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Monday, April 19, 2004
Today's Guardian carries an article claiming blogging is a kind of Vanity Publishing. Maybe it is, but a) it's a whole lot cheaper than the real VP scams, and b) blogging makes me search out all the positive and interesting moments in my life ( so as not to be, well, Boring)
So Blogging, for me, it is a Good Thing!
Bye!! (Happily!!!)
So Blogging, for me, it is a Good Thing!
Bye!! (Happily!!!)
Sunday, April 18, 2004
Well, sorry, this journal entry is only if you are an adult obsessive.
Being myself a late luggage item still tracking around on the media carousel, I've only just seen the film ADAPTATION (cert 15) Soooo goood about (a) the navel gazing, jealous, depressive moments in an/this/any/some authors life, and (b) great, to-the-point moments on the whole fiction & story structure thing, especially the "mythic writing" angles. Clever litle scene with Robert McKee (by Brian Cox) appearing as the "Mentor or Wise One!", And Nicholas Cage times two painfully playing the opposing twins. Plus questioning of genres, and so many little hints and homages. Thanks to the recommendee aka him who said SEE IT!
Next entry WILL be a child friendly mutterance, I promise... (Oh help, what have I said, what have I said? Off to think something up. Remember one of Ian Whybrow's Little Wolf's best Rules of Badness - If in doubt, fib your head off!)
Oh, and for all those who are starting school again tomorrow - Have a nice day! (Penny dodge the moldy tomatoes wiv grate skill)
Being myself a late luggage item still tracking around on the media carousel, I've only just seen the film ADAPTATION (cert 15) Soooo goood about (a) the navel gazing, jealous, depressive moments in an/this/any/some authors life, and (b) great, to-the-point moments on the whole fiction & story structure thing, especially the "mythic writing" angles. Clever litle scene with Robert McKee (by Brian Cox) appearing as the "Mentor or Wise One!", And Nicholas Cage times two painfully playing the opposing twins. Plus questioning of genres, and so many little hints and homages. Thanks to the recommendee aka him who said SEE IT!
Next entry WILL be a child friendly mutterance, I promise... (Oh help, what have I said, what have I said? Off to think something up. Remember one of Ian Whybrow's Little Wolf's best Rules of Badness - If in doubt, fib your head off!)
Oh, and for all those who are starting school again tomorrow - Have a nice day! (Penny dodge the moldy tomatoes wiv grate skill)
Friday, April 16, 2004
Here on my lonely-on-my-ownio writing life - sigh, lick last yummy crumbs of fabbio Easter eggs from glittery paper.. even if it brings on curse of lurker spots . . . Oh Help! Start again! This is what comes of greedily reading Louise Rennison's latest Georgia Nicholson diary "And that's when it came off in my hand" - and the style's hard to get out of my head.
Anyway, today Bad Cat met a problem. She loves to sneak up on top of the monitor screen for warmth - in fact, I've installed a cat shelf to stop horrid furry bits dropping through the slots. But, alas poor cat! today I am trying out a posh 3cm thin screen - and she's just tried to jump up on top of it!!!! Expression of complete spatial incredulity! She's now sulking in her favourite metal paper tray, waiting for the heating to come on again in the (cat) knicker toaster below. . . Oh no, it's LR taking over my mind again . . . Must go!
The Book? Sorry. Proof copy only - the "came off in my hand", etc title is officially out on June 7th 2004 - but there are about five other titles already huddling and giggling in bookshops and libraries. Fun, girly reads. But maybe useful boy-peeking for insight into the teen-girl mind...?
Must must go!
P.
PS. Good luck to all running in the weekends London Marathon - especially to a certain editorial Jane! Go, girl, go!
Anyway, today Bad Cat met a problem. She loves to sneak up on top of the monitor screen for warmth - in fact, I've installed a cat shelf to stop horrid furry bits dropping through the slots. But, alas poor cat! today I am trying out a posh 3cm thin screen - and she's just tried to jump up on top of it!!!! Expression of complete spatial incredulity! She's now sulking in her favourite metal paper tray, waiting for the heating to come on again in the (cat) knicker toaster below. . . Oh no, it's LR taking over my mind again . . . Must go!
The Book? Sorry. Proof copy only - the "came off in my hand", etc title is officially out on June 7th 2004 - but there are about five other titles already huddling and giggling in bookshops and libraries. Fun, girly reads. But maybe useful boy-peeking for insight into the teen-girl mind...?
Must must go!
P.
PS. Good luck to all running in the weekends London Marathon - especially to a certain editorial Jane! Go, girl, go!
Monday, April 05, 2004
Hello again! Just to let you know that my last weekend was full of book stuff, but not the usual scribbling. It was a jaunt with friends to the Federation of Children's Book Groups Conference at Birmingham.
This is a great annual event, open to anyone with an interest in children's books, whether parents or professionals (or a bit of both). Impossible to tell you about it all, especially as I had to choose between some speakers, so here's a few of "my" highlights from the fourteen sessions:
MOST SINGALONG MOMENT: The 2 Steve's - Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore - performing their Will Shakespeare version of the BeeGees "Tragedy".
MOST INTRIGUING MOMENT: Brian Wildsmith perfoming his trick of drawing two lions - one with his right and one with his left - at the same time!
MOST MOVING MOMENT FROM A BOOK: Michael Morpurgo reading the farewell scene between two brothers from his "Private Peaceful".
MOST MOVING MOMENT FROM AN AUTHOR: Probably Elizabeth Laird's evident emotion, as she spoke of the choices she'd had to make in the writing of her controversial novel, set in Ramallah, "A Little Patch of Ground."
MOST NOISY MOMENT: Very Tall Poet Andrew Fusek Peters playing of his didgeridoo, using the pipework in the corner of the room to add even more resonance. The talk was quieter, but had a different resonance.
MOST USEFUL COMMENT ON ILLUSTRATION: "Then there was apoint I decided life's too short for cross-hatching." Nikki Daly, South African illustrator, on how he moved on from echoing the styles of his heroes Sendak, Ardizonne and Edward Gorey. (This was a really lovely talk!)
MOST USEFUL OBSERVATION ON LITERACY: Eoin Colfer saying something along the lines of Reading gives you a whole new vocabulary of interesting words to use. Like "flatulence"
MOST MEMORABLE QUOTE: "Reading, from a parent to a child, is an act of love." Paul Jennings, quoted by Michael Morpurgo.
There was much more than this tucked away in my exercise-book of notes, many interesting words and talks and discussions, not to mention the sight of the charming girl who, helped by her sisters (I think) tied a coronet of floating Gala Dinner balloons to the strands of her long, dark hair. Luckily, no windows were open, or else . . .
I'll end by sending thanks to all the people who'd been involved in organising this Conference. It was great - and only twelve months till the next one, further down country, at the University of Hertfordshire.
This is a great annual event, open to anyone with an interest in children's books, whether parents or professionals (or a bit of both). Impossible to tell you about it all, especially as I had to choose between some speakers, so here's a few of "my" highlights from the fourteen sessions:
MOST SINGALONG MOMENT: The 2 Steve's - Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore - performing their Will Shakespeare version of the BeeGees "Tragedy".
MOST INTRIGUING MOMENT: Brian Wildsmith perfoming his trick of drawing two lions - one with his right and one with his left - at the same time!
MOST MOVING MOMENT FROM A BOOK: Michael Morpurgo reading the farewell scene between two brothers from his "Private Peaceful".
MOST MOVING MOMENT FROM AN AUTHOR: Probably Elizabeth Laird's evident emotion, as she spoke of the choices she'd had to make in the writing of her controversial novel, set in Ramallah, "A Little Patch of Ground."
MOST NOISY MOMENT: Very Tall Poet Andrew Fusek Peters playing of his didgeridoo, using the pipework in the corner of the room to add even more resonance. The talk was quieter, but had a different resonance.
MOST USEFUL COMMENT ON ILLUSTRATION: "Then there was apoint I decided life's too short for cross-hatching." Nikki Daly, South African illustrator, on how he moved on from echoing the styles of his heroes Sendak, Ardizonne and Edward Gorey. (This was a really lovely talk!)
MOST USEFUL OBSERVATION ON LITERACY: Eoin Colfer saying something along the lines of Reading gives you a whole new vocabulary of interesting words to use. Like "flatulence"
MOST MEMORABLE QUOTE: "Reading, from a parent to a child, is an act of love." Paul Jennings, quoted by Michael Morpurgo.
There was much more than this tucked away in my exercise-book of notes, many interesting words and talks and discussions, not to mention the sight of the charming girl who, helped by her sisters (I think) tied a coronet of floating Gala Dinner balloons to the strands of her long, dark hair. Luckily, no windows were open, or else . . .
I'll end by sending thanks to all the people who'd been involved in organising this Conference. It was great - and only twelve months till the next one, further down country, at the University of Hertfordshire.
