The Green Man Has Landed

Ah, that’s better. Back in the writing chair WITHOUT sore hands. Look! I can type without wincing! Woo and hurrah!

Quick post today as I’ve got a lot to do.

Just thought I’d let you know that my short story’s up over at Bewildering Stories and you can see it here.

I like Bewildering Stories. They’re good people who publish writing on its merits. I’ve read a lot of really good stuff on there, some of it from people I know, some not. It’s good that there are still people out there like that.

Worrying Lack of Cables

I broke my keyboard last week. It made me sad because I really liked it. It was only cheap. It connected to my laptop (which is on a cradle so I don’t knacker my back up any more than I already have) by a cable. It did nothing fancy but it did its job well and the action of the keys was a delight. It was white and made by IT Works.

As I said, I broke it. My fault, I was reading a bit of The Book Thief and kinda dropped it. It’s a heavy (and very good – so far) book, and as a result, the N key fell off.

So I trundled down to Comet for a replacement and discovered they don’t stock it anymore. So I went elsewhere. To John Lewis and bought a Logitech EX 110. This had no cables. I did not trust it, but I made do. And a week on I found I was still making do. And that’s not good enough. A decent keyboard is one of the few luxuries I think a writer should be allowed. So in a fit of fed up with plasticky-feeling-keyboard rage I hopped into my car and drove back to John Lewis. I took more time to choose this time, and the assistant was brilliant (he opened boxes and let me try before I bought – Thank you.) and came away with another keyboard. This one had cables.

And now I’ve just installed (Why one would have to install a keyboard is beyond me, but clearly not beyond Bill Gates) my shiny new Microsoft Digital Media Pro keyboard, which I much prefer. This one connects to my computer by a cable. I’m happier with that. So, no offence to Logitech, but I thik this one’s well dead better.

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The doing a minimal amount of typing seems to have done my hands a world of good. So by Monday I expect to be back at it and typing at the speed of light. After all, novels don’t write themselves, do they?

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And best of luck to Roger for next week, when he’ll see his second book published. Nice chap, talented writer, and definitely on my list of the nicest people I’ve never met.

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Ooh, and congrats to Sammy, who if he’s reading, will know what I mean.

Prehistoric Sharks and Back Pain

I’m still struggling on with sore hands and back and neck. Off to the doc’s shortly so I’m hoping he’ll be able to put me right. Isn’t it always the way that something like this happens when you’re really busy. Ho hum.

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Unrelated to the whole Big Brother debate (which I’m not going to enter into), I was discussing race issues with someone the other day and I think she put it wonderfully.

She’s a very nice lady called Donyae Coles, and this is what she said:

“Racism is like mould. It starts out in a small corner of the basement and you don’t worry about it because it’s in the basement and isn’t there supposed to be mould in the basement? and before you know it every wall in your house is infected with it and its a fight to get rid of.”

Thanks Donyae for letting me post it here.

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And finally. I think that this night be the coolest thing I’ve seen this year.

TES and RSI

I’ve not achieved that much this week really. This is down to the fact that I’ve got some bloomin’ RSI thing going on in my hands. And that’s meant that I haven’t been able to type much. You see, I know from previous experience that when this occurs it’s best to not type at all. But that doesn’t really help someone like me, who’s, you know, a writer.

Let’s hope I’m better after the weekend. I’m going for some Indian food tonight which I’m sure will help no end.

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I notice that my book is now listed on the TES’ website, which is cool. Thanks TES.

And while I’m on the subject of my book (and before my hands drop off) just a reminder that you can see me reading from it here and see me talking about it here.

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And finally. I worked out this week that I saw over 1100 people last year through workshops and school visits. I think that’s quite good.

Waiting for a storm

Check out this vid of my favourite singer, Hera. It’s good. She’s great. Enjoy.

She’s on my list of the nicest people I’ve never met. Along with, to name but a few, Emma, James, Roger, and as mentioned previously, Kate.

And while I’m on a nice-people-link-fest…

I shared a few drinks with Matt and Jake over the past couple of nights. They’re two thirds of the band Rambo and Leroy. Check ’em out.

What a lovely gesture
I wanted to thank the very lovely Kate Long for sending me the above book. I’ve been dipping into it frequently since it arrived and think it’s very funny indeed. It’s filled with, as you might have gathered from the title, writers’ stories of their public shame. It’s a must for any working writer. And it’s nice to know that even the big names have suffered – in a nice way of course!
So thank you Kate. You are one of the nicest people I have never met. I hope our paths will cross at some point soon.

Wintery

It feels very wintery up here. It’s been rainy, blustery and very cold all week. Not that nice at all really.

My girlfriend, who’s studying for her PGCE at Manchester University, brought me some interesting news. It was poetry day yesterday, apparently, and as part of that one of the groups used a poem from this anthology. [you can see me holding a copy below.] The poem was mine. I’m not sure if they liked it or not. I hope they did. Funny, the people we can reach, isn’t it?

If anyone wants a signed copy, I’ve got two spare ones here that I can exchange for a small fee (think it comes to about £14 with postage).

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I also came across this interesting article written about Publish America. Now I’m not going to lecture or go into detail about self publishing/vanity publishing/POD etc., because, well, I’ve not got time and I’ve had no actual experience of it. But if there’s anyone reading this who is thinking of it please, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. There have been some really great books produced by people who’ve done it themselves, like, for instance, this one by Anne Brooke.

Some POD companies are great and honest. Lulu.com are one that I’ve heard many good things about; I’m sure there are many others, but as I say, I’ve no experience with them.

Like I said – do your homework and don’t get scammed. Please.

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In other news, I was excited to hear that the go ahead has been given for the fourth Indiana Jones movie.

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And in other, other news, I read this this week. (Actually mine has a different cover, not that it’s important).

I think it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. Seriously. Absolutely fantastic and so clever. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I just regret not reading it before. I think I thought I knew the story. I didn’t. It was better than I could have imagined.

Buy it. Get it from the library. Borrow it. Read it.

It’s called Frankenstein.

And while you’re looking at all those wonderful books on Amazon, have a look at mine. It’s very good! Promise! Honest!

Music and Achievement

Yup I have achieved something today. It’s taken me till half three to do, but I have done it. I have tidied my office and my bookshelves. And it feels good. My office is definitely a nicer place to be now I can see the floor. (Well, it wasn’t quite that bad, but not far off!).

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And yes, music. I wanted to give a couple of recommendations. Hera’s album, DON’T PLAY THIS is the best one I’ve heard in years. I really mean that. It really is excellent and Hera’s lovely as well. Buy it and enjoy it.

The other band who I’ve recently discovered are The Vincent Black Shadow. I actually stumbled across these while being nosy on Myspace. R.H. Stavis had them playing on her profile page.

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So there you go. Back to the writing now for me, which, I feel, is going well.

Pics at last!
Finally! I finally found the charger for my camera batteries today and very diligently hopped to it and took a couple of snaps of the book, as I’ve been threatening for weeks.
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I’ve also just uploaded a video of me talking briefly about my novel here.
(You can also see a reading I did in November here).

The book I’m talking about can be ordered from here, as well as from all good retailers.

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My short story, A GIFT FROM THE LITTLE GREEN MAN will be appearing on the Bewildering Stories website on January 29th. I’ll post a link here when it’s up.
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I’m also very happy to have been made a Group Host on the fabulous writing website www.writewords.org.uk
Have a good weekend, all! And happy birthday Julia!