I’ve been in a writing slump this month.
It’s kind of like writer’s block, but with an added bonus of “what’s the point?” syndrome. I’d submitted stories to five different places, all of which promised to get back soon and… didn’t. The waiting dragged on, and despite my efforts to put it to the back of my mind I ended up constantly checking their websites for updates. Nothing. My novels had also ground to a halt. Everything just stopped and I wasn’t inspired to do anything.
Then this weekend, I went to a Doctor Who convention.
Dimensions has been running for some years now. It’s one of the biggest and most popular Classic Who cons, and on Friday I went up to Newcastle with my mum to take a break from writing. No emails to check, no webpages to refresh. And I had an absolute blast. I went to panels and signings and photo ops, I dressed up (one of the few times you’ll ever see me in a skirt), I shared a lift with Colin Baker! I even met Daphne Ashbrook, the Who companion Grace Holloway whom I was named after (cue fangirling).
On Saturday, we went around the merchandise stalls. These places are gardens of temptation for Who fans. Seriously, there’s TARDIS-shaped everything from slippers to shower curtains.
As I passed a stall selling art prints, I was struck by a particularly beautiful image of Paul McGann’s Doctor playing the violin. The artist, Carolyn Edwards, has created countless works inspired by the show and for a while I could only look through them all in awe. It was clear that she’d put a lot of thought into finding new ways to portray the characters and with a real eye for colour and detail.
Later, I found another stall tucked away in the corner of the lobby. It sold knitted, multi-coloured Daleks. Yes, you read that right. Jacky Thornton uses a five-needle pattern to create the woolly killing machines – and in lots of wacky colours! I immediately brought two – one lavender and one sparkly purple. They now sit in pride of place on my bookshelf.
I think what really struck me is that these people created amazing work, just because a particular TV show inspired them to. Doctor Who may have been a starting point, but what they produced in response was creative, original and completely their own. It reminded me of my own attempts at fanfiction, which slowly improved until I managed to write a 50,000 word novel. Enjoying what you work on, that’s the moral of all of this. Falling in love with your subject matter, being inspired until you have to vent your creative energy into something completely your own.
When I got home, there were still no emails. So I closed my laptop, snuggled down with my TARDIS blanket and knitted Daleks, and settled down for a Doctor Who marathon.
Sometimes our creativeness just needs some regenerating.
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So this blog has been idling for a little while, but it’s going to be a lot more active now that the site has seen some revamping. I’ll be posting every week if I can, most likely on Sundays, and there’s now a subscription box should you want to receive email updates (no pressure, nudge nudge).
I was recently interviewed by Chaz Josephs on her blog, Under The Slush, about being shortlisted for the Sugarscape Fanfiction Award. If you want to hear me fangirl some more about Doctor Who – along with some writing tips, of course – head on over there.
I’ve also been blessed with a Goodreads profile since Growing Pains was added to the site, so if you want to see what I’m reading do pop in. Feel free to send me friend requests, I’m a bit lonely on here at the moment.
Writing has been somewhat slow this week, but I’ve been planning out a few more stories and I’m hoping to revive my novels a bit. This weekend I’m heading over to FantasyCon at the University of Nottingham. On the Saturday I’ll be cosplaying with a bright red cloak and plastic sword. If you see me, come say hi!