Oh. My. Goodness. I think, I THINK, I've just finished the first draft of my first ever novel!!!!! On 1st May 2015 I began what I dubbed 'the three month novel', based on an idea by Stephen King that novels are best written in one go while the idea is fresh and vibrant in your … Continue reading First Draft – DONE!
Author: kerriemckinnel
Recording My Poem
This morning I visited The Stove to record my poem, The Enchanted Forest. It's going to feature as part of ‘The Switch On’, an “all-day festival of the written word” taking place in Dumfries on 30th November to coincide with the switching on of the Christmas lights. (You might remember me speaking about this on … Continue reading Recording My Poem
The Enchanted Forest – Accepted!
The writer's life is filled with rejection, but this week I was thrilled to receive some wonderful news - another accepted writing submission! My poem, The Enchanted Forest, will feature as part of 'The Switch On', an "all-day festival of the written word" taking place in Dumfries on 30th November to coincide with the switching … Continue reading The Enchanted Forest – Accepted!
Day 150 – Three Month Novel Update
Today is my final day of peaceful writing before my new semester at university begins in earnest! I'm still not at the end of my novel, but it's taking shape. I have a Prologue and have completed Part One (at least, it's done for now - it will no doubt alter substantially on the first … Continue reading Day 150 – Three Month Novel Update
A New Start
What is it about the word 'new' that gives us that tingle of excitement, that little buzz of knowing that the world around us is about to shift? September is often a time for new starts. The changing of the leaves from deep green to burnt amber often brings with it other changes in our … Continue reading A New Start
Three Months Later …
On 1st May, I set myself a goal: "This summer, I will write a novel". Each day I would write a minimum of 1,000 words, so that by August, I'd have a first draft. That was the plan! Happy August! Where's the novel, I hear you ask? Well. About that. It's getting there. It's a … Continue reading Three Months Later …
Stuck in the Middle
Holidays, hosting a party, or rearranging the kitchen cupboards. No matter how much preparation you put into something, it rarely goes the way you imagined it. 'The best laid plans', or so they say ... Writing a novel is, apparently, just the same. I began on 1st May 2015 with pages and pages of notes … Continue reading Stuck in the Middle
Getting to Know Your Characters
What time do you get up in the morning? What do you have for breakfast, and do you eat it while watching TV, listening to the radio, making conversation, or rubbing your eyes blearily and hoping the spoon is going somewhere near your mouth? I'm sure you could answer these questions for yourself - and … Continue reading Getting to Know Your Characters
‘The Atelier Project’ on Issuu
What inspires you to create? Where has creativity brought you? What makes a perfect piece of work? These were some of the questions that I found myself trying to answer when I submitted an entry into Molly Miltenberger Murray's 'The Atelier Project' in March - and it wasn't easy! Molly, another of the talented students … Continue reading ‘The Atelier Project’ on Issuu
Day 14 – Three Month Novel
Day 14 Number of words: 14,210 Number of chocolate bars consumed: 1 (Dairy Milk Caramel) I'm at the end of my first fortnight of writing, and so far my Three Month Novel goal is looking achievable. I have managed to stick to an average of 1,000 words per day. Some days this is easier than … Continue reading Day 14 – Three Month Novel
