In the last few years I’ve start writing four different books. I get about seven or eight chapters in and then lose motivation and I don’t know why. Especially as I have the full story ini my head for all four of them. All four are vastly different stories, and I’m invested in each of them – in fact one of them I think of a lot as I drift off to sleep and I play out scenarios in my head, having conversations as though I’m some of the characters. I just seem to lack the motivation to finish them off!
So I did a bit of searching on that there internet and I found this: Couch to 80k – Writing Bootcamp.
A writing bootcamp, all done online, with daily exercises. I’m not saying it’ll be the answer but it’s worth a try.
It’s from a chap called Tim Clare who describes himself as “a poet, author and musician.” According to his bio he presented the Channel 4 series How To Get A Book Deal in 2005 so there must be something there to work with as far as I’m concerned.
He hasn’t updated his blog since April 2022 but hey, anyone who keeps a blog will have been guilty of forgetting it from time to time. I certainly have!
Due to work I can’t promise doing it every single day but I certainly do as much as I can when I can. I’m gonna pop each exercise up here and we’ll see how it goes. I’m looking forward to the results.
Exercise One
In ten minutes write out 50 names. They can include titles or be job specific but they must be made up and not people you already know.
- Yvette Spencer
- Donatella Smith
- Simon Van Hopper
- Lucian Grey
- Monica Wellington
- Bernard Thrippleton
- Julia Weston
- Margaret Montgomery
- Iain Grant
- Parker Kincaid
- Derek Acosta
- Susan Donovan
- Luciano Avola
- Miriam Renton
- Damien Alp
- Harry Walton
- Agamemnon Jones
- Barney Yates
- John Thripple
- Ronan Top
- Thomas Underwood
- Gloria Harpington
- Harrison Loft
- Chase Richards
- Christian Lawson
- Lucy Rensmith
- Diego Ost
- Sky Turner
- Adam Call
- Dennis Harper
- Justice Bunson
- Elizabeth Strop
- Arthur Gamble
- Paul Ironside
- Caroldine Fisher
- Philip Osterman
- Freddy Teller
- Penelope Beverly
- Tristan Hope
- Oliver Backhammer
- Nolan West
- Gabrielle Futterman
- Tim Rester
- Naomi Hunt
- Duncan Kristoff
- Cleo Little
- Noah Ropes
- Devon Plasky
- Eddie Howard
- Amelia Red
I’m smiling reading the list back as I know where I get some of the names from! They’re all made up but some of thee name, both first and second but not together, remind me of school friends.
Anyway, there’s exercise one.
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