For all you Star Trek and Contest Lovers

Check out Ellie's Blog for this fun STAR TREK AS WE KNOW IT blogfest and Sign Up to the linky leaving your name and rank.


I chose Captain Madeleine.S.Maddocks
of the Starship Blogger (a mix of Janeway and James T.) Just wait until you see me in my uniform on August 22nd!

You must:
Post your Top five Star Trek characters and episodes and/or films and tell us why you love them.

Warp your way over to as many of your Starfleet comrades as you can and comment on their choices.

Spread the word on all hailing frequencies and feel free to post the image on your blog.

Lisa Claro has a fab Followers Giveaway at Writing in the Buff

Frustration as Haiku

www.youknowthatblog.com 

Own a computer?
Frustration personified
Well, need I say more?

Hosted by Jenn

Dialing a number
Make your choice from the options
Now you're put on hold!

Visiting the zoo
It's the holiday season
Being watched all day

First Adult Book Read Blogfest

LINK: Hosted by Heroines with Hearts

Post your entry on blog 24th/25th July.




I had always been a fairly slow reader and I'd read lots of adult books for Eng Lit courses at school like Thomas Hardy and John Steinbeck or one's recommended to me by my mother, like Lynne Reid Banks.

However, Margaret Drabble’s 'The Millstone'
was the first adult book I chose to read for myself.
At 17 years old and in just 4 hours I'd read it from cover to cover. A record for me.

Rosamund Stacy is a Cambridge University graduate whose parents have instilled socialist and puritan ideas and values within her. When the loss of her virginity leads to an unplanned pregnancy she takes the important decision to assume responsibility and become a single mother.


I read it again a few years ago and I still love it.

Of course I've just realised I read and adored the James Herriot series when I was 14yrs, but hey, The Millstone represented an epiphany for me, so that's why it stood out in my mind.

Novel Films Suggestions

  This blogfest will last 1st Aug - 3rd August so check out the Linky HERE to sign up. It's getting exciting as there are a number of entrants already.

I have been asked whether entrants should

1. make a list of the novels and books they have read/seen?
2. Or give a review of what they thought?

I'm expecting entrants to:

Day 1 Post a list either as a word list or using pictures.
I wonder who will have the most titles?

However on

Day 2   You might like to review the book and film pairings you want to go into in more depth.

Day 3 Tell us which books you have read that you want to see the film versions for or which films you've seen that you plan to read the books on which they are based.


How does that sound?




UPDATE: Dad is out of hospital again! Yay!

Scented Haiku

This week's theme: Scents

http://www.youknowthatblog.com/

Brewed to perfection Rich aroma of coffee Bitter sweet bean smell

New shed, fresh and sweet Woody scent warming my nose Naturally good

Artificial scents Joss sticks and essential oils Give me a headache..

Horrid accident Gran's nose and taste buds damaged Cardboard smells and taste

Limerick Off ~ How do you write yours?

I am thrilled to say I was winner of Limerick of the Week (17) on Mad Kane's blog in the last but one week’s Limerick-Off. (1st line supplied)

A wo-man who al-ways felt free (8 syllables)
Used to hang up-side down from a tree (9 syllables)
In the dead of the night (6 syllables)
A young boy took a fright (6 syllables)
Now he’s scared to go out for a pee (9 syllables)

 

For anyone who doesn't know
A limerick is

·         a kind of a witty, humorous, 'nonsense' poem that nevertheless, tells a story.

·         usually in five-lines with a strict (AABBA) rhyme scheme,

·         based on the rhythm "da-da-Dum" (anapest metre)

·         Lines 1, 2, and 5 rhyme with each other and have three of those da-da-Dum "feet".

·         Lines 3 and 4  rhyme with each other and have two da-da-Dum "feet"
·         The content is often humorously obscene.

·         The form can be found in England from the early years of the 18th century.

·         It was popularized by Edward Lear in the 19th century, although he did not use the term.

So how do I compose my Limericks?

It's tempting to want to write them off-the-cuff and some people are able to very easily, but like a good poem research is the key.

So then Madeleine Kane gives the first line for everyone to use as:

A gal who was lovely and fair…

Now it is the second line that must have the hook to draw the reader in. So I turn to my Thesaurus for ideas.

Does she have a fair complexion; blonde /auburn hair?

Had fly-away gingery hair  or  Had fiery, ginger-red hair or maybe beneath all that loveliness she had a difficult, naughty, willful streak

Who didn’t like washing her hair.  Or  Who liked to lure men to her lair

or is she honest, impartial and unbiased?

Who had an uncompromising air

Now, before I tie myself in knots over the next 2 lines, I must decide how it will end, so having chosen line 2, I think about the last line rhyme and where the story is heading.

I finally came up with two:

A gal who was lovely and fair Just didn’t like washing her hair. It got so entangled And wiry and brambled That Sparrows began nesting there.

A gal who was lovely and fair Often liked to lure men to her lair She tore off her vest And puffed out her chest Then lay with her legs in the air.

How do you write your Limericks?


UPDATE: After the busy week sorting out my mum, which was a relief, I had to return again as my dad was admitted to hospital with a serious, re-ocuuring complaint, so it's been something of a nightmare week. As he cannot speak and as hospital notes are locked away at the weekends I'm glad I was there to help answer their questions. I expect to return to Bath again tomorrow.

Seriously Cute Blogger Award

I'm delighted to have been awarded this Seriously Cute award by Golden Eagle. Thank you sooo much.

For this I have to list 5 books/films/TV programs I've read/watched in the past 12 months:

Book & Film: Election by Tom Perrotta. I saw the film and loved it because the psychology of the characters is perfect. When I read the book it was easy flowing, well written and while it had a slightly different ending to the film I loved them both.

TV Programme: The Big Bang Theory. I happened upon this will channel hopping and have become hooked it is a truly Laugh Out Loud experience.

Film: The Adjustment Bureau. Hubby thought this was a superb film. I enjoyed it, too, though I would like to see it again before I pass judgment. 

Book: Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I'm afraid I found the style of writing difficult. It seemed heavy on the telling with great chunks of exposition through dialogue rather than through showing action. Maybe something was lost in the translation, I don't know, but had I not seen the film trailer I would not have ploughed my way to the end of the book. I hope to see the film sometime soon.

So to pass on the award...

PK Herezo at My Fiction Addiction


Colene Murphy at The Journey


Rachna's Scriptorium

Ellie Garratt

BTW Sorry I've been quiet the past few days. I had to make an emergency dash up to my parents to sort out my mother's health problems. After a procession of doctors and district nurses (and some help around the house and shopping and visiting my dad)  I feel much happier that things are better again.

Wishing Haiku

Hosted by www.youknowthatblog.com

Theme: Wish(es)

What will you wish for?
Maybe you'll share it with us?
Or maybe you won't.

In a cloud of seed
Delicate wishes are made
Now borne on the air.

All your problems solved
With magic waving of wand
That's wishful thinking!

I wish you all success and happiness

Dynamic Duos

I love to write and I also love to bounce ideas off other like-minded writers.
 This got me to thinking again about the solitary occupation of authorship versus successful writing partnerships.
I wonder why it is that most writers must squirrel themselves away to write secretly before launching their words of wisdom out into the world?

 
Think David Croft and Jeremey Lloyd; Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady; Annie Ashworth and Meg Sanders, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

Do you know of any others?

Do you enjoy bouncing ideas off other like-minds? Maybe you prefer being a solitary writer?

What do you think of writing collaborations?


Don't forget to sign up for the blogfest:




CHECK OUT ALEX J CAVANAGH'S Post about films and their novels.

Announcing Novel Films Blogfest

There's a lot of novels, comics and plays that have been made into films and TV dramas,
BUT how many of them have you BOTH seen the film/TV drama and read the original book, play or comic story?

 Here's your chance to list the ones you have

Check out these links for ideas: Novels Made into Movies 

To join in the fun:

• Leave a COMMENT below to let us know what you think
• Sign up to the linky
• On Monday 1st- Wednesday 3rd August POST UP your list of novels, comics and plays that you have BOTH read and seen the film/ TV adaptations
• Then check out the other blog entries on the linkey between 1st - 3rd August and leave comments

PLEASE Grab the Button, (and even if you can't join in) Blog about it, Twitter, Facebook and SideBar about this Blogfest. Thank you.

See here for more suggestions on how to present your blogfest entry.

Recommend a Read ~ Haiku

Hop over to Meagan Spooner's Blog

Recommend a read a maybe win a prize!

http://www.youknowthatblog.com/

My haiku were lost
But how?I have no idea.
Blogger, how could you?

Recommend a read

A wealth of choices to make

What are your favourites?

Novel Films Blogfest

It will all be revealed soon

Hop back tomorrow

Catching Up

Hi everyone. Hope you had a lovely weekend. Hubby whisked me away for a fabulous minibreak to West Cornwall. We had fabulous weather.

I forgot the sunscreen; my mobile phone charger; our beach towel and my sun hat.

We enjoyed the fabulous beach at St. Ives with water in all shades of indigo blues and aquamarines.

We ate very well

We braved the freezing sea water along the causeway to St. Michael's Mount

And a school child's postcard to Barbara Hepworth, in her museum, summed up our thoughts:

Now I am catching up with blogging, laundry, etc.
Of course the rain is pouring now... How about you?



BTW I also came up with a new Blogfest idea. See my post this Thursday and grab the button.

Lies, Lies, Lies ~ Romance Fridays

L'Aussie Writing and Francine at Romancing The Blog provide a story, poem or an excerpt up to 400 words on a chosen theme each week.

This week's theme for Romantic Friday Writers:  Lies, Lies, Lies

This theme didn't exactly put me in a romantic mood, but the scene below kept playing about in my head and had to be written. It's certainly full of angst and heartbreak... Oh and since lies is repeated 3 times in the title theme, I put in 3 lies. Can you spot them?

Intoxicating Lies by Madeleine Maddocks

 Even though Jennie should have been expecting it, the blow came out of nowhere. The familiar sensation  flared through her cheekbone, which now resembled a hot boulder. She’d clutched the kitchen counter to brace her fall.

“Bitch!” her husband’s hot, toxic breath was inches from her face like happy hour at the local nightclub.

She tried not to wrinkle her nose in disgust or he’d hit her again. She tried to remember the love she had once felt for him. The happy times in their three years of marriage. For the way she used to feel when they were together. A void of emotion yawned in answer.

“I saw how you looked at him”

Him was the postman. The kind, handsome Jack, whose smile warmed her aching heart.

“He wouldn’t want you. Nobody would. That’s why I’m stuck with you.” Her husband’s breathy venom curled its way through her nose and into her soul.

She  averted her eyes to avoid provoking him further. Her gaze picked out the brown blood stain on the lino; a Christmas present, when the police and the ambulance had been called.

“I’m sorry” he’d sobbed in the hospital, his eyes darting about madly like some cornered animal. “I’ll never do it again, Jenn, I promise.”

“And the drinking?” she’d asked, her voice barely a whisper, her body bandaged and throbbing.

“I’m done with the drinking too.  I’ll go now. I love you Jenn”

“Me too” Of course it was all lies. How could she love him? How could he love her?

“You won’t ever leave me will you Jenn?” was his parting plea.

“No, of course not” she’d lied.

She watched his bulky frame stagger out of the kitchen as he muttered under his fetid breath. Soon she could hear his snoring coming from the living room and her heart leapt with excited apprehension. She hurried stealthily. Climbing the step-stool she grabbed her most valuable documents from their hiding place: her passport, driver’s licence and Building Society pass book.

Then she stopped again to listen, as though her ears were on stalks. Still snoring. She rushed to the broken chest freezer and pulled out a packed rucksack. Stepping through the back door she hurried into the garden. Liberating her mobile phone from under the shed she climbed the fence.

“Jack” she said, as her phone call was answered, "I’m on my way”.      (397 words)

Just to let you all know I'm taking a blog break,
so I won't be online for a few days.

I plan to return Tues/Weds.
Happy Blogging and thanks for your patience.