 | |||
|  |
|
My Journal |
 |
|||
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Hello there, SOPHIE!!! Thanks for all your news.(Sophie is a young writer who I met at an event. Every so often, she sends me lovely letters with news of her poems and her writing work. The letters are quite beautiful, too, because she is Very Fond of pretty stationery, and silvery, glittery stickers too. I do reply, but not as quickly as I should.) Anyway, I hope you are feeling better now, Sophie. Being ill on sunny summer days always seems a bit unfair. So GET WELL SOON.
Thanks also to the patient pupils of MRS. JONES' CLASS in GARNTEG JUNIOR & INFANT SCHOOL,at Garndiffaith, near Pontypool. GREETINGS TO YOU ALL, and to MRS JONES too! In mid May, these pupils wrote to my publishers (Scholastic) who sent on their lovely letters full of QUESTIONS to me. Today I managed to get time to answer the questions, so I hope you my emailed reply tomorrow.
FIELDHEAD SCHOOL, BIRSTALL, is where I met MRS.LEA-JONES YEAR TWO CLASS. Thank you for inviting me along to tell stories at your CARNIVAL DAY. I loved the drumming!
GROWN-UP GREETINGS, this time, to the members of the AIREDALE WRITER'S CIRCLE, who meet in KEIGHLEY. I hope you all enjoyed hearing about "Being a Children's Writer", and thanks for asking me along.
Last of all, as the buzz builds for the new Harry Potter book, THREE BIG CHEERS for MARY HOFFMAN. Today's GUARDIAN carried Mary's article about the real state of children's writers financial life. ROWLING IN IT? I don't think so! No pots of Potter gold for us. Check the article out on Guardian Unlimited. Bye. I'm off to raid the piggy bank again.
Thanks also to the patient pupils of MRS. JONES' CLASS in GARNTEG JUNIOR & INFANT SCHOOL,at Garndiffaith, near Pontypool. GREETINGS TO YOU ALL, and to MRS JONES too! In mid May, these pupils wrote to my publishers (Scholastic) who sent on their lovely letters full of QUESTIONS to me. Today I managed to get time to answer the questions, so I hope you my emailed reply tomorrow.
FIELDHEAD SCHOOL, BIRSTALL, is where I met MRS.LEA-JONES YEAR TWO CLASS. Thank you for inviting me along to tell stories at your CARNIVAL DAY. I loved the drumming!
GROWN-UP GREETINGS, this time, to the members of the AIREDALE WRITER'S CIRCLE, who meet in KEIGHLEY. I hope you all enjoyed hearing about "Being a Children's Writer", and thanks for asking me along.
Last of all, as the buzz builds for the new Harry Potter book, THREE BIG CHEERS for MARY HOFFMAN. Today's GUARDIAN carried Mary's article about the real state of children's writers financial life. ROWLING IN IT? I don't think so! No pots of Potter gold for us. Check the article out on Guardian Unlimited. Bye. I'm off to raid the piggy bank again.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
My last four or five entries never made it through to the page, and my Blog Expert down in London is currently a busy man. So a quick entry, to see if it uploads. Okay? Go, blogger, go . . .?
Friday, July 08, 2005
I'm pushing in this entry to see if it will shove the previous three entries on to my on-line (or should that be off-line?)Journal. Mainly for the people involved.
Other than that, no news, other than relief that people I know in London are all safe, and every sympathy to those hit by those vicious blasts - at whatever level.
Other than that, no news, other than relief that people I know in London are all safe, and every sympathy to those hit by those vicious blasts - at whatever level.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
What wicked fate gets in the way of things one means to do? Grrr!
Here's the story. A few years ago, two delightful people (Suzanne and Eileen)sent me a real, unsolicited, not-done-for-teacher, charmingly-written fan letter. It was really wonderful to get it, especially at that time, as the writing life is not always full of joy. They had found my "Ghost of Able Mabel" at a bookshop in Thirsk, on their annual holiday, and wrote to tell me they enjoyed it.
Now each year, ever since, we've hoped to meet over in Thirsk, and haven't. One reason or another, usually working elsewhere. All the same, I'd really hoped THIS YEAR would be different. BUT I'm now sitting here, coddling a chest cold, trying to get rid of it for my Friday booking. So, wonderful SUZANNE & EILEEN, if I don't ring, you'll know why! HOPE THE YORKSHIRE RAIN ISN'T SPOILING YOUR WEEK TOO MUCH, and MANY APOLOGIES!
NB. Third email in a row. Shall we try for triple-loading?
Here's the story. A few years ago, two delightful people (Suzanne and Eileen)sent me a real, unsolicited, not-done-for-teacher, charmingly-written fan letter. It was really wonderful to get it, especially at that time, as the writing life is not always full of joy. They had found my "Ghost of Able Mabel" at a bookshop in Thirsk, on their annual holiday, and wrote to tell me they enjoyed it.
Now each year, ever since, we've hoped to meet over in Thirsk, and haven't. One reason or another, usually working elsewhere. All the same, I'd really hoped THIS YEAR would be different. BUT I'm now sitting here, coddling a chest cold, trying to get rid of it for my Friday booking. So, wonderful SUZANNE & EILEEN, if I don't ring, you'll know why! HOPE THE YORKSHIRE RAIN ISN'T SPOILING YOUR WEEK TOO MUCH, and MANY APOLOGIES!
NB. Third email in a row. Shall we try for triple-loading?
Just in case this blogging system gets blocked again, here's my before-or-after greetings to everyone involved with the LEEDS VOLUNTEER READING HELP's 10th Birthday Celebrations on Friday 8th July 2005. It's great to know that such essential and valuable work goes on. Sharing a book is a sure way of encouraging readers!
Plus a big hello to the children and secondary school students and teachers and helpers that I'll see at MIDDLETON PRIMARY SCHOOL, Leeds, that afternoon,too.
(Now, what day will this all text appear? Today? Thursday? Saturday? August? I don't know!)
Plus a big hello to the children and secondary school students and teachers and helpers that I'll see at MIDDLETON PRIMARY SCHOOL, Leeds, that afternoon,too.
(Now, what day will this all text appear? Today? Thursday? Saturday? August? I don't know!)
Monday, July 04, 2005
Feeling quite numb and vague today, as I was away at an Arts Training Central "Writing for Young Children" weekend in Leicester. Great administration, and good humoured, generous students. Thank you very much, everyone! Thanks also to author PIPPA GOODHART, who'd invited me along to co-tutor.
All today, part of me has been saying "It's Monday! Get to work! Go, go, go!" But the rest, especially the brain, can't quite follow. So I'm caught in a lazy, half-there day, hoping to get back into some useful action tomorrow . . . zzzzzzzzzzzzz!
All today, part of me has been saying "It's Monday! Get to work! Go, go, go!" But the rest, especially the brain, can't quite follow. So I'm caught in a lazy, half-there day, hoping to get back into some useful action tomorrow . . . zzzzzzzzzzzzz!
