Friday phrases: happy as kings

I don’t generally post on Fridays.

I could, of course. I have, too, back at the stage of writing a post every day.

But I mostly post in the evenings. It’s down time; when I read blogs, look on Facebook.
It makes it easy to post something, stick a link to it on Facebook, and off it goes.

I don’t post on Fridays. Because I’m into enjoying the delights of retirement right now, learning to have more fun (even if I’m starting a bit late) – and Friday night is about time off. Even if I’m only thinking about a glass of wine with the evening meal, and maybe some late night TV.

If you read a few blogs, you start to see that there are patterns to posting. Not everyone does them, of course, but quite a few do.

It’s partly to do with when people have time – and their attention span. That’s partly why I usually put up my Lit Kid post of the week on a Monday.

You’ve had the weekend, you’re a bit fresher maybe. OR you’ve had the weekend that feels the same as the weekdays, and you’d like some time off now, please. (Parents tend to be in the latter camp.)

Anyway, I tend to presume that you don’t want to read my attempts at literary criticism on a Friday night. You have your own fun to attend to – even if it’s just choosing not to set the alarm clock for the next morning.

So I post the last piece for the week on a Thursday night, and run off on a Friday, scattering peanuts in my wake (or whatever my idea of decadent living might be on a given weekend).

But there are some rather lovely Friday posts out there too. They are all about being short and sweet – and they work.

They are good for a quick look on a Friday, when you want something to lift your head and get you through the supermarket shop, or the sports class you’re waiting to finish so the weekend can begin.

So I found myself thinking what I might offer in this department.

Not to go back to the daily blogging (having too much fun with the maybe-novel, want to keep some time for that). But still: something cheerful; something that allows you a moment’s pause at the end of a long week; an agreement inside.

Fairly unsurprisingly, I hold that a lot of wisdom is found in children’s books. So I’m setting myself the task of finding some good encouraging (or just downright silly) quotations from children’s books, and doling them out like pocket money, only a day in advance.

If you like them, let me know. If I’m being too frivolous, and you would rather more serious critical discussion, also let me know.

(I’m equally partial to two Lit Kid posts a week, but, you know, I do like children’s books. But I appreciate you might not want to hear about them all the time.)

Wishing you all un bon weekend, and starting you off with one of my favourites:

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Happy Thought

“The world is so full of a number of things

I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.”

Robert Louis Stevenson

Surrendering to the words

I’m writing a novel. At least, I think I am. I hadn’t planned to.

I’m all about short form in what I write, and much of what I read too. Children’s books (picture books in particular), short stories of various kinds. Long essays, long blog posts – all add up to something similar.

Long enough to develop an idea. Short enough to make it bite.

So I haven’t ever really thought I had a novel in me. I guess I hope I have a few different picture books, a range of short stories, maybe enough for a compilation or two. Maybe some words left over for poems – another short form I like.

Every now and then, a phrase comes into my mind, and I try and follow it. Find out what will happen next. It’s all about keeping the fun, and not about forcing myself to sit and write.

That’s how Santa has not been good came about – thinking about the oft-heard phrase (at least in Scotland) ‘Has Santa been good to you?’, turning it round, and seeing where the ideas went.

So a couple of times this year, I’ve heard a phrase, and gone wandering with it. I wrote what did turn out to be a science fiction short story, last month.

(I put a bit of it here if you want a look. I’m still a bit nervous about publishing creative writing online – not quite sure what will happen to it next.)

So earlier this week, I followed another phrase. It turned into another science fiction story. This time, when I got to the end of the piece, it only felt like the first chapter.

So I kept writing. Right now, there are three and a half chapters, a whole load of back story to be worked out, and there seems to be plenty more to come.

Out of the backstory, a little more narrative is emerging. I might need to chop it up a bit, rework what fits where. I’m inventing vaguely futuristic terminology; I like that feeling.

Someone is breaking into an underwater building, and at the moment, I have no idea what will happen when she finds what she is looking for.

I could do with her particular lighting devices to help me through the murk. But I don’t mind too much. I’m swimming too.

I’m all about short form writing. Blogs are great for that. My one moment of sporting glory was in a sprint relay race. I don’t have the physique for long distance.

But swimming a little further, some days more, some days less – that I can do. Maybe I can borrow my character’s flippers and see how far I can go on a tank of writing oxygen.

Stocking the shelves

Some nights, it’s hard to know what to write.

Some nights, it flows.

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Some nights, you pour your heart into the words – and people don’t seem to read them.

(It’s OK that they don’t laugh at the same jokes, really. I’m still putting them in though.)

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Some nights, you come home and discover

That someone in a town you know the name of (but not really the location)

Has sat and read your blog for half an hour solid.

Or that someone in a province in a country half-way round the world

Has dropped in – and come back again.

(Who told me? Kind Mr Google Analytics. I’ve started getting curious.)

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I know how it feels

To sit and chew my way through someone else’s blog,

Sometimes regular bites, sometimes great gulping mouthfuls,

Night after night until the cupboard is bare.

Then it’s time to look them up on a regular basis – and maybe look for another full cupboard too.

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Who knows if I am offering a ‘cupboard’ to someone else?

I can’t be sure, though I can hope a little.

Maybe, because I know the importance of finding one,

I will continue to stock the shelves,

Even if, some nights, it’s just me opening up and checking the contents.

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Do keep coming. Do keep reading. We’re open all hours.

Lit Kid: getting the level right

There’s plenty more to say on anti-heroes and villains – and don’t let’s forget the genuine heroes either. But it’s time to give them a little break, and cut in on a different topic this time.

I have a little book-buying habit for Junior Reader. Actually, I have a large sized, well-developed book buying habit in general, but this is a particular strand of book-buying.

Each year, I buy a book series, and dole out a book per school holiday.

10 holiday weeks: 10 books. My maths goes as follows:

  • February week (1 book)
  • Easter weeks (2)
  • Summer (6)
  • October (1)

The Christmas holidays are usually accounted for by general excitement, reading Advent stories, and whatever book Father Christmas kindly includes in one’s stocking.

Yes, it is for me just as much, but it can be fun to build an expectation of what the next holiday will bring – including the next book.

For those who favour the sets of books you can buy in bulk (The Book People, for example), this can be pretty cost effective. Ten books often come in at about ten pounds, which is a good price for holiday entertainment in my mind.

It doesn’t always have to be new, though: second-hand book shops or school fairs can also be good sources for series of books.

I have been known to lay in book series supplies slightly in advance (ahem) but so far this has worked out OK.

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This year, I had the notion that we would have a couple of books per holiday: one a fiction book told cartoon style, that Junior Reader could tackle alone, and another that I would do as a read-aloud.

All sounding good. We picked up the cartoony books (Comix) at a church jumble sale a while back (10 books: £2 – thank you kindly). They are done in chapters, lots of pictures, and slightly harder text for emerging readers. You can have a look at one here.

We have been happily wading our way through Steve Cole’s offerings of dinosaurs in space and time-travelling cows (aka Astrosaurs and Cows in Action), so I packed a new Astrosaurs book for this holiday, and one of the Comix ones.

So far so good. Comix book handed over: three chapters knocked off between train stops (15 mins). Junior Reader then spots the Astrosaurs book I had been planning to do as a read-aloud, and commandeers it for solo use.

Now chapter book reading is doing well, thanks to my brother and sister-in-law picking out some pirate stories as a Christmas present for Junior Reader.

But the language level in the Steve Cole books is a step up again – lots of alliteration, lots of cow-related puns in Cows in Action books, and quite a lot of relatively Big Words.

Nothing daunted, Junior Reader knocked off the whole book in about two days, and recommended it to Dan: ‘It’s good! You should read it!’

I then enquired about the Comix books – any good for the next holiday? ‘No thanks.’

All of a sudden, my book-planning schemes are undone – Junior Reader has overshot the mark. What’s more, I might be out of a read-aloud job during the holidays, unless I can pick another set of books that I can keep as mine to read.

Luckily, there are generally more books laid in. (Rest assured.)

Maybe I’ll start reading some of the Horrible Histories books – or maybe Just William – or continue my way through the Mr Gum series.

I also quite fancy a bit of a ’round the world’ approach to stories from different countries
(if I can avoid making it too much like what Mummy wants to read).

Last week, we finished off a library book with tales from the Caribbean, so that counts. Junior Reader fancies finding out more about Finn McCool, so my luck may be in. (I’ll keep you posted.)

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Want to see our previous series choices?

2010: Meg and Mog books

2011: Charlie and Lola books

2012: The start of our forays into Astrosaurs territory (books 1-10)

2013: Cows in Action plus Jack Stalwart (I’ll write more about these another time)

2014: Comix books notwithstanding, a mixture of Astrosaurs, Cows in Action and Slime Squad (also by Steve Cole) is planned.

I wouldn’t say no to these either, if I had to choose again:

Beatrix Potter books (more than 10 to choose from)

Moomintroll books (9 in the series, so add in another of your own choosing)

Astrid Lindgren: Pippi Longstocking (three books), but there are others too. The Bullerby children books are lovely ones.

Got any favoured books series of your own? Add a comment, and help me plan my stocks.

Event management: parents wanted

Once upon a time, many moons ago it seems, I would do a spot of event management.

Not ‘big corporate event, 600 delegates’ kind of events, but still, arrangements to make, people to look after.

Maybe it’s the current school holidays that brings it to mind, but I’d like to think that my event management skills have come on apace since becoming a parent.

If you rate your event management skills, either of senior or junior delegates, cast your experienced eye over the suggestions below and let me know if I’m missing any.

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Weather: senior delegates can be relied on to bring raincoats, umbrellas and so on.
(Do bear in mind, though, that not all possess wellies or the ability to cope with windy conditions.)

Weather considerations are particularly important when event planning for junior delegates. Some events for junior delegates may be highly weather dependent: picnics, trips to the park, use of paddling pools.

Should sufficient wellies etc. become available, all-weather puddle jumping activities are often highly rated by junior delegates.

Those wishing to hone their weather-awareness event planning skills should consider joining ‘Scottish summer’ training courses, where event planners include wellies, suncream, midge repellant and swimming costumes among their ‘must-have’ kit.

Transport: this is made much easier by things like bus passes and family railcards. But when booking travel for your junior delegates, have you packed an activity bag for them?

Many senior delegates are able to amuse themselves on train journeys; junior ones need entertainment, snacks, regulated bathroom breaks and robust answers to the questions of when you might arrive.

Seasoned event planners will know the appropriate ratio of activity items to weight of bag that they themselves will be carrying, and prepare accordingly.

Entertainment: senior delegates may just need to add caffeine, alcohol or both. Choose an environment where everyone has to stand, noise levels that mean you can’t often hear the conversation next to you, and you’re away.

Jaded senior delegates may need more help in relaxing. You may wish to add in themed events related to the country of your gathering; dancing; after-dinner comic turns, or other such forms of entertainment.

Junior delegates’ entertainment needs may be tackled in various ways. You can lay on all kinds of excitements for them, including museum trips and days out.

It may be though that their attention is elsewhere (e.g. the marine wildlife outing where the junior delegate’s attention is firmly on the machinery in the venue. I speak from experience.)

You can pursue the ‘this is all new’ entertainment policy. This allows for bracing walks along canal paths, opportunities to admire former industrial machinery while in transit, and so on.

Junior delegates however may come with their own extensive supplies of Ingenuity, Imagination and/or Novelty.

In this case, the event managers may consider skipping down the street with junior delegates, holding hands; inviting junior delegates’ views on spotting dragons in clouds, and other cost-effective entertainments.

Accommodation: Senior delegates are likely to demand a higher standard of accommodation. Rooms with en-suite bath, complementary toiletries, mini-bar etc are all likely to be welcomed, as is free wi-fi.

It is an under-acknowledged fact that junior delegates are likely to be similarly pleased by such accommodation, although the mini-bar may be used more for holding tomorrow’s lunch supplies and event managers’ chocolate rations.

Junior delegates will also appreciate: being able to use keycards to open hotel doors; being able to operate lifts by themselves; being able to eat baked beans at breakfast (aka access to hotel buffets).

Event managers’ essentials: senior delegates are likely to be troubled by an absence of badges, folders, and name tags on lanyards that are instantly discarded after the event.

Pencil cases, clipboards, mobile phones and other similar equipment are expected.

Events managers for junior delegates may need more personalised awareness of the delegates’ wishes.

They may wish to include items such as: favoured cuddly toy; new book or magazine (to be produced, suddenly, for rapid mood improvement); games with not too many pieces for use on train tables.

Other essentials may include: plasters for cut knees and other ailments; snacks and back-up snacks for sudden unassailable hunger; and chargers for mobile devices for when it All Gets Too Much.

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Happy half-term!