October 29, 2014 · 10:50 pm

Word Count Wednesday: 29th October 2014

Don’t worry! I may have run out of time for Sunday Scribblings, but the Wednesday Word Count is right on time.

So what did I get up to this week?

Base image © Docbaba (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Word_Count_h_500.svg). Edited by Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

Well, I didn’t write as much as I did last week.

In fact, I wrote just 2,317 words. That’s about 331 words per day.

And you know what? That’s okay.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Writing every day is hard.

A lot of people will tell you that it isn’t. You just need to pull together some discipline and it’s easy.

Just set your alarm earlier and write and everything will work out, right?

But life is not that simple.

In an ideal world, I would write 750 words per day.

But sometimes, that just doesn’t happen for one reason or another.

I have a lot of university work. I’ve gone out with friends more than usual. I’ve had other things to do.

“Real life” does get in the way or writing. And that’s okay.

If you write, you’re a writer. It doesn’t matter if you do it every day or do nothing for eight days then write 8,000 words.

Painted by Leonid Pasternak; uploaded by Crisco 1492 (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leonid_Pasternak_001.jpg).

Some people are writing marathon runners. Some people are writing sprinters. You’ll either plod on a little bit each day or you’ll go in fits and bursts.

You need to find what works well for you. Just keep writing and eventually things will sort themselves out.

I believe in me. And I believe in you.

~ Penny

P.S. “Under The Tree” is still on sale! E-mail me for more details at pennygotch@gmail.com!

Related Post: Wednesday Word Count: 22nd October 2014

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October 27, 2014 · 3:00 pm

Monday Musings: Where Does the Time Go?

Where does the time go? That’s my question this week.

You probably noticed that I didn’t post anything yesterday. Yep. I missed my Sunday Scribblings day.

What can I say? I was travelling Friday morning. I had a concert Friday evening. I was travelling all Saturday. I had wrestling Saturday evening.

And on Sunday? I just crashed.

So now here we are on Monday and I never posted anything on Sunday!

Base image © Nemo (http://pixabay.com/en/thinking-bubble-message-idea-blank-25906/). Edited by Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

They say that time flies when you’re having fun. It’s remarkable how true that cliché is.

Poets of the Fall were amazing on Friday. And I had so much fun at Southside on Saturday.

I got a shout-out from Will Ospreay because my hair matched his trunks. How cool is that?

And I had my photo taken with Curry Man, Bad Influence, Kay Lee Ray AND Robbie X!

Living the dream, my friends…

But anyway. What was I going to talk about yesterday?

Well, my original post was going to be about my thoughts on fanfiction.

But I think it’s a little late in the post to start on such a big topic.

So instead, I’m extending my book sale!

You’ve got just two more weeks left to order a physical copy of “Under the Tree”!

Image © Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

And it’s still 20% off with free postage to anywhere in the UK!

There are just four (4) copies left and they’re looking for good homes.

It’s more than 20 poems for just £4 and no postage.

To order, e-mail me at pennygotch@gmail.com!

~ Penny

Related Post: Sunday Scribbling: “Under the Tree” Final Sale

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October 22, 2014 · 10:18 pm

Word Count Wednesday: 22nd October 2014

Welcome back!

This week, I introduced my new Sunday Scribblings segment, and promised a new Wednesday segment too!

So what am I posting on Wednesdays?

Base image © Docbaba (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Word_Count_h_500.svg). Edited by Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

Word Count Wednesday is a little writing exercise for myself.

With all the work I do for Her Campus as well as running my wrestling blog, I write a lot more than I give myself credit for.

And the point of Word Count Wednesday is to tally up all the words I create in a single week and examine it.

So how many words did I write between Wednesday 15th October and today?

6,288 words, or about 898 words per day.

If we work on the theory that 750 words per day is about the right average, that puts me in a good place.

And what I produced was a great mix of blog posts, Her Campus opinion pieces, fiction and even fanfiction.

Actually, I wrote more fanfiction than I did anything else. Over 2,000 words of it. And I find that fascinating.

Image © icanhazcheeseburger.com.

Now I’m a big advocate of fanfiction. But that’s not why I wrote that most of all.

No, I think it’s more that the story I picked is one I’m passionate about finishing and enjoy putting it together.

It’s an experimental piece and I’m having fun playing with it.

So what I need to do is find a way to transfer that passion to my original creative pieces and finish them too.

Well. Once the fic is done. It won’t write itself!

~ Penny

P.S. “Under The Tree” is still on sale! E-mail me for more details at pennygotch@gmail.com!

Related Post: Monday Writing Goals: 18th August 2014

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October 19, 2014 · 3:00 pm

Sunday Scribblings: “Under the Tree” Final Sale

I’ve been quiet on this blog since the autumn began. The Summer of Writing 2014 has ended, and that left me at a bit of a loose end.

But now I’m back and ready to blog.

You’ll be seeing updates twice a week on Sunday and Wednesday from now on.

So what’s Sunday?

Base image © Sembazuru (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sembazuru/6974372/). Edited by Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

Anything I want to write. My writing process, my week at university, my published works: anything I think is worth telling you about.

And today, I’m bringing some big news.

My poetry book “Under the Tree” is on sale!

For the next two weeks only, you can buy a copy for 20% off the recommended price of £5.

That’s just £4 per copy.

And as an added bonus, I’m offering free P&P to anywhere in the UK.

But why am I putting this book on sale, you ask?

Because it won’t be available for much longer.

Yes: this is your last chance to buy “Under the Tree” in its current form.

After the two week sale is over, you will not be able to get the paperback of “Under the Tree” anywhere.

There are just four copies left. Can you give one a good home?

Image © Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

Want to order a book? Want to request some samples of my poetry before you buy? Just want to say hello?

Then drop me a message in the comments, on Twitter (@pennygotch), on Facebook or via e-mail.

And remember: you’ve only got two weeks before the “Under the Tree” paperback is gone!

~ Penny

Related Post: Launch of “Under the Tree”

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August 18, 2014 · 10:00 am

Monday Writing Goals: 18th August 2014

Oh dear, I haven’t been doing very well with this blog, have I?

Allow me to attempt an explanation.

I have another blog, where I review professional wrestling, and I’ve been updated that one madly to catch up with my post-holiday backlog.

Add to that the fact that I’ve been going to work with my mother to help her with admin work in the office, and you get one busy writer with no time to write!

But have I been doing nothing at all? Of course not!

On the writing-in-progress side of things, I have a story that I’m working on for the InkTears Short Story Competition. It hasn’t got a title yet, but it’s exploring the trope of mystical pregnancy. I’m having a lot of fun with it.

And on the writing completed side of things, I’ve been long-listed for the Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year 2014 with two poems!

If you’re in Canterbury on Tuesday 2nd October at 7.30 p.m., why not come along to St Gregory’s Centre for Music for the awards evening?

And finally, writing goals!

This week, I’m going to keep it simple. My goal is to write 3,000 words of something.

I don’t mind if it’s blog posts, poems or prose: I just want to have created 3,000 words by Friday.

And unfortunately, this post doesn’t count. So I’d better get going!

P.S. I still have copies of my poetry book “Under The Tree” for sale! Leave a comment if you’re interested!

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August 8, 2014 · 11:14 pm

Brief Update

Gosh, it’s been a while since I posted here!

What have I been up to?

Well. I went to Canada. And after that, I’ve been spending all my time putting together characters for a Dresden Files RPG!

I’m DMing the game, so I’m pretty involved.

Roleplaying is a fantastic creative exercise. I’m having to come up with NPCs, with plots, with locations, all with the knowledge that my players could change things at a moment’s notice. It’s fascinating stuff!

I honestly wish I could be writing more, but I’m so busy with other things that I hardly have the time!

But never fear, the Summer of Writing 2014 will resume from this Monday.

See you then!

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July 15, 2014 · 11:01 pm

Goodbye Europe: Hello Canada!

London Film and Comic Con was great last Saturday, particularly the first Young Adult Lit Convention. But I’ll tell you more about that another time.

Why?

Because I’m going to Canada!

I’ll see you when I get back on the 22nd!

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July 7, 2014 · 10:30 pm

Monday Writing Goals: 7th July 2014

Do I have an excuse for not writing a post last Friday?

No. Not really. Except for the fact that I didn’t write much fiction last week.

Now, I don’t mention it on this blog, but I do actually run another blog, where I write reviews and opinion pieces on professional wrestling.

And I update that blog three times a week.

So every time it looks like I’ve written nothing because I haven’t accomplished goals set on this blog, I have still created three pieces of creative non-fiction that I haven’t mentioned.

So there’s that, at least.

Still, my goals this week are: to finish my HG Wells Competition story; to work on “Blue Skye”; and to start a new novel for my 25k mini Camp NaNoWriMo.

Yes, I know it’s Day Seven and I haven’t written a single word yet. Shush.

See you on Friday!

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June 30, 2014 · 9:23 pm

Monday Writing Goals: 30th June 2014

Hello and welcome to another Writing Goals post!

Image © Penny Gotch.

I have only two goals this week: finish Blue Skye, and start Camp NaNoWriMo!

I’m only doing a half NaNo this time (25k) because I want to finish Blue Skye AND I’m going to Canada for a week this month. So I don’t want to push myself under too much pressure!

In other news, I was shortlisted for the “Art in the Underpass” competition, but didn’t win. Even so, I performed my poem Canterbury in Westgate Gardens.

And thanks to my lovely parents, Hugh and Becky Gotch, the performance is now on YouTube, which you can see below!

I hope you enjoy it!

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June 28, 2014 · 10:08 pm

Another Short Post

Just another short post to let you know that I haven’t forgotten this blog or the Summer of Writing 2014!

I haven’t really accomplished much this week. Why? Who knows? It just happens sometimes.

However, I will be on the main lawn of Westgate Gardens in Canterbury to perform a poem! I was shortlisted in the Art in the Underpass competition. And after the performances, we’ll find out who the winners are!

It might be me!

I’ll also be bringing three copies of “Under the Tree” to sell.

So if you’re interested, please do come!

See you Monday!

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