Books to suit the weather?

A (long) while ago I bought a lovely copy of Jane Eyre, in the black and white Everyman binding. I'd read the wonderful novel before but the copy I had was a secondhand one whose pages were far more out than in. For one reason and another I've only just got around to opening my 'new' edition and the other day whilst reading it, I was reminded again about how much I enjoy books whose contents echo the outside when it comes to setting or weather. The wind was howling and the rain was hammering at the windows. It sat perfectly with the young Jane shivering in her bed at Lowood Instituion, unable to wash on particular days because the water had frozen in the ewer. I read this and pulled the blanket further around myself, at the same time feeling a little odd that I could do this whilst Jane suffered with the cold. And yes, I know she's fictional but that's what good writing does to you, isn't it?

It's not just weather that I enjoy tallying with the contents of my choice of reading, I'm apt to do it for location too at times. Several years ago we were lucky enough to travel to Asia for my husband's job at the time (if he gave up the option of Business Class he could have two Economy tickets instead, which was good for the company as this was still cheaper and also us as I got to tag along!). The place we visited most was India - a place I already had a love affair with, only enhanced by our visits. I loved reading books set in the Continent, including one on the history of the Maharanis and another that was my late father in law's called 'Chasing The Monsoon'. He was an avid reader and although my Mum in law donated all his beautiful, immaculate books when he passed away, she put this one aside for me, knowing about my interest in the country. It was an older book and one I'd probably never have come across, and reading it was a joy. I think this probably was partly due to the setting I was lucky enough to read it in, but also because by reading it, I was able to have a link with my hubby's Dad.

So, is it just me who enjoys snuggling up as I read about the cold, rain lashed Yorkshire Moors? I'd love to hear whether you enjoy reading certain things in certain circumstances!

Apologies

Just a quick post to say sorry for the lack of posts recently. We've been having a bit of a broadband issue, and that, along with trying to get things ready for Christmas has made it a bit unfeasible to post. Hopefully this will now be rectified.

If I don't speak to you before, I'd like to wish everyone a very happy, and peaceful Christmas.

Best wishes

Scribbler Maxi

Do people really hate reading?

I recently read about a Facebook page called 'I Hate Reading'. My initial thought was 'Seriously?'. This seems such a strange topic to go to the effort of setting up a fan page for. I mean, if you apparently hate reading, then just don't read. End of discussion. But it seems that the creator may have hit a nerve as to date it currently has 517,522 'likes'.

With regards to this page, there have been comments to the effect that it's not 'I hate reading' but 'I hate Reading' - as in the town in Berkshire. It's not a place I know particularly so I can't comment on that. But even disregarding the whole Facebook thing, there probably isn't one among us who hasn't heard someone say that 'reading is boring' or that they do in fact hate reading.

That gets me to thinking. Do they really and truly 'hate' reading? The dictionary definition of hate is an 'intense or passionate dislike'. And if this really is how they feel about the thought of having to sit down with a book, then why? Where did this anti-passion for books come from?

I think school probably gets some of the blame. Dissecting a novel into the minutiae of who did what to whom and why can test the love of a book for even the most ardent reader. Take away any present passion for books and it is easy for the scale to tip.

Even if that Facebook page does indeed refer to the town, it's unclear and as a result I'm sure some people have 'liked' it thinking that it does refer to books. I highly doubt anyone that did so is reading this blog, purely because of its subject, but it would be interesting to know if any of them do read other blogs, and does that count as reading? I mean, you have to read Facebook status and walls, don't you?

However, on the very off chance that one does,or you know someone who really does apparently detest the thought of reading a book, I'd ask them to try again. If you haven't read since school and your last ingrained memory of reading was a painful dissection of a classic, then make a fresh start. Find a book whose story you think sounds interesting, get comfy with a nice cup of tea (or something stronger if that's your preference but not if it's going to make you nod off!), switch off the telly and just try the whole experience again - this time at your own pace, just enjoying the story. Escape into another world and hopefully the memories of 'hating reading' will be replaced by a love for it instead.

But I don't feel like writing!

There are definitely days when you just don't feel like writing. Today is one of those days. I think it's mostly  a combination of a fuggy head thanks to my Fibromyalgia and a busy day yesterday which again, the fibro objects to but I just haven't been able to sit down and write. Except not doing it was making me feel bad. I wanted to do it! I felt guilty at not doing it! I really did want to write something.

So I pulled up the novel, and have just spent part of the afternoon adding words to that. I say 'adding words' because I'm not sure that when I look at it again that it will be any good. But I can fix that. I can edit words that are on the page. I can't edit what isn't there.

My brain is still fuddled, my dry eye is still sore and annoying the heck out of me, but at least I've writen at least 1000 words today and that's pretty good on a day I didn't feel like writing.

You have to love reading

If you write, then you have to love reading. There's no getting around it. If you write fiction, then you need to read fiction, and if you write non-fiction then you're likely going to have to look up and read some stuff!

Of course, for the most part, that's not an issue. It's a natural thing for us to want to devour as many books as possible and it's likely that, if you're anything like me, the To Be Read pile doesn't seem to get any smaller, no matter how much we read.

Finding the time to read is one issue that many of us struggle with. It's so easy to get swept along in the daily trundle of life, working, housework, the garden, that although you might get around to catching up on articles and news online, sometimes you look round and realise you haven't picked up a proper book in weeks!

I've now made a conscious effort to get a book off the shelf (and deciding which one can take its own share of the time - is it just me or do you have to be 'in the mood' for certain books too?) and then make another concerted effort to actually pick it up and read it. Now, whether that's in the bath, over breakfast, on the commute (if you go by train!) or in bed, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you do it.

So grab a book, switch off the goggle box and dive in!

Nanowrimo

Apologies for the delay but I just wanted to wish everyone who is in the midst of thier Nano works the very best of luck!

I'm in the middle of several different projects (well, at least two) that I really want to get finished so after much deliberation I decided not to enter this year. I don't know what it is about November, but I always seem to have various amounts of things to do in this particular month. One day...

Anyway, I just wanted those who are embarked on the manic but amazing task that I'm cheering for you! Go Nanos!



Shameless plug as it's Hallowe'en

Happy Hallowe'en to one and all!

Bearing in mind the date, I am today going to do a shameless plug of my non-fiction book, Ghost Walks of Brighton.

I mean, if you can't plug a ghost book at Hallowe'en, when can you? (Well, any time and as much as possible really, if you want to get sales, but you know what I mean.)

I've always been interested in the paranormal and had toyed with the idea of writing something about it but I wasn't sure what, exactly. That was until I came across the call from Country Books about a series of ghost walk books they were putting together, and that they were looking to expand the series further.

Having known Brighton for many years, and the interesting history it had, I suggested this to Dick Richardson, the publisher and he was happy to go ahead. What I really enjoyed was that, although it is a series, Dick didn't have a specific format he wanted to go with, it was up to me as to how I wanted to do it, and how long it was, etc.

First of all, I did all the research and gathered stories and tales, choosing the ones I felt were best included and weeding out ones that didn't fit or were a bit vague. Being fairly local, I was also able to draw on a couple of experiences from friends and relatives. Once the stories were there, I had to put them into place.

Now, I am not known for my navigational skills. Rather I am known for my total lack of them. Thankfully my husband has excellent ones so, with the help of a big map, we plotted the locations of the tales and then condensed them into actual walks, keeping them within certain areas, although it's possible for them to be put together to make longer ones. Then came the time to walk them and try them out. There were a few changes along the way which I noted down and applied to the manscript once we got back. Although we had done the 'Lanes' one on a separate day, the others were all done together, on quite a long and fairly tiring day! It was all quite fun and exciting though!

If you're interested in the subject, the book is still a good read, even if you aren't able to do the walks. Several people I know have gone this route because they either are not able to physically do the walks or aren't local enough so don't feel you need to miss out!

The paperback can be bought at Brighton's Waterstones, or direct from the publisher here. There's also a Kindle version which is available at Amazon here

If you choose to have a read, I hope you enjoy it - and Happy Hallowe'en!

Need a boot up the bum? Here's a great book to do just that (but in a nice way!)

Like most writers, I have a shelf full of creative writing books and enjoy gaining inspiration from them, and immersing myself in the 'writerly' world. Although, again like most of us, I've found that some are definitely more useful than others.

One of the most useful, and enjoyable, I have found is Diana Cambridge's 'How to write for magazines in one weekend'. Having been a subscriber to Writing Magazine for yonks, and encountered Ms Cambridge's helpful advice there, I eventually came across this book and looked up some reviews. They were all positive and I sent for my copy.

I can now see why the reviews were so good, and can also say that I totally agree with them (and just to let you know, I am not in any way connected to the author and bought the book with my own pennies!).

Although it's set out in the form of struturing the exercises over a weekend, it's not at all vital. I read it over the course of a few evenings and did the exercises as and when I could fit them in. It still works brilliantly. However, if you have a free couple of days and really want to get stuck in to some writing, then following the set layout could be a really good start.

What I like about the book is that it is broken up into sections with the various segments available for magazine writers listed individually, such as letters, opinion pieces, jokes, etc. Often when we think of writing for a magazine, we think 'article' so it's great to be reminded about the other options too. Also, writing things like letters gives us a quick 'hit' of writing and submission which can help spur us on to bigger things (more about this in a future post).

As an editor herself, Diana Cambridge knows what editors are generally looking for, and also what they don't want. Insider information like this is extremely helpful and this book gives it to us in a really relaxed but enthusiastic way. The author isn't looking down on writers or being patronising, as some books in this genre can be guilty of. It's simply 150 pages of valuable and friendly coaching which I know I'll be dipping back into every now and then for an 'energy boost'. Highly recommended.

One note though, on the front of my copy it advertises a writing competition to win £100 of Lonely Planet Guides. Just be advised that this competition is no longer open. 

If you want to know more about Diana, and her books, her website is http://www.canalstreet.org.uk/

That explains things...

Following on from the previous post, I was doing my own chasing last week.

One of the chases in my 'To Do' list was for She magazine. They'd put out a call a short time ago for writers. I was pretty excited about this as I like the mag and felt they had interesting articles and a good outlook. I had a couple of pitches to do which I thought would (hopefully!) be suitable for them. All in all I was actually quite cheery about these pitches.

And then nothing. So when I came to do the chasing last week, I made a discovery that the magazine in which I had such hope has been closed. Which would go some way to explaining why I hadn't had a reply to my pitch. Hearst Magazines has bought out Hachette Filipacchi and immediately closed Cosmo Bride and She magazines.

So, in case you missed the announcement (as I did) and are waiting for a reply, I just thought I'd let you know.

And now to finding a new home for those pitches....

The chase is on

Ask any writer what one of their least favourite aspects is when it comes to writing articles, and many would say the chase.

You study the publication, write up the article or pitch, find out who best to send it to and off it goes. And then...nothing. Absolutely nothing but silence. You might want to send an email a couple of weeks after the initial submission and with a bit of luck you'll get a response to that but more often than not, you'll end up having to ring up the magazine to find out a) if they received the information and b) whether they've had a chance to look at it. This can be pretty intimidating.

Writers are often, by nature, shy and the thought of having to ring up and speak to someone can fill you with dread. But often, there's no other choice. You need to find out what's going on with the piece so that you can plan your next step.

Most of the time the person on the other end of the line will be helpful and pleasant. Make sure you have the date of when you sent the piece, what you sent and how (email or snail mail), and to whom. It won't look good if they ask you any of the above and you don't have the answers to hand.

Avoid ringing at lunchtimes, five minutes before the office is due to close or in the days running up to the launch of the latest issue. None of those choices will help endear you to the editor. Aside from that, it's a case of just biting the bullet and making the call. At least you'll know.

Good luck!

I MUST finish the book!

For a writer, it's so important to find the time to read. Don't make it a chore, or something that 'has' to be done but do fit it in somewhere. There's often a bit of compromise or multi tasking involved but that's ok, it's whatever works for you.

I know I'll never read all the books I really want to anyway so I no longer force myself to plod through a book just because I've started it. I used to. It didn't matter how dire it was, or how much it just wasn't my sort of thing, onward I would tramp, constantly glancing to see how many pages I had left until finally, finally I was done and could go and start something else.

The first time I didn't finish a book, it was an incredible release. Why on earth had I been forcing myself to do this? The book that brought it all to a head was 'We need to talk about Kevin'. I was reading it as part of an online reading group but I couldn't do it. The subject matter was just too dark for me at that particular time in my life and I had to pull out. I'm sure there were those in the group that felt I 'should' finish the book and they are entitled to their opinion.

I read to be entertained, to learn and to escape. That particular book did not suit my personality, that's all. I wasn't going to continue reading a book that disturbed and upset me, even though that is essentially the whole idea. It's meant to be a disturbing book.

But I have a lot to thank that book for. It freed me! It broke the chain of 'having' to finish a book. That decision meant I now have more time for the ones I do want to read.

It's not that common for me to not finish a book but now I know that if I don't, it's ok.

My muse went to the beach

There are definitely days when it feels like the muse is taking the day off. The sun is shining, and they've gone to the beach along with everyone else.

So, what to do on the days when we are feel less than inspired? There are a few classic tricks that can give both the motivation and inspiration a bit of a kick start.

• Take a complete break from your writing desk/chair and go and do something completely different. Go for a walk, play with the dog (both?), do some gardening, go for a bike ride.
• If you're writing fiction, watch a couple of films in the same genre to get you 'in the mood' and the right mind set.
• Take a snooze. A tired brain is not a productive one
• Read a book. Immersing yourself in the land of the written word can be a good way to get yourself back into being the one doing the writing.
• Just write. It doesn't matter what it is. Write in your journal if you have one, on your blog (again, if you have one), write a letter (remember those?), and I do mean a 'proper' letter of the paper kind that you have to stick a stamp on and post.

Hopefully after some time spent doing one or more of the above activiites, you'll feel in a better frame of mind to get back to it.

Be Interested

When it comes to writing, be interested in everything you can. Of course, there will be subjects in which you will have not the slightest inkling of interest and that's fine. There's no way I'm about to do a piece on Quantum Physics - even for the layman - because I really just don't get it. No matter how I try. I blame my 'creative' brain but I know that's a poor excuse. Bill Bryson did a fantastic job of breaking down complicated subjects into everyday, understandable languague in A Short History Of Nearly Everything and he's clearly pretty creative! But I still don't get it. How can one thing be in two places at once...I mean...how?!

But physics aside (for me at least) there are plenty more subjects out there that could provide the spark for an article. It might not be something you think you'd be interested in, but give it a chance. Make some notes, ferret around a bit with some research (although try not to get too sidetracked here at this stage) and see what turns up. An interesting character associated with the subject may crop up providing you with yet another possible article. It may be that the final article has only a tentative link with the subject you originally started with, just see where the rabbit holes can lead. Keep an open mind. Don't dismiss something immediately just because you think you're not interested in that subject. You may surprise yourself.

Newbie post

Writing a blog is something I've been thinking about for a long time. I know, I know, I'm way behind the trend! However, I've now stepped off the diving board into the huge ocean that is the the blogosphere and hopefully I'm going to be able to swim, or at the very least bob around with my head above the water. So the plan is to post two or three times a week on the subject of words and writing. I really hope that you find the entries I make interesting and I'd love to hear your comments and opinions.

So wish me luck and off we go!