| Publishing fail |
[May. 15th, 2012|11:21 am] |
Some of you may have considered subbing work to Undead Press. This article should change your mind.
Thanks to Nadia for the link..
|
|
|
| Slugs, snails, and puppy dogs' tails |
[May. 14th, 2012|06:05 pm] |
Last week my creepy-crawly-mad three-year-old nephew came home from school and said to my sister, "Mummy, I've got a worm in my pocket." And sure enough he had. Poor little earthworm, all squashed up and dry. A few days later, after promising he wouldn't pick up any more worms, he came home with a bulging pocket.
"Jack, what have you got in there?"
Jack, sheepishly: "A slug and two worms."
They were practically welded to the fabric of his pocket.
Ew!
I'm glad I had a girl and not a boy. Sugar, spice and all things nice. |
|
|
| Overrated |
[May. 8th, 2012|05:08 pm] |
My little pup goes mad for Winalot Shapes, so today I tried one. Can't see why she makes all the fuss to be honest. They taste like unsalted, unsweetened cardboard.
So there you go. A public service announcement. I did it so you wouldn't have to. |
|
|
| Scotland |
[Apr. 30th, 2012|09:09 am] |
The family Stone are home after a few days in sunny Scotland, and for once, the 'sunny' is not sarcastic. It really was blue skies and sunshine all the way, while the good people we left behind in Stoke were lashed by rain and gales (tee, and indeed hee!). Jill and Heather loved the holiday and can't wait to go back. Me, I struggled with the unfamiliar surroundings and was reminded at every turn that my eyesight has worsened considerably over the past two or three years. Also, I'm not very good at socialising and there were many instances when I wanted to just shut myself away from all the people around me. That said, the last few days have left me with many fond memories, none fonder than that of simply sitting in the front room of the Inversnaid Hotel where we stayed, playing dominoes and watching the night draw in over Loch Lomond.
We caught a boat several mornings to the other other side of the loch. To soothe the nerves of passengers, the captain played music such as.Celine Dion's 'My heart Will Go On' and the theme music from Jaws. Judging by the giggles around me it worked. :)
|
|
|
| It shouldn't work |
[Apr. 3rd, 2012|12:16 am] |
The deep-fried Mars Bar...
Take one sickly, caramel-y, nougat-y chocolate bar, slather it in batter and fry it. They originated in Scotland, where they even fry pizzas, but they've spread south so that now our local chip shop does 'em. I dared Heather to try one. She said she would if I would. So we did and...dear Lord, they are nice. They have no right to be, but they are a taste sensation. Not that I'll make a habit of 'em. I could feel my arteries clogging as I munched. |
|
|
| New addition |
[Apr. 1st, 2012|11:23 pm] |
Last Tuesday the family Stone grew to include this gorgeous little creature...
Pippa is a four-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel and needless to say Jill, Heather and myself are entranced by her. |
|
|
| End of an era |
[Dec. 18th, 2011|03:29 pm] |
This morning they demolished ny old High School.
(I didn't shoot this vid, btw.)
Amazing how a six-story building that has loomed large in my life and memories was practically obliterated in the blink of an eye.
What was also nice was that the dingy fields and woodlands I used to traipse across to get there are now a nature reserve, with proper footpaths, young trees and picnic benches. In my day it was populated by surly teenagers carrying air rifles and riding stolen motorbikes.
And today they removed the final blot from the landscape. Inside I cheered.
|
|
|
| :D |
[Dec. 9th, 2011|03:15 pm] |
|
I just got a £228 refund for overpaid taxes. That (almost) pays for the boiler repair. Happy Christmas! |
|
|
| Toast |
[Dec. 9th, 2011|10:12 am] |
We have heating and hot water again. It took four visits by the heating engineer (the stores supplied him with the wrong parts) but we got there in the end.
I've done all my daily chores first thing this morning instead of leaving them all till the last minute, i.e. five minutes before Jill gets in from work, and so now the day is mine. I've even remembered to turn the slow cooker on, something I always forget to do. Tea will be on time this evening! Good, eh? Sometimes I even amaze myself.
Now to get some writing done. I've told myself I have to get at least one scene done before I'm allowed to launch any games or pick up my current read. This is a challenge I am doomed to fail, but at least I'm trying. |
|
|
| Melodrama |
[Dec. 8th, 2011|10:14 am] |
I realised something while working on Ch. 29 of the WIP yesterday, and that is: I don't do melodrama. I've put my main character through the mill from the get-go and she's overdue a meltdown. But her turmoil is not something I can really relate to (thankfully) and every time she begins to crumble I pull her back from the brink.
It's because I'm an Englishman. My upper lip is stiff. I keep myself to myself and if something upsets me I try my best to not let it show. I become uncomfortable in the company of effusive people. Even in fiction, whether it's a book or a movie, characters that are showy, childish or over-emotional irritate the hell out of me. So I'm afraid my poor main character will have to just get a grip. I might let her shed a tear or two and, if I'm feeling generous, I'll let her complain that life is being a bit unfair of late, what with all the death and mayhem surrounding her. But if she's going to carry a book, and not just any book but my book, she needs to be strong. Someone I can admire and respect.
You go, girl!
Or, y'know, it could simply be that I'm crap at writing emotional scenes. |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.6){kind=small}
mylefteye's journal