Every year, during NaNoWriMo, I proudly pronounce myself Team Pantser, and that's still the case. I am so proud to wear my knickers like Superman and fly by the seat of my pants through NaNo (metaphorically, of course), but that is only with respect to planning the novel. When it comes to Preptober - trust me, I am a prepper.
When I finished NaNoWriMo as a winner for the first time, it was my second attempt. I wrote at college, I wrote on the bus, I wrote at home and for the first three days I had no idea what I was writing. Some of it was utter garbage, it was a stream of consciousness, but I was writing, and I was doing it at speed. The novel that was born in that competition was eventually dedicated to my toaster, my kettle, and my mum. I've proved since then that I don't need to be living with my mum (and relying on her for cooking dinners and making brews) to finish as a winner, but right at that point, I needed her as much as I needed to win.
Over the next few years, I have gotten faster and faster with writing and I've also gotten better and better at preparing myself. October 31st tends to be a day where I nap after work and I get myself a pizza and from midnight, I eat pizza and write a couple of thousand words, but I know it's not just that. I have an idea of the number of events I will be going to, I have an idea of what I'm going to be writing with - typewriter, pen, and paper, something electrical... - and I have a plan for keeping myself healthy for at least the first week. I shop cook and freeze what I can and make sure I have bananas. There's plenty that I think about and make decisions on practical planning for NaNoWriMo.
As such, the @londonnano Instagram page is running a #preptober series of practical things to think about ahead of 31st October. Feel free to follow us, like, comment or message. I'll be writing some blogs on the subjects that are posted up there, too!
Showing posts with label actually writing stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label actually writing stuff. Show all posts
3 Oct 2019
10 May 2019
An Ode to Chivalry,
"CHIVALRY AIN'T DEAD, Y'KNOW?" Oh really? Are you sure?
Here's an idea; can we take chivalry and rebaptise it as human decency?
The reason I have an issue with this idea of chivalry is three main things. Chivalry is about the way a man treats a woman, particularly a woman whom he is romantically interested in and to me that excludes too many people because if you're not romantically interested in the person or they don't fit into your ideas of a woman or how a woman should behave, chivalry can go out of the window. The other issue is why is it that men only have to behave this way to women, and not to other men? The last is that sometimes it can feel a little condescending and I don't have time for that.
I went on a date recently where someone was acting with this old fashion idea of chivalry and it was lovely. He opened doors for me, pulled my chair out from the table (which confused me because I didn't know that was what he was going to do, but it was also really sweet) and generally treated me like a lady. It was quite a novel experience. Now, he is the type that would behave like that towards another man, not because he's interested in them, but just because he's a really nice person.
To me, opening a car door for someone, pulling out their chair for them, helping them carry their child's pushchair down the stairs to the Tube because otherwise, it's really not very accessible for them, they're the sort of things that should be done by everyone for everyone. In some cases, yes, it's better to offer the assistance and give the person the chance to decline, or even just signpost that you're doing something to be helpful 'Here, let me get that door for you' 'Do you need a hand?' and my favourite Irish expression of 'Will I help you with your pushchair?' I had someone grab hold of the front of the buggy of the child I was nannying and take off down the stairs at top speed. The assistance was appreciated except for the fact that I nearly lost my grip of the buggy and nearly fell more than once, and that was quite scary. A bit of warning would have been lovely.
It's not just women who need assistance, even though I did read an article recently that stated that the world is designed for men, and I believe it is true in a lot of instances. It might be to do with hidden disabilities, or it might not be, but sometimes men need help, and sometimes a little expression of human kindness or decency from a stranger is enough to remind us that we are connected in this world; you have to put a hell of a lot of effort into being alone.
Last thing, and this is the controversial one, chivalry is from before the era of #thisgirlcan. In fact, it was far more #nowomancan. Women aren't going to dirty their pretty white gloves touching doors and now, we're more than capable of moving our own chairs. It might be a minority, but there are still people who insist on doing these things for us and calling us dear whilst thinking of us as delicate little flowers who mustn't do things for ourselves. It's outdated, but it happens. If you see a woman struggling to carry something heavy, there's nothing wrong with saying, 'That looks heavy, do you need any help?' but is it very condescending to say 'Oh you poor dear, let me take that from you.' because you think she can't do it. Yes, women these days do themselves an injury trying to do things they should ask for help with, but to assume you know better about what she can do is doing her a disservice, and then she'd prefer to have the injury than the help.
TL;DR: Don't be an arsehole. Offer to help, and do it for everyone. Catch you later.
Here's an idea; can we take chivalry and rebaptise it as human decency?
The reason I have an issue with this idea of chivalry is three main things. Chivalry is about the way a man treats a woman, particularly a woman whom he is romantically interested in and to me that excludes too many people because if you're not romantically interested in the person or they don't fit into your ideas of a woman or how a woman should behave, chivalry can go out of the window. The other issue is why is it that men only have to behave this way to women, and not to other men? The last is that sometimes it can feel a little condescending and I don't have time for that.
I went on a date recently where someone was acting with this old fashion idea of chivalry and it was lovely. He opened doors for me, pulled my chair out from the table (which confused me because I didn't know that was what he was going to do, but it was also really sweet) and generally treated me like a lady. It was quite a novel experience. Now, he is the type that would behave like that towards another man, not because he's interested in them, but just because he's a really nice person.
To me, opening a car door for someone, pulling out their chair for them, helping them carry their child's pushchair down the stairs to the Tube because otherwise, it's really not very accessible for them, they're the sort of things that should be done by everyone for everyone. In some cases, yes, it's better to offer the assistance and give the person the chance to decline, or even just signpost that you're doing something to be helpful 'Here, let me get that door for you' 'Do you need a hand?' and my favourite Irish expression of 'Will I help you with your pushchair?' I had someone grab hold of the front of the buggy of the child I was nannying and take off down the stairs at top speed. The assistance was appreciated except for the fact that I nearly lost my grip of the buggy and nearly fell more than once, and that was quite scary. A bit of warning would have been lovely.
It's not just women who need assistance, even though I did read an article recently that stated that the world is designed for men, and I believe it is true in a lot of instances. It might be to do with hidden disabilities, or it might not be, but sometimes men need help, and sometimes a little expression of human kindness or decency from a stranger is enough to remind us that we are connected in this world; you have to put a hell of a lot of effort into being alone.
Last thing, and this is the controversial one, chivalry is from before the era of #thisgirlcan. In fact, it was far more #nowomancan. Women aren't going to dirty their pretty white gloves touching doors and now, we're more than capable of moving our own chairs. It might be a minority, but there are still people who insist on doing these things for us and calling us dear whilst thinking of us as delicate little flowers who mustn't do things for ourselves. It's outdated, but it happens. If you see a woman struggling to carry something heavy, there's nothing wrong with saying, 'That looks heavy, do you need any help?' but is it very condescending to say 'Oh you poor dear, let me take that from you.' because you think she can't do it. Yes, women these days do themselves an injury trying to do things they should ask for help with, but to assume you know better about what she can do is doing her a disservice, and then she'd prefer to have the injury than the help.
TL;DR: Don't be an arsehole. Offer to help, and do it for everyone. Catch you later.
28 Jan 2018
Wonders Will Never Cease,
Today has been pretty extraordinary. Well, yesterday by now.
Since the tragic loss of the novel, I have been really awful at convincing myself to sit down and write for a decent period of time. I have been terrible at the blogging thing for a while as well so to get a blog (two now) and some novel done within the same day is kind of incredible. I keep drinking gin though and I should really switch to coffee because I am starting to get a headache from being tired. I can also feel my eyelids dropping which is never conducive to getting words on the screen (which I genuinely called hypothetical paper in my head before I could find the word screen).
Part of me knows it's because I love the characters. They're incredible and I love them and they are really easy to write about, but I think it's also because this is the part of the year where I start waking up a bit. Winter is not my time of year. I like snow, I tolerate Christmas, but I was a Spring baby. I can do spring, summer, and autumn but as soon as winter hits I just get cold, grumpy and I feel like the only things in my wardrobe are jet black or navy.
Anyway, I felt the need to celebrate the achievement. I will now continue to celebrate by rewarding myself with some sleep.
Catch you later.
Since the tragic loss of the novel, I have been really awful at convincing myself to sit down and write for a decent period of time. I have been terrible at the blogging thing for a while as well so to get a blog (two now) and some novel done within the same day is kind of incredible. I keep drinking gin though and I should really switch to coffee because I am starting to get a headache from being tired. I can also feel my eyelids dropping which is never conducive to getting words on the screen (which I genuinely called hypothetical paper in my head before I could find the word screen).
Part of me knows it's because I love the characters. They're incredible and I love them and they are really easy to write about, but I think it's also because this is the part of the year where I start waking up a bit. Winter is not my time of year. I like snow, I tolerate Christmas, but I was a Spring baby. I can do spring, summer, and autumn but as soon as winter hits I just get cold, grumpy and I feel like the only things in my wardrobe are jet black or navy.
Anyway, I felt the need to celebrate the achievement. I will now continue to celebrate by rewarding myself with some sleep.
Catch you later.
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