Happy New Year

A very happy new year to everyone. All the best for 2012

- Jim

Reflections and Resolutions

Greetings all,

I hope you all had a wonderful Chranukwanzadan.

This one was very special for me as it was the first one I have been able to spend with my family since 2004. As I sit and contemplate this, I find myself looking at the coming new year with a new perspective. In recent years, around this time, I've faced the new year with trepidation and dread. As you all know, 2010 was not exactly a good year for me and coming into 2011 was daunting to say the least. If you had told me a year ago that I would be not only back home engaged to my school crush, I would have laughed in your face. Yet here I am, happy as can be.

So this year instead of the normal resolutions I've decided to give something back. Recently I became aware of the charity ICAN. This is a charity that helps children with communication problems. They say it better than I could so:

We are the children’s communication charity. I CAN’s mission is to ensure that no child who struggles to communicate is left out or left behind. Our vision is a world where all children and young people who struggle to communicate receive the help they need so that they can have a happy childhood, make progress at school and thrive as adults.

I grew up with (and still have) speech problems. It would have been fantastic to have had the support of a group like this. So this new years resolution is to support these guys. My first pledge is to donate to the Adopt A Word program.

Now I know this might look like a token effort so I have something larger up my sleeve to raise money. I can't go into too much detail just yet as it's all in the initial stages. Let's just say it will involve facing quite a few of my fears at one time. Not spiders though...that's just not going to happen...EVER!!

So what have you wonderful people decided to do this year?

Happy Primary Gift Giving Festival Day

A very merry Christmas to all of you out there in meat land.

J B

Let Us Never Forget

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, I looked over my homeland, once occupied and enslaved and I gave a silent thank you.

The Writer vs The Virus

IN THE RED CORNER

Here to prove that the pen is mightier than the sword, The Pylon from the island (I never said Iwas good at rhyming): Jim the writer!

AND IN THE BLUE CORNER

Coming out of retirement after 21 years in a nerve cell; The bug with the gloves: SHINGLES

That's right folks, I have been stricken by the little beggar that has, apparently, been laying dormant in a nerve cell since the last time I had chicken pox.  No one has ever mentioned to me how painful this incarnation is.  Oh and anyone that tells you that you only get chicken pox once is lying, I've had it twice.  Does this count as a third time?

So I have some time off work and to prevent the onset of cabin fever, decided to do some writing for this years NaNoWriMo.  It seemed like a good idea at the time, until I discovered that sitting at the desk just irritates things even more and increases the pain.

Still, we're supposed to suffer for our art are we not?  And it has given me the chance to make a start on the new short: The Crows and the Tree.

So how are things going for my fellow Wrimo'ers? Are you reaching your targets?

Gone Home, Please Leave A Message With The Doorman

Well these past 2 months have certainly been eventful.

What began as a little 3 week holiday to visit family and friends has become me moving back to my old stomping grounds.  That's right folks, I have left the good old USA and returned to my little island home of Guernsey.

Why? You ask.  To be honest there is no single reason for it, rather it was a decision made after considering a lot of factors.  Not least of which was the health of family members. 

I have to admit that it is a little odd being back in my childhood room as so many years.  But then at the same time I have found that this move has invigorated my passion for writing.  This is, after all, where it all began those many years ago.  I can still remember being sixteen and making my first tentative steps into this tumultuous world we call writing.  Sitting for hours at my old electric typewriter during the school holidays as I labored over The Lighthouse.

Regular viewers will have heard me mention this story before.  And you may also remember how the original manuscript had been found recently.  Well I've had a chance to look over it and although my style has certainly changed and improved over the years, there is still a lot of potential in the basic concepts.  So I'm happy to announce for all those who were there in the beginning, that the story is going to be re-written.  Hopefully it will be even more spine chilling.

By the way, this is the particular lighthouse that gave me the original idea.

That's the Hanois lighthouse off the south coast of Guernsey.

So here's to the next chapter in the grand novel we call life.  Turn the page and expect the unexpected.

There Is An Ant On My Manuscript

Right now I am sitting on my sofa watching an ant crawling over the print out of Maidens Song I have been editing.  He's scuttling around, randomly checking out words.  I'm thinking of giving him a very small pen so he can get on with this crappy job and give me a break.It's funny how you can be so certain of something only to have it suddenly shoot off in a different direction.

That's a thing people don't realize about writing.  Our stories tend to take on a life of their own, become like old friends.  And just like people they grow and change.  And just like people they can be awkward SOB's who seem to delight in doing whatever they can to annoy you.

Oh well, once more onto the breach dear friends.