tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29265777652796953932024-03-21T16:15:40.148+00:00Claire Wattswriting - reading - books for children and young adults - fairy talesnever enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-12970274474892391732024-03-10T12:30:00.001+00:002024-03-10T12:30:37.990+00:00All aboard for Book Week!<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I spent just fifteen minutes with my author hat on in school this week, but I spent many, many hours engaging with children and teachers and books. The reason: the Wallace Hall Primary Book Festival.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">For the past couple of years I’ve been working a couple of days a week as a learning assistant. Schools are very good at making use of the talents and enthusiasms of their staff, so it didn’t take WHP long to realise that I am the woman to talk to about children’s books. Last year, I was away the week of World Book Day, when the school runs a literacy week (but I was on a writing retreat). This year, one of the teachers and I planned a week-long school Book Festival based around the Questioneers picture book series by Andrea Beaty illustrated by David Roberts. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWlUdIU9vhmVReXVQQusXRlXoYZniGZxhFxEEtOoVsN0tvPvxUD-8EbGTsjTs5p2YD_ZVa5f42b3M23kAVVaF9rRiyMzUFnOVMIp0mpGit5p9gYnwcGHqy02I7I_FOEpEXdeFSlQeXI9Lxehcx9sMWIoX4BFltoopLbaXzH2LSice9TT76IGeIGepriU/s1500/Ada.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1216" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWlUdIU9vhmVReXVQQusXRlXoYZniGZxhFxEEtOoVsN0tvPvxUD-8EbGTsjTs5p2YD_ZVa5f42b3M23kAVVaF9rRiyMzUFnOVMIp0mpGit5p9gYnwcGHqy02I7I_FOEpEXdeFSlQeXI9Lxehcx9sMWIoX4BFltoopLbaXzH2LSice9TT76IGeIGepriU/s320/Ada.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Each class took one of the books, which feature a scientist, an illustrator, an illustrator, an engineer, a teacher and an activist, and their class teacher based class activities around that book. P7 were off on their residential trip for half the week so they missed this part.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Each day of the week we held book-related activities:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On Monday, we had shared reading, with children from higher up the school going into lower classes to read with children.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_-dM-JNbGaA_0yg2Mv8os263Ao3E2xBfobhOi6UegV3zTq5id2e9PhfTt__KFXueE7IxvWcniotOtTB20Yh7ulSicY8N2QP0snyJ2a82gGp1AkqopdqW6_kz971zgfzueZ-EZ9FQtvGOeiBmoAH6Rc_7jCgu_ydtlIyq8YFJnzu1nd1b0iQEepn1z1Q/s600/Aaron.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_-dM-JNbGaA_0yg2Mv8os263Ao3E2xBfobhOi6UegV3zTq5id2e9PhfTt__KFXueE7IxvWcniotOtTB20Yh7ulSicY8N2QP0snyJ2a82gGp1AkqopdqW6_kz971zgfzueZ-EZ9FQtvGOeiBmoAH6Rc_7jCgu_ydtlIyq8YFJnzu1nd1b0iQEepn1z1Q/s320/Aaron.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On Tuesday, we had Speed Book Sharing, where the class sat in two lines facing each other and each child had 30 seconds to share a book they loved with their partner before moving on to the next person. We also ran a sponsored read on this day with children collecting money for time spent reading, proceeds to go to new books for the library.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On Wednesday, we had a Dress a Potato as a book character competition. Children were wildly enthusiastic about this and we had some amazingly creative entries. In the afternoon there was a parent open day, so parents came in to share classroom activities with children and view the competition entries.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_XYGVqYFTfQDrSUlgHHm2Qc1i5zWMXcjbvMaqFbrMR8IkfTKCRQybarQsEDouzja6XffFs82vXyCnF69dhgpvJVuNsUzp9lK9lERQHyYAKWnwduxWS_CQnQePZqQG8cIyXf1x9XkjGmj78SvLqu8OJHgjuoEoth7jpXpqYgqvhkF5CQa137MaeY6QEM/s1216/Sofia.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1216" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_XYGVqYFTfQDrSUlgHHm2Qc1i5zWMXcjbvMaqFbrMR8IkfTKCRQybarQsEDouzja6XffFs82vXyCnF69dhgpvJVuNsUzp9lK9lERQHyYAKWnwduxWS_CQnQePZqQG8cIyXf1x9XkjGmj78SvLqu8OJHgjuoEoth7jpXpqYgqvhkF5CQa137MaeY6QEM/s320/Sofia.jpeg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Thursday – actually World Book Day – I wasn’t at school (and I needed the day off after all the running around!). Classes visited the local library for storytime.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM17gJKyOFZrefFRGgXVOGWtH7rj3IoTPIPjma3Hq-9AeyqxiwDBgHufn3rhZNmHnFbV5-m1QYM1T1E6hc9_BiQiT3TgWEExrq2qfJwMZK_RLGVFJJpKeCdt0vr3EUMddPY6d23kYw-zfzQUcQDf7s88RB0zo6rgMnyUMlXlbwtSIDuHr4Uk0yQqqwpj8/s1500/Rosie.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1201" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM17gJKyOFZrefFRGgXVOGWtH7rj3IoTPIPjma3Hq-9AeyqxiwDBgHufn3rhZNmHnFbV5-m1QYM1T1E6hc9_BiQiT3TgWEExrq2qfJwMZK_RLGVFJJpKeCdt0vr3EUMddPY6d23kYw-zfzQUcQDf7s88RB0zo6rgMnyUMlXlbwtSIDuHr4Uk0yQqqwpj8/s320/Rosie.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXl3P-4cnhllJeJVTn7IosSIxW60ILAsDDJS9iozxoY4ibekJdO2jR2VJcBG0HkTy203HeNcO8u8aCQ3Z0DQlI4vHdHwb7Ob2eZf8iuqo8rKTauBmcEcb67XNhE21jzk8msmf3NANZeym_EOct2dfI4joq6ZADZVi4JUKiWaNoHtZweUp550yBPQn4seQ/s1076/Iggy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXl3P-4cnhllJeJVTn7IosSIxW60ILAsDDJS9iozxoY4ibekJdO2jR2VJcBG0HkTy203HeNcO8u8aCQ3Z0DQlI4vHdHwb7Ob2eZf8iuqo8rKTauBmcEcb67XNhE21jzk8msmf3NANZeym_EOct2dfI4joq6ZADZVi4JUKiWaNoHtZweUp550yBPQn4seQ/s320/Iggy.jpeg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On Friday we had an all-school IDL activity inspired by Andrea Beaty’s characters Rosie Revere, Engineer, and Iggy Peck, Architect. Small groups of mixed-age children were given missions to design and build for different fictional characters, such as a hot air balloon to carry Goldilocks out of the forest, a waterproof boat to carry the Gingerbread Man across the river and a wolf-proof house for the Three Little Pigs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Running alongside all this, in the corridor there was competition in the corridor to match teachers to their favourite children’s books. Tricky, but lots of fun!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrM2bXLtMJBNd7NLSTeGKMgECPoK_Ya6oFSiJmhR_jCCeXTOtfhLRWAvZDP8humxn3jk4bpOV4x7e1G7YccnON2qNv083i_60Xg9AdL2l_Lrfr2n2tvoRw4zGTYkHEYy1wzwt9pqclhTDP7cezH0OqbhU7gnl4Z9uRQ9z3rulGQQFS2VQyV1TCzLnlk0/s1500/Lila.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1233" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrM2bXLtMJBNd7NLSTeGKMgECPoK_Ya6oFSiJmhR_jCCeXTOtfhLRWAvZDP8humxn3jk4bpOV4x7e1G7YccnON2qNv083i_60Xg9AdL2l_Lrfr2n2tvoRw4zGTYkHEYy1wzwt9pqclhTDP7cezH0OqbhU7gnl4Z9uRQ9z3rulGQQFS2VQyV1TCzLnlk0/s320/Lila.jpeg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">And my 15 author minutes? I spoke to one of the classes about how to plan a story. Always a good one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So now we have to plan next year’s Book Festival. I don’t know how we’re going to live up to this one!<o:p></o:p></span></p>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-65994353039498845622024-02-08T11:46:00.002+00:002024-02-08T11:46:45.052+00:00February resolution update<p>Following on from <a href="https://bookmountain1.blogspot.com/2024/01/happy-new-resolution.html" target="_blank">last months' resolution</a>, here's a brief summary of how it's going so far.</p><p><br /></p><p>Books read last month: 9</p><p>Rearead from my shelves: 3</p><p>Loaned by other people: 2</p><p>Audiobook from library: 1</p><p>Bought secondhand: 1 (last year so I'm not counting this as a cost)</p><p>Gifts: 2</p><p>Total spent: 0</p><p><br /></p><p>Clothing items bought: 0</p><p>Clothing items mended: 1 (though it wasn't actually mine)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXTEgpPX3qqh_HksDGJZuGnYtaKXzzGzf3YkDWZapoKedw1gdq6NQueeYT-fj-F9v3YCTz7ZJ6EeJRlCmhk6f7dszpKlFWmFxAr7gSCpPyr4ixYJilnOaUPN_yi4BcSirDUTWBxWZOEoEXKqupRKuyZO0oCYudYKA4izG5fjlWpCIDnH_A97fokm3fJw/s2968/89F8BFA8-3308-45B1-959C-3B026EAB662B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2968" data-original-width="1670" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXTEgpPX3qqh_HksDGJZuGnYtaKXzzGzf3YkDWZapoKedw1gdq6NQueeYT-fj-F9v3YCTz7ZJ6EeJRlCmhk6f7dszpKlFWmFxAr7gSCpPyr4ixYJilnOaUPN_yi4BcSirDUTWBxWZOEoEXKqupRKuyZO0oCYudYKA4izG5fjlWpCIDnH_A97fokm3fJw/s320/89F8BFA8-3308-45B1-959C-3B026EAB662B.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Clothing items sewn: 0</p><p>Total spent: 0</p><p><br /></p><p>Gardening items bought: 0</p><p>Times I went in the garden and did anything that could be called gardening: 0</p><p>Total spent: 0</p><p><br /></p>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-31905347448470483182024-01-05T15:37:00.002+00:002024-02-08T11:51:24.340+00:00Happy new resolution...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyLYZraaKT1XU4NNAnXNibV3UTCSLnz9ee6yyQa0rl0atcnv1vWO4gtYWovrQPoi_god7YhQRDBLiblYyPgH_DIvAazRCxavV4O_lmrIsSOXvW1DCNApqHv20a5JNmRdazvJeJJEct3StFWvTpvcuJcsO2HIkRRUyLV7S8dVVr_TK0x7WrGllS4onvdY/s4032/IMG_0365.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyLYZraaKT1XU4NNAnXNibV3UTCSLnz9ee6yyQa0rl0atcnv1vWO4gtYWovrQPoi_god7YhQRDBLiblYyPgH_DIvAazRCxavV4O_lmrIsSOXvW1DCNApqHv20a5JNmRdazvJeJJEct3StFWvTpvcuJcsO2HIkRRUyLV7S8dVVr_TK0x7WrGllS4onvdY/s320/IMG_0365.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;">Targets are in frustratingly short supply when most of the work you do is for yourself. But I like targets and so I set them for myself. I predict and record the amount of time I spend on different pieces of work; I set schedules and generally stick to them; I write lists with little checkboxes next to them, weekly ones and monthly ones. I may, in fact, like targets too much.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;">So it will come as no surprise that I like resolutions. A resolution is a just a target by another name: I will do this, I will not do this, I will achieve this quantity of something, I will reach this position.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;">I prefer resolutions that are measurable. In the past I have resolved to:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->write 500 words a day for a year (twice, achieved both times)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->run 1,000 km in a year (twice, but didn’t make it in 2023 because of hideous lurgy)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->make a new recipe once a week for a year (this was great, really turned me back onto cooking after too many years of cooking dull food that children would eat)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->not buy any books (interesting, lots of rereading and started using the library again – and allowed myself an exception for the books of friends)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;">This year’s resolution is less easy to measure. I am resolved to ‘tread more lightly’. I have probably put that in quotes because even to me it sounds a bit airy-fairy. What do I mean by it? I mean that I intend to think more carefully about everything I buy, use and consume in order that my presence here on the planet has a smaller impact than it did previously. This isn’t a new thing. We’ve been considering our diet for a long time, we have an electric car and a green energy supplier. Although I’ll be trying to consider every aspect of our lives, I’m going to focus on three areas where I know I’ll be tempted by lovely shiny new things.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->BOOKS<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;">Of course books. It is so easy to spend money on books. And it’s my job. I can always justify spending money on them. But. I can borrow, form other people and from libraries (though the libraries where I live are sorely under-resourced). I can buy second-hand (mostly from WOB who give authors a (very small) royalty on second-hand sales). If I buy new books I can consider audio or digital in order to save on paper, particularly if it’s something I’m never going to read again. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;">Last year’s spend on books (not including presents for other people): £391.76<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->CLOTHES<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;">Nothing like new clothes to make you feel good about yourself. I buy fewer clothes than I used to and I wash them less frequently and mend them more. But this year I will aim not to buy any new clothes unless I can’t see how to do without them or obtain them in any other way. I’ll look at buying second hand though I’m not sure about shoes. I probably don’t need any shoes anyway. I expect I’ll still be buying underwear and tights. I’ll finish the sewing project I have hardly started and I’ll alter the things I made recently that I haven’t been happy about. There’s no point in having clothes I don’t or can’t wear. To this end I’ll also look through and see if I have other things that could be altered. If I can master putting pockets in, that’ll bring several pocketless garments back into circulation. I will not buy any more patterns or fabric or wool until I’ve finished the things I’ve already got! Some mending is going to be difficult – my coat has frayed sleeves – but I’ll try with mending before I give up and get a new one.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;">Last year’s spend on clothes: £636.12<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->GARDEN<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;">I could easily not buy more plants. I could grow most things from seed and work out how to propagate from what I have already. But you don’t just want to have the same things everywhere in the garden and the new pond area (when we get round to it) will need entirely different plants. So I should find an alternative source of plants grown locally and without peat, like church fetes. I don’t know what to do about compost though. I feel I need it to grow seeds. I can’t make enough of my own and it’s not fine enough for seeds. Is there another way to get it rather than in plastic bags from the garden centre?. I’ll stop getting Gardener’s World magazine too, because although it costs me nothing with Tesco clubcard points, I look at a couple of articles and the special offers, then take out the free seeds before I throw it away. Definitely a waste of paper.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-size: medium;">Last year’s spend on garden: unknown because up to now I’ve lumped it in with the house spend.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium;">The way to measure all this is probably to keep a note of what I consume in these areas and how I consume it – did it cost money, did I make it myself, did I borrow it, was it second hand? (Oh good! More spreadsheets…)<o:p></o:p></p><style class="WebKit-mso-list-quirks-style">
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</style>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-8632664981586855292023-02-22T11:47:00.001+00:002023-02-22T12:04:58.901+00:00The Great Roald Dahl Debate<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyNF2Vwq-PoP2AV2FAbQANnrvNCduIgSBdy_qBaxvu83aRP23lAfWe2_vUBS8unoGA-27m5_vsQIL6xydPg0cOiM-gNkhQqULue_2kmeZWSTu73F3GcHjdOK3SkSIZ6ZmwOY76frGNiL2554tuPxB_21y_2wskvkgc70nc5Yb8XA0owJ9FhrWvc2N/s1500/332475246_508827168095969_7967411988947501159_n.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1124" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyNF2Vwq-PoP2AV2FAbQANnrvNCduIgSBdy_qBaxvu83aRP23lAfWe2_vUBS8unoGA-27m5_vsQIL6xydPg0cOiM-gNkhQqULue_2kmeZWSTu73F3GcHjdOK3SkSIZ6ZmwOY76frGNiL2554tuPxB_21y_2wskvkgc70nc5Yb8XA0owJ9FhrWvc2N/s320/332475246_508827168095969_7967411988947501159_n.jpg" /></a></div><p> </p>Roald Dahl is in the news. Even people who generally have no interest at all in children’s books have noticed. Just in case this has passed you by or you’re reading some time in the future when the whole five-minute furore is in the past, here’s a quick summary:<p>
Roald Dahl’s books are being rereleased with edits intended to make them more acceptable to a modern audience. The reactions – from all sorts of people, including Philip Pullman and the Prime Minister – have varied from ‘You must never touch a word of a writer’s published work’ to ‘Fantastic, now children will not be exposed to Dahl's racism, body-shaming, misogyny, etc’ and ‘Couldn’t they just publish the originals with footnotes and an introduction?’ There has also been ‘Why bother? There’s nothing special about Dahl.’</p><p>
Should they meddle with an author’s work? I see no reason why not. The author is dead so has nothing to say about it. His estate is perfectly happy with the changes (and the financial reward). It’s nothing new. Children’s books have been published in updated versions forever. Netflix has acquired the rights to Dahl’s work. Of course they want to make money from the books. Their press-release called the books ‘Timeless Tales’. It’s probably impossible to make a book timeless, but here they are, making them up-to-date.</p><p>
I enjoyed Dahl’s books as a child. My now grown-up children liked Dahl. <i>The BFG</i> is my favourite. They liked <i>Danny the Champion of the World</i> and <i>Matilda</i>. They adored <i>The Enormous Crocodile</i>. I do not remember finding anything particularly uncomfortable in Dahl as a child. It fitted with the cartoons and sitcoms I watched on TV. But the world has moved on. We do not offer children cruelty and othering and call it humour. (Well mostly we don’t.) Toning down these aspects of Dahl will make his work fit our twenty-first century children’s book model better.</p><p>
Could the publishers have added footnotes and an introduction instead? Of course they could have. And if parents or teachers were reading the books to children, these things would have been discussed, no doubt, though quite probably a parent or teacher might have commented or changed words and ideas that troubled them as they read the old versions. But here’s the thing: most children would not read footnotes or an introduction. And if they did, they would be drawn out of the story, which is something you really don’t want to do to child readers.</p><p>
The good thing about Dahl is that children want to read his books. The books have bold, lively heroes and memorable baddies, shocking disasters and soaring triumphs. Children are dying to turn the pages and find out what happens. When they’ve finished one of Dahl’s books, they feel satisfied by the story and they want to pick up another. This is how children develop reading fluency – by finding books that they don’t want to put down. When my eldest daughter was six, she brought home from the school bookfair two of the Rainbow Fairy books. She wasn’t a fluent reader at the time so I read the first one to her. The second one she read a page and then I read a page. She loved those books. I found them plodding and predictable. So when I discovered that she’d bought a pack of five of them with a book token I refused to read them. She took a week to read the next one on her own. Then two days for the next one. Then one a day until she’d read them all. I’m not going to argue for the Rainbow Fairy books’ place in the canon of children’s literature, but they have a purpose and they serve it well. They can turn children into readers. And so can Dahl.</p><p>
But here’s the thing. So can many other books. New books, books with modern ideas, diverse characters, current language. Books that take place in a world today’s children recognise and engage with problems, ideas and circumstances that concern them. And no, I don’t just mean issue-driven books set in a contemporary world. Fantasy, historical, sci-fi, humour – all sorts of stories are different today.</p><p>
That’s not to say that children shouldn’t read children’s books from the past. I would never say that! So many wonderful, brilliant books full of amazing stories exist for children to find and adults to share with them. Children need choice just like adults do – more so, because they’re still working out what types of books suit them.</p><p>
The problem with children’s books is – as it ever was – that the books are bought by adults on the whole. Adults who don’t know anything about children’s books will go for the easy option – the book they recognise from their childhood, the book by that famous bloke off the TV. And the marketing people recognise this, so they push those books. It’s an obvious win. You own a property. There’s an easy market for it. The cost to the publisher is minimal. You just change the covers, print a bunch more and there they are on the shelf looking fresh and new. If you wander into WHSmith you won’t see a shelf full of books by a single author that are 40, 50 or 60 years old in the adult section. But there in the children’s section is a whole shelf of Dahl … and another of Enid Blyton (who has undergone her own modernisation more than once). And it’s not just bookshops. A lot of school libraries rely heavily on books donated when children have grown out of them. Their shelves are groaning under the weight of Dahl.</p><p>
So here’s what I think. If we have to have Dahl, let’s have updated Dahl. But let’s have lots of exciting new books front and centre too. Please, marketing people, think about how you are serving the children who learning to be readers when you constantly cash in on old books. Concentrate instead on what would serve them best in their journey to becoming readers and then work out how to market those books to the adults who buy books. Give children choice.</p><p></p><hr />
*Please note that this piece is my personal view.
<br /><hr /><br /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">While you're here, do take a look at my gorgeous book, <i>Snippets</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s1170/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s320/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div><br />For a taster tale, you can read <a href="https://ko-fi.com/post/BARLEY-SUGAR--a-Snippets-story-W7W4BZFBL" target="_blank">a <i>Snippets</i> story that's not in the book here</a>. <br /><br /></div><div>
You can <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09NL3K6SS" target="_blank">get a copy of <i>Snippets</i> on Amazon</a> or if you’d like a signed copy send me a message on <a href="https://twitter.com/evangelinecluck" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evangelinecluck/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clairewattswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>You can also <a href="https://www.clairejwatts.com" target="_blank">find me on my website clairejwatts.com</a><br /></div><br />
<p></p>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-37929109375379440802022-09-28T15:38:00.000+01:002022-09-28T15:38:22.135+01:00Writing Diary: September 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJdtDIKjopE-wOv59vy1gV-gGnEZUc0AXnWaMy4DZO5WdPC4uXtX0eShZIEaBzGKXa83u2_LR6bNFxalB0LWrSMfxuKpKEmhZOlNhikDZWV0qcS3f8x-WfLsKyvOFB8SttiJTSJfHFewAoKLuDyre8BSNswC5KjCL31x8ZkXIdu3YVZD1kzxeXYKD/s3024/74B83E7B-2C7C-469C-B2FF-7484AC9E86D1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJdtDIKjopE-wOv59vy1gV-gGnEZUc0AXnWaMy4DZO5WdPC4uXtX0eShZIEaBzGKXa83u2_LR6bNFxalB0LWrSMfxuKpKEmhZOlNhikDZWV0qcS3f8x-WfLsKyvOFB8SttiJTSJfHFewAoKLuDyre8BSNswC5KjCL31x8ZkXIdu3YVZD1kzxeXYKD/s320/74B83E7B-2C7C-469C-B2FF-7484AC9E86D1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>I’ve been writing a time-travel story.<br /><br />
Ah! you say. Science fiction.<br /><br />
But is it?<br /><br /><br />
I’d say there’s not so very much distance between the type of world-building I’m doing around time travel in this book and the world-building I did when I was writing about a family of witches. <br /><br />
It’s about creating a system that the reader can believe in. <br /><br />
I did spend some time reading some science about time travel. It’s very complicated and my understanding is totally superficial, but what I gleaned is this: time travel is probably impossible and even if it were possible (which would take unfathomable amounts of energy), you’d only be able to travel into the past and you couldn’t return.<br /><br />
No one has yet settled on one definition of science fiction (or indeed any other genre) but most interested parties agree that the science involved should be a possible development of actual known science and that you can’t ignore established science unless you can work out how to explain it. By these parameters, my book is far from science fiction.<br /><br />
I read a LOT of time travel in preparation for writing this book. There are books which are very sciency; there are books that are not sciency at all; there are books somewhere in between. I love them all. The idea of time travel thrills me.<br /><br />
If I were forced to pigeonhole my book, I’d say it is fantasy. Can I call it science fantasy?<br /><br />
<br />
So.<br /><br />
Time-travel world-building turns out to be very complicated.<br /><br />
You need a means of time travel: a machine or a portal. It could be something that’s been created for the purpose (or for another purpose with time travel as a side-effect) – that’s a more sciency sort of time travel. Or it could be some mysterious or magic process – that’s fantasy. <br /><br /><br />
Then there are the rules:<br /><br />
How does time spent in the past or future relate to time in the present? Are they equivalent?<br /><br />
Is it possible to communicate with people from your own time?<br /><br />
Can you change the past? What happens if you do?<br /><br />
If you can’t change the past, how does it feel to be in it?<br /><br />
Can you meet yourself in a different time?<br /><br />
What happens if you die in the past?<br /><br />
Can you bring objects from one time to another?<br /><br />
How does it feel to time travel? What happens to your body?<br /><br />
Is it a secret? Why? Whose secret is it? What will happen if people find out?<br /><br />
<br />
In a well-written time travel story, in fact in any well-written story with complex world-building, information and rules are fed into the story at such a pace as not to overwhelm the reader. But writing complex worlds is a different matter. There are so many questions to be answered, so many decisions to be made, and it’s really useful to have the majority of them sorted at a very early stage.
<br /><br /><br />
But in the end, you also have to keep in mind that however elaborate and fascinating your world-building is, no matter how key it is to the plot, it’s never going to satisfy your readers without a great human story at the heart of your novel.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">My new book, <i>Snippets</i>, is available now.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s1170/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s320/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div><br />For a taster tale, you can read <a href="https://ko-fi.com/post/BARLEY-SUGAR--a-Snippets-story-W7W4BZFBL" target="_blank">a <i>Snippets</i> story that's not in the book here</a>. <br /><br /></div><div>
You can <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09NL3K6SS" target="_blank">get a copy of <i>Snippets</i> on Amazon</a> or if you’d like a signed copy send me a message on <a href="https://twitter.com/evangelinecluck" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evangelinecluck/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clairewattswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Go to <a href="https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts</a> to read a new Snippets story every month. It’s free, but you can support me with a donation if you like.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can also <a href="https://www.clairejwatts.com" target="_blank">find me on my website clairejwatts.com</a><br /></div><br />
never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-84002770847086743582022-07-31T10:36:00.034+01:002022-07-31T10:36:00.158+01:00Writing Diary: July<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxcdl0kFCFKlE9iuhiaqFPcvVL9NCXHRbc7g8WlwclMQ5Fzint0lCfDyaWcObmdbljAf0KENe_uNDMWUdJowMq1dEGjjqTjM9RHF7LcgAQ8JRp3oPfeozw2sq-oVRDhkt7EWB3H1qhaMeQ08NtLarPTBtSjCd4PgE6sHKOgxIYacx6SqhB_dKSPxj/s3024/IMG_4687.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxcdl0kFCFKlE9iuhiaqFPcvVL9NCXHRbc7g8WlwclMQ5Fzint0lCfDyaWcObmdbljAf0KENe_uNDMWUdJowMq1dEGjjqTjM9RHF7LcgAQ8JRp3oPfeozw2sq-oVRDhkt7EWB3H1qhaMeQ08NtLarPTBtSjCd4PgE6sHKOgxIYacx6SqhB_dKSPxj/s320/IMG_4687.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>This month I left my agent. We’ve done some good work together but the relationship didn’t seem to be getting me anywhere, so it’s time to find a new champion.<br /><br />
Submitting to agents is one of the less fun parts of being a writer but I think I’m better at it than I was. For one thing, I have more knowledge about what an agent is looking for, which helps me to shape my approach letter. Secondly, I feel more in charge than I used to. True, an agent is one of those ‘gatekeepers’ that the industry talks about all the time. You (mostly) need one to get your book on the road to being published. But agents need authors. They need books, they need ideas, they need talent. A great agent may be looking for specific books that they know they can sell, but they’re also going to be keeping an eye out for an idea that comes at them from out of the blue. Some agent out there is looking for me.<br /><br />
So I write my letters. I read up on various agents to find ones who seem to be interested in books like mine, who have profiles that appeal to me, whose Twitter feed I enjoy, who I’ve come across personally or know of through friends. I tailor my submissions to whatever their particular format is (they’re all different: 3 chapters/5,000 words/10 pages; attachment/body of email; synopsis of 1 page/500 words/300 words; blurb; list of published works). I think carefully about why I’ve picked this particular agent and craft a charming sentence at the end to make it personal.<br /><br />
It's kind of like internet dating…<br /><br />
So now I’m thinking, if it’s like dating, I ought to be compiling my own list of what I’m looking for in an agent. So here it is:<br /><br />1. Someone who is a champion of my work, who loves what I’ve written and is certain that publishers and readers will love it too.<br /><br />2. Someone who is interested in my whole career, not just this one book:<br /><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;">
• who will consider all the manuscripts I have written and discuss with me whether they’re worth spending more time on.
<br />• who will guide me when I start out on a new project.<br />
• who will bring me ideas that they think would be sellable.</blockquote><br />3. Someone who will take on both my fiction and my nonfiction.<br /><br />4. Someone who will give me brilliant editorial feedback that will help me improve my work.<br /><br />5. Someone who will reply to messages from me promptly and check in on me regularly.<br /><br />6. Someone who knows how to read what’s going on in the industry and how to get the best deal for me (and themselves).<br /><br />7. Someone who is professional and but also feels like a supportive friend.<br /><br />
So now I wait. Between 4 and 16 weeks, so the submissions pages on their websites say. I could do more submissions but I think I’ll wait and see what comes of this batch of five. Maybe I’ll decide my letters need tweaking. Or my synopsis. Maybe all five will want to see my book. That would be interesting. Maybe I’ll have a meeting with more than one agent and I can use my list to interview them for the job of Best Possible Agent for Me. <br /><br />
Watch this space.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">My new book, <i>Snippets</i>, is available now.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s1170/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s320/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div><br />For a taster tale, you can read <a href="https://ko-fi.com/post/BARLEY-SUGAR--a-Snippets-story-W7W4BZFBL" target="_blank">a <i>Snippets</i> story that's not in the book here</a>. <br /><br /></div><div>
You can <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09NL3K6SS" target="_blank">get a copy of <i>Snippets</i> on Amazon</a> or if you’d like a signed copy send me a message on <a href="https://twitter.com/evangelinecluck" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evangelinecluck/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clairewattswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Go to <a href="https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts</a> to read a new Snippets story every month. It’s free, but you can support me with a donation if you like.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can also <a href="https://www.clairejwatts.com" target="_blank">find me on my website clairejwatts.com</a><br /></div><br />
never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-17527159057450780452022-07-12T11:44:00.002+01:002022-07-12T17:10:22.696+01:00I dream of ... a library<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2OxDSQm8ij3c70sT9cuwGWZXf4OhzY8V_JVSioAUhkkgUcF_g2AFOhMcvubM33Y8skwJcRkSpp8q18RlPFl_aKGouGFqFcb9CnLHPDtaOcWRUrQMoiuB6NtU74pWs1GeI88mC86B38A9auicOS4euoMYO2Dk_X_iU6w6dq9c16mWwmpHx1KeAxqA/s3024/FA940CA3-E0D2-4E53-9BD1-C852D4DCE598.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2OxDSQm8ij3c70sT9cuwGWZXf4OhzY8V_JVSioAUhkkgUcF_g2AFOhMcvubM33Y8skwJcRkSpp8q18RlPFl_aKGouGFqFcb9CnLHPDtaOcWRUrQMoiuB6NtU74pWs1GeI88mC86B38A9auicOS4euoMYO2Dk_X_iU6w6dq9c16mWwmpHx1KeAxqA/s320/FA940CA3-E0D2-4E53-9BD1-C852D4DCE598.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p>I was recently doing a writing exercise about things I hoped and dreamed about when I was a child and how I felt about those hopes and dreams now. One dream was that I wanted to be a writer. Tick, done that. I dreamed of having a dog. Yup, done that, and I was right – it’s the best. I dreamed of owning a huge gothic house with a morning room and a drawing room and secret passages and servants’ quarters and many bedrooms called things like ‘the rose room’ and ‘the lilac room’. I don’t think that would suit me particularly now – too much cleaning, too many decisions about decorating and I bet the plumbing would be no good. Oh how the practicality of middle age stomps upon the fantasies of childhood!<br /><br />
One dream I held onto longer than most was the dream of having a library. You know, one of those that you see in movies, with books around every wall and a library ladder (I adored the scene in <i>Bednobs and Broomsticks</i> when Miss Price is up the library ladder looking for a particular magic book and the guy – forget his name – is pushing her around and singing). I was entranced by the idea of floor to ceiling bookshelves packed with books, ideally all hardback because if you could, why wouldn’t you? There’d be big comfortable chairs everywhere, the kind you can curl up in, one by a wide light window at one end and another by a grand fireplace. A sofa too, long enough to lie down on, not too firm. There’d be a table or a desk. Nowadays, I’d have to add in good reading lights all over the place, of course. I loved it when I visited grand houses open to the public and went into a library where books with leather covers and gold writing were housed behind glass doors. Yes, I thought. That’s the dream.<br /><br />
And now? I have a lot of books in my house. Being surrounded by books makes me comfortable. When we first moved here, for years some of my books were in boxes and I can honestly say that I never felt more at home than when at last we had enough bookshelves for all my books. There are bookshelves in every room here apart from the bathrooms. Some of the books I have had for a long time. Some are just passing through. When I finish reading a book, sometimes I find a place for it on the shelf, sometimes I put it straight in a bag for charity. It’s not necessarily about whether I’m going to read it again or whether I’m going to lend it to anyone. I keep books because they’re beautiful, because they were given to me by particular people, because I think they have some kind of importance, because they’re part of a set. If the decision’s not clearcut, I keep them. They may go in a cull later on.<br /><br />
A cull? Yes. In an ideal world, my bookshelves would not be packed floor to ceiling. There’d be a little room here and there, a space to welcome more. And to achieve that, not only do I give away the books I’m not going to read again, but I also have to be ruthless about weeding. It’s those ones I wasn’t sure about in the first place that go first, along with the ones my husband hasn’t actually thought about (he wants to keep everything, as though our bookshelves were infinitely expanding). Then I have to think about the rest. Sometimes something I’ve kept for years suddenly becomes dispensable. Occasionally I discover a space where I can fit new bookshelves and then, for a while, all the books can breathe and settle because there’ll be no need to cull for a while.<br /><br />
So would I like to have a library? Yes. I love the idea of a big room – both light and cosy – where I would be surrounded by books. It would be full of books I value for one reason or another and I would know just where to lay my hands on any particular book. But they wouldn’t be packed tight; there would always be space for more. The more I think about it, the more I think that it wouldn’t just be a library, this room. It would have to be my living room because why would you want to go anywhere else? (Do I put a TV in this fantasy library? Depends on how many other rooms I’ve got in the fantasy house.)<br /><br /><br />
<div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /><hr /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">My new book, <i>Snippets</i>, is available now.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s1170/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s320/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div><br />For a taster tale, you can read <a href="https://ko-fi.com/post/BARLEY-SUGAR--a-Snippets-story-W7W4BZFBL" target="_blank">a <i>Snippets</i> story that's not in the book here</a>. <br /><br /></div><div>
You can <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09NL3K6SS" target="_blank">get a copy of <i>Snippets</i> on Amazon</a> or if you’d like a signed copy send me a message on <a href="https://twitter.com/evangelinecluck" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evangelinecluck/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clairewattswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Go to <a href="https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts</a> to read a new Snippets story every month. It’s free, but you can support me with a donation if you like.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can also <a href="https://www.clairejwatts.com" target="_blank">find me on my website clairejwatts.com</a><br /></div><br />
</span></div>
never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-48504908917579883732022-06-30T11:11:00.000+01:002022-06-30T11:11:37.687+01:00Writing Diary: June<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCAazAM6ATywO4E3-FtDvUSzoD-0kIGlgxeL7qpxdkrn33QzYlPGKbBGh8ydux-ReVPlZDS2ExhPnJilGwPd9BNn7iKpYO1h4Clba53nnpPDu2FGCLfIbh1xKStIDLzVbD3xXdYm4cIaKwBqfRyTU1I1WV7Gu_YVophXPx92xoS5A3KyzypajTmyL/s4032/76ED9A9F-7E72-413F-BE28-81D8216DFD42.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUCAazAM6ATywO4E3-FtDvUSzoD-0kIGlgxeL7qpxdkrn33QzYlPGKbBGh8ydux-ReVPlZDS2ExhPnJilGwPd9BNn7iKpYO1h4Clba53nnpPDu2FGCLfIbh1xKStIDLzVbD3xXdYm4cIaKwBqfRyTU1I1WV7Gu_YVophXPx92xoS5A3KyzypajTmyL/s320/76ED9A9F-7E72-413F-BE28-81D8216DFD42.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I wish I could harness the flavour of energy I give to my garden in my writing. Both require a combination of knowledge, creative flair and work. In both, you’re working within boundaries: your soil, climate, aspect; form, audience. Both throw up frustrating challenges that set you off course: slugs, frost, disease, inexplicable death; blocks, lack of break-through, poor sales, lack of focus. Both require bouts of solid toil and constant tinkering.<br /><br />
I came to gardening gradually. It was no great passion at first. I had a flat; it had a garden. Gardening was part of doing up the flat, then it was part of the housework. But it grew on me. We moved to the country and rented a house which had been a farmworker’s cottage. No one had ever done anything to the garden that cost any money. There was grass; there were damson trees. We rotavated, grew vegetables, put up playthings for the kids. I grew things in pots, things I could move to a house that we owned. Then we bought the house. The following spring we planted tiny sticks that would become a hedge and little bendy trees. Gradually, gradually over the years, I’ve dug beds, added more trees, put in a patio and paths. <br /><br />
I find it quite easy to take the things that don’t work out in my garden with equanimity. Lovingly nurtured seedlings chewed to nothing by slugs overnight: oh, well, start again with something slugs like less. Camelia not quite the right colour when it finally comes into bloom: no problem, wait until autumn and move it. I can look at my garden with pleasure even while assessing all its imperfections. When a combination of plants turns out to be just right, I’m thrilled. When something’s less than perfect, I look at it calmly and I make a plan. When something’s coming on slowly, I enjoy the suspense. I don’t care that it’s never going to be a show garden. It’s mine, I made it and I love it all.<br /><br />
Writing isn’t like that for me. I’m after perfection and I want it right now. When something isn’t working right I worry about it, I lie awake trying to puzzle it out. I’m reluctant to give up on things that may not be working because it seems like a waste of my previous work. I can’t be calm about it. I want to get to the end and then I want other people to see what I’ve done and think it’s fabulous.<br /><br />
Maybe that’s the difference. I’m treating my writing like a show garden. I want it to be perfect and weed-free with everything in the right position, perfectly in bloom. I want it to be finished. A real garden is never finished and so there’s no pressure in it. I don’t want to write with no end in view the way I garden – I’m always going to aim to finish a book and have it enthusiastically received by an audience. However, I’d like a little more of my mellow gardening energy to feed into my writing – embracing the puzzles and the setbacks, calmly setting about working out how to improve things, accepting that sometimes some things just don’t work and now and then sitting back to take a look at what I’ve done and being happy with it.<br />
<div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /><hr /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">My new book, <i>Snippets</i>, is available now.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s1170/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s320/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div><br />For a taster tale, you can read <a href="https://ko-fi.com/post/BARLEY-SUGAR--a-Snippets-story-W7W4BZFBL" target="_blank">a <i>Snippets</i> story that's not in the book here</a>. <br /><br /></div><div>
You can <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09NL3K6SS" target="_blank">get a copy of <i>Snippets</i> on Amazon</a> or if you’d like a signed copy send me a message on <a href="https://twitter.com/evangelinecluck" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evangelinecluck/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clairewattswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Go to <a href="https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts</a> to read a new Snippets story every month. It’s free, but you can support me with a donation if you like.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can also <a href="https://www.clairejwatts.com" target="_blank">find me on my website clairejwatts.com</a><br /></div><br />
</span></div>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-14032909679694608912022-05-31T11:43:00.047+01:002022-05-31T11:43:00.153+01:00Writing diary: May<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BZon1wX6qcCfx77ex0L9vcpjPdpEE4uxzatRtyrfbe_J1mkgpivRN4BkYU9gX2aIXyc13YD3SEP_zcmvQoaVcsOhLjXz4icRbZ2UxJr3pGc21Df5hWRqny6ROmu1DEcoRlDMkuhHm64lAaKtGOBFy8olk54ICAKzG1OyDXSPaXvXhE4oIjAr1BvA/s3024/7BC18681-5DFA-436A-9A7A-50F66F76CBF5.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8BZon1wX6qcCfx77ex0L9vcpjPdpEE4uxzatRtyrfbe_J1mkgpivRN4BkYU9gX2aIXyc13YD3SEP_zcmvQoaVcsOhLjXz4icRbZ2UxJr3pGc21Df5hWRqny6ROmu1DEcoRlDMkuhHm64lAaKtGOBFy8olk54ICAKzG1OyDXSPaXvXhE4oIjAr1BvA/s320/7BC18681-5DFA-436A-9A7A-50F66F76CBF5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
I’ve been pottering along working on the same book since the beginning of the year, going more and more slowly. I started the year with a very full plan and then wrote every day, first by hand and then typing up what I’d written. This was a lot of work, but I thought it was cutting out a stage of drafting by making me really think about what I’d put down on paper as I typed it. However, I think now that there’s something larger at stake with the book, a fundamental thing in the plot that I thought was minor but which is actually right at the heart of it. What this means, I think, is that before I am done with this first draft I need to examine one particular central adult character and their motives and see how this links in with the plot and even more importantly with the central child character and their actions. <br /><br />
This realisation is kind of a back-to-the-drawing-board moment. It’s daunting and makes me question the whole premise of the book. However, I think these are often the moments from which the best ideas are born. This is when you, the writer, realise what the story is trying to tell you. Of course, not all stories necessarily need to tell you anything, and what this particular story tells me may not be what it tells my reader, but the story has to work for me first. <br /><br />
I’m not sure what the best way to go about examining this character is. I think probably to start with I’ll read what I’ve written and make some notes about her motivation and character. I’ve started doing this already, but I was considering lots of other elements at the same time, so I haven’t been consistent. I think at the moment this character starts out being one kind of person when you only hear about her and then when she appears in person she seems rather different. Then I’ll have to set out to answer the questions I’ve raised. Or possibly I could write from her point of view telling the story of what happened to someone else. I don’t generally like writing extra bits that I know will definitely not be part of the finished book, but – hey ho! – sometimes you’ve just got to do it. The other thing that can work for me is to talk it through with someone else. At least, that usually works for plot – talking sparks ideas for smoothing out plot knots. I don't know if it would work for character.<br /><br />
In the meantime, the new idea that’s edging into my mind seems so much more appealing than slogging away at this one. I don’t really know anything about this idea, except that it’s historical and to do with fear of nuclear war. A friend of mine who tells me she never throws away anything printed that comes into her hands lent me a copy of the original <i>Protect and Survive</i> booklet from 1980. Honestly, it makes my head spin. Did the government actually believe the advice they were giving would protect anyone? Was this what scientists were telling them? <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJEFFcojznGONDauyFxeUmHyqOIE2d9aWsMWzyt9if2-lcFonNR-NCP-vgr5VGB-UiK57ejZ3h1Ef_B6wN2AfBhCm5CewHXIhyGYy-9BDDGqAj_83L_dubaD_ODWznw1dfjif4WaK6n01y0mt60xKcT7cmXB_phvhmLOvU0rlyL6-IS3EJph7ebiL/s4032/42385FE0-8864-4118-8DA1-4847D0F10F06_1_201_a.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJEFFcojznGONDauyFxeUmHyqOIE2d9aWsMWzyt9if2-lcFonNR-NCP-vgr5VGB-UiK57ejZ3h1Ef_B6wN2AfBhCm5CewHXIhyGYy-9BDDGqAj_83L_dubaD_ODWznw1dfjif4WaK6n01y0mt60xKcT7cmXB_phvhmLOvU0rlyL6-IS3EJph7ebiL/s320/42385FE0-8864-4118-8DA1-4847D0F10F06_1_201_a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;">What seems extraordinary to me now is that I lived through this period and simply didn’t think about it. I had other existential worries – I suppose most teenagers do – but I guess I must have trusted that governments would not be so stupid as to blow each other up. What a dope!</span><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /><hr /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">My new book, <i>Snippets</i>, is available now.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s1170/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s320/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div><br />For a taster tale, you can read <a href="https://ko-fi.com/post/BARLEY-SUGAR--a-Snippets-story-W7W4BZFBL" target="_blank">a <i>Snippets</i> story that's not in the book here</a>. <br /><br /></div><div>
You can <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09NL3K6SS" target="_blank">get a copy of <i>Snippets</i> on Amazon</a> or if you’d like a signed copy send me a message on <a href="https://twitter.com/evangelinecluck" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evangelinecluck/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clairewattswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Go to <a href="https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts</a> to read a new Snippets story every month. It’s free, but you can support me with a donation if you like.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can also <a href="https://www.clairejwatts.com" target="_blank">find me on my website clairejwatts.com</a><br /></div><br />
</span></div>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-35431847871047539152022-05-09T12:07:00.000+01:002022-05-09T12:07:43.119+01:00Reading children’s books and childhood reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHFdc49kZDQkCAE1EKRb36Jw5G_ZN0VIBjBmqM87DONd3jvaHLK3PCuQ-WcViZP5vzDfBdCcb5PTIK3iF47Lmw0_2sDCy-TYd7JQHQwnqRAtimrNErfKx1paAKL62DLS-VIL1ZrkqIVHMMTliW-5JNah7CRI9V4KAJ-Elu8b0vE9KIwQymDVfbuKw/s2448/604C940D-5D51-4D29-8C29-EC4DA3665409.heic" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="2448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHFdc49kZDQkCAE1EKRb36Jw5G_ZN0VIBjBmqM87DONd3jvaHLK3PCuQ-WcViZP5vzDfBdCcb5PTIK3iF47Lmw0_2sDCy-TYd7JQHQwnqRAtimrNErfKx1paAKL62DLS-VIL1ZrkqIVHMMTliW-5JNah7CRI9V4KAJ-Elu8b0vE9KIwQymDVfbuKw/s320/604C940D-5D51-4D29-8C29-EC4DA3665409.heic" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p>
Of the twenty-seven books I’ve read so far this year, fifteen were children’s books. I read a lot of children’s books, mostly because I find them satisfying, but partly, of course, because I’m interested in how and what other children’s writers write. Do all children’s writers feel this way? I would be surprised to learn of any writer who didn’t read a good deal in their own area of work, suspicious too of their reasons for writing for a particular market if books of that ilk didn’t interest them. I suppose some maverick genius might manage to write a perfect book for children or a perfect romance or a perfect thriller without ever looking at an example of the type of book they were writing. It just doesn’t seem very likely.<div><br />
Three of those twenty-seven were books about children’s books – there’s a whole world of writing around children’s books once you start looking: writing craft, criticism, history, memoir – plus articles and reviews. And when you can’t summon up the energy for an actual book there’s kidlit Twitter. I follow a lot of people who are engaged with children’s books and to be honest I would have given up on the shouting match and sales pitch that makes up most of Twitter long ago if it weren’t for this entirely wholesome and knowledgeable community.</div><div><br />
I fell upon another rather fascinating thread on Twitter when Sophie Anderson (<a href="https://twitter.com/sophieinspace" target="_blank">@sophieinspace</a>) mentioned that she would not recommend the majority of the books she read when she was a child to children of today because there are so many brilliant more relevant texts available and many of the ‘classics’ pushed on children are racist and sexist. I understand where she’s coming from, but as ever it’s a matter of who is introducing reading matter to children. Most adults are not particularly interested in children’s books. They can’t be expected to know what is current and relevant. What they know about children’s books is based on books they knew and loved as a child and what the supermarket and the display tables in bookshops are shoving at them. Most primary school teachers can scarcely keep up with all the demands of their jobs, let alone manage to become well-read in the latest children’s books. For all these reasons, of course people keep sharing ‘classic’ children’s books with children. I think there’s probably also a tendency to think that these books have stood the test of time so they must be good and that, since they are classics, they must be ‘safe’. None of which is necessarily true. Reading possibly problematic old books with a child and sharing problems in them is one way forward, but I think really the best thing is to give children lots of opportunities to choose for themselves. Learning to look at book covers and blurbs to help you decide if a book will suit you is a skill. So is choosing to read something new and then deciding that it doesn’t suit you. This is, of course, where a well-stocked library comes in. *sigh*</div><div><br />
All this led me to think about my own reading choices as a child and who and what influenced them. </div><div><br />
What there was in the library mostly dictated what I read. I didn’t own a lot of books but my mother took us to the library every week. Occasionally she’d point out something there she’s enjoyed as a child (that’s how I came to Elizabeth Gouge) but mostly it was just me and the shelves.</div><div><br />
I read all the classics, <i>What Katy Did</i>, <i>The Secret Garden</i>, <i>Anne of Green Gables</i>, every Nesbit I could get my hands on, influenced largely by BBC serialisations, I think. There was modern stuff too, Helen Cresswell’s <i>Lizzie Dripping</i>, I think <i>Tom’s Midnight Garden</i> and <i>The Borrowers</i>. From the cinema, I came to all the Mary Poppins books, so much stranger and more mysterious on the page.</div><div><br />
One very strong memory is of a serialisation of <i>Elidor</i> on the children’s radio programme which was all we had by way of English language media when my father was based in Germany. It was mind-blowing and led me to the rest of Alan Garner.</div><div><br />
When I was about eight, a friend of my mother’s who reviewed children’s books came to stay, bringing me a stack of new paperbacks, eight or ten new books all at once. It was glorious. The only one I have left is the rather wonderful <i>The Saucepan Journey</i> by Edith Unnerstad. I think this is the moment I started wanting to own books. After birthdays and Christmas I would head straight for a bookshop. And oh, the joy when I discovered a local second hand bookshop – a big pile of books for scarcely any outlay, lots more classics because they’d be in hardback which, to my mind, meant they must be superior.</div><div><br />
The only influences I remember from teachers was when we listened to a recording of <i>The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</i> which led me to the rest of Narnia and another teacher lent me a book called <i>Well Met By Witchlight </i>by Nina Beachcroft when I missed her reading the end (I tracked this book down a year or so ago and it wasn’t nearly as good as I remembered, but it was a huge influence on the direction of my childhood writing).</div><div><br />
Then there was my friend Miranda. Her mother knew a lot about children’s books somehow. Through her I found K M Peyton and Barbara Willard at just the moment that I was tiptoeing around the edge of adult novels, because British publishing was still only toying with YA back then. </div><div><br />
So back to the question of whether I would share classic children’s books with children. Personally, no. I take great pleasure in buying books for all the children in my present-buying sphere. I like to share new and interesting books they may not have come across. I wouldn’t stop a child from reading classics, but I’d let them arrive at them for themselves. Direction is great and if there are knowledgeable teachers, librarians and family who can direct a child to their next favourite book, fantastic. But failing that guiding hand, what they need is plenty of choice. <p> </p><hr /><p> </p><div style="text-align: center;">My new book, <i>Snippets</i>, is available now.</div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s1170/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD-3144eGR3aQH-WS1fc1eiPC94CY8Nmy391w128LXHVphNgjBsSh666FvO-5coK9hjpfbjwbGPlhYQNuyvsNvkeal2iZIt-oinjDTK4574VyuHihA3m4Wy0_evK24fxgWpnEEXa9gRMBtDyV09YssFn0Z5BRIDt7pOltsKd3yPODlqoqTfhmqrBW7/s320/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><div><br />For a taster tale, you can read <a href="https://ko-fi.com/post/BARLEY-SUGAR--a-Snippets-story-W7W4BZFBL" target="_blank">a <i>Snippets</i> story that's not in the book here</a>. <br /><br /></div><div>
You can <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09NL3K6SS" target="_blank">get a copy of <i>Snippets</i> on Amazon</a> or if you’d like a signed copy send me a message on <a href="https://twitter.com/evangelinecluck" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evangelinecluck/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clairewattswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Go to <a href="https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts</a> to read a new Snippets story every month. It’s free, but you can support me with a donation if you like.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can also <a href="https://www.clairejwatts.com" target="_blank">find me on my website clairejwatts.com</a><br /></div><br />never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-12810784660120085702022-04-20T11:02:00.002+01:002022-04-20T12:05:58.709+01:00Writing Diary: April<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBugw-AEE5TliEKkkBp8IqxV0Uv2suTxF0OPgCPDb35_x6xNHurpTgMzDpGCyit4FjExBgTQITX5aSl0PfiFqgChJ7g9Fg4ounstOe1FQ3wGHl7VC4RWrcU5JHEo8JG5gZpeNdbndwQ-oHCeqN4JfrVjp7Gp8SI5QWO9NltSzq_TClKnt9zqgVdStB/s2280/Screenshot%202022-04-20%20at%2010.24.23.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="2280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBugw-AEE5TliEKkkBp8IqxV0Uv2suTxF0OPgCPDb35_x6xNHurpTgMzDpGCyit4FjExBgTQITX5aSl0PfiFqgChJ7g9Fg4ounstOe1FQ3wGHl7VC4RWrcU5JHEo8JG5gZpeNdbndwQ-oHCeqN4JfrVjp7Gp8SI5QWO9NltSzq_TClKnt9zqgVdStB/s320/Screenshot%202022-04-20%20at%2010.24.23.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />
You must have a social media presence. Publishers expect it, readers expect it.
<br /><br />
So they say.
<br /><br />
But what exactly is it for?
<br /><br />
It is so you get noticed? Who is going to notice you on <a href="https://twitter.com/evangelinecluck" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evangelinecluck/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> unless you find yourself a niche as the amusing dog-owner or the person who always posts pictures of fabulous libraries? Does anyone actually want to know what I think about anything? Do I want them to know? Can I be bothered to figure out what Tiktok is and whether it would be any use to me?
<br /><br />
Is it so people can find out about you? I suppose… I’ve heard people swear they’ve got writing or editing jobs through Twitter or LinkedIn but I find it hard to imagine how that comes about.
<br /><br />
But nonetheless, everyone tells you it's necessary. All the writers I know use social media in some form or another. Most have a website. As for me, I blog reasonably regularly. I try to stick to things I think might be useful to other writers or things that I think are interesting about my work. I share my blogs on social media and a handful of people read them, some of them my family. I use Instagram, mostly to share whatever I’m reading and sometimes things I see on my walks. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clairewattswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a> is for what I’m reading. I don’t really know what to do with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-watts-77139526/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> but I’m on there too.
<br /><br />
The thing that’s been nagging at me for a long time now is a website. It seemed complicated and possibly expensive. What would I put on it? What would people want to know? Who would search for me? I looked at a lot of other writers’ websites. Hmm. I could do this. A lot of the pages weren’t that different from this blog.
<br /><br />
Some pictures. <br />
A list of everything I’ve done. <br />
A link to this blog. <br />
A list of workshops and events I could provide. <br />
A contact page.
<br /><br />
I started to play around.
<br /><br />
And then I stopped. The free trial was over. Was I going for this – in which case please pay – or was I just going to let it drop (again)?
<br /><br />
And then, right then, you know what happened?
<br /><br />
I did an event through a friend of a friend and someone said to me, “I searched for you on the internet but I couldn’t find you.” Well, they hadn’t looked very hard. I have a very common name, it’s true, but if you google me my Twitter account comes up on the first page and if you look up ‘Claire Watts writer’ pretty much the whole page is me. So presumably that means I am doing something right.
<br /><br />
However.
<br /><br />
What this person actually wanted to find wasn’t they little bits and pieces you find on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/267983.Claire_Watts" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> or my <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Claire-Watts/e/B001IQZLFE" target="_blank">Amazon author page</a>. They didn’t want to read what I’d said on Twitter or look at what I’d been reading on Instagram. They wanted a website dedicated to information all about me.
<br /><br />
So I paid the money and published the website. I have no idea how to get the website onto that first search page, but it’s easily findable through all my other socials. Perhaps someone will find it and give me some work or book an event. Or perhaps someone will just decide to look me up and find out more about me.<div><br /></div><div>Have a look. You'll find it here: <a href="https://www.clairejwatts.com">https://www.clairejwatts.com</a><br /><p> </p>
<hr /><p> </p><div style="text-align: center;">My new book, <i>Snippets</i>, is available now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OrNZv-PZHNItZfyrlk3gSTp9FiGtrigJqlJ-nEhuiUfZ64F_0Utej7sMug80TI7AboC8iJwtZN9AhBODsORlhc3ayqr2bx9OM85zbMFXEj35wgLf4jLyMHATMo8j3e0EHSmZeYst7U4KMJypwp5dHSOAVr0Y9gR9Ix_KVjK4mvE-yZFhkHCIc0nJ/s1170/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8OrNZv-PZHNItZfyrlk3gSTp9FiGtrigJqlJ-nEhuiUfZ64F_0Utej7sMug80TI7AboC8iJwtZN9AhBODsORlhc3ayqr2bx9OM85zbMFXEj35wgLf4jLyMHATMo8j3e0EHSmZeYst7U4KMJypwp5dHSOAVr0Y9gR9Ix_KVjK4mvE-yZFhkHCIc0nJ/s320/B6B7ED87-32EF-4142-9274-FED63152E64F.jpeg" /></a></div>
You can read a <i>Snippets</i> story that's not in the book <a href="https://ko-fi.com/post/BARLEY-SUGAR--a-Snippets-story-W7W4BZFBL" target="_blank">here</a>. <div><br /></div><div>You can get a copy of <i>Snippets</i> on <a href="http://authl.it/c5p?d" target="_blank">Amazon</a>
Or if you’d like a signed copy send me a message on <a href="https://twitter.com/evangelinecluck" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evangelinecluck/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clairewattswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Go to <a href="https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts" target="_blank">https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts</a> to read a new <i>Snippets</i> story every month.
It’s free, but you can support me with a donation if you like.
</div></div>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-43841737452195231342022-03-25T16:00:00.002+00:002022-03-29T07:25:58.463+01:00Writing Diary: March<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvQgqlnEYKEl43K-Xcy7JnTuZdUTICuWdjaVfk8-WWPa7rxJ7rcwob9upO8ezDa1_1L3nXTIj0GrVHtwS20hfLysxfiyC4pFf4cY-sQypwl60Osr-CU7lCnoy6gItBJGwthr-oXyzh3ucEO2PfnWsJMDMsbOl7GqLaC4C31OUyK8omFAjkBEVapKM/s3024/AD69350A-8AD2-442D-A2A1-EF758B384255.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvQgqlnEYKEl43K-Xcy7JnTuZdUTICuWdjaVfk8-WWPa7rxJ7rcwob9upO8ezDa1_1L3nXTIj0GrVHtwS20hfLysxfiyC4pFf4cY-sQypwl60Osr-CU7lCnoy6gItBJGwthr-oXyzh3ucEO2PfnWsJMDMsbOl7GqLaC4C31OUyK8omFAjkBEVapKM/s320/AD69350A-8AD2-442D-A2A1-EF758B384255.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
When I last wrote this diary, I’d just got to the end of the first draft of my new book. Finishing that draft coincided with my getting something else I’d written back from my agent with lots of things to do and think about, which turned out to be perfect timing. The thing about first drafts is that you really need to write them and then turn your back on them. ‘Drawer time’ some writers call this. What it means is that you get your mind completely free of it, so that when you come back to it, you view it with fresh eyes. You can see what’s great, what’s less than great, where there are holes and inconsistencies. Drawer time is an essential part of the creative process and having something else to immerse your creative self in totally during that time is a perfect way to unshackle yourself from the draft in the drawer.<p> </p>
Did I throw myself into working on the book my agent sent back to me straightaway? No I did not. I griped and complained to myself about what they thought needed to be done to it. I asked writer friends for their opinions about the comments. I asked my agent for clarification on some points. I resisted and resisted. These changes were IMPOSSIBLE! They’d make the story into something else entirely! It wouldn’t be my story anymore. I reread the book from beginning to end. I calmed down a bit. I thought about it for a few days, a week. I did all the other things on my to-do list.<p> </p>
Then I started with the changes that made sense to me, the ones that were easy to do and wouldn’t have a knock-on effect elsewhere in the book. <p> </p>
Then I spent a good bit of time on the beginning. The first 5,000 words are key. Many of the people who are going to be involved in buying and marketing your book will never read beyond those first 5,000 words, so they’d better be hooky as hell. Mine needed more tension, more threat. I tend towards subtle, which has its place, but maybe not in these first 5,000 words.
<p> </p>
I came to the big problem, the thing that according to my agent and their industry reader knocks my book from realistic YA speculative fiction into sci-fi: the inclusion of teleporting. My feeling is that it’s such a minor element in the book that it can't change the nature of the book. The way people travel is very important to the world-building and in this particular context, I needed something as near instantaneous as possible. But could I have almost instantaneous travel in a ‘realistic’ way? I just couldn't see it. So I wrote a list of possible ways to doing this by advancing technologies we have now. I came up with a solution. It’s not as elegant as teleporting and I’d argue that it still seems a bit sci-fi, partly because I had to give more explanation of how it works, whereas with teleporting, well, everyone knows how that ‘works’.
<p> </p>
More reading, more tweaking. Another beginning to end read-like-a-reader read. And now the book's with a couple of useful readers for comments before I finalise the changes and send it back to my agent to see what they think.
<p> </p>
Which means it’s time to open the drawer and take out that first draft again. I’ve read it through. There’s everything I expected: parts that work and parts that don’t, a big hole where I somehow missed out a scene that was on my plan, some overlaps because I wrote out of sequence. But, you know, it’s a great story. The beginning and end are in the right place. All the people are there. I can see where I need to build on it. Drawer time, folks – it’s invaluable.
<p> </p><hr /><p style="text-align: center;">My new book, <i>Snippets</i>, is available now. </p><p style="text-align: center;"> You can read a Snippets story that's not in the book <a href="https://ko-fi.com/post/Happily-ever-after-Z8Z2BEGI2" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg87fgBqnZCID3sY84PVyZRfskDUhdXsW4T4ioG_9cuHCYxlFVOr8_QTHv6AjEB4KkxD3rwgJYdaDNtz6GXsQ1Il5vaXk1X6MBe97dA-KhZk-IgAmknUepuzlYcod3DSO-b5nw6GMhiIcwRv0LxFwfC21SeBlNFTMlqmVf5lQVjt9BBWM04C3TQOdC7=s1170" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg87fgBqnZCID3sY84PVyZRfskDUhdXsW4T4ioG_9cuHCYxlFVOr8_QTHv6AjEB4KkxD3rwgJYdaDNtz6GXsQ1Il5vaXk1X6MBe97dA-KhZk-IgAmknUepuzlYcod3DSO-b5nw6GMhiIcwRv0LxFwfC21SeBlNFTMlqmVf5lQVjt9BBWM04C3TQOdC7=s320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">You can get a copy of <i>Snippets</i> on Amazon <a href="http://authl.it/c5p?d">http://authl.it/c5p?d </a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Or if you’d like a signed copy send me a message on <a href="https://twitter.com/evangelinecluck" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evangelinecluck/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clairewattswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Go to <a href="https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts">https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts</a> to read a new Snippets story every month. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It’s free, but you can support me with a donation if you like.</div></div>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-33494509386966406202022-03-11T16:00:00.013+00:002022-03-11T16:00:00.165+00:00Tiny pieces of fairy taleI’ve got a new book out. <i>Snippets</i> is a book of 22 very short stories that look into the spaces left for the reader or listener’s imagination in traditional fairy tales. They’re moments that delve into character or sensation or motivation. Sometimes they follow the letter of the traditional story and sometimes they ask questions about it or provide answers to questions that lurk beneath the surface. <p> </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">
How Snippets came to be</h4>
A few years ago I set myself a 500-words-a-day writing challenge. 500 words a day is a pretty easy challenge most of the time. It’s about half an hour’s writing time for me. The trouble is, sometimes you’ve got to a point in your work-in-progress where you don’t want to be adding 500 words a day to it. And sometimes the day gets away from you and it’s ten thirty at night and you still haven’t written your 500 words. I started doing writing exercises from books but they weren’t exactly what I wanted. So instead I wrote down a whole lot of things I thought I would like to practise writing – jealousy or tension or fear or the antagonist’s point of view. Every time I was stuck for what to write for my 500 words I picked something from the list and I picked a fairy tale character and I started to write. Soon I found I wasn’t looking at the list at all. And I was writing the stories every day. Often a new idea would come to me as I was waking up and I’d grab my laptop and sit up in bed typing.
<p> </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">
My first encounters with fairy tales</h4>
I have always loved fairy tales. When I was growing up I didn’t own a lot of books. My mother is a library-goer, so we went to the library every week and had the glory of choosing four books from the library shelves. We moved around quite a bit, but whatever new library we went to, there was a shelf of fairy tales and myths and legends right next to the children’s section. I know now that fairy tales are next to children’s books in the Dewey Decimal System, but at the time what it meant to me was that the fairy tales were special. On each visit I would take three novels and a book of fairy tales. Library-lovers of my age would recognise those fairy tale books: Ruth Manning Sanders Books of Princesses and Trolls and Wizards, illustrated by Robin Jacques, and the ones called ‘Favourite Fairy Tales told in …[some country]. There seemed to be an endless supply. At home, I had a collection of Ladybird fairy tales, sadly long since sold to a second-hand bookshop to feed my appetite for new stories. I had an LP of a dramatised Cinderella to play on our radiogram – it was something like a pantomime with Buttons and comedy Ugly Sisters and some very cheesy songs. I also had a 45 with a fabulous version of Sleeping Beauty, with music from the ballet and a terrifying wicked fairy, Carabosse, with a ‘retinue of rats’!<p> </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">
Why fairy tales appeal to me as a writer</h4>
There’s a world of fascinating, erudite study of fairy tales that I’ve scarcely scratched the surface of. For me, fairy tales are the essence of story. You may have seen some of Jan Pienkowski fairy tale illustrations about the place since his recent death (if not, go and look him up). These black silhouettes of characters moving across coloured backgrounds are, for me, what fairy tales are like. Fairy tale characters are puppets, who either have no names at all or else have generic names like Jack or Ivan or Gretel that appear again and again, or symbolic names like Cinderella or Little Red Riding Hood or Beauty. Fairy tale plots may be full of incident, but the essential through-line of the plot is straightforward – they’re about seeking your fortune, coming up against an enemy, finding a husband or a wife. The teller can do anything with these stories, that’s the point. That’s why they endure and why they reappear again and again in different forms. They’re different from myths and legends because those are anchored to real places or specific characters like King Arthur or Cucullin. I’ve always considered them different from authored fairy tales like Hans Andersen’s or Oscar Wilde’s because there’s no room in those stories for anything beyond what the author has told you (unless you change the ending totally and make a weird uncomfortable mess like Disney’s Little Mermaid). Having said that, I’ve read that even some of those I think of as authorless aren’t really. No matter, for me fairy tales are made for retelling, they’re made for the teller to make them their own, to act out the parts, to do the voices for the three bears or threaten the pigs “I’ll huff and I’ll puff.” They’re made for storytellers to pick apart and weave into new stories that have a satisfying familiarity about them. They’re made for me to sew my own tales into.<p> </p><hr /><p style="text-align: center;"> You can read a Snippets story that's not in the book <a href="https://ko-fi.com/post/Happily-ever-after-Z8Z2BEGI2" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg87fgBqnZCID3sY84PVyZRfskDUhdXsW4T4ioG_9cuHCYxlFVOr8_QTHv6AjEB4KkxD3rwgJYdaDNtz6GXsQ1Il5vaXk1X6MBe97dA-KhZk-IgAmknUepuzlYcod3DSO-b5nw6GMhiIcwRv0LxFwfC21SeBlNFTMlqmVf5lQVjt9BBWM04C3TQOdC7=s1170" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg87fgBqnZCID3sY84PVyZRfskDUhdXsW4T4ioG_9cuHCYxlFVOr8_QTHv6AjEB4KkxD3rwgJYdaDNtz6GXsQ1Il5vaXk1X6MBe97dA-KhZk-IgAmknUepuzlYcod3DSO-b5nw6GMhiIcwRv0LxFwfC21SeBlNFTMlqmVf5lQVjt9BBWM04C3TQOdC7=s320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">You can get a copy of <i>Snippets</i> on Amazon <a href="http://authl.it/c5p?d">http://authl.it/c5p?d </a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Or if you’d like a signed copy send me a message on <a href="https://twitter.com/evangelinecluck" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evangelinecluck/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clairewattswriter" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Go to <a href="https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts">https://ko-fi.com/clairewatts</a> to read a new Snippets story every month. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It’s free, but you can support me with a donation if you like.</div></div>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-23213614992357102882022-02-11T10:00:00.002+00:002022-02-11T10:00:00.228+00:00Writing Diary: February<p> </p>
I started working on a new book on January 4th, with the aim of writing a thousand words a day five days a week until I was finished with the first draft. I had expected this to take me until near the end of March but I discover to my surprise that this first draft is coming out much shorter and I’ll be done with the initial writing by the end of this week. On reflection, I’m not sure why I ‘m surprised; I’d divided the plan into scenes and I’ve written one scene of a thousand words or more each day. True, I’ve added in a couple of extra scenes along the way, but basically I’ve run out of scenes.<p> </p>
Even though I’m finished putting words on paper for this first draft I haven’t actually finished with it to the point that I’m ready to set it to one side. This one is far too scruffy for that stage. I like to play around with different working methods. The act of putting a first draft into big blocks of words on a screen can be extraordinarily tedious. Some of it sings at once, of course, but for other bits you’re simply working out how to move your characters from A to B or what they should be doing to break up their conversations. I find that varying the method I use to write means I’m not completely comfortable with the writing and that keeps it from being dull (mostly).<p> </p>
This time my new method was to write by hand first and to write out of sequence. Before the start of each week I’d write a list of the five numbered scenes that I was going to write that week, picking them randomly from my detailed plan. Then each morning I’d get out of bed, check the plan and write for an hour. That was usually long enough to write a scene. I generally write in pencil but I decided to use one of the fountain pens I own and never use instead. I discover that writing with a fountain pen is extraordinarily pleasing. The nib floats across the paper. <p> </p>
After the hour of writing by hand, I’d get up and dressed, possibly run, and then sit down and type up what I’d written. But of course, I wasn’t typing word-for-word what I’d written at all. I was refining and reordering, adding in things I’d thought of as I ate my breakfast, smoothing out knots, occasionally checking facts. The typed-up scenes mostly fell at around 1,000 words. I suspect when I come back to look at them again I may find that some seem rushed and others stretched, but the aim was to get words on paper My idea was that by handwriting first and then typing up I’d get through two draft stages in one go and I think it’s worked.<p> </p>
When I’ve finished writing all the scenes at the end of this week it’ll be time to go back to the beginning and sort out the unevenness created by working piecemeal. I know there are places were one scene overlaps with another and there are probably gaps too. There are things I invented in later scenes that I’ll need to add in earlier. I suspect there’ll be plot holes because it’s quite a complicated plot and I know there’ll be places where I need to let my character have some fun with her situation and others where I need to scare her a bit more It’s a long way from being a finished first draft. But the hard bit, the big chunks of words on paper that tell a story, that’ll be there. The rest is much more fun.
<p> </p><hr /><p> </p><div style="text-align: center;">My new book <a href="http://authl.it/c5p?d" target="_blank">Snippets: Tiny Pieces of Fairy Tale</a> is available now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisQFY4ONgWfvpyfdoBoSkiNAma0-_DyHEC8FK2mdLBJYqEauRBdVPX8OhDU9ObROtwU7wqOASVqL-m5_KRsf0wn3S0ZaKuuFRIHHj7wzRqG9Y4LJ7ylo7jZf4Gg5LU0y6GdFYIRak-smtWDU6KY9gf8mSSElNCUIN3pCOsrQn3Fn3pMd9C_FPCpiLt=s1170" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisQFY4ONgWfvpyfdoBoSkiNAma0-_DyHEC8FK2mdLBJYqEauRBdVPX8OhDU9ObROtwU7wqOASVqL-m5_KRsf0wn3S0ZaKuuFRIHHj7wzRqG9Y4LJ7ylo7jZf4Gg5LU0y6GdFYIRak-smtWDU6KY9gf8mSSElNCUIN3pCOsrQn3Fn3pMd9C_FPCpiLt=s200" /></a></div>
never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-23398014779546616392022-01-23T16:15:00.004+00:002022-01-25T15:20:39.700+00:00Who are you writing for?<p> </p>
The audience for children’s books is complicated and I think it’s worth considering.<p> </p>
<b>Yourself</b><br />
When you write it’s important to please yourself first, to strive to create a story that satisfies all your wishes about stories. You will probably never be completely satisfied with your own story because that’s the way creativity goes, but the joy is that once you have got as near as you can, you get to start again, to get nearer.<p> </p>
<b>Children</b><br />
Of course, children. You need to tailor your book to your child audience. That means, on the whole, that your use of language is going to be more straightforward than it might be for an adult book. It means your story structure is likely to be simpler. It means that you cannot assume your reader has knowledge of things that are known to you as an adult. It’s vital to engage children quickly in your story – they have other things that demand their attention more insistently than books, and there are lots of other books to read that will satisfy their urge for funny or spooky or exciting or emotional right away. And, for me, ending with hope is non-negotiable in a children’s book. That doesn’t necessarily mean ‘happy ever after’, but there must be an element of positive closure. Oh, and closure itself is important: it’s cheating your child reader to end a book end without closing the central story so that they are obliged to seek out the next in the series (which may be a year away if this is a newly published book). Children are growing up – they want the whole story right now. Next year may be too late.<p> </p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Audience vs purchaser</b></h3>
This is where the difference between children’s books and adult books lies. Children sometimes buy books for themselves. They sometimes select books to read from a library. But there’s a whole set of people who do most of the buying on their behalf or who advocate on behalf of books to children.<p> </p>
<b>Parents, carers and gift-buyers</b><br />
Parents and carers don’t necessarily know anything about the children’s books that are available. (Of course some do, but I’m thinking about the majority of parents and carers who, even if they are readers themselves, aren’t necessarily interested in children’s books.) They know about the books they enjoyed as a child. They recognise big name authors and celebrities. If a lot of children are reading a particular author or book, they may become aware of it. If a child is a reader or if they need or want a book by a particular author or for a particular reason, the parent or carer might consult a bookseller or librarian. Otherwise, they’re probably going to go for something they recognise or pick up something that looks appealing from the bookshop display tables. How do you, as a children’s book creator, grab these people’s attention? I don’t know. <p> </p>
<b>Teachers</b><br />
Primary school teachers want children to read books and they want books that children will listen to and understand and find engaging. Some teachers are hungry for knowledge about new children’s books that will engage readers and listeners. They want to know about all sorts of books to fit all sorts of readers. For class reading books, they may like books with issues they can discuss or a relevance to the local area or full of beautiful language or ideas or extraordinary flights of imagination. They may want funny or thrilling stories to capture the children who are not yet sold on the idea of the book as entertainment. They like books that come with free resources that are useful in their classrooms. <br /><br />
In an ideal world, where primary teachers would have time to engage with the world of children’s books and with the reading needs of individual children, and would have access to funds to buy all the books they want and need, teachers would be the key to your child audience. But we have to face facts. Primary school teachers have enormous burdens on their time and mental energy. Books are just a small part of all the things they need to learn about themselves and engage children with. Budgets for school libraries are puny and irregular. A lot of school libraries only get new books when parents donate books their children have grown out of.<p> </p>
<b>Librarians</b><br />
Ah, librarians! These are the glorious champions of children’s books. It’s their job. A children’s librarian is on the lookout for books that will engage and excite children. They want all sorts of books in their library to suit all sorts of readers. They’re not just looking at the books that shout at them because of celebrity authors and zeitgeist; they’re looking at everything the publishing world produces. They have knowledge to share and they’re prepared to share it. But how many schools actually have a dedicated librarian? How many public libraries have a children’s librarian?<p> </p>
<b>Book reviewers and bloggers</b><br />
The space given to children’s book reviews in newspapers is hugely disproportionate to their position in the market. The reason for this, I presume, is that children are unlikely to be reading the newspaper. But that’s nonsense, of course, because on the whole children aren’t the ones buying books. *sigh* There are other places, children’s book magazines and review blogs. The writers of these are part of the audience for children’s books, but of course, they’re not who you’re writing for. But they are important, nonetheless. Engaged parents and teachers and librarians will use this source of information about children’s books. So even if you’re not writing for them, you need to be thinking about them when you start marketing your book.<p> </p><b>Agents and Publishers</b><div>Are you writing for agents and publishers? Unless you're planning to self-publish, then you certainly ought to be thinking about them. It's the job of agents and publishers to think about the market for your book. Personally, I suggest leaving this bit to them. Don't write for them. Think about the book you want to write and write it, then do your best to put it in the hands of an agent or publisher who is likely to want it. You can find out what they're looking for on their websites, or sometimes on Twitter or blogs. Or look at other things they publish and decide if your book fits their list. <br /><p> </p>
What does all this mean? It means that you may be thinking about how your book will satisfy yourself and your child audience, but agents and publishers will consider your book in the light of the purchasers and champions who will get your book into the hands of children. Write what you want to write, but bear this in mind when it comes time to send your book out into the world.<p> </p><hr /><p> </p><div style="text-align: center;">My latest book, <a href="https://read.amazon.co.uk/kp/embed?asin=B09NL3K6SS&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_ZCHBH3F8R4ZP2VQ36GRY" target="_blank">Snippets</a>, is out now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKfjkqTLwUOIQX-BKo29bmTBtUBv2VUFexgth0JeczltB3DPepc6-OTzM1Gdb7M6NugEE9ZRkTLH9I6O5SbLH6dMXgBxvohX7OSi1dzWOoov3gdG7jfTA73D6UdI3FYgI4HBKuiheFTerNHmnPBie5lNPD1NcpUBUBOrf9INh_xtnyBG9gsDhdVuSN=s1170" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKfjkqTLwUOIQX-BKo29bmTBtUBv2VUFexgth0JeczltB3DPepc6-OTzM1Gdb7M6NugEE9ZRkTLH9I6O5SbLH6dMXgBxvohX7OSi1dzWOoov3gdG7jfTA73D6UdI3FYgI4HBKuiheFTerNHmnPBie5lNPD1NcpUBUBOrf9INh_xtnyBG9gsDhdVuSN=s320" /></a></div><hr /><p style="text-align: center;"> You can support me and my work by <a href="http://Ko-fi.com/clairewatts" target="_blank">buying me a coffee on Ko-fi</a>.</p>
</div>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-34448194317982350452022-01-03T10:00:00.001+00:002022-01-03T10:00:00.143+00:00Writing diary: January<p> </p>
Start of the year means resolutions, of course.
<p> </p>
I love a resolution. Part of it is a result of being self-employed, and at the moment entirely in control of my own workload (due to no one breathing down my neck demanding I get on with producing timeless prose). Part of it is just my nature, I think. I like a schedule. I like targets. I like to keep a timesheet so I can be accountable to myself for what I’ve been doing with my time.
<p> </p>
In fact 2022’s resolution is a direct result of 2021’s timesheet. As well as logging the hours I spend on various projects and tasks, I log words written. And looking at 2021, I realised that I have written scarcely any new words. I kept a diary approximately weekly, but that’s really just a sort of mind-dump that helps clear my brain and set things straight. It’s not anything I ever expect anyone to read, including myself. I’ve edited a couple of manuscripts of mine, which involved writing the odd word as well as deleting many. I’ve made a very detailed plan of the next thing I’m going to write which includes a 5,000-word outline. But I have not written any new books. I think this may be the first year this has happened since I started writing fiction. It feels very strange. I’ve been treading water.
<p> </p>
It’s partly the world situation, I suppose. It has seemed like nothing is moving forward and that has affected me. And for quite a bit of the year there wasn’t any space in my house for me to be on my own to write and that had an impact on me. I think the fact that I now have an agent who is submitting my work to publishers has made me feel like I’m in limbo too. What’s the point of starting something new if I’m going to have to stop to do edits once something gets accepts, or change tack if it seems like no one’s interested in the type of book I’m producing?
<p> </p>
But a writer has to write. I can’t just sit around tweaking the books I’ve written before. For a start some of them really aren’t worth the trouble! I need to write to get better at writing, to find new and more fabulous stories, to investigate my voice, to grow my ideas so that they entertain other people.
<p> </p>
And now I have my own little office and a ‘don’t even knock if the door’s shut’ rule, I have nothing to distract me.
<p> </p>
So for 2022 the first thing I’m going to do is write that book I’ve been planning. And I’ve got another one that’s just the germ of an idea at the moment too. Perhaps I’ll get that one done. Or maybe something (*whispers* having one of my books accepted for publication) will come along to distract me from it, but I’m not going to sit around waiting for that to happen.
<p> </p>
And my resolution? I’m going to write at least 500 words a day every day this year, as I have in some other years. It doesn’t have to be my books – these words count too – and I will have to have a stack of ideas for days when nothing seems to want to come. Maybe I’ll begin some more Snippets stories; those were begun in a 500 words year. The thing about writing a little every day is that it leaves you in no doubt that you are a writer.<p> </p><hr /><p style="text-align: center;"> My latest book <a href="http://authl.it/c5p?d" target="_blank">Snippets: Tiny Pieces of Fairy Tale</a> is available now.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyprraL5xHelVoSkDzDcbAl9e9uHvc3m9vBaChfEbw6xj9xXsWYl22cn2DhPmhnKC4RlTserOCLCrosiwL4ZVKcmsBbM9lLuOQCRe0ofCg3IXyk8OFn_dxJ7K5d57zbdqUa2NRA9v6yEsrbaD40tLPXCzfhOxnf4CNdgVDZ6lRE2YeT-l3CdOa9RDr=s1170" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyprraL5xHelVoSkDzDcbAl9e9uHvc3m9vBaChfEbw6xj9xXsWYl22cn2DhPmhnKC4RlTserOCLCrosiwL4ZVKcmsBbM9lLuOQCRe0ofCg3IXyk8OFn_dxJ7K5d57zbdqUa2NRA9v6yEsrbaD40tLPXCzfhOxnf4CNdgVDZ6lRE2YeT-l3CdOa9RDr=s320" /></a></div><p> </p><br /><div><br /></div>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-75816246145722709792021-10-15T10:04:00.000+01:002021-10-15T10:04:03.553+01:00Inspiration?A new creative idea goes round and round in your head like a worry. Not quite like a worry, of course, because round and round with a worry is unproductive and feels bad. With a worry, the more you let it fill your mind, the more the same stuck thoughts seem to come around without solutions.<p> </p>
But as a new creative idea goes round and round, it expands and develops; it puffs up like candy floss spinning in a tub, no, solider than that, it grows paths and bridges and sometimes dead ends. It’s a gorgeous thing to have a brand-new creative idea growing in your head. You want to nurture it, to obsess about it. It pops into your mind at the oddest moments. You play with it in the moments before you sleep and when you’re not quite awake.<p> </p>
But – and it’s a big but – there’s a moment when you have to pin your New Idea down. If not, it will disappear into the ether. You’ll remember the flavour of it, but you’ll never capture the excitement. Write it down now, before it’s gone. No matter that you’re working on something completely different. No matter that you haven’t a clue what to do with your new idea, that you don’t know what it actually is. <p> </p>
Set your notes to one side. Carry on with what you’re working on. Once the notes are on the page, your head will quiet. The New Idea is silent for now.<p> </p>
One day, when you come back to your New Idea, you’ll find that pinning it down has turned it into something different. It’s a bunch of notes on a page. It’s not flying anymore. Some of the magic has worn off. You’ll need to turn it over and inspect it to see if you can find the embers of the magic. You’ll need to push them around to see if the embers will spark. And then, if they do, you’ll need hours and days and weeks of solid work to turn the Idea into something you can show other people.<p> </p>
And maybe, if you do your job well, your New Idea will catch light in the mind of your reader and the idea that went round and round in your head will fill theirs. A gift from your mind to theirs.
never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-63424143217665952932021-09-01T10:00:00.035+01:002021-09-01T10:00:00.243+01:00What’s what when it comes to editing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYz-f_OmbbMXwS52ooTKktuRHACXD76lVTcwqvpQyotzNNFAqaJx5JTT8YRv8B0BH3hf_D8jlIBYNAArVPU3ucwt6ShcZ40jB9X-P7reKCLXxG6LpJX0vxlq7bD-zyW_YdD-MCaROZgYk/s2048/IMG_4095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYz-f_OmbbMXwS52ooTKktuRHACXD76lVTcwqvpQyotzNNFAqaJx5JTT8YRv8B0BH3hf_D8jlIBYNAArVPU3ucwt6ShcZ40jB9X-P7reKCLXxG6LpJX0vxlq7bD-zyW_YdD-MCaROZgYk/s320/IMG_4095.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>The editorial process can seem impossibly complicated to writers who are just starting to interact with the publishing world or who are thinking about self-publishing. One thing’s for sure – it’s not just a matter of handing your manuscript to a single editor and having it emerge publication-ready. There will certainly be several rounds (usually known as ‘passes’) of editing before your manuscript if ready for publication.</p><p> </p>
Here’s my guide to the process:<p> </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">
Developmental editing</h4>
This is the big-picture edit, where an editor (or possibly your agent or an editorial consultant you’ve approached yourself) will take a look at the whole manuscript and give you feedback on what’s working and what’s not. They’re going to be looking at your characters and their relationships, the pace of the book, whether the beginning and ending work, the themes and structures of the book. Bear in mind this could happen several times before the manuscript is ready to move on.<p> </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">
Line editing</h4>
OK, so you’ve got the story working properly, and now it’s time for an editor to scrutinise the manuscript line by line. They’ll be looking for inconsistencies, errors of fact, repetition, places where the language could be tighter. Think of it as a style and substance edit. The great thing about going through this type of edit is that in the long run it really raises your awareness of the language you use and the way you structure your work, so that you’re always upping your game with the next book you write. <p> </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">
Copy editing</h4>
A copy editor is looking for errors of spelling, syntax, punctuation and grammar. They may also be concerned with applying the publisher’s house style to your book. House style is the list of choices a publisher makes in the case of certain rules of style or spelling where there is more than one option that is accepted as correct. For example they may choose to use double quotation marks rather than single for speech or they may use serial commas for lists (sometimes called ‘Oxford commas’ because they’re required by Oxford University Press’s style guide). A line editor is quite likely to also point out some errors along the way, but they won’t be paying deliberate attention to these matters.
<p> </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">
Proofreading</h4>
Proofreading is the final stage before a book goes to print. The proofreader will usually see the text and images laid out in final page form. They will check that all the corrections marked up by the copy editor have been taken in, that the copy editor hasn’t missed anything and that no further errors have been introduced. They’ll be looking at the words but also at things like the page numbering, the placing of text such as headings and captions, and checking that the fonts follow the style correctly. In some cases copyediting and proofreading may be carried out by the same editor, but this would usually be done in successive passes of the work.
<p> </p>
The key to understanding the process is that it starts with the big picture and then gradually works down to the level of the smallest detail. You’re very likely to be sick of the sight of your book by the time it’s returned to you to approve and answer queries for the nth time. What a good thing there’s quite a gap between the end of the editorial process and the moment you receive finished copies of your shiny new book. Now you can love it all over again!<div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Header image: A few of the editing tools I keep on the shelf next to my desk.</i></div><p> </p>
</div>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-34009445534450263102021-08-06T11:24:00.000+01:002021-08-06T11:24:00.669+01:00 Nonfiction for children – where to start<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">It’s been a while since I started writing a new nonfiction book for children. I’m about to start on a new one and, to be honest, I’m feeling a little rusty. So I thought I’d talk myself through the planning process in a general way and perhaps that would be useful to other people as well as to myself.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">So, where do you start? Let’s assume you have a topic already. Either it’s something you feel there’s a need for a book on or something you’re passionate about and want to share or maybe a publisher has commissioned you to write a book on a particular topic. That last one is the way most of the nonfiction books I’ve written have come about, though this new book I’m embarking on is all my own idea.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">So you’ve got your idea and now you need to ask yourself a series of questions. A lot of these reflect the way primary school teachers begin project work, gathering children together to find out what they know and what they want to find out.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><b>What are children likely to know already?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">Obviously, you’re guessing here, but looking around at TV and films and books and computer games should give you some idea what sort of basic knowledge children are likely to have. If you were going to write a book about Vikings, for example, you might assume that children may have come across the Vikings in Cressida Cowell’s books or the films of them, and so know that the Vikings lived somewhere cold and had cool ships. Of course you also have to be aware that children may ‘know’ things that aren’t true (like that Vikings had dragons).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">In a way, this question is a bit misleading. It’s not exactly about what children know, it’s simply about the fact that they know something. You need to come to the subject as though children know nothing because of course there will be gaps in their knowledge and you can’t possibly know what they are. Perhaps it is better to ask a different question:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><b>Why have they picked up this book?<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">What is it about the topic of the book that has made them reach for it? Will it tell them more about something they know a little bit about? Will it give them exciting things to do or make? Will it clarify a topic that can be worrying? Does it promise to reveal great secrets or thrilling facts?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">The point is that at the outset you need to put yourself in the child’s position. Why would they pick up this book? What are they going to get out of the experience of reading it?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">So once you’ve got that sorted out, there are some further questions to answer:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">What are the <b>key facts</b> about the topic you must include in the book?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">What is the <b>most exciting</b> information you must include?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">What information would make <b>great illustrations</b>?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">And of course, all the time you’re gathering and sorting information, reading serious grown-up books on the topic, looking at how other children’s writers have approached it, searching the internet and second-hand bookshops and museums for quirky nuggets of information. And once you’ve gathered all you need, then it’s time to sort it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">Not an easy process. With a narrative nonfiction book it’s a little easier; then you’re telling the story of something, propelled forward by the passage of time. But with an information book it’s rather harder. You need to think of it as a story anyway in that one thing should lead to next. Starting with the basics – what, when, where – generally works. Or referring to the child’s experience of whatever it is and then building out. The book will naturally go off in different directions from whatever the starting point is, but I think it’s important to bring it all back together again at the end. With a history book you can do this by talking about what is left behind, the archaeology or influence on life today. Sometimes it’s possible to look to the future of your topic – though that can date the book quickly. Or finish by bringing it back to the child reader with things they can do now they’re in possession of all this knowledge. It’s tricky, this finishing off business, but important to make a satisfying reading experience.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm;">So that’s it. Best get on with it, eh?<o:p></o:p></p>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-31631202225201293712021-06-07T07:07:00.000+01:002021-06-07T07:07:05.743+01:00Blank sheet<p> </p>
I’ve just finished writing something.
<p> </p>I say just, but actually it was a good week ago now that I sent it off to someone to read and drew a mental line under it. One day I may have to work on it again. (That’s a good thing, it means it’s going further along the line to publication.) Or that might be it: a dead end. Whichever is the case, just now, for me, it’s done with. Now that I’ve patted myself on the back for getting to the end (always congratulate yourself – writing a whole book is a magnificent achievement) and dealt with all the things I’ve been putting off in order to get finished, it’s time to start something new.
<p> </p>But what?
<p> </p>I have projects I’ve set to one side because I didn’t know how to proceed with them.
<p> </p>I have whole books that might need some more work or might be right for now when they weren’t right back when I wrote them.
<p> </p>I have abandoned plans and pages of notes.
<p> </p>I have ideas that have stalled because I need to do lots of research.
<p> </p>I have brand-new ideas that are still floating around in my head.
<p> </p>What to choose?
<p> </p>The answer might be to work out exactly what sort of book people would want to read, if such a thing were possible, and then write that book. It’s probably a very sensible idea, and certainly how a publisher’s marketing department would like things to be done. All the commissioned books I’ve written originate from a publishing company’s idea of what people want to read. But working out what people want to read isn’t a science, or else there would be no surprise bestsellers. All of the books I love most have a spark of originality that would never have come from the author studying the market and writing what they thought people wanted to read.
<p> </p>So I am led to the conclusion that I need to work out what I want to write for myself and just hope that it’s also what the market wants and what readers want.<p> </p>
I think I’m ready for something brand new. I’ve been polishing and snipping off loose ends for months now. I need to start to weave the threads of a new creative puzzle.
never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-51948250762857939622021-05-01T11:00:00.002+01:002021-05-01T11:00:00.259+01:00Why I love my crit group<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal">I’ve done a lot of different things to support and improve
my writing over the years. I’ve read books, I’ve been on courses, I’ve attended
conferences, I've set myself challenges; I’ve tried different methods of organising my time, of structuring
my planning, of generating ideas; I’ve worked with a mentor and had
beta-readers read my work.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the single most important thing I’ve done is to join a
critique group.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I love my crit group. It’s been over a year since I’ve seen
them in person and I can’t tell you how excited I am to see them again. Next
month! I’m counting the days! I’m not going to go so far as to say that this is
thing I’m looking forward to <i>most </i>about lockdown being over, but it’s
right near the top.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course we’ve met by Zoom, which works to a certain extent,
but you miss the ebb and flow of an in-person meeting. The formality of a Zoom
meeting doesn’t really lend itself to the wide-ranging chat that stretches the
beginnings and ends of our in-person meetings – you have to talk one at a time
because it’s difficult to read each other’s cues in the way of a normal conversation.
Plus most of us have already spent enough time with computers each day.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The thing about a crit group, above all, is the intimacy of
it. This group of people know your work and you know theirs. You know when they’re
struggling and why; you know when they’re excited about something new or
because something’s going well. You present your work to them and ask, “Does
this work?” and you trust their honesty and their kindness to provide you with
feedback that will allow you to move forward. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How do you get to that point? It takes time. It’s always
tricky when a new person enters the group. You don’t know them, they don’t know
you. They’re exposing themselves, heart and soul, to a group of people who are
already tight-knit. Everyone has to go gently, gently, until you begin to have
an understanding of each other.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once you’ve got that understanding, this is the group who
will tell you what you’re doing wrong and you will take it from them. They will
be your cheerleaders when you’re getting it right. They will understand your
writing dilemmas and dreams better than your nearest and dearest because they
are writers too. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And this is the group who you will be sure to thank in the
acknowledgements of your book (and your Costa acceptance speech… and when the
film of your book gets an Oscar…)</p>
never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-57913999051299705772021-03-29T17:53:00.000+01:002021-03-29T17:53:47.022+01:00When does tea become high tea?<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_NT_QfdWHA5qDz2nc5NFGcSyEIACqhrBRxLwoSFbv7TXSX6k30EDmf3yXAUXgQ5ZilFUebyIIfoT1vSUBv71bxApxz9Y-tK_ExFYJo42cCC9p59US_QSCh8Da6PVfjEHeRh5gLhk-6DY/s320/IMG_2469.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_NT_QfdWHA5qDz2nc5NFGcSyEIACqhrBRxLwoSFbv7TXSX6k30EDmf3yXAUXgQ5ZilFUebyIIfoT1vSUBv71bxApxz9Y-tK_ExFYJo42cCC9p59US_QSCh8Da6PVfjEHeRh5gLhk-6DY/s320/IMG_2469.JPG"/></a></div><p> </p>Some books reach you at just the right moment. They talk of things you know and love or spark ideas of things you’ll come to know and love. They contain characters and stories that are at once new and fresh and at the same time resound in your mind with a rightness that seems like familiarity. It is almost as though these books were written with you personally in mind.
<i>Henrietta’s House</i> by Elizabeth Gouge was a book like this for me. I read it first when I was twelve or thirteen, that time when I was still gulping in all the fabulous richness of children’s books while also tipping a toe into the adult section of the library. Elizabeth Gouge was an author of a generation earlier, my mother had read her as a child, but you could find her books in libraries and second-hand shops and if you hunted there were some modern editions around. There’s a Christian focus in these books but not in the way of Victorian books. It’s woven around with myth so that it seems exotic and fascinating rather than dourly moralistic (though to be fair, there is a fair bit of lesson-learning).<p> </p>
There are only two children in <i>Henrietta’s House</i> and a lot of grown-ups, all with rather grow-up concerns. The two children, Henrietta and Hugh Anthony, don’t much like children, other than each other. It’s the story of Henrietta’s birthday picnic in the hills around the cathedral city of Torminster, of underground caverns and giants with their heart in paper bags, of early motor cars and dreams come true. I love the way Elizabeth Gouge threads fairy tale through the everyday, the contrast between the down-to-earth Hugh Anthony and story-loving Henrietta. But most of all I loved the house in the woods that Henrietta’s father secretly put together after long ‘what if’ discussions with her, complete with the library of the twenty books Henrietta thought every ten-year-old girl should own. Oh, and the part at the end when Henrietta is waiting at the house for everyone to turn up and they first lay out a tea party with the things they find in the kitchen and then gradually add things to turn it first into high tea and then into supper as time goes on. Oh the joy – I might have to go and read it again right now!
never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-62921290381404014122021-02-21T18:57:00.000+00:002021-02-21T18:57:14.074+00:00Thirteen ways to end a chapter<p>
While it can be tempting to keep on writing with occasional line gaps for changes of scene and time as Terry Pratchett did in his Discworld novels, it’s not really fair to child readers (or adult readers-aloud) not to have regular chapter endings. (In fact even Terry Pratchett's children’s books are divided into chapters!) One of my 'big picture' tasks when editing a first draft is to look at how the endings of each individual chapter are working and see how the chapter endings vary as the story progresses. </p>
<p>The most basic rule of ending a chapter is that it must encourage the reader to carry on reading. The obvious way to do this, of course is with a cliffhanger. But ending every chapter on a cliffhanger is exhausting and monotonous. The trick is to vary between ending the chapter with:</p><p>
<span style="color: red;"><b>a feeling of disorder</b></span> This is could be a huge cliffhanger or just enough to signal a coming dilemma or threat.</p><p>
<b><span style="color: #04ff00;">a feeling of order</span> </b>This will give the reader a feeling of closure, the idea that the plot has forward momentum and things are on their way to being sorted out.</p><p>
There are all sorts of ways to break that down further, but here is my own list of thirteen ways to end a chapter. Some types of ending are conducive to a feeling of disorder, some to order and some work equally well either way.</p><p>
1. <b>Obstacle</b>: a barrier to change or forward movement is presented (<span style="color: red;"><b>disorder</b></span>)</p><p>
2. <b>Question</b>: a question is posed by a character or the narrator (<span style="color: red;"><b>disorder</b></span>)</p><p>
3. <b>Choice</b>: a choice is presented or a decision must be made (<span style="color: red;"><b>disorder</b></span>)</p><p>
4. <b>Mistake</b>: a character (or the reader) realises that a mistake has been made (<span style="color: red;"><b>disorder</b></span>)</p><p>
5. <b>Disappointment</b>: a plan goes wrong (<span style="color: red;"><b>disorder</b></span>)</p><p>
6. <b>Arrival</b>: a visitor or message or movement to a new place brings either disappointment or hope (<span style="color: red;"><b>disorder</b></span> /<b><span style="color: #04ff00;">order</span></b>)</p><p>
7. <b>Departure</b>: someone leaving or movement away from a place brings either disappointment or hope (<span style="color: red;"><b>disorder</b></span> /<b><span style="color: #04ff00;">order</span></b>)</p><p>
8. <b>Revelation</b>: a character or reader learns or understands something (<span style="color: red;"><b>disorder</b></span> /<b><span style="color: #04ff00;">order</span></b>)</p><p>
9. <b>Confession</b>: one character reveals something that will bond or separate characters (<span style="color: red;"><b>disorder</b></span> /<b><span style="color: #04ff00;">order</span></b>)</p><p>
10. <b>Door</b>: an opportunity for change or forward movement is presented (<b><span style="color: #04ff00;">order</span></b>)</p><p>
11. <b>Plan</b>: a plan is formed (<b><span style="color: #04ff00;">order</span></b>)</p><p>
12. <b>Hope</b>: things appear to be going in the direction the characters desire (<b><span style="color: #04ff00;">order</span> </b>)</p><p>
13. <b>Reflection</b>: a quiet moment usually following action sequence; possibly a statement by the character or narrator about the story’s theme (<b><span style="color: #04ff00;">order</span> </b>)</p>
never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-8897959183759830162021-01-31T18:49:00.001+00:002021-01-31T18:49:35.612+00:00Searching for silence and stillness<p> </p>My time is squeezed at the moment. From having no shape at all apart from what I imposed on it, my day is now divided up by other people’s timetables. I’m going to school every day. I’ve been a supply learning assistant for several years, but when I get asked to do it, it’s mostly too short notice and I have other things on. But just before Christmas I was asked to go and help in school when the new term started, and I thought, why not? I’m not going anywhere, nothing is happening. A week later, it was announced that the school wouldn’t reopen after Christmas. So I spent the Christmas holidays assuming that I wouldn’t be needed. But as it turns out, they do need me. The teachers aren’t coming into school, they’re doing all their teaching online, but someone needs to be there for the kids who need to come to school and one of the someones is me.<p> </p>
I thought about taking a break from my writing. After all, I have no deadlines, no one’s depending on me getting anything finished. But I had a plan and I hate to set aside a plan. So, I thought I’d try working very early each morning. I haven’t had a desk in our house for a couple of months since everyone came home, but if I got up and worked first thing, I thought I could get an hour at my old desk before it was time for its current occupant to clock in.<p> </p>
And so I got up, I fed the dogs, I made myself a cup of peppermint tea. I kept the lights dim in the kitchen; I switched on only the desk lamp in the living room. I sat at the desk with my tea and I started to edit chapter one of my rough first draft.
Working first thing is not new for me. I’ve long grabbed my laptop from beside my bed, set a timer and let the words flow through my fingers for an hour. That time in the morning my brain is fluid. The ideas come and my inner critic is silent. I can write to a plan or I can write freeform. Just a little later in the day I find myself at the mercy of hunger or I find I need to tidy things away, do chores, organise things before I can settle to do creative work. <p> </p>
I knew that writing in the early morning worked for me. The question was would editing work? It’s a very different skill, after all. There’s problem-solving involved and you need that inner critic up and firing. That first morning when I turned on the desk lamp and started in on chapter one, I took it very gently. Just read it. Just comment. Don’t start with anything sweeping.
And the happy answer is that yes, I can edit first thing in the morning too. It’s extraordinary. When my alarm goes off I simply sleepwalk through all the things I have to do. Ten or fifteen minutes later, I’m at the computer and I just fall straight into the manuscript, picking up where I was the day before. I hear the bin men, I hear the dogs moving around, the family getting up, but the door between me and them is shut and they don’t disturb me. I immerse myself in the words on the page, I question them, I move them about, I polish them; I find gaps and I fill them; I find waffle and I excise it. I give that manuscript my all until my timer goes off, then I shut down the computer and go and get in the shower. I don’t give the manuscript another thought until I’m at the desk the following morning.<p> </p>
I’ve been searching all through this year for physical and mental space to do my creative work in my busy, full household. I’m used to working in silence and stillness and there’s been very little of that here. But through this new turn of events I’ve found my silence and stillness. It’s a joy.<p> </p>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2926577765279695393.post-10687276259061203732020-12-30T15:14:00.001+00:002021-01-01T15:08:53.310+00:00My top reads of 2020<p>I read 76 books in 2020. That’s a little more than I read in a normal year, but not much. I’m surprised actually – it’s been far from a normal year and I thought I’d have read more. I did watch the entire seven seasons of Buffy though, so that probably accounts for quite a bit of reading time… </p><p> </p><p>So, without further ado, my top reads of 2020: </p><p> </p><h4 style="text-align: center;">TOP NOVEL<br /></h4><p>
<b><i>Hamnet </i>by Maggie O’Farrell </b></p><p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqT6ku1-coAs6B38TWUk30tOcYSEN9gJXsZZl5s3rYluhLQcY5MF8So-LusMkZnNIDwysfLVWhQkcCKsIMzobE79evGEQ9d_vIrTqbb0o_Ma8VCx69D6lY8uI5482EhjFhux_qKQaaYxk/s215/HAMNET.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqT6ku1-coAs6B38TWUk30tOcYSEN9gJXsZZl5s3rYluhLQcY5MF8So-LusMkZnNIDwysfLVWhQkcCKsIMzobE79evGEQ9d_vIrTqbb0o_Ma8VCx69D6lY8uI5482EhjFhux_qKQaaYxk/s0/HAMNET.jpg" /></a></div><br />A book that sweeps you up and tears out your heart. I’ll tell you how good this book is: I read this right at the start of the first lockdown and it managed to fill my head totally with something other than You-Know-What. <p></p><p> </p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b>TOP CHILDREN'S BOOK<br /></b></h4><p><b> </b></p><p><b>
<i>Friend Me</i> by Sheila M Averbuch </b></p><p> </p><p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQ1PoWkErfbl2P8xG3XNGnSlcBAcdVQeU2iQ7mIdKikTr6L_YnOMYeaN1QoA1roB8Tej60iaFBrxD2T1SmoxgFfDPW2IIrpixHb8TPi9dAC_d4ZMadaa10nLAMN0Vsfa576tEjtwsdBs/s275/FRIEND.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQ1PoWkErfbl2P8xG3XNGnSlcBAcdVQeU2iQ7mIdKikTr6L_YnOMYeaN1QoA1roB8Tej60iaFBrxD2T1SmoxgFfDPW2IIrpixHb8TPi9dAC_d4ZMadaa10nLAMN0Vsfa576tEjtwsdBs/s0/FRIEND.jpg" /></a></div><br />I was bowled over by this middle-grade thriller. Tense, thrilling and with an attention to detail that would put a lot of adult thrillers to shame, plus an emotional core hits home. Clever, very clever. <p></p><p> </p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b>TOP NONFICTION<br /></b></h4><p><b> </b></p><p><b>
<i>A Sting in the Tale</i> by Dave Goulson </b></p><p> </p><p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo-VYHV36KdlMYHzY4RrJwPaCFenEhYDLoh3nfZ4c2-cckwuapSRuJS8VBmYXQ99H6DykZcFQP7gT3FMZsgcisJuy8X7pT0KbUkCdkA-gXby5WWjErLZKtzJsiZtNvXcqBZWWCMwZCTc/s215/STING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvo-VYHV36KdlMYHzY4RrJwPaCFenEhYDLoh3nfZ4c2-cckwuapSRuJS8VBmYXQ99H6DykZcFQP7gT3FMZsgcisJuy8X7pT0KbUkCdkA-gXby5WWjErLZKtzJsiZtNvXcqBZWWCMwZCTc/s0/STING.jpg" /></a></div><br />At the start of the year my family decided that we were each going to recommend a book for all the others to read. I would never have picked up a non-fiction book about bees of my own volition, but Dave Goulson made the subject entirely fascinating. <p></p><p> </p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b>TOP REREAD<br /></b></h4><p><b> </b></p><p><b>
<i>The Amber Spyglass</i> by Philip Pullman </b></p><p> </p><p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBF0pb0BVqLpdhdbOrJ9BZ2R0VWD2V_RV3GVBZo4HpavDfPrByaoEZl-HTN8r9EM8fwjVC3Ny_OQ8SST7mIcATni_HxBX8VRwbm9WOSa9G_reqqX_IbkQz5O6WsL6k2SqLJpuHfRYwYw/s225/AMBER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPBF0pb0BVqLpdhdbOrJ9BZ2R0VWD2V_RV3GVBZo4HpavDfPrByaoEZl-HTN8r9EM8fwjVC3Ny_OQ8SST7mIcATni_HxBX8VRwbm9WOSa9G_reqqX_IbkQz5O6WsL6k2SqLJpuHfRYwYw/s0/AMBER.jpg" /></a></div><br />I got a Folio Society beautiful set of His Dark Materials from my family for my birthday. I used to love <i>The Subtle Knife</i> the most. In fact, I think the first time I read <i>The Amber Spyglass</i> I didn’t really understand what was going on, which seems odd now, as it’s absolutely clear and so magnificent. What books these are! <p></p><p> </p><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b>TOP OLD BOOK</b><br /></h4><p> </p><p>
<b><i>Wildfire at Midnight</i> by Mary Stewart </b></p><p> </p><p>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFDvk7YhHvX9k-io3fTab9vcvMqw_VJlGfXTbQ8DwC2q0PapjVoP421qs4dGytL8ZMVoA7y_iojCR5Y9CeGoWV2W3ncsWGIWpN8CQiecxsKHYuCffyA7Vdl0EHy3i_4EQlzm5ru6Nu3I/s288/wild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFDvk7YhHvX9k-io3fTab9vcvMqw_VJlGfXTbQ8DwC2q0PapjVoP421qs4dGytL8ZMVoA7y_iojCR5Y9CeGoWV2W3ncsWGIWpN8CQiecxsKHYuCffyA7Vdl0EHy3i_4EQlzm5ru6Nu3I/s0/wild.jpg" /></a></div><br />I spent several weeks at my mother-in-law’s when the first lockdown happened and started working my way through old books on her shelves. It’s been hard to pick a ‘top book’ from those I read, as I wouldn’t unequivocally recommend any. I don’t know why it comes as a surprise that books date. Of course, we all love books we’ve read years ago, but when we read old books for the first time nowadays… so much exposition, such slow build, not to speak of casual sexism, racism, treatment of children that ranges from bizarre to abusive… Of course they’re of their time, and that’s fascinating, but it’s hard to lose yourself in the story with all these alerts going off. The Mary Stewart book I’ve chosen is a mystery with a slightly supernatural air. It was diverting rather than gripping, but the Scottish countryside was gorgeously brought to life.
<p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p>never enough bookshelveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10354046623533487978noreply@blogger.com1