Busily Writing - Finally

 Every November, almost on schedule, I tend to get the best ideas and I'm jumping on the computer and writing them down.

This year is no different. I've been taking part in National Novel Writing Month since 2015, and it's been fun and interesting for me to do it. There's different badges you can accomplish, NaNoWriMo camps you can go to - a virtual on this year - and groups to take part in as well. However, I'm one of those to usually take things like this on my own. And you know, since I was young, I was always better working on my own than in a group. 

I had better ideas, could think them out, work them out and execute them in a better manner on my own, than if I was in a group. Groups made me feel as though I was inferrior somehow. But if I was on my own, I made up my own rules and could work through the problems which cropped up, without anyone confusing me, battling against me or locking horns with me about my ideas. Okay... I may not have been the most confident person around at school, but when I did try to put forward my ideas, other kids poo-pooed them in a horrible way: 'Yeah, yeah... don't think so.' without even hearing my idea. So, in the end I'd just keep my mouth shut and they'd tell the teachers I 'was no help.'

Thus why I work better on my own... even when I'm doing NaNoWriMo. I get in, do my work and then see how far I get with the book-writing. It's a quiet, lonely and enjoyable kind of thing for me. And with the pandemic, it's something which makes my work even more enjoyable.

In the first week, I passed 25,000 words! Oh yeah, I was kicking butt in the word count - but I crashed and burned in myself. I didn't take care of myself and ended up falling asleep in front of my television at 8pm at night by the weekend. Yeah, that's not good, is it?  But once you hit that 25,000 words, in the first week, you can take your time with the other 25,000 words... yeah, I've figured out that much with this. 

And the book I'm writing is fun! There's magic, warlocks, demons, two young kids who find love in the oddest places, gargoyles and ... well, it's very cool. I enjoy something which kinda writes itself. I've just thrown my characters in and let them go with it - and that's the fun part of writing, letting the characters do the story-telling. 

So, how are you doing with your NaNoWriMo? Are you taking part this year? If so, is it going well? If not, why do you think that's so? Until my next post, Happy Reading and Writing!

Late Night Scribblings

In the past few weeks, I've gone out and bought myself a brand spankin' new tablet! Yep, it's gorgeous little thing, and I love it. My phone made friends with it and digitally moved everything I wanted to move everything from it to the tablet over... so cute and yet so... very, um... 2001 Space Odyssey. Yep, it felt as though Hal was right there in my Mum and Dad's house taking over my devices and I had no control.

Okay, it wasn't really that bad. But I watched it to this and it was really creepy.

Anyway, it's been a few weeks, and at night, after I've finished watching my regular shows on television, I'll turn on the tablet and start writing on the Notebook app I moved across from my phone. I've decided to try to write my life story - again. It's interesting what happens when you try this kind of thing and take it from a totally different perspective. 

This time, I'm just writing about things I remember clearly, and putting in my own opinions of them. It's kinda like automatic writing, but I've put in some feelings and I'll fill it out more when the time comes to putting it onto the computer. 

You know, I can't wait until this second part happens. It's something I do enjoy - the fleshing out part - as it brings the story to life. Right now, though, I'm just writing what comes to mind, and it'll work out for the moment.

So, what are you getting yourself into? I'm also reading a book my brother bought me in India when him and his girlfriend were travelling overseas earlier this year. He found a book by Mahatma Gandhi - two volumes in one! How great is that? I've read the introduction and am up to chapter one. I'm reading a bit at a time in the afternoons. Until my next post, happy reading and writing!

Reading and Writing

It's been a while since I last wrote; and there's a good reason: I don't really have much to write about... well, not until now. 

I've been sorting through my written work and put the finished books and works onto a flash drive where I can edit them and sort through them and get them ready to publish. I have found this much easier on how I've been finding my writing lately.

Then, I have begun reading a funny book titled: 'Wicked Appetite' by Janet Evanovich. I have got most of her series of funny crime books which are numbered with witty titles; but I haven't read them yet. I'm that kind of person where I have to have the whole, completed series before I can read it. I know that sounds weird, but it's how I can go from one book to the next easily.
Well, I've been reading this 'Wicked Appetite' book and have been getting some good laughs while reading it, simply because it's so easy to read - and I've seen the movie based on 'One For the Money'.

Well, that's what I've been doing in my reading and writing life at the moment. I'll be doing a lot more soon as time goes on. Until my next post, happy reading and writing.

Not Much Going On

I haven't been in here much, mainly because there's not much going on with my reading. I haven't read any books while in isolation - but... I have begun writing again.

I've been getting a new book together, and with the help from a fellow writer, I've been pulling my ideas together and writing it little by little.

It's not easy when I'm normally writing a lot of imaginative works over the past few years so easily. So, what I'm doing - when I'm stuck - is going back over my older work, which isn't edited yet, and reading over it. This gets met into the writing mood.

If you're a writer, what do you do to get yourself into your writing mood? Do you read over your old work, do you meditate? Do you listen to loud heavy metal (like I've heard Stephen King does)? Or do you go for a long walk with a notebook - seeing we're permitted to do that now. 

Yes, this Covid-19 is really taking our most-loved privileges away from us, isn't it? At least it's not taking away my love of my books and writing from me... or my painting. 
Truthfully, I think it may be that my social life is gone that I can't write what I want to. I know that sounds weird, but when I don't get out to where I want to, in the way I used to, it effects the way I write. 

How about you? Has this virus affect your life this way too? Until my next post, Happy Reading and Writing.

Dreams Into Stories or Books

Being a writer, I've often been a person who has been told 'jeez, you're so creative! Where do you get your ideas from?' 

Well, everywhere. But I hesitate to tell people that a lot of my ideas come from my dreams I have a night... and this is why I love to get my butt to bed and sleep at the right times. And I hate to be woken by anything outside my house - anyone who isn't part of my life - as that interrupts my dreams, which may make it into my books or stories. 

I have often been able to wake up and write down my dreams into Dream Journals and wait for the right time for the mojo to hit me and the dream to turn itself into a story - then the fun happens! I have the fun and games of getting my dream which is all written down from my imagination and make it into something which everyone can read.

So, my question to you out there is: do you do the same thing? Do you write down your dreams and at some point in time, have the joy of writing them into stories or books, like I do? Well, it's always a lot of fun doing it this way. Until my next post, happy reading and writing!

Working Hard

You know, no matter what a writer works on, it's never an easy task. You may be working on a fantasy novel, and you still have to do research into costume, food, historical fact and weaponry. 

With my Grandpa's journals/diaries, it's the same thing. I've had to Google a lot of things he's mentioned in the 1930's and yet am still learning about farming equipment which has been updated over time. This also includes everyday terms which were used back then and aren't used now.

For example: 'Flicks' or 'Pictures' is now called 'the movies'. It took me a little while to get used to those first two terms, but it's something people did on Friday nights. However, 'Eisteddfods' were around then more than ever; and my Grandpa and his mouth organ band took part in them all the time; so long he put in the entry forms in time. 

I'm finding that I'm forever looking on YouTube about how they're using fencing equipment - like strainers and struts (and for somebody who's never put up a fence in their lives, I'm learning new things about all of the things my Grandpa used to do for a living). 

In between the gardening work, fencing, cattle herding, and biking between Warwick, Allora and Cecil Plains (yes, all on a bike), he's was dating my Grandmother, going to fellowship, church twice on Sundays, Band practice on Thursdays, and following the cricket on the wireless (radio) as well. He also went out to a few dances, yarned to a couple of friends and enjoyed his early mornings. But my Grandpa was a hard worker. 

He put a lot of humour in his diaries too; something I missed out on when I was a youngster, but I'm seeing now. I now wish I could have spoken to him more. But, it's a good thing I'm doing this - and learning so much about his life and him as person now, as well as how life was back in the 1930's. 

So, how is your writing going - if you write as well? Do you love research, or do you love the invention part of the book? Until my next post, happy reading and writing.

Haven't Been Around... I know.

I'm sorry... really.

But the reason why I haven't been here - or any of my other blogs (go and check, they're kinda blah too) - is because I have been busily writing something.

Yes, I'm writing again - but not what you think.

I'm looking at getting my late-Grandfather's diaries computerised. I tried this before, and my computers crashed each time... this time, I've been going for a few weeks, and typing faster than ever, and it's all been going better than the last two times I've attempted it.

I think it's because the technology is better than it was years ago, and I'm more confident than I was before; and I have some idea of how it will look as a finished product. 

I have learned so much about my Grandpa in his early years. He was such an innocent teenager when he came out to Australia... and yet, he worked his heart out to get where he did in the world. He was so far from home, from family, from his Mum and his brothers and sisters and his Mother Country - England - and yet, he never forgot why he came to Australia: to carve out a better life for himself.

I've had to use magnifying glasses to read some of his writing - as a bit of it is so tiny and he wrote in pencil (which has faded over time) and fountain pen (which blots at the worst of times) and ball point pen (which was very expensive in the 1930's). So, using a magnifying glass has saved my eye sight a lot. I'm also writing out 2 diaries out at the same time. There's one I'm writing during the day - which is really small and I can only see in the daylight - and then there's a bigger one I can see better at night with the bedroom light behind me. I still have to use the magnifying glass on the bigger one at times because I can't always make out words.

And speaking of words, I'm learning new words. For example: Sundercutter. No, that's not a spelling mistake. This is a machine which ploughed fields and was built between 1926 and 1932. It wasn't a very expensive piece of machinery, but it was useful... however it broke easily and had to be fixed all the time; thus the reason why it was discontinued. Then there was Shiftshanking - which sounds either rude or made-up, but it's not. It's a machine which is now called Hay Baler. It did the same thing as it does now, but it was the first models way back when. My grandpa used these two machines - along with a combiner - and he built fences, gardens, bird cages, mended watches, bought a motor cycle with a side car and did many other things. And like I said, it's a real education learning about somebody who lived out in the middle of the country and yet I live in a city. 

Have you learned something new like this about a relative or family lately? I find this kind of thing fascinating. Until my next post, happy reading and writing.

Writers Meet-Up

On Saturday, I went to a writers meet-up for the first time in around 3 years. Being an introvert, I was very nervous about being out in a public place with people I didn't know.

This sounds strange for a somebody who writes for the public, but really, writers aren't known to be people who know how to conduct themselves all that well in public. I don't really; as I'm more of a people-watcher. I observe human behavior to put into my books, than talk. But then again when I do talk, I find myself babbling and, well, I feel as though I talk too much. 

So, meeting people somewhere isn't something I normally do. And there was only one person in the group I knew personally as a friend. 

I arrived there at the Hyperdome early by around 15 minutes and waited outside the cafe. Man, it was so crowded! So, I jumped online and asked who was there - seeing I didn't know who these people were - and found none of them had arrived. It was around 5 minutes later that I began to feel self-conscious about being there on my own. But I waited, and about a minute or two later, Rebecca showed. Talk about relief! I told her I almost left because I was feeling like people were staring at me.
She didn't think was unusual, as she had been talking to another writer, who was showing up, and this other writer told her that I'd be really early and probably leave if somebody didn't show right on time.

You see, being out on my own and meeting people two different things. If I'm out on my own all day, I have no deadline; and I can do whatever I want. But, if I have to meet people, it's different. I feel self-conscious because I have to be somewhere with people I either know or I don't. 

Well, there were three others who showed up at the meet-up, besides Rebecca and I, and we all had something to eat and some coffee (which wasn't all that great). We talked about books we were working on, how many books we had written since we last met-up, how we find out characters, where we best work, and how we work through the dreaded Writer's Block (which I'm just getting through the worst of right now). 
We did have a first-time writer, who was full of questions on how each of us worked our stories and each of us told her how we got into it all. I told her about how I got to know my characters through an interview process I call 'The Red Chair', which works for me, but may not work for everyone. It works up a dossier for my characters and makes them more real.

But then, before we knew it, hours had passed and, one by one, we all had to go. I had volunteer work that afternoon. So, I had to go and run an errand or two before I did drive there. Overall, I'm glad I went on Saturday. It got me out of the house, talking to other writers and I did get myself some great ideas for my new book I'm currently working on. 

So, have you been to a writers meet-up? If so, how did it go? Until my next post, happy reading and writing.

Creatively Blocked

I must apologise for the lack of posts in here lately. I've been creatively blocked in this way.

Since my dear friend took her life last year in May, I haven't been able to write more than 2,000 words - yeah a Flash Fiction - and even they're difficult to get out onto the screen. However, I'm looking into how to work on myself and figure out how to get through this block.

Now, I've been blocked before! Yep, I got Writer's Block when I had a guy leave me and take off to South Australia and flatly wouldn't let me go with him! I seriously loved him, and he just went, leaving me here with a broken heart - and well, I couldn't write anything creatively for around two and half years. 
But this is a death, and I'm not sure how long I'm going to be stuck with Writer's Block. Sure I can write non-fiction work, that's on fact, but fantasy and made-up stuff? Well, I really am struggling with that part of writing; when normally I just dive right in. 

I've been asking friends on Facebook for help with how they work through their Writer's Blocks, and they've been helpful with it all. I've got a few books on prompts which I'll look at and see how I go with them. But it looks like I'll have to talk to a therapist about this problem I've had for almost a year. 

You see, I call it a problem because I seriously want to write another book. The last book I finished was 'Fry Nelson - Bounty Hunter' and that was a trilogy. It's time to get my butt back into another lot of work like that and my head into my writing again - now I'm getting good with my painting, it'd be a good thing for me to work on my writing.

Have any of you had a creative blockage like me? How did you deal with it? Leave a comment or two and let me know. Until my next post, happy reading and writing.

Selected Chapters

It's the Australia Day Long Weekend; and I've been busy! But seeing how scorchingly hot and horrible it's been this weekend - and this month - here in Australia, it's kinda hard to be busy all the time. So, I've been making sure I'm busy only during the times it matters: early morning and late afternoon.

Yep, it's been dreadfully hot every other time of the day for the past two months. 

So, on Saturday, I spent some of that day painting the sides of a painting and fixing it up to exhibit in March. There's another one I want to show in the same exhibition, but that one's already to show - so I'm ahead of my game there!

Anyway, doing that didn't take up all of Saturday. By around 11am, I was done and dusted with that painting and I onto the computer, and the internet for a while - but there wasn't much happening there. So, I decided to do what I've been meaning to do; and that is putting my Flash Fictions into particular chapters - or sections - of their own. 

At first, I just picked out the basics, and then as the hours went by, I added onto those chapters. It turns out I write a lot about Hell and Demons, Heaven and Angels, and I write a lot of really weird shit; and some really not bad sci-fi (if not a little on the far side of the galaxy kinda stuff). I also steal a lot of my themes from Star Wars, Supernatural, DC Comics and other common themes too, where I really don't mean to. But really, if you're going to steal a theme, you gotta steal from the very best, right?

Well, it took me around 6 hours to get all my stories all in their right folders and places... and by the time I was finished it was around 5:30pm. I was tired, hungry, thirsty and felt as though I had sat too close to the television for far too long! 

I have been writing Flash Fictions since 2013; and there were so many to sort through... and now I'm happy to just write them and put them into their own category as well as save them to their year on the flash drive. It's so much easier when it's organised like this. Well... that's my weekend. Today, I'm just chilling out and enjoying my Monday. It's still a stinking hot day, and I'm not fussed about how I spend it. How are you spending the weekend? Until my next post, happy reading!

Holiday Reading

It's humid and rainy outside and perfect weather for reading here in Queensland; as we have our first Tropical Cyclone show up for the season... and just in time for the Christmas Comet and the meteor shower most of us got to miss due to cloud cover.

Yeah. It's a typical Christmas of storms, rain and other sticky, hot-weather stuff happening while we're trying to celebrate with food which is definitely Northern Hemisphere origin. 

But in reality, I'm looking at what I'm hoping to read over the next month or so; and while it's tempting to sit down in front of Netflix for the next few weeks, it's also just as good to grab a good book from my library and enjoy it too.

So, what have you got your nose into this Festive Time? I'm still struggling with 'The Shining' by Stephen King. However, I'm looking at reading some other books which I've overlooked in past years; some Australian authors this time. I'm looking into reading some Tim Winton, Thomas Shapcott and Janet Frame as well. 

I'm also writing a book right now. It's interesting in its theme, as it's non-fiction and not about my life or anything that boring. It's about something I've been thinking about for the past six months. Well, until my next post, happy reading!

A Week On...

Well, I've been at the coast and there were a few teething problems with getting onto a computer there. 

But, there was always a way for me to write my book - always! I asked Dad if I could use his new computer and he said yep... and so I jumped on there and used the word processing program on it. 

At last count, I was around 16,000 - 19,000 words, right? Well, I'm almost up to 30,000 words now! Yes! While I was away from 'My Reading List', I pounded the keyboard whenever I could and worked through my 25,000 word badge! 

I'm so pleased with myself! 

This week, I'll be able to get through my other badges easily as I'll be here at home for them.

And if I can't? Well, at least I took part and worked my butt off getting as far as I could. You have to remember, it's fun doing it all. Until my next post, happy reading and writing.

Nudging 20,000!

Yep, I took 2 days off, forgot to take one of my medications (I have Epilepsy) and felt like crap for a day, and still I managed to throw out over 3,000 words and get the word count well over 19,000 words for NaNoWriMo!

This is a real achievement.

I took yesterday off too, and I'm going to work my butt off today and tomorrow afternoon during my volunteer work to get in and make sure I'm working harder on it than ever to get up to the 25,000 word mark. 

It's going to be a great thing when I do get this book finished... because I'm going to love editing and fleshing it out. It's the 3rd book of a series; some of which doesn't really connect with each other, but some of it does. 

Well, how's your NaNoWriMo going this month? How many words have you puked onto the page so far? 

15,000 Words!

Yay! I've passed this number and am still going strong - but I have been neglecting my house and so today, I went out and hit the gym, put away a huge pile of clean laundry and threw out the biggest bag of rubbish from my kitchen (and yes it stunk like you wouldn't believe!).

You see I have been eating well, sleeping so-so and trying to take care of myself by hitting the gym twice a week (if I can) and not taking any days off if I can help it. 

However, this week, I've taken one day off for a Christmas Party and then I'll be busy over the next week or two... this can't be helped.

So, I'm going to be trying to work on my book in longhand if I can, or on my tablet, and it should be worked on after if I can get in and do it. But I'm hoping to get through the 50,000 words before the end of the month, or by the end of the month... and if not, well, by Christmas. 

How is your word count doing? All good? I hope so. Okay... back to getting up that word count again... onwards and upwards towards that 20,000 words I go!

A Day Skipped - Well, Kinda!

Yesterday was Sunday... and I couldn't do NaNoWriMo - or could I? 

Okay, I was on a bus trip with an art gallery I do volunteer work at for our Christmas Party out of town and on the way to our destination, I pulled out a pen and paper and notes on Chapter 4.

What was going on.
Who was going where.
I asked questions about other characters.
I asked questions about the story.

It took a while and I was glad I did it.

You see, if I hadn't done that, I would have sat down today and thought: 'Now, what was I thinking yesterday? Oh, crap, shoulda written it down!' And seeing I did, I've covered my butt well and truly.

So, today, I'm going to write more than I would have yesterday because of those notes.

Oh... yeah I totally enjoyed yesterday's Christmas Party. We had a great time! We lost one person, found them, and stuffed ourselves full of food, saw some great murals around Toowoomba, Queensland, and slept on the way home.

There were some stories I could have written about that town, truly there are!

Day Two

Today, I struggled to remember some of the events which happened in the past two books. Pity, they were great to write and had fun characters.

I think it was because I had so much going on in my life this year that my mind has been somewhere else of late - but I'm having fun with this.

However, I did start a quick chapter 1 about a week ago to see how easy it was to start writing another book... and when I looked back on it again - that spoof chapter - I found it wasn't indepth enough. Thank the Gods I've taken some good notes for this next one.

I've kept my 'Encyclopedia of Angels' next to me and have had to Google a few things, but otherwise, I'm going well. 

How's your first few days of NaNoWriMo? All good, difficult or has the horrible Writer's Block hit you hard? 

Day One

Today I started my writing late.

Yeah, I'm not going to worry too much about word count, and not going to stress about how late I'm going to go with this.

This month is going to be busy for me, and so I'm going to write when I can, as much as I can and see how far I get.

And if I get a long way - great - if I don't, well that's okay too. 

I know it's a huge challenge, but unlike last year, I'm not going to burn myself out to be the 50,000 word winner. My book will be finished and done and dusted when I'm ready for it to be.

So, how did you go today with your first day in? Me? Well, I didn't get far, but it doesn't matter, so long I got the story going, right? Until my next post, happy writing.

Not Long to Go!

Okay, NaNoWriMo is only days away; and I've got one question: are you prepared for this month of madly writing like no tomorrow?

Are you ready to sit zombie-like at your computer, on your tablet, at the typewriter (I know some of you still use one, come on, you guys at the back!) and on your laptops, phones and blackberries (yeah, they're great to write on) for the next month while your family and friends ask you if you're okay.

Well, of course you're not going to be okay - you're trying to squeeze 50,000 words out of your brain and onto the screen, paper and anything else you can grab a hold of within a month. At the same time, you're also trying to pay the bills, go to work, eat, sleep, have sex (at some point that will have to happen) and shower too; as well as do the laundry and buy food (look, do a list, it'll help you out; and for the sake of Thor, keep to it).

Anyway, I have plenty of frozen meals I cooked up - and I'll be making more spaghetti sauce (yes I ate the other lot; greedy me!). And I'm skipping Halloween this year. I really just don't have the scare factor right now... and besides we don't get the number of children we're supposed to. Last year, we got only 2 children and were left with so many lollies it lasted us until the New Year. Also, I'm not taking part in the Melbourne Cup either - because I don't like how they treat the horses, it's because of two reasons: 1: I can't afford it and 2: I'd rather be writing a book. Anyway, the horses have been treated that way for over a century, why are people only bringing this up now? Don't answer that... please, I know why. I'm not stupid.

Well, in the past week, I've gotten in and have done so much laundry and put my winter woolies away (I live in Australia, it's getting hot here) and have made sure my house is presentable - at least - to have myself walk through it when I'm a little brain dead from writing over 5,000 words a day. 

Now, I'm still going to go to my art group on Tuesdays as I've found that I do need to be social to keep my writing skills up - unlike last year where I burned myself out writing the 50,000 words and my family thought I was really going to make myself ill. 

This year, I'm prepared. 

I've researched.

I've cooked meals for myself.

I've cleaned the house enough to make it so I don't have to do much around the place.

I'm ready for this challenge!

Are you?

NaNoWriMo Prep

Not only does National Novel Writing Month tax you as a writer, but it taxes your body and mind in a big way.

You just don't find any time to clean the house, or do anything around the place worthwhile. 

So, this month, seeing it's raining a lot this week, I'm going to get in and clean up the house, make sure all my laundry is habitually put away, there's food I've cooked and frozen - ready to heat and eat - and my second pantry (yep, I have one of those) is filled with everything I need for quick and healthy snacks.

Most of all, I'm going to make sure my home office is easily accessible. I have to put away everything I'm not currently using. This includes any archive boxes, files, books and other things which have been sitting around the place taking up space I need. And it also means I clean up my desk and only have the research books I need within reach for me to look at when I need them next month. 

Next month is going to be a big month for me. I'm hoping to get myself through it without a cold (unlike last year when I did catch a Summer cold) and bust through my 50,000 words faster and more efficiently than ever! 

So, what are your secrets to NaNoWriMo you've found are effective? Well, besides plenty of coffee and ignoring the phone and Facebook... those two are no-brainers. Let's swap notes on things which may work. 

Research and Prep Time

Before NaNoWriMo even comes around, I prepare and research what I'm going to be writing. Yeah, it's a big thing for me to get in and know what I'm going to be writing about.

For those of you who are starting out on this journey of a book in a month - or even the first or last 50,000 words - you have to get in and do some serious prep work and research before you even write a single word or your book.

I've begun writing a bit of a rough muck-up of what the story will be about... just a synopsys and who is going to be in it, how it starts off (with a bang or whimper?). Or will it be a completely new book or a continuation from a book from last year? 

So, this year, I have a subject in my next book which I know absolutely nothing about - not even my big research books I do have in my collection can help me; because they don't contain anything on this subject. 
This has caused me to have to jump online and Google all my research notes. There's a couple of sites I've had to look into, a few Youtube videos (which looked dodgy and after I watched them, and read the comments, turned out that they were) and then I wrote down all the notes I could - in bullet point style - in my research book. 

Yes, I have a research notebook I use from year to year. It's a small A5 size notebook which has a built-in bookmark and is able to be clipped up to keep it secure. I write all my notes from researching my subjects to rough chapters into it so when it comes time to actually start writing the NaNoWriMo book, I can jump in feet first and know what I'm in for.

My writing will come easier. My notes are right on hand for me. The sites I've bookmarked are on my computer and I can easily just look them up if - and when - I need them. 

This is also the reason why I don't go to meet-ups... all my work and research which is on my browser here at home can't be looked up on my laptop or tablet because I haven't saved them on those. Only my notes written in my notebook can be... and sometimes, they aren't good enough, and my writing comes to grinding halt!

So, for the next month, I'm in research mode - as boring as it may be - because all the research really does pay off when you jump into the office chair and lay your hands onto the keyboard, ready to start in on November's NaNoWriMo... it really does!