So having come back from the CELTA course, attended a funeral, and now somehow regained my brain, I returned my attention to my manuscript - and pretty much trashed the lot. However what I have left is the basis for my new plan, with which I should have a working skeleton manuscript by mid-January. This assumes that all things will go according to plan when of course the only real truism of life is that the plans will change!
Regardless, the plan is to spend roughly 1-1.5 days on each chapter, splurging anything and everything onto the page. As there are 17 chapters, a prologue and (perhaps) and epilogue this should take between 18-36 days. Then, and only then, editing can take place - and maybe i'll end up with something workable.....Or it may all, once again, be consigned to the recycle bin.....
Let battle commence.....
Monday 5 December 2011
Wednesday 12 October 2011
When is a book not a book? --- When it's a Kindle!
I have been an avid book lover for as long as I can remember. I have no memory of not being able to read. As you can imagine, therefore, I have a large quantity of books. This has only one major drawback: You can't carry them all around with you.
Despite this obvious issue, I wasn't sure about the arrival of e-books and the Kindle. I like to feel the weight of a book in my hands, feel the pages beneath my fingers and then there's the smell of book both new and old. I can't imagine the Kindle giving you any of that.
And now I own one.
Have I changed my tune though? True it has now earned a permanent place in my bag along side the ipod - the main reason being I can now carry hundreds of books around with me in my pocket and it weighs no more than a single one and is distinctly less bulky. And true, I now read book I hadn't read before because they were cheaper or even free. I can't deny that I love the thing.
Has it altered my love of books? No. It hasn't. There is still nothing that beats the physical book, only now I can be more discerning, trying snippets of books if I'm not sure and, if I love them insanely in Kindle edition (see Captivating, Enchanting, Sublime - below) then I can buy them in hard copy - and I can bare to wait for the paperback.
What the Kindle has done, therefore, is to enhance the enjoyment of reading, and allowed the greater choice whilst on the move.
Amazon - I salute you!
Despite this obvious issue, I wasn't sure about the arrival of e-books and the Kindle. I like to feel the weight of a book in my hands, feel the pages beneath my fingers and then there's the smell of book both new and old. I can't imagine the Kindle giving you any of that.
And now I own one.
Have I changed my tune though? True it has now earned a permanent place in my bag along side the ipod - the main reason being I can now carry hundreds of books around with me in my pocket and it weighs no more than a single one and is distinctly less bulky. And true, I now read book I hadn't read before because they were cheaper or even free. I can't deny that I love the thing.
Has it altered my love of books? No. It hasn't. There is still nothing that beats the physical book, only now I can be more discerning, trying snippets of books if I'm not sure and, if I love them insanely in Kindle edition (see Captivating, Enchanting, Sublime - below) then I can buy them in hard copy - and I can bare to wait for the paperback.
What the Kindle has done, therefore, is to enhance the enjoyment of reading, and allowed the greater choice whilst on the move.
Amazon - I salute you!
Captivating, Enchanting, Sublime.
It has been some time since I last felt the need to post anything. The inspiration had somewhat gone...until I finished reading the fantastic 'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern. Having been given the wonderful gift of a kindle this is the first book I bought, based on review in the Sunday Times Culture. I can't say what exactly about the review caught my attention - but I remembered the book.
'The Night Circus' oozes with a vibrancy that sucks you in and holds you from the first page to the last. What at first appears simple and straightforward is, in fact, a spiders web of connections that never ceases to end.
The characters Morgenstern creates are so real I felt as if I knew some of them. Some of them are less easy to understand, but it is entirely fitting that they remain so. When describing the circus in particular, Morgenstern shows just how wonderful her imagination is, taking the reader to places that even they had never dreamed of.
This book is more than merely magical. It as enchanting as the characters within it. You feel their loss, their pain and their joy and the finale brings so many emotions together in a beautiful compliment - sadly to tell anything of the plot here would utterly destroy it. This book needs to be read with as little prior knowledge as possible.
This is one of those books you wish you could have written yourself. A stunning debut from a talent to watch. Erin Morgenstern has brought the magic back into reading again.
Wednesday 13 July 2011
The Next Stieg Larsson...?
Having seen the Swedish film version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I then picked up Larsson's book and went on to read the rest of the trilogy. I was impressed at his style, his story-line and his characterisation. However Larsson is just one among many talented Scandinavian authors who have gained success over here. The saddest part of this is that Larsson can sadly weave no more of his magic.
But to turn my attention to the man to whom the claim that titles this post has been attached. Mr Jo Nesbo. I have now, in the space of two days, read two of his books. They had come greatly recommended by my dad, who is, in my opinion, a pretty good judge of these things. I began with The Redbreast, but for the first third I was sadly unimpressed.
There were elements of the story I was enjoying but I found that the interweaving strands were far from homogeneous. I battled through however, wanting to believe the claim on the front of the book, and my dad's endorsement. Sticking with it paid off however. The further through the book I got, the more the strands of the story-line began to interconnect and create a fuller picture and the more I began to like the characters. The final twist was also completely unexpected.
In the end it turned out to be a good book. Nesbo creates a wonderful cast of characters and in the end, once all the jumping around made sense, I cleverly woven plot. Equally Nesbo's Oslo does not come across as grey as Larsson or Mankel's Sweden sometimes can. My expectations for the following book, Nemesis, was therefore high.
The plot, although interesting in parts, was far too over-complicated to be captivating the whole way through. After reading the book through to the end I found myself dissatisfied with the story and the writing style. The most interesting parts of the book were the developments Nesbo made with the characters he had introduced in the previous story, this kept me hooked enough to want to find out more.
I am now part way through the third Jo Nesbo book in my possession, The Redeemer. Although this does not chronologically follow on from Nemesis (I am missing one), the story is stronger and the characters continue to develop and mature. I seem to find myself enjoying his books more and more.
I have found Harry Hole to be a who is not as much of an outsider as he thinks he is. He has his flaws, but he is aware of them and has it within himself to be in control of them. He is also a likable character. He is not as morose and introverted as Morse, and not as depressive as Rebus or Wallander.
All in all Jo Nesbo is writing crime novels in a style that takes some getting used to, and has plots that are on occasion difficult to follow but he still produces books that are good to read. Not all are of equal strength but his talent is clear. As to his touting as the next Stieg Larsson... I think there's still only one of them!
But to turn my attention to the man to whom the claim that titles this post has been attached. Mr Jo Nesbo. I have now, in the space of two days, read two of his books. They had come greatly recommended by my dad, who is, in my opinion, a pretty good judge of these things. I began with The Redbreast, but for the first third I was sadly unimpressed.
There were elements of the story I was enjoying but I found that the interweaving strands were far from homogeneous. I battled through however, wanting to believe the claim on the front of the book, and my dad's endorsement. Sticking with it paid off however. The further through the book I got, the more the strands of the story-line began to interconnect and create a fuller picture and the more I began to like the characters. The final twist was also completely unexpected.
In the end it turned out to be a good book. Nesbo creates a wonderful cast of characters and in the end, once all the jumping around made sense, I cleverly woven plot. Equally Nesbo's Oslo does not come across as grey as Larsson or Mankel's Sweden sometimes can. My expectations for the following book, Nemesis, was therefore high.
The plot, although interesting in parts, was far too over-complicated to be captivating the whole way through. After reading the book through to the end I found myself dissatisfied with the story and the writing style. The most interesting parts of the book were the developments Nesbo made with the characters he had introduced in the previous story, this kept me hooked enough to want to find out more.
I am now part way through the third Jo Nesbo book in my possession, The Redeemer. Although this does not chronologically follow on from Nemesis (I am missing one), the story is stronger and the characters continue to develop and mature. I seem to find myself enjoying his books more and more.
I have found Harry Hole to be a who is not as much of an outsider as he thinks he is. He has his flaws, but he is aware of them and has it within himself to be in control of them. He is also a likable character. He is not as morose and introverted as Morse, and not as depressive as Rebus or Wallander.
All in all Jo Nesbo is writing crime novels in a style that takes some getting used to, and has plots that are on occasion difficult to follow but he still produces books that are good to read. Not all are of equal strength but his talent is clear. As to his touting as the next Stieg Larsson... I think there's still only one of them!
Saturday 9 July 2011
Definitely count's as a study aid if you ask me!
Now I know that technically I'm about all thing's books and writing, but that doesn't mean there can't be the odd digression every now and again, and this one is more than worth it's place. Whether reading, working, studying you can never go wrong with a good brownie to cheer you up.
These brownies actually derive from the Chocolate Brownie Biscuit recipe from Economy Gastronomy (A fantastic book by the way). I tweaked it slightly to make full on brownies and altered the ingredients to make them gluten free - just make sure you check the chocolate you use!
If lost count of the number of times I made these in fourth year and for some reason these are also best the day after they've been made... ENJOY!
Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients:
2 eggs
130g caster sugar
1/2 tbsp strong black coffee
20g butter
200g plain chocolate, in pieces
30g rice flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
In a bowl whisk the eggs, sugar and coffee together for 7-8 minutes or till thicker, lighter in colour and well combined - I should add here that I never actually measure out the amount of coffee I put in I just splash in what I want, and I never time how long I whisk it for, I just keep going till it feels right.
Set up a make-shift bain-marie and melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. When melted, smooth and well combined lift of the heat and set aside for 4-5 minutes - again I'm not strict about this, but make it's left long enough so that the eggs don't start to scramble with the heat.
When the chocolate has cooled slightly, stir in the egg mixture till well combined - I actually prefer to fold it in to keep the brownies light.
Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt till well combined.
Grease and line a baking tray of your choice (this is of course a very personal thing, If you are anything like me you will have a perfect brownie tray, or you will soon).
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, the timing will depend on how you're oven works. If you're not that in-tune with your oven, leave for at least 20 minutes then do the skewer test to see how cooked through they are. It's no bad thing if they're slightly gooey.
Leave them to cool in the tin for a while so that they don't fall to pieces when you transfer them to the cooling rack. They will be beautifully cracked on top and cakey and gooey in the middle ...
Finally, munch them down, and they are always best shared.
Happy Baking xx
These brownies actually derive from the Chocolate Brownie Biscuit recipe from Economy Gastronomy (A fantastic book by the way). I tweaked it slightly to make full on brownies and altered the ingredients to make them gluten free - just make sure you check the chocolate you use!
If lost count of the number of times I made these in fourth year and for some reason these are also best the day after they've been made... ENJOY!
Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients:
2 eggs
130g caster sugar
1/2 tbsp strong black coffee
20g butter
200g plain chocolate, in pieces
30g rice flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
In a bowl whisk the eggs, sugar and coffee together for 7-8 minutes or till thicker, lighter in colour and well combined - I should add here that I never actually measure out the amount of coffee I put in I just splash in what I want, and I never time how long I whisk it for, I just keep going till it feels right.
Set up a make-shift bain-marie and melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. When melted, smooth and well combined lift of the heat and set aside for 4-5 minutes - again I'm not strict about this, but make it's left long enough so that the eggs don't start to scramble with the heat.
When the chocolate has cooled slightly, stir in the egg mixture till well combined - I actually prefer to fold it in to keep the brownies light.
Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt till well combined.
Grease and line a baking tray of your choice (this is of course a very personal thing, If you are anything like me you will have a perfect brownie tray, or you will soon).
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, the timing will depend on how you're oven works. If you're not that in-tune with your oven, leave for at least 20 minutes then do the skewer test to see how cooked through they are. It's no bad thing if they're slightly gooey.
Leave them to cool in the tin for a while so that they don't fall to pieces when you transfer them to the cooling rack. They will be beautifully cracked on top and cakey and gooey in the middle ...
Finally, munch them down, and they are always best shared.
Happy Baking xx
Chipping in on the end of an era...
As it's all finally coming to an end, I feel I should thrown my penny's worth in on the phenomenon that is of course, Harry Potter.
Now nearing the age of 22, I am of the generation that grew up practically age perfect for the books. I remember being sent the first two as they came out in paperback by my grandmother, and devouring them in no time at all. By the time Prisoner of Azkaban was about to be released I wasn't about to hang about the the paperback. From then on I read through every single one on the day of publication.
What is unique about these books is the way they captured the imagination not just of a generation, but of the world. Will Gompertz wrote an article today (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14081148) that at the end questions whether 400,000,000 people can be wrong about the success of Harry Potter. I would have to say now.
While people remain divided on the issue of the quality of J. K. Rowling's style, whatever your opinion may be, whether you love Harry or hate his guts, you have to admit that J. K. Rowling has created a magical world that it is more than acceptable to get lost in, regardless of age or nationality.
I am not ashamed to admit that as the film series draws to a close I too am going to be sad. I don't like the film's because they're good, I like them because they are comfort viewing. They're safe. They're like a best friend. But at the same time they get so much wrong (or what I personally consider to be wrong) that they do not destroy the magical world I have in my head.
Will Gompertz poses the idea that this isn't the end for Harry Potter. I just wonder if maybe this is a phenomenon that needs to be cherished and left beautifully untouched.
Now nearing the age of 22, I am of the generation that grew up practically age perfect for the books. I remember being sent the first two as they came out in paperback by my grandmother, and devouring them in no time at all. By the time Prisoner of Azkaban was about to be released I wasn't about to hang about the the paperback. From then on I read through every single one on the day of publication.
What is unique about these books is the way they captured the imagination not just of a generation, but of the world. Will Gompertz wrote an article today (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14081148) that at the end questions whether 400,000,000 people can be wrong about the success of Harry Potter. I would have to say now.
While people remain divided on the issue of the quality of J. K. Rowling's style, whatever your opinion may be, whether you love Harry or hate his guts, you have to admit that J. K. Rowling has created a magical world that it is more than acceptable to get lost in, regardless of age or nationality.
I am not ashamed to admit that as the film series draws to a close I too am going to be sad. I don't like the film's because they're good, I like them because they are comfort viewing. They're safe. They're like a best friend. But at the same time they get so much wrong (or what I personally consider to be wrong) that they do not destroy the magical world I have in my head.
Will Gompertz poses the idea that this isn't the end for Harry Potter. I just wonder if maybe this is a phenomenon that needs to be cherished and left beautifully untouched.
Number One!
Being new to this whole shazam, I am going to content myself with jumping straight in with a review of one of the latest additions to my bookshelf.
Upon the completion of my degree I have once again discovered the joy of reading for pleasure and not necessity (although I can hardly claim to have found my uni work un-interesting). And so it was I found myself in Waterstones on a trip that began with me looking for a single book and ending up leaving with three...
And so the first of these three, and the maiden blog post on The Paper Elephant is a review of Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.
To begin with even George R. R. Martin's name evoked the same feelings I have looking at a J. R. R. Tolkien book, and the cover boasted a T.V. series produced by HBO. In my experience this has generally had favourable results due to HBO's discerning choice in source material. With these two in mind I scanned the blurb and promptly purshaced the book.
I was initially dissapointed, the Maps span four pages, making everything very hard to place for someone like me who has very little visual memory. In addition the book started slowly, with the first three chapters jumping disjointedly between narrators, locations and plot lines. I battled through however (no pun intended...) and by the fourth chapter everything began slotting into place and the rest of the book flowed well. The individual plot lines are so heavy that Martin's inter-weaving of them allows relief for the reader as well as keeping them captivated.
Martin also creates characters for whom you feel geuine affection, loathing or dissapointment among other descriptive emotions. I found by the end of the book I was desperate to know the fate not only of my favourite characters, but also of the one's I dissliked and even the one's I hadn't sussed out yet.
Quite simply, without giving spoilers, this book left me wanting more, and if Georgre R. R. Martin can repeat this over the rest of series then I will be deeply impressed.
This is a fantasy epic that will not dissapoint. Happy reading...
Upon the completion of my degree I have once again discovered the joy of reading for pleasure and not necessity (although I can hardly claim to have found my uni work un-interesting). And so it was I found myself in Waterstones on a trip that began with me looking for a single book and ending up leaving with three...
And so the first of these three, and the maiden blog post on The Paper Elephant is a review of Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.
To begin with even George R. R. Martin's name evoked the same feelings I have looking at a J. R. R. Tolkien book, and the cover boasted a T.V. series produced by HBO. In my experience this has generally had favourable results due to HBO's discerning choice in source material. With these two in mind I scanned the blurb and promptly purshaced the book.
I was initially dissapointed, the Maps span four pages, making everything very hard to place for someone like me who has very little visual memory. In addition the book started slowly, with the first three chapters jumping disjointedly between narrators, locations and plot lines. I battled through however (no pun intended...) and by the fourth chapter everything began slotting into place and the rest of the book flowed well. The individual plot lines are so heavy that Martin's inter-weaving of them allows relief for the reader as well as keeping them captivated.
Martin also creates characters for whom you feel geuine affection, loathing or dissapointment among other descriptive emotions. I found by the end of the book I was desperate to know the fate not only of my favourite characters, but also of the one's I dissliked and even the one's I hadn't sussed out yet.
Quite simply, without giving spoilers, this book left me wanting more, and if Georgre R. R. Martin can repeat this over the rest of series then I will be deeply impressed.
This is a fantasy epic that will not dissapoint. Happy reading...
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