Hi All
Work's back in full swing with the return of the students and science practicals underway. It's great to see the students again after nearly 2 months' absence. I'm looking forward to the year ahead: planning for Open Day in 5 weeks, new science pracs and revamping some old ones. I start an "Adobe Photoshop" course this week with the WEA; the aim: to improve our Science webpage at work and learn how to edit pictures (etc), although maybe I should ask the Year 6s! "Writer's Group" starts this week with a bunch of enthusiastic kids and the delightful Mr Richard Noone leading the group. Can't wait!
Writing update: Again, still trying to settle into the routine of work and the long commute, and a couple of nights my brain "died" as I sat at the computer. I struggled to finish an assignment for the AWM Online "Pitching to Publishers" course (I really didn't see the deadline notice), and I'm thankful our wonderful tutor, Tiana Templeman, provided some excellent feedback. I'm taking a few minute's break from this week's assignment - the all-important (book) proposal letter - to write this note, then it's sending in my comments on an "example" book proposal letter, and adding notes to a wiki page.
The South Australian Writer's Centre (SAWC) have asked me to write an article about my stay - and everything after - for this month's "SA Write." I'm part-way through, and looking forward to seeing it in print.
I'm still scribbling away at "The Isthmus," didn't achieve quite as much as I'd planned this week. I'm checking some medical facts with a friend, while continuing a thread from earlier in the book and "stretching" it out over several scenes. I'm hoping to send this to two novella competitions - just have to get my skates on and do it.
Met up with the Crime Writer's of SA group again today for our February meeting. Thanks Reece for an interesting look at short stories, and the usual cameraderie for the rest of the group.
Books read (or almost read): James Ellroy's "Killer on the Road," and Dean Koontz's "77 Shortland Street." The sad news: I didn't finish either one. The first was all backstory from the POV of the killer (gave up at the end of part one), and the second had too may characters, not enough character development, and a repetitive plot - and yes, I put that one down too. I normally never do this, and certainly not for Mr Koontz. Oh well, back to Terry Pratchett's "Snuff" and the incomparable Sam Vimes.
MtBS: Only made it there yesterday, a big change after several millimetres of rain, and should be a bigger improvement after today's 9mm. YESSSS! Saw the goshawk again near the road, a few wrens (cute), eastern spinebills, heard the shrike-thrush, thornbills, yellow-faced honeyeaters, and red-browed finches (I think). An amazing early morning mist rolled away - shown in the photo below as it retreated over Callington.
A few hours work, then it's the BBC's "A History of Celtic Britain" (part 1) tonight with the charming Mr Neil Oliver.
Happy Writing.
Bo
PS At the moment I'm listening to the thundering paw-prints of the POSSUMS on the bloody roof!
Work's back in full swing with the return of the students and science practicals underway. It's great to see the students again after nearly 2 months' absence. I'm looking forward to the year ahead: planning for Open Day in 5 weeks, new science pracs and revamping some old ones. I start an "Adobe Photoshop" course this week with the WEA; the aim: to improve our Science webpage at work and learn how to edit pictures (etc), although maybe I should ask the Year 6s! "Writer's Group" starts this week with a bunch of enthusiastic kids and the delightful Mr Richard Noone leading the group. Can't wait!
Writing update: Again, still trying to settle into the routine of work and the long commute, and a couple of nights my brain "died" as I sat at the computer. I struggled to finish an assignment for the AWM Online "Pitching to Publishers" course (I really didn't see the deadline notice), and I'm thankful our wonderful tutor, Tiana Templeman, provided some excellent feedback. I'm taking a few minute's break from this week's assignment - the all-important (book) proposal letter - to write this note, then it's sending in my comments on an "example" book proposal letter, and adding notes to a wiki page.
The South Australian Writer's Centre (SAWC) have asked me to write an article about my stay - and everything after - for this month's "SA Write." I'm part-way through, and looking forward to seeing it in print.
I'm still scribbling away at "The Isthmus," didn't achieve quite as much as I'd planned this week. I'm checking some medical facts with a friend, while continuing a thread from earlier in the book and "stretching" it out over several scenes. I'm hoping to send this to two novella competitions - just have to get my skates on and do it.
Met up with the Crime Writer's of SA group again today for our February meeting. Thanks Reece for an interesting look at short stories, and the usual cameraderie for the rest of the group.
Books read (or almost read): James Ellroy's "Killer on the Road," and Dean Koontz's "77 Shortland Street." The sad news: I didn't finish either one. The first was all backstory from the POV of the killer (gave up at the end of part one), and the second had too may characters, not enough character development, and a repetitive plot - and yes, I put that one down too. I normally never do this, and certainly not for Mr Koontz. Oh well, back to Terry Pratchett's "Snuff" and the incomparable Sam Vimes.
MtBS: Only made it there yesterday, a big change after several millimetres of rain, and should be a bigger improvement after today's 9mm. YESSSS! Saw the goshawk again near the road, a few wrens (cute), eastern spinebills, heard the shrike-thrush, thornbills, yellow-faced honeyeaters, and red-browed finches (I think). An amazing early morning mist rolled away - shown in the photo below as it retreated over Callington.
A few hours work, then it's the BBC's "A History of Celtic Britain" (part 1) tonight with the charming Mr Neil Oliver.
Happy Writing.
Bo
PS At the moment I'm listening to the thundering paw-prints of the POSSUMS on the bloody roof!
