I Need To Write About Something

I've been staring at my document named 'Assignment 6' and nothing is coming to me.  I've been reading some old newspapers, because well, they're old (July!) and I should have read them ages ago.  Was supposed to actually get to the 'travel' bit but never did.

Tomorrow is Friday, and that means the weekend, so I can get back to the stuff I enjoy - fiction.  (Although I do enjoy writing non-fiction - it just comes harder to me and I'm not so confident it's really that interesting, or worse, I'm too opinionated).  I've tended to work on The Wedding Favour though I do have a fan fiction story I really want finished.  I've been thinking about the story a lot lately, especially as I'm reading Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide To Writing Romance.  Though this book is a little bit more relating to Mills and Boon type romance, and I'm thinking of turning my story more into a chick-lit.  However, romance rules still apply, and I am wondering whether the conflict is strong enough, and if I've got a 'black' moment in there.

I think I'm just going to write it, and then go back and sharpen it up.  Get the gist down on paper (or on screen) and go from there.  I've thought of some stuff to tag onto the end, which wouldn't have been there if this story had remained intended for Mills and Boon.  Oh and I'm not sure if it will remained named The Wedding Favour, but it will stay as a working title for the time being.

And talking of romance, lots of my 'Mills and Boon' competition writing pals are doing NaNoWriMo and a part of me wishes I'd just done it so that I could have put off assignment 6 for another month!  And joined in with all the fun!  It's not like I don't have some story ideas floating around my head trying to muscle in on Sophie and Adam.  I have a vampire that maybe called Maggie and in another story I have a hero who is begging to be called Steve (inspired by All About Steve), though he may have to pretend to be called Sean in his search for normality.

My problem with trying to write articles and hence do my assignments, is that I'm crap at reading magazines - the research bit!  Except Writing Magazine - I'll read that cover to cover!  Sainsbury's Magazine is good too, and reasonable at £1.40 if you compare that to Good Housekeeping at a whopping £3.50.  But I'm a poor housewife, I can't fork out this sort of money on magazines - especially when I'm lame about making time to read them.  Because if I've got time to read... I want to pick up my book(s) - there's three on the go at the moment.  One non-fictional, another is the one I mentioned above and then I'm currently reading a Mills and Boon (because I thought I'd get through it quickly and keep me on target - only 5 to go!).

Thanks to Writing Magazine I have created some think pieces but they do need editing.  I bashed them out.  But I need to think of one more then I can choose which one will actually be my written article for assignment 6.  I wish that would be just it... I'd probably have it done by now.  But I've got to then write a travel piece, too.  I think this is what always daunts me about the assignments.  They sometimes don't feel like little 'chunks'.

And I'm waiting on December issue to come through my door to see if I made it on the 'Letters Page' of Writing Magazine, talking about NaNoWriMo of all things!  I will let you know.

Well, I've done something constructive this evening... I've updated my blog.