Life: a work in Progress

Dear Reader,

I apologise if you feel neglected. I have been spending the majority of my time in lectures for my MSc that began last week, and all of my non-academic-work-time working on my online novella. I have written the prologue, chapter 1 and chapter 2 and am trudging through the beginning of chapter 3. I've been doing a lot more research to write this than I had first intended, but I suppose it's all for the better of the novella. *Sigh*

Image courtesy of proficientwriter.com

When I say research, one would generally think about looking into history books, geographical maps, other novels, going to the library, searching online  etc. (Aside: wikipedia is always a good starting point) All of this I have been doing. But I've also been doing some research into my own personal history, delving into my past to find stories and anecdotes from my childhood. I had no idea how much my own personal life had influenced this plot/story until I actually started writing it. Not that this novella is autobiographical, quite far from that actually. 

But still, this introspective and retrospective search has made me think about all the ways that I have changed over the years, and the ways that I have stayed the same. I've also come to realise that the main driver of change is experience. The circumstances life deals out to us, the people we meet, the decisions we make, they are all an intertwined  into that one word "experience". And I believe, as the writer, it is vital for me (if not the reader) to understand my characters' experiences in order to plot out the decisions they would make when put in the middle of a tight spot or dilemma.  

And I suppose this is also true for real people as well, not just fictional ones. To truly appreciate a person and know why they do what they do, necessitates an understanding of who the person is and what makes them tick. You know, dear reader, how they say "you need to know where you're coming from, to see where you're going" or something along those lines. If you know who said that, let me know in the comment section below.

A short post this time, but I must be getting back to a lavish South Kensington drawing room in 1838. So to conclude, all I want to say is that life itself is a work in progress - as I write out the lives of my characters, I'm also in the process of writing out my own.     

Nida

a New Project

Dear Reader,

I have been encouraged/inspired/challenged/forced-at-gunpoint by some of my friends to start a new project. That is to say, they want me to write one of my more simpler novels online. That way they can read it immediately without having to wait for years for me to get published and to showcase case my "talent" to the world at large. Their words not mine. 

So I've set up a new blog/website were I'll be writing chapters for this "novella" whenever I get the chance. It's one of my historical stories, set in the 1800's, but also it's neither of the stories I have mentioned previously on this blog as I just came up with the concept and plot a few weeks ago. I have named it "Honour & Honesty" in due respect to Jane Austen, whose novels (Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility) have partly inspired it. This is the URL address for the story:

http://honourandhonesty.wordpress.com/ 

Despite appearances, this is actually the first time I’m writing a story online, and given all my other obligations, I’m not exactly sure how long it will take me to complete this novella. However, I do have a fully-planned, detailed outline of the plot and so each post will be a new chapter of the novella.

And as you might know by now, I hold firm with the idea: “never judge a book by its cover” (or rather “a blog by its template” in this case) I would not expect you, dear reader, to begin reading this without some sort of indication as to what it is all about. So if I were to write a blurb for this novella, it would go something like this:

When the alluring Amelia Russell returns to London after a long absence, all of Adrian Campbell’s ideas, plans and theories on marriage are turned upside down and shaken vigorously. He becomes stuck between a rock and a hard place, with his priced honour most at stake.

But on the other side of the world, in the murky docks of Hong Kong, Lieutenant Warren Lloyd receives an urgent but mysterious message requiring his immediate return to England.

As the varied lives of four young people cross, the value of Honour and Honesty will play a great role in love, heartbreak, family ties and scandal.

What do you thing? ;-) I hope you, dear reader, enjoy reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. If this is not your usual cup of tea then that’s fine, I won’t hold it against you. But if you have an ideas, opinions or constructive criticism then I’d definitely love to read it, so leave a comment in the section below. But now I have to go and type up the Prologue. Take care. 

Nida

P.S: make sure you check out the "Acknowledgement" and other pages on the blog.