Back catalogues and a fun story.

Hi, readers and writers.  Been doing a bit of writing today (well, it's a dull day - one needs some fun in life!).  I'm sitting here listening to trance mixes on YouTube.  Funnily enough I find it helps me to write because it blocks out all other distractions and keeps me at the keyboard longer.

Over the weekend I went through some old files and cleared stuff out and filed!  I found some old stories.  They made me laugh.  I wrote some when I was in my late teens.  I do hope I have moved on since then!  I rescued what I thought might be useable with a heck of a lot of editing and I also found a poem I'd been looking for about two years, along with several others that might be okay with some editing.  My older poems seemed rather simple - nice but twee.  Still, it does you good to see your 'back catalogue' and realise how you've developed.

Along with all the dross I found the stuff I wrote when I did a course at an Adult Education for one term.  One story I ditched because it was so corny and even I didn't believe it but there were other things that made me laugh - in a good way.  I realise I do like humour in my work.  I have decided to share one of my 'homework' exercises from those days.  We had to write a diary - seven days in the voice of a non-human.  I do like a challenge.  Good one for you all to try.  This is my attempt.  I haven't edited it since so it's as it was.  Everyone liked it and thought there should be a sequel! I had great fun writing it.  What do you think?  Want to share yours?

 

Monday 23^rd July

Raining

Oh!  What a night!  The shame of it.  Finally, I realise what a sorry state I’m in.  Winter has taken its toll on me.

Last night, a clear one for a change, I suddenly heard among the cat fights a call which sent shivers down my spokes.  For a moment I could hardly believe it, but there it was again.  The tingly sharp ring from over the wall.  That hunky green young mountain bike, all 15 gears of him, was calling to me.  To me!

Why he should send his affection my way when I’m old enough to be his mother, is anybody’s guess.  Right then I didn’t care, I was too busy working up to a response as I leaned against the fence sighing.

Then it hit me as I struggled to answer his call.  I couldn’t make a sound.  I tried and tried, but months of neglect has left my communication skills stiff, and rusty.

I am in deep depression.

 

Tuesday 24^th

Sunny

               Hive of activity in the garden today.  The warm weather has transformed everyone.  Laughter echoes in the air, white arms are exposed to the sun, washing flaps on the line and a frenzy of gardening is taking place.

I was dosing in the warm rays when I was suddenly jolted backwards from my leaning post. My wheels jarred slightly as my owner, Kerry turned me full circle.  The shock almost made my chain slip.

               “What a state.” Kerry said staring at me.  She poked my front tyre with her finger and thumb. “Perhaps I should just trade it in for a new one.”  Trade me in!  It’s not my fault I look like this.  Why can’t I live in the shed.  At least I’d stay dry.  Now I have rusty wheels and my shiny chrome is covered with an itchy brown scaly substance.  A bike with eczema, if you please!

 

Wednesday 25^th

Sunny……again.

               Had a bath!  I kid not.  Warm water caressed every part of my slender frame.  I may be old and rusty, but there’s not an inch of fat on me.

               Such attention has put me in a good mood.  My rusty wheels were de-scaled, I suppose you’d say.

               Kerry has lavished such care on me today.  I can almost forgive her for rubbing those hard rusty deposits from me with a Brillo pad!  Nothing could have prepared me for the sensation it gave me. 

               To see my dull chrome begin to shine once again almost made my tyres self inflate.  Life is definitely looking up.

 

Thursday 26th

Overcast.

               There was much swearing today.  There was much waving of arms too.

               “This blasted cover.”  Kelly said struggling with a huge white plastic sheet.  She tried in vain to make it fit over me.  “There’s nothing to tie it together underneath.” She kept grumbling.

               I ended up with string tied in all sorts of strange places to stop the ends of the cover from flapping.

  

Friday 27th

Very Windy.

               Had an accident today.  Not my fault.  I wasn’t even on the road.  Haven’t been on there for ages.  I’m embarrassed to admit it but a huge gust blew right up my white cover and took my wheels from under me.  I suppose it could have been worse.  I could have ended up in a tornado whirling around in a circle like a barrage balloon over the neighbours gardens.  Being a lightweight bike has it’s disadvantages.  I bet that hunky specimen over the wall doesn’t have this trouble.

               I’m sort of upright again now, though leaning somewhat drunkenly against the fence with a brick on the plastic cover over the back wheel.  Hardly elegant.

 

Saturday

Very hot

               I can see now why I’ve never been inside the shed before.  There’s no room.  Planks of wood lean at dangerous angles, shelves bow under the weight of paint cans and tools.  The vicious strimmer that whines and destroys everything in its path lives in there among countless dusty flower pots.  The upshot is that Kerry has allegedly tidied up to make space for me.  I should be pleased but after being shunted this way and that, squeezed between the lawn mower and an old heater I actually miss the outdoors.  I never realised how hot it go in here once the sun beat down.  Worse still, I share my home with the biggest, long legged spider I have ever seen!

 

Sunday 29th

Steaming

               Went out today.  I mean really out….on the road.

               Kelly was keen to see what I could do.  I was incredibly nervous.

It felt very strange having someone sit on my saddle again.  Warm, but heavy.  I veered a little as Kelly got her balance, then we were off and it all come flooding back.  We whizzed down the road and into the main street.  My peddles turned surprisingly smoothly.  Up into second gear, then into third.  My mature disposition doesn’t extend to any higher gear, but I was doing great as the world rushed by in the breeze.  We sailed round the corner at speed.  There was no stopping us, though hopefully my brakes would if the need arose. 

I felt young again, a mere slip of a bike and in my prime.

After such an exhilarating day I decided to try my luck with the bike next door - see if he’s still interested.  If he’d seen my performance today he would be most impressed.  As I wasn’t returned to the shed I figured this might be my only chance for a time  But guess what?.  My damn bell is still rusted up.  All that hard work and Kelly didn’t check the bell.  My love life is in ruins.

Writing day and thoughts about an online soap!

I decided to give this day over to write as there is nothing else on as such.  Yesterday I sent off three poems as competition entries (all for the same comp) and two poems for the next OU Poets Workbook.

Today I've been looking again at a story I started at least a year ago, maybe two!  My ideas for writing this was to perhaps publish it online as a sort of online soap.  It's written in small chunks, changing scenes quite quickly like a TV soap.  It is based on a community in the countryside....no not quite Emerdale, but there are farms!  Also the idea came from something similar I did at work years ago, posting up a new episode every week.  Well, I'm back working on it.  In fact reading J.K. Rowling's book A Casual Vacancy reminded me of my 'soap'.  Her book is great and I've really warmed to certain characters and hate others.  I'm over half way through it now and really into it.

So, I am toying with idea of posting perhaps the first edition of my story up here for some feedback, especially as story writing has taken a back seat with me for so long.  I can't say when I'll do it.  Some urging and support required here!!

Well I think it's time for a break and some fresh air.  I need to think where my 'soap' is going next.

We

The next step and the tricky subject of organising!

Oh for the sea....again!  Eastbourne

So what does a writer do after such a heady few weeks?  Gets on with trying to repeat the euphoria!

I have been trying to sort out about 12/14 poems to enter into a pamphlet competition.  I've never done this before and felt I needed some help in going about it.  Found a nice guide on Mslexia's website for a competition they ran in June.  I now have some poems (having chosen a theme) but immediately started to query whether they were good enough.  I have looked through some other poems, a few that need editing or completing and have managed to vary the contributions better.  There is still a way to go yet and I have another month until the deadline but I can't leave this until the last moment because there is too much to consider.  As well as that I am sorting through other poems for submission to other competitions/magazines where deadlines are coming up this month and next.  At one point I was going round in circles, panicking about my own work, doubts have crept in but I know all writers have these feelings from time to time, especially in the early stages.

I've also bought myself a box file because while sorting through poems in various notebooks I realised how chaotic my work is and I spend too long trying to find the books and even longer trying to find which book they are in.  At least if the books are in one place that cuts down searching time.  As more work goes out and is published being more organised is a pretty good idea.

Any advice/tips?  How do you work?  Are you as bad as me or have you worked out a good system?

(PS.  Haven't got back to the story writing....no time yet)

Prize has arrived

Runner-up prize in Foyles online poetry competition.

Just a quick post to say that my prize arrived today all neatly wrapped in sexy black tissue.  The book is autographed and it came with a personal note. Thrilled!

Tony Harrison - Initial Illumination

HAPPY NATIONAL POETRY DAY!

Runner-up with Folyes

Something green and calming

Hells bells when things happen they happen at once.  I've just heard that I have been awarded a runner-up prize in the Foyles Childhood Memories competition.  This was a poem of precisely 48 words, if I remember correctly and it had to be about a favourite childhood book.  Apparently the standard of entries was very high and came down to just two.  There was only one prize but they said mine deserved recognition and so they were awarding me a runner-up prize!  My prize is the book The Angel of the Stories by John Simmons, who has kindly agreed to give Foyles a second copy.

I was jumping about, hands in the air, unable to believe this.  I am so overjoyed and feel very privileged.

This seems to have been a crazy three weeks but I am not complaining.  I just want it to go on!

Poem published and I'm on a high!

A cheery picture from my garden

I'm buzzing...I really am.  I've had a poem published in What the Dickens Magazine.  Do go and have a look.  My poem is on page 35.  It's a fab magazine, glossy colour and each edition is themed (this one is Pumpkins).  I had to write a little piece about myself and there is a link leading directly here.

Since this news I have been writing like crazy!  Remember the short story idea?  I have found a plot and yesterday I wrote about 1,200 words and in the afternoon drafted out the next part in long hand.  I think I'm getting a little sidetract with one character who seems to be making herself known.  Weird!

I felt very guilty that I was spending so much time writing or thinking about my story.  I remember what it was like years ago when I wrote stories and just drifted into a the world of my characters.  I'd not be bothered about eating or anything.  Of course then I was single and living at home.  Now I have many other commitments as well as other hobbies!  Then I started wondering about what I was writing.  Is this taking me from my poetry?  After all poetry is my first priority as I love writing it and it actually gets published!  So many thoughts going round my head.

Anyway, my magazine submissions has got me thinking a lot.  WTD magazine encourage you to tweet.  I've never done this but I asked my youngest son to help me set up a Twitter account this morning.  Heck it's like a new world!  I haven't the foggiest what I'm doing.  I had to ask my son how to compose a tweet.  When I have more idea of what I am doing I will try to link this blog to twitter.  Don't hold your breath!

Now I have to get myself dressed......oh shame...blogging before I am even decent.  I have an appointment with the dentist and hygienist.  Anyone like to take my place?