Writing wise... VERY bad!! Didn't get my short story done.
On the positive side, I sent off TLD to a couple more agents.
And started my photography course with Pinky in Wednesday night. We were up at 6.30 am today to get to Glendalough for a field trip. Not only did we spend four hours there, I spend the rest of the day going through my shots editing and deciding which to submit to the tutor. Only just finished now.
Almost finished my SECOND book for the year (reading, not writing). I read the Colour of Light by William Goldman - an interesting, quite compelling read with a brilliantly drawn (though not very likable) hero who had everything he ever dreamed of landed on his plate, yet did nothing with it. Almost finished The Chins of America your.
To Vickythistles64: Will be starting on the next Lucky Diamond story soon - have thought out new beginning chapters!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
YIPPEE! I'VE EARNED...30 CENTS ON HELIUM
I really don't understand how it works (and not sure I want to spend any time finding out)!
I have 8 articles published - one is no. 36/41, and strangely enough has earned me 21 cent! I think it used to be higher in the ratings.
My best one is no. 3/250 (earned 3 cent and it's been no 3 for a while).
I also have 32/173, 10/13 (Poor St. Albert!), 4/68, 7/90, 18/119 and 3/4.
None are worth reading (so don't bother) but I have found it quite a useful practice for writing articles, trying to formulate thoughts in a rational structured way. But so time-consuming, as are the necessary ratings.
I think I really will have to give it up!
I have 8 articles published - one is no. 36/41, and strangely enough has earned me 21 cent! I think it used to be higher in the ratings.
My best one is no. 3/250 (earned 3 cent and it's been no 3 for a while).
I also have 32/173, 10/13 (Poor St. Albert!), 4/68, 7/90, 18/119 and 3/4.
None are worth reading (so don't bother) but I have found it quite a useful practice for writing articles, trying to formulate thoughts in a rational structured way. But so time-consuming, as are the necessary ratings.
I think I really will have to give it up!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
TOFFEE ATTACK
Yesterday morning I was reading my book over breakfast - Bruce Campbell's biography (he starred in and was one of the people behind Evil Dead films).
Anyway, Toffee was outside, and had been for some time. Usually I hear her name tag rattle as she comes back. Failing that, she scratches at the window.
Yesterday, however, while I was deep in Evil Dead world, she launched herself against the window - just like a monster attack!!
Gave me a fright!
Anyway, Toffee was outside, and had been for some time. Usually I hear her name tag rattle as she comes back. Failing that, she scratches at the window.
Yesterday, however, while I was deep in Evil Dead world, she launched herself against the window - just like a monster attack!!
Gave me a fright!
Monday, January 21, 2008
TOFFEE "THE CLAW"
Toffee was outside this morning and when she came up to the window, asking to be let in, I saw she had what looked like a clump of feathers in her mouth. I told her to drop them, which she did (eventually) but somehow she managed to hide something else from me when she came in.
When she dropped it onto her mat, I could see that it was - a claw!! All white and skeletal and yukky! Quite large too, I presume a cat dropped the claw in the garden, but it was horrible to see.
Ruined my breakfast!
When she dropped it onto her mat, I could see that it was - a claw!! All white and skeletal and yukky! Quite large too, I presume a cat dropped the claw in the garden, but it was horrible to see.
Ruined my breakfast!
REVIEW OF LAST WEEK
Pretty awful. Wasted too much time on the Amazon competition, waiting to see what had happened.
On the good side, I submitted Assignment 4 & lined up my two next agents. Ran out of good paper and couldn't get any in either of two Tescos (where I got it last time) or even in Easons! Very annoying! Finished my second short story, pretty awful - on to something new this week!
It can only be better than last week!
On the good side, I submitted Assignment 4 & lined up my two next agents. Ran out of good paper and couldn't get any in either of two Tescos (where I got it last time) or even in Easons! Very annoying! Finished my second short story, pretty awful - on to something new this week!
It can only be better than last week!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
DIDN'T MAKE IT EITHER
The waiting finally ended - and I didn't make it into the top 835 semi-finalists of the Amazon competition.
It's disappointing cos every semi-finalist gets a full review from Publishers Weekly, which is what I would have loved to have got. On the other hand, I can get back to real work now.
I am shocked that Inkpot didn't make it though. Her excerpt is brialliantly written and very exciting. It was always going to be pot luck with Amazon reviewers rating them - if it's not your type of reading, it must make it more difficult to judge.
Anyway, back to reality now.
It's disappointing cos every semi-finalist gets a full review from Publishers Weekly, which is what I would have loved to have got. On the other hand, I can get back to real work now.
I am shocked that Inkpot didn't make it though. Her excerpt is brialliantly written and very exciting. It was always going to be pot luck with Amazon reviewers rating them - if it's not your type of reading, it must make it more difficult to judge.
Anyway, back to reality now.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
HELIUM
Well, to support and vote for Inkpot's fantasy story, I signed onto Helium yesterday to vote.
Of course, you need an account to rate the articles and stories. No problem - I had signed up before but never used it. So I requested a new password (naturally I had forgotten the original one).
Next problem - have to submit articles before rating others.
So I submitted one I had written before on St Albert the Great and was thrown immediately into ranking. Unfortunately I was only getting articles in the religion & spirituality category. It seems I need to write in a specific category to rate others in that category. So now I need to throw together a fantasy short (min 300 words) just to get me in, and hopefully see Inkpot's tale!
In the meantime, of course, I had to join in a couple of other debates. So my St Albert article is now ranked 9 of 12 (sob! didn't do well! But then the other articles all seem to be generally on patron saints, not an individual one).
Should a global climate agreement hold the US to a higher environmental standard than the rest of the world? I am current no 1 in this discussion (okay, 1 of 3!)
And for Should a woman have the right to choose abortion? I am 17 out of 237.
I could get caught up in this and spend all day in Helium!!!
Of course, you need an account to rate the articles and stories. No problem - I had signed up before but never used it. So I requested a new password (naturally I had forgotten the original one).
Next problem - have to submit articles before rating others.
So I submitted one I had written before on St Albert the Great and was thrown immediately into ranking. Unfortunately I was only getting articles in the religion & spirituality category. It seems I need to write in a specific category to rate others in that category. So now I need to throw together a fantasy short (min 300 words) just to get me in, and hopefully see Inkpot's tale!
In the meantime, of course, I had to join in a couple of other debates. So my St Albert article is now ranked 9 of 12 (sob! didn't do well! But then the other articles all seem to be generally on patron saints, not an individual one).
Should a global climate agreement hold the US to a higher environmental standard than the rest of the world? I am current no 1 in this discussion (okay, 1 of 3!)
And for Should a woman have the right to choose abortion? I am 17 out of 237.
I could get caught up in this and spend all day in Helium!!!
Monday, January 14, 2008
REVIEW OF LAST WEEK
For some reason, I'm counting it as week one!
Overall, not too bad though not as good as I had hoped.
Finished one short story though didn't quite get the other one done.
Finished one book.
Did necessary research.
Did most of assignment 4.
Thought about my next book (The Mungo way)
Overall, not too bad though not as good as I had hoped.
Finished one short story though didn't quite get the other one done.
Finished one book.
Did necessary research.
Did most of assignment 4.
Thought about my next book (The Mungo way)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
A DAY OF RESEARCH
Not much writing done today. However, I did some of that magazine research I have been putting off for months. I spent over an hour in Easons, scribbling furiously as I went through some of the weekly magazines for women, looking for those that either paid for letters, photos or tips, or published fiction. I only got through 13 magazines during that time - it would have been great to have had someone with me or even a tape recorder! I'm amazed Easons didn't throw me out - they were very busy most of that time, with long queues at the till.
It's incredible how the magazine market has expanded along with the Celtic tiger. You can get a magazine on almost any subject now! They even had one for "Your Child's First Communion". I flicked through that and the article which I think was meant to be "religious" was pretty bad - most of it was about a Rabbi praying in a wood. Written by the head of the Catechists or something like that.
Anyway, time to get back to my short story!
It's incredible how the magazine market has expanded along with the Celtic tiger. You can get a magazine on almost any subject now! They even had one for "Your Child's First Communion". I flicked through that and the article which I think was meant to be "religious" was pretty bad - most of it was about a Rabbi praying in a wood. Written by the head of the Catechists or something like that.
Anyway, time to get back to my short story!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
JANUARY HAS STARTED WELL (ish)
My writing has not yet got into a good steady flow - too many distractions, I'm afraid, that I shall have to get very tough on!
I finished my first short story of the year. It's not for submission anywhere, or for any one else's eyes as I was experimenting with the first person POV and hadn't really decided on where my story was going. But I got it finished, 3880 words.
I'm only a little behind on my one story a week - if I can get my next finished by Sunday (an old one I started before but have dragged out to re-write once more), I'll be back on target.
I finished my first short story of the year. It's not for submission anywhere, or for any one else's eyes as I was experimenting with the first person POV and hadn't really decided on where my story was going. But I got it finished, 3880 words.
I'm only a little behind on my one story a week - if I can get my next finished by Sunday (an old one I started before but have dragged out to re-write once more), I'll be back on target.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
REAL INTENTIONS
For January anyway:
Write 1 short story a week - hopefully one of these this month will be submit-able!
Complete at least two assignments for WB - this is even harder!
Other than that, I have another Lucky Diamond to write, Queen Rose to edit, etc
Oh yes, have to get a (paying) job too! :(
Write 1 short story a week - hopefully one of these this month will be submit-able!
Complete at least two assignments for WB - this is even harder!
Other than that, I have another Lucky Diamond to write, Queen Rose to edit, etc
Oh yes, have to get a (paying) job too! :(
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
INTENTIONS FOR THE YEAR
To live up to my fellow Nodpots by being very disresponsible...
I intend to post most days, even just brief comments on the weather, if nothing else comes to mind.
One thing I know from the past year or two - blogging takes up a lot of time!
I intend to post most days, even just brief comments on the weather, if nothing else comes to mind.
One thing I know from the past year or two - blogging takes up a lot of time!
THANKS TO ALL NODPOTS
This is a wonderful day for me - the highlight of 2008 (it was after 12pm when I found out that I had won Disresponsible Nodpot of the Year for 2007).
What could top this award? Hopefully I will have some publishing success this year, but winning DNOTY 2007, especially in the face of such tough opposition from Mungo and Inkpot, cannot be beaten!
Thank you to all the Nodpots, especially those that voted for me!
What could top this award? Hopefully I will have some publishing success this year, but winning DNOTY 2007, especially in the face of such tough opposition from Mungo and Inkpot, cannot be beaten!
Thank you to all the Nodpots, especially those that voted for me!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
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