Nanowrimo 2011 part 2

So journal, despite the last post I made, I have an INCREDIBLE urge to start at least planning my novel. Which is fantasy. And I have never written fantasy before or made up a world completely on my own. Am I scared? Yes I am freaking out slightly… I really just want to go with the flow, but If I don’t have some sort of outline I feel that it just won’t work for me and I so want to win this year, I want to get my 50,000 novel done. I know I will write a lot of crap but man I am excited and I am making quite a few new friends along the way which is just awesome!

So yea.. If I do end up writing a rough outline at some point in this week before nano, it will be published here!

I must be insane…

NaNoWriMo 2011

So well it is that time of year again, and well I have not done much creatively since last year except that I am trying although dreadfully to knit. Still have not sold many of my friendship bracelets but I do aim to set myself up on etsy at some point!

Anyway it is getting closer and closer to November and I am getting excited about NaNo already! I am pantsing it this year with just a title and a quick synopsis I made up to go on. The novel title is Lilypants and the unravelling thread. Which I came up with from a random nickname for a radio presenter over here in Guernsey! (no copywright infringement intended of course!) Anyway by pantsing it and having some great online writing buddies, it will hopefully go well. I will be moaning and groaning here in my creative blog, and writing down all my random plot thoughts.

Good luck to everyone this year, I am hopefully going to make this year my year!

“Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.  ~E.L. Doctorow”

Crafting etc Update.

So. Well NaNo came and NaNo went. Did I win? No. Why? Because I was finally working a full time temporary office job, and still am, and making some much needed money. That took priority, and because I think I exhausted myself in the first few days it just did not go anywhere. Plus I think that now I have a starting point for a novel. It might just actually ‘go’ somewhere now that I have time to sit down and spend time writing and such. Have also not done much in the way of drawing as such for a while, but I have been catching up on some much needed reading and bracelet making.

Last year when I was at university, I learnt how to make bracelets from a friend of mine. It quickly became addictive and the more I made, the more I enjoyed it. I made several for friends of mine whilst I was there and they were all so amazed at the skill and simplicity of them that they suggested that they pay for them. Now being the nice person I am I refused to accept any money from them, but it did get the idea rolling in my mind. As it is shortly going to be Christmas and New Year, I thought it was time to buy some more cotton and to start making bracelets again, and as usual I end up with more than what I need. So I have decided to start making 5 of them a day, so that come New Year, I can start taking my ‘wares’ as it were around all the car boot sales on a saturday morning and start making myself known to the locals. Which is always important when running a mini business if you like!

I’ll post pictures up eventually of the bracelets, but I obviously need to make like a hundred before New Year! Wish me luck!

NaNoWriMo Starts Today!

Ok so blog, here is the thing. The thing that I have been planning for, the novel that is my idea, my own, my life for the next 30 days, starts today. I have attempted to do NaNo twice before and failed, but this year I will not fail. In fact I refuse to. I will achieve my goal of a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Am I crazy you ask? No. But I am slightly insane. I somehow signed up to write 5,000 words in my first day of novelling, and well I do not know if I have time to regret that decision, or whether to spread that out over the next two days. Thing is, I only need to write 1,667 words per day to hit the 50k word target by the 30th November. Admittedly, the first chapter of my novel this year is so far about 3 and a half pages longs, includes a rape scene and is in fact 2,420 words. I wonder if it is worth me doing 5,000 words tonight, then not having to worry too much about how much I will need to write tomorrow? Or am I going to burn out too quickly? Only time will tell. Plus also my first chapter seems to be going well, I forgot the thrill of NaNo, writing like crazy then including the ideas from my mind as my creativity flows and I just type, type, type away!

Thank goodness I have stocked up on the sweeties this year, I have chocolate coated brazil nuts, chocolate coated peanuts, Percy Pigs and rosie apple sweets. I aim to be either in a hyperactive *OMG I MUST WRITE!!!* mood tonight, or possibly crash out in a few hours time. Like I said only time will tell.

Wish me luck!

“The pen is the tongue of the mind.” – Miguel de Cervantes

My best drawings so far part 2…

Now that I have published my Disney drawings, I thought I should share some of the other ones that I have done, All of which are my original art work. I am going to ask this year for christmas, a new sketchbook, some more colouring pencils, some canvas and some paints so that I can extend my skills into other areas of art.

Here is a christmas card that I drew for my ex who I never got a chance to give to, but as a piece of artwork, I thought I should keep it all the same:

I am actually quite happy with this, as it is based on this picture:

Now for some of my original artwork:

This was my only attempt at anime drawing, I might experiment with it some more in the future, but for now it is just an example.

This is a pattern that I did a while ago, it took an awfully long time to fill the page, but as I quite enjoy experimenting and coming up with my own patterns, I just could not resist!

This is yet another pattern, although slightly more defined as it is entitled ‘Love Links’ I drew it to represent the links between friends, families and lovers. I thought that this depicted it pretty well!

This is my drawing of flowers, as I work part time/seasonally in a flower centre, I thought it apt to draw a picture of flowers which really happened at random as I was just trying to do another pattern, but then drew the actual flowers and thought that I should draw it like this!

I love fairies, so I have drawn two pictures which I am very proud of, the first one is of a series I was going to draw of fairies based on the elements, but only managed to draw Earth and Fire, using the colours of brown, green and black for earth and red, orange and yellow for fire. However I could not figure out how to draw water and air, but I might attempt them in future:

I am very proud of this drawing I did based on a postcard my fiancee bought me from Mont St Michel which was of three fairies, I used the facial shape, wings, and hair style to base this drawing upon. I personally think that this is my best yet.

So recently I have been reading the great work that is known as Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, who I greatly admire and I love his use of language in classic literature. I have decided to do a series of drawings based upon Romeo and Juliet and have done two so far. The first one is based on the lines: “Two housholds, both alike in dignity, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. A pair of star crossed lovers take their life.” This is of course from the prologue of Romeo and Juliet and I drew a picture of two stars over crossing, the house of Montague and Capulet either side, a pair of hands in the middle with blood dripping, and Romeo and Juliet lying dead at the bottom. This is it:

Then I did a drawing of their first meeting at Capulet’s party, based on the lines, “Romeo: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stend. To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. Juliet: For Saints have hands that pilgrim’s hands do touch. And palm to palm is Holy Palmer’s Kiss” I drew them at first meeting, with their hands touching palm to palm:

I think I will be doing some more drawings as I read through Romeo and Juliet, this is just my work so far, personally I think I was a bit out of proportion with that second drawing, but admittedly I need to work on that.

And that is it, all my best drawings for you to see. Click on them to see the image in full.

I shall leave you with this quote:

“Matisse makes a drawing, then he makes a copy of it. He recopies it five times, ten times, always clarifying the line. He’s convinced that the last, the most stripped down, is the best, the purest, the definitive one; and in fact, most of the time, it was the first. In drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt. ~ Pablo Picasso.”

My best drawings so far..

So I have been drawing self-taught for a little over a year now, and just thought that I should take some photos and put them on here for everyone to see! I think I will start with my Disney ones, as I really love Disney, especially the classic films and I will always remember watching them laying on the floor in front of the TV as a little kid.

The first one I did was of Belle from Beauty and the Beast I drew this as me and my friend were going to Southampton/Bournmouth for a holiday and we went to see Beauty and the Beast the musical, I copied it from an image I found online, here is the original, and my interpretation of it:

This is obviously the original, then there is mine:

Then I went onto do Ariel from The Little Mermaid which is one of my all time favourite films:

This is the original

My interpretation of it.

Then I did Cinderella, which is another classic:

Unfortunately, I do not know where the original is of this drawing, but in my opinion it is one of the best ones I have done thus far. Also I did a Ariel picture for a friend of mine:

And thus concludes my Disney drawings! I hope you enjoy them!

“It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid
It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take
Who would’ve thought… it figures” -Ironic Alanis Morissette.

NaNo prep Update.

Well it is getting closer and closer to the month of November. I am getting more and more excited about this years NaNo, as I feel that this is my year that I Amy Bougourd will in fact win and have a 50,000 word novel under my belt! I have never won before, and I am both excited and dreading it! I am sure I will be driving everyone around me crazy with the amount of time I will be spending sat on my bed as I am now typing my NaNo away! Unless of course I find a uber cool writing programme out there to install on my macbook… Anyone know of any?

Anyway, I just thought that I should update with a more polished plot plan, and my first complete (I think!) character biography for my FMC. (Female Main Character.)

Life Doesn’t Always Come Up Roses.

Plan/Plot/Prep etc…

Plot line: (i.e. short summary) Escaping her father, Aphelia is on a life-changing journey to discover who her family are, with dark consequences that threaten the life that she knew.

Main idea/plot:

The FMC (female main character), Aphelia Falle lives at home with her lazy good for nothing father, he is all she has for family as her mother died of complications at birth. (but in actual fact she was murdered by her father’s gang.) Her father has dealings in drugs, and drinks heavily on a regular basis. Aphelia is constantly abused and blamed by her father for things she does not know about but will do in time. After one fateful night where her father over steps the boundaries and rapes her, robbing her of her innocence, she packs one bag with a few clothes, a picture of her mum and with a small amount of savings, escapes into the back streets of London.

On her journey she meets many different and interesting characters. The first one that she comes across is a prostitute by the name of Tabitha. Tabitha is a prostitute not by choice, but because that is the only way for her to make money in this day and age. Taking pity on the young girl, she takes Aphelia in to her grotty bedsit, which is not much, but is all that Aphelia can find at such short notice after escaping the clutches of her father. (for the first few chapters.)

Other plot points for the middle/end:

• Old drug dealers of her father harass Aphelia as her father owes them a lot of money.
• Tried to when younger, go to the authorities for help about her father, but they never helped her or caught him.
• Aphelia ends up somewhere far from home i.e. Europe or America.
• Aphelia finds and meets up with family from her Mother’s side (via the surname, Falle.) Each have their own dark pasts with issues of betrayal, lies etc. Possibility of her being abandoned/ dumped to her father after her mother being murdered.
• Possibility of meeting and falling in love with someone along the way, (MMC?) Won’t bring him in until the plot is well established.
• Also include flashbacks of her past etc.

Female Main Character Biography:

Physical:

Name: Aphelia Falle

Age: 19

Height: 5foot7

Weight: 10 stone 5lbs

Hair: Long red straight/wavy hair

Eyes: Soft brown doe like eyes

Walks with confidence, but is guarded. Always on the edge and ready to flee at any moment. Muscles are strong but small for her slender unassuming frame. She has a fringe of red hair hide her eyes. Defining feature is a small scar on the inside of her wrist from where she cut herself once as a child by falling through a window. Therefore her physicality is a quiet, unassuming although untrusting girl, she is strong. Appears weak due to the fact that from years of abuse, she doesn’t know how to react to certain situations and will either be sarcastic/cocky/interested or quiet and withdrawn. Has not been in many social situations.

Social:

She was public schooled and left at the age of 16 with 9 GCSE’s all at grade C and above. She really enjoyed school and learning, and had a few friends. However her father dragged her out of school and forced her into working at small gift shop, doing the tills and stacking shelves as well as being forced to sell drugs by her father. All of her money went to her father for his drink/drug habit and was therefore economically poor, yet saved up 10 pounds each week under her bed. When she leaves her father she has 520 pounds saved from the 3 years that she has worked. Aphelia does not believe in anything and holds the viewpoint that if there was a God he would have helped her by now. As far as she is concerned he does not exist. She is white and has no political inclinations as they are all a waste of space and never helped her when she needed it. Does not have many hobbies, but does enjoy reading occasionally, and listens to music as a form of escapism, dreaming of a better life.

Emotional:

She is very often lonely, isolated and feels like no one understands or knows what she has been through. She does not have any reason to trust anyone that she meets or knows. She has lacked a strong female role model as her mother died when she was young. She fears angry people, but will snap when provoked. Always scared that she will never escape the clutches of her father. She has never been able to have a relationship as she feels that she is never able to be close to anyone. Has always craved that intimacy with someone else. Her main goals and motivations are to find out who her mum’s family is and understand where she comes from. She is introverted and pessimistic as well as untrusting and hates being seen as vulnerable.

I am loving this so far, I think I have a pretty strong main female protaganist. Anyway my goals before NaNo start now are:

• To write all MC/SMC character biographies like the one above.
• Plan a conclusion
• Work on and polish other plot ideas
• Possibly think of some scenes.

And of course keep it all updated here in my creative blog! <3

“A writer doesn’t solve problems. He allows them to emerge.”- Friedrich Durrenmatt

20 days to go…

Yes indeed it is now 20 days to go until the 1st November and NaNo starts! I am really beginning to get excited, yet also slightly worried that I am beginning to over plan? Or if I am beginning to dislike my idea that came to me in a flash of inspiration when I was looking up at the night sky? I love the nightsky, as it is so big and inspiring with all the little shiny stars twinkling at me… *ahem* sorry I do get distracted by the shiny. Oh how I do love the shiny..

However as November approaches, I wrote up my synopsis for the NaNo site, which I though I should post here. Well I am pretty pleased with it so far. Here you go:

Escaping her father, Aphelia Falle is on a life-changing journey to discover who her true family are, with dark consequences that could threaten the life that she knew.

After childbirth Penny Falle, died hoping that her baby girl would not be sucked into the world of drink and drug abuse like her father. Little did she know how Aphelia would grow up and what would happen next. One night Aphelia is raped by her father, and robbed of her innocence. Leaving her lazy good for nothing alcoholic, drugged-up father Carl behind, Aphelia at the age of 19 is more determined than ever to find out who she really is, where she comes from and who her mum’s family are.

This journey will take her where she has never been before, as she has always lived in the same place. It will help her to realize who she is, what her life really means and will help her to discover her true self. Along the way there are various colourful people that she meets, each with their own hurt, painful and betrayed backgrounds. No-one seems to be safe, and Aphelia quickly learns to be wary and not to trust everyone that she meets.

After escaping from home, Aphelia run’s into a prostitute by the name of Tabitha. Seeing how sad and upset the girl is, Tabitha takes her in for the night. Spending her first night of freedom on the floor of a grotty bedsit, Aphelia cannot help but wonder where she will go next…

I admit I am very happy with that! As well as that, on the boat on my way home yesterday, I decided to type up and define my plot better. I think it is a better improvement than before, and I have yet to do all my character’s biographies. Also I will admit I am beginning to panic as I have not read all the creative writing books that I had intended to! But I suppose, I will make time for it as I need to be as prepped as much as I can!

Anyway here is another quote thar I saw today on facebook and it made me smile!-

“A clean house is a sign of a broken computer”

Nervous, much?

Well the NaNoWriMo site updated last night! And can I just say how great it is now to see the forums reset, the profiles reset and all the shiny buttons. I like shiny things…

Also a very interesting forum topic on the NaNo forums was the resolutions for this years NaNo. Just thought I should post them here in order to see if I can actually stick to my goals for once as I tend to procrastinate too much, or get distracted by Facebook, Skype and the like.  Here are my resolutions:

1. I will reach 50k this year and WIN even if it drives everyone around me insane and finish my novel as I have never finished any piece of writing that I have done yet.
2. I will write a little every day, to keep up with it!
3. I aim to write at least 1,700k a day!
4. I will join in more on the forums, and hope to meet someone else who lives on Guernsey to be my writing buddy or victim?
5. I will plan my novel out effectively and stick to it! As well as having a little leeway, because you never know when a random idea might actually work!
6. I will NOT procrastinate and get distracted by facebook, nano forums and the like.
7. I will tell my inner editor to shush and let me write away even if I make a lot of mistakes, (I’m so used to editing as I go, but I worry that will stop my novel going where I want it to go!)
7. I WILL HAVE FUN!

And last but not least..

I WILL DRINK LOTS OF COFFEE AND TEA!

Anyway as to my planning for NaNo is kind of on hold at the moment as my macbook is temporarily on holiday,  I will have to wait a little while until I can sit with it on my lap writing my outline, plot, character descriptions and the like. (I have taken possession of my poor brother’s netbook… he has not seen it the past couple of weeks) This year for NaNo I am way more prepared than I ever was previously. I think it might because I have way more time on my hands to expand my creative muscles. And of course I have more time to read my creative writing books that I borrowed out of my Local Library.

Anyway as I was eating my tea this evening, I came across a interesting article in the times about how local libraries were apparently being cut down. Now I love my local library with a passion, it has a lot of books, I am a occasional member of the reading group there, and I enjoy it immensely. I’ve been a member there since I could read. I hope it never ever gets shut down. In my opinion Local Libraries are at the heart of communities and they should never be cut down, what with this technological age for children growing up in these days, they should be encouraged to enjoy the literary world that is so very amazing, wonderful and full of exciting ideas to explore. I am so thankful to my dear Mum for showing me the amazing thing that is imagination from reading.

On that note I shall leave you with this quote:

“In good writing, words become one with things.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well, Welcome to my creative albeit insane world…

Hey there,

Well as you can probably guess from my username and the title of this blog, it is going to be about what I enjoy doing the most: being creative. Now being creative doesn’t necessarily mean that I just sit there every day painting random pictures like a child would do. The aim of this blog is just to express myself online in a way I’ve never done so before. Well as a child I always loved to sit there and paint for hours, draw, make things out of play dough and the like. As well as that I really loved listening to my mum read to me, and that obviously sparked an interest in reading and writing as a whole. So here on this blog I aim to share what I am doing creatively, through photos and other forms of media, as well as sharing any photos of places I’ve been, what inspires me and the like. Also I love music, although I’m not creative in that way, I love the lyrics of a lot of songs. And to inspire anyone who is reading this I shall post one with each blog post.

Well as a young writer I cannot help but get involved in the NaNoWriMo craze which starts in November. For those of you who don’t know, go to http://www.nanowrimo.org and find out what it is all about. I tried it in 2008 and 2009 both to no success. Alas this year I shall prevail to hit the 50k mark. As this is just a introductory post, I shall post my ideas for NaNo in the next few days. For now I just wanted to outline what I was doing with this blog, as it is nice to have some sort of direction in a somewhat hectic lifestyle that us as young Brits seem to be living. Also being creative is a form of therapy for me, it relaxes me and I love what I’m doing. If I get recognized for it, then that might be pure luck, or it can just be something interesting for people to read and to comment on.

Anyway I shall leave you with a song lyric from a favourite band of mine:

“This could be the very minute, I’m aware, I’m alive”- Chocolate- Snow Patrol.