One of the things I'll be looking to do is to get greater interaction with readers and other writers.
So as from tomorrow, when I post the first page of a (very) rough synopsis, I'll be looking for readers of this blog --if there are any!-- to give their thoughts as to the viability of ideas and plot structure and suggest improvements if they wish.
That doesn't mean to say that everything that people suggest will go into Winter Song; I'll have the final say, as it's my book, but I'll listen sympathetically to character insights and plot suggestions, and scientific expertise will be seized upon with glee.
I'll name-check all contributors on the acknowledgements page as a thank-you.
Colin
January 8th
Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Sunday, 10 June 2007
The Last Confession
Yesterday afternoon we spent the hottest afternoon of the year in a Victorian theatre. How dumb is that?
We got tickets for £5, whereas we would normally have to pay £25 each.
David Suchet was superb as the Cardinal who stepped aside to allow The Pole to become Pope. I sat there watching, and realized that acting for the stage with it's repetoire of broad gestures so that the audience in the Gods can see each gesture must be completely different from acting for TV, with it's focus on close-range camerawork. (Okay, so it took me long enough, but I get there in the end...)
We got tickets for £5, whereas we would normally have to pay £25 each.
David Suchet was superb as the Cardinal who stepped aside to allow The Pole to become Pope. I sat there watching, and realized that acting for the stage with it's repetoire of broad gestures so that the audience in the Gods can see each gesture must be completely different from acting for TV, with it's focus on close-range camerawork. (Okay, so it took me long enough, but I get there in the end...)
Barter and Keynsham-on-Cyberspace
Friday night, our friends Nick and Zoe came around. Nick is a landscape gardener, while Zoe is a kitchen designer who's vamping up my photos for Katy's Cookbook. She's also putting together the cover.
The barter system is alive and well. We give them a load of Kate's spare plants and they gave us a bench that had been tossed out. Brilliant!
Last night, Phil the Bus came around with his wife Cook (real name June) and I showed him his picture on MySpace. Phil is as computer literate as any Luddite, and boggled at the thought that his picture was there, courtesy of www.myspace.com/Keynsham. Described as 'Like the Matrix, but for old people.' Hah. More like the Royston Vezey of cyberspace.
The barter system is alive and well. We give them a load of Kate's spare plants and they gave us a bench that had been tossed out. Brilliant!
Last night, Phil the Bus came around with his wife Cook (real name June) and I showed him his picture on MySpace. Phil is as computer literate as any Luddite, and boggled at the thought that his picture was there, courtesy of www.myspace.com/Keynsham. Described as 'Like the Matrix, but for old people.' Hah. More like the Royston Vezey of cyberspace.
A Shocking Dereliction of Duty
I realized today that I haven't posted for 3 days.
It's because I've been in danger of getting some kind of life.
But I'll try to put things right by posting 3 times tonight.
It's because I've been in danger of getting some kind of life.
But I'll try to put things right by posting 3 times tonight.
Thursday, 7 June 2007
Redundancy
So the guillotine came down yesterday. Unless I go earlier, August 31st will mark my last day working for The Beast, after 20 years 8 months and 9 days.
The funny thing is that they forgot to give me my notice. I'm so memorable, that they forgot to sack me!
The good news is that now I have The Letter, I slammed in an application to DeathRay magazine for the position of Staff Writer. I'm hoping that they haven't already filled the post. But I shall cross my fingers.
The funny thing is that they forgot to give me my notice. I'm so memorable, that they forgot to sack me!
The good news is that now I have The Letter, I slammed in an application to DeathRay magazine for the position of Staff Writer. I'm hoping that they haven't already filled the post. But I shall cross my fingers.
Wednesday, 6 June 2007
The 2007 Gulliver Travel Research Grant
Writers Please note:--
The 2007 Gulliver Travel Research Grant will be open for applications from July 1st, 2007 to September 30th, 2007. The grant is not currently available for academic research, though we hope to offer such funds in the future.
The SLF is currently offering one $600 travel grant annually, to be used to cover airfare, lodging, and/or other travel expenses.
The Gulliver Travel Research Grant is awarded to assist writers of speculative literature, including fiction, drama, poetry, and creative nonfiction, in their research. (The Gulliver Travel Research Grant is only awarded to writers of speculative fiction, poetry, drama, or creative nonfiction. The speculative genre typically includes science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and sometimes horror)
The Gulliver Travel Research Grant, formerly the Speculative Literature Foundation Travel Research Grant, was renamed in November 2006 at the request of the grant sponsor. Gulliver, a character in the 1726 story "Gulliver's Travels" written by Jonathan Swift, represents one of the earliest examples of fantasy travel.
The Gulliver Travel Grant will be awarded by a committee of SLF staff members on the basis of interest and merit. Factors considered will include:
1. A one-page written description of the project in question, including details on the travel location and an estimated completion date (no more than 500 words)
2. A writing sample in the proposed genre (up to 10 pages of poetry, 10 pages of drama, or 5000 words of fiction or creative nonfiction); please note that the writing sample must be a solo work (work completed only by the applicant).
3.A bibliography of previously-published work by the author (no more than one page, typed); however, applicants need not have previous publications to apply. The 2006 winner was previously unpublished.
If awarded the grant, the recipient agrees to write a brief report of their research experience (500-1000 words) for the SLF’s files, and for possible public dissemination on our website.
PLEASE NOTE: This grant, as with all SLF grants, is intended to help writers working with speculative literature only.
Travel Grant Application Procedures
1. Send the three items listed above to our travel grant administrators, Colin Harvey and Tiffany Jonas, as attached .doc files, to http://uk.f272.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=travel@speculativeliterature.org. Include a brief cover letter with your name and contact info (e-mail, phone in case of emergency). If you have questions, direct them to that same address.
2. You may apply for travel to take place at any point in the following year (from October to the following October).
3. Travel may take place from any country to any country, or internally within a country; the grants are unrestricted. Funds will be disbursed in U.S. currency (but can be sent through PayPal if that is more convenient for international recipients).
4. Travel grant applications will only be considered from July 1st to September 30th 2007. Applications received before or after that period will be discarded unread.
5. The grant recipient will be announced by October 15th 2007. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application by that date.
The 2007 Gulliver Travel Research Grant will be open for applications from July 1st, 2007 to September 30th, 2007. The grant is not currently available for academic research, though we hope to offer such funds in the future.
The SLF is currently offering one $600 travel grant annually, to be used to cover airfare, lodging, and/or other travel expenses.
The Gulliver Travel Research Grant is awarded to assist writers of speculative literature, including fiction, drama, poetry, and creative nonfiction, in their research. (The Gulliver Travel Research Grant is only awarded to writers of speculative fiction, poetry, drama, or creative nonfiction. The speculative genre typically includes science fiction, fantasy, slipstream, and sometimes horror)
The Gulliver Travel Research Grant, formerly the Speculative Literature Foundation Travel Research Grant, was renamed in November 2006 at the request of the grant sponsor. Gulliver, a character in the 1726 story "Gulliver's Travels" written by Jonathan Swift, represents one of the earliest examples of fantasy travel.
The Gulliver Travel Grant will be awarded by a committee of SLF staff members on the basis of interest and merit. Factors considered will include:
1. A one-page written description of the project in question, including details on the travel location and an estimated completion date (no more than 500 words)
2. A writing sample in the proposed genre (up to 10 pages of poetry, 10 pages of drama, or 5000 words of fiction or creative nonfiction); please note that the writing sample must be a solo work (work completed only by the applicant).
3.A bibliography of previously-published work by the author (no more than one page, typed); however, applicants need not have previous publications to apply. The 2006 winner was previously unpublished.
If awarded the grant, the recipient agrees to write a brief report of their research experience (500-1000 words) for the SLF’s files, and for possible public dissemination on our website.
PLEASE NOTE: This grant, as with all SLF grants, is intended to help writers working with speculative literature only.
Travel Grant Application Procedures
1. Send the three items listed above to our travel grant administrators, Colin Harvey and Tiffany Jonas, as attached .doc files, to http://uk.f272.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=travel@speculativeliterature.org. Include a brief cover letter with your name and contact info (e-mail, phone in case of emergency). If you have questions, direct them to that same address.
2. You may apply for travel to take place at any point in the following year (from October to the following October).
3. Travel may take place from any country to any country, or internally within a country; the grants are unrestricted. Funds will be disbursed in U.S. currency (but can be sent through PayPal if that is more convenient for international recipients).
4. Travel grant applications will only be considered from July 1st to September 30th 2007. Applications received before or after that period will be discarded unread.
5. The grant recipient will be announced by October 15th 2007. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application by that date.
Tuesday, 5 June 2007
Anniversary
I'm not sure whether anyone is reading these ramblings, but if they are, they would have seen that I didn't post yesterday.
Well, it was my wedding anniversary, and it seemed a bit churlish to neglect Kate in favour of my laptop.
19 years. Apparently that is our bronze anniversary.
Next year will be our 20th, which is our china anniversary. Except that so few marriages last now that many people are counting it as the platinum anniversary.
Well, it was my wedding anniversary, and it seemed a bit churlish to neglect Kate in favour of my laptop.
19 years. Apparently that is our bronze anniversary.
Next year will be our 20th, which is our china anniversary. Except that so few marriages last now that many people are counting it as the platinum anniversary.
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