Monday 22 June 2015

Taking some time out

Hi guys,

Sorry I haven't posted since April but I've been busy organising my travels around Asia. 

Now I'm on the edge of something amazing, heading off to Beijing to begin my huge trip on Wednesday, but I'd really love for you to stay up to date with me on my travels so check out my latest blog, A Leaf Out Of My Book: Abroad to see how I'm getting on.

As always, thanks for your support and I look forward to you leaving me a message on my new blog.

Best wishes.



Check out my travelling blog - www.aloombabroad.blogspot.co.uk

Sunday 12 April 2015

A Stroll, Some Cards, A Flutter, Some Words... All In A Day's Work For A Writer

What a day!

I've walked 10 miles on a round trip to see my niece this morning and then come home to lose on the Grand National, draw with my nanna at cards and then progress my second book in my latest romance novels by 5,460 words (it doesn't sound much, but believe me it is!)

So I went out for a walk, partly as preparation for my 100km walk in May for Demelza Hospice for Children but also so I could visit my little two week, almost three week old niece, Emmy. Boy, is she a cutie. Upon picking her up and holding her squarely in front of me, (supporting her head of course before you reel away in horror) little Emmy opts to sneeze not once, but twice in my face. Safe to say, I was not terribly pleased but then I saw what I swear was a smile and it made me laugh at the situation. She is amazing.

When I reached home, Nanna and I had a game of Five Crowns (if you haven't heard of it, Google it! It's amazing.) After breaking out into a four - one lead and with just three games remaining, Nanna in true form pegged me back to four - four and subjected me to one of her laughs that tells you, you've been bamboozled again!

We watched The Grand National and I didn't get a winner. It was genuinely sad to see some of the horses fall, reminding me that I don't really like the sport because I don't think it is a sport. It's cruel. Next year maybe a boycott for me!

Following The National, I moved into my fortress of solitude, aka my bedroom, and began work on editing the final parts of episode 4 of the sitcom before proceeding to book two of my four part book series, based in New York. I'm really enjoying this project and hope to have it published soon. It's in-depth, heart-warming, funny at times but also quite sad - don't worry, I think the sad is heavily outweighed by the rest of the descriptors mentioned above. Today I wrote 5,460 words and as I said, it doesn't sound like much but it is when you go over it and re-write it seven or eight times. After a while, you feel as though you are there on the sofa with them, discussing the life you have created as if it was you own (but that's a good thing, right?)
Anyway, its been a long day so I'm going to hit the deck.

Thanks for reading, best wishes as always and leave me a comment. x

Thursday 9 April 2015

Getting Ready to Wander the Globe!

So today is the big step towards backpacking.

I went to the Chinese Embassy. They've taken my passport for the next fortnight (I hope) and I wait patiently to see if they'll permit me a visa. I know people say, 'You'll be fine, no worries,' and I nod my head contently, pretending they know what they're talking about when they have never applied for one, but these things can still go wrong. Today alone, I have seen two separate applicants coming away from a visa agent, almost in tears.

Anyhow, I'm optimistic and the countdown until I leave for Beijing is well and truly on!

One thing that did get me through was Alice Peterson's Ten Years On novel. Definitely worth a read!

Tomorrow, I'm off to Ashford to have needles stuck in my arm for all kinds of vaccinations against South East Asian diseases. Lucky I'm not squeamish!

With regards to my writing, I am finishing off episode four of the sitcom I mentioned in the previous post with my co-writer tomorrow. Perhaps a sample may surface in the proceeding days, perhaps not. If it doesn't, I'll add a short story.

Thanks as always for dropping by and best wishes x

Monday 6 April 2015

Busy Easter Bunny.

So it's turning out to be a busy weekend, both writing and with family.

Saturday, I spent near to 10 hours writing my sitcom script. It's coming along really well, with three complete episodes written and half the fourth currently underway. Yesterday was also a particularly big milestone in my so far amateur writing career because I allowed another to assist in co-writing. Suz, who also acts as my editor, sat down with me and went through my ideas and gave her own, before we laughed our way through script writing episode four.

I was actually pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was working with somebody else. There is always apprehension when letting others hear your ideas but Suz shares a similar comedic mindset - I don't know if that's a good or bad thing!

Watch this space.

In my private life, on Sunday, I found myself at home with my family, including the newest addition to the family. My 2 week old niece, Emmy is visiting with my brother and his wife. A household of normally four is today occupied by nine people (my other brother and his wife came down too). It fills me with a sense of sadness that this is no longer a normality at my parent's home. Those days are gone but that is life.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a post dedicated to feelings of sorrow. Despite the change mentioned above, I am still happy that I have a family so close and that we all enjoy the time we spend together.

We played the usual family games, had the usual family debates and enjoyed each other's company over a lamb and turkey roast. It's weekends like these that I will truly miss when I go travelling.

Thanks for reading, with my best wishes x

Tuesday 24 March 2015

Family matters...

So I didn't make it through to the second stage of the writing competition. How was I ever going to console myself?

Well today I think I found the perfect solution. At 6:02 am, my eldest brother and sister in law graced our family with their first child, my parent's first grandchild and my nana's first great grandchild! 

Yep. My other brother, sister and I are now uncles and an auntie. My other sister in law and the mother's brothers, and their partners are also honoured with the same titles, respectively.

After three long days for all of us, and even longer for the new parents, my mother received the phone call she had longed for since their admission to hospital on Friday lunchtime.

As I clutched my Quaker Oats (with a hint of golden syrup) ready to take with me out the door on my way to work, the phone rang. I heard my mum rush across her bedroom to the phone cradle on the far side and answer it.

I'm suggesting she take up auditions for Shakespeare or a soap opera given her award winning performance today. The shriek was worthy of any of the Albert Square cast.

She then shouted in joy down the line to my brother who had called to announce his own joyous news, finally! "Oh Jamie, that's fantastic... Oh, that's wonderful. I can't believe it."

Like the patient fellow I am, I waited for my mum to hang up before yelling up to her. "What is it?" 

If she said a baby, I'd bugger straight off to work, not even indulging the joke. We'd all been waiting long enough to be kept in the dark any longer. None of us knew what they were having and neither did the parents. They wanted to keep the surprise until the last moment. 

"A little girl. Emmy Janet."

What a way to start the day, especially on my first day back after two weeks annual leave.

Catching up with my mountain of emails, I was irritated, as I usually am, by the whatsapp group I'd been added into that kept buzzing all morning. Everyone had an input, but my mum was the main culprit of the buzzing of my phone every half hour on my desk. (OK, it was like three times, but you get the drift). My mum was asking for just one picture of our newest addition to the family. After a few hours, my brother obliged, and instantly my irritation melted away.

Little Emmy was a beautiful, little thing with my brother's ears and my sister in law's nose. She is going to be spoiled rotten and I can't wait for them to bring her home. If I thought me going travelling in June this year around Asia was special, this little lady has knocked that ball out of the park, never to be seen again. I am today, a very proud Uncle.

I'm drinking in every minute of this euphoria and I send my very best wishes to my brother and his wife for all the luck and happiness in the world with their little family. 

To my niece - welcome to the world. You will be loved by all of your family and I will be your crazy Uncle Dan, playing Lego with you, teaching you to cause havoc on your parents and in general, showing you how to have fun.

Today has only sharpened my focus and understanding that family matters more than anything and that I am proud to write about this day!




DEDICATED TO MY NIECE, EMMY JANET, ON THE DATE OF YOUR BIRTH. WITH LOVE, ALWAYS FROM YOUR UNCLE X

Saturday 14 February 2015

Sitcom writing


Hey guys,

So I have today finished editing the first three episodes of my six episode sitcom, set around the lives of a couple of roommates from different generations. It is honest, heart warming, and extremely crude, but I think it works well.

I wanted something that young people and older people can relate together, touching on issues such as divorce, sex and general awkwardness - the latter I'm an avid partaker in!

Tomorrow I'm having a script reading with a bloody good unofficial editor, who doesn't shy away from the realities of missing links and flow of a story. (I'm surprised she's not already an editor to be honest). She has a keen eye for spotting bits I've missed where I am blinded by the story so my gratitude goes out to her. Cheers Suz.

Let's hope she likes it!

All the best

x

Thursday 29 January 2015

Short Story Competition - 2015 & Radio Play

Hey guys!

Happy 2015!

So, I entered the 2015, International Short Story Competition online. I'm was placed in heat 42 and was the only representative of Great Britain in my group (a shout out to the two Irish participants, who are helping me fly the flag for Europe).

Our criteria was to create a mystery short story, with a character (main or sub) who was a traveling salesperson (I know travelling has two 'l's' but it is an American run competition so I must respect their spelling), in addition to incorporating 'a secret hiding place' into the mix.

We were given 8 days to create something and after four days of pulling my hair out (what's left of it anyway - check out my author page to see what I mean - http://aloomb.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html), I managed to produce a story called 'It's Only A Matter Of Time.'

Unfortunately, at this time, I can't share any of it with you, due to competition rules but I am currently working on my diploma, and a radio play. Below is a short snippet, which I hope you'll like and leave me a comment on. Remember, radio is all about audio, not like television. So you have to describe and direct when there is noise!

With best wishes, always.





                NARRATOR:                        Monty gazed to his left at the business man 
                                                         snoozing against the window. His face was 
                                                         concealed by the huge collar from his long, black 
                                                         coat; it was wrapped around him like a blanket. On 
                                                         the other side, a young, female had her headphones
                                                         in her ears and was typing away on her laptop, 
                                                         furiously. Monty felt out of place. Everyone around 
                                                         him was young, and at eighty six, he felt that  
                                                         he was intruding in a world that now belonged to 
                                                         young people; a world that had once belonged to 
                                                         him at that age. That feeling was strengthen when a
                                                         young man slumped into the seat opposite him.  
                                                         Monty smiled to greet him, but all that was 
                                                         returned was ignorance. The man just put his 
                                                         headphones in and proceeded to put his hood up.

FADE OUT.

FADE UP – TRAIN RATTLING ALONG TRACK.

                TICKET COLLECTOR:         Tickets please.

SHUFFLING MOVING SOUND.

                TICKET COLLECTOR:         Thank you, Sir.

A RINGTONE PLAYS ALOUD IN THE CARRIAGE.

                ASH:                                 Hello..? Hiya, how you doing? (PAUSE) yeah, I’m 
                                                        on the train now. (PAUSE) dunno, probably 
                                                        another couple of hours yet. (PAUSE) don’t 
                                                        worry, I’ll be there. (PAUSE) I promise. (PAUSE) 
                                                        you know it difficult for me. (PAUSE) because I 
                                                        don’t like Christmas, and regardless of what my 
                                                        mum says, it’s not easy to just pretend 
                                                        that everything is normal. (PAUSE) Yes, yes, I 
                                                        know. Look, I need to go but I’ll see you later. 
                                                        (PAUSE) (WHISPERING) Yes, I love you too… Bye.

ASH SIGHS ALOUD.

                MONTY:                            Um, excuse me, son.

                ASH:                                 You talking to me?

                MONTY:                            Yeah… is everything alright?

                ASH:                                 What?

                MONTY:                            Is everything OK?

                ASH:                                 What are you talking about?

                MONTY:                            I’m was wondering if you were OK?       

                ASH:                                 Why?

                MONTY:                            I just heard a bit of your conversation…

                ASH:                                 You were listening into my 
                                                        conversation?                            

                MONTY:                            Well, I would have properly, but, well, you know, 
                                                        these damn hearing aids are a hindrance 
                                                        sometimes.

THERE IS A SHUFFLING NOISE BEFORE A HEARING AID WHISTLES.

                ASH:                                 What are you doing?

                MONTY:                            Adjusting these blasted things. I can’t hear what 
                                                        you’re saying.

THE WHISTLING FADES OUT.