Sunday 15 August 2010

Sunny Sunday


As you know I can get into very bad spaces about weekends. And Friday I was in a real funk about the next two days. Partly cause I was coming down off stress cloud and partly cause everyone I would normally communicate with is seemingly away.

However the weekend has been great.

Yesterday I ended up doing loads of chores that I've been putting off, cause they come under, the can't be bothered heading. The sort like, tidying out the saucepan cupboard, a place I normally hurl stuff in. The condiments cupboard, and exactly why have I got five containers of black pepper..... could be that I don't sort out the shelves and see what I've got before I buy more perhaps!!!! That would also be true of the cupboard under the sink, three bottles of stain remover, three bottles of bleach, two bottles of oven cleaner. The last one is a big joke, as I've cleaned the oven this year already and it hasn't got a hope in hell of seeing another clean until at least next year.Given that it took me 18 months to get round to doing it in the first place.

So now my kitchen cupboards are as obsessionally tidy as my jumper drawer! Not that it will last, as youngest will return later and no doubt move things. Oh, his bedroom is also tidy, and I've got the last lot of his festering clothes drying outside.

All of which meant that yesterday I really enjoyed letting my OCD free rein on making the house uniformly tidy, on the grounds that getting all this out of the way would allow me to enjoy the promised sunshine of today.

We seem to have had weeks now of grey cloudy skies, if not pouring of rain. The weather man said it would be lovely today followed by more rain tomorrow. Heck I won't care I'll be at work then.

So I've spent all morning playing.I seem to have this story in my head and have opened a blog to write it down. But I realised that cause I don't do it everyday I may start getting my details muddled,which won't do. I have no idea how to write a book other than being an avid reader myself. But it seemed important to write somewhere a list of characters and a description of what I know about them so far. Which has meant a glorious morning outside making up stuff about all these people in my head. I've also had to draw a map of my imaginary town where my story is based.

Now I know where the coffee shop is where my main protagonist lives and works and where all the other main characters live or work in relation to her.

I have had such fun making up town and street names, it's all become an amalgamation of the place where I live and the nearest town which I'm very familiar with. I've got images of the landscape in my head, the hills, roads and squares.

All of this is of course very useful, and now I've just got to write it! And hope that the individual tales that the characters are telling me can all come together in a whole.

Of course I have already started one book, my therapy book. I did write 10 chapters and it has come to a crashing halt. But that seemed enough I needed to get those words out of my head, almost as a legacy for my sons to show them one day what I knew and what I did as a human being outside of being their mother.

This does feel different. I have always enjoyed story telling, and used to make up stories for the boys when they were little. I'm not conceited enough to think that this will be anything other than a fun thing for me to do, and hopefully for the people who are going to read it on it's blog. That is enough for now, I'll see where it goes for as long as I enjoy it.

Also I've been writing here for three years now and a lot of my stories are told, and I don't want to rehash them, so this seems the perfect place to satisfy my need to write and to pass by here when I have something to say.

11 comments:

Sorrow said...

You do a wonderful job writing out stories!
Loved the picture of you!
whoooo-wooo_~!
Hope that you are doing good, you have been in my thoughts!
(((sending hugs)))

trousers said...

I haven't read any of your story writings yet, mainly because I'm wrestling with some ideas of my own. But I love the fact that you're having real fun with it, you've conveyed your enthusiasm very vividly!

Hope you continue to have as much fun, I promise I'll read it when my head's clear enough xx

Anonymous said...

Go Mandy! Does it feel like you are officially a writer, with all your plotting and planning? You are bringing all these characters to life.I would love to read more. Apart from your earlier introductions to the characters and town here,where can we find further installments? Exciting days ahead getting into your creative stride!

Marilyn & Jeff said...

How wonderful to be creative - to plat and plan and sort out the story must be brilliant.

Cait O'Connor said...

Your new book project sounds very exciting, good luck with it.

Mel said...

I'm definitely not a story teller.. I am a plotter and a planner though! ;-)

Write to your hearts content. And if you get stuck--I have a few cupboards for ya. LOL

Carol said...

You are more than welcome to come visit me any day and attack my cupboards!! I discovered that I have three tubes of tomato puree and five, yes..FIVE, bags of couscous! (why anyone would need to much couscous is beyond me but aparently I do!). Oh, and can I just add that I didn't find this out...husband did when he was rummaging for something else!

Your new project sounds really interesting and I'm so pleased that your having so much fun putting your ideas to paper. I can't wait to have a read...

C x

Lyn said...

mandy - enjoy this stream of artistic expression for all it is worth! It is something you are doing for yourself, and in the process, sharing for others to enjoy as well. Glad your weekend was a full and glorious one!

jeanette from everton terrace said...

Would love to see the map of your little town. You might not get to writing the story but didn't you have fun planning it! It is about the journey anyway, not the destination. I've started many stories and left the characters just waiting for my return. I should clean my oven today, I really should but I probably will not.

Unknown said...

I'm delighted to hear you're writing - and the best way to write is to... just write! It sounds like you have your settings and characters well sorted, now, just get on with it! That's how you write a book! ;-) xx

Miss Robyn said...

oh tidying up those cupboards is a good thing.. it kind of stirs up energy & you will find your home will sell once you start doing stuff like this..

have fun writing & creating your book.. i wonder if any of your blogging pals will pass through the story :)