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.)