Yogic Writing

The Writing Yogi’s Practice Mantra: Write every day (10 minutes or more with correct breathing counts)On Saturdays & Moon Days, do a lighter, more ‘Yin’ writing practiceGet on the mat (sit at the computer or take out the writing pad) even if I don’t feel like itBe gentle with myself & listen to what my body/mind/emotions are trying to sayBeing an ‘Ashtangi’ in writing as well as yoga, my daily writing practice when I am fit & well would probably have a 1000 word targetI should feel stretched & challenged but not strained or hurt by each day’s writing practice

Projects:

FCC Easter Sketch:

2 Mar: Submitted draft outline to Jorge & Ben

6 Mar: Submitted draft 5 to Jorge & Ben. Talked to Ivan about it through the night… (maybe he’ll come in on project???)

Murder Mystery Rewrite:

12 Feb: Restructuring & Tearing apart everything… start over again…

13 Feb: Chap 3: 624 words

14 Feb: Chap 2: 652 words

• Chapter One 30 Jan: 54 words
  • 1Feb: 170words
  • 4 Feb: 383 words
  • 9 Feb 416 words
• Chapter Two 30 Jan: 342 words
• Chapter Three 30 Jan: 184 words

Novella: Starting over from zero.

• 9 Jan: outline- 301 words.
• 10 Jan: 573 words
• 31 Jan: 627 words
• Feb 1: 1201 words

Play: Burning Memories Of Mama On Mount Faber

• 30 Jan: draft on paper–characters/motivations/questions/climax…
• Feb 1: started file on comp: outline & 1 page script
• 7 Mar: Told Ivan about it… maybe… can see Ivan in role?

Short Story 3 for Caferati ‘Spoken Spells’

• 2 March: read at Caferati meeting (got feedback, want to include narrator’s first encounter with ‘mad’ girl & sister)

Short Story 1 for ReadTheseLips (below 4000 words–or 2 stories, collectively below 4000 words…)

• 9 Jan: 2130 words.
• 10 Jan: (Did another chuck out & start over from beginning… threw out some stuff, some characters–) 253 words 408words 619 words 1062 words
• 11 Jan: (must start editing & tightening–have to stay below 2000 words if I want to submit 2 stories) 1338wds 1417 wds 1444 wds (tragic thing about editing… working hard but here looks/feels like I’m going backwards…!)FINISHED & PRINTED FIRST DRAFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• 12 Jan: Corrections on paper

Short Story 2: prob for ReadTheseLips (got to keep an eye on wordcount) but otherwise my next collection. Didn’t mean to start it, but was cleaning up a cat pee accident & the whole story possibility came to me — how sweet is that??? Yes, I know it’s going to morph but still…

• 10 Jan: 267 words 418 words
• 12 Jan: new idea & tie in scribbles… typed in, 602 words
• 14 Jan: good feel characters… holding together & growing. 892 words
• 16 Jan: Decided that since ReadTheseLips doesn’t have a minimum req & I’m so short on time (or so scattered & undisciplined right now) I’m just going to go ahead & submit the Blue Hibiscus First…

STORIES SUBMITTED TO READTHESELIPS!!!
Novel 2: Rosemary said a literary agent who’s seen the book is interested in talking to me about the manuscript the ‘Good Intentions’ excerpt came from. She’s going to put us in touch! And I haven’t even Started sourcing agents yet!!!Jan 16: Sent email to Rosemary’s contact. Geraldine Cooke of The Marsh Agency.If I don’t hear from her by end of Feb, I write to Gregory & Company. Play: Target: 30 June. Playwriting Competition.14 Jan: Outline.Reading. For mind & soul nutrition & fibre… if I don’t feed myself I’m not going to produce good stuff. I can’t keep running on empty…

• 10 Jan: I want to give up on reading Nicola Barker for now–why am I having so much trouble getting into Wide Open??? It’s ‘good’ writing in that it draws me into its atmosphere & characters but I don’t like that place & those people & I can’t shake them off & can’t write with them around–and go back for a dose of Haruki Murakami to recalibrate.
• 12 Jan: Reading Dance, Dance, Dance