November Writing Tips!

We're just over halfway through National Novel Writing Month. My plan was to be at 16,000 words by now. I'm not there, but I've written a damn sight more than I had last year which I'm incredibly happy with. Even if you haven't started anything yet, there's still time, don't despair! :) 

Here are my top tips for finding inspiration and writing, not just during NaNoWriMo, but for whenever you're working on something. 

Start small.

No one expects you to pen your first novel the first time you take part in NaNoWriMo, or even the tenth time you take part! Personally, I feel it's easier to start small with poetry and short stories. Who knows, maybe even one of these ideas can develop and grow into something much bigger? It's all about writing as much as you feel you can, and making sure that, above all, you enjoy what you're writing about. Pick a subject you enjoy or something you're passionate about and the words will just flow from there, be that 100 words or 10,000. 

Find inspiration in a range of different places.

For me, inspiration can hit me at any time. I carry a notebook around with me in my bag for that sole reason. Sometimes I'll think of an idea when I'm at work, or sometimes someone else will inspire me. Most recently, my dad gave me the inspiration for a brilliant idea that I want to develop into a short story. And it's not just the big wide world around us that can help us to plant these seeds of ideas. Other writing blogs are pivotal within my creative process. Some of my favourites include Write World, Yeah Write and Wordstuck. They post prompt ideas, writing tips and interesting words to use within your writing. Do your research and find other blogs that inspire you personally too :)

Other hobbies also provide me with a wealth of inspiration. Reading is so important. If you want to write romance novels, read romance novels. If you want to write about crime, read crime novels. If you want to write contemporary poetry, then make sure you read plenty of it. It's all about knowing you subject matter inside out. Personally, I'm inspired by a wide range of genres; sometimes chick-lit, sometimes fantasy, and sometimes thrillers. Photography also inspires me. Occassionally I use my own work as a starting point for my writing to see if I can build a narrative from there. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and it's always fun to challange yourself to pick the best words possible.

Don't compete with anyone else.

Of course, writing can be a very social activity. Sharing your work with friends and other writers is a very enriching exercise. Recieving critique for your work is always helpful, and it helps you to look at your writing from a different perspective, seeing things that you wouldn't ordinarily notice when you look through it yourself. However, don't fall into the trap of comparing your work to other people's. It's an easy trap to tumble into; thinking that your writing isn't as good as someone else's or that your plot idea isn't as strong. Above anything else, writing is personal, and there is always room for improvement whether you're a successful, published writer or not. You are free to develop your own style and voice, don't remove that sense of character because you want to write like someone else. 

Write. Write. Write. Just keep writing.

It doesn't matter what you write about, just keep the flow of creativity going. I remember when I was at university, during one of my creative writing seminars, my lecturer would start off the class with a simple exercise. He would give us a subject and instruct us to just write; scribble down the very first thing that came to mind and keep going. One subject that really stuck in my mind was when he asked us to write about bread. It didn't matter that I didn't like what I had written, because most of the time we all hate first drafts, but it gave me material to work with. The beautiful thing about writing is that you can rework and remould and restructure what you've written until you're happy with it. 

Flesh out your characters.

If there's one thing that helps me to write fluently, it's really getting to know that characters I'm writing about or from the perspective of. If I create a character then I really need to flesh them out, get to know them and figure out what they would be like as a real life person. I always feel like if I don't do this then I can't decide whether certain actions or behaviours would be considered out of character. To make a character realistic, you as the writer must get to know them first.

Most importantly - enjoy writing!

If you don't enjoy what you're writing about then something isn't quite right. Don't force yourself to churn out words that don't feel natural. Start something new, something that excites you. There's no shame in not finishing something that doesn't have your full heart in it to begin with. Who knows, you may return to it in the future and find your inspiration once again :)


~ C xxx

Current Hair & Beauty Favourites!

This was so difficult to make into a manageable list, and I still don't think I've achieved that. Basically, this post is a general run through of all of the make up, skin care and hair products that I love and absolutely swear by. I go through a lot of products, especially when they're all shiny and new and ooooh how lovely, but some of them are downright rubbish, I won't lie. All of the products that I'm about to rave about work perfectly for me! :)

BaByliss Diamond Wave Maker

I bought this about 3 or so months ago because I wanted a curler that would do something different with my hair. I didn't want to spend a fortune, but I wanted something decent that would last me a while. I was really really impressed with the BaByliss Wave Maker. Firstly there is a temperature adjustment button which I knew would come in handy for me (I've singed my hair on curlers before and, believe me, it wasn't pretty). I curl my hair on quite a low temperature setting so that I don't burn it, and I also just find that my curls stay in for longer this way. You also get a handy glove with it to protect your hand when curling. I used this at first, but as I've gotten used to my own method of curling I don't tend to use it any more.

I love the waves that it creates in my hair - sort of a messy, beach vibe which I've never been able to achieve before because my hair is naturally very straight. I use it every time I go on a night out now & the waves have become by go-to style. I'd say the only downside is that it takes me a long time to section my hair and ensure that all of my hair has been curled, but other than that I love it!

L'Oréal Paris Nude Magique Cushion Foundation

I bought this foundation as soon as it came out. Now, honestly, I go through so many different foundations through the year because my skin seems to change its mind so much. Previously I'd been using a Rimmel foundation, but was really keen to try this one our as soon as I saw the advert on TV. I love the cushion aspect of the product and the fact that you're able to control what level of coverage you apply to your face. Personally I don't like a heavy foundation or a lot of coverage, and choose to apply most foundations as lightly as possible. 

You do get an applicator with the foundation, and I did use it for a while but I've since changed to a beauty blender instead. I just find it easier to use and my foundation just applies more smoothly. I think my only quibble with this foundation is the price. For a high street brand, I think it's on the expensive side. Saying that, I've been happy to part with the £14.99 it's cost me.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner

Okay, so. I lost my mind over this eyeliner when I first bought it. As far as I'm aware, Kat Von D's make up range has only become available in the UK recently, so when I went to Sephora in Barcelona I was thrilled to be able to actually buy some of the products for myself. If you've read any of my past blog posts then you'll know that I'm some sort of eyeliner junkie. I've probably tried every liquid/felt tip liner on the high street at least. For a very long time my ultimate favourite was L'Oreal's Superliner in black vinyl. I still adore this eyeliner, but Kat Von D's just slid into first place for me.

It's so easy to use and literally takes me seconds to apply on a morning when I'm rushing to get ready for work. Its staying power is fantastic, as well as its intense pigmentation. I used to find with a lot of felt tip liners that they would either smudge or that the tip was too stiff to actually apply liner smoothly. Kat Von D's Tattoo liner doesn't suffer from any of these problems.

Too Faced "Better Than Sex" Mascara

I first heard about this mascara when watching one of Zoella's Favourites videos maybe about a year ago. She had so much praise for this product, and when I spotted it in Sephora I had to buy it. I wasn't disappointed. It's a brilliant mascara, obviously on the higher end of the price spectrum, but in my opinion it's worth spending a little more to get a good quality mascara. I'd probably rate it exactly the same as my beloved Benefit's They're Real and Roller Lash - very highly. 

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

I actually bought this a while ago and barely used it, however I've started using it more recently with my L'Oreal foundation. I usually prefer using brushes just because ordinarily I find them easier to apply my make up with. Saying that though, it's very easy to achieve a smooth finish with the Real Techniques beauty blender. I have since bought a slightly cheaper one from Wilkos to compare the two, as they have a brush range that I honestly really rate, so we'll see how that goes :)

L'Oreal StudioLine #TXT Supersizing Spray

Sadly, my poor little heart is broken because this product has been discontinued. The good news is that I managed to bulk buy quite a number of them earlier on in the year xD I think I have about 2 left so I'll be incredibly upset when they run out. Obviously I think L'Oreal should bring this super duper styling spray back, but that's just because I love it. It smells great and it doesn't make my hair feel dry or stiff in any way, it just does what it says on the bottle and has great hold & volume. I'm still holding out hope that they'll bring it back with a bang, but probably not. I'll have to find something new to love when my last bottle runs out!

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cremes

I love matte lipsticks. Absolutely love them. When buying lip products I very very rarely go for anything remotely shiny, and over recent months I've been relying on my trusty MAC lipsticks which I adore. Before I went on holiday I made an impromptu, last minute trip to Boots to buy things that I probably didn't need. Stumbling across the new (ish) NYX counter, I had a little browse of their lipsticks. A shade caught my eye and I thought, why not treat myself? It's reasonably priced, only about a fiver, so I bought it.

These lip creams are about a third of the price of a standard MAC lipstick, and honest to god in my opinion they are just as good. The first shade I bought was Budapest (right) which I'd describe as a sort of dark nude. It applies so smoothly and, unlike so many matte lip colours, it doesn't hide in the tiny crevices of your lips. I don't know about you, but I'm forever applying the Carmex to my lips because they get so dry, but these lip cremes don't emphasize the fact that my lips are a tad bit dry. Hallelujah! 

After coming back from Spain I then decided to buy the other two shades you can see above - Cannes and Copenhagen. I'm not going to go ahead and say that I'll replace all of my MAC lippies with these bad boys from now on, because I love MAC lipsticks, but they're definitely staying in my make up bag ;)

E45 Lotion

This may strike you as a weird one, but stay with me.

I suffer from annoying bouts of dry skin, mainly on my face around my eyebrows. I've only been suffering with this for the past three years or so, and it was really starting to annoy me. As far as I'm aware it isn't any type of eczema, just simply really annoying dry patches that sit around my eyebrows; not great. 

I tend to use day and night creams to moisturise my skin, but these weren't having any effect on my dry skin, so I decided to start applying E45 as my night cream. Lo and behold, after about a week or so, it worked! It cleared up the annoying dry patches and made my foundation look a whole lot nicer on my face! Needless to say I've carried on using it because why not? Sometimes the best beauty products are the simplest ones :)


I feel like I've rambled on for far too long now, so I'll end things here. Hope you enjoyed reading my list of current hair & beauty faves! Feel free to leave a comment to let me know what products you swear by ! :D

~ C xxx 

The Night Circus: A Review

The Circus arrives without warning.

No announcements precede it.

It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

What a magical book. I was truly captivated the entire time I was reading The Night Circus. Initially I picked it up as a gift to myself whilst feeling incredibly hungover (apparently books are my own little healers, how cute?) and, as they always seem to do, the cover drew me in. My taste in literature is quite varied, but recently I've been steering myself towards books involving magic and fantasy, really taking myself away from the real world. 

The Night Circus achieved exactly that :)

I'll definitely say it's the most visual book I've read in a very long time. The imagery created by Morgenstern's description is so vivid and captivating; it made me feel like I was right inside the circus, wandering around the site and into all of the different tents to watch the different acts. I particularly enjoyed the way Morgenstern switched between third and second person because it really involved and engaged me as a reader, addressing me as though I were a patron of the circus.

There is a sound like a woman laughing nearby, or perhaps it is only the rustling of the trees as you pushyour way forward, searching for the next door, thenext room.You feel the warmth of breath on your neck, butwhen you turn there is no one there. (Labyrinth, p.238)

I'm not usually a fan of second person in a novel, but the snippets in The Night Circus work fantastically, bringing the whole concept of Le Cirque des Rêves to life in more ways than one.

Celia Bowen was by far the most captivating character for me. Whilst I enjoyed the dynamic she shared with Marco, I liked the fact that she was strong enough to stand on her own two feet and was mistress of her own magic. Of course, it was both herself and Marco keeping the Circus alive, but her visible strength and showmanship were some things I really enjoyed. Her relationship with Poppet and Widget struck me as incredibly maternal, and despite the tumultuous upbringing she had, it felt as though she settled into this role so perfectly. We don't hear a great deal about Poppet anfd Widget's parents, but it seems to me that Celia makes it her responsibility to pass on as many lessons to them as she can.

The challenge was an interesting concept and plot idea throughout the whole novel, although I have to admit that I did predict a romance blossoming between Marco and Celia. I don't necessarily think that it's a bad thing, simply something that didn't strike me as wholly original. Saying that though, originality is a very difficult thing to come across in modern literature. We all take inspiration from somewhere :)

Plot-wise, The Night Circus moves rather slowly, but I personally didn't see this as a negative thing. It gave me the chance to really get involved with the characters, and as there are quite a number of characters to remember I was thankful that as a reader I wasn't forced to skip back through the book to remember who was who. As well as this, we also jump back and forth through time in the novel - forward to catch a glimpse of Poppet, Widget and Bailey's experiences within the Circus, and backwards to see its inception and how it encapsulates the challenge that both Celia and Marco face. Despite the novel's focus on individuals with special powers and abilities, I loved the fact that the Circus was entrusted to the character who could be argued was the most "normal". 

"But I'm not . . . special," Bailey says. "Not the way they
are. I'm not anyone important."
"I know," Celia says. "You're not destined or chosen, I wish
I could tell you that you were if that would make it easier, but
it's not true. You're in the right place at the right time, and you
care enough to do what needs to be done. Sometimes that's
enough." (Suspended, p.457)

Bailey is just like the reader, in awe of the wondrous Circus that he surrounds himself with every night, and he is the one to save it and keep it running for so many other people to fall in love with.

To say that I've been struggling to really get stuck into some of the books that I've picked up for at least the past year or two, I didn't struggle with The Night Circus. It was imaginative, inspiring and immensely enjoyable. If you love magic, mystery and the excitement of the Circus, then you'll love this book as much as I did.

C xxx