It may just be me, but it is bothering me.....
I used to read a lot of online m/m fiction - through sites such as Literotica and nifty - now fair enough there is an awful lot of crap out there, but there were some genuinely good stories, some of which hung around online to be read for several years but which have now disappeared.
Now whilst I appreciate there has been some problems with people stealing these works and passing them off as their own when they self publish them, and I understand that any author would want to protect their work, but I am finding more and more stories that I liked are being pulled and then appearing as soon to be published books (well novellas some aren't very long) on Goodreads.
Don't get me wrong, some of these stories are good enough to be published and do deserve a wider audience..... some of these are stories I've read and enjoyed and in some cases gone back to re-read ....but do I really want to pay for a copy now?
Caveat here - there is one story that was free online that I know the author is in the process of editing and re-working for submission and I will be buying that if it gets picked up as it was one of my all time favourites and comfort reads.
I respect the right of the author to do what they want with their story...... but I also reserve the right not to pay £3 - £4 for something that I've read before for free. Okay, so if the author has made changes from the original free version before publishing I might be tempted to buy it - but if it's exactly the same story?? Trouble is, I can usually only find this out when I've bought it and then it's not returnable.
I also wonder if this sort of thing, particularly when the stories haven't been reviewed and edited (and there are certain publishers accepting these stories that I will be avoiding), is contributing towards the decline in the standard of M/M books being put out generally?
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Midweek mumbling of the disconnected kind....
Yesterday, after my optimistic post on Monday, didn't get off to a brilliant start when it took me 45 minutes, the help of 4 neighbours with 2 shovels and a lot of spinning about and sliding to get the car out the drive and off the road.... though I didn't burn the clutch out.... the trouble with having a car with naff all power in it (tis a 1.1 litre petrol engine) means that when you it three inches of packed solid ice on a frozen brick surface you aren't going anywhere.
I committed car abandonment last night half way down the road where was easy to get out this morning. The car is there again tonight as the bit in front of my drive is still packed ice.... and I don't want a repeat performance.... I am sure the neighbours don't either.
The down side to this is 45 minutes of standing about in the freezing cold, shovelling snow etc is really not good for someone whose joints don't work at the best of times..... by tea time last night the arthritis flare up in my knees, hips and lower back resulted in an evening of lying flat and keeping as warm as possible. It's been a bit better today. All of this is not helped by the fact that it turns out I am allergic to one of my pain meds, so had to stop taking it, and trying to come off the other..... last night I would have killed for something stronger than paracetamol.
Today a friend of mine posted a picture of her new naked kitten...... wearing a fetching green stripey sweater...... now I have always insisted that mine did not need or in fact want sweaters....... which is something another of my friends argue about as she's had to be banned from knitting something for them..... alas she saw the kitten pictures and low and behold I can expect leg warmers at least for Gina and Hugo at some point in the future..... As if my poor cats weren't laughed at enough for the extreme ugliness :)
Work was hectic but boring.... the run up to the end of the financial year (which happens on 30th April) is upon us again, which means everyone wants everything doing, like last week.... I have shed loads of drafting to do to get money in...... so of course Rupert has early spring fever and is spawning plot bunnies at speed...... I've threatened him with castration if he doesn't stop .... I've now got four sets of voices screaming at me from inside my head....... but still feeling far too negative about my writing to do anything but listen to them.
Tonight I have had a nice long chat with a friend after which I've come upstairs to discover that the cats have eaten my mouse mat........ I mean seriously, I know that you are poor deprived indoor house cats who aren't allowed to roam free and hunt..... and it has the word mouse in it..... but it's not a real one! I shall go lay out some cat treats around the upstairs of the house for them to hunt later whilst I curse them and try use my ancient roller ball mouse on a bobbly desk surface.....
I committed car abandonment last night half way down the road where was easy to get out this morning. The car is there again tonight as the bit in front of my drive is still packed ice.... and I don't want a repeat performance.... I am sure the neighbours don't either.
The down side to this is 45 minutes of standing about in the freezing cold, shovelling snow etc is really not good for someone whose joints don't work at the best of times..... by tea time last night the arthritis flare up in my knees, hips and lower back resulted in an evening of lying flat and keeping as warm as possible. It's been a bit better today. All of this is not helped by the fact that it turns out I am allergic to one of my pain meds, so had to stop taking it, and trying to come off the other..... last night I would have killed for something stronger than paracetamol.
Today a friend of mine posted a picture of her new naked kitten...... wearing a fetching green stripey sweater...... now I have always insisted that mine did not need or in fact want sweaters....... which is something another of my friends argue about as she's had to be banned from knitting something for them..... alas she saw the kitten pictures and low and behold I can expect leg warmers at least for Gina and Hugo at some point in the future..... As if my poor cats weren't laughed at enough for the extreme ugliness :)
Work was hectic but boring.... the run up to the end of the financial year (which happens on 30th April) is upon us again, which means everyone wants everything doing, like last week.... I have shed loads of drafting to do to get money in...... so of course Rupert has early spring fever and is spawning plot bunnies at speed...... I've threatened him with castration if he doesn't stop .... I've now got four sets of voices screaming at me from inside my head....... but still feeling far too negative about my writing to do anything but listen to them.
Tonight I have had a nice long chat with a friend after which I've come upstairs to discover that the cats have eaten my mouse mat........ I mean seriously, I know that you are poor deprived indoor house cats who aren't allowed to roam free and hunt..... and it has the word mouse in it..... but it's not a real one! I shall go lay out some cat treats around the upstairs of the house for them to hunt later whilst I curse them and try use my ancient roller ball mouse on a bobbly desk surface.....
Friday, 4 January 2013
Book type stuff....
Last year in total I read 392 books
Of which 41 were re-reads
2 were non fiction for the purpose of research
the majority of which would fall into the category of M/M romance but with there also being books in the genres YA GLBT, crime, fantasy and historical
On average I read 32 books a month
I have 88 books sitting on my Kindle waiting to be read (around 60% of these were freebies). 3 of these are books I have read and sit on the Kindle all the time as ultimate comfort reading. I really need to read at least 10 of these a month before I buy any more books!
I still don't review - save for the comments I put on the books read list each month as I still maintain that my opinion is probably not going to be that helpful to the majority of other readers given my own personal slightly warped view of life and books (not to mention I have my personal bugbears concerning transatlantic spelling & grammar)
In reality I have been reading M/M romance for a short time .... but I have some firm favourites author wise who will remain on auto buy (despite the occasional book just not quite being as good as I had hoped). I have no preference between stand alone books and series (though I prefer series with the same MC's rather than those that spin off with new MC's each book).... the completest in me will keep reading a series, even if it seems to have gone off the boil.
I am astounded by the amount of work some authors in the genre are putting out there or have in progress at anyone time...... and I fear it does show in terms of deterioration in quality of plot lines and editing.... I still maintain that one or two good, high quality, well edited and polished plot driven books in a year is really the maximum an author should be looking to publish. I also think there are a fair few publishers that need to take a step back and look at what they are putting out and whether in their push to put out more in volume they are leaving their readers disenchanted and tarnishing their writer's reputations. With the sudden interest by many of the adult M/M publishers to have a range dealing with YA GLBT books I am worried that there will be a sudden decrease in the quality of these books given the push to get them out there onto the market.
One of my main issues at the moment appears to be the "ooh, look, a minor character, quick, spin it out longer and give him is own story" even when there isn't really a story for him to tell...... these books tend to be a high sex to storyline ratio and a rush to a happily ever after with virtually no plot.
So, that's some reading thoughts..... as for writing... it was pointed out to me that I haven't got any course work to do any more, so I have no excuse for not getting back into my writing..... a few more books which leave me feeling meh about them and I will probably start thinking that I can actually write but until that happens I will probably stick to reading
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Slightly less of the Bah Humbug....
It appears to be time for me to shed my outer Grinch and embrace the festive season....... for I have finished work today and don't go back until after the whole she-bang is over with.... I am working between Christmas & New Year (well just 3 days of it) again so that my colleagues who have young children or who have distant family can spend the whole of the festive period together.... I am not so bothered... as much as I love my family, there are limits on the amount of time I can spend with them and three full days (Christmas Eve, Day and Boxing day) are normally quite enough in one go for me!
So to try and embrace the festive feeling I went to my sister's to help her put up her tree. Now, small disclaimer here.... I wasn't in her house when she tested the tree lights, therefore I had nothing to do with the fact they went "bang" and refused to work....... I arrived shortly after...... I don't think they knew I was coming..... anyway, my sister decreed she was going to the shop to pick up a new set of lights and suggested that her other half and I should bring the tree in from the garden and set it into the base, carry it through to the lounge and place it ready for decorating. Then she looked at us both, shook her head and said, maybe we should leave it..... we rebelled, by the time she got back the tree was set up and in place.... though not sufficiently straight for my sister's liking.
The new lights were wrapped round it (they flash and sequence and all sorts...... and I am banned from touching the controls on pain of death....... which is a little unfair I feel)..... after which we got on with decorating....... well, I got banished to the sofa after the first couple of minutes for throwing the snowball decorations at, erm, the tree, my sister, Mavis the cat....... and was allowed only to hand out the requested decorations when asked..... sometimes my sister is no fun! It looks very pretty and the decorations are all red, silver or crystal.... my money is on Mavis taking at least half of them down before the big day.....
Tonight the last of my on line purchases arrived, which means tomorrow I shall battle with paper, scissors, ribbon, tape and cats to wrap up the presents for the family. Wish me luck!!
I also have to finish a story I am writing about a whip wielding demonic sharply dressed lawyer and his two faithful imps ...... Rupert has some seriously weird ideas and my brain is happy to play along. Hopefully the story will be ready to be gifted to a friend in time to be an extra Christmas present for her and her family :)
There is also unfinished knitting... but alas I fear this will remain unfinished till long after Christmas......
Okay, I think I'm ready to risk a seasonal mince pie now ....
Oh and my exam results should apparently be here tomorrow........ still not convinced I've passed but there is bugger all I can do about that now....
So to try and embrace the festive feeling I went to my sister's to help her put up her tree. Now, small disclaimer here.... I wasn't in her house when she tested the tree lights, therefore I had nothing to do with the fact they went "bang" and refused to work....... I arrived shortly after...... I don't think they knew I was coming..... anyway, my sister decreed she was going to the shop to pick up a new set of lights and suggested that her other half and I should bring the tree in from the garden and set it into the base, carry it through to the lounge and place it ready for decorating. Then she looked at us both, shook her head and said, maybe we should leave it..... we rebelled, by the time she got back the tree was set up and in place.... though not sufficiently straight for my sister's liking.
The new lights were wrapped round it (they flash and sequence and all sorts...... and I am banned from touching the controls on pain of death....... which is a little unfair I feel)..... after which we got on with decorating....... well, I got banished to the sofa after the first couple of minutes for throwing the snowball decorations at, erm, the tree, my sister, Mavis the cat....... and was allowed only to hand out the requested decorations when asked..... sometimes my sister is no fun! It looks very pretty and the decorations are all red, silver or crystal.... my money is on Mavis taking at least half of them down before the big day.....
Tonight the last of my on line purchases arrived, which means tomorrow I shall battle with paper, scissors, ribbon, tape and cats to wrap up the presents for the family. Wish me luck!!
I also have to finish a story I am writing about a whip wielding demonic sharply dressed lawyer and his two faithful imps ...... Rupert has some seriously weird ideas and my brain is happy to play along. Hopefully the story will be ready to be gifted to a friend in time to be an extra Christmas present for her and her family :)
There is also unfinished knitting... but alas I fear this will remain unfinished till long after Christmas......
Okay, I think I'm ready to risk a seasonal mince pie now ....
Oh and my exam results should apparently be here tomorrow........ still not convinced I've passed but there is bugger all I can do about that now....
Sunday, 16 December 2012
Musing about anthologies...
I recently bought, and read, a couple of anthologies. Now this is unusual for me, as I am not a big fan of anthologies..... which I think goes hand in had with me not being a huge fan of short stories (at least not when I have to pay as much for them as I would for a novella).....
Anyway, these were billed as being "kinky" Christmas stories........ which should suit be just fine..... now one anthology I did enjoy most of the stories... the other unfortunately was a reminder of exactly why I don't usually read them..... from 5 stories, 1 I enjoyed (and admittedly it was from an author whose work I've read before for free on Literotica so I know their style), 2 were okay at a push, the other 2.... well, I wondered how on earth they got into the anthology at all (in a sort of ... what really? did they not get any better submissions??)
And this is the problem..... in any anthology I find that for me there is always going to be at least 30% of the work in there that I just can't get on with..... which leads on to another problem......... and one which is probably in my mind..... but it's there anyway.... and that is that my LiAW story is going to be part of an anthology....
My story will be in the 5th volume.... along side stories by real, proper, popular authors....... my story! written, well scribbled, by me, a complete novice at this sort of thing...... My stomach kind of flips when I think about it... because yes, I am pretty sure that for a lot of the readers mine will be in that 30% giving readers a "WTF is this crap?" moment...... I suppose at least they can just skip it and at least it's free so they won't have wasted money on it.......
I know it's probably just nerves.... after all the ratings it's had have been good..... but still... *sigh*
Right, I shall go off to brood some more, and stand by the phone waiting for my mother to call me.....she informed me yesterday she'd borrowed a couple more books - I recently lent her Tigers & Devils and Tigerland to read, she enjoyed them and wanted another of the same sort of thing.... trouble was she chose herself and is currently reading My Fair Captain..... I have a horrible feeling I am going to have one of those slightly squicky conversations involving me trying to explain the concept of fisting to my 75 year old mother......
Saturday, 8 December 2012
The view from the sofa....
Soooo, I last updated on, erm, I think it was Tuesday, when the leg of doom had gotten overexcited and I'd skipped off to the doctors for antibiotics.... but was spending the day on my sofa trying to feel better... and intermittently working on stuff that was left over from Monday.....
Let us move forward to Wednesday, when despite the fact I still hadn't eaten anything and I'd developed an interesting rash on my forearms, not to mention swelling on my finger and wrist joints, I decided that I was well enough to go to work.... and the parental taxi, very unwillingly I might add, agreed to convey me to and from my place of work.... Now in theory this wasn't a bad plan, I wasn't on the roads, I didn't have to walk further than the front of the building to the elevator and I could sit all day and work.... which I did... and slowly felt worse, and worse and worse.... I phoned the doctors in the morning and muttered that perhaps the rash was an allergic reaction to the meds and what was their suggestion.... answer, have an appointment after work.....
By the time I got to see the doctor I was feeling completely pants and in fact absolutely convinced that I was going to have to go to hospital for IV antibiotics...... I'd even put the emergency dog plan into place and my friend was primed to come pick up the hell hounds and take them away for the duration (brave woman that one!)......Suffice to say, yes, I was having an allergic reaction to the meds, but not the simple one that like 1 in 100 people get, no I had to go the whole way and have the reaction that 1 in 100,000 people get - namely my tissues and joints swelling - so I swapped for alternative drugs and was given strict instructions to return to my sofa until they kicked in........ it wasn't a pleasant 24 hours after that as my body seemed to wage some sort of war against itself (we voted in the end for it re-enacting it's own battle from the 12th Century English Civil War (Stephen v. Matlida) and somewhere definitely there had been a charge or two of heavy horses across my body....)
Which meant Thursday was viewed from the sofa......... as was Friday.......... which should have been a day's holiday spend doing festive things....... today has also been spent on the sofa........ the highlight of my day being the grocery delivery ...... which I looked at, put away and wondered if I was ever actually going to feel like eating again........ not sure if it's the drugs but I have no appetite at all... though I am drinking all the fruit juice in the world!
Most of my sofa time has been spent reading (okay, in the first couple of days there was an awful lot of sleeping going on too) but also watching ... or at least having on in the back ground.... any TV shows that I could find that didn't cause me to throw things at the TV.....
Which is a dangerous thing
As it made Rupert suddenly start twitching his whiskers
He feels that quite a good story could be concocted from the meeting of an older flamboyant well known celebrity archaeologist and a some what sedate but openly gay young police detective, who meet when the archaeologist's team are carrying out a dig at a medieval castle and come across a shallow grave which contains rather modern remains.... suffice to say neither character hits it off, the police have jurisdiction the TV crew have permits and a deadline and a 10 year old missing person case has just become a murder investigation.......with the murderer still at large.......
And now I've dumped that out my brain hopefully the bunny from hell will stop pushing!
Ooooh, look how exciting... I can get off my sofa..... and get into bed...... this is getting old, very, very fast........
Let us move forward to Wednesday, when despite the fact I still hadn't eaten anything and I'd developed an interesting rash on my forearms, not to mention swelling on my finger and wrist joints, I decided that I was well enough to go to work.... and the parental taxi, very unwillingly I might add, agreed to convey me to and from my place of work.... Now in theory this wasn't a bad plan, I wasn't on the roads, I didn't have to walk further than the front of the building to the elevator and I could sit all day and work.... which I did... and slowly felt worse, and worse and worse.... I phoned the doctors in the morning and muttered that perhaps the rash was an allergic reaction to the meds and what was their suggestion.... answer, have an appointment after work.....
By the time I got to see the doctor I was feeling completely pants and in fact absolutely convinced that I was going to have to go to hospital for IV antibiotics...... I'd even put the emergency dog plan into place and my friend was primed to come pick up the hell hounds and take them away for the duration (brave woman that one!)......Suffice to say, yes, I was having an allergic reaction to the meds, but not the simple one that like 1 in 100 people get, no I had to go the whole way and have the reaction that 1 in 100,000 people get - namely my tissues and joints swelling - so I swapped for alternative drugs and was given strict instructions to return to my sofa until they kicked in........ it wasn't a pleasant 24 hours after that as my body seemed to wage some sort of war against itself (we voted in the end for it re-enacting it's own battle from the 12th Century English Civil War (Stephen v. Matlida) and somewhere definitely there had been a charge or two of heavy horses across my body....)
Which meant Thursday was viewed from the sofa......... as was Friday.......... which should have been a day's holiday spend doing festive things....... today has also been spent on the sofa........ the highlight of my day being the grocery delivery ...... which I looked at, put away and wondered if I was ever actually going to feel like eating again........ not sure if it's the drugs but I have no appetite at all... though I am drinking all the fruit juice in the world!
Most of my sofa time has been spent reading (okay, in the first couple of days there was an awful lot of sleeping going on too) but also watching ... or at least having on in the back ground.... any TV shows that I could find that didn't cause me to throw things at the TV.....
Which is a dangerous thing
As it made Rupert suddenly start twitching his whiskers
He feels that quite a good story could be concocted from the meeting of an older flamboyant well known celebrity archaeologist and a some what sedate but openly gay young police detective, who meet when the archaeologist's team are carrying out a dig at a medieval castle and come across a shallow grave which contains rather modern remains.... suffice to say neither character hits it off, the police have jurisdiction the TV crew have permits and a deadline and a 10 year old missing person case has just become a murder investigation.......with the murderer still at large.......
And now I've dumped that out my brain hopefully the bunny from hell will stop pushing!
Ooooh, look how exciting... I can get off my sofa..... and get into bed...... this is getting old, very, very fast........
Thursday, 15 November 2012
So, this is it....is it?
By this time tomorrow three and a half years of hard work and assignments will be over. Each year for three years I've done and passed eight assignments in key subject areas and been to a compulsory seminar.... but all of that counts for nothing.... it all hinges on tomorrow and whether I can pass two exams starting with a theory type paper at 11 am and then a practical paper at 2 pm.......to pass I have to secure a minimum of 65% in both........ and I won't get the results till mid December.
Despite that when I get home tomorrow evening I know I can do nothing about the outcome, so it is time to put it behind me and do other things with my free time....
Thanks to reading Amy Lane's knitting books recently (okay, so I finished the last one earlier tonight after my brain reached critical saturation point on the revision front) I appear to have re-discovered my knitting mojo ... just in time to at least get a couple of projects I'd promised done for Christmas... with the knitting it's then onwards to March when two of my friends have babies due... I feel mini socks may be on the cards...
Rupert the evil plot bunny gave me an idea for the November story prompt, which I am hoping to get written up this weekend - so nice not to have to shove what I really want to write to one side for the sake of my course! I'd also like to work on one other story, which I have the characters for and the very bare bones of a story, but I have no idea where it's going save the opening scene and a bit of background....... I shall just let my characters lead me.
I have a story to beta read this weekend too which I am really looking forward to.
Other than that, my time is my own.... I should really do something to celebrate finishing my course.... something that doesn't get me into trouble.... or arrested ... that is.... perhaps if I have a couple of celebratory vodkas something will come to me on this subject.
In the meantime, I am taking my germ ridden self and a box of tissues to bed for an early night.....
Despite that when I get home tomorrow evening I know I can do nothing about the outcome, so it is time to put it behind me and do other things with my free time....
Thanks to reading Amy Lane's knitting books recently (okay, so I finished the last one earlier tonight after my brain reached critical saturation point on the revision front) I appear to have re-discovered my knitting mojo ... just in time to at least get a couple of projects I'd promised done for Christmas... with the knitting it's then onwards to March when two of my friends have babies due... I feel mini socks may be on the cards...
Rupert the evil plot bunny gave me an idea for the November story prompt, which I am hoping to get written up this weekend - so nice not to have to shove what I really want to write to one side for the sake of my course! I'd also like to work on one other story, which I have the characters for and the very bare bones of a story, but I have no idea where it's going save the opening scene and a bit of background....... I shall just let my characters lead me.
I have a story to beta read this weekend too which I am really looking forward to.
Other than that, my time is my own.... I should really do something to celebrate finishing my course.... something that doesn't get me into trouble.... or arrested ... that is.... perhaps if I have a couple of celebratory vodkas something will come to me on this subject.
In the meantime, I am taking my germ ridden self and a box of tissues to bed for an early night.....
Friday, 9 November 2012
Friday evening waffling.....
This time next week, three years of hard work and my finals will all be over.... which is a bit of a sobering thought for someone that has a problem with completing things... this is something I have no choice in though so I am going to have to live with it. Though the results of the exams won't come out until December so I will be in limbo for a while afterwards.
Talking to a friend this evening, in between the talk of babies, toddlers, badly behaved critters (more of which later) and knitting, we were coming up with ideas of what I can do with my free time.....Now I've said from about the start of this course that this will be it, I will not be doing any further studying... she however has doing various Open University courses over the last few years, some of which do sound tempting - I'd really quite like to do the medieval history course.... but then again, I have kind of had enough of studying.
I do need to think of something, as failing that I will end up taking work home to do in the evenings.... and as much as I could and in fact would spend my entire free time lost in my Kindle (well till it gave up and exploded... again) I should perhaps do other things to unwind. I do have several knitting projects I need to get on with, and I have some story ideas I would like to get written (and I have been threatened with nagging if my mainstream YA series doesn't get it's second book in the very near future... bossy beta readers!)
That said, I've still a week to get through, and a fun filled week of revision it would be. Tomorrow and Sunday are scheduled out into 3 x 2 hour blocks, with time off for grocery deliveries and laundry (I know how to have fun....), Monday night I will have revision free as I am always kippered when I get home from work on a Monday night.. more revision Tuesday and Wednesday night and then on Thursday I actually have an official revision day, by which I am hoping I will only be highlighting and cross checking.....oh and making sure I've directions to Leeds where I am sitting the exam.
Now hopefully the canine critters will be well behaved for the rest of the weekend.... they got a severe rollicking when I got home from work as the delightful little gits had emptied my kitchen bin all over the floor... it probably took me longer to clean up than it did for them to empty it.... I am just hoping there are no ill effects from the debris they have probably managed to eat.
The cats are being smug ... they always are when the dogs are in trouble, and I am in fact typing this with my head painfully tilted to one side as Gina is balancing on my left shoulder, purring in my ear, as she supervises my typing....... either that or she's getting revenge for me refusing to give her the Q-tip to play with this morning......
Talking to a friend this evening, in between the talk of babies, toddlers, badly behaved critters (more of which later) and knitting, we were coming up with ideas of what I can do with my free time.....Now I've said from about the start of this course that this will be it, I will not be doing any further studying... she however has doing various Open University courses over the last few years, some of which do sound tempting - I'd really quite like to do the medieval history course.... but then again, I have kind of had enough of studying.
I do need to think of something, as failing that I will end up taking work home to do in the evenings.... and as much as I could and in fact would spend my entire free time lost in my Kindle (well till it gave up and exploded... again) I should perhaps do other things to unwind. I do have several knitting projects I need to get on with, and I have some story ideas I would like to get written (and I have been threatened with nagging if my mainstream YA series doesn't get it's second book in the very near future... bossy beta readers!)
That said, I've still a week to get through, and a fun filled week of revision it would be. Tomorrow and Sunday are scheduled out into 3 x 2 hour blocks, with time off for grocery deliveries and laundry (I know how to have fun....), Monday night I will have revision free as I am always kippered when I get home from work on a Monday night.. more revision Tuesday and Wednesday night and then on Thursday I actually have an official revision day, by which I am hoping I will only be highlighting and cross checking.....oh and making sure I've directions to Leeds where I am sitting the exam.
Now hopefully the canine critters will be well behaved for the rest of the weekend.... they got a severe rollicking when I got home from work as the delightful little gits had emptied my kitchen bin all over the floor... it probably took me longer to clean up than it did for them to empty it.... I am just hoping there are no ill effects from the debris they have probably managed to eat.
The cats are being smug ... they always are when the dogs are in trouble, and I am in fact typing this with my head painfully tilted to one side as Gina is balancing on my left shoulder, purring in my ear, as she supervises my typing....... either that or she's getting revenge for me refusing to give her the Q-tip to play with this morning......
Thursday, 8 November 2012
100 Words
Their footsteps on the polished wooden floor echoed in
the empty house.
“Finally! A
home of our own.” Sam said as he pulled
Josh into the front room, before pushing him back against the wall. Bringing their heads close, he whispered. “I
think we should celebrate.”
The keys in Josh’s hand hit the floor as Sam fell to
his knees.
Not long after that Josh slid, boneless, down the
wall to join him.
“So, that’s one room christened, only five more to go.” Josh
smiled lazily. The doorbell rang before
Sam could reply. “Maybe after the removal
people have gone.”
Friday, 2 November 2012
Allowing common sense to prevail.....
So, NaNo started yesterday, my finals are two weeks today, and at work next Wednesday I have to step up from deputy team leader (which I have been doing for about 4 weeks covering maternity leave) to team leader, whilst my boss is on honeymoon for the whole of November....... in fact, I will have to be myself, the deputy team leader, the team leader... oh and one of the other team members who is working out his notice and will be off at least a couple of days a week whilst he uses up his leave entitlement...... so erm, yes, I will in fact be doing the work of 3.5 people, including supervising the other 2.5 members in the team......
I hadn't really noticed how much this was starting to worry at me until a friend pointed out that I was becoming very ratty and short tempered........ of course I argued that I wasn't and apparently this proved his theory...... at which point I tried sulking until I got hugged into submission.
After a long chat about the fact that I am not in fact superwoman and cannot do everything we decided that something had to give, and as work and my finals aren't an option, the NaNo project has to wait....... I have been made to promise that I won't even think about it, let alone start writing anything until after my exams are over...... I am really not good at giving into these sort of things gracefully but I have promised.
I now also have a revision schedule........ which wasn't my idea, but apparently if left to myself I will faff about all day and not get on with it ......*sigh* It's nice but at the same time rather depressing to realise how well my friends know me.
So for the next two weekends I will be revising in two hour blocks three times a day... I will also be revising on Monday afternoon after I've been to my hospital appointment in the morning, and of an evening will be putting in an hour's notes reading before I am allowed to turn on the Kindle or do anything more fun....
I hate breaking promises to people I care about so I will now have to stick to this schedule as I know I will be asked how I am getting on with the revision. I don't want to let anyone down, particularly when they've helped and supported me in something without being asked..... but good grief this is going to be a really boring couple of weeks......... There better be a nice reward at the end of it.....
I hadn't really noticed how much this was starting to worry at me until a friend pointed out that I was becoming very ratty and short tempered........ of course I argued that I wasn't and apparently this proved his theory...... at which point I tried sulking until I got hugged into submission.
After a long chat about the fact that I am not in fact superwoman and cannot do everything we decided that something had to give, and as work and my finals aren't an option, the NaNo project has to wait....... I have been made to promise that I won't even think about it, let alone start writing anything until after my exams are over...... I am really not good at giving into these sort of things gracefully but I have promised.
I now also have a revision schedule........ which wasn't my idea, but apparently if left to myself I will faff about all day and not get on with it ......*sigh* It's nice but at the same time rather depressing to realise how well my friends know me.
So for the next two weekends I will be revising in two hour blocks three times a day... I will also be revising on Monday afternoon after I've been to my hospital appointment in the morning, and of an evening will be putting in an hour's notes reading before I am allowed to turn on the Kindle or do anything more fun....
I hate breaking promises to people I care about so I will now have to stick to this schedule as I know I will be asked how I am getting on with the revision. I don't want to let anyone down, particularly when they've helped and supported me in something without being asked..... but good grief this is going to be a really boring couple of weeks......... There better be a nice reward at the end of it.....
Monday, 22 October 2012
For a Monday....
Today has been remarkably good!
Okay, so there was work, and really dreary drizzly horrible dark weather (I swear you'd have thought we'd moved so far north that we had no daylight at all today).... and the slight problem of me miscalculating my medication and running out of pain killers last night after the chemist shut and having to do without for 24 hours....(insert lecture from person of authority regarding carelessness, forward planning, organisation and looking after yourself)....thank goodness for mother's who can be persuaded to pick up your prescription and stick it through the letterbox so it's there for you when you get home!
That aside, the day started well when the characters for my NaNo project started talking to me over my cup of tea first thing and kept going all the way to work, where I made some quick notes so I didn't forget.... then I caught up with a friend on line.... who helps keep a certain level of sanity throughout my working day (probably to both our respective employers horror if they knew!)....there was some chair dancing as I hummed along to the MP3 player (which was heavy on the Florence & the Machine this morning)...and my boss bought me a toffee apple (okay so she bought the whole team one)... though it turned out to be out of date so I didn't eat it, but it's the thought that counts.
I've finished getting my sister's birthday present together.... and it's not even her birthday until 2nd November... she's asked for some DVD's and craft stuff ..... she does the most beautiful free hand embroidery and I might just have chosen some lovely threads in greens/browns and bronzes and a small frame with the suggestion that I'd quite like two small pieces to hang over the fire place in the lounge....okay, so it will probably fall on deaf ears but it's worth a go
I just have to now get paper and a card, oh and choose some yarn from my stash (and appropriate needles) as she's decreed that I need to teach her to knit...... which is slightly worrying as I do not have the patience for teaching people a skill I still pretend at time I cannot do myself..... I can't remember what is easiest to learn to knit with.... I am tempted to start her with DK and some 4mm needles.... though my nicer yarn is mainly either in sock or aran weight I do have a nice hank of Colinette Cadenza I could give her.....then again it's only for learning and I've a shed load of revolting bubblegum pink squeaky acrylic.....she can have some good stuff when she's got the hang of it....
Right, well to round off the rest of my nicer than expected Monday I am off to finish Amy Lane's first knitting book in preparation for the second to come out whilst I am in a yarnish type mood :)
Okay, so there was work, and really dreary drizzly horrible dark weather (I swear you'd have thought we'd moved so far north that we had no daylight at all today).... and the slight problem of me miscalculating my medication and running out of pain killers last night after the chemist shut and having to do without for 24 hours....(insert lecture from person of authority regarding carelessness, forward planning, organisation and looking after yourself)....thank goodness for mother's who can be persuaded to pick up your prescription and stick it through the letterbox so it's there for you when you get home!
That aside, the day started well when the characters for my NaNo project started talking to me over my cup of tea first thing and kept going all the way to work, where I made some quick notes so I didn't forget.... then I caught up with a friend on line.... who helps keep a certain level of sanity throughout my working day (probably to both our respective employers horror if they knew!)....there was some chair dancing as I hummed along to the MP3 player (which was heavy on the Florence & the Machine this morning)...and my boss bought me a toffee apple (okay so she bought the whole team one)... though it turned out to be out of date so I didn't eat it, but it's the thought that counts.
I've finished getting my sister's birthday present together.... and it's not even her birthday until 2nd November... she's asked for some DVD's and craft stuff ..... she does the most beautiful free hand embroidery and I might just have chosen some lovely threads in greens/browns and bronzes and a small frame with the suggestion that I'd quite like two small pieces to hang over the fire place in the lounge....okay, so it will probably fall on deaf ears but it's worth a go
I just have to now get paper and a card, oh and choose some yarn from my stash (and appropriate needles) as she's decreed that I need to teach her to knit...... which is slightly worrying as I do not have the patience for teaching people a skill I still pretend at time I cannot do myself..... I can't remember what is easiest to learn to knit with.... I am tempted to start her with DK and some 4mm needles.... though my nicer yarn is mainly either in sock or aran weight I do have a nice hank of Colinette Cadenza I could give her.....then again it's only for learning and I've a shed load of revolting bubblegum pink squeaky acrylic.....she can have some good stuff when she's got the hang of it....
Right, well to round off the rest of my nicer than expected Monday I am off to finish Amy Lane's first knitting book in preparation for the second to come out whilst I am in a yarnish type mood :)
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Living in a fantasy world....
At the back end of last week I fancied some comfort reading so I read the Tiffany Aching series of Discworld books (Wee Free Men, Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith & I Shall Wear Midnight) by Terry Pratchett..... (I won't take the Kindle up to bed for fear of death by feline so I tend to re-read paperbacks I already own as I don't seem to be buying them any more).... I then started, at stupid o'clock on Saturday morning re-reading the prequel to the Belgariad (Belgarath the Sorcerer by David Eddings).....
Switching to the Kindle a few hours later and Concubine by Jill Knowles was next on my to read list.....
After a little light research on line for my NaNo Project... thankfully non fantasy (Ha! I say this now) ... I decided that I would do some TV watching and through the magic of cable TV and in my wisdom decided to spend a good few hours watching The Lord of the Rings.... well dozed on and off on the sofa whilst it was on..... only switching over to watch Merlin (after safely hiding the plot bunny as his ideas about Sir's Gwaine and Percival are, well, lets just say, it would get them kicked out of the Knights of the Round Table for sure....)
This morning I finished watching the Return of the King after I'd taken the dogs out at a time on a Sunday morning which for normal people only happens on the way back from a really good night out.... and then started reading The Druid Stone by Heidi Belleau & Violetta Vane.....
and then I fell asleep......... and landed in the most visually real but at the same time disturbingly surreal dream in which I was thrown into a highly weird (and very blue like the picture above) fantasy world...... thankfully there were no dragons.... but it was a good thing I know how to use a bow and arrow or I might not have got out alive.........
As it was, reality returned when Gretchen landed on my head to see if I was interested in perhaps getting up and feeding her........... I think I might have to read something other than fantasy next.....
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Further adventures in research....
Well, it has to be said, sometimes I really don't think things out before acting....... I know this, people have told me this (frequently)... but sometimes, you know a good idea in your head is hard to see past and look at the possible outcomes....
Which brings us to last night's exploits...
Having decided to take yesterday off work despite my visitors cancelling I spent the day very boringly doing housework and laundry. Now these sort of mindless tasks allow the voices in my head to chatter at me and tell me their stories..... they haven't been playing ball recently so I was a little surprised to get a couple of them shouting quite loudly at me about what they wanted me to write.... unfortunately, they weren't the characters I'd been planning out for my NaNo (avoid the revision) project... they weren't even the incredibly familiar voices of my YA characters... they were two characters who appeared a while back, gave me some interesting ideas and then hid...
So when the house was marginally cleaner and upstairs resembled a Chinese laundrette with clothes hanging from every door frame I decided I'd at least write out some character profiles...... which is as near to plotting a story as I get.... So, older of the two characters was easy as he appears to be a lawyer and as I work with them all time time I could easily see him, his habits, his routine, his wardrobe etc..... younger character I have what he looks like, his tattoos/piercings, some of his habits and part of his wardrobe... the day time part...which comes from my commute too and from work when I drive past both universities..... only I then got to the question "what would he wear of an evening, say going out, or just for lounging around at home in?"
I pondered for a while and then had an "idea"....... it was Friday, I'd been home with the dogs all day so I would put them to bed at 9pm and then nip out in the car with my note book..... the plan was to park up initially in an area where there are lots of student houses, coffee shops and a long row of take away places and take some notes.... then wander across towards the town centre where there are a couple of big shiny loud bars and a couple of smaller pubs, one of which I know is a gay friendly pub (because our diversity group at work go in there out of term time)... I remembered there was a side street I could park in which would give me a visual access to all the venues...
So off I went.......... the first part was simple, I wrote down a load of details of what I saw and then headed up into town.... only I forgot to get to where I wanted to park I had to negotiate my way round some one way streets and the tram lines......a couple of wrong turns later I made it to where I wanted to be, parked up and took out my note book....
I was kind of lost in what I was doing when there was a loud tap at my window which sent the notebook flying, and my heart rate through the roof..... Now it wasn't a brilliantly lit side street, and yes I'd locked all the doors.... so I cautiously wound down the window only to see a badge and hear the words "can you step out the car please"..... Yep, police officers, two of them.....
So I did as I was told and whilst one of them called in my car's details I provided my own to the other.... then it came to the explanation as to what I was doing..... I was researching for a story....... which got a sceptical raised eyebrow as one officer looked at the other..... they then proceeded to explain that my car had been picked up on their surveillance operation in the red light area.... which I'd forgotten ran between the university residences along the back streets up into town past where the old maternity hospital used to be.... and through the streets of which I'd been seen driving slowly on several occasions that evening... They'd then had a call from one of the security/door men of the bigger bars concerned at my presence in the side street and now wanted to know exactly what I was doing......and if they weren't satisfied with my explanation they would have to consider taking me to the police station for further questioning....
My explanation was extremely garbled... I ducked back into the car and grabbed the note book and waved it at them..... I am not sure whether or not they actually believed me, but their radio went off with a call out for something serious so I got told that I should move along and not loiter in the area again........
I was very relieved to get home and shut the door behind me..... I think I shall stick to surfing the net for my research for a bit... much safer that way....
Which brings us to last night's exploits...
Having decided to take yesterday off work despite my visitors cancelling I spent the day very boringly doing housework and laundry. Now these sort of mindless tasks allow the voices in my head to chatter at me and tell me their stories..... they haven't been playing ball recently so I was a little surprised to get a couple of them shouting quite loudly at me about what they wanted me to write.... unfortunately, they weren't the characters I'd been planning out for my NaNo (avoid the revision) project... they weren't even the incredibly familiar voices of my YA characters... they were two characters who appeared a while back, gave me some interesting ideas and then hid...
So when the house was marginally cleaner and upstairs resembled a Chinese laundrette with clothes hanging from every door frame I decided I'd at least write out some character profiles...... which is as near to plotting a story as I get.... So, older of the two characters was easy as he appears to be a lawyer and as I work with them all time time I could easily see him, his habits, his routine, his wardrobe etc..... younger character I have what he looks like, his tattoos/piercings, some of his habits and part of his wardrobe... the day time part...which comes from my commute too and from work when I drive past both universities..... only I then got to the question "what would he wear of an evening, say going out, or just for lounging around at home in?"
I pondered for a while and then had an "idea"....... it was Friday, I'd been home with the dogs all day so I would put them to bed at 9pm and then nip out in the car with my note book..... the plan was to park up initially in an area where there are lots of student houses, coffee shops and a long row of take away places and take some notes.... then wander across towards the town centre where there are a couple of big shiny loud bars and a couple of smaller pubs, one of which I know is a gay friendly pub (because our diversity group at work go in there out of term time)... I remembered there was a side street I could park in which would give me a visual access to all the venues...
So off I went.......... the first part was simple, I wrote down a load of details of what I saw and then headed up into town.... only I forgot to get to where I wanted to park I had to negotiate my way round some one way streets and the tram lines......a couple of wrong turns later I made it to where I wanted to be, parked up and took out my note book....
I was kind of lost in what I was doing when there was a loud tap at my window which sent the notebook flying, and my heart rate through the roof..... Now it wasn't a brilliantly lit side street, and yes I'd locked all the doors.... so I cautiously wound down the window only to see a badge and hear the words "can you step out the car please"..... Yep, police officers, two of them.....
So I did as I was told and whilst one of them called in my car's details I provided my own to the other.... then it came to the explanation as to what I was doing..... I was researching for a story....... which got a sceptical raised eyebrow as one officer looked at the other..... they then proceeded to explain that my car had been picked up on their surveillance operation in the red light area.... which I'd forgotten ran between the university residences along the back streets up into town past where the old maternity hospital used to be.... and through the streets of which I'd been seen driving slowly on several occasions that evening... They'd then had a call from one of the security/door men of the bigger bars concerned at my presence in the side street and now wanted to know exactly what I was doing......and if they weren't satisfied with my explanation they would have to consider taking me to the police station for further questioning....
My explanation was extremely garbled... I ducked back into the car and grabbed the note book and waved it at them..... I am not sure whether or not they actually believed me, but their radio went off with a call out for something serious so I got told that I should move along and not loiter in the area again........
I was very relieved to get home and shut the door behind me..... I think I shall stick to surfing the net for my research for a bit... much safer that way....
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Weekend in a nutshell....
Well probably not, because nutshells are quite small... even walnut shells, though my weekend may at a push have fitted in a coconut shell......... okay I'm waffling..... I blame the drugs.... nah, nothing serious and/or illegal, just painkillers because it's flippin freezing and my arthritis has decided to make itself extremely well known....
In a fit of organisation....the housework actually happened..... completely, with pulling out of the sofa and looking horrified at the breeding colony of dust bunnies I've acquired Alongside the housework, yesterday there was a soupçon of laundry, shopping (I lie, the shopping was delivered), and going out for lunch with my mother and sister...
Today I thought about doing something productive.. and then decided against it in favour of working up a playlist, you know, just in case I decide to do NaNo this year, of inspirational type tunes to keep me going as I write......... Yeah, I know, a playlist to do my revision to would probably have been a better idea, but it just isn't happening!
I've also trolled about on the net finding pretty pictures for inspiration..... that was fun *grin*
There was also some reading, some knitting (I finished a pair of baby socks... a whole pair... in weekend... note the word "finished" here, this is important...) oh and some sampling of chocolate and special calming herbal tea I received in my package of goodies ...... the other package was my yarn... which I balled up round at mothers as trying to turn a hank into a ball with the assistance of rent a mob is not an experience I enjoy......... (oh and Gretchen is yet again evil devil dog incarnate as she turned my brand new set of 5mm dpns into matchsticks when my back was turned for 2 minutes)
And now alas my weekend appears to be over and work is beckoning ........ well it's smirking at me just round the corner safe in the knowledge that it will have my almost full attention for the next few days (particularly as I am going to be cancelling holiday tomorrow)
In a fit of organisation....the housework actually happened..... completely, with pulling out of the sofa and looking horrified at the breeding colony of dust bunnies I've acquired Alongside the housework, yesterday there was a soupçon of laundry, shopping (I lie, the shopping was delivered), and going out for lunch with my mother and sister...
Today I thought about doing something productive.. and then decided against it in favour of working up a playlist, you know, just in case I decide to do NaNo this year, of inspirational type tunes to keep me going as I write......... Yeah, I know, a playlist to do my revision to would probably have been a better idea, but it just isn't happening!
I've also trolled about on the net finding pretty pictures for inspiration..... that was fun *grin*
There was also some reading, some knitting (I finished a pair of baby socks... a whole pair... in weekend... note the word "finished" here, this is important...) oh and some sampling of chocolate and special calming herbal tea I received in my package of goodies ...... the other package was my yarn... which I balled up round at mothers as trying to turn a hank into a ball with the assistance of rent a mob is not an experience I enjoy......... (oh and Gretchen is yet again evil devil dog incarnate as she turned my brand new set of 5mm dpns into matchsticks when my back was turned for 2 minutes)
And now alas my weekend appears to be over and work is beckoning ........ well it's smirking at me just round the corner safe in the knowledge that it will have my almost full attention for the next few days (particularly as I am going to be cancelling holiday tomorrow)
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
To NaNo, or not to NaNo, this is the question...
So last year, for the first time, I decided to try my hand at the whole NaNo thing... I had an idea, a drafted plot and even lots of inspiration I'd bought together.... and then life, or rather work, de-railed everything by throwing at me a couple of cases to do some drafting of legal documents on that involved historical child abuse.... and that was it, the muse shut down, because my mind could not write a fictional story (which on route to a happy ending did have some abuse in it) when I knew it was horribly real for some people.
Now, the time is fast approaching when I have to decide whether to try again.........I possibly should, because I need to get myself back into writing to build my own confidence with it. Then again I possibly shouldn't given that my finals are on 16th November.... and I will have to revise.
I'd just about talked myself out of not bothering when I came across this picture...
which started giving me some thoughts and ideas, at which the dreaded bunny pricked up his ears and joined in.....
Then over the last couple of days the radio has kept playing me this song.... which seems to want to lend itself to the story ....
And when I looked closer at the lyrics gave me even more ideas ..... and now I am not sure whether to just give in (with as little grace as possible) and start plotting much more seriously .... and *gulp* a proper f/f story....
Sirens by Nell Bryden
The river so deep and the sky perfect blue
If we leave behind the dust in the sky
From the sound of Sirens the city will rise
Hold your hand in mine, we’ll swim against the tide
From the sound of Sirens love will survive
And when your heart is on the run
When its chains have come undone
I will always be the one to carry you home
Streets lie so empty, the lost avenues
The lights of Saint Vincent are too much to lose
If we leave behind the dust in the sky
From the sound of Sirens the city will rise
Hold your hand in mine, we’ll swim against the tide
From the sound of Sirens love will survive
And when your heart is on the run
When its chains have come undone
I will always be the one to carry you home
If we leave behind the tears in our eyes
From the sound of Sirens the city will rise
Hold your hand in mine, we’ll swim against the tide
From the sound of Sirens love will survive
And when your heart is on the run
When its chains have come undone
I will always be the one to carry you home
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Confidence crash....
Which is stupid. There is no reason for this. You'd have thought this would have happened, if it had to happen at all, whilst I was trying to write my LiAW story. After all, that was the first thing I'd written in the genre, the first thing I'd put out there for people to read (save for some very short YA stuff and fan fic that was posted on friendly sites).... but no, instead, it waits till after that story has posted.... and got nice comments...
It's not that Rupert isn't still having ideas about stories.... hells no, I've got the beginnings of four short YA stories from the prompts all with about a quarter written, I've three longer M/M stories with plot out lines and even some work towards them, and then there is book 2 of the YA fantasyish thing that has about 2 chapters done....... but every time I look at any of them I just end up thinking, nope, tis all a load of gumph, then I give up looking and go read something else.
Now I originally started writing original fic about 4 years ago.... after having read a series of really really badly written books and thinking to myself 'I can do better than this'..... and it's not like I'm only reading masterpieces now... I am still occasionally picking up books and thinking 'sheesh, and this got published!'.... I just can't translate it into having confidence in my own work.
Now should my beta readers see this post I can just about guarantee that I will get a cyber slap upside the head and be told to pull myself together....... oh heck, just realised, I am being visited by both of them... together.. at the same time.. next month... oh this isn't good..... I need to find my writing confidence asap.....
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Updating by numbers....
1. I finally discovered Hugo's special hiding place for my socks....... I mean, why didn't I think to look inside the cover of the duvet on the guest bed?? It wasn't just my socks I found... there was also a selection of cat toys that he's obviously hoarding from his mother (she's the one that likes to wake me in the middle of the night to play catch with the blue sparkly mice) and a piece of liquorice root (which I bought for my father and then lost a packet... I found what I thought was most of the packet - it had been hijacked out of my shopping by the cats - almost immediately, but I'd obviously missed this bit!
2. Daddy long legs season has begun.... whilst sitting reading in the kitchen this evening I was visited by a couple of said creatures.... now I don't mind them.... and it's great exercise for the dogs who spent a good 90 minutes trying to catch the daddy long legs ... eventually Hope managed a death defying leap and brought one down (it involved her leaping onto the top of the freezer then halfway up the wall)... but she lost it to Kammi who for all her small, white, cute fluffiness you don't want to mess with.... well not if your Hope anyway... Ivan did a bit of chasing....... Gretchen didn't stir from her spot on the floor between my feet save to raise her head and glare that they were all disturbing her sleep and would pay for it later.....
3. Tonight was my "talk about myself" session.... and cos I am a good girl (no honestly, stop laughing, yes, you) I had done my homework from last week. We, well I with some prompting, have come to the conclusion that I do have a fear of finishing things, but this is because I have difficulty finding a focus on what I am going to do next so I put off reaching the end of things.... This week I have to finish two of my unfinished projects (apparently finishing reading a book does not count, dammit!)....There has already been a vote for the finishing of the husband socks, and I think the other thing I ought to do is finish one of the 4 outstanding short stories I started but then didn't get to the end of for the Goodreads YA GLBT group's monthly photo prompt... mind you that involves making a decision as to which story... and decision making is my other big "fail" area....
4. In a fit of organisation (possibly brought about by the fact I have visitors to stay in just over a month) I have obtained a new electric shower ... erm, that makes it sound like it fell of the back of a lorry... it didn't... my sister purchased it for her house, then had a new boiler put in and her bathroom redone, including a power shower so she never used the electric one and I have been gifted it.... being even more organised I have arranged for a plumber/electrician (well, I have asked my mother to phone the family plumber/electrician) to come and fit it.... oh and to fix the scarily dangerous hanging down wire that was a light fitting in the lounge at the same time (yeah, I know, it's only been waiting to be done for, er, about 3 months)
5. I have had an official summons from my sister and her other half to go to Sunday lunch.... apparently it's going to be a "family meal"..... I am suspicious.... (well, my mind goes into overdrive sometimes)
Thursday, 12 July 2012
100 words
This was the May photo prompt on the YA GLBT group on Goodreads.... I have half written a short story but this just kind of landed in my head......
I awoke with his warm body curled around
behind me, as we balanced precariously on the single bed. His arm looped over my own, holding on
tightly. His head lay against my back
and with each breath he exhaled I felt its warm touch against the bare skin of
my shoulder.
I could feel the smile on my face and a
general feeling of warmth within me.
Despite the concerns I’d had the night before about what we were doing,
this felt right. As though this was how
it was meant to be. As if I had come
safely home.
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
100 Words*
Hand in hand we waded into the sea,
following the path of the setting sun.
When the water lapped around our hips we
stopped and turned to face each other.
“Ready?” she asked, her hand coming up to
brush against my cheek.
“Yes,” I replied, leaning into her touch.
Winding her arms around me she pulled me
closer and we sunk into the water to float together.
The changes to my legs felt strange. Uncomfortable,
but not painful.
Then, flashing our silver blue scaled tails
into the air, we dived down into the deeper water to start our new life.
*100 words is the traditional length for a drabble - The purpose of which is to test the author's ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in an extremely confined space...... an evil minded genius (okay, a friend) suggested I should start writing some and blogging them .... she even fished through my photos on my pc to start me off with prompts.....so here you go!
Saturday, 9 June 2012
Oh my! It's my LiAW story day....
There I was, happily having coffee (well actually no a cup of tea) with my mother this morning, when I flipped on my phone and did the usual round of checking e-mail, twitter feed and Goodreads updates when...... EEEP!!!
My LiAW story has posted! ..... which can be found here - Laoch Rudadh (Red Warrior) - though I think you need to be a member of the M/M Group to read it at present
I left mum's shortly after finding it and wandered around the supermarket in a daze.... I had no clue what I was putting in the basket and goodness only knows how I am going to make meals from what I ended up buying.
I've spent the afternoon feeling both excited and extremely nervous at the same time..... I've knitted a sock to past the turning of the heel and the instep decreases whilst watching, well, sitting in front of, the TV (i've no idea what I actually watched).....
At present I am feeling too nervous to go see if there is any feed back ... I know this is probably totally irrational, after all I post monthly short stories on the YA LGBT group without too much of a problem (ok, I still get nervous but not like this)..... I so hope that my prompter likes the story and I haven't let her down!
Okay, going to go lie in a darkened room and seek comfort from the cats now....
My LiAW story has posted! ..... which can be found here - Laoch Rudadh (Red Warrior) - though I think you need to be a member of the M/M Group to read it at present
I left mum's shortly after finding it and wandered around the supermarket in a daze.... I had no clue what I was putting in the basket and goodness only knows how I am going to make meals from what I ended up buying.
I've spent the afternoon feeling both excited and extremely nervous at the same time..... I've knitted a sock to past the turning of the heel and the instep decreases whilst watching, well, sitting in front of, the TV (i've no idea what I actually watched).....
At present I am feeling too nervous to go see if there is any feed back ... I know this is probably totally irrational, after all I post monthly short stories on the YA LGBT group without too much of a problem (ok, I still get nervous but not like this)..... I so hope that my prompter likes the story and I haven't let her down!
Okay, going to go lie in a darkened room and seek comfort from the cats now....
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