New Binges, Non-Plagiarism, and Cocktails!

Did you see that Adrian Mole is getting rebooted? This is fab news but I've been unable to reread Sue Townsend's original books for some time now. When you spend your days writing the diary of your own fictional character, you try to avoid anything that'll accidentally make you plagiarise a better work.

Except I didn't copy anything!

It last happened with Matilda. I read the book as a child, saw the film as a teen, attended the musical as a thirty-something, and watched the film of the musical a few years back. Despite knowing the story well, I still accidentally duplicated the name of the kind adult who introduces the protagonist to books. It's Mrs Phelps in Matilda. It's Ms Phelps in my own novel. I promise I didn't mean to copy.

A teen, a mum, and an
overbearing grandmother.
The Gilmore Girls!

I worry the same thing might have happened again. I was recently recommended a TV show. The woman who was doing my nails reckoned I'd like it, what with the teen subject matter I was writing, so last week I started The Gilmore Girls. Oh boy, I LOVE it. It features fifteen year old Rory, living with her mum in a cute little town. There's a community of people who have each other's backs, and there's a stuffy overbearing grandmother. The mum constantly argues with the grandmother and Rory is always level headed and sensible. It didn't take me long to see the resemblance. Leeza McAuliffe has a stuffy overbearing grandmother, her mum and Grandma always argue, she lives in a cosy community of kind people, and she's level headed and sensible. Shit. Have I ripped off The Gilmore Girls?

Happily I gave my head a wobble. Obviously I've not ripped anything off. I'd never seen the show until a week ago and didn't know what it was about. My characters are not UK versions of Rory's family. But! What made me feel hugely reassured is that these characters are recognisable. The stuffy grandmother has been tried and tested. I can write my own version without worrying it won't work. Likewise the level headed teen has precedent. The small town with strong community values is a classic setting, and the harassed mother is widely recognised. Initial panics aside, The Gilmore Girls has both entertained and encouraged me greatly.

Live scenes from my desk

Writing News

I've started the process of transferring my manuscript onto a pre-formatted template. This will make the whole thing look like book pages. Once it's done, I'll be ecstatic. Until then, I'll be tearing my hair out as I struggle to understand the most basic of instructions. Take this morning. I spent two hours trying to work out why the downloaded fonts that I'd installed on my laptop were not on the dropdown list of fonts in Word. Eventually I gave up, and switched off my laptop. A cup of tea and a mental break later, I turned the laptop back on only to find - yep, you've guessed it - the fonts were now visible. Of COURSE turning it off and on again was the answer. I need to remember that for the multiple technical headaches I'll have during this process.

Culture

So, what have I been watching apart from The Gilmore Girls? Well, in the spirit of the season, I've been embracing the Christmas specials of Nigella Lawson. Obviously they're slightly contrived. Filmed sometime like April, the cocktail party that she's effortlessly throwing is unlikely to be replicable. No matter. Her enthusiasm for all things kitsch, twinkly, and fabulous makes me happy. See the next section for specifics.

Food and Drink

Nigella starts this episode making a cocktail. I've come to cocktails late in life. For decades I've been a pint of beer or a large glass of wine, kind of woman. In recent times, however, the lure of less volume/stronger impact has become impossible to resist. I eschew fruity flavours and summer juices. For me, it's got to be warming and wintry. Nigella's cocktail involved vodka, Chambord, and creme de cacao blanc. I had just one of those ingredients (voddy, obvs) so needed to improvise. Using two parts vodka, to one part stollen liquer and one part chocolate rum (Christmas presents from previous years) I had the booziest and loveliest winter cocktail ever. Bastardised martinis FTW!

Out and About

On Saturday, I spent a few hours in London visiting my auntie. Even though most of the time was spent sitting on a train, I was physically knackered yesterday. London, eh. It's a trek. Then, last night I had a night in Liverpool arena watching James B Partridge. Yep, that's the guy that does the school assembly bangers. He was performing a Christmas show so me and my own friend from school had an excellent time. There's nothing like a bunch of pissed up adults singing Little Donkey to get the seasonal cheer flowing.

Decs are going up this week. They MUST. The house is ready, I'm ready, it's time. 

Have a lovely week, folks.

Peer-Pressured by Belgium...

Now, don't have a go at me. It's not my fault. If it hadn't been for my Bruges trip last week, I'd have held out for longer. They were all over the place, you see. Every outdoor restaurant, every window... the whole of Bruges was covered. What in? I hear you cry. Why, fairy lights, of course. Everywhere was a-glimmer. How can I have experienced all that twinkle, then come back home to boring old  grey?

It's Bruges' fault

That's why, as of Friday 14th November, the landing fairy lights have been on. A soft glowing white, but bold as brass. My mood went from 'not bad really' to 'FULL OF THE JOYS' at the flick of the switch.

Writing News

We're at the point where multiple people have got involved! Here's what's happening. 

The next Leeza McAuliffe book has been edited. It's been sent to beta readers, it's been sent to a couple of high school youngsters, and I've set the cover plans in motion. My next job is to contact some sensitivity readers - I think that'll be all bases covered. This is the time when it starts to get exciting and/or scary. People are reading my words! Hurrah! People are reading my words! Oh heck! It's all part of the process, though. We know this by now, don't we.

Culture

Another series of Taskmaster is over. I love how each series introduces me to comedians I'd have never come across otherwise. This time it was Phil Ellis and Ania Magliano. Providing many pmsl moments, I look forward to loads more in the future. 

Film wise, it's been an eclectic bag. After watching the 40th anniversary showing of Back to the Future at the cinema, I completed the trilogy at home. It's much more disconcerting in the current climate to watch Biff's transition into Tr*mp, than it presumably was in the late eighties. 

In other news, does anyone remember the 1991 mini-series, Brides of Christ? A young Russell Crowe played Dominic Maloney; the older brother of one of our Catholic school girl protagonists. Her best mate had a huge crush on him, and managed to seduce him the night before he was sent to Vietnam. He was young, scared, horny, and then scared some more. His eyes conveyed the sexy boyishness that our heroine had fallen for, whilst glazing with fear whenever he considered his immediate future. It's a small, but memorable, performance. That was in my head when I watched Russell Crowe in Nuremberg. He plays Hermann Göring and is utterly chilling. Occasionally, his eyes crinkle just like Dominic Maloney's, but most of the time he's dead behind them. I'm not sure whether this film does much more than remind a present day audience that any country can fall prey to fascism, but despite that, Russell Crowe's performance is outstanding.

Food and Drink

Bonfire Night came and went, but happily I've got gingerbread left from the evening. I made it that day - it's basically treacle toffee sponge cake - and is the squidgiest, spiciest, most comforting cake ever. Here's the recipe that includes a proper picture. My own photo featured here, is clearly terrible. I can only hope it conveys the outdoor bonfire fun that was happening at the time.

Out and About

After my exciting Bruges jaunt last week, I've been hibernating. What's more, over the weekend, I had the house to myself - win! It meant I got to live up to my full ferrel potential; working in bed, eating in bed, and taking a chilled bottle of white wine in an ice bucket to bed whilst binging Netflix. LITERALLY living my best life right there.

I hope your own best lives are in easy reach this week, and if not, they'll be reachable another time soon. How exciting's that!

Have a lovely week, folks.

Setting the Scene...

Here's some serendipity for you. A few months ago, my brother messaged, 'You'd really like Bruges, Nicky.' (He was in Bruges at the time.) Out of mild curiosity, I idled over to the Eurostar website, just to see the logistics of getting there at some point. Can you believe? It was only the last day of a Eurostar sale, with slashed prices and top notch deals. I booked a return train there and then. Bruges, here I come!

Actually, that should read, Bruges, here I came! Because, just to make clear, I'm currently in Bruges. Yes, like the film!

Obviously I watched In Bruges during the week. This time, the hitman plot, and cat and mouse storyline didn't resonate as much as the 'ooh that's the square near our hotel' type comments. Regardless it was marvellous and reminded me how much I love a movie location. Because I really do, you see. Often, the reason I'm drawn to a story is its setting. Think Ferness in Local Hero, Vienna in Before Sunrise, or Boston in Spotlight. The place is part of the story. Whether it's fictional or geographically authentic, the setting of a movie can be just as thrilling as the plot.

The Man With The Golden Gun 
in Thailand

It was different in the past. If you watched a film, and wanted to know what the location was like, you had to visit that location. As most people couldn't do that, film locations seemed glamorous and aspirational. Viewers travelled vicariously through the cinema screen and saw far away places around the world. Think James Bond. Tropical paradise or snowy mountainous terrain - all elitist and fancy pants. 

I understand the thrill of seeing somewhere exciting and unreachable. I'm just more about the everyday. The fact a movie has been filmed in a particular location, automatically elevates that place as exciting. Every time I watch a film or TV drama, I'm straight onto IMDB afterwards, looking up the town it was filmed. Then I'm dragging the yellow Google figure about the map, trying to find the same roads and buildings that I've seen on screen. 

Slough House
from my very own Google Maps

It's easy with Bruges. There are obvious landmarks that make it easy to recognise . In fact, I walked past the Belfort (the tower that features in the climax of In Bruges) about an hour ago. What's less obvious is when a place contains no landmarks; when the streets and houses are commonplace and standard. They're harder to find on the map but just as interesting. That they've been used to tell a story I've enjoyed, makes them worth looking up. I'm thinking the residential Chicago street in Home Alone, or even scruffy Slough House in Slow Horses. 

That's all well and good for films already in existence. What about stories that remain on the page? With the Leeza McAuliffe Stories, I've created my own location. The setting is the fictional Cumbrian village of Applemere Bridge. I've visited several Cumbrian villages in my life, but they're mostly the touristy ones in the Lake District. Applemere Bridge isn't like that. It's decidedly non-touristy with no landmarks to make it recognisable on a map. And yet! It's home to the twists and turns of three books* of Leeza's life. The mini supermarket, the pub, the country lane that becomes the high street, the bus stop, the new estate... these are the backdrops of Leeza's story. They're the backdrops to the action. I can picture the place so clearly in my head, it's frustrating not be able to look it up online.

Shap - small, just off
the motorway and one
main through road.

This train of thought always leads to the same place. Where would the dramatisation of Leeza McAuliffe be filmed? OBVIOUSLY I've thought about it. In the end, I think it'd end up being a Local Hero sitch. Did you know, the town of Furness depicted in the film is a composite of two separate places? You get the beach in one location and the town in the other. Maybe that's what would happen for Applemere. There's a small town called Shap, that I've loosely had in my head - you may have seen it mentioned in the UK news last week when there was a train detrainment? That was the starting point for my fictional village. But my head has embellished it repeatedly, so now it bears no resemblance. 

I suppose the good news is, this isn't a problem I need to ponder. Mainly because there's no film on the cards. Also, if one were planned, a location scout would be deployed. I can rest easy and stop thinking about towns and settings and locations.  Yet that's the hook for me. The hook for a good story. Can I picture the place it's set? Do I want to visit? Do I feel I HAVE visited through the ups and downs of the narrative? Maybe it's just me, and everyone else watches a film and forgets about it. All valid thoughts to ponder. Meanwhile, I'm off out to explore a bit more Bruges. Hopefully avoiding the hitmen and gangsters that brought this place to life for me, years ago.

Have a lovely week, folks.

*For clarity, two books are published, one's coming soon.

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend...

Now we're cooking on gas. Welcome back, Greenwich Mean Time! Hello dark nights! Come in, winter chill!

Yeah, yeah, we ALL know this is my time. Summer lovers everywhere are shivering into their cardigans and dusting off their SAD lamps. I'm genuinely sorry you're feeling that way, and you KNOW this time will pass. I try to limit my joy when I'm with people who I know are struggling. No one wants to hear me banging on about the joys of something that causes them pain. But here, on my own blog, just between you and me, the wind, rain, and frost is giving me LIFE. 

Writing News

An ode to my intermittent creative energy, referred to here as Writing Flow...

Lovely Writing Flow, 

so elusive and coquettish. 

When I've all the time in the world, 

you literally appear to vanish.

But, lo, when I get busy,

with pressing matters elsewhere, 

you rock up bold as brass,

you act without a care.

My best laid plans get ditched, 

I'm at the mercy of your whim. 

I must write when you appear,

or the outcome is quite grim.

Writing Flow, what's going on?

Work with me, why don't you?

Can't you trickle steadily,

Instead of one big breakthrough?

Last week you were amazing!

Ever-present and rock-steady.

But knowing your flighty nature, 

you'll soon be gone already.

So thank you Flow, for dropping in,

I'll be finished sooner than later,

Because after your week of visiting,

it's time for the illustrator! 

In related news, I've been FLYING with edits this week. After a few decent days of lengthy laptop shifts, my schedule is back on track. I've contacted Gary who does the covers, and it's all coming together. I've even had time to write poetry. WTAF?

Culture

Keri Russell is Kate
Wyler, the Diplomat.

After writing my socks off for hours each day, I unwound with Netflix's The Diplomat. It's three series of political shenanigans; camper than The West Wing, but still pretty solid. I binged it each night until I was done. Then, in 'the best movie script ever written' news, I saw Back to the Future on the big screen, for its 40th anniversary. That film will never stop being brilliant. In book news, I'm working my way through Christopher Brookmyre's back catalogue. I'm currently in the middle of his first novel, Quite Ugly One Morning, and loving every deliciously described, grossly brutal, but ultimately humorous scene. For a first novel, it slaps. Finally, I gave into the buzz and listened to Lily Allen's new album, West End Girl. It's fab. Apart from the confessional, vulnerable nature of the thing, it's packed full of ear-wormy bops. I love it for her.

Dried fruit, waiting 
for the rest of the 
ingredients.

Food and Drink

I'm not trying to be the most annoying person in the world (honest) but it's the time of year when make a Christmas cake. No, I've not started watching my Christmas films yet and no, my fairy lights aren't routinely on each evening, but the last days of October are Christmas Cake time.

It's one of my favourite Christmas jobs. Because it's done long before the seasonal stress kicks in, I can wallow in the best smells as I potter about the kitchen. Orange zest, port, mixed spice, cocoa, cherries, and honey. The whole thing simmers on the stove, before being poured into a tin. And the best part? There's not a raisin, currant, or sultana in sight. I hate the things, so use cranberries, dates, and cherries instead. The original recipe is here, if you want it, but as you'll see, I've switched out the dried fruit for my preferred options.

Out and About

In hindsight, having a few quiet pints in Liverpool, on a Friday night that happened to be Halloween, might have been a mistake. It was chocka! What's more, there were people dressed up... who were adults! As my usual aesthetic is dark nails with a smoky eye, I blended in fine. Thank goodness I'm not about the pastels. It ended up being an excellent night. What was the best costume I saw? Why, thanks for asking! It was Zach Galifianakis from The Hangover, complete with a (photocopied) baby inserted into the carrying sling. 

Onwards. This week, Bommie Night will provide me with another of my favourite smells. Is it sulphur? Is that what's in the air when people have let off fireworks? Either way, that's the smell I love. A crisp, cold night, with that fireworky smell, and the whiff of fire lingering around. God, I LOVE it. Slow-cooked stew and treacle toffee, STAT.

Have a lovely week, folks.