Bookworming!!!!!

Dear Kat has done a fantastic job building the Bodmin Bookworm blog over the past few weeks. I had an idea in May that became a concept that I discussed with Kat, that became a proposal I put to my boss and then the heads in Bodmin and now that idea has become a reality. The Bookworm is launched officially with the schools on 22nd September, but the blog has gone live for constructive comment and ideas. Do go over and have a visit at www.bodminbookworm.blogspot.com and please do tell Kat how fab she is!!!!!

I have lots of ideas and some of them actually get to happen, but only because my boss was willing to let me fund it through my job and because I have a gifted friend who can build a blog into a thing of beauty!! I am very excited and for both of us hopefully our writing CV just got a little more substantial.

Once the site is being posted on after the 22nd please go in and comment on the kids work as it is such a boost to them to know someone outside of mum and dad and gran are reading what they have written.

Bodmin has some of the most socially deprived areas in the county and this is a real chance for every child to shine by posting even one line of creativity. The strapline came to me in a brainstorming session with Kat and I think it sums up the heart of the project.

Hope you enjoy your visit to Bodmin's new big creative idea!!

Broody Hen and Bookworms

Finally Matilda (or Tildy as she is affectionately known) has quit being broody. It has taken the poor dear nearly six weeks to realise that the eggs she keeps sitting on will a) keep mysteriously disappearing every day and b) will never hatch as she has no man in her life! She remains a bit skittish compared to our other three but hopefully will be back laying again soon.

Kat and I have been working on the Bodmin Bookworm yesterday and today. She has done a fantastic job and once the site is live I highly recommend a visit. I have been doing my bit emailing headteachers to get assembly dates and getting them to send logos etc. Her sister has done a cracking job on the logo as seen above. Excited about this as we have a chance to encourage creative writing from age 4-18 that is not classroom based. (The little worm below was supposed to be animated but he seems a little static.)

As well as spending a great day working with Kat we also mused over the possibility of either of us being David Tennants new companion now Catherine Tate has left, or whether we would have had a shot at dating him if we had not married our respective husbands....mmm remote and unlikely but always worth a little fantasy muse I guess.

Also managed to begin the write up of some of the material I did while away on holiday for my novel so I was pleased to begin to make a dent on that too. I do need to revisit the chapter planning again before I go too much further, but I am happy to be writing again.

Rollercoaster return to Blogland

I am sorry for not blogging for a long time (most of August actually) but it is amazing how little time I have had despite a desperately wet summer holiday. This past week or so has been roller coasting a bit for me for a number of reasons.
I have managed to develop a new strand of plotline for my novel which is exciting and adds a little more sci-fi to an historical novel. The picture shown was one of those I have used for visualising the first chapter of the book. (It is Wheal Coates engine house at St Agnes for anyone interested). I have made some progress and hope to get going on it this week. However I need to make more time to develop it all so I am planning a time management strategy...sad but true.

I then have a had a strange email conversation with an editor at a Christian Publishing house about the activity club material I wrote on Daniel. I had sent my synopsis in early July and had had no more, assumed it was a non-starter, then got an email on Friday asking to see the full material for day one. really excited so sent that off by email as requested, then this morning got what sounded like a rejection letter, saying the material did not fit their current list etc. Quite deflated but picked myself up and went to help our new pastor and his family move into their home. Four hours and fish and chips later I come back to my PC to fina another email saying that our emails must have been at crossed purposes and that the company are appointing a new CEO and he/she may decide to review the mediums they publish. So I think it means they may not be finished with my stuff yet. Left feeling a little bemused but cautious about being too hopeful.

Also Kat and I begin a new venture this month called the Bodmin Bookworm, aiming to encourage creative writing through schools and linking them together as a 'virtual' after school club at school, home and the local library. Kat's sister has designed the logo and I am now on the case to get publicity on the go. Kat is going to be the editorial manager for the blog so once it is up and running and I am sure we will both be signposting you all to look at it.

I guess we keep writing and exploring. I have been inspired and encouraged to hear how Debs and Karen have got stories accepted for magazines and clever Cal has got an agent, there is hope for me yet too. Well done ladies, great job