Yeesh - what a ride. What a buzz.
Teething problems for some at check in sorted and straight into the mini course: Debi and Emma double act. In spite of large numbers, it turned out to be quite interactive. Intense? You bet. A huge amount to get through in 4 hrs.
Hard to interpret those expressions.
Were those frowns of concentration/discontent/confusion/boredom?
Feedback was good. We got applause! That has to be good, eh?
Whoosh. Straight into the literary speed dating aka organised chaos but a good way to meet a large number of people fast.
And what an amazing bunch of people. All those writers, all that creativity and enthusiasm. All in one place.
Hardly enough time to appreciate the food. It was good though. As far as I can tell because I wanted to talk and to listen, not eat.
Barely enough time to digest the grub and certainly not enough time to digest all the wonderful words coming at you from every angle.
Because - whoosh again. Authonomy Live. Brave writers reading their work to the assembled throng and the panel, Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and ...
... oh hang on. Wrong bunch.
I'm sitting here, listening to the writers' words and the panel's feedback and thinking how lucky I am to be here. And blogging for all of you who can't be here.
Apologies for the lack of links. I've taken some pix but haven't got round to uploading them yet. Will try again tomorrow.
Friday, April 09, 2010
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Debi's deafisms
Part 3 in an occasional series giving an insight into my muffled world.
FB: Is it true that Hong Kong is a country?
Me: Well, I don't think you could really say that. Hogwarts is a school, not a country as such. Though metaphysically speaking ...
FB: Is it true that Hong Kong is a country?
Me: Well, I don't think you could really say that. Hogwarts is a school, not a country as such. Though metaphysically speaking ...
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Closerer and closerer to York
Right.
Mini course and workshop: prepped
Submissions for Book Doctor slots: received and ready
Hair: Cut and dyed
Teeth: tobacco and coffee stains scrubbed off by dentist
Minor surgery to remove cyst on spine: gulp ...
... tomorrow morning
Oooer ...
Mini course and workshop: prepped
Submissions for Book Doctor slots: received and ready
Hair: Cut and dyed
Teeth: tobacco and coffee stains scrubbed off by dentist
Minor surgery to remove cyst on spine: gulp ...
... tomorrow morning
Oooer ...
Monday, April 05, 2010
Me, him and some books (and a rogue Sainsbury's carrier bag)
Just rec'd this pic from the Magnificent Meloney, featuring yours truly, the legendary Dan Maitland and some of them there book things.
Hoovering the Roof - the East Dulwich Writers' Group anthology published in November -has gone into its 2nd print. Yippee!
More events planned.
Hoovering the Roof - the East Dulwich Writers' Group anthology published in November -has gone into its 2nd print. Yippee!
More events planned.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Oh my aching sides ...
We're all familiar with the spam emails offering to make us rich quick involving movements of vast quantities of dubious currency around the globe for which they *ahem* need your bank account details.
Does anyone ever get caught by these emails?
Presumably some people must be sufficiently gullible, otherwise what's the point of sending them in the first place?
Sometimes though, I do wonder if the spammers are losing heart and just going through the motions.
Otherwise, what possible justification could they have for sending this email I received today?
Hello I am Mrs.Yengeni from south African a Parliamentarian Wife i contacted you to be my project partner and stand as my Husband foreign partner for transfer of US$15 million into your account for investment You maybe familiar with the news about my husband legal position. endeavor to read the website : Mrs.Lumka
Could this be the most lacklustre attempt at fraud yet?
Does anyone ever get caught by these emails?
Presumably some people must be sufficiently gullible, otherwise what's the point of sending them in the first place?
Sometimes though, I do wonder if the spammers are losing heart and just going through the motions.
Otherwise, what possible justification could they have for sending this email I received today?
Hello I am Mrs.Yengeni from south African a Parliamentarian Wife i contacted you to be my project partner and stand as my Husband foreign partner for transfer of US$15 million into your account for investment You maybe familiar with the news about my husband legal position. endeavor to read the website : Mrs.Lumka
Could this be the most lacklustre attempt at fraud yet?
Friday, April 02, 2010
Literary balls
I'm referring to the number of lit-related balls I'm juggling at the moment.
I've just finished reading and critiquing one book and have another MS waiting.
By this time next Friday, I'll be part of the way through the mini-course I'm running with Emma Darwin - Self Edit Your Work for Market.
With over 60 participants booked, we won't be able to give individual feedback but are working hard to ensure the course will give aspiring authors the tools they need to edit their own writing and learn the requirements of the market.
The following morning, my workshop on POV has been shifted to a giant amphitheatre as a result of 90+ bookings.
My one-to-one Book Doctor slots on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning are also booked out.
In between, there's a veritable feast of stuff going on and there had better be plenty of coffee available to keep me going when the adrenalin runs out.
I'm grabbing a few days after that to go away with the family. (Remember me, guys? I'm your mother.)
The launch is scheduled for 6th July and there are plans afoot for lots of events.
I've just received an email from The Brit Awards. (I'm one of their 'high profile' sic judges.)
The response to the competition has been overwhelming and they've had to postpone the process.
The Awards ceremony will now be happening on 15th July.
Meanwhile, the first layer of judging is taking place with over 21,000 submissions being sifted through by the first layer judges.
There's plenty more where that came from but I really should be getting on and doing it rather than talking about it.
I'm considering live blogging the Festival, so I shouldn't be gone too long.
Meanwhile, I need another coffee.
I've just finished reading and critiquing one book and have another MS waiting.
***
A week from today I will be in York for the Festival of Writing.
By this time next Friday, I'll be part of the way through the mini-course I'm running with Emma Darwin - Self Edit Your Work for Market.
With over 60 participants booked, we won't be able to give individual feedback but are working hard to ensure the course will give aspiring authors the tools they need to edit their own writing and learn the requirements of the market.
The following morning, my workshop on POV has been shifted to a giant amphitheatre as a result of 90+ bookings.
My one-to-one Book Doctor slots on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning are also booked out.
In between, there's a veritable feast of stuff going on and there had better be plenty of coffee available to keep me going when the adrenalin runs out.
I'm grabbing a few days after that to go away with the family. (Remember me, guys? I'm your mother.)
***
At some point, I really hope to be able to make my own WIP a priority. I've typed up the revisions and now just need to go through the 2nd draft for the final polish.***
I've completed my short story set in Croydon for 33 and it's been accepted by Glasshouse Books.The launch is scheduled for 6th July and there are plans afoot for lots of events.
***
Blimey, but there are a lot of people writing their hearts out in this world ...I've just received an email from The Brit Awards. (I'm one of their 'high profile' sic judges.)
The response to the competition has been overwhelming and they've had to postpone the process.
The Awards ceremony will now be happening on 15th July.
Meanwhile, the first layer of judging is taking place with over 21,000 submissions being sifted through by the first layer judges.
***
I could go on. I have more workshops booked in central London coming up soon, for example ...***
And on and ...There's plenty more where that came from but I really should be getting on and doing it rather than talking about it.
I'm considering live blogging the Festival, so I shouldn't be gone too long.
Meanwhile, I need another coffee.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Debi's Deafisms
Part 2 in an occasional series giving an insight into my muffled world.
Two for you today - to make up for my absence recently due to pressure of work.
1)
Emma: I'll talk to my next door neighbours, Sam and Alan.
Me: Your next door neighbours have salmonella?
2)
Ring at doorbell. I open door to see 5 small children, aged 5-7.
Guliz (spokesperson): Hello, Debi. Sorry to disturb you. We were wondering if you could possibly let us have one very small potato.
Me: Oh. Sure. Just hang on there a minute.
Thinks: potato prints? Potato gun? Sweet.
Me: Here you go, guys. The smallest potato I could find.
Children: Sideways glances at each other. Feet shuffling. Obvious discomfort.
Me: Is there a problem?
Guliz: Um, well that's very kind of you, Debi. Thank you. Only what we wanted was a small container.
Marie-Lise: Can I have the potato anyway?
Two for you today - to make up for my absence recently due to pressure of work.
1)
Emma: I'll talk to my next door neighbours, Sam and Alan.
Me: Your next door neighbours have salmonella?
2)
Ring at doorbell. I open door to see 5 small children, aged 5-7.
Guliz (spokesperson): Hello, Debi. Sorry to disturb you. We were wondering if you could possibly let us have one very small potato.
Me: Oh. Sure. Just hang on there a minute.
Thinks: potato prints? Potato gun? Sweet.
Me: Here you go, guys. The smallest potato I could find.
Children: Sideways glances at each other. Feet shuffling. Obvious discomfort.
Me: Is there a problem?
Guliz: Um, well that's very kind of you, Debi. Thank you. Only what we wanted was a small container.
Marie-Lise: Can I have the potato anyway?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Anyone else feel a draft in here?
I'm in the process of working through the first draft of Identity Flawed.
I love this craft of reshaping and adding flesh to the bones of a story.
It's a time for crazy mood swings though.
One minute I'm thinking it's pretty damn good and might even be the best thing I've ever written.
The next I'm convinced it's crap and I'll never be able to write another publishable book again.
Anyway, Emma Darwin has posted recently about the importance of this stage and I thought I'd say how I approach it. There as many different ways of writing as there are writers, but this is what works for me.
Draft 1.
This is where I'm chucking the story out. I rarely plan ahead (though at some point in the writing I will probably have a vague idea of the story's trajectory) and I don't read back through until I've finished. I let the story unfold as I write by placing my characters in situations and watching to see how they react and what happens as a result and where that leads onto next. In this way, I find out what's happening at the same time as the protagonists - and the reader. At some point, the story will grow wings and the characters will take me in unsuspected directions. (I've blogged about this before here.)
As the story develops, inevitably adjustments will be need to be made in previous chapters to fit into what is revealed by later developments. I usually write in longhand. When I type up a chapter I print it out and mark the MS with any issues I know I'll have to return to later. At the end of the 1st draft, I'll have a complete MS covered in scrawl relating to those issues and any others that come from feedback from my writers' group.
Draft 2.
This is just as crucial a stage in the crafting of a novel as the 1st draft and can't be skipped over. I start by making the changes I was already aware of and then begin reading through to see how the whole thing hangs together. I look for inconsistencies in character and plot. Structural issues like unnecessary timeline distortions. There may be scenes and even whole chapters which are superfluous and need to be deleted, where I was just writing to continue the flow. If the section has no role in driving the narrative forwards it has to go. There will also be sections that are vital to the plot but which I have skated over in my rush to splurge out the story. I'll check that any sub plots are properly woven into the main narrative and that there are no irrelevant threads or characters. I'll look out for POV shifts and any areas where I should be showing not telling (or the reverse!).
NB: This stage is vital, whether you're submitting your MS to an existing agent (as I am) or pitching to a new one. It's just as crucial if you're submitting the book for an editorial critique. You should never let anyone see your MS until you have ensured you have made it as good as it possibly can be yourself. Don't expect anyone to accept your novel because they can see it's a hidden gem. If it's a gem, it needs to be so bright and sparkly they can't avoid noticing it.
Even if you're submitting the MS for a critique, it makes sense to polish it as best you can before sending it to an editor, in order to get the best value from the feedback. Ironically, the longest reports I've written have been for books with the greatest potential. That's because it doesn't take many words to say things like 'You're using far too many adverbs throughout' or 'Stick to a linear chronological narrative whenever possible' or 'Watch out for confusing POV shifts' etc.
Draft 3.
Ah, the final stage. This is the polish and is also essential. With this last read through, I make sure I've always used the right word/phrase/image, that there's no clunky prose and that every word earns its keep.
And that's it. You've completed a book. It's no longer your WIP and it's time to launch it into the world.
Good luck!
I love this craft of reshaping and adding flesh to the bones of a story.
It's a time for crazy mood swings though.
One minute I'm thinking it's pretty damn good and might even be the best thing I've ever written.
The next I'm convinced it's crap and I'll never be able to write another publishable book again.
Anyway, Emma Darwin has posted recently about the importance of this stage and I thought I'd say how I approach it. There as many different ways of writing as there are writers, but this is what works for me.
Draft 1.
This is where I'm chucking the story out. I rarely plan ahead (though at some point in the writing I will probably have a vague idea of the story's trajectory) and I don't read back through until I've finished. I let the story unfold as I write by placing my characters in situations and watching to see how they react and what happens as a result and where that leads onto next. In this way, I find out what's happening at the same time as the protagonists - and the reader. At some point, the story will grow wings and the characters will take me in unsuspected directions. (I've blogged about this before here.)
As the story develops, inevitably adjustments will be need to be made in previous chapters to fit into what is revealed by later developments. I usually write in longhand. When I type up a chapter I print it out and mark the MS with any issues I know I'll have to return to later. At the end of the 1st draft, I'll have a complete MS covered in scrawl relating to those issues and any others that come from feedback from my writers' group.
Draft 2.
This is just as crucial a stage in the crafting of a novel as the 1st draft and can't be skipped over. I start by making the changes I was already aware of and then begin reading through to see how the whole thing hangs together. I look for inconsistencies in character and plot. Structural issues like unnecessary timeline distortions. There may be scenes and even whole chapters which are superfluous and need to be deleted, where I was just writing to continue the flow. If the section has no role in driving the narrative forwards it has to go. There will also be sections that are vital to the plot but which I have skated over in my rush to splurge out the story. I'll check that any sub plots are properly woven into the main narrative and that there are no irrelevant threads or characters. I'll look out for POV shifts and any areas where I should be showing not telling (or the reverse!).
NB: This stage is vital, whether you're submitting your MS to an existing agent (as I am) or pitching to a new one. It's just as crucial if you're submitting the book for an editorial critique. You should never let anyone see your MS until you have ensured you have made it as good as it possibly can be yourself. Don't expect anyone to accept your novel because they can see it's a hidden gem. If it's a gem, it needs to be so bright and sparkly they can't avoid noticing it.
Even if you're submitting the MS for a critique, it makes sense to polish it as best you can before sending it to an editor, in order to get the best value from the feedback. Ironically, the longest reports I've written have been for books with the greatest potential. That's because it doesn't take many words to say things like 'You're using far too many adverbs throughout' or 'Stick to a linear chronological narrative whenever possible' or 'Watch out for confusing POV shifts' etc.
Draft 3.
Ah, the final stage. This is the polish and is also essential. With this last read through, I make sure I've always used the right word/phrase/image, that there's no clunky prose and that every word earns its keep.
And that's it. You've completed a book. It's no longer your WIP and it's time to launch it into the world.
Good luck!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Forward to the Festival
Less than a month to go to the Festival of Writing in York.
And, yes, I'm really excited about it.
Imagine - a whole weekend spent in the company of other writers, being surrounded by the full literary experience of talking about the crafting (and selling) of words.
Bliss.
I'm going to be the there for the full weekend.
On Friday, Emma Darwin and I are running the Self Edit Your Work for Market mini course.
Saturday morning, I'm running a workshop concentrating on how to deal with the thorny problem of handling POVs.
Then, on Saturday afternoon, I'll be doing an hour of 1-1 sessions, meeting with writers (who will have submitted writing in advance) and discussing their book.
Saturday night, there's a gala dinner. (What to wear???)
Then on Sunday, I have another session of 1-1s.
In between, I'm going to have to decide whether to explore York, gatecrash some of the other workshops, hang out and chat with anyone around, or (and this is my fantasy) sit and work on my own WIP, inspired by the atmosphere.
Oh and there will be lots of people there I'm really looking forward to seeing. Some I already know - either through my writers' group or because they've attended workshops I've run in the past. Others I know through blogging or Facebook. And I can't wait to put faces to authors whose books I have worked on but who I've never met in Real Life.
Bookings close on 25th March, so if you'd like to join us all, you'd better act fast.
And, yes, I'm really excited about it.
Imagine - a whole weekend spent in the company of other writers, being surrounded by the full literary experience of talking about the crafting (and selling) of words.
Bliss.
On Friday, Emma Darwin and I are running the Self Edit Your Work for Market mini course.
Saturday morning, I'm running a workshop concentrating on how to deal with the thorny problem of handling POVs.
Then, on Saturday afternoon, I'll be doing an hour of 1-1 sessions, meeting with writers (who will have submitted writing in advance) and discussing their book.
Saturday night, there's a gala dinner. (What to wear???)
Then on Sunday, I have another session of 1-1s.
In between, I'm going to have to decide whether to explore York, gatecrash some of the other workshops, hang out and chat with anyone around, or (and this is my fantasy) sit and work on my own WIP, inspired by the atmosphere.
Oh and there will be lots of people there I'm really looking forward to seeing. Some I already know - either through my writers' group or because they've attended workshops I've run in the past. Others I know through blogging or Facebook. And I can't wait to put faces to authors whose books I have worked on but who I've never met in Real Life.
Bookings close on 25th March, so if you'd like to join us all, you'd better act fast.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Happy World Book Day!
Here's a way to celebrate this auspicious day ...
Buy a copy of 100 Stories for Haiti.
It contains stories by some wonderful authors, it was put together with awesome speed and efficiency, it's for a cause that cannot have failed to move you over these past weeks, it's a symbol of how writers and the internet can make a real difference and ...
... it's a book, and everyone should buy at least one of them there things today if they possibly can.
Enjoy!
Buy a copy of 100 Stories for Haiti.
... it's a book, and everyone should buy at least one of them there things today if they possibly can.
Enjoy!
Monday, March 01, 2010
In Bed with Debi
Did that get your attention?
Probably not. And definitely not, I suspect, when you hear the list of things I found in my bed when I woke up this morning:
Probably not. And definitely not, I suspect, when you hear the list of things I found in my bed when I woke up this morning:
- A pair of swimming goggles
- An unidentified green cotton pouchy thing
- 11p in change
- A (used) blood glucose test strip
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Adapt or die
This day should have been spent working on my WIP - except my printer had other ideas ...
I managed (only just) to avoid my initial instinct to crawl under the duvet and stay there until someone made things work (which would be a l-o-o-o-n-g time).
Instead, I finally got round to creating a separate blog for the Revo posts published on this blog in 2008/9.
I've been promising myself I'd do it for ages. I wanted the posts to all be in one place for ease of use for anyone doing research - or just curious.
For those of you who weren't hanging out here back then, the posts are about my time living in Grenada during the revolution, coup, US invasion and aftermath 1982-1983.
For some ridiculous reason, I can't seem to add links in the sidebar, and some of the photos seem to have gone AWOL so it's still a work in progress, but it's there and it's real.
Comments are disabled on the new blog, but feedback will always be welcome here.
I managed (only just) to avoid my initial instinct to crawl under the duvet and stay there until someone made things work (which would be a l-o-o-o-n-g time).
Instead, I finally got round to creating a separate blog for the Revo posts published on this blog in 2008/9.
I've been promising myself I'd do it for ages. I wanted the posts to all be in one place for ease of use for anyone doing research - or just curious.
For those of you who weren't hanging out here back then, the posts are about my time living in Grenada during the revolution, coup, US invasion and aftermath 1982-1983.
For some ridiculous reason, I can't seem to add links in the sidebar, and some of the photos seem to have gone AWOL so it's still a work in progress, but it's there and it's real.
Comments are disabled on the new blog, but feedback will always be welcome here.
There is much spitting and gnashing of teeth chez Alper today
Look. I'm not difficult. I don't ask for much. I do believe I give more than I take in life.
So why oh why, when all I want to do is print my own sodding MS, has my printer chosen today to act up? I print other people's MSes all the time without any trouble.
I spent yesterday working on the 1st draft of Book 6 online for the things I already knew about.
Next stage is to print a hard copy and work through to produce a 2nd draft.
I have the time (which is rare in itself).
I certainly have the inclination ...
What I also have is a malevolent printer who's squatting next to my desk chuckling to itself as I sweat and swear over its inner workings.
It is, I tell you.
I'm held in thrall by a useless piece of crap technology that has worked fine(ish) for all the years that I've had it and has chosen today of all days to act out the part of a recalcitrant gremlin.
The way I see it, I now have 3 choices:
1) I can take to my bed and refuse to get up until the world goes away.
2) I can get the saw out of the cupboard and spend a pleasant day hacking bits off the printer.
3) I can go for a walk and attempt to breathe while I do so.
Right. I'll try for option 3. But I tell you this, if when I get back there's no change in the attitude of hpdeskjet 990cxi, you'd better lock your doors and stay away from the windows 'til I tell you it's safe to come back out.
Me and my mates are on the warpath. Shit technology is in our sights and its days are numbered.
Be afraid ... be very afraid ...
So why oh why, when all I want to do is print my own sodding MS, has my printer chosen today to act up? I print other people's MSes all the time without any trouble.
I spent yesterday working on the 1st draft of Book 6 online for the things I already knew about.
Next stage is to print a hard copy and work through to produce a 2nd draft.
I have the time (which is rare in itself).
I certainly have the inclination ...
What I also have is a malevolent printer who's squatting next to my desk chuckling to itself as I sweat and swear over its inner workings.
It is, I tell you.
I'm held in thrall by a useless piece of crap technology that has worked fine(ish) for all the years that I've had it and has chosen today of all days to act out the part of a recalcitrant gremlin.
The way I see it, I now have 3 choices:
1) I can take to my bed and refuse to get up until the world goes away.
2) I can get the saw out of the cupboard and spend a pleasant day hacking bits off the printer.
3) I can go for a walk and attempt to breathe while I do so.
Right. I'll try for option 3. But I tell you this, if when I get back there's no change in the attitude of hpdeskjet 990cxi, you'd better lock your doors and stay away from the windows 'til I tell you it's safe to come back out.
Me and my mates are on the warpath. Shit technology is in our sights and its days are numbered. Be afraid ... be very afraid ...
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Long List
I've just sent my regular 'what I'm up to' email to my agent. It's always good to take a step back and remind myself exactly how it is I spend my time, so I thought I'd reproduce it here.
- I've been approached by a new publisher, Glasshouse Books, and asked to contribute a short story to an anthology with a story set in each of London's 33 boroughs. Mine is set in Croydon.
- I've been doing an enormous amount of editing, mostly through Writers' Workshop, but some also direct to me. I've also been mentoring an unpublished writer, which has been very rewarding.
- I've been hosting creative writing workshops, some alone and some in tandem with Emma Darwin.
- I've been asked to be one of the 'high profile' (their words) judges for the Brit Writers' Awards.
- I'm participating in the Festival of Writing in York in April: co-hosting the mini course, running a workshop and taking part in Book Doctor one-to-one sessions.
- my writers' group has set up its own imprint and published an anthology - the first print run of which has sold out. My contribution is a tighter version of the first chapter of Me, John and a Bomb (largely due to the local link)
As far as I'm concerned though, the most important piece of news is that I've finished the 1st draft of Identity Flawed and I'm very excited by it. My top priority now is to work on this whenever I have time. I hope to get the final draft to you within the next few months.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Puff the Magic Dragon
I'm under no illusions. I know perfectly well that the one thing that could make a difference to my ears as well as my general health would be to stop smoking.
I assumed all smokers knew that. Surely there are none of us left still in denial ...
Check this conversation I had yesterday while huddled in the cold with a fellow addict.
Her: I've got a hole in my lung.
Me: Oh dear. Shouldn't imagine smoking is a good idea ...
Her: Aha! That's where you're wrong. my doctor told me on no account should I give up smoking.
Me: Really?
Her: Yep. Apparently, the tar is blocking up the hole. If I stop, the tar would go and the hole would open up and get bigger.
Me: And the doctor told you this?
Her: (rolling another fag) Yep. I've got asthma too. I've only got about 60% lung function. D'you know what the doctor told me to do if I have an asthma attack?
Me: Let me guess. He told you to smoke a fag.
Her: Yep. He said that way I'm concentrating on taking deep breaths in.
Me: Was this by any chance the same doctor who told you about the tar ...?
Now, like I said, I'm not in denial about the health-giving properties of tobacco, but any activity that has the upside of giving you insights like the above conversation has to have something going for it ...
I assumed all smokers knew that. Surely there are none of us left still in denial ...
Check this conversation I had yesterday while huddled in the cold with a fellow addict.
Her: I've got a hole in my lung. Me: Oh dear. Shouldn't imagine smoking is a good idea ...
Her: Aha! That's where you're wrong. my doctor told me on no account should I give up smoking.
Me: Really?
Her: Yep. Apparently, the tar is blocking up the hole. If I stop, the tar would go and the hole would open up and get bigger.
Me: And the doctor told you this?
Her: (rolling another fag) Yep. I've got asthma too. I've only got about 60% lung function. D'you know what the doctor told me to do if I have an asthma attack?
Me: Let me guess. He told you to smoke a fag.
Her: Yep. He said that way I'm concentrating on taking deep breaths in.
Me: Was this by any chance the same doctor who told you about the tar ...?
Now, like I said, I'm not in denial about the health-giving properties of tobacco, but any activity that has the upside of giving you insights like the above conversation has to have something going for it ...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
I got the power!
It's like this.
My bionic ears, aka Desdemona and Hortense, are callibrated to my maximum hearing loss (approx 70%).
But here's the thing: my hearing fluctuates.
So when it's not too bad, D & H amplify every sound so that I can hear worms turning the earth. In Australia.
The volume control is not sufficently adjustable to turn it down to a more normal level.
I don't mind really. It makes life ... interesting.
Yesterday, for example, I was sitting on the bus and found I could hear both sides of other people's mobile conversations. Which was even more remarkable as I can't hear my own phone.
Like I say, interesting. It would have been even more so if the conversation I was eavesdropping on had been in English, but you can't have everything.
Anyway, I'm thinking about auditioning for Heroes if only I can convince them my power isn't dependant on digital devices. Please don't shop me ...
My bionic ears, aka Desdemona and Hortense, are callibrated to my maximum hearing loss (approx 70%).
But here's the thing: my hearing fluctuates.
So when it's not too bad, D & H amplify every sound so that I can hear worms turning the earth. In Australia.
The volume control is not sufficently adjustable to turn it down to a more normal level.
I don't mind really. It makes life ... interesting.
Yesterday, for example, I was sitting on the bus and found I could hear both sides of other people's mobile conversations. Which was even more remarkable as I can't hear my own phone.
Like I say, interesting. It would have been even more so if the conversation I was eavesdropping on had been in English, but you can't have everything.
Anyway, I'm thinking about auditioning for Heroes if only I can convince them my power isn't dependant on digital devices. Please don't shop me ...
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Brace yourself
The orthodontist has told First Born he's a borderline case but will probably be able to get braces on the NHS. But here's the thing ... his teeth really aren't bad. The incisors are very slightly out of line but that's it.
So he needs to decide whether he wants to have a mouthful of heavy metal train track braces for a year followed by several years wearing retainers at night to correct a very slight misalignment that would have no health consequences.
'Top and bottom?' I asked. 'Because his bottom ones look perfect to me.'
'Yes, we'd do both,' she replied. (Her own teeth were very white and very straight.) 'We want him to have a perfect smile, don't we?'
Do we? Perfection. Are any of us perfect? Can we be possibly be so without painful corrective measures? Should we even want to be? Aren't imperfections what make us unique and distinct from each other? If we have the attitude that every small 'imperfection' has to be dealt with, is there not a risk we could all end up as bland anodyne versions of the same template?
What is a 'perfect smile' anyway? I'd've thought that has to come from within, not be the result of straight teeth.
What do I know ... if he wants them, of course I'll support him and I have urged him to think carefully.
Anyway, while I'm talking teeth I thought I'd share this story my mum once told me about her mother.
Apparently, the whole family made a rare trip to the seaside and my grandmother went for a paddle. Don't ask me how, but somehow she managed to lose her false teeth in the sea. Gallantly, the men set up a search party.
No chance, you'd think. Yet some time later one of my uncles emerged from the sea, proudly holding up a set of gnashers.
What are the odds against that, would you reckon?
But if you want real improbability, wait for the punchline.
They weren't hers.
So he needs to decide whether he wants to have a mouthful of heavy metal train track braces for a year followed by several years wearing retainers at night to correct a very slight misalignment that would have no health consequences.
'Top and bottom?' I asked. 'Because his bottom ones look perfect to me.''Yes, we'd do both,' she replied. (Her own teeth were very white and very straight.) 'We want him to have a perfect smile, don't we?'
Do we? Perfection. Are any of us perfect? Can we be possibly be so without painful corrective measures? Should we even want to be? Aren't imperfections what make us unique and distinct from each other? If we have the attitude that every small 'imperfection' has to be dealt with, is there not a risk we could all end up as bland anodyne versions of the same template?
What is a 'perfect smile' anyway? I'd've thought that has to come from within, not be the result of straight teeth.
What do I know ... if he wants them, of course I'll support him and I have urged him to think carefully.
Anyway, while I'm talking teeth I thought I'd share this story my mum once told me about her mother.
Apparently, the whole family made a rare trip to the seaside and my grandmother went for a paddle. Don't ask me how, but somehow she managed to lose her false teeth in the sea. Gallantly, the men set up a search party.
No chance, you'd think. Yet some time later one of my uncles emerged from the sea, proudly holding up a set of gnashers.
What are the odds against that, would you reckon?
But if you want real improbability, wait for the punchline.
They weren't hers.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Google Shmoogle
The lit blogs and forums are buzzing as deadlines loom (and pass) for Google's plan to digitise every book published in the US, Canada, UK and Australia.
(The original plan covered the whole world!)
Agents are giving conflicting advice to their authors.
The Society of Authors says 'opt in'. My agent says 'opt out'.
'In' gives you greater control, theoretically - and you can always ask for your books to be removed later. You will also be eligible for any money that may or may not come your way.
'Out' means your books will be removed from Google's site but doesn't guarantee they won't scan them in future.
Few authors have the staying power and attention span to wade through the reams of complex information and work out how it applies to them.
Those who do, come to different conclusions.
They've divided us, and now they'll rule us.
Most authors, I suspect, have their heads under the duvet and are hoping it will all just go away.
And there's the rub.
If you do nothing, by default you've opted in.
(It was this factor that has caused the greatest controversy and is still being contested in the courts.)
But if you continue to do nothing, you don't lay claim to your books.
Which means you have given your 'permission' for your books to be digitised and sold but won't get any money.
In other words, doing nothing is the worst possible course of (in)action.
Yet I suspect that 'nothing' is exactly what most authors are going to do.
Now excuse me for being cynical, but if I'm right about the low take-up, that must add up to a humongous pot of unclaimed money.
Google say this will be held in a fund for future claims, but meanwhile it's presumably not going to just sit there doing nothing ...
So what exactly is Google's objective?
Why the controversial 'opt in by default' angle?
And the off-putting labyrinth of information?
***
What am I going to do?
I'd just made the decision to opt out ...
... and found the deadline was yesterday!
So I'm presumably in - and should now get in there and claim my books ...
Meanwhile, I may be new on Facebook, but I've just started a We Hate the Google Book Settlement group.
Because that's one thing I think we can all agree on.
(The original plan covered the whole world!)
Agents are giving conflicting advice to their authors.
The Society of Authors says 'opt in'. My agent says 'opt out'.
'In' gives you greater control, theoretically - and you can always ask for your books to be removed later. You will also be eligible for any money that may or may not come your way.
'Out' means your books will be removed from Google's site but doesn't guarantee they won't scan them in future.
Few authors have the staying power and attention span to wade through the reams of complex information and work out how it applies to them.
Those who do, come to different conclusions.
They've divided us, and now they'll rule us.
Most authors, I suspect, have their heads under the duvet and are hoping it will all just go away.
And there's the rub.
If you do nothing, by default you've opted in.
(It was this factor that has caused the greatest controversy and is still being contested in the courts.)
But if you continue to do nothing, you don't lay claim to your books.
Which means you have given your 'permission' for your books to be digitised and sold but won't get any money.
In other words, doing nothing is the worst possible course of (in)action.
Yet I suspect that 'nothing' is exactly what most authors are going to do.
Now excuse me for being cynical, but if I'm right about the low take-up, that must add up to a humongous pot of unclaimed money.
Google say this will be held in a fund for future claims, but meanwhile it's presumably not going to just sit there doing nothing ...
So what exactly is Google's objective?
Why the controversial 'opt in by default' angle?
And the off-putting labyrinth of information?
***
What am I going to do?
I'd just made the decision to opt out ...
... and found the deadline was yesterday!
So I'm presumably in - and should now get in there and claim my books ...
Meanwhile, I may be new on Facebook, but I've just started a We Hate the Google Book Settlement group.
Because that's one thing I think we can all agree on.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Debi's deafisms
Part 1 in an occasional series giving an insight into my muffled world.
Little Guy: Everyone I know says Avatar is amazing!
Me: What's so special about apple tart?
Little Guy: Everyone I know says Avatar is amazing!
Me: What's so special about apple tart?
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
It's in the Bag!
I've been teetering on the edge of finishing Book 6 for some time.
I love that final stretch where the words spill out, tripping over each other in their haste to reach the finish line.
Last night, while the boys watched the footie, I unplugged Desdemona and wrote the epilogue, lying on the settee.
Then - I danced round the room ...
poured a large slug of Malibu into my camomile tea ...
ate some chocolate ...
a packet of crisps ...
two satsumas ...
Yeah, I really know how to party.
I'm looking forward to the 2nd draft refinements, which will be my first opportunity to see how it all hangs together, pruning the bits where the pace drops off and fleshing out the scenes I've skated over.
Then on to the the 3rd and final draft where I make sure I've always chosen the best word/phrase/image, before I enter the nail-biting phase where I send it off and wait for my agent's feedback.
Meanwhile, I have another 2 MSes to edit, so I'm izzy wizzy. Add that to continuing email problems and it means I might not get here much for a while.
But I'm close ... very close ...
What a ride!
I love that final stretch where the words spill out, tripping over each other in their haste to reach the finish line.
Last night, while the boys watched the footie, I unplugged Desdemona and wrote the epilogue, lying on the settee.
Then - I danced round the room ...
poured a large slug of Malibu into my camomile tea ...
ate some chocolate ...
a packet of crisps ...
two satsumas ...
Yeah, I really know how to party.
I'm looking forward to the 2nd draft refinements, which will be my first opportunity to see how it all hangs together, pruning the bits where the pace drops off and fleshing out the scenes I've skated over.
Then on to the the 3rd and final draft where I make sure I've always chosen the best word/phrase/image, before I enter the nail-biting phase where I send it off and wait for my agent's feedback.
Meanwhile, I have another 2 MSes to edit, so I'm izzy wizzy. Add that to continuing email problems and it means I might not get here much for a while.
But I'm close ... very close ...
What a ride!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Eek mail woes
Damn and damn again.
It seems that once more I have annoyed the lords of the cyberverse, and they've decided to punish me by blocking my emails.
If you have recently emailed me at my debialper dot co address, I won't have received it.
Please try this one instead, replacing the words 'at' and 'dot' with the appropriate symbols:
Right, I'm off to sacrifice a goat or something to try to appease them.
Do you reckon a wood louse would do the trick?
Bit short on goats in our neck of the woods ...
It seems that once more I have annoyed the lords of the cyberverse, and they've decided to punish me by blocking my emails.
If you have recently emailed me at my debialper dot co address, I won't have received it.
Please try this one instead, replacing the words 'at' and 'dot' with the appropriate symbols:
debialper at talktalk dot net
Right, I'm off to sacrifice a goat or something to try to appease them.
Do you reckon a wood louse would do the trick?
Bit short on goats in our neck of the woods ...
Friday, January 15, 2010
Now hear this!
I saw the audiologist yesterday and he souped up my left hearing aid.
(Can't use the right one yet as that ear's still v inflamed.)
Anyway, I now have the Lamborghini of listening devices ...
The Harry Potter of hearing instruments ...
The Diamond Standard of deaf aids ...
He's not only bounced up the volume, he's also cut out most of the extraneous noise so that I no longer have the distraction when someone opens a crisp packet in Sterling or turns the page of a book in Aberdeen.
Yippee! Hello, world!
So while I'm feeling cheerful, here's my list of things that are good about being deaf.
(Cos there have to be some, right?)
1) A large percentage of what many people say is not worth hearing
2) You spend a lot of time inside your own head, which is great for writing fiction.
3) Ditto cos there are fewer distractions.
4) Family arguments in which you're not directly involved float over your head.
5) The internet is a great leveler.
6) A deaf aid can always be removed or turned down if you want some peace and quiet.
7) You can bond with your aids - grateful for the difference they make to your life - instead of resenting them. Have I introduced you to Desdemona and Hortense?
(Can't use the right one yet as that ear's still v inflamed.)
Anyway, I now have the Lamborghini of listening devices ...
The Harry Potter of hearing instruments ...
The Diamond Standard of deaf aids ...
He's not only bounced up the volume, he's also cut out most of the extraneous noise so that I no longer have the distraction when someone opens a crisp packet in Sterling or turns the page of a book in Aberdeen.
Yippee! Hello, world!
So while I'm feeling cheerful, here's my list of things that are good about being deaf.
(Cos there have to be some, right?)
1) A large percentage of what many people say is not worth hearing
2) You spend a lot of time inside your own head, which is great for writing fiction.
3) Ditto cos there are fewer distractions.
4) Family arguments in which you're not directly involved float over your head.
5) The internet is a great leveler.
6) A deaf aid can always be removed or turned down if you want some peace and quiet.
7) You can bond with your aids - grateful for the difference they make to your life - instead of resenting them. Have I introduced you to Desdemona and Hortense?
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
At Deaf's Door
My dad finds my deafness hysterically funny.
(NB: He's the only person allowed to laugh!)
I think he gets a kick out of someone much younger being in a worse state than he is.
Yesterday's conversations went a bit like this:
Dad: Mumble, mumble.
Me: What?
Dad: (cheeky grin) Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself.
Dad: Mumble, mumble.
Me: What?
Dad: Mumble, mumble.
Me: Nope, still can't hear you.
Dad: Mumble, mumble.
Me: Eh? Hang on. Let me lean close to you. Now, what did you say?
Dad: Incomprehensible mumble.
Me: Come again, one more time.
Dad: Louder mumble.
Me: Hang on - that's not English. What is that?
Dad: (cheeky grin) It's Russian!
Me: I didn't even know you could speak bloody Russian!
(NB: He's the only person allowed to laugh!)
I think he gets a kick out of someone much younger being in a worse state than he is.
Yesterday's conversations went a bit like this:
Dad: Mumble, mumble.
Me: What?
Dad: (cheeky grin) Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself.
Dad: Mumble, mumble.
Me: What?
Dad: Mumble, mumble.
Me: Nope, still can't hear you.
Dad: Mumble, mumble.
Me: Eh? Hang on. Let me lean close to you. Now, what did you say?
Dad: Incomprehensible mumble.
Me: Come again, one more time.
Dad: Louder mumble.
Me: Hang on - that's not English. What is that?
Dad: (cheeky grin) It's Russian!
Me: I didn't even know you could speak bloody Russian!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Snow joke
So there was I this morning, preparing to cross London,
... bundled up like a Polar explorer
... anticipating digging myself out from snow drifts
... leaping from ice floe to ice floe
... wrestling with bears,
penguins,
seals
and those funny floppity things with tusks ...
Eh? Hang on ... Where's the snow gone?
Anyone else notice the past few days seem to have assumed a certain dreamlike quality ...?
... bundled up like a Polar explorer
... anticipating digging myself out from snow drifts
... leaping from ice floe to ice floe
... wrestling with bears,
penguins,
seals
and those funny floppity things with tusks ...
'I'm going out. I may be some time.
If anything happens, remember how much I love you all ...'
If anything happens, remember how much I love you all ...'
Eh? Hang on ... Where's the snow gone?
Anyone else notice the past few days seem to have assumed a certain dreamlike quality ...?
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Life and deaf
I'm standing in a queue at the bank.
Only one till is open and I'm 14th in line.
More people are piling up behind me.
The woman in front has a small child with a scooter.
She has grazed knuckles on her right hand and looks well 'ard.
The boy scoots over my foot.
I say nothing.
I think there must be an argument or something at the back.
Probably about the queue.
Everyone's turning round and staring.
The woman behind me is speaking to me.
I can see her lips moving.
I smile and say, 'Sorry, I'm deaf. I can't hear you.'
But I must say it too softly and she can't hear me either because she carries on talking.
I broaden the smile and hope it's not an inappropriate response.
I'm at the till at last.
The cashier is telling me something.
I fix on the all-purpose smile.
'Sorry,' I say. 'I'm deaf. I can't hear you.'
She starts mouthing at me and waving a form.
I have no idea what she's saying, but conscious of the queue behind me, I nod and hope she's not imparting crucial info.
Back on the street.
I avoid eye contact, pulling my hood over my eyes, hoping no one will recognise me.
I pass an old friend without seeing her.
She calls me and I don't respond.
Luckily, she taps me on the shoulder and I explain I wasn't deliberately ignoring her.
'Sorry,' I say. 'I'm deaf. I can't hear you.'
I wonder how many other people might be thinking uncharitable thoughts about how rude I am.
I stop every time I cross the road, looking in every direction several times before stepping out and continuing to glance every which way until I'm safely across.
I'm aware that to the casual observer I must look like an over cautious neurotic.
But I know it's all too easy to step in front of a car you didn't hear approach.
Back home.
After just one day back, the boys are off school because of the snow.
They know better than to try to communicate with me unless it's for something urgent.
I give thanks for the internet.
Apologies for the whiny post. Smiley happy Debi will be back in the next post.
Only one till is open and I'm 14th in line.
More people are piling up behind me.
The woman in front has a small child with a scooter.
She has grazed knuckles on her right hand and looks well 'ard.
The boy scoots over my foot.
I say nothing.
I think there must be an argument or something at the back.
Probably about the queue.
Everyone's turning round and staring.
The woman behind me is speaking to me.
I can see her lips moving.
I smile and say, 'Sorry, I'm deaf. I can't hear you.'
But I must say it too softly and she can't hear me either because she carries on talking.
I broaden the smile and hope it's not an inappropriate response.
I'm at the till at last.
The cashier is telling me something.
I fix on the all-purpose smile.
'Sorry,' I say. 'I'm deaf. I can't hear you.'
She starts mouthing at me and waving a form.
I have no idea what she's saying, but conscious of the queue behind me, I nod and hope she's not imparting crucial info.
Back on the street.
I avoid eye contact, pulling my hood over my eyes, hoping no one will recognise me.
I pass an old friend without seeing her.
She calls me and I don't respond.
Luckily, she taps me on the shoulder and I explain I wasn't deliberately ignoring her.
'Sorry,' I say. 'I'm deaf. I can't hear you.'
I wonder how many other people might be thinking uncharitable thoughts about how rude I am.
I stop every time I cross the road, looking in every direction several times before stepping out and continuing to glance every which way until I'm safely across.
I'm aware that to the casual observer I must look like an over cautious neurotic.
But I know it's all too easy to step in front of a car you didn't hear approach.
Back home.
After just one day back, the boys are off school because of the snow.
They know better than to try to communicate with me unless it's for something urgent.
I give thanks for the internet.
Apologies for the whiny post. Smiley happy Debi will be back in the next post.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Tail Tale Tit
Breaking news!
Hoovering the Roof, the East Dulwich Writers' Group anthology, has gone stellar!
Well, OK, maybe not quite stellar, but we are going to have to reprint mere weeks after our launch and even allowing for the recent gift-giving season, that's got to be pretty good going, eh?
And My Man in Spain, Steve Redwood, has said some very kind words that he's agreed to let us use as a cover quote.
So far, so good.
But things are rarely that straightforward in the world of wordsmiths.
I sent Steve's quote to the anthology contributors, and they were suitably flattered.
Just one small problem.
In his review, Steve had used the words twist in the tail.
'Surely that should be tale,' said one contributor.
'No, I reckon it's definitely tail,' said a second.
'Bloody writers,' grumbled a third. (That was me). 'Look, I've Googled both versions and there's contradictory advice. I reckon it could be either. But these are Steve's words, so I reckon the decision should be his.'
So I emailed Senor Redwood.
A nice polite email asking if he wanted to go with a twist in the literal tale or the metaphorical tail.
What a fool I am! You'd really think I'd know better.
Next time I opened up my Inbox I was greeted by a veritable flurry of emails from My Man in Spain.
Each was brief and to the point - and increasingly infuriating.
(I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing I nearly wet myself reading them.)
The time has to come to be decisive.
I'm staking my claim for tail and offer the following as justification:
If you say the tale of the tail, you mean a story about a tail.
If you say the tail of the tale, you mean the ending of the story, which may have been about anything, including but not exclusively nether quarter apendages.
A twist in the tail, implies an unexpected ending and that's what I reckon Senor Redwood meant, even if he refuses to settle the argument and is having far too much fun watching us squirm.
Voting is now open.
Which is to be?
Support your local tail.
Hoovering the Roof, the East Dulwich Writers' Group anthology, has gone stellar!
Well, OK, maybe not quite stellar, but we are going to have to reprint mere weeks after our launch and even allowing for the recent gift-giving season, that's got to be pretty good going, eh?
And My Man in Spain, Steve Redwood, has said some very kind words that he's agreed to let us use as a cover quote.
So far, so good.
But things are rarely that straightforward in the world of wordsmiths.
I sent Steve's quote to the anthology contributors, and they were suitably flattered.
Just one small problem.
In his review, Steve had used the words twist in the tail.
'Surely that should be tale,' said one contributor.
'No, I reckon it's definitely tail,' said a second.
'Bloody writers,' grumbled a third. (That was me). 'Look, I've Googled both versions and there's contradictory advice. I reckon it could be either. But these are Steve's words, so I reckon the decision should be his.'
So I emailed Senor Redwood.
A nice polite email asking if he wanted to go with a twist in the literal tale or the metaphorical tail.
What a fool I am! You'd really think I'd know better.
Next time I opened up my Inbox I was greeted by a veritable flurry of emails from My Man in Spain.
Each was brief and to the point - and increasingly infuriating.
(I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing I nearly wet myself reading them.)
The time has to come to be decisive.
I'm staking my claim for tail and offer the following as justification:
If you say the tale of the tail, you mean a story about a tail.
If you say the tail of the tale, you mean the ending of the story, which may have been about anything, including but not exclusively nether quarter apendages.
A twist in the tail, implies an unexpected ending and that's what I reckon Senor Redwood meant, even if he refuses to settle the argument and is having far too much fun watching us squirm.
Voting is now open.
Which is to be?
Support your local tail.
Friday, January 01, 2010
I am a weak and weedy woman
I nearly held out for the full decade.
Until late last night ...
Guess what I was doing in the dying embers of the year.
Yes, holding my hands over both ears and saying, 'Ow', but I don't mean that.
Yes, friends, it's confession time.
In a moment of supreme weakness I went to the place where I had always sworn I would never go.
Yes, dear friends, I allowed my kids to set me up on Facebook.
And today, oh joy of joys (smell the irony), my Inbox is filled with messages.
Just what I needed ...
I'm not even sure what I'm going to be using it for, apart from yet another online distraction to stop me doing more important stuff.
But I'll tell you what I won't be using it for.
I won't be using it for creating some sort of idiotic virtual farm for people who have dust from the keyboard under their fingernails instead of earth.
I won't be using it to join random cyber groups designed to beat meaningless records for numbers of people signed up to random cyber groups.
I won't be using it to poke people, whatever the hell that is. Nor do I wish to be virtually poked by others, thank you very much.
I won't be using it to send messages into the world that are so shallow they wouldn't even moisturise the soles of your feet.
Any messages I do send will not now, nor ever, contain the letters LOL.
Nor will I be learning complex codes in order to insert banal emoticons into said messages, whatever they consist of.
So, having stated all that, if you'd like to meet up with me at the forbidden planet, you can connect with me here.
Just don't poke me.
Oh ... and Happy New Year.
Until late last night ...
Guess what I was doing in the dying embers of the year.
Yes, holding my hands over both ears and saying, 'Ow', but I don't mean that.
Yes, friends, it's confession time.
In a moment of supreme weakness I went to the place where I had always sworn I would never go.
Yes, dear friends, I allowed my kids to set me up on Facebook.
And today, oh joy of joys (smell the irony), my Inbox is filled with messages.
Just what I needed ...
I'm not even sure what I'm going to be using it for, apart from yet another online distraction to stop me doing more important stuff.
But I'll tell you what I won't be using it for.
I won't be using it for creating some sort of idiotic virtual farm for people who have dust from the keyboard under their fingernails instead of earth.
I won't be using it to join random cyber groups designed to beat meaningless records for numbers of people signed up to random cyber groups.
I won't be using it to poke people, whatever the hell that is. Nor do I wish to be virtually poked by others, thank you very much.
I won't be using it to send messages into the world that are so shallow they wouldn't even moisturise the soles of your feet.
Any messages I do send will not now, nor ever, contain the letters LOL.
Nor will I be learning complex codes in order to insert banal emoticons into said messages, whatever they consist of.
So, having stated all that, if you'd like to meet up with me at the forbidden planet, you can connect with me here.
Just don't poke me.
Oh ... and Happy New Year.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Sweet 'n' sour
The bad news ...
I spent yesterday in bed with a perforated ear drum, feeling shite.
The good news ...
We don't celebrate Xmas, so the day is not as significant as it would be for others.
The bad news ...
It's the ear that until yesterday was known as 'the good one'.
The good news ...
I can see the sea from the bedroom window.
(We're cat sitting in Brighton. Which I guess is also good news ...)
Hope the news where you are is unmitigated good stuff.
I spent yesterday in bed with a perforated ear drum, feeling shite.
The good news ...
We don't celebrate Xmas, so the day is not as significant as it would be for others.
The bad news ...
It's the ear that until yesterday was known as 'the good one'.
The good news ...
I can see the sea from the bedroom window.
(We're cat sitting in Brighton. Which I guess is also good news ...)
Hope the news where you are is unmitigated good stuff.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
People and planet
It would be so easy to feel downhearted by the feeble ending to the Copenhagen summit. But we can't afford to give up. There's too much at stake.
From the Avaaz site:
The Copenhagen climate summit ended up in failure: an unambitious, non-binding accord that leaders themselves admit won't come close to tackling climate change. Their failure is a disappointment -- and their failure is a challenge. We must work harder, demand more and never resile (sic) from our fight for our children and our planet.
That fight continues now. In just 6 weeks time leaders of each country will lock in their nation's emissions reduction targets under this week's agreement.
In Copenhagen, leaders didn't make history—but the world's people did. A year of unprecedented action on climate change reached unimagined heights in the last two weeks: thousands upon thousands of vigils, rallies, and protests; floods of phone calls and messages sent; millions of petition signatures—all calling for the fair, ambitious, and binding climate treaty we still need and still will win.
We're in this for as long as it takes. For now, let's look at what we've done, and thank one another for joining this journey. Take a moment to ... draw hope from the countless people of all nations who are joining together for a better world.
If you leave a comment here, you can watch your words slip downwards as they are joined every few seconds by other people around the world who share the same hopes and fears.
From the Avaaz site:The Copenhagen climate summit ended up in failure: an unambitious, non-binding accord that leaders themselves admit won't come close to tackling climate change. Their failure is a disappointment -- and their failure is a challenge. We must work harder, demand more and never resile (sic) from our fight for our children and our planet.
That fight continues now. In just 6 weeks time leaders of each country will lock in their nation's emissions reduction targets under this week's agreement.
In Copenhagen, leaders didn't make history—but the world's people did. A year of unprecedented action on climate change reached unimagined heights in the last two weeks: thousands upon thousands of vigils, rallies, and protests; floods of phone calls and messages sent; millions of petition signatures—all calling for the fair, ambitious, and binding climate treaty we still need and still will win.
We're in this for as long as it takes. For now, let's look at what we've done, and thank one another for joining this journey. Take a moment to ... draw hope from the countless people of all nations who are joining together for a better world.
If you leave a comment here, you can watch your words slip downwards as they are joined every few seconds by other people around the world who share the same hopes and fears.
Friday, December 18, 2009
My Book of the Decade
I have always been a voracious reader.
These days, I'm very fussy.
I don't want to waste my valuable reading time on books that don't come up to my exacting standards - and some of the bestsellers fall a long way short IMO.
But there are some wonderful books out there.
I've reviewed many of them on this blog before.
... triumphal horns and drumroll ...
Book of the Decade.
And the winner is ...
The Killing Jar by Nicola Monaghan.
At first glance, it seems a simple book with a first person linear narrative.
No clever frills.
No obvious literary devices.
Just the most compelling voice, spot-on pacing, vivid characterisation and gritty grimy realism.
Nicola shies away from nothing, refusing to romanticise the poverty and violence that define life on the grim Nottingham housing estate where the action takes place.
She shines her unflinching spotlight onto the lives of marginalised people too often dismissed - or simply feared - by 'respectable' folk.
Kerrie-Ann, the narrator of The Killing Jar, lives a drug-fueled life of crime and violence as both victim and perpetrator. The book begins when she is five, the daughter of a junkie single parent who soon disappears, and continues through her struggles through adolescence, including a desperate and lethal kind of love, to a bittersweet, life-affirming ending.
At times the book feels so painful, it is almost hard to carry on reading, yet, at the same time, I was unable to put it down. Kerrie-Ann haunted me and I know she will remain with me always.
But don't get the idea that this is a hard book to read. In these pages you will find humour and energy and a zest for life that you rarely see in the written word.
Nicola has done well with The Killing Jar and its successor, Starfishing (a different demographic but, in its own way, an equal triumph). Sales have been steady and respectable. She has won awards.
Yet her name is not on everybody's lips and she's not at the top of the bestseller charts, where she deserves to be.
I wonder why this is.
I suspect it may be because many people don't want to know about the people she has depicted. It's too hard, too confusing. Easier to maintain preconceptions, batten down the hatches and take refuge behind high fences, peeping out from behind net curtains.
Take up the challenge.
Read the book and then let me know if it failed to enthrall you.
These days, I'm very fussy.
I don't want to waste my valuable reading time on books that don't come up to my exacting standards - and some of the bestsellers fall a long way short IMO.
But there are some wonderful books out there.
I've reviewed many of them on this blog before.
So you'd be forgiven for imagining it would be difficult to come up with one worthy of the title of
... triumphal horns and drumroll ...
Book of the Decade.
And the winner is ...The Killing Jar by Nicola Monaghan.
Dear blogmates, I have to tell you it wasn't a hard decision at all because this book stands out for me as not just a book of the decade but one of the best books I've read - ever.
Every aspect filled me with respect and admiration for the author.
Every aspect filled me with respect and admiration for the author.
At first glance, it seems a simple book with a first person linear narrative.
No clever frills.
No obvious literary devices.
Just the most compelling voice, spot-on pacing, vivid characterisation and gritty grimy realism.
Nicola shies away from nothing, refusing to romanticise the poverty and violence that define life on the grim Nottingham housing estate where the action takes place.
She shines her unflinching spotlight onto the lives of marginalised people too often dismissed - or simply feared - by 'respectable' folk.
Kerrie-Ann, the narrator of The Killing Jar, lives a drug-fueled life of crime and violence as both victim and perpetrator. The book begins when she is five, the daughter of a junkie single parent who soon disappears, and continues through her struggles through adolescence, including a desperate and lethal kind of love, to a bittersweet, life-affirming ending.
At times the book feels so painful, it is almost hard to carry on reading, yet, at the same time, I was unable to put it down. Kerrie-Ann haunted me and I know she will remain with me always.
But don't get the idea that this is a hard book to read. In these pages you will find humour and energy and a zest for life that you rarely see in the written word.
Nicola has done well with The Killing Jar and its successor, Starfishing (a different demographic but, in its own way, an equal triumph). Sales have been steady and respectable. She has won awards.
Yet her name is not on everybody's lips and she's not at the top of the bestseller charts, where she deserves to be.
I wonder why this is.
I suspect it may be because many people don't want to know about the people she has depicted. It's too hard, too confusing. Easier to maintain preconceptions, batten down the hatches and take refuge behind high fences, peeping out from behind net curtains.
Take up the challenge.
Read the book and then let me know if it failed to enthrall you.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Seasonal gifts for you
Happy festivals of light to you all.
Here are some virtual goodies for you to while away the hours between eating doughnuts (so many doughnuts ...) if you celebrate Chanukah, or mince pies if you're just about anyone else.
Treat number one:
Check out the new site from Lucy Pepper ( she of Bookarazzi fame) where a group of unkempt women have got together to celebrate their unkemptitude.
Treat number two:
Thanks to Qwerty Queen (she of mentee fame) I can give you this link to all the competitions you may want to enter. Go on. You know you want to.
Treat number three:
Probably only a treat if you're a parent of one of the children featured, but this is how we celebrate our festival of light.
Later this week, Bookarazzi members will be giving their recommendations for gift books. My next post on this blog will be my own personal 'Read of the Decade'.
Enjoy!
PS: Don't forget the biggest gift of all - a future for our planet!
Please sign the petition here to put pressure on world leaders meeting right now in Copenhagen to discuss climate change.
11,088,380 have people already signed up at the point of posting.
Here are some virtual goodies for you to while away the hours between eating doughnuts (so many doughnuts ...) if you celebrate Chanukah, or mince pies if you're just about anyone else.Treat number one:
Check out the new site from Lucy Pepper ( she of Bookarazzi fame) where a group of unkempt women have got together to celebrate their unkemptitude.
Treat number two:
Thanks to Qwerty Queen (she of mentee fame) I can give you this link to all the competitions you may want to enter. Go on. You know you want to.
Treat number three:
Probably only a treat if you're a parent of one of the children featured, but this is how we celebrate our festival of light.
Later this week, Bookarazzi members will be giving their recommendations for gift books. My next post on this blog will be my own personal 'Read of the Decade'.
Enjoy!
PS: Don't forget the biggest gift of all - a future for our planet!
Please sign the petition here to put pressure on world leaders meeting right now in Copenhagen to discuss climate change.
11,088,380 have people already signed up at the point of posting.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Debi does quantum
So Little Guy was explaining to me about the co-existence of multiple universes, which I vaguely recognised (mainly thanks to Philip Pullman) as being a principle of quantum physics. And they say education is dumbing down ...Anyway, that got me thinking. What if, when we create a fictional reality, that too has an independent life of its own? Would that explain the spooky feeling we sometimes get as writers that our stories exist outside of our will, even though we created them?
When I finished writing my first book, Nirvana Bites, for example, I never intended the characters to reappear in subsequent books. But somehow, they muscled their way in. I justified their inclusion on the grounds that I had given these characters life and now they would be continuing those lives whether I wrote about them or not - so I might as well.
Sounds crazy, but that's exactly how it felt. Plots too can sometimes feel eerily prescient, even as you create them.
And here's another parallel. You come up with a character. You see what they look like and how they react to the situations you put them in. But - for me anyway - you may well not know why they are the way they are. You have to wait for them to trust you enough to tell you.
That's exactly the same in real life when you meet someone new. Say it's a colleague. You see them daily. You know who they live with, if they have children, where they go on holiday, what their favourite food is ... But you might not know why they become defensive on a particular subject, or perhaps you notice they seem to over react to something trivial ...
It's only after you've known them for some time that you find out what it was in their past or background that caused that particular reaction. Maybe they tell you themselves or you might hear it from someone else. Either way, the pieces suddenly fall into place and you think,
'Aha! That explains it ...'
Well, it's true for fiction too. I know that's hard to wrap your head round (like quantum theory isn't?) but I swear it's true.
In my WIP, my main protagonist is not a likable character (though I hope that readers will still care about what happens to her). She's manipulative, a snob, irrational and often a real bitch. In the back of my mind, I always wondered what had made her like that but waited patiently for the story to evolve.
I watched her get pregnant against her long-suffering husband's will. I noted the wedge she'd driven between him and his brother; her profligate spending in denial of their financial straits; her plunge into depression matching their plummet down the social ladder; her total meltdown when things go tragically wrong.
And now, over 50,000 words in, she has finally revealed her secrets to me. The secrets she had hidden from her shrink and even from herself.
And ... it all fits! No re-writes needed, at the most a minor tweak here and there. It makes complete sense and it's utterly pivotal to the plot I've been writing.
So - in scientific terms - how can that be explained if not by some quirk of quantum theory, meaning the fictional worlds we create are as real as this one?
And there we have it: Alper's theory of fictional reality. You saw it first here.
PS: You just gotta love a scientific theory that includes something called a charmed quark - not a new vegan foodstuff, but according to here, 'a type of quark with a mass of c. 1.0 to 1.6 GeV/c, a positive charge that is the charge of an electron, +1 charm, and zero strangeness.' Got that?
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Not weird, but wonderful
If last weekend was weird, this one also revolved around writing in one form or another but was full on wonderful!
I spent Saturday selling Hoovering the Roof on a stall on Northcross Road with other EDWGers, then came home and changed and was off out again, this time to a launch party.
The great thing about this event was that it was to celebrate the publication of a book that's created a real buzz by a blogging author who I had come across only briefly via Bookarazzi.
Cally Taylor has struck gold with her novel, Heaven Can Wait, which has already gone to a 3rd reprint just weeks after being launched and has sold translation rights in 8 countries (so far). (Can't wait to read it.)
To make the party even more exciting, Cally is part of a vast extended community of blogging writers, none of whom I'd met before - even in the blogosphere - and all (yes, all!) of whom were friendly, welcoming, sharing and supportive.
As if that wasn't enough for my cup to runneth over, I got to bring the only one I had met before (my fabulous mentee, Her Royal Qwertyness) back home with me and keep her overnight.
Anyway, if any of the new people I met happen in here - greetings and welcome. I forgot to write down all your blog names, so please drop me a comment so we can continue the discussions we started.
I spent Saturday selling Hoovering the Roof on a stall on Northcross Road with other EDWGers, then came home and changed and was off out again, this time to a launch party.
The great thing about this event was that it was to celebrate the publication of a book that's created a real buzz by a blogging author who I had come across only briefly via Bookarazzi.
Cally Taylor has struck gold with her novel, Heaven Can Wait, which has already gone to a 3rd reprint just weeks after being launched and has sold translation rights in 8 countries (so far). (Can't wait to read it.)
To make the party even more exciting, Cally is part of a vast extended community of blogging writers, none of whom I'd met before - even in the blogosphere - and all (yes, all!) of whom were friendly, welcoming, sharing and supportive.
As if that wasn't enough for my cup to runneth over, I got to bring the only one I had met before (my fabulous mentee, Her Royal Qwertyness) back home with me and keep her overnight.
Anyway, if any of the new people I met happen in here - greetings and welcome. I forgot to write down all your blog names, so please drop me a comment so we can continue the discussions we started.
Monday, November 30, 2009
My weird weekend
Many thanks to Ayo, Lizzie and Sara at Mystery Women for setting this event up, looking after us all and for your tireless efforts to promote our genre.
It was great to meet and spend time with such a warm and friendly group of authors ...*waves at Cassandra Clark, Suzette Hill, Lesley Horton, Joan Lock, Linda Regan (accompanied by her husband, Brian Murphy), Leigh Russell, Zoe Sharp and Kate Stacey*
Between us all, I reckon we're going to spawn a whole new sub-genre based on this last weekend ...
Mystery Women are running a short story competition for unpublished writers. 1000 words exactly, entitled Mystery Woman or Mystery Women. £10 per entry. Winning entry will be published in Mystery Women magazine and the author will receive £100 and a conference ticket for CrimeFest 2011. Entries must be submitted under a pseudonym. Closing date 31/01/10. Send submission and entry fee to Ms L Hayes, 2 Darwin Close, Broughton Astley, Leics., LE9 6XD.
Friday, November 27, 2009
We came, we saw, we hoovered ...
... and we ate, drank, read, bought, laughed, shared, signed ...
From which you will gather it was a great evening at the fabulous Bookseller Crow on the Hill last night.
Nineteen copies of Hoovering the Roof sold and one local bookshop has run out before we've even got it into all the others!
Next event will be 7.00-8.30 pm Monday 30th November at Dulwich Library.
More info and photos on the EDWG site.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Hoovering the Roof - In Praise of Writers' Groups
To begin with, the group met in the back room of a local café. After the first few meetings, they decided it would be more comfortable to meet in each other’s homes, where they would have access to kettles, toilets, back gardens and – yes – roofs.
Twelve years later, over a hundred people have joined the mailing list for the group. In spite of the huge numbers,
To celebrate over a decade of local creativity,
Now you're faced with a choice. Do you want to come to our launch event at the Bookseller Crow on the Hill on Thursday?
Or what about the event next Monday at Dulwich Library ...
Or perhaps you'd like to pop by the stall we'll be running in Northcross Road on Saturdays from 5th December ...
For details of all events, go here and click ... er ... 'events' on the sidebar.
Or maybe you can't come to any of these real life events but want a copy of the book anyway, in which case you need to go here and click 'Hoovering the Roof'.
Alternatively, leave a comment on this post with the words 'lucky dip' included in the text to have a chance of winning a copy of the book signed by the contributors.
If you want to know what I personally owe to EDWG and the way it has changed my life, check this out.
I still rely on the group. No matter how many edits I have done for other people, it's almost impossible to be objective about your own writing and the feedback is invaluable.
By the way, did I tell you how excited I am by this ...?
Friday, November 20, 2009
Lost for words
Oh, pooh! I've just lost 5,000 words.
There I was, steaming ahead with my WIP and assuming I was nearing the end, when I saw something that didn't feel right and realised I've duplicated several chapters. I think it's fine cos I also realise I need to insert stuff earlier but it's still mega irritating.
At times like this, the lure of pharmaceuticals is hard to resist ...
NOTE: This image and the one on the previous post was sent to me many moons ago by the magical Minx. Though she's barely blogging these days, so probably won't notice.
There I was, steaming ahead with my WIP and assuming I was nearing the end, when I saw something that didn't feel right and realised I've duplicated several chapters. I think it's fine cos I also realise I need to insert stuff earlier but it's still mega irritating.
At times like this, the lure of pharmaceuticals is hard to resist ...
NOTE: This image and the one on the previous post was sent to me many moons ago by the magical Minx. Though she's barely blogging these days, so probably won't notice.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tantrum
I'm stamping my foot, grinding my teeth, tearing my hair and I'm just about to start thcweaming and thcweaming until I'm thick.
So I thought I'd come in here to let off steam instead.
Design your own cards, they said.
Easy, quick and free of charge, they said.
Takes just a few minutes, they said.
So why am I still sitting here after several wasted hours and no damn cards at the end of it, just a pdf that no matter how much I Google and troubleshoot and access help options and act on them still won't fit into the sodding template to print properly?
Time to give up and hit the button.
So I thought I'd come in here to let off steam instead.
Design your own cards, they said.
Easy, quick and free of charge, they said.
Takes just a few minutes, they said.
So why am I still sitting here after several wasted hours and no damn cards at the end of it, just a pdf that no matter how much I Google and troubleshoot and access help options and act on them still won't fit into the sodding template to print properly?
Time to give up and hit the button.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
95 years ago ...
10th January 1914
Pancho Villa leads the Mexican Revolution
2nd February 1914
Charlie Chaplin makes his film debut in the comedy short Making a Living
10th March 1914
Suffragette, Mary Richardson, attacks a painting in the National Gallery with a meat cleaver
20th April 1914
The Colorado National Guard attacks a tent colony of 1,200 striking miners, killing 24 people
25th May 1914
Parliament agrees to Irish Home Rule
28th June 1914
Gavrilo Princip, a Serb nationalist, assassinates Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Duchess Sophie, in Sarajevo, sparking off the First World War
28th July 1914
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and its army marches on Belgrade
August 1914
War spreads in Europe
September 1914
Further battles in Europe. Casualties already exceed 500,000
October 1914
33,000 Canadian troops depart for Europe - the largest force to cross the Atlantic
Pancho Villa leads the Mexican Revolution
2nd February 1914
Charlie Chaplin makes his film debut in the comedy short Making a Living
10th March 1914
Suffragette, Mary Richardson, attacks a painting in the National Gallery with a meat cleaver
20th April 1914
The Colorado National Guard attacks a tent colony of 1,200 striking miners, killing 24 people
25th May 1914
Parliament agrees to Irish Home Rule
28th June 1914
Gavrilo Princip, a Serb nationalist, assassinates Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife, Duchess Sophie, in Sarajevo, sparking off the First World War
28th July 1914
Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and its army marches on Belgrade
August 1914
War spreads in Europe
September 1914
Further battles in Europe. Casualties already exceed 500,000
October 1914
33,000 Canadian troops depart for Europe - the largest force to cross the Atlantic
14th November 1914
A son is born in London's East End to Bluma and Isaac Alper, their 4th (and last) child. They name him Morris (Moshe ben Yitzchak in Hebrew)
A son is born in London's East End to Bluma and Isaac Alper, their 4th (and last) child. They name him Morris (Moshe ben Yitzchak in Hebrew)
Happy 95th birthday to my dad!
I would post photos of our celebration lunch, but my cable's gone AWOL, so I'm afraid you'll have to make do with the one I posted this time last year.
All above info found on Wikipedia *blush* here with links.
UPDATE: Missing camera cable has resurfaced in the debris on a certain person's desk.
I name no names, but watch my eyes, dear First Born ...
Anyway - here are the pix.
All above info found on Wikipedia *blush* here with links.
UPDATE: Missing camera cable has resurfaced in the debris on a certain person's desk.
I name no names, but watch my eyes, dear First Born ...
Anyway - here are the pix.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Collectormania - proof I wasn't dreaming ...
Oooh - lookee here. I'd begun to think my forthcoming appearance at Collectormania was a figment of my feverish imagination ...
But no. It must be true. I'm going to be there. It says so here ...
In fact it seems like I'm popping up all over the place online because bookings are now open for the Festival of Writing taking place in York next April.
You have no idea how much trouble I had finding a decent photo of myself that wouldn't have people running for cover.
The important thing is (of course it's all that matters and no one but me gives a damn about how I look in the pic) the Festival looks amazing and worth the entry fee for the one-to-one pitches to agents alone. Except there's a great deal more on offer than that.
What's not to love? (Apart from the pic of me, but we won't go there, oh no we won't.)
But no. It must be true. I'm going to be there. It says so here ...
In fact it seems like I'm popping up all over the place online because bookings are now open for the Festival of Writing taking place in York next April.
You have no idea how much trouble I had finding a decent photo of myself that wouldn't have people running for cover.
The important thing is (of course it's all that matters and no one but me gives a damn about how I look in the pic) the Festival looks amazing and worth the entry fee for the one-to-one pitches to agents alone. Except there's a great deal more on offer than that.
What's not to love? (Apart from the pic of me, but we won't go there, oh no we won't.)
Monday, November 09, 2009
Family matters
'Everybody in here, please. I need your help.'
G and the boys obediently gathered round while I explained the dilemma.
45,000 words into my WIP, a new character has come on the scene. His existence had been referred to in passing but, as is so often the case, I had no idea why I'd written him in. To prove the point, he'd just muscled his way into the narrative.
I knew who he was, knew a fair bit about his background, his impact on the other characters ... I even knew what he looks like.
But one thing was holding me up. I didn't know his name. Until I got that, I couldn't work out his full role - though it was only just occurring to me that he had one and it might be more significant than I'd realised.
I told G and the boys I needed a nickname, not a real one.
The men in my life rose to the occasion, bless 'em, firing random words at me. As fast as they came, they were rejected, including my own contributions.
Then ...
'Switch,' First Born said.
He'd been looking round the room, calling out the names of anything he could see.
'Switch,' I murmured. 'Do you know ... I think that's it.'
Later, soaking in the bath, scene of so many writerly revelations, the metaphorical switch had literally been flicked and everything fell into place.
I could see all the way to the end of the book; knew almost exactly what was going to happen and how, could see the resolution, the narrative arc, the whole megillah.
It reminded me of when I was writing Trading Tatiana. There's a scene set in Greenwich Maritime Museum where Tatiana performs some impressive acrobatics to escape from her pursuers. We spent an entire afternoon at the Museum, checking out the scene I depicted from every angle and working out the logistics. Then we came home and re-enacted it with toys.
Writing is such a solitary pursuit, but occasionally it can be a family affair.
So ... I have some questions for you:
G and the boys obediently gathered round while I explained the dilemma.
45,000 words into my WIP, a new character has come on the scene. His existence had been referred to in passing but, as is so often the case, I had no idea why I'd written him in. To prove the point, he'd just muscled his way into the narrative.
I knew who he was, knew a fair bit about his background, his impact on the other characters ... I even knew what he looks like.
But one thing was holding me up. I didn't know his name. Until I got that, I couldn't work out his full role - though it was only just occurring to me that he had one and it might be more significant than I'd realised.
I told G and the boys I needed a nickname, not a real one.
The men in my life rose to the occasion, bless 'em, firing random words at me. As fast as they came, they were rejected, including my own contributions.
Then ...
'Switch,' First Born said.
He'd been looking round the room, calling out the names of anything he could see.
'Switch,' I murmured. 'Do you know ... I think that's it.'
Later, soaking in the bath, scene of so many writerly revelations, the metaphorical switch had literally been flicked and everything fell into place.
I could see all the way to the end of the book; knew almost exactly what was going to happen and how, could see the resolution, the narrative arc, the whole megillah.
It reminded me of when I was writing Trading Tatiana. There's a scene set in Greenwich Maritime Museum where Tatiana performs some impressive acrobatics to escape from her pursuers. We spent an entire afternoon at the Museum, checking out the scene I depicted from every angle and working out the logistics. Then we came home and re-enacted it with toys.
Writing is such a solitary pursuit, but occasionally it can be a family affair.
So ... I have some questions for you:
- How do you come up with names for your characters?
- Do you ever enlist other people's help to come up with names or sort out any other sticking points?
- Do you ever find a character has muscled their way into your narrative but you have no idea why until it suddenly becomes clear much later what their function is?
- Does that blow your mind??? (It does mine - and I love it.)
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Are you a Collectormaniac?
This writing life sometimes throws up unexpected - and occasionally downright weird - opportunities.
I was contacted recently by the lovely people at Mystery Women.
(You may remember their review of Trading Tatiana.
And I just found this post that I wrote about them over 3 years ago.)
This clever bunch, whose aim is to 'raise the awareness and profile of female crime writers and provide a forum for enthusiastic crime fiction readers', has secured a stall at the forthcoming Collectormania event at Olympia on 28th and 29th November.
Just check out that link. Have you ever seen anything more glitzy? And this is an event you can come to yourself and meet with a dazzling array of mega-name slebs. It's run by Showmasters, who organise high profile signing shows mainly focused on TV & film actors, writers and directors.
For the Olympia event, rubbing shoulders with the Glitterazzi, will be a small band of brave authors and their books on the Mystery Women stall. I can't imagine many of the 100,000 people expected to attend over the course of the weekend will have come especially for the opportunity to meet one of us, but that's serious passing trade. And you never know ...
*Drifts off into fantasy of big-name Hollywood producer picking up a copy of one of my books and saying, 'Hmm. This would make an excellent movie. Let me just go over there and chat to John Barrowman and ask if he's free to take a starring role ... I predict this is going to be huge. Huger than huge ...'*
What? Oh yes. Sorry. Now, where was I?
Ah yes. So, it's an inexpensive day out for the collectormaniacs and should provide me with enough fodder for volumes of fiction and years of blog posts.
Steampunk zone anyone? Or maybe comics are your thing. Or perhaps you're a fan of Twilight. Or you like dressing up.
Then there are the guest days, photoshoots, autographs ...
And I'll have a guest pass and access to the Green Room.
I might even find out why it's called that ...
I could go on and on ... (and have been known to) so I'll stop there and just say that if you're going please pop over to the Mystery Women stall and say hello.
And if you're not, I will of course be blogging the experience. Just try stopping me ...
I was contacted recently by the lovely people at Mystery Women.
(You may remember their review of Trading Tatiana.
And I just found this post that I wrote about them over 3 years ago.)
This clever bunch, whose aim is to 'raise the awareness and profile of female crime writers and provide a forum for enthusiastic crime fiction readers', has secured a stall at the forthcoming Collectormania event at Olympia on 28th and 29th November.
Just check out that link. Have you ever seen anything more glitzy? And this is an event you can come to yourself and meet with a dazzling array of mega-name slebs. It's run by Showmasters, who organise high profile signing shows mainly focused on TV & film actors, writers and directors.
For the Olympia event, rubbing shoulders with the Glitterazzi, will be a small band of brave authors and their books on the Mystery Women stall. I can't imagine many of the 100,000 people expected to attend over the course of the weekend will have come especially for the opportunity to meet one of us, but that's serious passing trade. And you never know ...*Drifts off into fantasy of big-name Hollywood producer picking up a copy of one of my books and saying, 'Hmm. This would make an excellent movie. Let me just go over there and chat to John Barrowman and ask if he's free to take a starring role ... I predict this is going to be huge. Huger than huge ...'*
What? Oh yes. Sorry. Now, where was I?
Ah yes. So, it's an inexpensive day out for the collectormaniacs and should provide me with enough fodder for volumes of fiction and years of blog posts.
Steampunk zone anyone? Or maybe comics are your thing. Or perhaps you're a fan of Twilight. Or you like dressing up.
Then there are the guest days, photoshoots, autographs ...
And I'll have a guest pass and access to the Green Room.
I might even find out why it's called that ...
I could go on and on ... (and have been known to) so I'll stop there and just say that if you're going please pop over to the Mystery Women stall and say hello.
And if you're not, I will of course be blogging the experience. Just try stopping me ...
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