Monday 22 September 2008

Books, blogging and the internet

Having read Hadriana's excellent summary of the workshop at the Edinburgh International Book Festival entitled Books, blogging and the internet I'm not sure I'm qualified to write anything.  Except that I was there and last-minute-stand-in-Vanessa did an excellent job of guiding this blogger with L-plates into the wonderful world of internetworking.  Sorry it has taken me so long to get my thoughts in some sort of coherent order!

I'd spent all week trying hard to learn how to write (just do it!), publish (rejection is nothing personal) and still maintain some degree of self-confidence (you do still have value, honest).  It appears that the road to riches is a long one: lots of potholes, several false summits and unlikely to be paved with gold - ever.

Yet my week of workshops has encouraged - perhaps even forced - me to persist with my writing, to set aside time every day to write something, even if it is a load of waffle.  Hopefully most of that gets edited out of the blog and the book but every time I edit or re-read there is something else that gets a line straight through.  There are supposed deadlines that I plan to meet (although I refuse to make them public, as I am sure I'll fail them all, then feel really small and useless).  Still, two weeks in to my new routine and the book has progressed another 12,000 words and some of them are excellent.

I found this cartoon and I think it sums up very well what I learnt about blogging, or indeed publishing in general.  Tickled me, anyway!


Saturday 13 September 2008

Domestic bliss

Frightening moment this afternoon.

2.4 children playing at friends or in the back street behind our house.
Husband asleep since working nights.
Me, stood at stove, flouring and frying meat for a stew for the family dinner, dressed with apron and Weekend Women's hour on in the background.
What picture of 1950's perfect domesticity is that?

Thursday 4 September 2008

The end of an era

I read with interest the state funeral of the President of Zambia, Levy Mwanawasa.  I picture the events - the cortege, the copper coffin, the streets lined with people.  I imagine the disruption as schools close, roads are cut off and employees abscond for the day.  I pray for peace as this little part of the world is forced into unexpected change and development.
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