An excellent meeting tonight. D has finished her first draft of her childrens novel TSC which is a fantastic achievement. She has written over 80k words and now is going to leave it alone for a while, before going back to it and editing. I told the other members the details of the Manchester Children's Book Festival and N & D agreed that it would be great to go and see Phillip Pullman on the 5th of July. We just need to check out train schedules to make sure we get there in plenty of time and purchase tickets. I shared chapter six and seven of my YA fantasy Thorde with the members and it was well received. I am really pleased that they are enjoying the first person perspective and the plotlines. I am determined to keep going until first draft before succumbing to editing (I do have a tendency to start editing and not finishing) or starting/moving on to something else. N set the group a challenge to write a piece for the next meeting with the remit of 'Local guy in his local pub, but he's been dead for weeks, why?' N is thinking of going with a zombie theme, D a ghost theme and I might give vampires a go (or not as the muse takes me). Maybe I'll even post it here in a fortnight.
Monday, 11 June 2012
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Wonderful weekend of sport
What a fabulous weekend of sport we have to enjoy. First, on Friday, we had the first two matches of the Euro 2012 tournament, yesterday we had the Womens Final of Roland Garros and the surprising matches of Denmark v Netherlands and Germany v Portugal. Today we have two more Euro matches and the Mens Final of Roland Garros, which I am watching at the moment. Tomorrow brings England's first match and once the Euro 2012 winners have been established, we have the excitement of Wimbledon and The Olympics. If only we could get some improvement in the weather, this would be a fine Summer of Sport indeed. Fingers crossed for weather like we had a couple of weekends ago and maybe, if we all send this wish out into the cosmos, it could come true. To help in this, I thought I would post some more pictures from our weekend of Summer:
Oh no, what have I done, now it's raining for the tennis Final ;)
Saturday, 9 June 2012
Womens Tennis Final, Hebden Bridge Arts Festival & Competitions
Just finished watching the Womens Final of the Roland Garros and really enjoyed it. I think Sharapova was always going to win, but Sara Errani did really fight. Thank goodness she has the doubles win to console her.
I thought I would list the details of the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival which is on 30 June - 8 July 2012 for anyone who wishes to attend:
Saturday 30 June at Hebden Bridge Library, 7.30pm - Gabi Hinsliff
Sunday 1 July at Hebden Bridge Library, 1pm - Kate Summerscale
Sunday 1 July at Stubbing Way, 8pm - Kate Fox's Poetry Slam
Monday 2 July at Little Theatre, 7.30pm - New Blood: five first-time novellists talk about their journey to publication
Thursday 4 July at Stubbing Way, 8pm - Penned In: true-life crime writers Erwin James and Noel 'the razor' Smith talk about writing their way out of jail
Friday 5 July at St Michael's Church Hall, Mytholmroyd, 8pm - Award winning author Jon McGregor talks about his new short story collection
For full details see www.hbaf.co.uk
Also found these two writing competitions:
The Ether Sci-fi and Fantasy Writing iPad Contest Deadline 14 June 2012
Sci-fi and fantasy stories of 3k words or less, see contest@etherbooks.com
The Short Story Competition Deadline 15 September 2012
1-5k words short stories, submit to theshortstory@gmail.com
I thought I would list the details of the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival which is on 30 June - 8 July 2012 for anyone who wishes to attend:
Saturday 30 June at Hebden Bridge Library, 7.30pm - Gabi Hinsliff
Sunday 1 July at Hebden Bridge Library, 1pm - Kate Summerscale
Sunday 1 July at Stubbing Way, 8pm - Kate Fox's Poetry Slam
Monday 2 July at Little Theatre, 7.30pm - New Blood: five first-time novellists talk about their journey to publication
Thursday 4 July at Stubbing Way, 8pm - Penned In: true-life crime writers Erwin James and Noel 'the razor' Smith talk about writing their way out of jail
Friday 5 July at St Michael's Church Hall, Mytholmroyd, 8pm - Award winning author Jon McGregor talks about his new short story collection
For full details see www.hbaf.co.uk
Also found these two writing competitions:
The Ether Sci-fi and Fantasy Writing iPad Contest Deadline 14 June 2012
Sci-fi and fantasy stories of 3k words or less, see contest@etherbooks.com
The Short Story Competition Deadline 15 September 2012
1-5k words short stories, submit to theshortstory@gmail.com
Thursday, 7 June 2012
Crime on Tour event, York
I attended the Theakstons Crime on Tour event in York last night (thanks to my free pair of tickets won via twitter) and it was an excellent evening. Bestselling author Peter Robinson introduced new authors David Moore and Steven Dunne:
David has been a journalist since the age of 17, first with his local paper, then on to the Telegraph and the Yorkshire Post. He admitted that so much luck is involved in getting the manuscript to the right person at the right time and even though he got an agent a couple of years ago, it wasn't until they separated and he got a new agent, that the new agent got a multi-house fight for the right to publish (this, a week after he had been told that it was too 'dark' to publish). His book 'The Dark Winter' is the first in a series and is now being sold all over the world.
Steven is a part-time teacher and 'The Reaper' was his first book. He had no publication deal and no agent, even though the advice is to get an agent and then a publisher, so he self-published. He loved American literature and then British crime and he had spent 4 years trying to get 'The Reaper' published before self-publishing and selling it in Waterstones in Derby and then further extended out. He sent them to a publisher and got his first publishing deal through his novel 'The Disciple.' He has since changed publisher and 'Diety' is his new book with his new publisher Headline.
Peter Robinson admitted that he sent his first sample chapters and outline out without giving away the ending (everyone laughed because this is a no-no), but he was asked to send the whole novel and 6 months later, he had already written the sequel. He had to go to the publishers in Toronto in January/February and he got the offer for 2 books. His first book was published in 1987 and now he is with Constable.
All the authors agreed that if you don't have a success with your first 2 or 3 books, then a publisher is unlikely to take more on and that Ebooks are changing everything, as this is an opportunity for authors not published to get their work out there, but that the quality is not guaranteed to be there.
David felt that Ebooks somewhat devalue the craft when authors give away their books for £1.99, but that some have used this platform to gain a traditional publishing deal. Peter felt that this also has drawbacks for the author, as publishers used to be happy with a book a year as the deal, but now expect 2 books a year or short stories to give away.
The floor was opened up to questions and David was asked why he had set his novel in Hull. He said that it felt natural to him as he had worked there when the murder rate was high and had attended endless murder trials as a journalist. He felt that there was room within that to craft a story, as he could drop a serial killer in Hull and it would be realistic, even if it gave cause for the Tourism Board to moan! Steven said that he had found the opposite in Derby as residents are happy that it is possible to have a serial killer in Derby for D. I. Brook to capture.
David said that he had lived in Hull for a long time, but now lived in Lincolnshire, but still had ties to Hull as his daughter goes to school there. Steven said that he was happy that Stephen Booth was the only other writer in Derbyshire. He explained again that 'The Reaper' had been self-published, but that he had been picked up by Harper Collins through anthology.com the 'slushpile' site. They had changed the cover, reproduced it and sold it around the world. 'Diety' is his first novel for Headline, but the 4th book in the series (all of which can be read as stand alone books), as the others are 1 and 2 of a trilogy. There are plans for the third in the trilogy, but he's not sure when, because of the change in publisher.
When asked how they had decided on their main characters, David explained that McAvoy had started off as a minor character in another book and David had decided that all his characters were horrid and different shades of ghastly apart from this minor character, who happened to be a big scotsman, so he became the likeable protagonist. In one night he got exactly who he was and how he would react in certain situations and now when he writes of him, he knows exactly what to do. Steven had produced D. I. Brook by picking things up from other books and jettisoning things he didn't like. He had a hint of the Sherlock Holmes figure as he enjoys the mystery and the chase, but no police politics. There is also a bit of Philip Marlowe as well, in that he was the superstar detective fallen from grace and stuck in the middle of nowhere.
Asked whether they would like to see their books adapted for TV, David admitted that part of him does think that'll be great, but he sees nothing wrong with this media (i.e. reading the book), but that it does seem to be the path now for most crime fiction. Peter enlarged the point by saying that he had written 20 Banks novels before he was approached for the TV adaptation, but that he had no control over the format or actors. For example, he did not see Stephen Tompkinson as Banks as he is too tall for a start off, but the actor did come and talk to him about the character when Peter was in Tampa, Florida, as the actor wanted a more serious dramatic role. Peter gets to read the scripts and make a few complaints (apparently Stephen Tompkinson had made similar ones too, so is really getting the character now) but he does ask for more costumes and more Yorkshire scenery.
David said that he thought that the best adaptation ever was The Shawshank Redemption, but now there seem to be too many writers on TV working on one script. Peter agreed and admitted there was not a lot of money in it. Americans don't pick from novels like the British do, e.g. he felt that Ed McBain was ripped off by shows like Hill Street Blues, but never got a penny. David admitted that Damian Lewis (of excellent series Homeland) had been sent a copy of ''The Dark Winter.' Peter thought it was strange that Damian Lewis was also considered for Banks, as was Rupert Graves, but that Sky wanted to do it with Ross Kemp! Neil Pearson reads the audiobooks and Peter likes him as Banks, but agrees that although they can work with editors to help them, ultimately it is their book, but with TV you can't do that.
Then David read the prologue to 'The Dark Winter' (the best bit in his opinion!) which really captured the essence of Hull and Steven read the first three pages and explained that 'Deity' is the search for immortality or celebrity by young people.
The event came to a close as attendees could then purchase books by the authors and get them signed. I am now the proud owner of signed copies of 'The Dark Winter', 'Diety' and 'Before the Poison.' Should you wish to find out more aobut these authors, or things discussed in this review, please feel free to click on the links below:
www.quercusbooks.co.uk
www.whatisdeity.com www.stevendunne.co.uk
www.hodder.co.uk
www.authonomy.com
David has been a journalist since the age of 17, first with his local paper, then on to the Telegraph and the Yorkshire Post. He admitted that so much luck is involved in getting the manuscript to the right person at the right time and even though he got an agent a couple of years ago, it wasn't until they separated and he got a new agent, that the new agent got a multi-house fight for the right to publish (this, a week after he had been told that it was too 'dark' to publish). His book 'The Dark Winter' is the first in a series and is now being sold all over the world.
Steven is a part-time teacher and 'The Reaper' was his first book. He had no publication deal and no agent, even though the advice is to get an agent and then a publisher, so he self-published. He loved American literature and then British crime and he had spent 4 years trying to get 'The Reaper' published before self-publishing and selling it in Waterstones in Derby and then further extended out. He sent them to a publisher and got his first publishing deal through his novel 'The Disciple.' He has since changed publisher and 'Diety' is his new book with his new publisher Headline.
Peter Robinson admitted that he sent his first sample chapters and outline out without giving away the ending (everyone laughed because this is a no-no), but he was asked to send the whole novel and 6 months later, he had already written the sequel. He had to go to the publishers in Toronto in January/February and he got the offer for 2 books. His first book was published in 1987 and now he is with Constable.
All the authors agreed that if you don't have a success with your first 2 or 3 books, then a publisher is unlikely to take more on and that Ebooks are changing everything, as this is an opportunity for authors not published to get their work out there, but that the quality is not guaranteed to be there.
David felt that Ebooks somewhat devalue the craft when authors give away their books for £1.99, but that some have used this platform to gain a traditional publishing deal. Peter felt that this also has drawbacks for the author, as publishers used to be happy with a book a year as the deal, but now expect 2 books a year or short stories to give away.
The floor was opened up to questions and David was asked why he had set his novel in Hull. He said that it felt natural to him as he had worked there when the murder rate was high and had attended endless murder trials as a journalist. He felt that there was room within that to craft a story, as he could drop a serial killer in Hull and it would be realistic, even if it gave cause for the Tourism Board to moan! Steven said that he had found the opposite in Derby as residents are happy that it is possible to have a serial killer in Derby for D. I. Brook to capture.
David said that he had lived in Hull for a long time, but now lived in Lincolnshire, but still had ties to Hull as his daughter goes to school there. Steven said that he was happy that Stephen Booth was the only other writer in Derbyshire. He explained again that 'The Reaper' had been self-published, but that he had been picked up by Harper Collins through anthology.com the 'slushpile' site. They had changed the cover, reproduced it and sold it around the world. 'Diety' is his first novel for Headline, but the 4th book in the series (all of which can be read as stand alone books), as the others are 1 and 2 of a trilogy. There are plans for the third in the trilogy, but he's not sure when, because of the change in publisher.
When asked how they had decided on their main characters, David explained that McAvoy had started off as a minor character in another book and David had decided that all his characters were horrid and different shades of ghastly apart from this minor character, who happened to be a big scotsman, so he became the likeable protagonist. In one night he got exactly who he was and how he would react in certain situations and now when he writes of him, he knows exactly what to do. Steven had produced D. I. Brook by picking things up from other books and jettisoning things he didn't like. He had a hint of the Sherlock Holmes figure as he enjoys the mystery and the chase, but no police politics. There is also a bit of Philip Marlowe as well, in that he was the superstar detective fallen from grace and stuck in the middle of nowhere.
Asked whether they would like to see their books adapted for TV, David admitted that part of him does think that'll be great, but he sees nothing wrong with this media (i.e. reading the book), but that it does seem to be the path now for most crime fiction. Peter enlarged the point by saying that he had written 20 Banks novels before he was approached for the TV adaptation, but that he had no control over the format or actors. For example, he did not see Stephen Tompkinson as Banks as he is too tall for a start off, but the actor did come and talk to him about the character when Peter was in Tampa, Florida, as the actor wanted a more serious dramatic role. Peter gets to read the scripts and make a few complaints (apparently Stephen Tompkinson had made similar ones too, so is really getting the character now) but he does ask for more costumes and more Yorkshire scenery.
David said that he thought that the best adaptation ever was The Shawshank Redemption, but now there seem to be too many writers on TV working on one script. Peter agreed and admitted there was not a lot of money in it. Americans don't pick from novels like the British do, e.g. he felt that Ed McBain was ripped off by shows like Hill Street Blues, but never got a penny. David admitted that Damian Lewis (of excellent series Homeland) had been sent a copy of ''The Dark Winter.' Peter thought it was strange that Damian Lewis was also considered for Banks, as was Rupert Graves, but that Sky wanted to do it with Ross Kemp! Neil Pearson reads the audiobooks and Peter likes him as Banks, but agrees that although they can work with editors to help them, ultimately it is their book, but with TV you can't do that.
Then David read the prologue to 'The Dark Winter' (the best bit in his opinion!) which really captured the essence of Hull and Steven read the first three pages and explained that 'Deity' is the search for immortality or celebrity by young people.
The event came to a close as attendees could then purchase books by the authors and get them signed. I am now the proud owner of signed copies of 'The Dark Winter', 'Diety' and 'Before the Poison.' Should you wish to find out more aobut these authors, or things discussed in this review, please feel free to click on the links below:
www.quercusbooks.co.uk
www.whatisdeity.com www.stevendunne.co.uk
www.hodder.co.uk
www.authonomy.com
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Winning Crime tickets and DVD reviews
Yesterday I received a tweet from Theakstons Crime to tell me that I had won a pair of tickets to their Crime on Tour in York tonight at 6.30pm in the Explore York Library and Learning Centre. Peter Robinson will introduce David Mark and Steven Dunne and I am very excited at the prospect of attending.
We watched The Vow, The Rum Diary and 2012 on DVD and I thought I would share with you a potted review of each:
The Vow is a story based on true events about a happily-married couple who are involved in a car crash, resulting in the wife suffering a head trauma. She forgets the previous few years, including meeting and marrying her husband. Needless to say, it is a tearjerker and you really feel for the husband and begin to loather her family and ex-fiance for interferring and helping ruin her happy relationship. I think it can safely be said that this film is firmly in the 'girlie' category, but not just for adults as my daughter and her friends saw it at the cinema and loved it.
The Rum Diary is a different prospect entirely. I would say it is a man's movie and this even though Johnny Depp is the main character! The storyline is so disjointed that I think the characters on screen weren't the only ones getting help from the bottle and the drugs, but again it is based on true-life events. The only scene I can say I enjoyed was the one where they were driving the vandalised car using the back seat and his friend to reach the pedals. I was very disappointed as having read the blurb and seeing that the film was based on the life of a writer, I thought I would enjoy it.
We watched 2012 on our new blu-ray player (yes, that's right, we finally decided to join the 21st century) and I really did notice the difference. 2012 is probably the perfect film for watching a blu-ray for the first time. The effects on-screen of the earthquakes, tsunami-ravaged cities and lava flows were spectacular and who cares if the storyline was unbelievable - the whole world was being destroyed, yet the has-been writer, a russian mobsters' sons and a small dog manage to survive! It felt like the longest film I have watched in a while, but it was a rollercoaster of action. I recommend.
We watched The Vow, The Rum Diary and 2012 on DVD and I thought I would share with you a potted review of each:
The Vow is a story based on true events about a happily-married couple who are involved in a car crash, resulting in the wife suffering a head trauma. She forgets the previous few years, including meeting and marrying her husband. Needless to say, it is a tearjerker and you really feel for the husband and begin to loather her family and ex-fiance for interferring and helping ruin her happy relationship. I think it can safely be said that this film is firmly in the 'girlie' category, but not just for adults as my daughter and her friends saw it at the cinema and loved it.
The Rum Diary is a different prospect entirely. I would say it is a man's movie and this even though Johnny Depp is the main character! The storyline is so disjointed that I think the characters on screen weren't the only ones getting help from the bottle and the drugs, but again it is based on true-life events. The only scene I can say I enjoyed was the one where they were driving the vandalised car using the back seat and his friend to reach the pedals. I was very disappointed as having read the blurb and seeing that the film was based on the life of a writer, I thought I would enjoy it.
We watched 2012 on our new blu-ray player (yes, that's right, we finally decided to join the 21st century) and I really did notice the difference. 2012 is probably the perfect film for watching a blu-ray for the first time. The effects on-screen of the earthquakes, tsunami-ravaged cities and lava flows were spectacular and who cares if the storyline was unbelievable - the whole world was being destroyed, yet the has-been writer, a russian mobsters' sons and a small dog manage to survive! It felt like the longest film I have watched in a while, but it was a rollercoaster of action. I recommend.
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Beck Stanza Stone
Yesterday we decided to go for a lovely family walk at Ilkley Moor to find the Beck Stanza Stone. We followed the map and found the stream easily enough, but the map only really gets you to the bridge over the stream and the Stanza Stone is further upstream and there is no actual path to it. Once we had split up (there were four of us) and searched up and downstream by clambering over unsteady terrain, my husband managed to locate it. It is indeed very evocative and perfectly placed in a turn of the beck. The water flows around it, gently emphasising the imagery of the poem and foam builds up behind it, lending it a magical quality. It was perfect weather for the walk as it wasn't too hot, too cold or rainy and my children really enjoyed the challenge of having to find it. We have decided that the next occasion that we have free time and kind weather, we will work our way through finding all the rest of them. We are so incredibly lucky to have such natural beauty within driving distance and I hope that the Stanza Stones will be there to find for many generations to come.
In order to help my followers find the Stone, I am posting some pictures of the journey:
Download a free Stanza Stone Poetry Trail Guide at www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk and visit the six Stanza Stones for yourself
In order to help my followers find the Stone, I am posting some pictures of the journey:
Download a free Stanza Stone Poetry Trail Guide at www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk and visit the six Stanza Stones for yourself
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Woman in Black
The kids were out overnight at a birthday sleepover, so we decided to hire some DVDs from Blockbuster last night. After watching The Voice we decided to start with The Woman in Black. Daniel Radcliffe was excellent throughout (at no point did I get shades of HP) and I think it can safely be said that the film was carried on his character alone. It was a fine example of an old-school thriller and I was unsurprised to see that, as it was a Hammer film, it reminded me of my childhood watching Hammer House of Horror at my Grandparents house on a Saturday night. All the usual stuff was there - the scary music, the shadowy scenery and the build up of knowing something was going to pop-up but not being sure when, so that when it does you JUMP. I was suitably scared of the ominous presence of the woman in black, but the various murdered children were the ones that really had me hiding behind the pillow. I had guessed the ending, but I loved that it left you wondering whether the woman in black had done it to carry on being vengeful or to give Mr Tipps back his family, like he had given her hers. Ten out of ten.......roll on The Rum Diary and The Vow (we've also hired MI: Ghost Protocol, but as you have seen from my previous blog, I have already seen it).
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