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Happy Halloween boys and girls - the little ones are togged up as a pumpkin and a vampire skeleton, and we're off trick or treating. In England, Halloween has only really taken off in the last couple of years - when I was small you were hard pushed to find a single pumpkin in Devon. How do you feel about it all? Is it an excuse for a party or do you feel uncomfortable with the whole thing for religious and/or moral reasons? Strange things happen at this time of the year. I never thought I'd write these words, especially having laughed at Little Britain's spoof of her for so long (see the post before last): Dame Barbara Cartland has inspired me. Well not her exactly, but the BBC4 docudrama of her life. Take heart all ye writers who fear global recession is the death knell for your publishing prospects, BC has spoken:
'In times of strife people need happiness and hope.'
Normally the sighthound only rouses herself from the sofa to lunge at wild cats and other dogs on the TV, but she made an exception for Dame Barbara. Every time the actress came on screen she leapt to her feet huffing and wuffing, practically knocking the screen over at one point when the woman was wearing a huge feathered hat. The lady is something of an institution in the UK - fifteen books a year. Count them. Fifteen. Over one a month. How? Narrating to a team of secretaries from a chaise longue certainly helps with your stamina but it is still impressive. These days a book a year is good going for commercial authors. I've never read one, but millions have. Have you? Perhaps having dismissed M&B it's time to step outside my comfort zone and give BC a whirl.
By now those of you who have been good enough to read the posts regularly have an idea of where I'm coming from. Misssy kindly referred to me recently as the 'windswept jazz loving authoress' - perhaps a new tag line? However as much as I love fresh air and great music (fnaa) - I have always adhered to the idea that once in a while it is a great idea to push your comfort zone. While I dislike tacky - I love kitsch. (As if you couldn't tell from the 'Werewolves in London' track accompanying this - if it sounds oddly like Kid Rock, this came first). If you embrace places like Vegas or Blackpool with an open mind they can be terrific fun. I was arrested by the Hare Krishna 'Smile Police' in Waikiki (for wearing black and just looking too - well - London/jet lagged), and cleaned up on the slots at the Luxor in Vegas, (so we blew it on a room at the top of the pyramid with a purple hot tub in the bedroom that overlooked the Strip) - both experiences never to be forgotten. Don't even get me started on Blackpool - 'Kiss Me Quick' hats, the illuminations, Jess Conrad as Joseph and the majesty of the organ rising out of the pit in the Tower Ballroom as old couples waltzed gracefully round and round beneath the mirror ball. Under normal circumstances you wouldn't catch me dead in any of these places, but as you travel pushing your comfort zone, and being able to find something wonderful in the places you end up will keep your eyes and ears open - and may just give you the key to your next piece of work.
'In times of strife people need happiness and hope.'
Normally the sighthound only rouses herself from the sofa to lunge at wild cats and other dogs on the TV, but she made an exception for Dame Barbara. Every time the actress came on screen she leapt to her feet huffing and wuffing, practically knocking the screen over at one point when the woman was wearing a huge feathered hat. The lady is something of an institution in the UK - fifteen books a year. Count them. Fifteen. Over one a month. How? Narrating to a team of secretaries from a chaise longue certainly helps with your stamina but it is still impressive. These days a book a year is good going for commercial authors. I've never read one, but millions have. Have you? Perhaps having dismissed M&B it's time to step outside my comfort zone and give BC a whirl.
By now those of you who have been good enough to read the posts regularly have an idea of where I'm coming from. Misssy kindly referred to me recently as the 'windswept jazz loving authoress' - perhaps a new tag line? However as much as I love fresh air and great music (fnaa) - I have always adhered to the idea that once in a while it is a great idea to push your comfort zone. While I dislike tacky - I love kitsch. (As if you couldn't tell from the 'Werewolves in London' track accompanying this - if it sounds oddly like Kid Rock, this came first). If you embrace places like Vegas or Blackpool with an open mind they can be terrific fun. I was arrested by the Hare Krishna 'Smile Police' in Waikiki (for wearing black and just looking too - well - London/jet lagged), and cleaned up on the slots at the Luxor in Vegas, (so we blew it on a room at the top of the pyramid with a purple hot tub in the bedroom that overlooked the Strip) - both experiences never to be forgotten. Don't even get me started on Blackpool - 'Kiss Me Quick' hats, the illuminations, Jess Conrad as Joseph and the majesty of the organ rising out of the pit in the Tower Ballroom as old couples waltzed gracefully round and round beneath the mirror ball. Under normal circumstances you wouldn't catch me dead in any of these places, but as you travel pushing your comfort zone, and being able to find something wonderful in the places you end up will keep your eyes and ears open - and may just give you the key to your next piece of work.
TODAY'S PROMPT: How are you feeling tonight? Comfortable ... or a little nervous? I am feeling unsettled but it has nothing to do with Halloween or Werewolves in London. Dame Bab's battle cry inspired me to sign up for NaNoWriMo for the first time (bites knuckles). Writers, your countries need you! Have any of you done NaNoWriMo? Are any of you going for it this year? If any of you have tips or comments to share with those of us seriously pushing our comfort zone (a novel in a month? how many words a day?) ... you know where to click.
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13 comments:
AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!! That is one scary pic! I know it's Halloween Kate, but there are limits....
Sx
Happy Halloween Scarlet - a lesson for us all not to get stuck with a certain 'look'! You do just think someone would have taken her to one side for a gentle word ... or perhaps she was just too determined. Fifteen books a year clearly takes its toll on your ability to apply lippy ...
Halloween is for sissies. Voodoo magic and witch doctors are the real McCoy (along with Deforest Kelly). If you want pure evil, try Gagool of King Solomon's Mines. Barbara Cartland is obviously a great woman. The day she lost her virginity should be a public holiday in England and Wales.
Indeed Mr B - in your neck of the jungle I imagine you have more to worry about than a few hoodies in fright masks from Asda. Deforest 'He's dead Jim,' Kelly would have been a good man to have around in the Mines ... Gagool was terrifying wasn't she? (as was the voodoo priest in 'Live & Let Die' ... that laugh) I'm trying to remember the name of the Micky Rourke voodoo film with De Niro peeling eggs ... You can imagine Dame Barbara wouldn't have taken any nonsense from any of them - the kind of woman who built the Empire etc etc.
How interesting..I actually had Barbara Cartland on my shortlist for Halloween costumes this year. I couldn't find the right kind of dress in charity shops though and was worried I'd end up looking like the Queen Mum if I went with the wrong shade of pink.
Love Halloween by the way, but hate it when kids turn up at the door and don't have a little turn ready. No song, no sweets.
I am SO relieved to have learned that's not a photo of you in your costume topping this post.
"Werewolves of London": great musical choice. (Excitable boy, indeed.) Just read recently that John Landis may not have chosen that for An American Werewolf in London's soundtrack solely because (unlike the selections he did make) it didn't have the word "moon" in the title. Dumb.
NaNoWriMo: Won't be doing it. But I'm a firm believer that the best route to writing a lot of words in a short period of time is to schedule a block of time -- as much as you can practically make this work for -- EVERY DAY (maybe excepting one, on the weekend)... and defend it against all distraction. Oh, and write SOMETHING during that time, even if it doesn't obviously have anything to do with the WIP.
More difficult for one with a little kiddo, of course. But that's always worked for me.
What are you going as Misssy? Dame B would have been an inspired choice - the panstick, the scary lippy. I think my two have eaten all the sweets already so we'll have to hide behind the sofa if we get any early trick or treaters ...
JES - fnaa fnaa. Though I did have a pair of earrings like that in the 80s. Have a feeling the blog posts may be a tad shorter through November!
Feeling uncomfortable, yes indeedy.
Just coming off of a holiday with my High School bestfriend where I did NO work.
Getting ready for Nanowrimo tomorrow (tonight?)
And without my usual outline and characters sheets and plot synopses and all that. I mean, I've been working on this series now for almost three years, but still... this book.. I don't know where to start.
I'm rosymamacita over on nano, if you want to buddy up. I'm so scared of the community this year, maybe because I don't want to short my blogging.
Hi Rowena - hope you had a great break! I'll go find you .. have no idea what I've let myself in for (yikes). Already feeling a bit rebellious (or to put a more positive spin on it 'challenged') Community? Is there a community? Gosh ... feel like the new girl at school :) x
I went out for Japanese food with my husband last night, but loved it when we drove back home and the neighborhood was littered with goblins and princesses.
NaNoWriMo rocks - I've done it a few times and can't say enough good things about it.
I won't be doing it this year, because a) I already did my annual novel-in-a-month adventure during June (and July, actuall), which I call DaNoWriMo; b) I'm in the middle of writing my thesis and c) I'm too lazy and chicken to attempt the official NaNoWriMo this year.
But next year, I fully plan to join in the festivities and do a proper NaNoWriMo, in November even!
Hi Dan - I was wondering if you were doing NaNo as you're a big advocate of it ... I think you've definitely earned the badge this year already! Hope the thesis is going really well.
The thesis is coming along wonderfully - it's fascinating and fun and I'm learning so much.
One thing I meant to mention about NaNoWriMo is that it's even OK to neglect your blog during those 30 days...
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