New Year coming

It is the post Christmas season now. I hope you all had a wonderful time over Christmas. You are no doubt gearing up for the New Year.

Any resolutions? I have two which I will keep close to my chest for now.

I received a beautiful e-card for New Year all the way from Hong Kong today from my dear friend, Lisa, someone I have known since university! I really wanted to share it with all of you, but I've had great difficulty doing this. Please click on the picture below!

I was touched that someone so far away would think of me. She and my friend Urs who sent me a beautiful Maori talisman all the way from New Zealand are such lovely friends. I hope that all and any of you who read this have a joy filled new year.

I have a busy day of tidying planned today. I hope to organise my files which are in complete disarray but my new Simon Webbe album will keep me happy while I work.

Christmas cheer?

Okay, it's nearly Christmas and that means a ho ho ho and a merry old time. Well that's what the television and advertisers would have us believe, isn't it? Unfortunately, the older I get the less this rings true for me.

I support the Barnardos charity and every year at Christmas and throughout the year I get news of where my donations go. It's at these times when people go crazy spending money wildly and frivolously that I realise not just how lucky I am but how unfair a place the world is. Near or far, there are hundreds in need. You just have to walk down a street in London to see a homeless person and with the cost of living as it is in the UK I'm sure there are many people struggling to make ends meet who are unable to buy Christmas presents. Then there are the wars and economic inequalities in the world, the diseases and deaths. All this Christmas cheer just isn't for me. Perhaps if I had children I'd feel differently.

In any case, here's my take on Christmas. Sorry if it doesn't sit well with yours:

Christmas Cheer
It’s Christmas time, that time again
Mulled wine, mince pies and bearded men
Christmas lights that sparkle and glow
Cold dark mornings threatening snow

Long bank statements gleaming red
Consumerist fat cats being fed
Christmas bunting and baubled trees
Children’s lips uttering please

When in a distant land there lies
A child who for his mother cries
And for his father and his home
Who finds himself now all alone

A cynic’s view of Christmas time
Knows that there is no reason or rhyme
To where and how and why we’re here
Or for what we raise a Christmas cheer

For all the people far and near
Perhaps it’s hope that makes us cheer
Or is it selfishness alone
That makes us snuggle up at home?

Copyright 2006 N. Ensaff

I hope you all have a restful Christmas. See you in the new year, if not before!

Sweet Sunday

I CANNOT remember the last time I had a relaxing, completely unaware of time, lazy, restful, stay in bed and take your time doing shopping Sunday! But today is ONE OF THOSE DAYS!!

I am loving it. I am currently sitting in my pink dressing gown contemplating what to cook- yes cook, I still remember how to do that- just about- for dinner, and wondering what yummy ingredients I can purchase from the shop. I also intend to take at least two hours to stroll around the supermarket rather than the mad twenty minute dash akin to Supermarket Sweep I normally have to adopt.

If you are wondering why I am using strange FONT and colours you need to look at Anita Loughrey's blog and follow the link from there....

I'm going to experiment a bit with food today, in the same way that I'm having fun with my letters. After all cooking and writing are both CREATIVE EXPERIENCES, are they not?!

How to handle rejection?!

Candy Gourlay - a fellow writer whom I met at the SCBWI retreat back in June posted an excellent movie about rejection. It's hysterical and laugh out loud funny. I'm sure it rings true for lots of you out there. It certainly did for me! However I have another idea. I love this mug which I think would get across the message to anyone wanting to annoy us writers!!

No rest for the wicked

It is Sunday today, but you wouldn't have thought it, given the fact that I have spent most of my weekend working. But.... fanfare please ...

The 80 scripts are marked, the 80 reports are done and 95% of the 38 Hodder spreads are complete.

The school newsletter is also finalised and will be going to print tomorrow. I have also received the proofs of my sections from the KS3 English Year 7 pack which I wrote for Philip Allan Updates and I need to read through those.

Guess it's a case of no rest for the wicked.

A funny old day

Well, today has been a funny one. I misplaced my keys and spent a good part of the morning trying to find them, was delayed from coming into work as a result and am still at work now- 6.35 p.m - and I work in a school!

I think I may be doing too much, hence my forgetfulness! So I figured, stay late- get the reports done. And I am getting quite a lot done, but I still have to look over two classes' exam papers and write a bit more on the Hodder spreads. It'll be worth it in the end I tell myself.

I spoke to the literary agency that is looking at my manuscript of One of a Kind and I was informed that I should hear from them by Xmas. Oh well, that's only another twenty six days, after the one hundred and twenty six days they've already had it! Guess they're busy. I'm trying to think this is a positive sign, not that I am unimportant or anything like that. In any case, I'm busy and I guess the time will fly between now and Christmas. Speaking of which I've done NO Christmas shopping. How about you?

Shaken or stirred? Do I look like I give a damn?

No prizes for guessing the inspiration behind my post's title.

It is Tuesday and, spurred on by one or two people, I am here yet again .... Apparently my blog needs to be updated so let me update. Let's see what's new:

I am buried under paperwork. I have to produce the school newsletter soon and oh there's that small matter of a series of books that I need to complete.

Would you believe that with all of this on, I have actually been to the cinema to see Casino Royale? It was really quite good. Do I sound surprised? Well, with good reason. I'm not a big James Bond fan; in fact I am a hardened Jame's Bond foe, but this film was good- much more realistic than others I thought and well worth a viewing. I know this is what all the reviews have said and I have to agree. Go, if you get a chance!

You know what my favourite line is. I wonder what yours will be.

Amazon listing Challenge Series

Okay, some good news.... the WHSmith Challenge English Series which Steve Eddy and I are writing are now showing on Amazon. I've linked them on my sidebar for all you interested viewers.

They're not out till May 2007, but amazingly they're up on Amazon. Not sure when the other Hodder series which I co-wrote with three other writers will appear on Amazon but when it does I shall definitely let you know. I'm not sure how Amazon listing works, to be honest, as the other series are due to be published earlier than this Challenge one but don't seem to be anywhere as far as I know. Maybe it's linked to audiences. The other one is aimed at teachers, whilst this series is for the general public. Perhaps someone can explain the whole process to me one day.

Still, I'm not complaining... just sharing the good news!

Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem. Seize the moment! That's how I feel today.

I tried to find a poem about this very subject - it is a popular topic in poems but the ones I know of all have the same agenda .... a man wanting to have his wicked way with a woman, but that's not what I was looking for.

I was really hoping to find something that expressed the idea that we only live once, and then I came across this. I've not heard of the poet and the rhyme is a bit twee but the sentiment is just the ticket. Enjoy!

Be Mindful of the Moment

by Neil Harding McAlister

The here and now is all we hold through times of joy and sorrow.
We may watch fulsome years unfold -- or may not see tomorrow.
Be mindful of the moment. Pay attention to each one.
The past has fled beyond our grasp, the future’s yet to come.

There is no way to measure what ensuing days might bring,
So seize the utmost pleasure found in every daily thing.
The road of life is far too short: no need to travel fast.
Investigate the wonders that lie strewn along the path.

The tender leaves on springtime trees, rough pebbles on the ground,
The snowflakes drifting on the breeze that fall without a sound,
Are all unique and precious, if we take the time to see.
No two have been identical in all eternity.

Is this not true of people too? Be mindful, then, of each.
Both strangers and those close to you have useful things to teach.
The two of us part richer if we pass the time of day,
And don’t just brush each other off, then hurry on our way.

Preoccupied by urgent schemes of business, love or power,
By gambling on our future dreams, we lose the present hour.
A life is forged of moments linked together like a chain.
Live each in full -- for down this road we shall not pass again.

Burning the candle at both ends

(Photos by P. Van-Santen)

I'm very tired today. Burning the candle at both ends! I had my journalism club after school: a group of students who are helping to write reports for the end of term newsletter which I oversee. Two new additions joined us today which is great. Any help is gratefully appreciated this side of half term, believe me.

As promised I'm posting pictures from the glorious light and music show I went to at Turnovo in Bulgaria. The music was a dramatic rendition of a story which was told in Bulgarian and because of my limited Bulgarian- i.e none- I couldn't understand it but it was basically a story about the fight for independence (I think) and a love story. I think it may be this Bulgarian Opera.Any Bulgarians or knowledgeable others out there please correct me if I am wrong.

I'm pressing ahead with my Hodder writing and am well on the way to finishing the Year 8 spreads I'm doing, so I think I've earned a break. I'm about to relax for the evening. Hope you are too!

Bonfire Night

It is Saturday and I return to work on Monday.

Well, fond as I am of paperwork, I have naturally left all of it until the last minute. Grrr.

My trip to Bulgaria and this writing project have kept me away from what I would otherwise have LOVED to have done! Not.

So... tomorrow I will be buried under papers.

A couple of days ago I met up with a friend, Sarah, who I'd not seen in ages and we caught up on news.

She's off to Asia and Australasia in a few months to do a bit of adventurous travelling, so it was good to see her before she flies off. We went to a great pub for a nibble and drink. It's in Covent Garden and it's called Lowlanders. It's worth a visit.

Just to get back to my blog about Bulgaria, I've received a couple of pictures of the light show from our host, Patrick, so when I next blog I'll upload them and try to recount the story linked to the show.

As for tonight, it's Bonfire Night and traditionally I've gone to a firework display locally but just for a change, I'm off to see Communicating Doors a play by Alan Ayckbourn, at a local theatre. It's supposed to be a comedy so here's hoping I laugh once or twice.

Update:
I have completed my sections for the Year 7 Hodder book

The beauty of Bulgaria

Well, I have returned from the country that in advertising lingo is called Europe's best kept secret. It really was beautiful and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I really enjoyed my visit and was lucky enough to be shown around by people in the know. The food was cheap and tasty and the views and nature were spectacular. When we stayed in Turnovo, we went to a really impressive light and music show projected onto the mountains which my tiny camera failed to capture but I will endeavour to get some photos from our host out there and upload them separately when I have time, along with the historical story that the show related to. It really was a worthwhile visit and I have no reservations in recommending Bulgaria to anyone. Visit it if you can!

Bulgaria beckons

I'm going to Bulgaria for a few days so I shall fill you all in on the expedition when I return. I may even take a few photos! Nothing like the cold to get you in the mood for an Eastern European climate?!!

Wet weather work

Well, I'm on half term now! I have a lot of writing to do related to the three books I'm co-writing, but I also hope to catch up with a couple of friends over the break.

Earlier in the week I met with my co-writer, Steve, again, this time with the commissioning editor from Hodder, Ged. We met in Reading to talk through final decisions regarding the format and structure of the books and today I completed a spread and finalised the preliminary plan for the contents of all three books. Tomorrow I'm aiming to get at least two spreads done and finalise the plan. I'm hoping to do at least two spreads a day. I may get more done.... time will tell.

It's been really dark and wet today which certainly helps when you have to stay indoors writing! Mornings and evenings are darkening and days are getting shorter now, so I suppose there's no escaping the fact we are in winter; with that comes its own mood, doesn't it? I'm fascinated by the effect of weather on people. As someone who works in education I'm really aware of how wild kids can get on a windy day, but then some people suffer from SAD don't they? If I had my way I'd likely live in a country that was sunny all year round.

Sunny but not too hot. Fussy, aren't I?

An excerpt: The View From My Window

Hello everyone
I know I have been neglectful of my blog, but I thought I'd share some of my writing so that you can see what I've been working on. This is an excerpt from The View From My Window, taken from Chapter 7. It might be difficult to pick up mid flow but you'll hopefully gain an impression of the main voice in the novel. (By the way - despite being written in the first person this is in no way autobiographical!)

On that Saturday, my motorbike sped like a crusade across town. I weaved between cars and mopeds in hot pursuit of Jake in his swanky car. I was an avenging angel seeking the path to resurrection, so my breaking the speed limit was permitted, as far as I was concerned, for believe me, resurrection does not come easy. It was no simple task following Jake undetected. I had to make certain that he did not see me; whilst my head was masked behind a helmet, I feared he might recognise the bike. Of course, I kept at a distance from him and made certain not to draw unwanted attention to myself, but even so my heart beat like venom against my chest and I could feel my face breaking into a cool sweat beneath the visor. It got so that I could hardly breathe under that weighty mask and my head felt heavy and dizzy.

I don’t know whether it was the blood surging to my heart or that blistering heat but I damn near fainted at one stage. I swear I felt my heart stop for an instant and in that moment I saw Hell’s flames stretch out to grab me. It was the burning eyes of my Ma and my Pa’s call that roused me from my momentary stupor so that I came to just as Jake was drawing to a stand still.

Copyright N. Ensaff 2006

J.K.Rowling, Steve Eddy and Jude Ensaff

Yesterday I met up with Steve Eddy, the fellow writer with whom I will be co-authoring the books for Hodder, in a pub near to where I work, and we decided on who would do what for the three books and more or less how. It was a fruitful and interesting meeting. In conversation with him, I discovered that he had taught at the Wyedean School in Sedbury, Gloucestershire - a fact I had been unaware of until then. Unimportant you may think but let me fill you in on some details. Wyedean School was the very first school I taught in when I qualified, and those ardent Harry Potter fans amongst you will know it is the school that J.K Rowling who wrote the Harry Potter series attended! I was there well after she attended it, but would you believe that Steve taught J.K Rowling English and was her form tutor when she was in Year 7. Now I think that's amazing and forgive my little bit of indulgence but I see it as a sign of things to come! ;-)

Raining cats and dogs and three educational books

Has it been raining where you are? Well, it's been raining cats and dogs here. Incidentally that phrase (some people at least claim) originates in the following way:

In 17th Century England, during heavy downpours of rain, many of these poor animals unfortunately drowned and their bodies would be seen floating in the rain torrents that raced through the streets. The situation gave the appearance that it had literally rained "cats and dogs" and led to the current expression.

I'm sure there are other theories as to origin- there always are, but I've gone for this one. If you've ever visited Stratford upon Avon, you'll know how popular origins of sayings are amongst the the guides at Shakespeare's houses who can furnish you with quite a few.

I went to London today in the downpour which was a bit of a break.

I've also had confirmation of a new educational writing project which I'll be co-authoring for Hodder. Three books in all. The deadlines are pretty tight so forgive me if I'm absent for a while. No news on the agent front as yet .... no news is good news, I guess.

The phantom blogger

I have been very remiss in terms of my blogging of late and I'm afraid this picture is likely to continue. I blame it on being ridiculously busy - caught up in heaps of stuff, so I apologise for not being a frequent blogger or visitor to your blogs recently! I received my final advance copies of the York notes today and have signed them ready to post off to a few lucky people?! Besides that, I'm working on another educational resource and am determined to squeeze in one or two chapters of The View From My Window this weekend. If I manage to get that done I'll hopefully catch Little Miss Sunshine at the cinema.

Windsor Walk

Well, here I am , as promised.

It's been two weeks of rushing about and I am so glad it's the weekend. Today, I'm going on a walk I did a few years ago with some friends to Windsor. The weather's lovely and I thought it'd be an enjoyable outing, so once I've done a few things round the house I'm off on my trek. It runs from around Runnymede to Windsor and you enter the town right next to the castle.

At present, I'm contemplating attending a writers' day at Winchester. I'm still to hear from the agent regarding One of a Kind but on the educational writing front, two new resources have been accepted by Classroom Resources and I'm hoping to receive my contract soon and the Hodder resources are complete and in production.

A break

Hello all. I've started my new job and it'll take me a while to get myself sorted there... and I have a number of projects on the go, so whilst I intend to continue my blog, I won't be blogging as often. I'm going to take a break from it and focus on my writing and work but I will be back on 17th September if not before. Happy writing all of you and do please come back for more, as will I!

Carnival Mood

Hello folks, it's late so I shall not tarry. I just wanted to share my photos of the Nottinghill Carinval which was really fantastic. Here is a fantastic display from it.

Technology

You'll be glad to hear that I finally figured out how to upload photos on to my computer! Several centuries later than everyone else! So... here are a couple of photos of where I went today- a place in Surrey where the Thames runs past, and boats were aplenty today. Tomorrow I'm hoping to get a few hours of the Nottinghill Carnival in. I expect it to be spectacular given the gorgeous costumes the performers wear. Then on Tuesday I've got an induction for my new job. I have some editing to complete on a couple of educational resources I've done and I'm still working on The View From My Window, so the writing's still happening...slowly...and I sent off my entry to the lonely moon contest. Some of the entries are fantastic. Really excellent writing. Mine is entry #54 called The First Day. Have a read if you fancy it, and while you're there, why not support the other writers? The site's worth a visit, in any case.

Sex it up!

My recent work on my current novel The View From My Window has tested me. In my last novel One of a Kind I had a lot of emotional intensity which, as a female of the species, I could handle. Sorry to draw on stereotypes!! At present, I am writing from the perspective of a male and a fairly unusual one too, so it's been a challenge, to say the least.

I'm strangely enjoying this creative and re-creative process and rather worryingly I love getting in role with the character, reading sections aloud to myself and generally playing the part of someone different from myself.

When I went on the SCBWI retreat Debi Gliori suggested that each character that a writer creates is part of the writer his/ her self- that a sometimes deep and undiscovered facet of the writer comes through in his/ her characters. I find this interesting and I wondered whether this is always the case or whether we can adopt characters. The reason I ask this is because:
a- I am not male
b- I am not fairly unusual
(I don't think?!)
So... what are your thoughts on this one? What's your experience? Are your characters similar to or part of you?

Whilst I'm here, can I direct you to Candy Gourlay's interesting post on the internet and young adult fiction. She's also started up a blog about her YA novel Volcano Child. It sounds great.

My YA novel One of a Kind is still with the agent, so I wait to hear its reception, but for anyone who likes books by the likes of Beverley Naidoo or Elizabeth Laird or even Andrea Levy, if I dare to compare myself, you may like my issue and to some extent politically based teen novel.

Before, I go... have you entered the lonely moon contest? I'm working on an entry today and will submit once it's done! Very good luck to everyone :-)

Some Guys have all the luck!

Morning all. I read a hysterical story today- a news story about mistaken identity.

It really is laugh out loud funny. It's about someone called Guy Goma and I've provided a link for you to read about him and the amazing consequences of his mistaken identity. Really- visit it- it'll make you laugh. His face when he realises the error is a picture- I've posted it below. The link will take you to a page where you can watch a video, so do explore it!


All I can say is with the new film deal on the cards,some Guys have all the luck?!! And to think I'd never even seen this story till today. Where are all these gems kept?

Oh, writing wise- got another 1000 words done on my novel and check out Anne Frasier's site: she's judging the lonely moon short fiction contest which some of you may wish to enter. Rules and prizes are all explained for you there. Good luck!

Camden Town

Hello all. I've had a lovely day- spent a good part of it looking round Camden Market which, some of you may be surprised to hear, I'd never visited. It was fantastic: plenty to see and buy if the mood took you.

We had a coffee (Frappuccino for me of course) at Starbucks over-looking Camden Canal and watched as boats passed by and then we grabbed a yummy take away falafel shawarma from Maroush - just about the best place you could ever get for Lebanese food!

London definitely has a lot going for it. Traffic isn't one of them. I enjoyed visiting but I was glad to get home.

My last set of units for the Hodder resource went off today and I've confirmed that the Year 7 resource will be published in February. I also sent off two other resources to another publisher and my fiction will now get my full attention! About time too.

The return

Well, I'm back from Scotland, where I had a lovely time. The nephews were very entertaining and it was just nice to get away. My eyes have been opened to what boys aged seven, eight and three seem to like, I've been introduced to a world of movies I didn't even know existed and I've been tired out with walking and running.

I'd never heard of Bionicles before or Sonic or Spy Kids and now I have. I'd never seen a three year old dressed as spiderman and pretend to spray webbing on me; I'd never heard the word coo-ol used so often and I'd never heard such interesting explanations for freckles, but I'm glad to say now I have and I feel all the more enlightened for it.

Today, I received my first advance copy of my York Notes and others are due to arrive soon. It's great to see the actual book, itself and I can't wait to see copies in Waterstones.

Airport security was tighter on the way up to Scotland than down but even so I got through both ways without being body searched-must be my innocent looking face :-)

Now, back to the writing.

Flight

The weather is miserable today- making up for the past few weeks, no doubt. I'm about to go out for lunch, so this will have to be quick.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Scotland for a few days, visiting my brother and family- three excitable nephews! I'm travelling by plane which means I'm subject to these restrictions that are now in place! I had hoped to take some work on my laptop with me but I'm now re-assessing the situation as I'm limited in terms of what I can carry as hand luggage.

I'll post something on my return. Until then enjoy the weather?! and writing of course.

Publishing industry

Just a quick one today: Gill James - a fellow educational and fiction writer whom I met at the SCBWI retreat and who is a member of Wordpool posted a link to an interesting article in the Times about the publishing industry, which ties in quite well with the previous post on small presses. Here it is for you. Read it- it's worth it.

I'm busy writing today and dealing with a near miss- yesterday my boiler decided to stop lighting and, of its own accord, started to spew out neat gas, so, in the evening, a helpful man from TRANSCOM, who carried a a buzzing metal implement, stopped my gas as it was unsafe. I'm waiting for British Gas to turn up today and fix the boiler. Lucky for me it's the summer.

Less is more

Well, only one more unit left for the educational resource for Hodder. Then I can complete the other resource for Classroom Resources and move onto my fiction- at last!

Last week I made a decision which I'm hoping will improve my life. Sometimes the hardest bit is actually making the decision, rather than acting, don't you find?

I've returned to my previous efforts regarding fitness and yesterday and the day before I went to the gym. Today I'm hoping to go swimming.

On a completely unrelated matter, I have a question- if any of you have seen The Break Up or have any experience of people I want to ask you why people play silly games? I'm not a strategist. I'm just plain honest, but I've noticed that lots of people are so caught up in how they appear that they lose sight of the reality.

I actually find these sorts of people a turn off and I'm sure loads of people see right through them. People like to appear to be knowledgeable or give the impression that they're busy, when they're not. I'm not talking about genuinely busy people or genuinely knowledgeable people. I'm talking about people whose whole life centres around an impression of appearing to be this when they're not. However they are insistent on the pretence. Why? I find it strange. Is it an insecurity thing?

I've heard that empty barrels make the loudest noise.

In fact, Alexander Pope wrote:
Words are like leaves; and where they most abound,
Much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found.

There are some really great quotations here, related to the idea of simplicity in language, which sort of follow my thread.

If you're looking for precision, look at DBA Lehane's short short fiction site. It's really impressive and his is a good exercise to try. I may just have a go myself.

Okay I'll end- after all, less is more?!! :-)

Small Press

I've been looking into getting my first ever novel published- not One of a Kind which in actual fact is my second and is with the agent at the moment. My first is a children's novel for 8-12 year olds and is a much lighter story than One of a Kind which is a teen novel.

To this end, I've been investigating the small presses as they're much more receptive to new fiction writers and I've found a few sites which I thought I'd share with all of you.

The first is a site called Branching Out . It lists small presses here and some in the US.

The second is a link to The Small Press Centre which is, as far as I can see, an entirely American directory of small presses, but it lists them under genre headings which is really useful for all you Americans out there.

The last is Jacqui Bennett's list of small presses.

I'm going to spend part of today sifting through these and finding appropriate presses to whom I will submit this first novel. I may even consider submitting a collection of poetry at some stage. So that's my plan for today.

I still have three units for the educational resource due in September to write too, but I may indulge myself and focus on fiction today.

Purging

Today has been a purging day. I've been to the tip a.k.a the dump a.k.a the refuse place (for all you international people) with a whole load of boxes. Decluttering, I am convinced, is good for the soul but it's no good for writing- I've done none today. Zero, zilch, nada!

I could stay up late into the night writing or I could rest my weary bones after all the lugging I've done. I have a feeling I'll opt for the latter.

I bumped into a couple of friends I'd not seen in months at the tip- I have therefore deduced that the tip is the place to be on a Friday afternoon.

It's six p.m, I'm tired and there's no food in the house so I shall survive on some fruit, put my feet up and try to ignore my neighbour's loud music -which is thankfully quite tasteful. Writing can wait till tomorrow.

Growth

I'm slowly killing the orchid plant I was given as a leaving present from my last job. Not intentionally of course, but I just have this way with plants. They die on me. I told my line manager it would die and sadly my words are becoming truth.

The only plants I could ever get to survive were cacti but then they're used to harsh conditions aren't they? I had a little cactus on my window-sill as a child and it would go weeks without being watered and still it lived. Now, that's my kind of plant!

Saying that, I've been very good with the orchid plant - watered it once a week, but the flowers still turned brown and hung dry and limp like drooping lanterns, so in the end I removed them. The leaves look okay and I'm hoping the flowers will come back at some stage, but for now, the plant looks pretty bare.

I think some people are just better with plants than others. My mum was great with them and my one sister is too. I guess for them, it's a creative outlet. I'm just not a plant person. Writing, yes. Plants that rely on me to grow- no.

Let's just say, I'm glad my writing doesn't die on me the way plants do.

Time

Yesterday, after cooking some tacos, I heard from a friend I've not seen in a few years and it reminded me of former times which was both a happy and sad experience. We were in Uni together. She's going travelling for a bit and that brought to mind when I went to Australia and Thailand in the summer of 2002 and the events leading up to that, and, today, I found something out that was not unexpected but, all the same, a little bit sad for me.

Life's funny, isn't it? or as Forrest Gump put it 'Life's like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.' I remember going on a date to see that film and really not liking it, but I think it was the company. If you'd asked me eight years ago what I thought my life would have been like now I wouldn't have said what it is.

I guess, life throws all kinds of surprises at us and I, perhaps, more than most, have made choices that others wouldn't have done. Okay, I don't want to sound glum because I'm not. I just sometimes wonder what life would have been like if I'd made different choices, but I guess we all wonder these things from time to time, don't we?

Susan's comments to this post earlier put me in mind of a poem which really says it all. It's by Robert Frost and it's called The Road Not Taken. I've copied it here for you to see just what I mean.

The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference


Today I have some units for an educational resource to write and I'm reading Hide and Seek, a book I bought a while ago. So far, it's proving to be a good buy.

The Break-up

I've become addicted to Caramel Coffee Frappuccinos from Starbucks. They're really tasty. If you've not tried one, give yourself a treat.I've been living off them for the past few weeks.

Tonight, after having my fix of Frapuccino, I went to the cinema and ended up seeing The Break-up.

It was a spur of the moment thing and we had initially hoped to see The Lake House but that wasn't on, so we opted for The Break-up. It was okay. The on screen chemistry between Aniston and Vaughn wasn't great, at first, but they warmed up. There were some funny moments and quite a lot of realism, but overall I'd say okay.

On the other hand, yesterday, I saw a fantastic film on Sky called Dear Frankie.

It was heart warming and touching, but then I'm a big old softie. Highly recommended if you're into tear jerkers.

Wales

I'm in Wales at the moment visiting some family members, my two nieces and nephew amongst them who are adorable incidently. My one niece is a tiny three and is the cutest and funniest but then I am biased. She certainly makes up for her small stature with her personality and voice which is LOUD. Of course I am trying to spoil them as any aunt should and have already bought them gifts, and you'll be glad to hear I've got rid of those awful nails. I've also been conned into buying a manicure set to improve my existing nails and am generally being frivolous for once.

Writing wise I'm working on a resource which is due in September, after which I can get back to The View From My Window.

If you've never been to Wales, I highly recommend it. South and especially Mid, West and North Wales are beautiful when it's sunny! If you're looking for seclusion, peace, tranquility and a bit of a retreat it's perfect, and Welsh folk are a friendly lot!

I've used this company before for a cottage and it was really lovely. Highly recommended for writers' retreats!

In fact, Anita Loughrey posted on her blog about the Caerleon Writers' Holiday which, up till then, I'd not known about, and I may opt for this next year. Have a look. It looks action packed.

Never again

Sorry- this has nothing to do with writing:

Okay, these nails were a big MISTAKE. They're really irritating and I want them off. That's what happens when you're impulsive! The thing is I've just looked into removing them and found all these horror stories- LOOK
I don't want to go back to the vicious woman at the nail place so I've found some advice on how to remove them at home. I'm going to give it a go. My advice: never get yours done.

This is about writing:

Wylie Merrick has some good suggestions about what's hot in writing at the moment and Skint Writer has some useful information about self publishing on his blog.

I'm off to buy some acetone.

Polished

Well, the manuscript for One of a kind is in the hands of Royal Mail now.... I do hope the agent is happy with it. I think it's pretty polished now, although I'm never 100% satisfied with anything I do. There's always room for improvement.

As a treat for all my hard work I had my hair done today. Now this may sound trivial and un-noteworthy but it's a real biggie for me. I don't spend much money on myself and today I went wild. I got my hair highlighted and styled and for the first time ever I got a professional set of nails put on. They look really real. I was mightily impressed, if a little terrified of the Vietnamese lady who was just a tad rough with the electric file and glue.

I'm sure they'll drop off at some inconvenient moment and they make typing or doing anything with my hands a bit awkward but I'm sure I'll get used to them and in any case, I'm not about to let vanity stand in the way of my writing, now am I? Sorry no pics... yet!!

Published works

Hello everyone. I'm still developing and editing One of a Kind like mad, and it's going well, I'm glad to say. Once it's all done, I'll send the manuscript off to the agent again and keep my fingers crossed.

My GCSE York Notes on Journey's End have the front cover image showing on Amazon. I've copied it here for you and provided a link to Pearson's, for anyone who needs the notes?!!

As is standard with the new look York notes, my name's not on the cover but my name is inside on the front page. I should be receiving my copies in August and I'm really looking forward to that! Yay.

Other educational writing news- I've agreed to supply two resources to a small educational publisher called Classroom Resources with whom I've already published a couple of resources.

One of my resources is on Much Ado About Nothing and the other is on A Midsummer Night's Dream. They're the resources with codes of 5149 and 5150, in the English Shakespeare section.

Even more news- I received the last of my advance for the Hodder Year 7 Resource which is due out in January, I think. I 'll have to confirm this and once I have a link or image I'll definitely tell you all.

And finally, I noticed that the OCR examination board has paid me for marking 326 GCSE scripts, so I'm a pretty happy bunny today. Sorry if I sound overjoyed. It's because I am!

Editing and developing

This is a very quick post to say I am in the middle of reworking sections of One of a Kind and have set myself a pretty tough deadline which is why I won't post for a while.

So far, I'm happy with what I've done, but I still want to develop sections some more.

I can see why the agent made the comments he did and it's really helped me focus on what's important. I'm beginning to like and feel fired up about my novel again and that's really good news for me!

On a more sombre note, I hope the present escalation of problems in the world settles down soon. It's really sad when innocent civilians pay for the politics of others.

Sunny days and late nights

Today, I had dinner on my newly acquired garden table. I bought it as an impulse buy along with a parasol and chairs which were part of a six piece set. It cost me a fraction of the price I was going to pay for similar elsewhere. I've posted a picture of something similar on here! I paid £50 for my set and I am pretty chuffed with that bargain, I can tell you.



I felt like I was abroad this evening dining Al Fresco! It made me think about what life would be like abroad.

Recently, I've been staying up late watching my new SKY movies - there's so much choice it's fantastic!! Beats terrestrial TV that's for sure. And with CNN and Euronews I feel quite spoilt:-) I'm trying to make the most of the movies as they're free for 6 months then I'll have to decide whether I can live without them or not!

I know, I know- what about the writing?

Well, actually, tonight I'm up late because I've been gathering some pictures to help me make my novel One of a Kind more visual. The agent, I sent it to, said I needed more description, in places, so that's what I'll be working on tomorrow, as well as a few edits and developments.

Circus time

I've just been to The Chinese State Circus and it was really good. I've posted a picture from their site which shows one of the acts- The Human Chandelier which was scarier to see than The Omen



I'm starting a new job in September and having spoken to a colleague today I feel really encouraged about it. I have a good feeling about next term, but for now it's time to enjoy the summer.... and the World Cup final! As of tomorrow my writing will start in earnest.

Celebration

Celebration time! My work is done and I break for the summer on Friday!

Can you tell I am just a bit excited? :-)

I am looking forward to getting down to some serious writing - revising One of a Kind being number one priority and, of course, my work for Philip Allan which has a deadline.

Other than that, I've signed up to Sky- mainly for the movies but also the Discovery and knowledge channels. I've resisted till now but have finally succumbed. I'll try not to turn into a couch potato.

If you're thinking of going to the cinema, let me tell you, in my opinion, the choice of films at the moment (in the UK) isn't great. In the end it was a choice between The Lake House, Hard Candy and The Omen for me. I was tempted to watch The Lake House simply because of Keanu Reeves who I once had a thing for, alongside Denzel Washington, who I still have a thing for, but the plot, whilst interesting looked pointless. Hard Candy looked really interesting and a twist on the normal but the review described it as sadistic and violent and that put me off.

In case you were even remotely interested in my reasoning!

In the end The Omen won. I read the book as a teenager and it stayed with me for some time. I found it gruesome and scary back then. I think I saw the original 1976 film also when I was younger, and I remember that too being scary, but this time around, I really wasn't scared- not at all. Perhaps it's because I'm older and less easily shocked, or, perhaps it was the film itself. Maybe it just wasn't very good?

I've been through a lot in my life time and I think there are so many horror and violent films made nowadays that I have become desensitised. To be honest, rather than the film, my lack of fear, is what I found scary. I guess I've changed and that is a scary thing to realise.

Or maybe I just went to the wrong film?!!!

Information Technology

I am fully functional once more- as far as the internet is concerned! It was scary not having proper access to the big old WWW for over a week. Just goes to show how dependent we have all become.(Well, I certainly have) It is so convenient isn't it?

In fact one of the questions on the paper I'm currently examining put forward the suggestion that advances in Information Technology remove the need for schools... What do you imagine 325 teeneagers thought, in response? You might be surprised!

On the news front... Steve, my editor for the Philip Allan Units (now Hodder), recently told me that the Year 7 project is in production so that's good. I've just got to tidy up a few details on my section of the Year 8 one and then do my bit of the Year 9 one for the September deadline and that's that project sorted. It'll be good to see the finished product. I'll keep you all posted on that.

Well, this is my official break from work- alongside a bowl of soup and Eva Cassidy, so I'd better get back to it. Still have 53 scripts left.

News

My broadband internet connection is down and has been for quite a few days now. I'm getting quite annoyed and am seriously considering changing providers, as the customer services department of my provider has also been unavailable recently. This , alongside my marking, explains my lack of blogging! Today I am using a dial up and VERY slow internet connection.

But, I had to tell you my news so I have struggled here! The York Notes which I told you about a while ago are now due out in September. My editor said they'd gone to print earlier this month. She sent a copy of the cover to me but my email account swallowed it so I can't post it, not that I'd even try with this connection. I'm not having much luck with computers nowadays!

I also heard back from the agent regarding my teen/ crossover novel One of a Kind. The book had improved, they said, but they want more to be done and they've suggested some more revisions. I'm taking this all to mean a positive thing as they intimated that it had potential and they wanted it to be as good as possible.

I will get to that after my marking. Hope you are all enjoying this glorious sunshine. I'm indoors marking.....

Better bend than break

I'm drowning in GCSE papers at the moment so my blog posts and writing will no doubt suffer. However, as of 7th July, I will be free to write as much as I wish and I fully intend to do so. I have to admit that the goals I set myself a couple of weeks ago are not all being kept. The marking and walking are but the writing at the moment isn't. I think there is a proverb that says better bend than break and, on this occasion, I have chosen to opt for this.

There are many places this idea could be said to have originated but my favourite is Chinese and it states:

Human beings are
soft and supple when alive,
stiff and straight when dead.

The myriad creatures, grasses and trees are
soft and supple when alive,
dry and withered when dead.

Therefore it is said:
the rigid person is a disciple of death;
the soft, supple and delicate are lovers of life.

The army that is inflexible will not conquer;
the tree that cannot bend will snap!

The unyielding and mighty will be brought low;
the soft, supple and delicate will rise above them.

I love proverbs. Any favourites?

Trade secrets?!!

More details on the retreat for you inquisitive people:

Debi Glioroi spoke about how she started writing and illustrating. She said that she found writing a one paragraph synopsis really helped her to focus on the plot. In the past, she has also broken her plot down into chapters but she preferred writing 'Alpine style' as she called it, like mountaineers who climb with the minimum amount of gear. She liked to write without a plan but she was quick to point out that there was a risk of 'falling off the edge' or losing focus, doing this. Her style is to write the story first and foremost and then worry about technicalities.

Judging by what Imogen Cooper said, Debi's right. Chicken House like writers who are open to being edited, so that one of their editors can guide you towards the best that you can be and the best possible book.

According to Imogen, the main failings amongst authors were weak plots that could do with the first few chapters being chopped off. The company is looking for books that are sparky and push the boundaries in content and in style. They publish 25-30 books a year but aren't looking at manuscripts now until November. Wait time can be anything from 3-6 months once they start to look at manuscripts again.

Writers should try to get their plot strands to tie up and their characters not to be two dimensional. Ideally, Chicken House is looking for someone who has more than one book in them.

Names of contacts for you:
Imogen Cooper- fiction editor
Elinor Bagenal- picture book editor

Hope this is useful to some or all of you! Have a great weekend. I intend to :-)

SCBWI Retreat

Okay, folks here it is, so far...

The retreat:
This was SCBWI (British region's) first such endeavour and it really was worthwhile.

It was held at Croydon Hall, an old country house, I'd never heard of, and which was set in beautiful Somerset country. The views were spectacular and the surroundings very peaceful. We were fed a diet of very healthy vegetarian food which meant that by the second day we were suffering from sugar withdrawal and were desperately in need of dessert, which we finally got, AND it was lovely. Of course, the food and the setting were not the main focus. The writing was! And that was fab.

The first real day was Saturday which we spent writing and learning. Debi Gliori- writer and illustrator was the invited speaker and she was really very good. She spoke about her experiences in publishing, how she got started and what she is doing at the moment. As a novelist and picture book writer and illustrator she had a lot to offer and plenty of talent to share. Amongst her pearly words of advice were the ideas that agents were like umbrellas after the rain and a plot was like knitting. Remove one thread and the whole thing can unravel.

We also met Imogen Cooper, fiction editor with Chicken House who went through the ins and outs of the publishing world and editing process. She outlined what Chicken House is looking for and the main errors that writers make. There's loads more to tell and once I've figured out how to upload photos from my mobile onto here, I shall post some pics and write in more detail about the retreat.

Suffice to say, I got a lot out of the weekend: I met some fellow writers and accomplished a lot. I got some thinking and writing done which will definitely help me to move my plots along....so I would definitely recommend time away from it all to all of you.

Well, here is the photo, as promised. It was taken by Chitra, an attendee, and is of some of us on a walk. I say us, but I have to admit that, when these adventurous few went on an early morning walk, I chose to stay in bed. Not the right attitude, I know.... so here are Debi Gliori, Natasha, Terrie and Gill.

Promises, promises!!

Okay, I lied. I'm not going to write about the retreat. Sorry- I am so tired. I've had a very busy day, but I promise to post properly about the retreat tomorrow.

On the up!

Things are on the up today, although I did receive a strange email from ebay, which I think is a spoof, so I've alerted ebay to it. Just thought I'd let you all know in case you get one too.

I've completed the synopsis for The View From My Window and am on a bit of a roll with it which is great and I'm keeping up to date with my marking, so so far so good. Yesterday was a bit of a downer but that's life's peaks and troughs for you!

Recently someone on a writers' forum I visit posed the question: why do those of us who have blogs have them? Why did we start them?

I'd be interested to know why all of you started your blogs, if you indeed have one AND whether or not you have websites.

While you're mulling that over, here's a poem I wrote a while ago:
Nursery Rhyme
Ring a ring of soldiers
A group of men with folders
An oil rig an oil rig
We all fall down

Happy writing and reading!

UPDATE
After a doctor's appointment, I am going on a writers' retreat for a few days in Somerset which I'm really looking forward to. Details of it can be found at SCBWI, in case you want to do one some time.... so I shall be blogless probably till Tuesday. Hope I don't suffer withdrawal symptoms.....

Every cloud has a silver lining but sometimes it's hard to find

I'm not having the best of days but I guess we have to weather the storm as well as the calm in life.



I'm looking forward to a break in the clouds. I mean that both literally and metaphorically. Hope all of your days are cloudless.

The walking wounded

I am in a different part of the country today, staying with a relative who lives near to the hotel where I have to attend an examiners' meeting tomorrow.

It's been a relaxing morning- quiet and peaceful. I have so far marked part of the 10 scripts I have to, and I hope to get some writing done later. However I have set myself the following goals for the next few weeks which I hope to achieve. In order of priority:

1- Mark 14 scripts a day (deadline is beginning of July)
2- Write 1000 words of my novel a day (here's hoping)
4- Complete novel by end of August
3- Research other project (deadline beginning of July)
4- Walk for at least half an hour three times a week

I'm trying to get back into fitness. I used to go to the gym three times a week and ever since I had glandular fever two years ago, I've not been very good at maintaining my fitness levels. I've also got a recurring problem with my one shoulder which needs to be sorted, so that is another aim. What image must you have of me?!

Oh well, better crack on.

So much to do and so little time!

Eating, writing and marking

Well it's sunny again and doesn't it just life your mood?

I'm going to buy a BBQ today. Even though I'm vegetarian, I'm determined to get into the spirit of things. Argos has a nice range of reasonably priced BBQs for you BBQ enthusiasts. They even have one with football print, in case you're a World Cup person?! I'm going for the one I've posted above, if they have it in stock and then I will be smoking some vegetables and quorn burgers for lunch. mmmm

My 300 GCSE scripts have arrived, just this minute, so a lot of the next few weeks will be spent with my head buried under mounds of marking. Why I do it to myself I do not know. Still, someone has to. I like to think that I am helping people with their futures and earning a bit of extra cash at the same time.

With the sun out, I plan to spend today in the garden eating and writing. Marking can wait till tomorrow. Priorities.

That Friday Feeling

It is Friday and that is cause enough for celebration, but in addition to this, I got back to writing my novel The View From My Window yesterday and am on a roll. I was, no doubt, inspired by the creative writing club I run afterschool for the kids.

Speaking of which, I've posted below the beginning of one of the girls' work. She's entitled it Giraffe Child. It was inspired by a Dali painting which I showed her and have also posted for you.

See what you think of her start. Personally, I think it's original and inspired. It's hard to believe that the writer is only twelve!

Screams, shouts, gunshots, arrows. Fire, death. The giraffes. I remember it all so vividly.

My name is Kyia and I am a giraffe child. Rather, I am THE giraffe child. Everyone else is gone.

I saw it, I was there.

First they attacked; they marched up to the village with those automatic bows and arrows. (They call them guns. Imagine that, a gun! What a ridiculous name!) And those sticks of flame. They fought with the males of the village and won; next they burnt the village, captured the women and the remaining children and hauled them on the cart.Lastly, they took the giraffes and burnt them, all of them. All except two, two baby giraffes- one girl and one boy.

Twins.

Copyright Helen P.M

Trials and tribulations

It's a sunny day again. How glorious! I do feel spoilt- for once!

My writing projects are mounting up.

I have so very much that I want to do but I'm forcing myself to take it easy and just read...well most of the time. It's been so long since I last gave myself the opportunity that I feel I've earned it and of course everything must be earned :-)

A couple of days ago, a small educational publisher, that I've done some work for in the past, called to see if I had any projects on the go. It was just the sort of kick up the proverbial that I needed so today I've been working on some units that I started a while ago.

I've taken a break from my novel but will get back to it next week. Sometimes, a distraction helps the creative juices, or so I've found.

I've also looked into ezine publishing and have found a link which you may find of use. Here it is!

This site lists a whole load of ezines, some of which are no longer publishing but most are, and some, you'll be glad to hear, are accepting submissions. Go on have a go, if internet publishing's your thing.

There are a few UK based ezines which look discerning and I shall be popping some of my poetry off to them when I get a chance.

I've also had to deal with my car insurance company today as a lady in a rather large black mercedes banged into me- well my car. I was actually stationary at the time, filling up at the petrol station. Guess I was easier to hit as a result!

Not much damage really but the car still needs to go into the garage, in case you were interested. Oh the excitement never ends.

Sunny days

Today is a beautifully sunny day, as was yesterday. I spent the entire day yesterday at an Educational fair in London as part of work I do for a small tutoring company.

London was busy with people and traffic so today I'm going to the country. Last bank holiday I went to a beautiful area called Runnymede where the river Thames runs through a National Trust site. It's very picturesque: boats run along the river and there are some grand houses situated at the opposite side on the bank.

Last time I went for a walk towards the JFK memorial that's located nearby and came across some of Brunel university's disused tennis courts up a half forgotten road, and today I'm being taken on a walk in another part of the same area. If you've never been to this place, it's worth going, especially on a sunny day.

I'm still working my way through Body Double which isn't half bad.

On the topic of reading I'm going to provide a link to Emanuel School's English site as it holds reading lists for Year 7- sixth form which really are fantastic.

I based my Year 8 list that I recently gave to my students on this school's Year 8 one. If you're an English teacher or a writer for this age group you will definitely find the reading lists useful. They are grouped according to subject area/ genre and include an outline, so get reading!

The power of words

Well, I succumbed once again to the '3 for 2' offer, but this time at a Waterstone's. Now I have six books to read over the summer.I've started the first one: Body Double- a very compelling first chapter! I don't normally read crime fiction but I thought it'd help me with my current novel and besides I've just not had time to read in ages!!

The other two I went for are Hide and Seek and We need to talk about Kevin

I'll let you know my thoughts on the books when I get through them.

In the meantime, I wanted to share this poem which I wrote in 2003, following a programme I saw about a young man and the awful decision his family was having to make. I was really moved by the story and I called the poem The Voice . Perhaps I will forward it to the International Solidarity Movement some time.

The Voice

‘Switch on or off?’
A muffled cough
Sister and brother
Father and mother
Remember him then
Dark haired and when
Aged twenty one
Away from the fun
Saving Salam
Peace named little man

The movement he joined
Solidarity coined
A phrase for him
'He was their voice,'
She said
Shot in the head
A hospital bed
In a coma

Alive or dead?

Occupied territories
Defended
His life surrendered

Who occupies his room now?

(Tom Hurndall who in 2003 was shot in Israel whilst doing voluntary work for The International Solidarity Movement.)

Bank Holiday Monday

I was flicking through my copy of Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook a couple of days ago. One of the articles in it has some very useful advice on how to get started in writing for kids which I thought I'd share:

1- Read, read, read
2- Get out and about- researching in bookshops, libraries and through children themselves
3- Watch and listen- to what's popular in kids' media
4- Network- with other authors/illustrators
5- Never underestimate the job at hand
6- Use your experiences
7- Research catalogues and websites of publishers
8- Submit your material with care- follow guidelines and make sure it's your best work
9- Identify your USP (unique selling point)
10- Don't give up

So... it's as easy as that!

While I'm here I thought I'd provide a link to an anthology with some of my writing in it. It was produced by a writers' group I belonged to when I worked in London, but which I no longer attend. My entry is entitled The Voice.

Also, below is a copy of a poem I wrote some time ago. It's one of my more transparent poems. Hope you enjoy it!


The Bubble

He lives
In an iridescent glow
Of convex curves:
Bubblegum blown in childhood
Through which only he can enter.
Beware
An outstretched hand
That will pop
The fragile
Impenetrable safety of his bubble.
It might stick.

(Copyright N. Ensaff)

Da Vinci Code

I went to see The Da Vinci Code yesterday- a Tuesday evening and the cinema was packed. A company had even booked a private viewing for their employees!! So, bad reviews mean nothing.

Not having read the book, I have nothing to compare the film with and I thought it was okay, light entertainment, really. Not deep or believable.

Too much code breaking going on for my liking. It was a bit like a Nancy Drew book in this respect and my twelve year old inner child liked that, but the first part of the film seemed rushed. There was way too much happening and things didn't unfold in a natural way. It got better, I thought, but there were quite a few co-incidences like the professor happening to know some British historian who lived in France and who was an expert on the Priory and who later in a bizarre and, dare I say it, unbelievable twist turned out to be someone else. I found the ideas engaging and am interested to find out more about the premise of the novel, but the construction is what I found shallow. Still, what do I know?

I've not sold millions of books and as the Guardian pointed out today the film took £119 million globally in its opening weekend so 'there is a significant gap between public and pundit opinion'.

Summer time

Summer is approaching, although you wouldn't have thought it, given the rain we've had lately. What does summer mean to you? Rain? Sun? Rest? All of the aforementioned?

To me it means an opportunity to travel and to write and catch up with family and friends. Yes, those alien species I've not seen in ages because of the fact I am on life's treadmill.

I have a very busy half term planned and have already decided part of my summer. A friend has kindly offered that I visit her in Hong Kong (I'm still debating that one, cost considered) and another is due to return from the US, so I hope to see her. It's lovely knowing people who live elsewhere in the world, but sometimes home is where you want to be.

I'm hoping to stay pretty close to home, but still be adventurous- sort of. I intend to venture into a tent- yes camping. That's why this rain concerns me. I have terrible memories of a very wet last camping effort, but I am assured all will be well. The South of France beckons and I'm looking forward to the adventure.

When I'm not collecting wood for a log fire, I 'm hoping to catch up on my reading. I have a few books which I want to finish over the summer, ones I bought a while ago, started and never got a chance to complete. Books like Empress Orchid which I'm three quarters of the way through, The Five People you Meet in Heaven, The House of Sand and Fog and any others that catch my eye between now and then.

I also want to work on my own writing, so it looks like an action packed summer for me. Just the way I like it!

Lists

Well, today I have a few things to say, or lists to suggest you view:

Firstly here's a wonderful list of the top 50 children's books, as voted for by Australian kids. Harry Potter seems to be a favourite and it's useful to know just what kids like if you're aiming at them, even if they're Australian!! The Red House Children's awards are a similar list in Britain, voted for by kids.

You may well know that at the moment the Carnegie Awards are being decided and I've always found these to be great indications of really good novels for kids.

As for adult reads, well here's the New York Times bestseller list and if you go to Amazon, they have a Hot 100 list for almost every kind of product available. Here's the one for books

Another useful list is Ottakars top 10 . I love this book shop, although it may well be taken over by the HMV group and become part of Waterstones from what I've read. Still, you can see what's selling.

I think being aware of what sells is crucial when you are writing, especially if you want to make a living out of it.

Of course, you need to write what you feel passionately about, but at the same time knowing whether it's likely to sell is a must.

A.S Byatt obviously thinks bookshops are biased against good reads, in favour of best sellers. Well, at least she did in 2002. If you've read Possession, her Booker prize winning novel, which I tried very hard to do, you may well understand which category her novel might fall in to! Now, that's a literary monster of a novel. Definitely not an easy read.

Lights, camera, action

At the loss of something related to writing to say, can I recommend two seemingly male films:
1- Mission Impossible iii- which I went to see and thoroughly enjoyed, except for the violent bits where I turned my head and closed my eyes ... and
2- 16 Blocks - which stars the ever talented Bruce Willis and is directed by the same guy who did the Lethal Weapons films.

Neither is a laugh a minute, although 16 Blocks has a funny character in it, but both will have you glued to the screen, in the way that I am hoping to have my readers glued to the pages of The View from My Window.

I don't normally go for such action adventure but let's just call it research for my writing.

Sometimes I actually think I'd be better suited to writing films - I really do visualise my scenes in my head: my first draft of One of a Kind was episodic, seen from different characters' perpectives in the way that one would watch a film with its different scenes. Perhaps this is a good thing. It makes the plot pacier I think. Any views?

My next visit to the cinema has to be to see The Da Vinci Code. With Tom Hanks in it it's bound to be a good 'un.

If you've watched any good films, lately, drop me a line.

Simmering

Well it is Wednesday and urged on by my admirers who will remain anonymous (I really do mean it), I have decided to blog again. Please note I say blog not blag, although the two may well be synonymous in some circumstances. Not this of course!

I think it's safe to say I am tired and this blog will read like the workings of a strange mind. I apologise in advance.

In any case, onwards and upwards. My GCSE class were uncharacteristically attentive today- unsurprising given that their Literature GCSE is next week. Picture usually lethargic teenage girls, who slouch rather than sit, suddenly sitting upright and writing words down verbatim and you'll have a pretty good idea what I mean.

A friend is coming round this evening and I am only too glad of the break. I wrote another chapter in my new novel and I really like where it's going. I expect I'll not get much done on it now till next week but let me just say the plot is thickening like a nicely simmering stew or something along those lines!

One bite at a time

If, like me, you missed the wonderful spectacle of the mechanical elephant in London, here's a link for you. It takes you through the story and provides some pictures of the amazing machine. What a fantastic idea. It reminds me of childhood and the wonder of fairytales.

Don't you wish sometimes that you could return to that magical time? Perhaps that's what writers, especially children's writers, do- give us the freedom to explore our inner child. Of course, it very much depends on the nature of the text.

If you write for children or anyone in fact, have a look at Anita Loughrey's recent blog posts- she has some useful stuff on writing: advice from Tony Bradman, the children's writer.

Getting back to my main post and speaking of elephants, I have a mountain of things to do: researching and writing my new novel, marking some essays, preparing lessons and living life- but as they say the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Guess I better get munching then!

The View from the Window

I thought I'd post something before I spend a couple of hours writing. Yes, you read right, I am forcing myself to do some writing today. No more excuses. In fact I've been inspired.

I had my creative writing group at school and have aired the idea of posting a few paragraphs of their work and they're okay with it, so that's something for you to look forward to! Till then, you'll have to make do with my work.

Here's the opening to my new novel: The View from the Window



You wouldn’t have guessed from my appearance where I live and you wouldn’t have guessed from my calm demeanour that something earth shattering has just happened.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if you push a person to the brink, sooner or later he’ll snap. That’s why when they arrived in their uniforms and with their questions I sat knowingly observing them from above.

In this city you can sit for hours unnoticed. Anonymity is very important here. People come to be forgotten or get forgotten on the way and then they leave. I’ve seen them in their suits and shiny shoes with their mobile phones and laptop cases. I’ve seen them all. They come and then they go like fish swimming downstream, carried with the tide.

Sometimes it gets to me. It seems like the tunnel of life that they burrow looms before me like a disaster waiting to happen. Sometimes, at night in the dark, I feel the stale air of the city clamping its arms around me but then I remember I have it all. I have it all in the palm of my hand. Destiny’s what you make of it and I have big plans for my future and that makes me smile.

Even so I watch and I worry - not for me of course – for them: those unfortunate souls who don’t have it all. They’re a disaster waiting to happen and sometimes I feel that I am powerless to stop it, so I just sit and I wait.

Copyright 2006 N.Ensaff

I won't let you know what happens next, but I hope you're dying to know. Any comments are welcome!

Useful Stuff

Okay, this is definitely a work avoidance tactic on my part. I have a pile of reports to check and collate. Of course, dedicated as I am, I will get round to the task, but we all need a break sometimes don't we? All work and no play makes Jude a dull girl.

Ever keen to spread the word, I'm here to tell you all about the National Association of Writers' Groups. The web administrator is Anita Loughrey who started a blog, apparently inspired by mine?!! Go to the NAWG site to find a writers' group or look in the Writers' Handbook. Some are listed in there alongside writers' courses.

Speaking of courses the Arvon Foundation runs some great ones. I've been on one and can recommend them highly.

Short and sweet today- my post- not me. I can hear the reports and my novel calling.

News

It's late and I should be in bed, but the draw of the blog just got the better of me. I went to a new writers' group this evening and spent the two hours listening to people's work and hearing constructive criticism. Writers' groups are a good way to keep the motivation going.

I've made some headway with my plot for The View from My Window, and I believe I have an idea for my end which is great news.

Other news: I got a polite letter from the agent regarding One of a Kind a couple of days ago acknowledging my submission and saying that they'd get back to me when they'd considered it, so let's keep our fingers, toes and eyes crossed.

And: my York Notes will be published at the end of August. The notes are on Amazon but my name's not yet, nor is an image... Still, have a look.

The Wylie Merrick agency which is linked, is posting some really useful stuff on why agents reject manuscripts which is worth a gander.

For those of you who are interested, the meaning and origin of the phrase to gander at something are: 'Look at, glance at. This slangy idiom, dating from the early 1900s, presumably came from the verb gander, meaning "stretch one's neck to see," possibly alluding to the long neck of the male goose.'

Always enlightening, I know.

Research

Okay, so much for my plotting idea. My novel plotting is taking a while as I'm very very busy at the moment with exam candidates for GCSE and A level. My desk is clear at the moment, but will soon be covered again in essays.

On the plus side, I had my weekly creative writing meeting with kids from my school and that was great. It's really liberating to listen to their ideas. Kids take so many more risks than adults. This particular group are at the stage when they are really creative. Perhaps I'll get some of their work and post parts, so you can see what I mean; I'll see whether they're happy for that to happen.

On to my real post. Research. When I first started writing fiction I didn't think research was necessary but I guess I was doing it without realising.

My first unpublished novel was set in a boarding school and as I taught in one at the time, a lot of my research came from my everyday experiences. My second one was based on a lot that I already knew and events that had been recounted to me by people, but I did research the history and setting in detail and I read a number of books in similar genres, to help. One of my characters, although minor, was in the military so I read a book told from a soldier's point of view to gain an impression of how he would think and act.

As far as my non-fiction writing and educational material goes, research is a must. Again a lot of the material I write draws on what I know, having taught texts or skills in the same area but again, I supplement this by reading the biographies of writers whose texts I'm writing study guides on. I like to have as much insight as possible.

So, how and where to research? I go to the absolutely fantastic British Library. If you've not been there- go!
And, if you're a member of the Society of Authors you can get a three year reading pass which means you have access to the wonderful reading rooms. The library's website is great too as the catalogue of books is actually accessible from it and you can reserve books via the website. You can also order and download papers or articles.

It's an amazing place and I only discovered it last year! Getting excited about a library, whatever next!

Other ways to research? Read books in similar genres to your target market or the book you intend to write. Go to places that feature in your novel. Talk to people who do what your characters do or have had similar experiences. Get as much information as possible to help you make your novel as believable as possible.

Well, that's the theory. Now, time for the practice.

The art of writing

Well, the manuscript is in the post to the agent finally. Re-reading it was a task and a half! The drafting and editing process is an important one but it can be difficult. Learning to cut out chunks of your work, develop some of your ideas and abandon others takes time. Getting the writing to read and sound like it's effortless takes a lot of effort! Oh how ironic!

In fact this article covers the topic quite nicely. I like the advice on verbs and description. It's worth a read.

Now that One of a Kind is in the post, I've started my next novel. It's got a working title of The View from My Window but this may change.

I need to do quite a lot of research for this one as it's based on an area I know only a little about. That's my problem- I come up with fantastic ideas for starting chapters and then need to think about the end. I'm plotting it at the moment so it may be a while before my next post. Till then, happy writing all.

Talented teachers

You'll be glad to hear that my hysteria attack was short lived and that I am pleased with myself today. In fact, I am smiling like a cheshire cat. Why? Because:

1- I have started reading through my manuscript. Big cheers all round.
2- I have nearly finished the units I'm doing for the next resource pack for Philip Allan Updates
3- I am currently compiling a recommended book list for my Year 8s which I told them I would do some time ago, and which, I am pleased to say, one girl reminded me about. She wanted one so much she reminded me.
4-My Year 8s think English is cool or so I hear
5-I was treated to a yummy meal last night
6-I have done all my marking

Now, all I need is to complete my reports and we're laughing.

Don't you just love it?

If you were hoping to learn something when you came to this post, other than about me and my life (and as a teacher I feel compelled to teach you something) here's a titbit of sorts:

Did you know these famous individuals were once teachers?
Sting, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, J. K. Rowling and Chris Tarrant.

Just goes to show that we teachers are a talented lot!

Insane hysteria or rejectionobia

It's been over a week, now, since I completed my novel and I still haven't had time to re-read it and send it off. I want it as good as possible before it wings its way to the agent. Having read recently about the editing process and had first hand experience with my educational writing, I know a re-read is always worth it. (Cue smile and big bright teeth)

Well that's what I'm telling myself, although truth be told, I'm actually terrified that after all my hours of effort, my prized novel will still come back with a big BUT .... and a THANKS BUT NO THANKS stamped across the front.

I think you all know what I'm talking about, unless you're one of the lucky few whose first efforts were accepted. We all know what rejection feels like. A big old slap in the face.

I was amused to read about a cynical and previously rejected author who turned to other means and succeeded. This article was posted on a message board I visit and it really made me laugh- probably insane hysteria setting in, at the prospect of another big brown envelope returning like a boomerang to my door mat.

In any case, the manuscript WILL be sent in the next week and if it returns back unloved, I'll put it down to experience and move on.
You have to, don't you?
Who dares wins!
No pain, no gain!
If at first, you don't succeed try, try again!(In my case we can substitute first with something else)
Well, you get my meaning.
Oh the trials and tribulations of writing! No-one could accuse me of being melodramtic. Please, moi?