Wacky
Wacky, wild and zany.
Some words in the dictionary fail to inspire any idea! I know some wacky people but would call them bubbly. This is a ramble and an unproductive ramble. So let me share with you some wacky people from Rocketboom.
This is a web show about all sorts of interesting things. Without Rocketboom I might actually have to give careful consideration to getting a life.
Speaking of which I am meeting some friends this evening. Its for a Christmas party (ish thing) my friend had the very good idea of having it now! So that we avoid the Christmas madness!
So I better get ready.
Maybe I'll upload some pictures afterwards.
The next dictionary story will be about xanthoma - a skin discolouration - err! Might skip that one.
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Monday, 22 November 2010
Writer's Blog 2010-11-22
Happy Thanksgiving.
Being British I don't know much about the celebration. I understand that a lot of turkey is involved. So that's always good! And looking up Thanksgiving I've found that Canada has a thanksgiving as well. This I never knew so a very belated happy thanksgiving to you as well.
Are presents given at thanksgiving? Not according to Yahoo answers. Which I suppose is a relief as Christmas already costs a lot - not to mention that some people are difficult to buy for. I've started to get my presents and should be ready for the big day.
Around this time last year, actually the week before Christmas day, I was in Nepal.
This was for a pilgrimage. Is this getting more confusing? I'm a Buddhist and while it may sound like a contradiction to be celebrating Christmas, and not meaning to offend anyone, there has been a celebration at this time of year long before Christmas.
Spending time in Nepal last year, though I didn't necessarily think so at the time, was good. It was good in its self but also I missed the crazy frenzy inducing advertisements! I doubt I'll be going again soon as mum and dad paid last year - I am horribly poor.
Last night as I walked down to my parents house I took this picture of the moon.
Annoyingly the clouds kept hiding it. Pictures make the blog and I'm beginning to see why my brother likes to take his camera wherever he goes. As time goes on I will find more interesting pictures and maybe even ones for the Dictionary Stories - which haven't been done in a while.
Tomorrow I'm back in Uni tomorrow. I'm reading out another chapter of Heliopolis.
There will be another post soon.
Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. ~E.L. Doctorow
Being British I don't know much about the celebration. I understand that a lot of turkey is involved. So that's always good! And looking up Thanksgiving I've found that Canada has a thanksgiving as well. This I never knew so a very belated happy thanksgiving to you as well.
Are presents given at thanksgiving? Not according to Yahoo answers. Which I suppose is a relief as Christmas already costs a lot - not to mention that some people are difficult to buy for. I've started to get my presents and should be ready for the big day.
Around this time last year, actually the week before Christmas day, I was in Nepal.
This was for a pilgrimage. Is this getting more confusing? I'm a Buddhist and while it may sound like a contradiction to be celebrating Christmas, and not meaning to offend anyone, there has been a celebration at this time of year long before Christmas.
Spending time in Nepal last year, though I didn't necessarily think so at the time, was good. It was good in its self but also I missed the crazy frenzy inducing advertisements! I doubt I'll be going again soon as mum and dad paid last year - I am horribly poor.
Last night as I walked down to my parents house I took this picture of the moon.
Annoyingly the clouds kept hiding it. Pictures make the blog and I'm beginning to see why my brother likes to take his camera wherever he goes. As time goes on I will find more interesting pictures and maybe even ones for the Dictionary Stories - which haven't been done in a while.
Tomorrow I'm back in Uni tomorrow. I'm reading out another chapter of Heliopolis.
There will be another post soon.
Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. ~E.L. Doctorow
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Writer's Blog 2010-11-16
Hello!
Okay so its not Sunday. Somehow I knew that my plan to post every week would fail. By way of an apology here is an image of Kathmandu.
One of these days the image will have something to do with the post. And one day pigs might fly.
University is going well and Christmas is scarily close. Happily their are no deadlines this side of Christmas! Tomorrow I will take my plan (final hopefully) for my script to my tutor. In theory I'll get the green light and all will be right with the world - or my small corner of it - okay scratch that - one thing will be right with my world. I have a tendency to go on. The idea of this was that I would get talking to people. Actually its just me sitting at my computer.
Darn.
Also for university I'm working on a critical essay. It'll be on Across the Wall by Garth Nix. If you like fantasy and haven't read any of his books I can recommend him as an author. He is easily as good as JK Rowling and Philip Pullman and actually I'd say better.
Here's another random picture in case the first didn't work.
The essay will be about the idea of world building. As I write fantasy it can be difficult establishing the world for one simple reason: those in the world know about it and are not going to go around discussing every day things. Some conversations actually say nothing...
"Did you get the...doodad?"
"Yes," I'll say, "I put it in the..." then I'll click my fingers. No the words don't come, "the oogemawhatsit."
That is not a verbatim conversation I've had but its close. Obviously a silly example but suppose you'd invented the car for a novel. You can't say 'he got into the car.' and 'he got into the box on wheels sounds silly'!
That essay might actually be fun to write. Like I said deadlines are a long way off!
'I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.' Douglas Adams.
Okay so its not Sunday. Somehow I knew that my plan to post every week would fail. By way of an apology here is an image of Kathmandu.
One of these days the image will have something to do with the post. And one day pigs might fly.
University is going well and Christmas is scarily close. Happily their are no deadlines this side of Christmas! Tomorrow I will take my plan (final hopefully) for my script to my tutor. In theory I'll get the green light and all will be right with the world - or my small corner of it - okay scratch that - one thing will be right with my world. I have a tendency to go on. The idea of this was that I would get talking to people. Actually its just me sitting at my computer.
Darn.
Also for university I'm working on a critical essay. It'll be on Across the Wall by Garth Nix. If you like fantasy and haven't read any of his books I can recommend him as an author. He is easily as good as JK Rowling and Philip Pullman and actually I'd say better.
Here's another random picture in case the first didn't work.
The essay will be about the idea of world building. As I write fantasy it can be difficult establishing the world for one simple reason: those in the world know about it and are not going to go around discussing every day things. Some conversations actually say nothing...
"Did you get the...doodad?"
"Yes," I'll say, "I put it in the..." then I'll click my fingers. No the words don't come, "the oogemawhatsit."
That is not a verbatim conversation I've had but its close. Obviously a silly example but suppose you'd invented the car for a novel. You can't say 'he got into the car.' and 'he got into the box on wheels sounds silly'!
That essay might actually be fun to write. Like I said deadlines are a long way off!
'I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.' Douglas Adams.
Monday, 1 November 2010
Writer's Blog 2010-11-01 & 2010-11-07
The other day I submitted a novel synopsis to Penguin. They have had an open submission for the September-October period. As is typical of me I waited to the last moment to submit but it is now done.
I must thank dad for telling me about it, and oddly not the university, and thank mum for spending two hours going over the work with me!
On another subject the results to the Bridport prize are being announced this month. As I haven't been contacted I shall submit that story, called Itchy, to a magazine. If I'm successful I'll post the information hear. Unfortunately I can't upload it now because magazines often ask for exclusivity.
Moving on...
I'm not so good at the writing and posting in one go thing. However I'm sure my reader would like more regular posts - and more interesting posts but you can't expect miracles!
So I will try my best to post once a week from now on, we'll see how long that goes on for, and make it interesting.
Recently I've been writing a script with a race called Stegoraptors. I used this name, rather than Griptogoday, which was the original, as it is more easily pronounced. Also it has the advantage of 'realism' because after all we can't speak dog! The problem it creates is that how in dialogue do you refer to them. Or do you just give them random human names like Shepard, Stargate Atlantis, does for the Wraith.
I must thank dad for telling me about it, and oddly not the university, and thank mum for spending two hours going over the work with me!
On another subject the results to the Bridport prize are being announced this month. As I haven't been contacted I shall submit that story, called Itchy, to a magazine. If I'm successful I'll post the information hear. Unfortunately I can't upload it now because magazines often ask for exclusivity.
Moving on...
I'm not so good at the writing and posting in one go thing. However I'm sure my reader would like more regular posts - and more interesting posts but you can't expect miracles!
So I will try my best to post once a week from now on, we'll see how long that goes on for, and make it interesting.
Recently I've been writing a script with a race called Stegoraptors. I used this name, rather than Griptogoday, which was the original, as it is more easily pronounced. Also it has the advantage of 'realism' because after all we can't speak dog! The problem it creates is that how in dialogue do you refer to them. Or do you just give them random human names like Shepard, Stargate Atlantis, does for the Wraith.
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Writer's Blog 2010-10-09
Well I'm back at university now. I've been back for two weeks now and will be reading some work out next week. I'm working on two novels.
The first is the one I started posting here, then abandoned like.... okay no metaphor comes to mind. Sorry about that but I caught up with myself.
The second is a science fiction novel. There were many kinks in this story. Partly it was the fact that I wanted to tell a story across the galaxy. So I needed a place where many, maybe all, of the characters can go. This cannot be, metaphorically speaking, the Enterprise. Instead its a planet.
This planet is a port of call for diplomats, hustlers - all right it might have been influenced by Babylon 5. The problem with Babylon 5 is that it is so well done. What I mean by this is that as it is so well done it is difficult not to step on its toes when writing a story set in space.
For instance:
Rotating ships for gravity makes sense - artificial gravity might be possible but with current science we just don't know.
A place for people to meet and discuss culture also makes sense - we have the UN today, okay they don't discuss religion in the same way as B5 but their is the idea of cultures working together. Star Trek on the other hand seems to have very little idea of galactic politics.There is no feeling that the Cardassians and the Romulans have any official relationship. (There is the non-aggression pact in DS9 but thats about all.)
"Finally we shall place the Sun himself at the center of the Universe." Nicolaus Copernicus
*The above image is used in accordance with NASA's terms of use. I have no relationship with NASA.
The first is the one I started posting here, then abandoned like.... okay no metaphor comes to mind. Sorry about that but I caught up with myself.
The second is a science fiction novel. There were many kinks in this story. Partly it was the fact that I wanted to tell a story across the galaxy. So I needed a place where many, maybe all, of the characters can go. This cannot be, metaphorically speaking, the Enterprise. Instead its a planet.
This planet is a port of call for diplomats, hustlers - all right it might have been influenced by Babylon 5. The problem with Babylon 5 is that it is so well done. What I mean by this is that as it is so well done it is difficult not to step on its toes when writing a story set in space.
For instance:
Rotating ships for gravity makes sense - artificial gravity might be possible but with current science we just don't know.
A place for people to meet and discuss culture also makes sense - we have the UN today, okay they don't discuss religion in the same way as B5 but their is the idea of cultures working together. Star Trek on the other hand seems to have very little idea of galactic politics.There is no feeling that the Cardassians and the Romulans have any official relationship. (There is the non-aggression pact in DS9 but thats about all.)
"Finally we shall place the Sun himself at the center of the Universe." Nicolaus Copernicus
*The above image is used in accordance with NASA's terms of use. I have no relationship with NASA.
Monday, 20 September 2010
Writer's Blog 2010-09-20
Hello.
Its been almost a week since I've posted here so here we go. I promised pictures of Tenby so in typical clunky fashion lets start with a picture of Narberth.
Narberth is just a short drive from Tenby. This picture is of Sospan Fach a restaurant we went to three times whiles there. It is possibly one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. We had paninis on sesame seed bread. Take a look at the website for your self
www.sospan-fach.co.uk
If you ever find yourself near Narberth try out this restaurant!
Yes I've noticed that its now the 1st October. Sorry for the latest of this post. I hope to be posting more frequently form now on but I am now back at university.
'Don't Panic.' Hitch hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. - Douglas Adams
Its been almost a week since I've posted here so here we go. I promised pictures of Tenby so in typical clunky fashion lets start with a picture of Narberth.
Narberth is just a short drive from Tenby. This picture is of Sospan Fach a restaurant we went to three times whiles there. It is possibly one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. We had paninis on sesame seed bread. Take a look at the website for your self
www.sospan-fach.co.uk
If you ever find yourself near Narberth try out this restaurant!
Yes I've noticed that its now the 1st October. Sorry for the latest of this post. I hope to be posting more frequently form now on but I am now back at university.
'Don't Panic.' Hitch hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. - Douglas Adams
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Writer's Blog 2010-09-14
Hello everyone,
I'm just recently back from holiday. Went to Tenby as usual. My family and I have been their every year for the last - ten or so - no longer than that. Now you may be thinking two things; Why go to the same place every year and, connected to that, doesn't it get a little boring.
Well I'll answer the second question first.
No. It is that simple. Tenby has now become a home away from home. We can be their in just a couple of hours from Cardiff and when we're their it is like being in our second home.
I have gone on trips abroad before now and to be honest I never find them that relaxing. The problem is air ports. As anyone who's ever flown will know you have to be at the air port hours before your flight. So factor in an early rise - hours at the air port - hours in the air - a coach trip from London to Cardiff and you've almost forgotten, or rather certainly don't feel, how relaxing the holiday was.
So on arriving in Tenby we know the score. We know the good restaurants, places to go for the day and so on. So we don't feel a great need to go out every day. Some days we will just go out into the town, or along the beach - there are many in Tenby - and that is great. I imagine if we went somewhere different we might well feel the need to get up early and out every day.
So why do we go to the same place every year?
It is difficult to say how it all started. We began by camping but have also stayed in a caravan but more recently its been in a flat - like this year. I guess we just found we loved Tenby.
This year we had a great view of the sea. It was wonderful because the view changed every morning as the sea went in and out.
Later in the week I'll be uploading some of my dad and brother's pictures of the holiday.
See you soon.
I'm just recently back from holiday. Went to Tenby as usual. My family and I have been their every year for the last - ten or so - no longer than that. Now you may be thinking two things; Why go to the same place every year and, connected to that, doesn't it get a little boring.
Well I'll answer the second question first.
No. It is that simple. Tenby has now become a home away from home. We can be their in just a couple of hours from Cardiff and when we're their it is like being in our second home.
I have gone on trips abroad before now and to be honest I never find them that relaxing. The problem is air ports. As anyone who's ever flown will know you have to be at the air port hours before your flight. So factor in an early rise - hours at the air port - hours in the air - a coach trip from London to Cardiff and you've almost forgotten, or rather certainly don't feel, how relaxing the holiday was.
So on arriving in Tenby we know the score. We know the good restaurants, places to go for the day and so on. So we don't feel a great need to go out every day. Some days we will just go out into the town, or along the beach - there are many in Tenby - and that is great. I imagine if we went somewhere different we might well feel the need to get up early and out every day.
So why do we go to the same place every year?
It is difficult to say how it all started. We began by camping but have also stayed in a caravan but more recently its been in a flat - like this year. I guess we just found we loved Tenby.
This year we had a great view of the sea. It was wonderful because the view changed every morning as the sea went in and out.
Later in the week I'll be uploading some of my dad and brother's pictures of the holiday.
See you soon.
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