Bit of a weird post, this, but I need your help...
I've had some problems recently with folk not being able to leave comments on the Scribbles. Now, as I've not changed any settings since I started the blog, and they've always been set to 'anyone' without the need for spambot checks, this was a bit of a mystery. I seemed to get round it by playing with the settings and re-saving, but as I was re-saving them how they always used to be, that didn't make much sense.
Recently, comments have dropped off again. I'm not sure whether this is 'cos I've not posted anything worth commenting on - yep, I know, sometimes I just talk to myself for the fun of it and I don't expect responses all the time anyway. Or - the problem's back.
Please, would you try commenting on this post, even if it's something you don't usually do, just to check that everything's ticketyboo?
You should be able to comment anonymously, through a Google account or via OpenID (whatever that is), and if for any reason you can't comment, would you contact me via microscribbler@gmail.com with any error message.
Thanks for your help. x
Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Time's running out...
Just in case you missed the earlier competition posts, I'm repeating myself...because there are only TWO WEEKS to go before the competition deadline to find a problem for Granny Rainbow to solve!
The next batch of stories are well on the way to being finalised and the illustrations are being drawn as I type. But I'm still short of a blue or yellow themed problem for Granny to sort out this time round.
If you've read Granny Rainbow and can think of a problem for her to solve that involves something blue or yellow, why not enter the competition?
You could win the chance to see YOUR idea written as a story and included in the next book of Granny Rainbow stories! You’ll also win a copy of the new book, signed by both myself and Laura, PLUS a unique hand-coloured illustration of the character who features in your story. And yes, it can be a brand new character if you like!
Send your name, email contact and address, your age and your idea for a problem (you can send an outline of the story or a more detailed summary - I can work with either) before the 30th June to:
microscribbler@gmail.com with ‘Granny Rainbow Comp’ in the title line
OR
post to ‘Granny Rainbow Competition’, 26 Colgrove Road, Loughborough, Leics, LE11 3NN
The winning idea will be picked and announced on the 1st September.
Get scribbling!
And if you'd like to enter and haven't got a copy yet, pop into The Reading Shop in Oadby, The Bookshop, Kibworth, or order direct from me by using this link. If you order in the next day or two, you should still have plenty of time to enter...
Saturday, 14 June 2014
Anyone for birthday cake?
It was my birthday earlier this week. I had a lovely day; lunch with Mr Squidge, followed by a walk in Bradgate Park where I got sunburnt! I was thoroughly spoiled... Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes through the cloud, postman or FB, and for my lovely presents!
But it's my birthday cake I want to share with you all.
In the past, I used to decorate the kid's cakes. I'm a hopeless baker, so it'd always be a shop-bought cake which I'd make look like whatever the kids wanted...Here's a few I made earlier:
Actually - I think the last two were done by the kids for each other...I didn't have much of a hand in either of those.
And I like that they want to get involved - they decorated mine this year.
What you have to understand though, about the theme they chose, is that since I've written Granny Rainbow, my immediate family seem to have become obsessed with Marmaduke and Mrs Fluffy (Granny and Tom's cats, respectively.) For some reason, they want me to write a spin-off book about the cats. To include stories such as Marmaduke and Mrs Fluffy's Night on the Tiles. Marmaduke and Mrs Fluffy get chased by a big dog. Marmaduke and Mrs Fluffy have furballs. Marmaduke and Mrs Fluffy leave a headless mouse as a present.
I kid you not.
Needless to say, I've not written anything of the kind. But this fascination with the two cats has continued. So...
Ta-dah!
Have to admit, I thought they'd done a Rainbow Nyan Cat at first. Apparently it's Marmaduke chasing a rainbow! And we're now trying to eat it in such a way that Marmaduke doesn't get cut into 'til the last minute...
Anyone fancy a slice?
But it's my birthday cake I want to share with you all.
In the past, I used to decorate the kid's cakes. I'm a hopeless baker, so it'd always be a shop-bought cake which I'd make look like whatever the kids wanted...Here's a few I made earlier:
 |
| For the 'lotsa sweeties' party... |
 |
| The fairy party... |
 |
| The Pirate party... |
 |
| The Curse of the Were Rabbit film party... |
 |
| The Despicable Me 2 Party... |
 |
| The 'first day back at school after the summer, in new uniform with the new logo, which also happens to be your birthday' party... |
Actually - I think the last two were done by the kids for each other...I didn't have much of a hand in either of those.
And I like that they want to get involved - they decorated mine this year.
What you have to understand though, about the theme they chose, is that since I've written Granny Rainbow, my immediate family seem to have become obsessed with Marmaduke and Mrs Fluffy (Granny and Tom's cats, respectively.) For some reason, they want me to write a spin-off book about the cats. To include stories such as Marmaduke and Mrs Fluffy's Night on the Tiles. Marmaduke and Mrs Fluffy get chased by a big dog. Marmaduke and Mrs Fluffy have furballs. Marmaduke and Mrs Fluffy leave a headless mouse as a present.
I kid you not.
Needless to say, I've not written anything of the kind. But this fascination with the two cats has continued. So...
Ta-dah!
Have to admit, I thought they'd done a Rainbow Nyan Cat at first. Apparently it's Marmaduke chasing a rainbow! And we're now trying to eat it in such a way that Marmaduke doesn't get cut into 'til the last minute...
Anyone fancy a slice?
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
The 'beautiful game'
Apologies here and now to fans of 'the beautiful game', but I'm afraid I'm not a fan. Never have been.
"It's patriotic and uniting" a friend remarked the other day, when I said the only good thing about the World Cup was the number of films that are on the telly at the same time.
In fact, we had quite a ...lively...discussion about it.
"Why," he asked, "don't you support the England football team, when you were completely swallowed up by supporting the UK in the Olympics two years ago?"
I started muttering about too much hype, salaries that would clear some countries debts, players better suited to the Oscars from their performances on the pitch, poor role models, the fact that I don't have a sporty bone in my body and don't really get involved with ANY sports...I think I went on a bit more, but you get my drift.
In the end, we agreed to disagree.
Yesterday, though, I watched the programme David Beckham made about his road trip to Brazil, because Mr Squidge wanted to see it and I was interested to see whether the footy hype would follow Beckham into the jungle. (David Beckham into the Unknown is available on BBC iplayer for a few more days, and worth watching even if you're not a footy fan - even if it's just to see one of the world's most recognisable footballers trying to explain the game to a tribal elder of an isolated Amazonian tribe...)
And that's when I realised; I prefer to 'get behind' the people, not the team. I enjoyed the Olympics because it was individuals striving to be the best they can be at their chosen sport, often succeeding against the odds, often poorly paid (if at all) and doing it for the love of the sport.
I can't help feeling that a lot of the time, particularly with football, it's become more about the humungous salaries, the multi-million pound stadiums, the celebrity status and the glittering wives. Or the almost tribal mentality of 'our team's better than yours and if you don't like it, we'll fight you for it.' There are probably lots of football fans now shouting at their monitors, saying it's not like that at all! What about the genuine supporters? I accept that, and I think the media has a lot to answer for in how I view football...
I admire David Beckham, the man.He comes across as a thoroughly good bloke, who genuinely cares for his wife and family and treasures his friends. And yeah, he's a good footballer too. There's integrity there, an honesty - even when talking about the time he was red carded at a previous world cup match. He appreciated the people who'd set him on his footbally career path and he appeared to learn from his mistakes. And let's not forget everything he's done for charity.
(PS If you logged on earlier and are wondering where the pics have gone...was pointed out that perhaps FIFA/Mr B wouldn't endorse my use. So we're back to text only.)
Saturday, 7 June 2014
Two hundred!
Did you know, that two hundred...
* is the number of seeds produced by each dandelion head?
* is the number of Japanese executives who die every year on golf courses?
* is the number of pounds (or dollars) you get for passing 'Go' in Monopoly?
* is the number of hours, estimated to be spent globally every day, to collect water?
* is the number of companies who control a quarter of the world's wealth?
* is the number of fire-flashing eyes Typhon the Titan had in Greek mythology?
* is the average number of miles covered daily by the Pony Express in the US?
* is a number signifying 'insufficiency' according to Billinger's study of biblical literature?
* is the number of posts I've written on the Scribbles to date?!
Any more '200' facts you'd care to share? (And for this, I really, REALLY hope that readers can leave comments. There seems to have been a glitch on my previous post which prevented anyone commenting, even though all the settings are the same as they've always been... Please let me know if you're still having posting problems and I'll have to get on to blogger.)
* is the number of seeds produced by each dandelion head?
* is the number of Japanese executives who die every year on golf courses?
* is the number of pounds (or dollars) you get for passing 'Go' in Monopoly?
* is the number of hours, estimated to be spent globally every day, to collect water?
* is the number of companies who control a quarter of the world's wealth?
* is the number of fire-flashing eyes Typhon the Titan had in Greek mythology?
* is the average number of miles covered daily by the Pony Express in the US?
* is a number signifying 'insufficiency' according to Billinger's study of biblical literature?
* is the number of posts I've written on the Scribbles to date?!
Any more '200' facts you'd care to share? (And for this, I really, REALLY hope that readers can leave comments. There seems to have been a glitch on my previous post which prevented anyone commenting, even though all the settings are the same as they've always been... Please let me know if you're still having posting problems and I'll have to get on to blogger.)
Thursday, 5 June 2014
Critical or caring: critiques
When I first began to write, I was convinced that I was writing fabulous stories, full of adventure and mystery that would keep any child glued to the page. How wrong I was. Something like eight years, four professional critiques, numerous beta readers' comments and several courses later, I'm closer to that dream - but still not quite there. Yet.
Critiques have definitely helped, but why do I, and many others, continue to subject ourselves to critique when it can be such an uncomfortable experience sometimes?
1. Because we like to show off.
Shout it from the rooftops - "I've written a book!"
2. Because we want to know we're producing good stuff.
We need our ego stroked, and affirmation that what we've spent hours slaving over was worth every ounce of effort.
If you're lucky, your mum/dad/significant other/BFF will read what you've written, mainly because it's in their contracts that they have to be nice. You may have a beta reader instead - someone you trust, who will be honest with you, and whose opinion you will at least listen to. Or you can splash the cash and pay for a professional critique, though be careful; go by personal recommendation and reputation, and remember 'you gets what you pays for!'
3. Because we want to be better writers.
It's all well and good getting that warm, fuzzy feeling when someone raves about what you've written. But would they really tell you if they didn't like it? If they couldn't follow the story? If they thought you needed to invest in a dictionary/some punctuation lessons/a dose of reality? How can you learn from your mistakes if you can't see them yourself and no-one will tell you what they are?
Receiving critique/feedback is hard. The first critique I ever paid for slapped my wrist so hard and was so uncomplimentary about my story, I set aside what I was working on for a couple of years, convinced I was completely c**p at writing. When I finally got angry enough at the loss of my dream to start again, subsequent professional critiques were easier to stomach, mainly because they highlighted good things as well as bad, and suggested improvements by providing concrete examples.
Whenever I'm asked to read through someone else's work, I'm intensely aware that I need to be encouraging as well as 'critical', remembering how that first critique made me feel.
Unfortunately, not everyone has the same approach. I've seen a spectrum of responses in critique, ranging from the blandest of comments which don't really say anything about the work just read, to those delivered with all the subtlety of a brick to the head. I've seen critiquers slate the early offerings of new writers, giving no consideration to the courage, first language or educational history of the author. Equally, I've seen critiquers offer entire rewrites of the original, which is tantamount to shouting 'I can do it better than you!' I remember one particular post of mine where that happened - the critiquer even went so far as to say 'I'd love to get my hands on this to edit it!' By 'edit', I assume she meant rewrite...it left a very bitter taste indeed.
But the person requesting the critique is not a helpless pawn in this process, and how they receive the feedback makes a difference too. When you receive feedback that is unexpected or not to your liking, you could:
a) throw your toys out of the pram and hit back at the reviewer, because what do they know anyway? It's your book and no-one's going to notice the spelling mistakes/that the heroine's eyes change colour in chapter 3/that the mystery was never truly solved. You've written a masterpiece and no-one's going to tell you otherwise.
Or b) sulk/cry/eat a ton of chocolate/moan to anyone who'll listen about the unfairness of the review for as long as it takes for you to calm down. Then, you re-read the report and consider respectfully whether the opinion of the reviewer is valid and has any use in improving your work. Only THEN do you reply to the reviewer...
When you're on the receiving end of a critique, Debi Alper's 'rule' of Accept, Amend, Reject is invaluable; if I had a writing desk, rest assured those three words would be framed and hanging above it. As the writer, you have to be open to improving your work and making it the best it can be; very few authors write their first book straight off, with no changes needed. And as some have been heard to say - (paraphrased) overnight success takes years.
So the next time you ask for, or are asked for, a critique, take a deep breath and put a little caring into it. As Mary Poppins said, "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."
Critiques have definitely helped, but why do I, and many others, continue to subject ourselves to critique when it can be such an uncomfortable experience sometimes?
1. Because we like to show off.
Shout it from the rooftops - "I've written a book!"
2. Because we want to know we're producing good stuff.
We need our ego stroked, and affirmation that what we've spent hours slaving over was worth every ounce of effort.
If you're lucky, your mum/dad/significant other/BFF will read what you've written, mainly because it's in their contracts that they have to be nice. You may have a beta reader instead - someone you trust, who will be honest with you, and whose opinion you will at least listen to. Or you can splash the cash and pay for a professional critique, though be careful; go by personal recommendation and reputation, and remember 'you gets what you pays for!'
3. Because we want to be better writers.
It's all well and good getting that warm, fuzzy feeling when someone raves about what you've written. But would they really tell you if they didn't like it? If they couldn't follow the story? If they thought you needed to invest in a dictionary/some punctuation lessons/a dose of reality? How can you learn from your mistakes if you can't see them yourself and no-one will tell you what they are?
Receiving critique/feedback is hard. The first critique I ever paid for slapped my wrist so hard and was so uncomplimentary about my story, I set aside what I was working on for a couple of years, convinced I was completely c**p at writing. When I finally got angry enough at the loss of my dream to start again, subsequent professional critiques were easier to stomach, mainly because they highlighted good things as well as bad, and suggested improvements by providing concrete examples.
Whenever I'm asked to read through someone else's work, I'm intensely aware that I need to be encouraging as well as 'critical', remembering how that first critique made me feel.
Unfortunately, not everyone has the same approach. I've seen a spectrum of responses in critique, ranging from the blandest of comments which don't really say anything about the work just read, to those delivered with all the subtlety of a brick to the head. I've seen critiquers slate the early offerings of new writers, giving no consideration to the courage, first language or educational history of the author. Equally, I've seen critiquers offer entire rewrites of the original, which is tantamount to shouting 'I can do it better than you!' I remember one particular post of mine where that happened - the critiquer even went so far as to say 'I'd love to get my hands on this to edit it!' By 'edit', I assume she meant rewrite...it left a very bitter taste indeed.
But the person requesting the critique is not a helpless pawn in this process, and how they receive the feedback makes a difference too. When you receive feedback that is unexpected or not to your liking, you could:
a) throw your toys out of the pram and hit back at the reviewer, because what do they know anyway? It's your book and no-one's going to notice the spelling mistakes/that the heroine's eyes change colour in chapter 3/that the mystery was never truly solved. You've written a masterpiece and no-one's going to tell you otherwise.
Or b) sulk/cry/eat a ton of chocolate/moan to anyone who'll listen about the unfairness of the review for as long as it takes for you to calm down. Then, you re-read the report and consider respectfully whether the opinion of the reviewer is valid and has any use in improving your work. Only THEN do you reply to the reviewer...
When you're on the receiving end of a critique, Debi Alper's 'rule' of Accept, Amend, Reject is invaluable; if I had a writing desk, rest assured those three words would be framed and hanging above it. As the writer, you have to be open to improving your work and making it the best it can be; very few authors write their first book straight off, with no changes needed. And as some have been heard to say - (paraphrased) overnight success takes years.
So the next time you ask for, or are asked for, a critique, take a deep breath and put a little caring into it. As Mary Poppins said, "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."
Sunday, 1 June 2014
Reasons to be cheerful: 1,2,3
Pinch, punch, first day of the month.
And there are several things I'm going to celebrate this June:
1. My birthday. (No, I'm not going to tell you how old I am...)
2. My 200th blog post will be published.
3. Squidge's Scribbles will celebrate its first birthday.
Since I know that some of you have been reading the Scribbles since day 1, you're all invited to celebrate with me!
Are you ready to Paarrr-tay?
And there are several things I'm going to celebrate this June:
1. My birthday. (No, I'm not going to tell you how old I am...)
2. My 200th blog post will be published.
3. Squidge's Scribbles will celebrate its first birthday.
Since I know that some of you have been reading the Scribbles since day 1, you're all invited to celebrate with me!
Are you ready to Paarrr-tay?
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