Welcome to the online home of Helen Ayinde

(Actually, I Only Had 26 Days…)

I did it! 50,150 words as of 4pm this afternoon. I think I wrote the last 15,000 in some kind of hypnotic trance. I remember being at 33,000 and wondering how I could possibly finish. Whether what I’ve produced is actually any good remains to be seen.

I’m so glad I took part in NaNoWriMo. I think I’ve learned something valuable from it: how to write a first draft. Somewhere in the many pieces of advice on the NaNoWriMo website is a statement that definitely rings true for me, along the lines of

your brain tries to convince you that it is possible to write a perfect first draft, if only you write it slowly enough.

I’m going to finish this book off as a draft and then press on with a rewrite. Doing it this way has definitely taken the story to places it would otherwise never have gone: exciting places, and for that, I’m grateful.

A Glimpse Inside a Disturbed Mind

Now what does my tweet cloud say about me? I love that yoga, hell and pain appear next to each other. This isn’t how I feel about yoga, honest!

PS – 1700 NaNoWriMo words to go!

My “Tour” of the Second Series

Today I attended David Swenson’s “Introduction to the Second Series” Ashtanga yoga workshop. What a fantastic class. This isn’t the first time I’ve been to one of his workshops- a couple of years ago, I did his immersion/ teacher training course, and his breath, bandhas and pranayama workshop. What I like about him, apart from his extensive knowledge and his sense of humour, is that he makes everything so accessible, and is completely unpretentious. And I have to say, there are a lot of pretentious Ashtangis out there, a number of them in Soho today… Including the one who managed to kick me in the head when doing her backwards roll. (First rule of backwards rolls: always check behind you.)

I’ve been practicing the primary series for nearly ten years now. Sounds like a long time, but during that period I’ve had months of yoga drought, as well as a pregnancy. I’ve been introduced to a few postures from the second series, but always felt I was a long, long way from being in a position to seriously practice it, since there’s much still to challenge me in the primary series. But it’s amazing what you can do when you push yourself. I did the peacock! (Sort of like a handstand on your forearms.) Albeit with help. I got both legs behind my head! (No crude jokes, ‘kay, this here is serious yoga talk.) I think I’m going to suffer for it tomorrow but it’s really inspired me to explore some of these challenging postures a bit more in my self practice.

I’m so thankful to have been introduced to yoga (by my wonderful mother) and to have been able to practice with David Swenson today.

PS – did I mention… only 4,100 words to go in NaNoWriMo! Whoop, whoop!

Half Way There…

I finally hit 25,000 words today. I’m over the hump! I now have 11 days to write another 25,000. I’m not sure if I can do it, but I’m going to give it a really good shot. I’ve suffered a few setbacks that have put me behind in my word count -including a spell in hospital. But I’m enjoying the challenge, and am growing to really love writing at this speed.

Two Thousand Words A Day

…That’s what Stephen King says you should aim for. It’s also around the pace needed to win the fifty thousand word NaNoWriMo challenge. King advises writers not to spend more than three months on their first drafts, and to write every day without fail- a thing that for me is quite a challenge at the moment.

I’m about thirteen thousand words in, and I’m finding it’s true: you do tap different parts of your imagination when you have to write at great speed. It’s quite liberating to just write… But it’s also a real test of my willpower not to dither over points, or look back over what I’ve written. But I think I’m learning a lot about letting a story breathe and grow organically. And I’m also having fun.

If you haven’t read Stephen King’s On Writing, I’d thoroughly recommend it.

Baby Signing

My baby signing book arrived this morning. When I told my other half I wanted to try baby signing, he likened me to Robert de Niro’s character in Meet The Fockers, but I think it’s potentially a great way to help a child learn to communicate early on. Babies seem to understand a great deal more than we realise, and I’m hoping that – possibly – being able to express himself through signing will help my son feel less frustrated. He’s at an age now where he often knows what he wants, but still needs me to do things for him… And communicating those needs to me is no easy thing.

Of course it’s possible that by the time we’ve learned and practiced these signs, my boy will be talking anyway. I’ve been signing “drink” to him for four weeks, but all he does is grin enthusiastically at me.

(This book cover is slightly scary, if you ask me.)

Things I’ve learned about writing #1

Writing should not be my last activity before sleep.

My brain definitely works better after dark, and I love the stillness and peacefulness of night. I find it relaxes my mind to know that most other people are asleep. I feel I have more mental space. But once I do start writing, I find it very difficult to wind down. I used to read for an hour or two before sleep, but now that I know I’ll be woken early, like clockwork, by a baby demanding all my attention, this just isn’t feasible.

I have to write at night, since it’s the only private time I have. But I think I’ll have to do yoga afterwards (rather than before) to help me switch off.

So, new routine; settle baby, write for one hour, yoga for 30 minutes, then sleep…

NaNoWriMo

I’ve just signed up for NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month. I’m four days late joining, so I now have 25 days to write 50,000 words. Not impossible. That’s 2,000 words a day. 

There’s some useful advice on the site. I think the thing that convinced me to sign up – at five to midnight, when I should be sleeping – is this:

Bringing a half-finished manuscript into NaNoWriMo all but guarantees a miserable month. You’ll care about the characters and story too much to write with the gleeful, anything-goes approach that makes NaNoWriMo such a creative rush. Give yourself the gift of a clean slate, and you’ll tap into realms of imagination and intuition that are out-of-reach when working on pre-existing manuscripts. 

One thing I’m often guilty of is procrastination… or being paralysed by indecision, depending on how you look at it. I’m going to take their advice and just write. And see what happens. Much of it is likely to be utter tripe, but there you go. Hopefully I’ll learn a thing or two along the way. 

Wish me luck…

Finch

One of my favourite authors, Jeff VanderMeer, has just released a new novel, Finch. To tie in with the release, there’s a lovely new reader page, which includes some fun downloads, including these great banner slogans…

Finch has hold of me already, and I’m only a few pages in. Ambergris is one of my favourite fantasy settings, and I love the sinister mystique and strangeness of the Gray Caps (or should I say Farseneeni…)