It's Christmas and the novel remains unfinished

So, it is christmas once more - this year has gone very quick. In fact everything goes quickly apart from my writing. I am still no nearer from getting the novel finish, however, I am happy with the rate of writing. Ther are some works of art that cannot be rushed.

In November (I know it has been three months since I last blogged, but I've been busy working on a new website for work and enjoying the challenges of putting a website together), I did sit down and start a new novel for November write a novel in a month competition, but unfortunately it wasn't finished in time for the competition. However, although it may have created another piece of work that is unfinished, the sheer buzz of being about to sit down and write something total fresh always gives me a buzz, because I always worry that no matter how many different names I give a character, I am actually just writing about the same characters all the time, and just really giving them different character features.

I suppose though that some would argue in the literary world that story, plots and characters are repeated all the time and that there are only a limited number of characters and storylines in the world and authors are really just putting their take on the idea that had been done before. Philip Pullman once described authors as magpies, always looking for something shinny and if they like what they see, they will find a way of using it in their stories. I am not saying that authors shoud pinch ideas and steal story, but we do have the licence to adapt scene and scenerios from works of ficton into our own writing.  I think that why it is so important for authors to read the books all around them - to find inspiration and to feel someone else's talent for wordsmithing.

It is a bit like Christmas writing, Christmas is a time of tradition and time old customs that through the generations we change and adapt to fit our standard of living. No two households will celebrate Christmas in the same way, but there will be common threads coming through in each household.  Writing is a tradition that authors are inspired to do because of their reading and understanding of the literaty word and what had come before them, and we aim to create work that will become a classic in its own rights. Hundreds will try and only a few will break through to become real classics, but to be a writer, you keep this belief that you can create a classic to stand out from the rest, so even though the novel remains unfinish, I will set a goal again next year, because I know I have a classic in me.