they still gave me the award!) 

The advanced level is to take a novel or movie and try trimming it down. 

Finally, the expert level is to take an entire series and strip away everything until you have the key element. 

The result should be identifiable as the original story, and extra points if you can make it sound interesting and engaging as well. 

This is open for a week until I sit down to write my post next Wednesday 24th April. Anyone in the world can enter, you just have to be prepared to give me your address so I can get Amazon to ship you out the book.

ROW 80 Check In:

So my goal was to write a blog post or article each working day. 

My ROW 80 check in for Sunday was a bit late and got posted on Monday instead, so that sort of counts as I did a post for Personal Fitness Base Camp on Sunday reviewing my first week of training for a half marathon. 

Tuesday I did my Killer Online Platform post here on 100FD about how to build your own website. I had already put together a lot of this and saved it as a draft. However, I spent my lunchtime adding more, and then int he evening had to do further research to respond to a question in the comments (which was a great question).

I wanted to do another post for Personal Fitness Base Camp, but just couldn't think of anything to say other than that our prayers are with those affected by the Boston Marathon attacks. It was such a shock to me, as I start my training for my first half marathon, to imagine what it would be like getting to the end of a marathon and have your world crumble down like that. 

The newspapers today reported about the 9 year old boy who was waiting to give his dad a hug at the finish line and was killed by the explosion. My heart went out to the father, who had just pushed himself through the wall, pushed himself to the finish line, used up all his reserves, about to celebrate, and instead is now facing the worst emotional marathon of his life. 

All I could do was prayer.

Strangely it has made me take my training a bit more seriously. 

Then today I spent my lunch break checking out other blog posts by ROWers. When I got home I tried to record a new video blog (sort of difficult all by yourself, but I'm getting the hang of it, and have finally managed to connect up my DSLR with my Mac, so I can control it via my laptop, which makes things a lot easier.)

And now I'm writing this post. So, overall, I'm counting that as a win! 

So, let's see how I go for the rest of the week.

Don't forget to add a trim'n'taut story tweet in the comments for your change to win a copy of Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott!