Thursday, August 18, 2005
Discoveries
British Airways sent me their latest newsletter this morning. It began, "As you are a valued customer~" I've travelled with them twice in the last two years, so how am I valued? And what if I wasn't valued, wouldn't I get the newsletter or would they just refuse to serve me cucumber sandwiches when I got on board one of their planes? If this email was meant to make me feel special it didn't. It merely made my press the delete button even quicker.
Michelle Miles challenged us to think about the top ten things we love. I've excluded obvious things and made it everyday things, hence the reason my family does not feature as it's a given. It sill wasn't as easy when you get down to thinking about it, but here goes (in no particular order):
1. Coffee - freshly made, preferably Jamaican. First cup of the day is always special.
2. Writing - gives me a joy that drills to my core.
3. Clark's Bar - well, any bar really.
4. Monkeys - feel a deep connection. I used to want to be one. Still do.
5. Irn-Bru - there's nothing quite like it.
6. Rain - listening to it tap on the window or standing in it and feel it against my skull, it doesn't matter, for rain is a blessing.
7. Silence - a truly golden thing I try to take advantage of whenever I can.
8. Music - I couldn't live without it.
9. Bookshops - I find it very easy to lose track of time in them.
10. Fishes - Calming, peaceful, graceful, and beautiful.
Look at how bored I was today - I rearranged all my links along the left hand column alphabetically.
Devon from Ink In My Coffee came up with a blog calling card idea so I visited several blogs from her list and they were so good you should all take a look.
Turning 30 and a Half
A down to earth and humorous blog from Sue in Vancouver.
Java Diva
A funny and well designed website from Jenn near Texas.
Wired Writer
Fascinating blog from freelance writer AM Adams.
Magick Musings
Writer Sandy Jones' excellent website and blog.
Trying To Be Dad
A blog I can totally relate to. Glad I found this one and I'll be going back.
Kemmyrk
A new site from writer Cerridwen Iris Shea exploring the world of tarot and the oracles. It looks fascinating and definitely worth a read.
I let go of the Fronds of Thought journal today. It was very hard to see it packaged up and I found myself taking photos of each page with my mobile phone cam so I can remember it by! I'm happy with my entries, but also I'm not happy - I think that's just down to the emotion of saying goodbye. I wanted to fill every page. I'll miss its presence in the house.
The weekly KIC Newsletter has opened a new slot where they will cover Great Authors. I contacted the editor to see if she would like a series covering Scottish authors and she would. I'll start with Robert Louis Stevenson - though the 2500 word article already written and pitched needs to be cut down to about 200-300 words. Doubt I can manage it that much so hopefully she will accept 500-600.
I spent the evening working on this article and planning the next few. I'm also going to cover writers like William Alexander, Sir Walter Scott, James Boswell, Sir James Barrie, Janice Galloway, Irvine Welsh, Muriel Spark, Iain Banks, Ian Rankin, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Burns, Liz Lochead and Edwin Morgan - probably more.
Oh, and I got a six-month paid subscription for Hunting Jack! Yee-hah!
In the background I watched a documentary about John Irving. It was fascinating to listen to him discuss his life and influences and the process he goes through when writing a novel. He mentioned how early on he always writes the last few lines and pins them on the wall of his office, so that even if the novel takes him five years to write, he knows where he is going and can see it in front of him.
He mentioned his latest book, Until I Find You. It took him the longest time of all his work to write, and at over 800 pages it is a huge read too. More interestingly though, he read sections of this book which were set in Leith! In the book he describes in details the old railway that used to run through the port, the tattoo parlours, Leith South Parish Church, Jayne Street and other local spots were described perfectly.
It was no surprise therefore, when he also said he uses his contacts across Europe to provide him with local contacts so he can visit and walk the street of the places he intends to write about.
Michelle Miles challenged us to think about the top ten things we love. I've excluded obvious things and made it everyday things, hence the reason my family does not feature as it's a given. It sill wasn't as easy when you get down to thinking about it, but here goes (in no particular order):
1. Coffee - freshly made, preferably Jamaican. First cup of the day is always special.
2. Writing - gives me a joy that drills to my core.
3. Clark's Bar - well, any bar really.
4. Monkeys - feel a deep connection. I used to want to be one. Still do.
5. Irn-Bru - there's nothing quite like it.
6. Rain - listening to it tap on the window or standing in it and feel it against my skull, it doesn't matter, for rain is a blessing.
7. Silence - a truly golden thing I try to take advantage of whenever I can.
8. Music - I couldn't live without it.
9. Bookshops - I find it very easy to lose track of time in them.
10. Fishes - Calming, peaceful, graceful, and beautiful.
Look at how bored I was today - I rearranged all my links along the left hand column alphabetically.
Devon from Ink In My Coffee came up with a blog calling card idea so I visited several blogs from her list and they were so good you should all take a look.
Turning 30 and a Half
A down to earth and humorous blog from Sue in Vancouver.
Java Diva
A funny and well designed website from Jenn near Texas.
Wired Writer
Fascinating blog from freelance writer AM Adams.
Magick Musings
Writer Sandy Jones' excellent website and blog.
Trying To Be Dad
A blog I can totally relate to. Glad I found this one and I'll be going back.
Kemmyrk
A new site from writer Cerridwen Iris Shea exploring the world of tarot and the oracles. It looks fascinating and definitely worth a read.
I let go of the Fronds of Thought journal today. It was very hard to see it packaged up and I found myself taking photos of each page with my mobile phone cam so I can remember it by! I'm happy with my entries, but also I'm not happy - I think that's just down to the emotion of saying goodbye. I wanted to fill every page. I'll miss its presence in the house.
The weekly KIC Newsletter has opened a new slot where they will cover Great Authors. I contacted the editor to see if she would like a series covering Scottish authors and she would. I'll start with Robert Louis Stevenson - though the 2500 word article already written and pitched needs to be cut down to about 200-300 words. Doubt I can manage it that much so hopefully she will accept 500-600.
I spent the evening working on this article and planning the next few. I'm also going to cover writers like William Alexander, Sir Walter Scott, James Boswell, Sir James Barrie, Janice Galloway, Irvine Welsh, Muriel Spark, Iain Banks, Ian Rankin, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Burns, Liz Lochead and Edwin Morgan - probably more.
Oh, and I got a six-month paid subscription for Hunting Jack! Yee-hah!
In the background I watched a documentary about John Irving. It was fascinating to listen to him discuss his life and influences and the process he goes through when writing a novel. He mentioned how early on he always writes the last few lines and pins them on the wall of his office, so that even if the novel takes him five years to write, he knows where he is going and can see it in front of him.
He mentioned his latest book, Until I Find You. It took him the longest time of all his work to write, and at over 800 pages it is a huge read too. More interestingly though, he read sections of this book which were set in Leith! In the book he describes in details the old railway that used to run through the port, the tattoo parlours, Leith South Parish Church, Jayne Street and other local spots were described perfectly.
It was no surprise therefore, when he also said he uses his contacts across Europe to provide him with local contacts so he can visit and walk the street of the places he intends to write about.
Colin 11:27 am
3 Comments:
Great ten things!
and OoOo on Fronds of Thought. Does that mean it's on its way to me? (I think I'm next anyway...) :)
and OoOo on Fronds of Thought. Does that mean it's on its way to me? (I think I'm next anyway...) :)
I feel like I know you better, Col.
:-)
:-)
You can still get sandwiches on an airline? I only get peanuts, LOL! Love your top ten!