Here goes...

Trying out Poetry

I have been toying with poetry this week; exploring kennings and rhyming couplets. Poems with short lines seem to fascinate me more than those with lengthy lines.

I have also been getting back into my short story writing.

Here are my 3 Top Tips for writing reviews.

1) Get down to it! Right from the beginning you need to highlight the crux point of what you are about to say. Of course, leave some things to the imagination and don't give away any of the film or book's secrets but suggest contraversy or outline success. A rave review starts with a RAVE!

2) Try to be as balanced as you can. Even the best movies have weaknesses; the brightest books have flaws. Don't be afraid to be honest but try not to be 'cutting' as this is the culmination of a lot of work for a lot of people (author, screen writer, director, editor etc.) Show consideration for those who did their best to create the work.

3) Write fluently about how the characters progressed and what made them special, or suggest how they could have been developed if you had been the person penning the script or novel. Criticism is fine if you make suggestions for improvement rather than simply slating storylines. Definitely highlight anything worth celebrating as this will boost sales and help the author feel appreciated.

Here it is - the first sneak peek at my novella!

I lost my rag a bit. I told that Alfie’s dad what I thought of him. Alex just shouted back at me a lot. He reckoned my son had screwed up the whole play. I lifted my arm up in what seemed like slow motion, about to make a move towards him with my clenched fist. Before I had had time to follow through, I felt someone grab my wrist. Alex ducked anyway and stepped back as the teacher pulled my arm down and asked me to take a few minutes outside while he quizzed the boys to find out what had gone wrong. I had to assume the play just carried on as the rest of the school building seemed barren and deserted still.

When I got out into the fresh air, I took a deep breath and started to wish that I smoked. My blood was boiling. I could not face the other parents knowing, or thinking they knew, that my son had messed up this Easter production. God knows what the Missus would say. No doubt she would blame it on me, as usual. My legs caved and I sank to the floor, back against the wall, knees bent. Alex must have found somewhere else to hide. I was glad he was not around or I would have been tempted to knock his block off at that moment.

New Extract!!

The weather seemed great this morning! Jack scurried around in a whirlwind of excitement, knocking things over with his toy sword as he pretended he was a pirate. Kate scooped everything together and pinned a sun hat to his head before leading him out of the door and up the driveway. The boot crashed closed and after strapping him into the child seat she adjusted the mirror, secretly checking her make up. She was as ready as she ever could be. This day out was sure to test her. Whatever came her way, she was not prepared to let her emotions spoil his first trip to the seaside.

She checked her texts and her mum had wished them a good day out whilst reminding her to fetch some suntan lotion. She nipped back to collect some from the bathroom before finally setting out down her street and off into the sunny countryside that surrounded her. It was a beautiful day. Birds swept overhead, chirruping. Car bonnets shimmered brightly in the morning rays of sun which urged her to switch the air conditioning on. Jack was keen to listen to some of his favourite music. Unfortunately for Kate it meant trashy kids' songs all the way to Hunstanton. The word Hunstanton resonated with Kate uncomfortably. Her hairs seemed to be standing on end at the very thought of the Norfolk town.

Jack asked her lots of questions about the sea.

'Why is it there, mummy?'

'How big is it?'

'Is there a plug hole to let the water out if it gets too full?'

She had a lack of answers and so made some up to appease him, hoping she would not get found out as a fraud who knew nothing about the sea. Well, she did not like to think about it. There had been a time that she had visited the beach a lot. But even in those days, she had always been in awe of the ocean.

Stopping at a service station, the two of them bought some sweets to nibble on for the rest of the way there. Jack was in high spirits but Kate was nervous. A shiver went down her spine as she saw a few seaside postcards lurking by the pay desk. She gathered what she had bought and chucked them into the back seat. Her head was spinning. Perhaps they could find a kid's play zone instead. No. She must carry on. Deep breaths. Those postcards had got to her. Jack soon distracted her.

'Mum, how long until we get there?'

'Not long. Maybe twenty minutes.'

'Can we buy a bucket and spade?'

'Yeah of course.'

Kate wished that all of her problems were as easy as that to solve. The things that she longed for most could not be bought in a paraphernalia shop. 'Keep going,' she thought.

As the town approached in the distance, Jack got excited as he could see the sea stretching out before him. She pointed out that the sea air was fresh and told him to take deep breaths. He opened his passenger window and the breeze sent that salty yet brilliant fragrance wafting into the car. She enjoyed that feeling as it was immersed in memories. Quickly her mind drifted to an evening on that beach when they had had a barbecue and were dancing around a fire, happy as two people ever could be. He had been telling sea related jokes and she was laughing endlessly at his puns about sea fish. What do you do with sea fish? 'I see fish and eat it,' he had quipped. For a moment her shoulders relaxed and she began to forget her worries. Then starkly, as they came close to the seaside car park – a sign tossed her right back to the present. £3 for an hour! It used to be practically free to park in that exact same car park. She was disgusted but drove in anyway. When Jack left the car he ran over to the fence and peered at the fairground in front of them.