As you can see from my other blog, Death in Spigg's Wood is available to download on Kindle, at last. Very pleased.
Tuesday 6 December 2011
Death in Spigg's Wood
As you can see from my other blog, Death in Spigg's Wood is available to download on Kindle, at last. Very pleased.
Friday 28 October 2011
Changes
How do you write? People have different ways of writing. I’m quite obsessive when I put my mind do it. I think a lot about the plot, rehearse scenes in my head, let my subconscious go to work, then splurge it all out into the computer. I don’t bother about typos (and there are many because I can’t touch type.) I don’t worry about minor technical details, I just write to the exclusion of almost anything else. Then I take a break and tidy up what I’ve written. It’s almost as if I’m scared I’ll lose the flow. This is nothing new; I was the same at university when writing essays, staying up ‘til the early hours, just getting it down. Those days, we didn’t have the luxury of a computer or word processor, though, just my very scruffy handwriting.
My first published piece was written in two hours when waiting for the AA man. I did type that up on the computer, and I printed it out on a dot printer. How technology has advanced over the last twenty-five years since that first paid-for piece.
I have always been an obsessive gardener too, though as a child the chickens put paid to my early efforts, and nearly put me off. My garden, as I think I have explained before, consists of a fairly sunny back garden and a rather shady side garden, which is devoted to clutter and vegetables. My greenhouse is in the side garden, occupying the sunniest part, but two trees which were saplings when we arrived have grown into thirty foot monsters. (The labels lied.) One is a plum, the other a cherry, so they are worth keeping. Besides, the cost of removing them would far outweigh any crops I might subsequently grow in the greenhouse. It just isn’t worth it.
This year I tried growing tomatoes in pots next to the greenhouse, and courgettes in the bed next to the greenhouse. The courgettes got powdery mildew, and the tomatoes got blight, basically because I was too busy and too mean to water them daily. I have come to the conclusion that, since Next Door have built an massive extension and the trees have grown up, the poor vegetable plot is now a hopeless one. I’m more successful growing things in big tubs near the back door.
The raised beds I built when we arrived 11 years ago have disintegrated (so much for preserved timber) and the arch that was already here has also succumbed to rot, so I have started to remodel the side garden. The first thing I have done is to install a metal arch in place of the wooden one. I have put it side-on so that I can’t sit on the patio and look directly onto the untidiness in the side garden (It’s the compost and grunge area as well as the veg plot). I will still grow runner beans and probably courgettes in the sunniest part by the greenhouse, and in tubs, but the rest of that space I will turn into a tropical garden once I have sorted out the beds and sheds. I have my Musa basjoo in the back garden, and they look very good at the moment, but last year the frosts cut them right down. Last year was the first year since planting them out that I have not put a greenhouse or straw round them. I cut the leaves down, tied them in, then wrapped them in fleece, and it wasn’t enough. They grew back from the base, though.
I’m torn this year. Should I put the greenhouse up over them? I could put the Brugmansias in with them. I have been a bit peeved over the Brugmansias this year. They have spent all summer looking scruffy and one has only just deigned to flower. It has wonderful tangerine flowers. But as plants they are extremely toxic and I wonder if they are worth it if they’re going to be mean with flowers.
Talking of toxic plants, I have a nicotiana which survived last winter in a dustbin of compost in the side garden. Yet I have found frozen water there when the rest of the garden has been OK, so I don’t think it’s that sheltered. Perhaps it’s tougher than it looks.
So, it’s all change in the garden so that I can spend blocks of time writing.
Vegetables which have been successful this year are purple flowered mangetout peas, cucumbers (sort of), beans (sort of), small toms in tubs, blackberries (in abundance) and grapes. The blackbirds and starlings nicked the cherries, the plum was “resting”, and the courgettes, as usual, stopped doing well as soon as the summer solstice had passed. (This contrasts with my old allotment where I would still be picking them in November.)
I tried growing aubergines got the first time, and though mine were sown early, they haven’t produced. I bought a plant, which has done better, though those fruit had set in the nursery. I have brought them under cover as they are perennials. I’m going to see if I can bring them out next year. The biggest problem, I suspect, will be red spider mite. I’m doing the same with peppers.
My first published piece was written in two hours when waiting for the AA man. I did type that up on the computer, and I printed it out on a dot printer. How technology has advanced over the last twenty-five years since that first paid-for piece.
I have always been an obsessive gardener too, though as a child the chickens put paid to my early efforts, and nearly put me off. My garden, as I think I have explained before, consists of a fairly sunny back garden and a rather shady side garden, which is devoted to clutter and vegetables. My greenhouse is in the side garden, occupying the sunniest part, but two trees which were saplings when we arrived have grown into thirty foot monsters. (The labels lied.) One is a plum, the other a cherry, so they are worth keeping. Besides, the cost of removing them would far outweigh any crops I might subsequently grow in the greenhouse. It just isn’t worth it.
This year I tried growing tomatoes in pots next to the greenhouse, and courgettes in the bed next to the greenhouse. The courgettes got powdery mildew, and the tomatoes got blight, basically because I was too busy and too mean to water them daily. I have come to the conclusion that, since Next Door have built an massive extension and the trees have grown up, the poor vegetable plot is now a hopeless one. I’m more successful growing things in big tubs near the back door.
The raised beds I built when we arrived 11 years ago have disintegrated (so much for preserved timber) and the arch that was already here has also succumbed to rot, so I have started to remodel the side garden. The first thing I have done is to install a metal arch in place of the wooden one. I have put it side-on so that I can’t sit on the patio and look directly onto the untidiness in the side garden (It’s the compost and grunge area as well as the veg plot). I will still grow runner beans and probably courgettes in the sunniest part by the greenhouse, and in tubs, but the rest of that space I will turn into a tropical garden once I have sorted out the beds and sheds. I have my Musa basjoo in the back garden, and they look very good at the moment, but last year the frosts cut them right down. Last year was the first year since planting them out that I have not put a greenhouse or straw round them. I cut the leaves down, tied them in, then wrapped them in fleece, and it wasn’t enough. They grew back from the base, though.
I’m torn this year. Should I put the greenhouse up over them? I could put the Brugmansias in with them. I have been a bit peeved over the Brugmansias this year. They have spent all summer looking scruffy and one has only just deigned to flower. It has wonderful tangerine flowers. But as plants they are extremely toxic and I wonder if they are worth it if they’re going to be mean with flowers.
Talking of toxic plants, I have a nicotiana which survived last winter in a dustbin of compost in the side garden. Yet I have found frozen water there when the rest of the garden has been OK, so I don’t think it’s that sheltered. Perhaps it’s tougher than it looks.
So, it’s all change in the garden so that I can spend blocks of time writing.
Vegetables which have been successful this year are purple flowered mangetout peas, cucumbers (sort of), beans (sort of), small toms in tubs, blackberries (in abundance) and grapes. The blackbirds and starlings nicked the cherries, the plum was “resting”, and the courgettes, as usual, stopped doing well as soon as the summer solstice had passed. (This contrasts with my old allotment where I would still be picking them in November.)
I tried growing aubergines got the first time, and though mine were sown early, they haven’t produced. I bought a plant, which has done better, though those fruit had set in the nursery. I have brought them under cover as they are perennials. I’m going to see if I can bring them out next year. The biggest problem, I suspect, will be red spider mite. I’m doing the same with peppers.
Thursday 25 August 2011
Exciting News
Well, what a busy time I’ve had, too busy to keep this up, especially with the recognition problems mentioned in the previous post.
The reason I was excited (and am still excited) is that an agent likes my crime novels and is trying to find a publisher for my latest. So I’m very hopeful.
I am now doubly excited because as well as some successes with short stories, I have a My Weekly Pocket Novel out. These, at 50,000 words, are only a little shorter than some mainstream novels. So this feels like a real novel to me. I am so thrilled.
Mind you, I don’t think I can bear to read it. Not yet anyway.
Saturday 25 June 2011
Problems
I seem to be having problems leaving comments elsewhere. I tried to leave a comment on Elizabeth Lord's blog, but kept being sent to the login page. Weird.
Anyway, welcome to the world of the Blog, Elizabeth.
Anyway, welcome to the world of the Blog, Elizabeth.
Tuesday 31 May 2011
Tagged... Six Questions to Answer.
I’ve been tagged by Jamarra, and have to answer the six questions below.
Q1) Do you think you’re hot?
No, not really, but I hope my novels are. Others seem to think they are, so fingers crossed.
Q2) Upload a picture or wallpaper you’re using at the moment
I’m a member of a photographic club and we have an exhibition coming up in 3 weeks time, so I have been preparing exhibits. This is my first exhibition and I’m nervous because I don’t really know what I’m doing. I have discovered (on reading photography forums) that photography, like writing, rarely pays well. Neither does gardening. And scientists are underpaid in this country. Trust me to pick the poorly paid endeavours.
This is a small version of one of my exhibits. The usual remarks about copyright hold true. Please do not use this image without permission.
I have had this, and other images made into greetings cards which I hope to sell at the exhibition. The problem is that to make even a tiny profit I have to charge quite a lot per card, and I’m not sure people will pay that when they can get a dozen cards at the supermarket. I did approach a card company about my photos, and got all excited when they wanted to see some. But they declined, saying the were too “Fine Art” for their market. I’m convinced it was a kindly put-down to avoid hurting my feelings.
Q3) When did you last eat chicken? This morning, for breakfast, before it went off. I can’t abide wasting food, which is why I resemble a dustbin.
Q4) The song you listened to recently?
The dawn chorus. I love the liquid notes of the blackbird.
Q5) What are you thinking as you do this?
I’m tossing up whether to do some writing or whether to do some housework. I expect the housework will win this time because it has been horribly neglected over the last few days. (Months, years.) And part of me is daydreaming about a book deal, but I don’t really dare to give much credence to those dreams.
Q6) Have you any nicknames?
My kids, bless their little hearts, call me Mumsie, which reminds me of Walter the Softy in the Beano, or Mudder, which is reminiscent of bovines. I have one or two online names which I won’t disclose.
Tag three blogging pals? Oh, crumbs.
The Elephant in the Writing Room
http://theelephantinthewritingroom.blogspot.com/
Good old Sally
Karen
http://writewritingwritten.blogspot.com/
I see from Karen’s post that she’s just had a very similar experience to mine. I read through something that had been mulching for a while and found some mistakes, including some pretty basic ones. And then I was told that there were some other flaws, now fixed, I hope. When revising a ms I end up with ms-blindness where I stop reading what I wrote and skim-read instead…. A fresh pair of experienced and analytical eyes always helps.
Womagwriter
http://womagwriter.blogspot.com/
Always a good source of advice.
Q1) Do you think you’re hot?
No, not really, but I hope my novels are. Others seem to think they are, so fingers crossed.
Q2) Upload a picture or wallpaper you’re using at the moment
I’m a member of a photographic club and we have an exhibition coming up in 3 weeks time, so I have been preparing exhibits. This is my first exhibition and I’m nervous because I don’t really know what I’m doing. I have discovered (on reading photography forums) that photography, like writing, rarely pays well. Neither does gardening. And scientists are underpaid in this country. Trust me to pick the poorly paid endeavours.
This is a small version of one of my exhibits. The usual remarks about copyright hold true. Please do not use this image without permission.
I have had this, and other images made into greetings cards which I hope to sell at the exhibition. The problem is that to make even a tiny profit I have to charge quite a lot per card, and I’m not sure people will pay that when they can get a dozen cards at the supermarket. I did approach a card company about my photos, and got all excited when they wanted to see some. But they declined, saying the were too “Fine Art” for their market. I’m convinced it was a kindly put-down to avoid hurting my feelings.
Q3) When did you last eat chicken? This morning, for breakfast, before it went off. I can’t abide wasting food, which is why I resemble a dustbin.
Q4) The song you listened to recently?
The dawn chorus. I love the liquid notes of the blackbird.
Q5) What are you thinking as you do this?
I’m tossing up whether to do some writing or whether to do some housework. I expect the housework will win this time because it has been horribly neglected over the last few days. (Months, years.) And part of me is daydreaming about a book deal, but I don’t really dare to give much credence to those dreams.
Q6) Have you any nicknames?
My kids, bless their little hearts, call me Mumsie, which reminds me of Walter the Softy in the Beano, or Mudder, which is reminiscent of bovines. I have one or two online names which I won’t disclose.
Tag three blogging pals? Oh, crumbs.
The Elephant in the Writing Room
http://theelephantinthewritingroom.blogspot.com/
Good old Sally
Karen
http://writewritingwritten.blogspot.com/
I see from Karen’s post that she’s just had a very similar experience to mine. I read through something that had been mulching for a while and found some mistakes, including some pretty basic ones. And then I was told that there were some other flaws, now fixed, I hope. When revising a ms I end up with ms-blindness where I stop reading what I wrote and skim-read instead…. A fresh pair of experienced and analytical eyes always helps.
Womagwriter
http://womagwriter.blogspot.com/
Always a good source of advice.
Wednesday 18 May 2011
Very Excited Now
I have some revision of a manuscript to do, which is really exciting. My brain is buzzing and I can hardly wait to get started.
Saturday 14 May 2011
New Blog
My photogallery has vanished, if anyone is curious. And I haven't the heart to do it all over again. Not just now, anyway.
Thursday 12 May 2011
Sunday 27 March 2011
Is it just me?
... or does this photograph remind you of a famous painting?
Just me huh?
This is accidental. I didn't realise until I looked at the photos afterwards.
I took this indoors under someone else's studio lights at a photographic club's playing around evening. I don't think I got any really good photos and I think I'll stick with natural light for the moment. I quite like photographing things in my back garden.
Mind you at the moment it's all a bit of a mess because I'm rearranging the pots on the patio and having a hack-back session.
We've having an exhibition in June. I'm excited about it but I need to make sure I'm prepared.
Just me huh?
This is accidental. I didn't realise until I looked at the photos afterwards.
I took this indoors under someone else's studio lights at a photographic club's playing around evening. I don't think I got any really good photos and I think I'll stick with natural light for the moment. I quite like photographing things in my back garden.
Mind you at the moment it's all a bit of a mess because I'm rearranging the pots on the patio and having a hack-back session.
We've having an exhibition in June. I'm excited about it but I need to make sure I'm prepared.
Saturday 15 January 2011
January 2011 Books
It’s that time of year again, where I start to get restless, start making over-ambitious plans and yearning for a bigger garden. That’s an impossibility. So what about an allotment? Well, the dilatory way our Parish Council are going about finding some land for allotments means I won’t see extra growing space for a number of years, it seems, if ever. And being realistic, with my writing, unless the allotment was within yards of the house, it’s unlikely I could really have the time to attend to it on occasions. And even more realistically, would I eat all the produce? Probably not. So I will have to make the best of what I have, and that is a very shady veg patch which is far from ideal.
I had three books for Christmas, and I thought I would review them here.
The first is Carol Klein’s new book on Propagation “Grow Your Own garden”. I have always admired Carol Klein as a presenter, partly I think, because her tastes chime with mine, and partly because she is so enthusiastic and genuine. I met her at Hampton Court Flower Show a number of years ago when I bought a signed copy of her “Plant Personalities”, a lovely book, luscious photographs, and Carol’s voice shines clearly in her exuberant text.
My great expectations of her new book were not disappointed. Of course I know how to take cuttings and propagate plants, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of vicariously propagating and from being inspired to get out there and start preparing for the coming year. This is, after all, why we buy more books. My first basic gardening books told me what I needed to know, but inspiration needs rekindling every so often, and that’s what this book does. I have read it from cover to cover, practically in one sitting, and I know it’s a book I will pick up and browse when I just want a few minutes’ time out. I will also refer to it when I want to check out what works for Carol Klein. I agree whole-heartedly with topping seeds with gravel. It works well fro me too. My only issue is with Carol's description of John Innes composts, where she talks about John Innes Seed compost and then potting on into John Innes No. 1, which confused me as I thought John Innes Seed compost and John Innes no 1 are the same thing.
The second book was from my beloved hubby, a treatise on the plants of Crete since we will be going there later this year. “Flowers of Crete” by John Fielding and Nicolas Turland, Ed Brian Matthew (ISBN 1 84246 X). I’m not sure I’ll be taking the book though, as it’s enormous. It’s very thorough and good to browse through. I also like the chapters on the local geology, geography and farming because that’s something often missed out by holiday guides. Many times I have been abroad and yearned to ask questions of local people about how they grow crops, prune their olives, and so on, but I don’t have the language. One thing I like to do is understand the environment which we’re visiting, but I don’t have the geological background to have more than a superficial understanding from what I see on the ground. I wish the book came in dvd form too so that I could take it on holiday on my netbook, which would save weight. The problem would be that people could easily rip it off, and that would be a real shame for the authors whose life's work this is.
The third book I was given was “Wild Wonders of Europe“ Peter Cairns, Florian Mullers, Staffan Wistrand and Bridget Wijnberg. This is basically a collection of gorgeous photographs by 78 (or 79…there seems to be some confusion with the two different figures in the book) in 48 countries, showing our natural world. It’s lovely just to browse through and admire in a quiet moment. Some photographs are quite experimental and not everyone’s cup of tea, but the quality is exceptional.
As growing photographer myself I found this book both inspirational and daunting. I remarked to my hubby that I didn’t feel I would ever get that good, but he said that some of my photos matched theirs for quality. One in particular is a picture face on to a damselfly, and I have a very similar shot myself. It’s encouraging that others think such shots worthy of inclusion in such works, because in both his and my photo, the depth of field is such that the body of the fly is out of focus, so all the attention is on that predatory head.
I had three books for Christmas, and I thought I would review them here.
The first is Carol Klein’s new book on Propagation “Grow Your Own garden”. I have always admired Carol Klein as a presenter, partly I think, because her tastes chime with mine, and partly because she is so enthusiastic and genuine. I met her at Hampton Court Flower Show a number of years ago when I bought a signed copy of her “Plant Personalities”, a lovely book, luscious photographs, and Carol’s voice shines clearly in her exuberant text.
My great expectations of her new book were not disappointed. Of course I know how to take cuttings and propagate plants, but that doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of vicariously propagating and from being inspired to get out there and start preparing for the coming year. This is, after all, why we buy more books. My first basic gardening books told me what I needed to know, but inspiration needs rekindling every so often, and that’s what this book does. I have read it from cover to cover, practically in one sitting, and I know it’s a book I will pick up and browse when I just want a few minutes’ time out. I will also refer to it when I want to check out what works for Carol Klein. I agree whole-heartedly with topping seeds with gravel. It works well fro me too. My only issue is with Carol's description of John Innes composts, where she talks about John Innes Seed compost and then potting on into John Innes No. 1, which confused me as I thought John Innes Seed compost and John Innes no 1 are the same thing.
The second book was from my beloved hubby, a treatise on the plants of Crete since we will be going there later this year. “Flowers of Crete” by John Fielding and Nicolas Turland, Ed Brian Matthew (ISBN 1 84246 X). I’m not sure I’ll be taking the book though, as it’s enormous. It’s very thorough and good to browse through. I also like the chapters on the local geology, geography and farming because that’s something often missed out by holiday guides. Many times I have been abroad and yearned to ask questions of local people about how they grow crops, prune their olives, and so on, but I don’t have the language. One thing I like to do is understand the environment which we’re visiting, but I don’t have the geological background to have more than a superficial understanding from what I see on the ground. I wish the book came in dvd form too so that I could take it on holiday on my netbook, which would save weight. The problem would be that people could easily rip it off, and that would be a real shame for the authors whose life's work this is.
The third book I was given was “Wild Wonders of Europe“ Peter Cairns, Florian Mullers, Staffan Wistrand and Bridget Wijnberg. This is basically a collection of gorgeous photographs by 78 (or 79…there seems to be some confusion with the two different figures in the book) in 48 countries, showing our natural world. It’s lovely just to browse through and admire in a quiet moment. Some photographs are quite experimental and not everyone’s cup of tea, but the quality is exceptional.
As growing photographer myself I found this book both inspirational and daunting. I remarked to my hubby that I didn’t feel I would ever get that good, but he said that some of my photos matched theirs for quality. One in particular is a picture face on to a damselfly, and I have a very similar shot myself. It’s encouraging that others think such shots worthy of inclusion in such works, because in both his and my photo, the depth of field is such that the body of the fly is out of focus, so all the attention is on that predatory head.
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