Thursday 31 October 2013

Happy Hallowe'en!!

Just thought I would round off October with a quick post since I have been somewhat negligent of late - sorry for that.  Got back a week or so ago from a midweek break to the Isle of Wight.  We were sooo lucky with the weather!  We had one big storm and then lovely autumn sunshine for the rest of the week.

Does anyone out there know how to fully utilize twitter?  I am trying to raise my profile by writing regular "twaikus" via my mobile phone.  But I never seem to get any response so wondered if I was doing it right?  Is there a Twitter For Dummies book?  If not - why not?  I'd write one myself except I don't know how to utilize Twitter!  Here are a couple of my "twaikus":-

Where autumn turns the leaves
to gold, my heart is golden, too.
Feel the love I'm sending out
especially for you.
*************************

Sitting here in suit and boot,
I raise my coffee cup.
Tonight is when the weekend starts;
the only way is up.
*************************
Missed the rain,
snoozed on the train,
coffee at Nero's,
caffiene heroes,
ready now to face the day
AND the weekend's on its way.

Ok - I know they are sickeningly cheesy, but hey - at least I am writing poetry again.  And that is about all I can manage this lunchbreak.

Any Twitterites able to help..?



Thursday 17 October 2013

Returning A Favor For An Old Friend ...

I  think I may have found a publisher for The Book - watch this space for further updates (and an update of The Epic will follow eventually).

Tonight I am actually writing this post as a tribute (and an apology) to an artist by the name of John W Johnson to whom I owe a debt of gratitude.  I came across his website completely by chance once day around ten years ago and found his artwork beautiful, tranquil and inspiring.  If I remember rightly, I dropped him an email to congratulate him on his fine work and, somehow or other, quite a bit of my inspirational poetry ended up on his site, giving it exposure it would not have got elsewhere. You may recall at the start of this blog, I mentioned my very first blog FIFTY AND NOT OUT and upon that for the year or so it was running, I had a number of links set up, one of which was to John's site.  Then when that blog sort of fizzled out, there was a bit of a gap - maybe three years or so, where I didn't have a blog at all.   When I finally started up the blog for the Young Writers - and then a few months later this one - I couldn't actually find the facility for setting up links ( and I still can't).

Right now however I am going to insert the link to John's site in the body of this post by way of saying thank you to John for his support all those years ago.  I also happen to think his artwork is still among the best you can find and I would love to share that with you.  So, before you log off tonight, please take a look at John's work (and John I am sorry I didn't do it this way sooner!) on www.jwjonline.net

Sunday 13 October 2013

Getting Back On Track

A whole heap of stuff has been happening lately.  Firstly, I think the problem of finding a new venue for the Young Writers is virtually solved.  I am just waiting for a couple of forms which I have to fill in but once that is done, it is more than likely that the sessions will be held at the local library, so a massive yippee for that.  Also, I had another poem published last week and another one accepted for publication - all in the space of a few days.  I have just put in place a month's notice that I want the rights of the Yucketypoo books reverted to me so I can find a new publisher for them.  AND something else really exciting happened a couple of weeks ago.  I was asked to do a motivational speech at the day job and I knew a poem I wrote a few years ago would be perfect for it - but do you think I could find it anywhere?  Then I went on the internet and found that not one but two organisations in the United States had used it to inspire and motivate their teams. I am in America!!!  Well - not physically of course.  Physically I am sitting here in my cramped study, in my jim-jams updating my blog.  But my work - well this poem at least - is in America.  So I printed it off and it went down incredibly well.  So feel as if I am up and running again ....

Sunday 6 October 2013

A Whole Month ...

How on earth did that happen?  A whole month since my last post?  Shame on me!  I will not do anything so mundane as to trot out a list of excuses other than the fact I was away for a week, my modem went down, the mobile keeps conking out, this flying saucer turned up in the middle of the night and took me to Mars ... I am way above such banal actions!!!!!  But hey.  I am here, now, right?

Finished the sessions with Michael - at least for the time being.  Our last session was three weeks ago.  His mum sent me a text last night to say he had been diligently working on a story for three hours solid and wants to know if I will read it.  How dedicated is this young writer?  I will get back to her shortly in the affirmative.

Sadly, even though the Young Writers were due to start their sessions again a week or so ago, we suddenly found ourselves minus a venue when the coffee shop we usually meet at closed sown unexpectedly.  So now I am looking for a new venue.  I approached the local library yesterday and might be in with a chance there so fingers crossed.  Failing that, I may have to think the whole thing through again.  It is a shame though.  The proprietor of that coffee shop was the first person to show an interest in the idea of a Writing group for youngsters.  She put so much into that place; it is such a shame it did not work out for her.  I hope she is able to pick up the pieces and soldier on somehow.  She deserves that chance.

Gotta go - someone coming in shortly to discuss installing solar panels and I have to hop in the shower.  Be back later with some good news though!!!!!