14/3/2012 On working from homeSo you turn the radio on and you hear a woman declaring very matter-of-factly: "I am a freelancer and therefore I spend my whole day working at the kitchen table in my pyjamas."
NO, NO, NO! This is the idea people have of freelancers and writers: big slobs who wander around the house procrastinating, looking a mess because they can't be bothered to shower/get dressed. I really don't know how those people can function. Maybe they lack pride, self-respect and willpower, it's up to them, really. It is just not for me! Implying that every freelancer/writer is like that... It infuriates me! Personally, I cannot start writing/working before I've done my hour of exercise, had a shower, got dressed and put my make-up on. Then, and only then, am I ready to get things done. And I don't procrastinate. 2/3/2012 Writing for success...So, if I really want to earn money out of my books, I should follow the trends... So maybe I could turn my third book, Anti, into 1) a teen fiction novel, but can't be vampires, werewolves or teens killing each other on TV; 2) more far-reaching: a crime novel. Apparently, that's what's selling these days. Something to do with post 9/11 insecurity (yeah, right)...
I already wanted my third book, Anti, to have a Fim Noir feel, so maybe I should think in terms of psychological thriller-noir crime fiction (and try and crowbar in some snow and sensible clothes like jumpers, apparently it would make the book very Scandinavian noir, which is very on trend at the moment... Don't ask me, I haven't read or watched any of these.) Mind you, by the time I finish writing my second novel, The Book of Thoth (i.e at least next January) then the fad for crime fiction will have faded and publishing houses will be looking for some new ways of making sure those profit margins are being met... Maybe Uggie's memoirs will be published right on time and start a new bestselling trend? 24/2/2012 Workshops are not for meI regularly receive in my inbox various messages inviting me to book a place on courses for writers. The latest one is £245 for "Manuscript submission masterclasses". Are you kidding?
Creative writing seems to have turned into a multi-million pounds industry. I have quite a romantic idea about what being a writer is. For me, a writer is not someone who's been to Cambridge or Oxford, done an MA in creative writing, learnt how "to pitch themselves" and "position themselves in the market". How can something as creative and intuitive as writing have become so infused with corporate speech? For me, a writer is self-made, DIY, someone with an urge, a passion; it's someone who writes because they cannot do without it. It's someone whose imagination is too powerful: they would go mad if they didn't write all those things they write. Also, I love writing because it is a solitary activity I can do at my own pace and in silence. It is my very own little universe. I am not looking for the company of "fellow writers", companionship. I do not wish to "share my experience". I do not want a smug publishing professional to tell me what to do or not: for me, writing is so personal that no one can tell me how to do it. I just follow my instincts, my intuition, two things that have become "swear words" in our society. It seems that people are trying to find ways of restricting writing, of controlling it. You almost need a "business plan", you need to "identify your strengths and weaknesses as a writer", you need an "action plan". And I say "NO", even though I am perfectly aware of the consequences! 24/2/2012 Celebrity deathI was looking for some cartoons related to writing, and I stumbled upon this one (which is not related to writing).
It is not signed, and I can only say that I found it here: VIEWS FROM NATURE 13/1/2012 Damn. The 20s are on trend!OMG! The Guardian have just discovered the 20s!
I have had a Louise Brooks bob for the best part of the past 15 years (if not longer... er. Wait. 1997, actually, so yes, that's 15 years!) and adopted the 20s look ages ago. I love Art Deco, silent movies, the visuals, the culture... Women were bloody alluring, in a gamine, slightly androgynous yet ultra feminine way. Ambiguity is always attractive... Louise Brooks and Clara Bow embodied the new, independent, determined, individual woman of the era. With the 20s look, it was not about being gorgeous/pretty but interesting, mysterious and darkly seductive. It is perfect for small yet athletic bodies, with narrow hips and small breasts (so far away from the ghastly looks that are "in" now!). So completely not on trend and therefore interesting... Of course, you still had the ingénues, like Lillian and Dorothy Gish and Mary Pickford... Lillian Gish is a firm favourite of mine (ever since I read her biography - she was such an amazing person!), but she never adopted the "flapper" look and stayed strangely Edwardian looking: delicate, doll-like, the picture of innocence and purity. Let's see how many people follow the trend like sheep. I was there first! :-) Maeve Hayward, one of the characters of my novel The Book of Thoth, is partially based on Louise Brooks 3/1/2012 Kant spelCan we trust those people for running a train service? They make THREE mistakes on ONE board. The worrying thing is that this picture has been chosen by the BBC - alongside others - to illustrate the bad weather we are having today, and they didn't make any comment about the errors. Bet they haven't even spotted them, because nobody can spell anymore. Customer service at its (and NOT it's) best!
14/12/2011 A cute anti-Xmas song just for you!Yep. I DO hate Xmas. Video courtesy of Nomi Leonard from the awesome Dogbones!
2012 will be the year when I see The Dogbones live again! It's been far too long. 14/12/2011 Pudding Touting. No joke.The precious item is "Heston Blumenthal's hidden orange Christmas pudding". So I had to Google this because I don't know this bloke at all. Celebrity chefs are some of the most useless people on the planet.
Personally, I don't care about food, I don't cook. Food is fuel to make your body function, end of story. Strangely enough, food seems to have replaced culture, hobbies and sex in our society. If that's not dysfunctional... Weird. So, this rather yucky-looking blob you can see on the picture is supposedly at the centre of a "Pudding Touts" crisis, i.e people go to Waitrose (where they sell at £13.99), buy in bulk and sell them on eBay for... £200! (Someone has seen one at £500 too). Honestly, WHO on Earth would pay this amount for a bit of fat and candied fruit? Just thinking about having a bite makes me feel sick. Some people are just snobbish, stupid and incredibly, incredibly greedy. No wonder there's an obesity epidemic! 7/12/2011 This is slightly worrying...I think I'd better start watching myself when I speak to people. Look at this funny blog showing you the subtle way to express yourself in French! FRENCH FACES I think I'd better start watching myself when I speak to people. Righto... So basically: OH! SORRY!
It's the other way around, isn't it? Hehehe... This is the best way to demonstrate the Theory of Evolution, ever! Well, I know the one I'd prefer to spend an afternoon with ... And it's not the one wearing a silly shirt! :-) |
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March 2024
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