Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Fronds Of Thought
Thankfully it was cooler today and the blue skies of late were replaced by some welcome cloud-cover. I needed the respite before I gave in to the heat once and for all. Global warming just isn't what it's cracked up to be and I welcome the proposed change to a new ice age. Ahem. :-)
As I sat on the bus on my way to work I saw the oddest thing. A lad about 20'ish was kneeling on the ground next to a lifeless body of a boy about the same age. They were both dressed similarly; jeans and t-shirt, and as the boy held his friend he was sobbing up towards the heavens with his arms held aloft.
Naturally, I thought I was witnessing the demise of an innocent young lad and was about to get up from my seat to disembark and help out, when I noticed the tripod.
Fastened to the top of the tripod was a video camera and it was pointed straight at the two actors. Whether it was a student film, Fringe rehearsal or Jackass-type stunt, it looked realistic enough to me and I suspect may have scared more than a few elderly bystanders.
Speaking of the Fringe, 40,000 tickets are already gone after the first week. I got the email today - the first of the season - and it's packed as usual with loads of things I would love to go to.
Unfortunately, cash and time are the obstacle and I would much rather keep my cash for the Edinburgh Book Festival anyway. But, there may be a few acts I will want to fit in to the schedule and after I've had a proper look at the programme I will type up any bookings in this blog.
By lunchtime the clouds had parted and it was another gloriously sunny and hot day. So much for respite. The air-conditioning in the office did its best but it wasn't enough.
I re-edited my episode of the KIC Soap for submitting later. It's about 1900 words so I hope it's not too long. It's kind of difficult to bring a short story in for a low word count especially when you are trying to cross-breed to separate entities like this. We shall see if it passes the QA test. To be honest, I'm looking forward to the character sketches coming back more than anything else.
Gail went to the theatre with her Mum in the evening, which left me time to work on some stories while Laura was out playing. I gave my KIC Soap episode another read-through then sent it off. I hope its okay. I also spotted a couple of missed points about Jackie McCann's character sketch so I sent that off too.
My Ed at KIC has me in for a live internet chat on Thursday, August 25th. Hopefully, with a bit of pushing I can get some people to come along. I'm scheduled several weeks into the plan so if it doesn't work out before me it may get cancelled. I'll certainly do my best to support the other authors as well.
After Laura went to bed (it is going to be such a long summer), I got to work on a story I started writing a few weeks ago. I think it's ideal for another of Writing Magazine's competitions. The story is about - section deleted - you can read it later when it gets published. All I will say is the title; it's called Whisky Snacthing. I had a few great ideas how to tie it up and I wrote a lot on it.
I also wrote the first brief plot outlines for the e-book that is to accompany Hunting Jack at KIC. The deadline for this is July 15th and I was beginning to worry I might not have the desire after finishing the serial. I know I can though, and I started work on it.
The last thing, and by far the most exciting of all the projects I am working on, is the 13 Traveling Journals Project. Devon Ellington invited me to participate - though after reading up on it I would have offered anyway - and after reading about what it entails I was only too delighted to jump on board.
13 journals are going to wing their way around the world and be owned by different artists and writers for a period of up to a month. During their time with the journal they are free to record their thoughts, sketches, photography, writings, poems etc.
Tonight I received my contract and I completed it and sent it straight back. It won't make the journal arrive any faster, I know. But it keeps the ball moving and is an expression of my enthusiasm for this.
I think it is the fact I will be contributing to something that is on such a large scale, that will be unpredictable in its final state, and that because it means so much to Devon, that has got me so looking forward to starting and being involved.
And of course, anyone is free to join!
The URL for this project is: http://13travelingjournalsproject.blogspot.com
Devon Ellington's website is at: http://www.devonellingtonwork.com Her blog is at: http://inkinmycoffee.blogspot.com
Expect to hear more about this project in the coming six weeks because I'm first on the list to get one of the journals.
Here is a description of the journal taken from the 13 Journals website: "Journal #2 - Fronds of Thought. This is a wire-bound journal. It has a black cover with a cut-out of a palm tree. The pages are a deep green, unlined. This journal will start in Edinburgh, Scotland, with Colin Galbraith."
As a writer, if something like this doesn't turn you on then you need to empty yer heid of mince. :-)
Fronds of Thought. Picture fronds in your mind; green, sharp, soft, blowing in the breeze. A hot climate comes to mind; sandy beaches, cloudless skies, transparent blue oceans, coconuts, Jamaica, crickets singing in the twighlight. The wilderness; jungle tracks, leapoard's eyes, the Amazon, survival, Eden, Adam and Eve.
Man! This is gonna be good!
As I sat on the bus on my way to work I saw the oddest thing. A lad about 20'ish was kneeling on the ground next to a lifeless body of a boy about the same age. They were both dressed similarly; jeans and t-shirt, and as the boy held his friend he was sobbing up towards the heavens with his arms held aloft.
Naturally, I thought I was witnessing the demise of an innocent young lad and was about to get up from my seat to disembark and help out, when I noticed the tripod.
Fastened to the top of the tripod was a video camera and it was pointed straight at the two actors. Whether it was a student film, Fringe rehearsal or Jackass-type stunt, it looked realistic enough to me and I suspect may have scared more than a few elderly bystanders.
Speaking of the Fringe, 40,000 tickets are already gone after the first week. I got the email today - the first of the season - and it's packed as usual with loads of things I would love to go to.
Unfortunately, cash and time are the obstacle and I would much rather keep my cash for the Edinburgh Book Festival anyway. But, there may be a few acts I will want to fit in to the schedule and after I've had a proper look at the programme I will type up any bookings in this blog.
By lunchtime the clouds had parted and it was another gloriously sunny and hot day. So much for respite. The air-conditioning in the office did its best but it wasn't enough.
I re-edited my episode of the KIC Soap for submitting later. It's about 1900 words so I hope it's not too long. It's kind of difficult to bring a short story in for a low word count especially when you are trying to cross-breed to separate entities like this. We shall see if it passes the QA test. To be honest, I'm looking forward to the character sketches coming back more than anything else.
Gail went to the theatre with her Mum in the evening, which left me time to work on some stories while Laura was out playing. I gave my KIC Soap episode another read-through then sent it off. I hope its okay. I also spotted a couple of missed points about Jackie McCann's character sketch so I sent that off too.
My Ed at KIC has me in for a live internet chat on Thursday, August 25th. Hopefully, with a bit of pushing I can get some people to come along. I'm scheduled several weeks into the plan so if it doesn't work out before me it may get cancelled. I'll certainly do my best to support the other authors as well.
After Laura went to bed (it is going to be such a long summer), I got to work on a story I started writing a few weeks ago. I think it's ideal for another of Writing Magazine's competitions. The story is about - section deleted - you can read it later when it gets published. All I will say is the title; it's called Whisky Snacthing. I had a few great ideas how to tie it up and I wrote a lot on it.
I also wrote the first brief plot outlines for the e-book that is to accompany Hunting Jack at KIC. The deadline for this is July 15th and I was beginning to worry I might not have the desire after finishing the serial. I know I can though, and I started work on it.
The last thing, and by far the most exciting of all the projects I am working on, is the 13 Traveling Journals Project. Devon Ellington invited me to participate - though after reading up on it I would have offered anyway - and after reading about what it entails I was only too delighted to jump on board.
13 journals are going to wing their way around the world and be owned by different artists and writers for a period of up to a month. During their time with the journal they are free to record their thoughts, sketches, photography, writings, poems etc.
Tonight I received my contract and I completed it and sent it straight back. It won't make the journal arrive any faster, I know. But it keeps the ball moving and is an expression of my enthusiasm for this.
I think it is the fact I will be contributing to something that is on such a large scale, that will be unpredictable in its final state, and that because it means so much to Devon, that has got me so looking forward to starting and being involved.
And of course, anyone is free to join!
The URL for this project is: http://13travelingjournalsproject.blogspot.com
Devon Ellington's website is at: http://www.devonellingtonwork.com Her blog is at: http://inkinmycoffee.blogspot.com
Expect to hear more about this project in the coming six weeks because I'm first on the list to get one of the journals.
Here is a description of the journal taken from the 13 Journals website: "Journal #2 - Fronds of Thought. This is a wire-bound journal. It has a black cover with a cut-out of a palm tree. The pages are a deep green, unlined. This journal will start in Edinburgh, Scotland, with Colin Galbraith."
As a writer, if something like this doesn't turn you on then you need to empty yer heid of mince. :-)
Fronds of Thought. Picture fronds in your mind; green, sharp, soft, blowing in the breeze. A hot climate comes to mind; sandy beaches, cloudless skies, transparent blue oceans, coconuts, Jamaica, crickets singing in the twighlight. The wilderness; jungle tracks, leapoard's eyes, the Amazon, survival, Eden, Adam and Eve.
Man! This is gonna be good!
Colin 11:34 am