Wednesday 27 April 2016

Almost May ...

Cannot believe we are almost in May already and find myself running to catch up with this year - how about you?    Of course, the fact I have been so crazily busy all the time has not helped one iota.  Every time I think I am on top of it all, something else comes along and I tumble all the way down again!  The Young Writer group is absolutely flying right now and doing better than it ever has!  It was perfect timing when a newbie came along recently whose poet-mum has now become my first lieutenant!  Take a look at addiscombeyoungwriters.blogspot.co.uk  to catch up with all our news.

Wasn't it sad about Victoria Wood.  As a writer she had a huge impact on me and her output was quite phenomenal.  The world in general has lost another bright star - it has been a bad year for celebrity losses - and Victoria will be sorely missed.  Huge thanks Ms Wood for all the wonderful things -and characters - you gave us. RIP.

Thought it was time I gave a Poetry Update - I have written around 80 new poems so far this year and plan on making time to start submitting them again.  The Australian Editor said she would like more so she will probably be my first port of call - but I have, as Baldrick used to say in "Blackadder" - a cunning plan - which may lead to a regular market for at least some of them, so watch this space for more info. 

As far as The New Book is going (as opposed to The Epic which is starting to niggle again after almost a year away from it), I am still trying to find a way to get it out there to teachers and interested parents and writers right across the English-speaking world (and maybe even the non-English speaking world, who knows?) - whether in book format , course format or even as a website (said she who knows NOTHING about setting up websites) - to encourage the development of more groups for Young Writers.  The continuing popularity of Addiscombe Young Writers, the workshops for 6 - 9 year olds I ran before, the school talks - and even the Young Reporter club I ran when I wrote for a local paper - really proves to me how much interest there is in this subject (and how rarely it is considered an extra-curricular activity) so there must be a way to provide the foundations I already have archived, to other people.  Hmm - it is a conundrum - but I am convinced something will turn up!

Away from Writing (but not for long) - nephew's wedding three weeks ago went well, great-nephew Harry had his second birthday party last Saturday.  He looked adorable in his Postman Pat outfit.  Brother Paul got back to his home in Denmark okay and by all accounts had a brilliant reunion with his dog Chippa who seemed quite happy to leave the Doggy Hotel he'd been staying in.  The venue is booked for the Big Party next year (my 60th and Steve's 65th) and guess what?  The sun is shining!

See you soon.

Monday 4 April 2016

Happy April !!!

Hello everyone!  Well - can you believe that we are in April already?   Here's to a good one for all of us.  Now the days are longer, the evenings lighter and the weather's better (well - we can hope) plus we have the summer holidays to look forward to - and Steve & I have a couple coming up so lots to smile about.

Had an excellent Young Writer session on Saturday.  Now that we have had funding for the new book, work has begun in earnest to fill its pages with the work of these talented children. I had eleven youngsters turn up including three newbies and we were looking at writing reports.  Off they all went with their fact sheets and I puffed over to the librarian (I spend almost the entire hour running round the tables helping, listening and advising - it is truly a great way to work out!) who said kindly "Jilly, you're a victim of your own success!".  Not sure I am but this group certainly is!

Steve and I are getting ready to move - probably around September/October time - so we spent the rest of the weekend sorting out some space to keep all the storage boxes we're filling - which are already in danger of taking the place over!  I am making numerous trips to the charity shops but we have made barely a dent in our H U G E accumulation of stuff.  But then we have lived here since 1998 - and two people can gather a lot of stuff in seventeen years! Still - we managed before so I am sure we will manage again!

Have had confirmation of my talk at Croydon Writers next month so need to start preparing that soon. Not that it will be a problem for me to talk about writing for children for two hours!  Once I get started my passion takes over and my tongue runs away with me!

Better go - loads still to do tonight before I hit the sack.  And pray excuse all the exclamation marks - I am just so excited about Life.....