Comfort and Rewards

This week I've been splashing out a bit. I've been needing a new chair for my study for some time and decided that I couldn't put it off any longer. My back has been giving me hell for several weeks now and sitting on a creaky twelve year old office chair wasn't helping at all.

The new one is a lovely black leather number with massage functions and a nice high back which supports my head. I'm thrilled to bits with it. Of course it was horribly expensive, but worth it. I've justified the big spend by calling it a reward to myself for completing Terminus.

I've been reading how you should give yourself little treats to persuade the right-hand brain to co-operate. The theory goes something like this, you work for a set period of time, say twenty minutes. Then you treat yourself for an equal amount of time. For example, you might spend twenty minutes reading or watching television.

For bigger projects you might set longer term rewards, as I did with the chair. The idea is that writing becomes easier because your right-hand brain comes to expect a reward each time you complete a piece of work.

Does the theory work? The jury is still out on that one. I have been writing more than usual, but that may just be because I've made a concerted effort. Either way, I am enjoying a marvellous new chair and don't have to feel guilty for buying it!

17 percent

My new project is a retelling of a classic ghost tale. I remember my drama teacher telling the story to the class when I was ten years old. The story has always stuck in my mind, because the ending was so unexpected.

I've decided to update the idea a bit and give it a slightly more adult slant, but I hope that I'll remain true to the spirit of the thing. No pun intended!

17 percent is the working title, and is a reference to the number of Americans who believe they have seen a ghost.

Once again it's a short story. I want to keep it simple and to the point, and hopefully maintain the element of surprise. I'm aiming to tell the story in 1,500-2,000 words. Anything longer would probably stretch the material to breaking point!

Terminus - First Draft

I've completed the first draft of a short story entitled Terminus. Based on my experiences as a train conductor, I would describe it as a psychological horror story. There are possible supernatural overtones, although that is for the reader to decide.

I originally set out to write a story in roughly 4,000 words. The word count was completely arbitrary. It just seemed like a good figure to aim for. In the event the first draft has run to almost 6,000 words, although I'm already thinking of revisions which should cut it to about 5,000 words. I must resist the urge to start tinkering with it for at least a couple of weeks!

I am thinking in terms of a competition entry for this one, rather than submitting it to a magazine. To honest I'm struggling to come up with a suitable market.