I am a crap writer.
My spelling is appalling, my grammar even worse and I break every writing rule there is and probably alot more. Before I started writing I never knew there were so many rules. Passive voice, active voice. Past tense, present tense. Show, not tell. Gerunds...
Ahhh!!!
It's enough to make you want to throw the bloody manuscript out the window or take up drinking or eat vast amounts of chocolate.
Mmm, tempting...
Sadly none of these things are an option because a) I write and store everything on my laptop so throwing it out of the window is sooo not a good idea b) I don't like alcohol and c) though I may love chocolate it is not something that will make my writing any better, however much I wish it was so.
Not writing isn't an option either as my head is constantly filled with stories.
Finding out I'm a crap writer is, in truth, a little sad and disheartening. Then again I am in surprisingly good company. Dan Brown, Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts, J K Rowling and many others have all been accused of being crap or hack writers.
And though I don't consider myself nearly as good as them if I can write something that is at least half as good and is enjoyed by others I'd be pretty happy.
I'll certainly be getting plenty of practice. 50,000 words over 30 days.
Why, may you ask?
Well November is the annual National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo for those in the know. And I, along with a great many others, will be taking part.
Yes I know. It sounds like madness and I'll probably be mad by the end of it or at the very least a little bit more loopy than I normally am.
Is it the end of November yet?
PS: Gerunds - and yes I had never heard of them before either. Google as always to the rescue...
PS Again: Since I am busy preparing for NaNoWriMo, i.e. skiving off by not writing or reading and instead watching the latest episodes of Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, etc I have instead borrowed from the web goddess herself, Tosca and posted some weblinks that I have come across recently in my web travels.
Happy webbing or writing or whatever the case may be.
The Weird, The Wonderful and The Downright Strange...
Abebooks Weird Room
http://www.abebooks.com/books/weird/index.shtml
As you know I love bookie things so when I came across this book site that features "everything that's bizarre, odd and downright weird in books" I just had to share it. How can you not love sites like this.
Amusing Planet
www.amusingplanet.com
I
love travel and interesting places so this website is perfect of
someone like me as it combines both. Take a look and see some of the
amazing things that are on our planet.
Coursera
https://www.coursera.org
I love the idea of this website which offers around 200 courses that are taught at universities around the world for free. All you have to do is enrol and pick what course you want to do. Of course the only problem is, is that once you've finished you'll want to do another and then another...
The Blog Farm
www.theblogfarm.com
A website featuring blogs. Over 3900 blogs. Wow that's alot of blogs and lot of web reading. I think I've died and gone to heaven...
BoredPanda
http://www.boredpanda.com
This site is addictive. Seriously. Once you get started it's hard to stop. There's something here for everyone. From the truly creative and wonderful to the very weird and strange.
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Gambino is a mastermind
Last week I introduced you to my imaginary
best friend Taylor Swift so this week I thought I would introduce you to my
imaginary boyfriend Donald Glover.
Most of you will know Donald Glover as Troy
Barnes from Community and while it is one of the best shows on TV right now he
is so much more than half of ‘Troy
Donald Glover started off as a staff writer
for 30 Rock (the greatest show in the world) and during the three years he was
there wrote some of the funniest episodes (The Fun Cooker and Episode 210). It
was during his work on 30 Rock that he started his career in rap music under
the stage name Childish Gambino. It started off as a joke and he would release
EPs free on the Internet. After steadily gaining popularity and having his song
‘Freaks and Geeks’ in an Adidas commercial Donald signed with Glassnote
Records and released his first album published onto CDs entitled ‘Camp’.
Camp is one of my favorite albums of the
past few years. Lyrically it is so well written and clever. I would love to put
an example of how great the lyrics are but I can’t think of any that wouldn’t
offend a lot of people. His lyrics are pretty filthy. It’s awesome.
It was during the first few years of his music
career Donald got the role of Troy
In summary, Donald Glover is a genius
writer and has worked on 2 of the best shows on TV while releasing a ton of good music. You should also know that Donald Glover is a babe. And that's why he is my imaginary boyfriend. Make sure you check out the Community and
30 Rock DVDs we have in the library and (if you’re an adult and not easily offended) his album Camp. They’re all amazing. You can take my word for it.
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Comfort Reads
Some books are like comfort food. You're bored, or feeling down, and all you want to do is sit somewhere cosy with a plateful of cheesy lasagne. And a good book. Teen novels with a splash of magic and a good dollop of romance are my comfort food, and luckily for me there's plenty to choose from. I've read a bunch of good ones recently, so I thought I'd share them with you. Here they are
The Unquiet - Jeannine Garsee
Rinn isn't excited about moving back to her mother's hometown. It's cold, it's in the middle of nowhere, and a ghost may be haunting the school. Fortunately, there's a cute boy-next-door, and she makes friends pretty quickly. But soon she has to figure out whether the ghost is real, or if the voices in her head are back.
Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
Since surviving a wolf attack as a child, Grace has been…well, her friends would say obsessed with the yellow-eyed wolf who spends every winter watching her. Every summer she misses him, and he, as a human, can't work up the courage to talk to her. That's until there's another attack, the town seeks revenge, and a yellow-eyed boy with a bullet wound turns up on her doorstep.
Team Human - Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan
Mel might live in a town founded by vampires, but she isn't terribly fond of the undead. She's quite happy considering them as an abstract concept, and if they just stayed that way everything would be fine. But her best friend, a dreamy romantic with a taste for history and poetry, is falling for the new boy at school - a 160 year old vampire, and Mel is determined to put a stop to their foolish romance, whatever it takes. But because Mel has a habit of taking care of things, she's also volunteered to look into the mysterious disappearance of her other friend's father, and then there's the good-looking wannabe vampire that she definitely (maybe) doesn't want to get involved with...
Unspoken - Sarah Rees Brennan
Kami Glass is clever, ambitious, and maybe just a little insane. After all, people usually leave their imaginary friends behind with childhood, don't they? At the start of the new school year, Kami's biggest concern is reviving the school newspaper, but life in the sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale is about to get weirder, as the mysterious Lynburn family returns to their manor on the hill. All sorts of dark secrets are waiting for an aspiring investigative journalist to sniff them out, and it turns out that Kami's imaginary friend may be a little more real than everyone thought.
A cadaver a day keeps the boredom away
So you're getting another list of crime and suspense novels to read. Does this, in fact, suggest I may be going away on holiday and looking for an easy topic? Or simply that I like crime and felt it was time for another one?
It's a mystery...
Sorry to those of you who don't read the genre, but as Death himself likes to say: "THERE'S NO JUSTICE, THERE'S JUST ME." Thanks, Terry Pratchett.
Not My Blood - Barbara Cleverly
Scotland Yard Detective Joe Sandilands is caught off guard one night in 1933 by a phone call from a distressed boy named Jackie Drummond, who just might be the illegitimate son Joe never knew he had. Jackie is in trouble at his Sussex boarding school, where a teacher has been murdered. When Joe gets himself assigned to the investigation, he learns the boarding school case is more complicated than it appears: a frightening number of boys, all from wealthy families, have gone missing over the school's history, and by some coincidence none of the families have followed up on their sons' whereabouts.
Goddess of Death - Roy Lewis
Bored by his desk job in Northumberland, Arnold Landon welcomes the opportunity to join a group of criminal-hunters who specialise in tracing artefacts and looted antiques. Led by the formidable Carmela Cacciatore, Landon sets off on the trail of an ancient bronze statuette of Artemis the Huntress, part of a hoard looted first by the Nazis and then by Stalin's trophy brigade. As Arnold and Carmela dig deeper they are faced with the murder of an informant and as further killings pile up their efforts are frustrated. As they uncover a history of greed, corruption, murder and betrayal the long arm of revenge reaches out to kill once again.
Veronica Britton - Niall Boyce
As a fan of the late Diana Wynne Jones, this appeals to me. A Victorian private detective, Veronica Britton specialises in tricky situations that occur in time as well as space. Time travel is controlled by the Ministry, but they have now taken a sudden interest in Veronica. She uncovers a series of mysteries that all seem strangely interconnected. Steampunk and Doctor Who fans may well enjoy.
Invisible Murder - Joyce Cato
One for cosy fans. When travelling cook Jenny Starling starts her new job for the aristocracy living in a genuine castle, she is thrilled. She envisions nothing more arduous than days spent preparing her beloved recipes. But when a member of staff is murdered, it seems the reluctant sleuth must once again turn her energies towards helping the police.
Rollover - James Raven
It's a rollover week on the National Lottery and the jackpot is a whopping £18 million. Journalist Vince Mayo has picked all six numbers, but before he can celebrate his spectacular win he's battered to death at his home. In a hellish chain of events, Mayo's friend and fellow journalist, Danny Cain, is forced to go on the run when the police suspect him of the murder. With Danny Cain still alive, and knowing the truth, the ticket can't be cashed and the killers want their money, no matter what it takes. For Danny and his terrified family the odds of survival are stacked against them.
Shadows of Doubt - Evan G. Andrew
A Regency mystery by a New Zealand author, second in a series which follows the fortunes of Julia Farraday. Following the death of her great uncle, Julia receives an invitation to attend a house-party at Sharnborough, ancestral home of her friend Philip Stratton. There she meets a pair of charming people with French connections. Julia gets caught up in a world of conspiracy and intrigue, while her heart becomes caught shadows of doubt, between the safe and familiar, and the dangers of the unknown.
The Beautiful Mystery - Louise Penny
When the renowned choir director of a secretive monastery is murdered, the monks are forced to admit the first outsiders to their cloister - Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Surete du Quebec. They soon discover disquiet beneath the silence, discord in the apparent harmony. As the peace of the monastery crumbles, Gamache is forced to confront some of his own demons, as well as those roaming the remote corridors. Before finding the killer, before restoring peace, the Chief must first consider the divine, the human, and the cracks in between.
The Two - Will Carver
Five lie dead, brutally murdered - the first taken on the night of Halloween. As autumn bleeds into winter, more ritualistic murders are discovered. Detective January David must battle his demons, for in his mind lies the clue to stopping a ruthless murderer. But his worst nightmares have literally come true when he discovers there's not one but two twisted killers on the loose...
Dark Passage - Frances Burke
After a devastating fall from high society into dire poverty, Nicola Redmond battles to support her mother and herself during the 1890s Depression in Australia. Spurning the 'charity' of the man who has claimed her father's estate, Nicola joins the battle for the empowerment of the women slaving in factories under dreadful conditions, or forced by starvation to sell themselves on the streets. When her dearest friend, Rose Basevi, meets a degrading death in a back alley, Nicola vows to avenge her. Denying her growing love for a man she cannot trust, she uses him and his two rivals: a charismatic union organizer, and a cool English detective in charge of the murder investigation. Setting herself up as bait, she plunges deep into the underbelly of the city knowing that one of these three men is stalking her - that one of them is a heartless killer...
Hemlock - Kathleen Peacock
One for teen fiction aficionados...Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered. Since then, Mac is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Hemlock to hunt down the killer: a white werewolf. Lupine Syndrome - the werewolf virus - is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control and the Trackers are determined to stop them at any cost. Unwilling to work with the brutal Trackers, but desperately wanting to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy's murder herself. But the deeper she delves into the mystery behind Amy's death, the more secrets she discovers lurking in the shadows of Hemlock.
Seventy Times Seven - John Gordon Sinclair
It's a mystery...
Sorry to those of you who don't read the genre, but as Death himself likes to say: "THERE'S NO JUSTICE, THERE'S JUST ME." Thanks, Terry Pratchett.
Not My Blood - Barbara Cleverly
Goddess of Death - Roy Lewis
Bored by his desk job in Northumberland, Arnold Landon welcomes the opportunity to join a group of criminal-hunters who specialise in tracing artefacts and looted antiques. Led by the formidable Carmela Cacciatore, Landon sets off on the trail of an ancient bronze statuette of Artemis the Huntress, part of a hoard looted first by the Nazis and then by Stalin's trophy brigade. As Arnold and Carmela dig deeper they are faced with the murder of an informant and as further killings pile up their efforts are frustrated. As they uncover a history of greed, corruption, murder and betrayal the long arm of revenge reaches out to kill once again.
Veronica Britton - Niall Boyce
Invisible Murder - Joyce Cato
One for cosy fans. When travelling cook Jenny Starling starts her new job for the aristocracy living in a genuine castle, she is thrilled. She envisions nothing more arduous than days spent preparing her beloved recipes. But when a member of staff is murdered, it seems the reluctant sleuth must once again turn her energies towards helping the police.
Rollover - James Raven
It's a rollover week on the National Lottery and the jackpot is a whopping £18 million. Journalist Vince Mayo has picked all six numbers, but before he can celebrate his spectacular win he's battered to death at his home. In a hellish chain of events, Mayo's friend and fellow journalist, Danny Cain, is forced to go on the run when the police suspect him of the murder. With Danny Cain still alive, and knowing the truth, the ticket can't be cashed and the killers want their money, no matter what it takes. For Danny and his terrified family the odds of survival are stacked against them.
Shadows of Doubt - Evan G. Andrew
The Beautiful Mystery - Louise Penny
When the renowned choir director of a secretive monastery is murdered, the monks are forced to admit the first outsiders to their cloister - Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Surete du Quebec. They soon discover disquiet beneath the silence, discord in the apparent harmony. As the peace of the monastery crumbles, Gamache is forced to confront some of his own demons, as well as those roaming the remote corridors. Before finding the killer, before restoring peace, the Chief must first consider the divine, the human, and the cracks in between.
The Two - Will Carver
Dark Passage - Frances Burke
After a devastating fall from high society into dire poverty, Nicola Redmond battles to support her mother and herself during the 1890s Depression in Australia. Spurning the 'charity' of the man who has claimed her father's estate, Nicola joins the battle for the empowerment of the women slaving in factories under dreadful conditions, or forced by starvation to sell themselves on the streets. When her dearest friend, Rose Basevi, meets a degrading death in a back alley, Nicola vows to avenge her. Denying her growing love for a man she cannot trust, she uses him and his two rivals: a charismatic union organizer, and a cool English detective in charge of the murder investigation. Setting herself up as bait, she plunges deep into the underbelly of the city knowing that one of these three men is stalking her - that one of them is a heartless killer...
Hemlock - Kathleen Peacock
Seventy Times Seven - John Gordon Sinclair
Monday, 29 October 2012
The tale of vegan ultrarunner
Talk about inspiring! Jurek is a vegan who runs ultramarathons (that is, running the equivalent of several marathons back-to-back), covering distances on foot that most of us only dream of.
Now I'm not an ultrarunner by any stretch, but I am fascinated & enthused by the stories Scott shares about how he got to where he is today - transforming his meat & potato childhood to adult veganism, his friendships & rivalry with other ultrarunners, his commitment to being the best he can be in every circumstance.
So I'm off to re-read Born to run by Chris McDougall, and to get my hands on a copy of Lisa Tamati's Running Hot about her experience of the Badwater Ultramarathon through Death Valley. Since it's unlikely that I'll ever run an ultramarathon, then I am quite satisfied to live vicariously through others.
If you are needing inspiration to dust off your running shoes, then I'd encourage you to read these books, and then get out there & get running!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)