Wednesday, 25 February 2009
My Challange
I have set myself the challenge to finish my book in the next 42 days (the count started on Sunday morning, February 22nd). I have done a lot of thinking about where the story is going but as yet, I haven't written anything. I don't know whether to worry about that or not. Am I avoiding writing? In fact, is the very fact that I am worrying about this and writing about it, a form of avoidance. Now I have that to worry about to. I'm beginning to sound a bit neurotic! I have been very tired after work the last two days so I could use that as an excuse but considering the fact that I used to write a 1000 words after having chemo, I think that it is just an excuse. I am probably worried about not completing my challenge which of course now becomes a self-fulling prophecy! Shut up and write, Susan!
Thursday, 19 February 2009
42 Days revisited
I had forgotten about 42 days until I saw it listed in my Blog titles. So just to remind us of what Philip Pullman said in part:
"In six weeks, Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic and discovered the New World. Six weeks was enough time for Mozart to write three of his greatest symphonies. William Faulkner took six whole weeks to write his novel As I Lay Dying; John le Carré wrote The Spy Who Came In From the Cold in five. In six weeks, on average, each of the 2,710 Liberty ships were built in the United States during the second world war to supplement the Allied merchant fleets. Robert Louis Stevenson took three days to write Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, but six weeks to revise and polish it. In six weeks the Wright brothers' mechanic, Charlie Taylor, built from scratch the light and powerful engine that powered their first flight. In one month in 1819 the poet Keats wrote his Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn, Ode on Melancholy, and Ode on Indolence."
And what have I done about this? Nothing! So now I will! On the weekend I am going to make a decision of when to start and exactly which project I am going to work on and I will finish it in 42 days!
"In six weeks, Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic and discovered the New World. Six weeks was enough time for Mozart to write three of his greatest symphonies. William Faulkner took six whole weeks to write his novel As I Lay Dying; John le Carré wrote The Spy Who Came In From the Cold in five. In six weeks, on average, each of the 2,710 Liberty ships were built in the United States during the second world war to supplement the Allied merchant fleets. Robert Louis Stevenson took three days to write Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, but six weeks to revise and polish it. In six weeks the Wright brothers' mechanic, Charlie Taylor, built from scratch the light and powerful engine that powered their first flight. In one month in 1819 the poet Keats wrote his Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn, Ode on Melancholy, and Ode on Indolence."
And what have I done about this? Nothing! So now I will! On the weekend I am going to make a decision of when to start and exactly which project I am going to work on and I will finish it in 42 days!
Monday, 16 February 2009
Reading
Ever since I got the job of school librarian starting next school year, I've started to think about reading, about what I read, and how much time I spend on it, about how to encourage young people to read, to help them develop a passion for books. In this day and age of computers, internet and video games that could be a tall order. Tonight on BBC 4 Michael Rosen (UK poet) was talking about how children are reading less than ever before. I'm sure that is true to a certain extent but equally, I'm sure that people have been saying that same thing since visual media first came on the scene. Then again, how many years has it been since we had universal education in the west and books were readily available to everyone. Just a thought!
I have been examining my reading habits as a precursor to looking at reading at school. I read the Guardian each day but not cover to cover and sometimes not even entire articles. This last week I read 2 books but that is the exception. I want to start reading literature aimed at adolescent readers in order to catch up on all the reading I haven't done in that genre in the last 10 years. I have a lot of ground to catch up.
Where to start! I am taking advise from our lower school librarian who was a middle and high school librarian before coming to our school. We'll see after that.
I have been examining my reading habits as a precursor to looking at reading at school. I read the Guardian each day but not cover to cover and sometimes not even entire articles. This last week I read 2 books but that is the exception. I want to start reading literature aimed at adolescent readers in order to catch up on all the reading I haven't done in that genre in the last 10 years. I have a lot of ground to catch up.
Where to start! I am taking advise from our lower school librarian who was a middle and high school librarian before coming to our school. We'll see after that.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Going to Windsor via the Long Walk
(Statue of William III at the top of the Long Walk!)
During this holiday I had certain plans. I was going to see at least 3 films and go up to London at least once. Well, I haven't see any films and the closest I got to London was Kew Gardens. I couldn't bring myself to spend time in doors when the sun was shining so on Tuesday I went to Kew and today I walked from Englefield Green to Windsor through Windsor Great Park. Above are some of the pictures from the day.
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
More of 25 Things (Hope you aren't getting bored)
7. I always look up when visiting cities. We miss so much when we don't!
8. I love the water towers on the top of New York buildings and photograph them when I can.
9. I love train and ship journeys. Train journeys must be long and ship journey must take me from one place to another (no cruising!).
10. One day I want to do the train journeys from Aleppo to London via Istambul and Venice (the old Orient Express route) and the trans-Siberian with a side trip to Samarkand.
11. I love stationery, especially letter writing paper, note books and fountain pens.
12. My favorite places are the library at Othona, the beach below the Othona house in Burton Bradstock, Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, the Rialto Bridge early in the morning, the fields of Wisley when the daffodils are in bloom, any bluebell wood, the middle of the Atlantic, the impressionist section of the National Gallery, anywhere I can lie and watch the Perseus meteor shower in August, the Penbrokeshire coast, and Keith and Margot's garden.
13. I wear my father's watch, an Omega Seamaster, to continue the link! And so does James Bond! (Well, not to continue the link!)
14. When I sit in ancient churches, I hear the whisperings of the generations stretching back.
15. I have just discovered Sir John Betjemann, a first cousin three times removed, and his wonderful poetry, especially Summoned by Bells.
16. I hate stage musicals but I love them on film. Strange!
17. I loved opera as a child and then forgot it (blame it on the 60s) and now am rediscovering it!
18. The only thing I miss now that I'm diabetic is orange juice! Sigh!
19. One day I would like to walk the Pilgrims Way from Winchester to Canterbury.
20. I wish I had written the Dark is Rising. What a book!
21. My favorite sparkling wine is Prosecco, which I will drink on any occasion, especially sitting in the garden in a deckchair on a summer's afternoon.
And that's it for today!
8. I love the water towers on the top of New York buildings and photograph them when I can.
9. I love train and ship journeys. Train journeys must be long and ship journey must take me from one place to another (no cruising!).
10. One day I want to do the train journeys from Aleppo to London via Istambul and Venice (the old Orient Express route) and the trans-Siberian with a side trip to Samarkand.
11. I love stationery, especially letter writing paper, note books and fountain pens.
12. My favorite places are the library at Othona, the beach below the Othona house in Burton Bradstock, Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, the Rialto Bridge early in the morning, the fields of Wisley when the daffodils are in bloom, any bluebell wood, the middle of the Atlantic, the impressionist section of the National Gallery, anywhere I can lie and watch the Perseus meteor shower in August, the Penbrokeshire coast, and Keith and Margot's garden.
13. I wear my father's watch, an Omega Seamaster, to continue the link! And so does James Bond! (Well, not to continue the link!)
14. When I sit in ancient churches, I hear the whisperings of the generations stretching back.
15. I have just discovered Sir John Betjemann, a first cousin three times removed, and his wonderful poetry, especially Summoned by Bells.
16. I hate stage musicals but I love them on film. Strange!
17. I loved opera as a child and then forgot it (blame it on the 60s) and now am rediscovering it!
18. The only thing I miss now that I'm diabetic is orange juice! Sigh!
19. One day I would like to walk the Pilgrims Way from Winchester to Canterbury.
20. I wish I had written the Dark is Rising. What a book!
21. My favorite sparkling wine is Prosecco, which I will drink on any occasion, especially sitting in the garden in a deckchair on a summer's afternoon.
And that's it for today!
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
More 25 Things
Well, I have been considering this and have come up with a few more 'things' that I can share with others about myself.
3. I love detective fiction, especially that originally written in another language, such as books by Andrea Camilleri and Fred Vargas.
4. I love gardens and gardening, and am a member of the Royal Horticultural Society and Kew Gardens.
5. My two favorite books of the last five years are Shadow of the Wind and The Athenian Murders.
6. I wear a silver chain with a very small silver camel on it, made in Palestine, as a reminder of the conflict.
3. I love detective fiction, especially that originally written in another language, such as books by Andrea Camilleri and Fred Vargas.
4. I love gardens and gardening, and am a member of the Royal Horticultural Society and Kew Gardens.
5. My two favorite books of the last five years are Shadow of the Wind and The Athenian Murders.
6. I wear a silver chain with a very small silver camel on it, made in Palestine, as a reminder of the conflict.
Monday, 9 February 2009
25 things about me
Naomi sent me something on Facebook that required me to write a list of 25 things about me that I wanted people to know. I was then to tag 25 people. Well, of course I don't know 25 people since (as I said in my last post) I am ignoring people's requests to make me one of their friends. I thought that instead, I would see if I could do it here. I still doubt that there are 25 things that I want people to know about me.
1. I love New York City almost as much as I love Paris...but not quite.
2. I wrote over 100,000 words last year but I still haven't got a book out of it!
3. ...
Well, I didn't get very far, did I! Perhaps I need to think a bit about this!
1. I love New York City almost as much as I love Paris...but not quite.
2. I wrote over 100,000 words last year but I still haven't got a book out of it!
3. ...
Well, I didn't get very far, did I! Perhaps I need to think a bit about this!
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