I Love My Job

Well, I love writing full stop. But what I really love about my job is when I get the opportunity to visit schools and run workshops and meet children and do readings, and, and…

I’ve just got in from a day at Woodland Community Primary School, Rochdale. I’ll blog in more detail when I’ve a little more time but I have to say that I loved it. Brilliant children, brilliant teachers, brilliant Head, brilliant school and a brilliant day.

As part of my visit I was truly honoured to officially open their new school library (which is BRILLIANT.) Below is a picture of the plaque. (I never thought I’d have my name – correctly spelled! – on a plaque!)

As I say I’ll blog more about it in greater detail later (I should have some pictures too taken by the school and by the fab reporter – and maybe some examples of some of the work we did).

Until then, have a lovely weekend one and all.

The Glamorous Life of a Writer

Today has been spent printing and stapling. Not very glamorous or exciting you may think. You’d probably be right (especially if I told you that my printer was being silly and my stapler broke).

But why have I been printing and stapling? Well, it’s because on Friday I’m heading up to a school in Rochdale to run some workshops and to open thier new school library. Which is very exciting and makes all the stapling, printing and falling out with my stapler and printer worth it.

I’m looking forward to Friday very much.

I Really Was Trying to Help!

About eight months ago I mentioned that I’d attended a book launch at my local library. A couple of months before that I’d plugged the book. I believed then and still do believe that it’s important to do such things.

So, eight months on…

I was in the middle of running my writing group tonight. The author of said book appeared and asked for a word. Of course I said that’s fine. I did offer him the opportunity to speak to me in private; he chose to speak in front of the group. No problems.

He wanted to talk to me about what I’d posted on the blog in March.

He said he didn’t like what I’d written about him.

Before I continue; an apology from me. I said his book was self published which, he tells me, it isn’t. My mistake. That’s what I’d understood. (If he’d have not walked away when I introdruced myself at the launch because I didn’t have the money to buy the book he was trying to sell me then maybe he could have told me that then.)

He didn’t like this:

“On February 27th I attended a talk given by a local chap who’d self published his memoirs. The book’s called [I’M NOT LISTING IT HERE. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT’S CALLED, MAIL ME OR SEE THE LINK TO OFFENDING POSTS BELOW – NIK] and is mentioned in this blog. I think it’s important to support these kind of things and people.”

and wanted to know what I meant by ‘these kind of things and people.’

Do I really need to explain? Okay. Here goes. I think it’s important to support writers and (local) writing events.

He didn’t like that I’d called them ‘memoirs.’ The book’s about what he’s done, his travels and his experiences. He says it’s an adventure story.

And so it went on, the conclusion being him suggesting I buy his book. Has he bought mine, I wonder. The magazines my stories have appeared in? The group’s anthology? These things go both ways you know.

Now, I’ll happily apologise when I’m wrong. I make mistakes. It happens.

But I think this gentleman’s missing a very important point.

I didn’t have to mention him or his book here. I did it to help, as I’ve done with plenty of others and as I’ll continue to do.

I did it off my own bat. Not from a press release, so I’m not going to be able to say the things about his book in the way that he’d like them said. But, you know, I have said something – not that I’ve had (or expected) any thanks for doing so.

It’s important to remember that once your book’s out there YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHAT GETS SAID ABOUT IT (though when someone does you a favour by mentioning it you should probably see that as a Good Thing – do you know how difficult it is to get books reviewed? – and this isn’t even a review site!).

Again, I tried to do him a favour. I’m not going to name him or his book here in this post. I’ve done that twice and had no thanks and plenty of hassle for my trouble – not to mention losing the best part of fifteen minutes of the group tonight (to be fair, he did apologise to the others).

I wonder does he, even now, realise I was doing him a favour?

If you would like to see the offending posts you can do so here.

So, to conclude. I apologise for the inaccurate ‘self publishing’ comment.

Sigh.

Still at it

I’m about half way through this rewrite (10,500 words out of a little under 20,000) and as such I don’t have all that much to report.

(Actually I wanted to blog about receiving my copy of Cover the Mirrors by Faye L Booth, how much I appreciated her sending me a bookplate and how much I loved reading the prologue but I’m just not going to have time.)

And I know there’s a ton of emails I’ve not yet replied to, so to anyone waiting for a reply from me – you should get one early next week. Promise! Thank you for your patience.

Now, chapter 13, in which our hero finds himself taken to a barn…

My friends went to Cyprus and all they got me was…

this lovely little magnetic crab (currently attached to the cabinet which is the side of my desk). Thanks G ‘n’ R.

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Cover the Mirrors by Faye L. Booth has been released. Looking forward to receiving my copy. (I was supposed to be attending the launch in Preston on Friday but ended up being unable to get there. I really hope it went splendidly.)

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And this is horribly and wonderfully addictive.

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I’m also secretly and slowly working on a new website, after pretty much all attempts to update and then delete my old one have failed (sigh, grumble). If anyone has any thoughts my ears are always open.