Michelle's Blog

21 day challenge: the verdict

michelleteasdale — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:38:05 +0000

I definitely found that my motivation was highest at the start and tailed off towards the end, although other work got in the way in the third week too. Overall I found it a great kick-start to my writing, and, in a smiliar vein to NaNoWriMo, it forced me to just get the words out on the page, without worrying about the quality too much at first.

In 21 days I wrote:
12 haikus
5 poems
6 pieces of flash fiction

I have submitted some stuff to competitions and magazines as well. So whilst not a wildly over-productive 3 weeks, I’m pretty pleased with what I achieved.

21-day challenge: Update

michelleteasdale — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:57:05 +0000

After a great start, I have had a couple of days off from the writing, mainly due to working 12hr shifts at work. Am back on the writing wagon today, though, have just finished a short, short story and feel motivated to keep going…

21-Day Challenge: Days 2 and 3

michelleteasdale — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 21:26:02 +0000

It’s funny, isn’t it, how when you think you have time to write, you don’t get much done, and when you are tired and time-pressed you can achieve great things. I wrote one poem yesterday, but today have written two poems and three haikus (? what is the plural of haiku). I think what this challenge is teaching me so far is that I can write in short snatches of time, and still produce work I am reasonably happy with. Every second counts.

Also came across this link from MsLexia – online poetry workshops to help you prepare for their poetry competition (deadline in July).

21-Day Challenge: Day 1

michelleteasdale — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:30:51 +0000

Well despite working a twelve hour shift today, I managed to get quite a bit of writing done: 3 haikus (short, I know!), an ode and a piece of flash fiction (wrote in the staff room on my lunch break). Might take a notebook to bed and try to do something else later on, too. Am feeling very motivated, which is normal, I guess, as it’s only the first day… I think what I want to achieve out of this challenge is to give myself no barriers to creativity – not waiting for inspiration, to just get down to it and get some words out (and worry about all the editing and everything later). I suppose I also want to build a library of writing pieces and poems that I can polish up and send out to competitions throughout the year.

Bring it on!

21-Day Challenge: Day -1

michelleteasdale — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:26:27 +0000

Oops I confused myself the other day, the challenge starts tomorrow, and not today. Today is still part of the harvesting-ideas stage, and the building-up of motivation. Actually, tomorrow’s big first day will not be an open window of writing opportunities, as I’m working a 12.5hr shift, so will have to squeeze it in where I can.

21-Day Challenge: Day -2

michelleteasdale — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:24:39 +0000

Two days to go until the official start of my 21-day writing challenge (to write as many poems / flash pieces / short stories as possible in 21 days). I feel exhausted by my day job, but determined to gather some ideas together ready for Wednesday… already have an idea for a haiku about summer, a poem about Sissinghurst (where I visited recently) and a short story set in a strange world where humans live in rabbit-warrens (not my usual style at all!). I intend to spend a bit of time tonight jotting down ideas, so that when I get going I am not facing a blank page.

Journalism success!

michelleteasdale — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:27:43 +0000

Having a bit of a ‘Yay’ moment today – my first ever paid commission for a piece of freelance journalism has been published in today’s Independent.

Summertime…and the writing is easy

michelleteasdale — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:21:52 +0000

After hearing Vanessa Gebbie speak the other day, and having flicked once again through her ‘Short Circuit‘ book (brilliant, by the way), I’ve been fired up on the writing-front. Last week I finished a short story, and last night I wrote a flash piece for the Winning Words weekly flash challenge (the theme this week is ‘discovery’). I have lots of ideas for my next novel, but am putting them on hold until at least August so I can mentally have a break and play around with some shorter pieces. I don’t know how novelists write back-to-back long pieces, it’s mentally exhausting I imagine. So I’m going to enjoy the diversion. I’m warming up for my 21-day writing challenge which starts in 10 days’ time: write as many short pieces and poems as is humanly possible in the 3 weeks from June 10th to 30th.

Winning Words gets a mention

michelleteasdale — Sun, 30 May 2010 16:56:18 +0000

Fabulous self-help writer Suzy Greaves blogged about the Winning Words launch party, and her star-struck moment with Rob Shearman.

Pictures from the event can be seen on the homepage.

Thanks to everyone who came, and especially to Vanessa Gebbie. Her talk was very inspirational. I can’t wait to put her advice to good use during the 21 Day Challenge!

News from The Bristol Prize

michelleteasdale — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:19:11 +0000

Exciting news from The Bristol Prize – in July next year, they are launching the Bristol Short Story Prize Festival, a day-long event culminating in the awards ceremony for the Prize. Local schools will also be involved.

The Longlist for the 2010 Prize was recently announced.