My Writing Ramblings: Lost Motivation
Lost: One big dose of motivation. If found, please return.
I have been suffering from a serious lack of motivation this week. I was doing well . I have been planning. I have even decided on an idea for this November’s National Novel Writing Month.
Then towards the end of this week, it’s all screeched to a halt.
Where has it gone I wonder? It has stopped somewhere for coffee and chocolate I think.
I do get incredibly frustrated with myself when I am in this mood. It’s not just the writing that suffers. All of the things I am supposed to be doing somehow gets sidelined.
I make to-do lists (these usually do help,) that go undone. I find writing prompts but I can’t seem to get going.
I can’t explain why I do this every so often. It’s like my creativity stalls/runs out of steam and it decides to go on a holiday (I know the feeling and could do with one myself.)
Things that seem to suck out all my motivation:
by 
Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Time Travelling
Friday 25th September 2015: Time Travelling.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: Write a story that involves time travel in which you change a significant historical event.
by Author Interview: Nadine Matheson
Nadine Matheson is the author of The Sisters and I’m pleased to be welcoming her to Novel Kicks today. Nadine, can you tell us a little about The Sisters and how the idea originated?
The Sisters are Lucinda, Jessica, Beatrice and Emma LeSoeur. In the 1990’s Lucinda, Jessica and Beatrice were Euterpe; Britain’s biggest girl band until Lucinda meets a successful music producer, Paul Morgan, and decides to leave to seek solo success in America. Lucinda’s announcement is a shock not only to her fans but also to her sisters; especially Jessica who takes Lucinda’s departure the hardest. Twenty years later, the sisters are living very different lives. Jessica owns a successful PR agency; Beatrice is a lawyer and Emma, the youngest works for Jessica. After living in New York Lucinda is divorced with two children and is forced to return back to London as she’s facing financial ruin. When she returns home, she doesn’t get the happy reunion that she was hoping for.
The idea for ‘The Sisters’ originated after watching one too many episodes of ‘The Real Housewives…’ There was one particular episode when I realised that one of the characters was actually broke. Even though on the outside she had the designer bags, shoes and drove an expensive car she was actually a bit skint and I based the character of Lucinda on her.
Do you have any writing rituals?
I need some sort of background noise. I’ve tried but I can’t work in complete silence. The sound of my fingers tapping away on my laptop for hours on end would drive me mad, so I’ve always got the radio on listening to BBC London 94.9 or have iTunes on shuffle mode.
Which fictional character would you like to swap places with and why?
I wouldn’t want to actually live her life, because to be honest it’s a bit depressing but I would swap places with Miss. Havisham from Great Expectations. Miss.Havisham is one of my favourite fictional characters and I would swap places just so I could get her out of that old, mouldy wedding dress, throw the rotting cake in the bin and enjoy her wealth and her life. The woman needs to get some sunshine on her face.
by Books I’d Like To See Adapted into Films…
I will 90% always prefer books to any movie made that is based upon them. For example, although the movie was great, I will prefer Where Rainbows End to Love, Rosie (same with P.S I Love You for that matter.) My Sister’s Keeper is another example. I preferred the book and definitely preferred the novel’s ending to the movie adaptation. It is always tricky when it’s a book you love so much. You have such an idea of what the scenery looks like, the appearance of the characters; a solid picture is formed and it’s hard to shift.
However, there are exceptions – Bridget Jones’ Diary, I’m talking to you. I adore the film as much as the book. The second movie not so much but it was always going to fall short because of its lack of the Colin Firth interview scene which couldn’t be done for obvious reasons. I did think the adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars was quite faithful to its source material. I will read things though and I will wonder what the scenes would look like if they were to be adapted into movies or I will think that what I am reading would make a great film.
Here are seven novels I’d like to see adapted (seven because I couldn’t pick just five)…
Penguin, 2014
The Friday Project, 2011
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
I adored this book and Don Tillman is one of my favourite fictional characters. Rumours are that this has already been put into pre-production/development and this makes me very excited. There are some humorous and very touching moments in this book and I think it will translate well to film (especially if Simsion has anything to do with the script.)
The basic premise is that having never had a second date, Don Tillman devises the Wife Project – a scientific experiment to find the perfect wife for him. Then in walks Rosie, the girl that doesn’t fit into any of his criteria.
According to IMDb, Jennifer Lawrence has been cast as Rosie. In my opinion, Jennifer has proven that she can do serious and quirky (she was great in The Silver Linings Playbook.) I am eagerly anticipating this adaptation.
The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman is another book I’d love to see turn into a movie.
I loved this book. The plot is so interesting and I took away a great message from it and so I think it would make a great film. A robber walks into a bank but instead of taking money, he steals an item of sentimental value from each of the people in the bank. After the robbery, strange things start happening to these people. It’s a book about appreciating what you have before it is too late.
The plot is a great premise and I’d be interested to see where they would go with the film. There is such an atmosphere to this book. The only thing about this book if it were to be adapted is that it’s only about eighty pages long so there would be a bit of script padding which isn’t always good.
Another book I’d like to see adapted is Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.
by Writing Room: Rewrite and Edit Writing Prompt
Tuesday 22nd September 2015: Rewrite and Edit…
Today’s prompt:
We all have a list of novels that are our favourites and equally we have a list of ones we didn’t like so much.
Take a scene from either your favourite novel or one you didn’t like and rewrite it in under two hundred and fifty words. If you can’t pick, here is a list of suggestions:
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes.
The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins.
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
by Book Club
