Writer's House Rules

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A brief note about the BBC's adaptation of "Parade's End." I'm truly saddened that it has finished. Did many of you watch it? I loved it but then I would -it's just my sort of thing. The protagonist, Christopher Tietjens was a fantastic character. He plays a top civil servant from a wealthy family who subsequently enlists during World War One. Whilst at the Somme, he proves to be an admirable leader whilst suffering from the effects of war, both physically and mentally. Whilst sitting out one particular heavy bombardment in the trenches, he declares to a fellow officer, "give me fourteen end rhymes of a sonnet and I'll write the lines. In under two minutes and a half." He does exactly so. 

I'm not sure if I could write a sonnet in so short a time but then I've never really tried. I would have to describe myself as a slow writer. Enid Blyton or Barbara Cartland I am not. I doubt whether I'll be capable of churning out one novel per year either. Writing historical fiction means that you have to research and put the work in. If it's not factually correct then your fiction is flawed and the readers will not be amused. So, depending upon your subject you could be spending many months researching and planning. But this is all part of the joy. If you love history it really is brilliant.

And remember, NaNoWrimo is almost upon us. How many of you out there are signing up to it this year? Can you be disciplined enough to write 1600 ish words per day for the month? If so, give it a try. You might surprise yourselves. 50000 words later and you're almost there with a novel. The chats are great too and the support is endless.





 The Writers House Rules

When the words refuse to flow,

Take a deep breath; take a break,
You are there purely for your sake.
Return to your place with pen in hand,
Resolve to make this your stand.

Shout out ideas to all who hear.

As the ink flows across the page
It does not matter if there is no wage.
This is your voice, your vehement chance,
Like a Knight, your pen is your lance.

Use it well to do your joust.

Let others see the results.
Do not worry about insults.
Persevere and do not sway,
You have to do this your way.

Keep the dream alive.

Keep the fires burning.
Stoke it; words are churning
In your head- upon the page.
Perseverance has delivered your wage.

             Suzy Henderson 2012-10-02


Comments

  1. Sasha @ The Bookshelf3 October 2012 at 00:53

    I'm excited for NaNoWriMo this year. Hopefully I'll do better than last year! :P It's all about the conviction. And even if you don't finish, it's still a wonderful exercise.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Suzy Henderson3 October 2012 at 21:39

    Hi Sasha,
    Thanks for commenting. Good to hear you're also up for the challenge. At least you're an old hand and know how tough it can be. I'll look out for you in NaNo cyberspace. All the very best with your novel.

    ReplyDelete

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