Tag Archives: night

Too Many – 30 Day Writing Challenge

Posted on by
4

img_4590It’s Christmas Eve, and also day twenty-four of the 30 Day Writing Challenge. Today’s prompt is: Too Many

Now, the obvious thing to write about today would be presents- as in, is there such a thing as ‘too many’? If you asked my daughter I’m sure she’d say no. However, when I cast around for an idea, I only had a fragment come to me:

‘I love snow.’ I rested my chin in my hand, dreamy, watching spiraling white flakes fall against the dark trees. Outside it was cold, the sky a swollen grey, but inside all was warm and cheer. The fire was crackling, a blanket was tucked around me and the smell of baking – really, the only thing that could have made it more like a Christmas card would have been a small child singing carols.

How would you end it? I had a vague idea of the snow turning to a storm, the power going out and the idea that there was such a thing as ‘too many’ snowflakes. However, it seemed a bit of a stretch and so I’ve left them as is, comfortable and warm in their living room, watching the snow fall.

And perhaps that’s where I’ll leave you all too, as night falls and Christmas beckons. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season, however you choose to celebrate xx

If you enjoyed this post, you can find me on Twitter @AuthorHelenJ,  Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus my latest book release, A Thousand Rooms, is now available on Amazon.

 

 

Night Scribbles

Posted on by
41

IMG_1368

I woke last night with a half formed idea for a blog in my head. Something about rejection and happy thoughts and yet acknowledging it was tough yada yada.

I tossed and turned and mumbled about it, then went back to sleep, a smile on my lips, certain I had a nice post for this morning. But when I woke up the idea that had seemed so good at whatever-o-clock in the night now felt kind of silly. And the thoughts that had held it together and made it seem workable were breaking apart, like tatters of silk in the wind.

A friend once said to me ‘Go to sleep on a question, wake with an answer.’ This is actually a pretty good way to address things sometimes – it’s certainly worked for me with several character issues I’ve had. One character, who I had written as quite awful, had been whispering in my ear, insisting he wasn’t that bad, that he had reasons to be the way he was. And he was right.

But then how could I justify him doing ‘the very bad thing’ he  needed to do in order for the plot to turn out the way it did? For there was no way around that – I’d thought on it for weeks and there was no other option. So I went to sleep, keeping the idea in my head, and when I woke the answer was there. I suppose you could say this is a form of mindfulness, of targeted thinking with a desired result, and so that’s why it worked.

The tatters and rag-tag ends of ideas that come to us, unbidden, in the night are quite different. Some of them are excellent and worth keeping, while others, like my post, are not. I have on occasion woke with fully formed sentences wanting to be written down, or characters insisting to speak. But for the most part they are things like this classic Tumblr post, which always makes me laugh.

So how about you? Have you had an amazing idea for a story arrive in the middle of the night? I do confess I keep a notebook next to my bed, just in case inspiration strikes. But for the most part it is rag-ends and bobtails, disappearing like mist as the sun rises.

Sunset

Posted on by
8

IMG_0938

I’m sitting here writing, every so often stopping to watch the glowing red/gold/purple sky. It’s my favourite time of day. There is a calmness, a warmth, a drawing in that happens in the transition from day to night, as though the rhythms of the world are slowing, taking me with them.

There are fears, sometimes, to be found in the dark of night, though candles and fairy lights can keep them at bay. But here, in the gleam and shadow of sunset, lies magic and melancholy, bittersweet.

Do you have a favourite time of day?