USA DAZE

Holiday break - part one.

New York was the essence of everything sultry and hot. I took a leaf out of the Tourists' Handbook and ticked off as many as possible ;)  

San Francisco was the essence of extremes, I've never needed to put on and taken off a jacket so often.

Los Angeles sprawled, lavish and splendid - all stars and signs.

I was sad I couldn't fit Carpinteria into my suitcase, I want that town.

I walked the length and breadth of San Ysidro - shopping and footbridges.

Tijuana - over the border, in Mexico - was an extreme contrast.

I apologise to all the places I haven't mentioned yet, I loved every minute of my holiday.

I sat on more beautiful beaches than I can count, read over ten books but wrote only about 1,000 words.

It will come as no surprise that I toasted my head which is a great place for sunburn, almost as good as burning my bum and I did that too ;)

Holiday break - part two.

I'm away again, from today. I'm helping my Mum move house, as she is down-sizing. I'm going to need magical assistance, Hermionie's handbag might be nearly large enough to fit all the stuff Mum wants to bring to her new flat. 

Summer break? ;)

Hope you are having a productive holiday. Have you considered doing Camp NaNoWriMo? 

MY BAGS ARE PACKED, THE OTHER PILE IS JUST WASHING - WAITING AND WISHING - someone, please tell my partner to pack

Sorry for not finding the time to update my blog, but I've been researching and writing three reports for my Learning Champions Course. 


I've got the next workshop/turorial tomorrow. 


There are still seven sections including a one-to-one tutorial to complete before the portfolio of work can be collected and assessed. 


This is the place where I'm supposed to say it's a shame my holiday is booked for Friday. 


It is NOT a shame. It is busy-busy. ;)


When I'm not working, studying or sleeping I'm re-reading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows ready for midnight plus one minute-into-Friday-morning when my roomy, leather chair is waiting for me in my local cinema :D


My schedule is cramped, for the next couple of weeks:


Cinema ends 3:00 am.
Journey to the airport 10:00 am
Flight 2:30 pm
Via Reykjavik 
Arriving in New York some-time-later on Friday :D


I've packed running shoes, we are going to be chasing around New York so we can see a fraction of everything on our Gotta-see List.


Late Monday, we fly to San Francisco and jog around there for a few days hoping to see everything we planned into the itinerary glint by.


We are tacking a route along the coast to include Monterey, Big Sur, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, several more spots before Solvang (Hi, Sherrie,) San Diego, Santa Monica and, of course, Los Angeles.


I'm so excited I've packed, unpacked and re-packed again - packing-lean has never weighed so much;)


I've also packed my writing notebook and some serious-amounts-of reading material but I think this is not the lying about with a sandy novel kind of holiday.


I'll update the blog as much as I can, when I'm away, but chances are I won't make it much further than Twitter and an overexcited Facebook status or two.


Happy holidays to everyone.


Are you counting down to your holiday too? 

SHUTTLE OFF FOLLOWED BY SPLASHBACK

          

The five space shuttles transported  355 astronauts.

There have been 134 missions.

Shuttles have travelled a total of half a billion miles in space.

The ground crew and astronauts have been routinely heroic. 

Nothing I have read about the replacements sound anything like as versatile as the space shuttle.

I wonder what the new craft might look like?

How far we will we expect the next generation of brave explorers to go?

We use vast sums of money to fund our ability to look outwards, do we suffer from insatiable curiosity or planet envy?

Could it be that we have we lost hope in our ability to protect and share the Earth? 

Where is X-33? I can't help thinking the Orion rocket looks - splash-back-to-the-future - limited.

SIX SENTENCES - STARRING FROM THE NEW START ;)

Thanks to everyone who offered their thoughts about my six sentences, last week. 


THANK YOU! Your thoughts helped me think... so much. :D


A little late on, but, I've finally decided where STARRING should start ;) I've gone back to the inciting incident that got Lucas sent to boarding school.

STARRING

CHAPTER 1

INSIDE OUT

The weather was hot and humid, just like home. High over head, the sun broke through miserable clouds and forced rain-filled puddles to steam and shrink. The zoo appeared to be empty, everyone indoors at the watering hole. At the tiger enclosure, Lucas stared at the large Sumatran tiger and the tiger stared back at him. When Lucas placed his hand flat on the glass, the tiger turned its head and gnawed at the smooth surface. With its round yellow eyes fixed on him, the tiger paced away and quickly back again, Lucas was tempted to join in the dance.


OK? My Beta wanted blood rather than angst  at the start

COUNTING DOWN TO THE ABBA LITFEST virtual informative and free

This way to the ABBA Litfest. I can't wait! :D

My computer will be my BFFE this weekend as the ABBAlitfest opens its virtual doors and welcomes everyone who is interested in writing for children.


There are competitions and giveaways :D


Over the next two days they will be posting videos and hosting bookloads of published authors.


Guest blogs and interviews, the next two days will be awesome.

The organisers have said the response they have received from writers, worldwide, has been AMAZING.


This is the first ever online festival run by children's authors, I am not surprised the interest has been phenomenal this is a great opportunity to learn a lot - all in one weekend - and it is free and accessible to everyone. 


The ABBA Litfest starts tomorrow at 9am BST.


They have asked if everyone could help them make it a global triumph by Blogging, mentions on Facebook page or chats on Twitter using the #ABBAlitfest hashtag.


All of us Tweeps could get #ABBAlitfest to trend over the weekend.


Bookmark the ABBA Litfest here.


Another good thing about the virtual Literary Festival is that you can dress down in pyjamas and slippers or up in a ball gown crowed with a tiara.


If you dress to impress, coffee casual or queenly, you can post your ABBAlitfest photograph on the FB page or Twitter - the writer who impresses most is in line for one of the ABBA Litfest prizes.


I can't guarantee to make it in tafetta but I'll be looking to gather some pearls of wisdom ;)   



WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO WITH YOUR WEEKEND?

WRITING ON AN AXIS OF AWESOME

F*BOMB WARNING! This clip contains language unsuitable for minors although miners should be less disturbed.

The four chords Axis of Awesome played were E, B, C# minor and A – from E major.

With lots of other chords available, why are dozens of hit songs created using the same four chords?

·       They are easy on the ear.

·       Great songs, like great fiction, are often about overcoming adversity. These chords are positive but also reflective so they suit the character of each song.

·       All of these songs are kitchen-sink, karaoke key – even if the original artist was male, women can sing them too.

To tell you the truth, Axis of Awesome has transposed some songs into E major even though it was not the original key. I don’t mind that, because it was a lot of fun.

And so to writing:

All writers take a few key elements and craft a million different stories with the same basic chords:

E     EXTRORDINARY CHARACTERS

B     BROAD THEMES

C#   CONFLICTS - SHARP AND MINOR

A     ACTION

That is an Axis of Awesome ;)

DO YOU HAVE A CURRENT FAVOURITE SONG?

I love Adele’s – Set Fire To The Rain

(But I have no idea what I’m singing about :D)

DARK AND STORMY? MINE'S MORE GREY

I had Bulwer-Lytton moment this afternoon.

Can you imagine "It was a dark and stormy night" ever being a new way to hook a reader?

I read the winners of the 2011 Lyttle Lytton Competition the clever and the cringey.

My poetically crafted  sentence is colouring the scene until every shade blends to confounded grey:

Rain teared the cobbles until the sodden ground oozed; the wind, like the keening wails of sudden widows, howled through deserted streets and lightning peaked in bleaching flashes across the rooftops’ bare-boned spars, each hunched against the grieving force, when the tempest swelled and the army floundered far from home.  (50words)

CAN YOU WRITE THE WORST OPENING SENTENCE FOR A NOVEL?

"Tick is not following tock," said Maurice the clockmaker as he licked at a sooty spring in the back of the watch.

Ugh! Of course, it could just be me - germs, things with moving parts and mouths ;)