tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-229486662024-03-07T20:17:34.705+00:00BibliothecariusFeeding Merry's Muse, one page at a time.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.comBlogger288125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-48047822284276299322012-05-23T12:13:00.001+01:002012-05-23T12:14:20.854+01:00Derbyshire Literature Festival - a good run of events this yearSo, what have I been up to (apart from day-jobbery) for the last couple of
weeks? Well, the Derbyshire Literature Festival has been on with events up and
down the County for people to attend. At the previous Lit Fest two years ago I
didn't go to anything; this time I went to four events - 3 of which were writing
related.<br />
Event number one was a morning on the basics of Japanese Bookbinding and I
came away from that session with one medium and two small books that I'd made
and enough enthusiasm to immediately head for a craft shop and get paper and
card supplies to make some more for presents for people. I think they'd make
nice photo albums so I'm going to try it out as a Father's Day gift and see how
we go from there!<br />
<br />
Event number two was a two hour 'Plot Your Novel' session with <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.louisedoughty.com/" href="http://www.louisedoughty.com/">Louise Doughty</a> (novelist
and journalist). The most helpful aspect was when she got us to encapsulate our
novels (completed or planned) by having us finish the sentance "This novel is
about..." But we had to do it twice - once for plot and once for theme - which
gave us a blurb by the end and was handy for determining whether there was
enough of a story there. In the second half, Louise spoke about the problems she
had with the structure of her latest novel (<i>Whatever you love</i>) and how
she eventually sorted things out. It took over two years and she wrote numerous
drafts, and from what I overhead at the event what most people took from that
was that even published, successful authors don't hit the mark first time every
time. Sometimes they fumble too. It was a good event.<br />
<br />
Event number three was a presentation 'From Finland to Bagend' by members of
the Ironville & Codnor Park Myth & Magic Tolkien Reading and Language
Fellowship (all school children) whose love for Tolkien's work really came
through in the hard work they put in to researching the place of The Hobbit as
an integral part of Tolkien's mythology. (It's not all about The Lord of the
Rings). It was great to see schoolchildren so engaged with reading and I just
hope that more students get involved with the Fellowship. (And that more get
involved with their public libraries as well and join reading groups and
such.)<br />
<br />
Event number four was a busy day in Bakewell (why, yes, there <i>was</i>
pudding, now that you ask!) entitled 'Reading and Writing from the Archives with
<a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.sarasheridan.com/" href="http://www.sarasheridan.com/">Sara
Sheridan</a>' and it was split into three parts. Part one was 'Ask the
Archivist' and we had staff from the County Archive telling us about the
resources that were available to the public at the Archive and online. They'd
also brought along a broad sample of resources for us to look at and I found the
County Asylum records of female patients from the 1800s fascinating. (Most of
the conditions were mania or melancholia.)<br />
<br />
Part two was the first of two
talks by Sara - and this was about <i>narrative drive</i> - how to keep things
jogging along and avoid boring your reader/ making them put your book down. One
of the things that she said was that modern culture is more visual than in the
past and so one of the things that *might* help is to storyboard your short
story/ book to see whether there are any areas where nothing is happening. Then,
obviously, you need to think whether nothing <i>needs</i> to happen (there is
room for introspection and reflection in novels that you don't always have time
for in visual media) or, is the lack of something going on and indication that
you've missed something? That you need to ramp up your narrative drive and get
the ball rolling again?<br />
<br />
I think I will try this with a short story first and see how that goes. The
reason being that, Sara read four pages from one of her books and then went
through each board for the action points in those four pages and it came to 15
storyboard boxes! So I'll try it with the 32 page short story before I try it on
the 400 page novel!<br />
<br />
She also recommended Robert McKee's '<i>Story'</i> for some useful hints on
ramping up the narrative drive and if I can find the notebook with the chapter
information in I'll add it here later.<br />
Then we broke for lunch and Chum #1 and I headed off into the town for a
pasty (Lamb & Rosemary for me, and Steak for her) before swinging by one of
the Original Bakewell Pudding shops and picking up a couple of individual
puddings and a large one. Yumm. I had a disturbing moment when I got back to the
event and took the lid off my Latte to find that not only had the server put a
Latte in my cup but a tea bag as well. It wasn't an unpleasant taste initially,
just unusual, but it got progressively worse so I'm putting the initial 'Hmm,
not bad' down to the novelty factor rather than it actually tasting ok.
(Seriously kids, don't try that at home.)<br />
<br />
Part three, Sara did her author talk and explained how her love of history
and objects came into being; how she researches for her books and the glee
experienced when you come across new documents no-one's looked at before. She
read from her post-WWII mystery <i>'Brighton Belle'</i> which I'm looking
forward to reading (it's in the TBR pile but I have moved it to the top). She
reads very well but I have to say the best reading she did on that day was of
another writer's poem about being a writer. It highlighted why poetry is
wonderful when read aloud by someone who really engages with the words and
throws themselves into it. Again, as with the chapter in Robert McKee's 'Story',
when I find the reference I wrote down I'll put it on here.<br />
<br />
And that was the last event I went to. Well worth it; I had a lovely time
this year and if there are any Literature Festivals in your County/ area then
it's always worth having a look at the brochure and seeing if there's anyone you
want to go and see/ listen to or any workshops you want to take part in.<br />
Next stop, <a data-cke-saved-href="http://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/crime/" href="http://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/crime/">Theakston's
Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival </a>in Harrogate in July.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-6098196607220111692012-05-23T11:25:00.003+01:002012-05-23T11:25:32.913+01:00Not dead yet...Did absence make the heart grow fonder?<br />Easter, a conference, a death in the
family, a holiday, and day-jobbery work work work have all conspired to make
Merry a very dull Hobbit. :-(<br /><br />But I am back, hopefully with a little more
frequency, now that day-jobbery is calming down a little more (although we'll be
packing up a library for the summer and then unpacking it again later so it's
not all ease and grapes on the veranda! Boo!)<br /><br />How goes it all with you?
Busy, busy or lying in a hammock under a sweet smelling tree whilst being fanned
by a housedroid waving a huge feather fan?<br /><br /><i>TTFN</i>Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-46439365476775186832012-01-11T13:15:00.000+00:002012-01-11T13:16:22.371+00:00It's alive! | aka the burgeoning outlineThe outline is expanding scene by scene (jotted down 17 yesterday - didn't <i>write</i> them, just noted what they would be) and last night (just before bed which is always the way) I finally figured out why Niall would have been sent on such a detail on his own - it's a punishment for not playing well with others. So I can incorporate that into the scene list/ layout.<br /><br />My outline this time has a mongrel pedigree - I've read bits from <a href="http://thedarksalon.blogspot.com/">Alexandra Sokoloff</a>'s blog on the three <a href="http://thedarksalon.blogspot.com/2009/08/screenwriting-tricks-for-authors-table.html">act structure</a>; Lynn Viehl's (<a href="http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/">Paperback Writer</a>) blog posts on Quantum Writing (<a href="http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2011/07/quantum-writing-part-i.html">1</a> and <a href="http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2011/07/quantum-writing-part-ii.html">2</a>) as well as other bits and pieces filtered from the intarweebs and am using those pointers to help build the skeleton. We shall see!Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-10741050508410450962011-10-25T20:39:00.001+01:002011-10-25T20:41:29.449+01:00Revisions update - the road goes ever on and on...Wonder of wonders I actually managed to carve out about 45 minutes for revisions over lunch today. If I'm writing fresh I can usually do about 800 words in that time. Revising, I had a net gain of about 350 words and advanced 8 pages. However, my chapter six is now my chapter 2 (and chapters 1-4 have vanished completely. When I start in the wrong place I really start in the wrong place.)<br /><br />Thanks to stephanieburgis I came across a post on Terri Wyndling's blog about Creative Burn Out - something I could relate to as the past 6 weeks of day-jobbery have been unbelievably busy and really the slow down isn't likely to happen until the last week of November. We will strive to write and revise despite that, but if there aren't enough lunchbreaks (or lunchbreaks long enough) to acheive that during the week then it may have to be the weekends that bear the brunt of any creativity my tired brain can dredge up. (I think I also need to cut back on the coffee and up my intake of water and fruit juice instead.)<br /><br />In other news, I have been sleeping well due to my autumn-cleaning tasks on Saturday which involved the washing and putting away of the summer curtains and the putting up of the winter curtains. (Velvet - Mormor picked them up from a charity shop for next to nothing.) They're lined so going to bed is very much like hibernating in a cave because even the street light can't get through, hard as its little orange glow may try. Of course, the downside is that when the alarm goes off at 06:00hrs it's still like being in a cave and no-one wants to get up. Early mornings are traumatic in our household. The beasts don't like late nights either and start pestering for the entire household to go to bed at 22:00hrs thank you, very much.<br /><br />In other, other news, a screech owl has decided that now is the perfect time to fly around. Screeching. The last time we went out in the evening, about 20:30hrs, we actually got buzzed by it. The beasts ducked and so did I but I think that if I'd stayed upright I could have reached up and touched it, it was that close. Fantastic. And on the positive side at least it didn't screech whilst doing the fly-by. I think the beasts would have legged it if it had.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;color:#3333ff;">(Cross-posted from LiveJournal)</span>Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-67656587392345993692011-10-24T13:30:00.001+01:002011-10-24T13:32:15.397+01:00A book at Halloween...So, Chum #1 and I have decided to give each other Halloween presents this year of books, following on from Neil Gaiman's suggestion (last year?) that this would be a good and different thing to do and I've seen other people round the blogosphere saying they'll be doing the same.<br />Chum #1 has gone for The Signalman by Charles Dickens (she already has M.R. James who'd have been her other choice) and I was lucky to get hold of the story as part of a collection of ghost tales by CD so it'll end up being a bonus! edition!<br />I've asked for The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. I've never read it but people have raved about it and when I went to the pictures to see Tinker, Tailor they had an advert on for the film so that brought it to the forefront of my mind.<br /><br />As Halloween's on a school night we shall have to listen to/ watch the M.R. James stories on the Sunday night I think. James' work is very good for creeping yourself out in time for bed; nothing really dramatic happens but there's lots of rising tension and usually a very creepy end to the tale, but still, you feel okay about going to sleep. Then you wake up in the middle of the night and you need to traipse down the dark landing, past the dark stairs and suddenly you're 10 again, making the mad dash from one room to another so that whatever's lurking at the bottom of the stairs watching you won't catch you as you race past. If a story can do that then it's doing something right.<br /><br />What would/ will your Halloween book be?Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-15107253202374366062011-10-07T14:58:00.003+01:002011-10-07T15:01:18.106+01:00Work, work, work...Of the day jobbe variety. It's been absolutely mad at the day jobbe which has resulted in a complete halt on the writing front for the past two weeks as my life has been work, home, dinner, bed - rinse & repeat. And even the weekends are not free from day jobbery so I'm looking forward to the end of the month when things dial back to a more reasonable pace!<br /><br />How's life, the Universe and everything treating you today?<br /><br /><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Edited to add:</span></em> there is bathing and stuff in there too, y'know. I'm not a complete slob :-)Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-90269923433659141002011-09-19T12:51:00.000+01:002011-09-19T12:52:28.112+01:00Metrics | YA UFOkay, I've cut a few words here and there and added in enough to bring the word count back up to 93,415 which is +305 from the starting wordcount and that was in c. 30 minutes so not bad.More tonight.<br /><br />Also, if you haven't seen Fright Night with Colin Farrell & David Tennant I heartily recommend it. I saw the 80s version a few weeks ago which was funny to see again, but the 2011 version is darker but still funny and I really enjoyed it. Go see!Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-2318742198541618392011-09-19T12:00:00.001+01:002011-09-19T12:00:50.697+01:0019th SeptemberI've started revisions on the YA urban (rural?) fantasy novel that's refusing to tell me its title and so far things are going well. I've cut out the first three chapters as being the wrong place to start and now it's more firmly in the action which is good. I did find, when making the revision notes, that there were a few scenes I need to write to make sense of things but so far I'm quietly confident and hoping that confidence will tide me over during the rough bits! I'll log how long it takes me to incorporate all the revision notes so that I have some idea +/- for future novels.<br /><br />I'm also working on a couple of shorts in between as a way of breaking up the work and that seems to be going well, too so I'm pleased with that.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-21809138502478633092011-08-18T16:04:00.003+01:002011-08-18T16:09:54.755+01:00August 18th 2011Last week was pretty hectic brain wise with an intensive summer school that was brilliant but mentally exhausting. By the time we'd got home and frisbeed the collies we were too cream crackered to do more than a token effort at making tea and going to bed. Next time I'll follow it up with another week off to absorb/ recuperate from the high gear brain power!
<br />
<br />Still going through the YA UF and marking up areas for excision/ insertion/ tweaking and I'm currently still on target for an end of the month finish for draft 2 all things being equal. I want to get the second draft done before the new term starts. The way my calendar's looking I'm going to have to book slots in to get some writing done, and perhaps that's not a bad thing, marking it out officially like that.
<br />
<br />Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-13364278244626214172011-07-27T13:52:00.002+01:002011-07-27T13:56:16.327+01:00Plotboarding - phase 1 completePlotboarding is done - or at least the post-it note writing phase. All twenty-seven chapters of the (still) unnamed YA UF have at least one post-it attached so all that remains of this phase is to stick them to the board when I get home.<br /><br />The downside is that there are a number of chapters where there <strong>is</strong> only one post-it; luckily, the main character's colour but still, it may be too many solos and I'll have to add some more plot points. Having this done (finally, truly done) by September is beginning to look like a pipe dream, but it really *has* to be done by then because from mid-September to the end of October is the glory of induction and if I've got time for a cup of tea I'll be doing really well. (Sleep is optional.)<br /><br />For information on plotboarding technique check out <a href="http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/blog/">Diana Peterfreund's blog</a> - there's a link in the sidebar to a description/ images.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-69444484158777069782011-04-05T09:26:00.002+01:002011-04-05T09:31:06.147+01:00Eureka! The story that would not start has the right beginning...Perhaps I should have given up at Draft 1, Attempt 3. In all probability I should <em>really</em> have given up by Draft 1, Attempt 7 but, last night, just as I was about to turn the light out (and isn't that always the way?) I finally realised where it should start. I wrote the paragraph before I went to bed - much to the disgruntlement of the two collies and two cats draped around the room - and nodded off relieved that I have a starting point which will hopefully lead to the end point I already had in mind. <br /><break><br />The book is nearing the end of its seclusion period. I've got nearly two weeks off over Easter thanks to the profusion of Bank Holidays and weekends so I shall use that time to do the first set of revisions. I'll let it sit for another three weeks or so after that and then do a third pass. Hopefully it will not remain broken when I've finished with it. <br /><br /><break><br /><strong>Things to do this month:</strong><break><br />Outline four shorts that I only have bare bones ideas for<br /><break>Play with the notes for a couple of novels that I have and see which one's likely to be up next for writing. <br /><break>Revise the (still) untitled YA Rural FantasyMerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-5795562669851854522010-09-02T09:15:00.003+01:002010-09-02T09:16:43.130+01:00[metrics]| Just keep swimming...I managed a few more words yesterday to bring the count up to 81,330 which isn't bad. I'm hoping to be able to spend a bigger chunk of time on it at the weekend after I've taken Mama Bear to the vets for her blood test to see how her thyroid pills are working/ not working. Certainly, the smells-of-hay misxture we've been adding to her food for her joints seems to be doing the job, so here's hoping that the thyroid tablets are too.<br /><br />Things accomplished in fiction: We managed to use magic to heal a plant instead of turning it into a triffid - but the confidence that brought this about is going to cause trouble further down the line. Cheeky young not-yet-werewolves are cheeky.<br /><br />Things accomplished in real life: day job work, read Trent Jamieson's Death Most Definite - {loved it. Great characters - Steven de Selby is quite a funny chap and he's a psychopomp. What a fantastic word. Psych-O-Pomp. You can really get your lips round it. Anyway, had to finish it before I went to bed last night because I had to find out what happened which means I'll definitely be going for book two when it comes out in 2011.} Also, did baked potatoes for tea with Colliers strong cheddar, Genoan ham, lime pickle (for me and chum #1) and brinjal aubergine pickle (that was just for me) and we rounded it off with strawberries and marscapone for dessert - YUM!<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" align="center"><br /><strong>Rural Fantasy Progress</strong></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><strong></div></strong><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: auto; WIDTH: 30%" title="81.33%"><div style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #aaaaaa 1px solid; TEXT-ALIGN: left; BORDER-LEFT: #aaaaaa 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px auto; BACKGROUND: #dddddd; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-TOP: #aaaaaa 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #aaaaaa 1px solid"><div style="MIN-WIDTH: 0%; LINE-HEIGHT: 0px; WIDTH: 81.33%; MAX-WIDTH: 81.33%; BACKGROUND: #1d3d8d; HEIGHT: 3px; FONT-SIZE: 0px"><!----></div></div><div style="FONT-FAMILY: monospace; FONT-SIZE: 8pt">81330 / 100000 (81.33%)</div></div>Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-16719782803341162962010-08-11T16:27:00.000+01:002010-08-11T16:28:02.113+01:00[update] | Cats, work, stuff...Tansy-cat has setlled in nicely. She feels quite comfortable in coming upstairs at night although she sleeps on the bath mat for some reason. China has taken to sleeping posessively next to my head with a paw on my face or shoulder, but seeing as Tansy is, in fact, in the bathroom the 'this huyman iz mine' effect is rather lost on her.<br /><br />Re-reading of the UF is nearly finished and new writing is soon to commence. I am determined to ignore the TBR pile(s) staring reproachfully at me every time I enter my room although I do have a bookmark in the Fuller Memorandum and at the weekend I read Fledgling and Saltation by Lee and Miller. I *love* the Liaden Universe and I've re-read the books so often it's a good job I've got two sets. Unfortunately, reading one of them (or two) makes me want to read the others, in order, and there are a few of them now. Must. Resist.<br /><br />Saw Inception for the third time at the weekend and loved it just as much; will definitely be getting it on DVD but I'm glad that I saw it at the cinema first to really take advantage of having it all on the big screen - even if, for the third showing, Chum #1 and I had to sit in the front row because the film was sold out. Luckily we'd bought our tickets before we went for our meal otherwise we'd never have got in. As it was we barely had time to get the icecream. (Fairly nuts - I cannot adequately express how fantastic that icecream is. Nom.)<br /><br />I will endeavour to get picspam of Tansy on the camera rather than the phone so I can put a picture on here - I have no idea how to get it off the phone. I have a feeling that somewhere in the detritus of the back room there is a box that may have instructions/ discs etc. in it but I'll have to psych myself up for that kind of excavation and it really will be quicker to grab the camera. At least her fur's growing back now after her operation and she's finally beginning to fill out with all of the food she's snarfed. She's looking quite healthy now. Cat rescue FTW!Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-30354519108790310392010-06-22T10:58:00.000+01:002010-06-22T11:00:53.507+01:00Music | Ludovico EinaudiThanks to a <a href="http://markcnewton.com/2010/06/16/modern-composers/">recommendation</a> by <a href="http://markcnewton.com/">Mark Newton</a> I have been listening to Divenire by Ludovico Einaudi - a collection of piano pieces that are so fantastic and sweeping that I've had it on repeat since I downloaded it from iTunes on Saturday.<br />Einaudi is an amazing composer and pianist (I already had the album Echoes, bought because I initially wanted a couple of tracks and ended up loving the whole thing) and his music is incredibly moody; not in the sense of being dark and angst-ridden, rather, in the sense that it can inspire moods as all the best music can. It can uplift you, make you contemplative or imagine you're on the prow of a huge sailing ship ploughing through the waves. Wait, maybe that's just me?<br /><br />It also makes me wish I'd never stopped playing the piano, or that I knew how to dance, but I did and I don't so I shall have to do what I always do with music: use it to relax, to recharge the mental batteries and to provide an avenue to daydream down, to fuel the scenes in my head by giving them their own music as they play out.<br /><br />What do you use music for? Daydreaming? Blocking out the world? Background as you write/ paint/ read?Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-50605956149014767652010-06-16T12:34:00.000+01:002010-06-16T12:35:46.454+01:00Revisions | Slice 'n' diceYesterday was fairly successful on the revision front as I managed to get through 21 pages on various breaks throughout the day - I didn't get home until late so I didn't do any more then. The last few pages (about 4, I think) I'll do today and then there'll be a final read-through before sending off. Then it's: tweaking Earth and sending it back out; a non-fiction article; and then--finally--back to the UF and the dreaded read through of the 235 (MS format) pages I've written so far.<br /><br />However, while lying in bed trying to get to sleep last night, I realised something about my main character which would (a) excise two characters and a fair amount of words and (b) increase tension a bit more as there really <em>won't</em> be anyone to rely on. I decided not to depend on my brain to remember what I'd thought so I dutifully lurched out of bed, navigating round the cat and two of the dogs, who just drop wherever their energy runs out, and wrote myself a note. I love notes. And lists. Lists of lists. Lovely. ::hugs lists::<br /><br />Ahem. Anyway. I'm on holiday in a week so I've booked in the UF kick off for then. I want the first, full, draft completed before the hell of induction etc. starts in mid-September, as for the first 4 weeks or so I'll be zombie librarian instead of incredibly alert and well-rested librarian.<br /><br />Hmm. I need a zombie librarian avatar.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-68525400555472281512010-06-11T12:55:00.002+01:002010-06-11T13:00:37.678+01:00It's that Friday feeling<p>We're halfway through the day and the weekend is almost here! Chum #1 is working 'til 22:00hrs on the literature festival so I shall have the duty of picking up the dogges from the grandparents (it is a duty rather than a joy because they do not like my car. Henry only has two doors, whereas the Chum's car has four which means the collies have their own door onto the back seat. (They also have their own electric window button which Mama Bear uses whenever she gets too hot.) When I walk Baby Bear out and he see's it's my car he tries to run back into the house. ::sniff:: I could take it personally.)<br /><br />Anyway, I have another four-and-a-bit hours before the end of the work day and then it's dogges! washing up! dogges! & cat! (the feeding of)revisions! dogges! (the walking of), and then it will be sleep - hopefully early because I'll be up at 06:30 to take the dogs out for another walk before heading off to alt.fiction for the day. </p><p>Lunchtime tomorrow should be interesting as the Quad is near the Big (TV) Screen and, according to East Midlands Today, there's going to be a demonstration there to protest the fact that the council won't be paying for the public to watch the World Cup on it. Police, cordons etc. Let's just hope that they're either not too rowdy or that the Quad has got good soundproofing. The last time I went to alt.fiction I attended a panel by <a href="http://jemck.livejournal.com/">jemck</a>, Sarah Ash, <a href="http://desperance.livejournal.com/">desperance</a> and someone else?) and they had to compete with the Ladyboys of Bangkok singing in a tent outside! With any luck it'll be quieter this year.<br /><br />Anyone else going to alt.fiction tomorrow? I still haven't decided which panels I'm going to so that will have to be added to the jobs list - something to discuss with Chum#1 when she gets home.<br /> </p>Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-57750767030710824472010-05-25T09:20:00.001+01:002010-05-25T09:24:39.441+01:00Alt.Fiction 2010The one day spec fic convention known as <a href="http://altfiction.co.uk/">Alt.Fiction</a> is back in Derby (Derbyshire, UK) on the 12th of June<br /><br /><blockquote>The day is made up of a number of different types of sessions, including author talks, Q&A sessions, discussion panels and workshops. There will also be a number of publishers in attendance, including Angry Robot Books, Gollancz, Solaris, Abaddon and BBC Books, while genre agents John Berlyne and John Jarrold will also be sharing their considerable experience.</blockquote><br />Authors attending include: <a href="http://desperance.livejournal.com/">Chaz Brenchley</a>, <a href="http://jemck.livejournal.com/">Juliet McKenna</a>, <a href="http://markcnewton.com/">Mark Charan Newton</a>, Graham Joyce, and <a href="http://sarahpinborough.wordpress.com/">Sarah Pinborough</a> among others. I went the last time it was held and it was (a) very interesting (in an almost anthropological kind of way) and (b) good fun. So if you fancy a day at the Quad in Derby come along (although tickets are, apparently, selling fast.)Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-62933011130576076892010-05-24T10:53:00.001+01:002010-05-24T10:55:25.835+01:00Sunny Sundays are good for washing Bear...The sun shone magnificently yesterday and as it was far too hot to take the beasts out in the middle of the day we decided to do the next best thing - bath them! Two out of the three were scrubbed, disgustingly brown water was sluiced off and we even managed to get a bit of a brush through the wool of Bear's trousers so it was a productive afternoon. He's still going to need a set of professional clippers to get the underfur out quickly - he really doesn't like being groomed overmuch - but at least he's now clean and shiny. Dog no.3 will be done next weekend, weather willing. I just need to buy more shampoo.<br /><br />For your delectation, a picture of shiny Bear at play...<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVgbF2y6atRsS96ezAwbBXZF-5IDg63Xopl57tLc0HgvFrsmL0ij94SJSxkNol7_GAi8ev4T36-_lXFK9f77_9EDOUmQVJka60AD5ZornMEfEQm5kTvKqB7mx7aIXEA2cyu5BOQ/s1600/Shiny+Bear_small.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 308px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 231px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474772796849272210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVgbF2y6atRsS96ezAwbBXZF-5IDg63Xopl57tLc0HgvFrsmL0ij94SJSxkNol7_GAi8ev4T36-_lXFK9f77_9EDOUmQVJka60AD5ZornMEfEQm5kTvKqB7mx7aIXEA2cyu5BOQ/s320/Shiny+Bear_small.JPG" /></a>Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-8193415590999963942010-05-14T14:48:00.000+01:002010-05-14T14:49:01.901+01:00tap, tap...is this thing on?I have been released from the oars at last! (Well, okay, maybe one ankle is still attached but hey, progress!) The day jobbery has dialled back enough that I should be going from exhaustion to merely tired any day now.<br /><br />Hello, I've missed you, and I probably won't be reading the last two months of entries that I've missed. Sorry.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-30989803585145978732010-03-25T15:06:00.000+00:002010-03-25T15:07:30.400+00:00We interrupt this hiatus...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGWHe_EnxlIcIRj2MPkouhRzHetoVFaBCk-NQ8DhOLu957LbDUHOWhQMlr5ZpIJODMxGFlvucnwjl2xJzWbHe01CxfpwfEz2TFcnQz8w7U6olr7OLfgvnbmaKkIHBeKgu2alRZg/s1600/superstickies.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGWHe_EnxlIcIRj2MPkouhRzHetoVFaBCk-NQ8DhOLu957LbDUHOWhQMlr5ZpIJODMxGFlvucnwjl2xJzWbHe01CxfpwfEz2TFcnQz8w7U6olr7OLfgvnbmaKkIHBeKgu2alRZg/s200/superstickies.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452588216450333858" border="0" /></a>Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-65389610632701598272010-02-17T11:07:00.000+00:002010-02-17T11:17:59.527+00:00Countdown to Pcon 7<p>17 days before I hop on a plane at the crack of dawn and make my way over to Dublin (after carefully measuring the suitcase to ensure it conforms to cabin storage dimensions.) This does not bode well for the return journey of course; after all, what will I do with the books I buy when I'm there? I shall have to ensure that I keep 30 euros spare for emergency hold stowage, just in case.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pcon.ie/">Convention details are here</a>, along with lists of guests/ attendees etc. It'll be the first time I've (a) been to this one and (b) been to one that lasts longer than a day, so I'm really looking forward to it - although I am now regretting that I didn't book in for Odyssey 2010 as well. No time/ money now, especially as I'm going to a reader's retreat in Normandy in April with chum #1 who reviews for <a href="http://www.newbooksmag.com/">newbooks magazine</a>. We won't be going by plane for that trip, though.</p>Anyone convention-going soon?Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-1510295878246355252010-02-09T12:40:00.000+00:002010-02-09T12:41:32.808+00:00[metrics] CthulhuI had hoped to have finished the Cthulu short I've been working on but I didn't like the direction it was going in - it was too meandery and waffly so I'm rewriting, aiming for 3K. So far (she says cautiously) it's going okay.<br /><br /><img alt="" src="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=2065&target=3000" /><br /><br />Once that's done, it's revision time for the three first-draft shorts I have waiting. First lines meme to follow in a bit.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-3240707744759336852010-01-26T13:50:00.002+00:002010-01-26T13:54:11.692+00:00100 stories for Haiti - deadline extended<p>Via John Scalzi's <a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/">Whatever blog</a>:<br /><br />Author Greg McQueen has put out a call for short stories (not exceeding 1000 words) to go into a charity anthology : all proceeds to go to the Red Cross to help out in Haiti.<br /><br /></p><blockquote><strong>100 Stories for Haiti</strong><br />We want short story submissions to help raise money for disaster-stricken Haiti. Out of the submissions, 100 pieces of fiction will be chosen to appear in an e-book, the proceeds of which will go to the Red Cross.<br />If you want to send a short story, please follow these guidelines:<br /><ul><li>Do not exceed 1,000 words. </li><li>No stories containing graphic violence, death or destruction. </li><li>Send all stories in the body text of an email to <a href="mailto:100storiesforhaiti@gmail.com">100storiesforhaiti@gmail.com</a>. Stories sent as attachments will not be opened. </li></ul><br type="_moz"></blockquote><br /><br />Go to Greg's blog <a href="http://www.ireallyshouldbewriting.net/">here</a>; the <a href="http://www.100storiesforhaiti.org/">100 Stories for Haiti website</a>; and remember that the deadline has been extended to this <strong>Wednesday the 27th by Midnight</strong> (wherever you are on the planet) so brush off a story if you have one or dash one off if you're a speed demon.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-43657839241216763962010-01-15T09:06:00.003+00:002010-01-15T09:10:32.013+00:00Melting at last!Well, it's been absolutely ages since I last posted. The new year went well but I spent most of the first week working from home because I couldn't get the car out of our street. It was great for dog walking, not so much for driving; but, the snow (and more importantly the ice) is now melting. When I parked the car at work this morning it was raining and foggy so I imagine the news will start saying things like "The Big [British] Melt as opposed to Freeze.<br /><br />Yesterday was slightly traumatic; first I had to have a new car windscreen because there was a large crack across the middle of mine. Then I had to take Baby Bear and Mama Bear to the vets; the former for his boosters and the latter for her free six monthly check (it's not really 'free' - I pay a monthly amount so I don't have to pay when I turn up.) Baby Bear was fine; he didn't cry for the needle and the vet thought he looked very fit and healthy. Mama Bear has put on 5 kilos and is on rations, but because she's overweight we're going to have to alter her exercise regimen to avoid damaging her joints. No long walks, instead she'll have a number of shorter (no longer than 30 minutes) each day. The vet said it'll be the rationing rather than the exercise that will drop the weight off her, so I'll have to get the parentals who dog-sit to make sure she can't eat the other dogs' food and I'll have to remember to hide the cat biscuits when I go out/ go to bed. She will not be happy, but it's all in a good cause.<br /><br />Here are some pictures from a walk at the weekend:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsGImsekX4HXSAV_vliRgATV3revCHU5SEP5IFqhh9kXC0yMuRiqJTVuSAT5rRZHJF4GgkdFoC4dgmvIkqYltZ515y-QJLdqwGY7y1b2ZvlC9L6zw_ORrD8SXOqRflYANfc_7qA/s1600-h/Late+afternoon+walk4.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426890874589866786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsGImsekX4HXSAV_vliRgATV3revCHU5SEP5IFqhh9kXC0yMuRiqJTVuSAT5rRZHJF4GgkdFoC4dgmvIkqYltZ515y-QJLdqwGY7y1b2ZvlC9L6zw_ORrD8SXOqRflYANfc_7qA/s200/Late+afternoon+walk4.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViAW05ycOwKAV9rar-XiLXIYMSn8wm7NB9op_q1GhfeKjvphEIfqJHo8ygX4w3_HjsO4V_LCohdMpozVThlDNaSR4fGsFmErxmx91JGggUNDO1WOrx-WfjQ7lqphAryqMkF1b_w/s1600-h/Bolsover+Castle+in+the+snow.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426890867952875906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgViAW05ycOwKAV9rar-XiLXIYMSn8wm7NB9op_q1GhfeKjvphEIfqJHo8ygX4w3_HjsO4V_LCohdMpozVThlDNaSR4fGsFmErxmx91JGggUNDO1WOrx-WfjQ7lqphAryqMkF1b_w/s200/Bolsover+Castle+in+the+snow.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4PwhFEAVBGodhe1EFyIL5XJ11C-8Q3-jk0D2fM3s20U_Mgkriggezq8HgalYB-KvJluLploiwnu_8eRR6BF8iG0_G_fMbEU96uYFX-gNyb4DL_XcxEYeu_FI_DpT5uwtsxyeEg/s1600-h/Cerys+%26+Bran+love+snow.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426890860966747858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4PwhFEAVBGodhe1EFyIL5XJ11C-8Q3-jk0D2fM3s20U_Mgkriggezq8HgalYB-KvJluLploiwnu_8eRR6BF8iG0_G_fMbEU96uYFX-gNyb4DL_XcxEYeu_FI_DpT5uwtsxyeEg/s200/Cerys+%26+Bran+love+snow.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This weekend I'm aiming to get my Lovecraftian-style short finished - I did about 1K yesterday - and then I'll be free to re-read the YA UF novel so far and crack on with that again.<br /><br /><br />If you have to go out and about and it's still snowy/ icy take care!Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22948666.post-90761936960758340062009-12-28T13:33:00.002+00:002009-12-28T13:34:00.797+00:00Clear and cold the year is old, my ramblings bimble onFirst things first: Felicitations of the Season to all and sundry!<br /><br />Christmas was good; I had Christmas Eve off work so I boiled and baked my ham (with cloves and maple syrup) which worked fantastically well once again so Chum #1 was happy, as was I. Christmas Day I made my cranberry sauce with ruby port which went down well, and as that was the only cooking I had to do all day I was pleased too. We went to Chum #1's parents' house for dinner, along with my mother and another friend - we didn't eat too much, it was all just right, and we played an excellent game of Trivial Pursuit (the new one with a twist - abbots, no less). Then we went to my mother's for Boxing Day and ate and drank with the pseudo-nephews and nieces and their parents.<br /><br />Yesterday, we rested by going to see Sherlock Holmes which I thought was good, silly fun. The relationship between Holmes and Watson was reminiscent of that portrayed by Roxburgh and Hart in the more recent Hound of the Baskervilles, and Watson came across as being smart which was a relief. I can't stand the depictions of Watson as a bumbling idiot. >.<<br /><br />Christmas presents: a fantastic telescope that the chum and I will have to put together (the horror of instructions that start with an item's individual pieces set out on a big sheet on the floor o_O ); lots of non-fiction books on Georgian history/ society; Doctor Who Season 4 and other lovely things (including socks!)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tor.com/">Tor.com</a> are having a '<a href="http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=58388">December belongs to Cthulhu</a>' fest and although December is almost over I had a Lovecraftian moment while dog walking in the woods so a story will shortly be committed to paper in honour of the Old Ones. Cthulu ftagn!<br /><br />It's strange to think that 2009 is almost over. Britain is still in recession and looks as though it may be for some time to come (not to mention being horrifically in debt as a nation) but I hope that 2010 will be better; higher household bills notwithstanding. The family's healthy; we all have roofs over our heads, and we're all in work so we have no complaints on that score. We are content with bursts of happiness.<br /><br />So here's to the impending 2010 - may we all be, if not perpetually happy, then at least content with bursts of happiness and rich in friends and loved ones.Merryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06209550063908148888noreply@blogger.com0