Finding your tribe

Belonging. The odd woman out. Finding your tribe.

Let’s say that, er, I have a FRIEND – who LOVES to read contemporary romance – AND contemporary commercial crime and thrillers.

She likes a mixed healthy diet and comes back to one, then the other, hungry for more.

Then let’s say that … my, er, FRIEND… has made up stories and people in her head and then written about them on paper.
And, if this FRIEND had to find a place on a shelf in a bookshop, some of these stories might be called Romance.
And some of these stories would DEFINITELY be called CRIME/thrillers/detective – starts with dead gruesomeness and gore etc. although they MIGHT include an element of romantic relationship for the female protagonist detective as subplot.

Then this FRIEND feels that she needs to meet some other folks of a similar predilection. Preferably before her imaginary friends start talking back.

Which tribe does she choose to spend her time with?
Romance Fiction Tribe? OR Mystery Fiction Tribe?



Each tribe has its benefits. And colourful costumes, national dress and endearing habits. Even their own unique language and special sayings! They meet up in social events and have conferences etc.
Each tribe wants her to come and stay with them and eat their food and drink their wine and sing their songs and dance their special dances.

Each tribe has its own online and real live communities where my FRIEND has met great people who have become her friends.

CAN SHE BE IN TWO TRIBES?
She has heard of nomads who spend their summer with one tribe, then move south to spend the winter with the other tribe.

To avoid confusion they use different names so the passport always stays the same.

One name for the Romance Tribe.
One name for the Mystery Tribe.

While keeping their real name for their true-self tribe.

Then, for extra madness, this madwoman actually wants to become a WORKING, CONTRACTED AUTHOR!!!

Two career plans? Two publishers?
Two brand name platforms to create? Two blogs? Two websites?

What literary agent in their right mind would take on this woman?

Is this the path to madness?

Could be.
Maybe she should go where her true heart dictates and where the ‘girls in the basement’ take her, and not be ruled by other people’s expectations.

Cinematic Storytelling

Billie Mernit is the author of 'Writing the Romantic Comedy' and reads movie scripts for his day job. I always learn something from his blog *- and todays missive is no exception.





'Cinematic storytelling -- the term that's come to define this particular approach to screenwriting -- involves a kind of three-step process (though these steps are often enacted simultaneously):


1) you conceive your story in filmic terms,


2) you see the movie in your head, and


3) you write the story in a language that vividly communicates that movie's sounds and images.'

I wonder how many writers use this very visual and sensory approach to pre-screening the scenes of the fiction before writing them down?

Romance - certainly.

Suspense - almost certainly. In my case, yes. It is a key part of my work.

Perhaps this is the fundamental appeal of genre fiction as opposed to MOST literary fiction - the reader is invited into a fully realised world.

Part of creating the 'fictive dream' is surely to provide a fully engrossing and vicarious experience?

Interesting. I have learnt a lot from screenwriting techniques over the years - and am still learning. Thank goodness.

*http://www.livingromcom.typepad.com/

Writing Resources - Vicki Hinze

Opening your eyes to technology - does not mean reinventing the wheel. These pigeons truly did take aerial photos in war times before spy planes and remote drones.

Someone much cleverer than I, said that the Internet was like having a Library at your fingertips. A huge and always expanding library which is SO easy to get lost in for days on end.

So, when I find a resource which focuses on what I need to know, I jump on it.

I first came to Vicki Hinze through the Silhouette Bombshell series and personal recommendations through the net/online communities.

I only recently discovered that Vicki Hinze has an archive of free articles on the whole world of writing, which are available through her website and blog.

The current Feature Article for example, is about Character, and well worth reading.

Although they focus on Romance and Suspense Fiction there are technical articles which could relate to any aspect of publishing.

They are listed alphabetically in the 'Writers' Library' Tab, and you can find them here: http://www.vickihinze.com/

Be sure to look back through the archive articles too.

pic from National Geographic.

Centre of my universe

As a follow on from my post re:other writer's work space -here is MY 'room of my own' where I spent most of my day.

Yes, the door can close, although it rarely does. I have a laser printer, un-interruptable power supply and wireless broadband. There is a blackout blind, since the room is south facing, and a daylight bulb if needed.

The wall behind me has one watercolour seascape, but is otherwise blank.

If there was room, I would probably sleep there too.

Books are in other rooms around the house - far too distracting otherwise.

Each box file = one story. There are others, which even I find scary.

PS. This is the current state this morning, post submission. When I am jazzed on the next story, it does tend to look rather less tidy.

New words

NEW WORDS for your education and delight.

OPRAHCTUALIZED: Self actualized in an Oprah kind of way.
This is meant as a compliment.

“The Girls In the Basement,” - comes from a Stephen King phrase about the “guys in the basement” who take care of all the creativity and then send up the completed pages to be typed.
Our job is to take care of them, give them what they need, so they can get the job done.

{ I think mine are in need of chocolate and three weeks in Barbados }

POW – Not Prisoner of War – but Predatory Older Woman
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/03/2006_47_tue.shtml

Writing spaces

Where do you write?

Liz Fenwick http://www.lizfenwick.blogspot.com/ recently posted about her new writing space, and it reminded me of a fascinating collection of the work places of well known writers here: http://books.guardian.co.uk/writersrooms

Which only goes to prove one thing - every writer is unique.

Those are post-it stickers on the wall of Will Self's office.

Girl or Bloke? You guess.

Julie Myerson's cat has her own bed to distract from the monitor and keyboard. Not sure about the glass table though.

What's playing on my YouTube right now? Frank Sinatra. Once Upon a Time. [Just in case you thought romance was only at the end of our fingertips.] http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IkeW-jUfiJU

Tagged

I've been tagged by Nell Dixon -http://nelldixonrw.blogspot.com/

Rules-Link to the person that tagged you. Post the rules on your blog.

Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself

Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs and Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website. [ I am not doing this bit since the folks I know are on deadlines or mid-winter miserable, and would not thank me. Sorry Nell.]

Six random things/ quirks - hmm

1. I have a serious book habit. Every room in my house has books in it, and the first thing I notice in other people's houses is whether they have books or not. My family find it very amusing that I file them by genre - then alphabetically by author. Did I mention that I had considered becoming a librarian?

2. I like Trance and Techno dance music. My brother had a mobile disco when we were teenagers and I was the disco dancing queen whose job it was to encourage other teenagers to strut their funky stuff - I still can't hear Abba without some hip swinging.

3. My dad was a coal miner and we had fireplaces in just about every room in the house growing up - part of his wages was in coal. So I love to have a real fire and collect wood for kindling etc.

4. I hate nail varnish of any description.

5. I can't swim, despite years of lessons at school and the local learners pool a few years back. I know what to do and how the physics work, but the cunning brain kicks in and reminds me about my healthy respect for water.

6. I don't like sport - either watching or participating. Same as Nell. Both my brothers played Rugby and occasionally I was obliged to stand and watch two teams of massive hunky men [ usually local farmers] smash eachother into the freezing mud, followed by a visit to the local Accident and Emergency. Lovely.

However, I DO love to walk for pleasure and regularly go on walking hols in Europe.

I think that it enough for you to get the picture. Snarf.

Blast from the Past

Mills & Boon moves into greetings cards

According to the Bookseller, Mills & Boon, the romance publisher, has teamed up with greetings card producer The Greetings Factory to create a range of cards which will launch in February.

'The move is part of a range of non-book product and retro-style publishing lined up to celebrate its centenary ...year.
The cards use backlist titles from the 1920s onwards and feature quotes—possibly including "Lipstick and Lies: Barry dreamt that one day the world would accept him as Barbara" and "Dress To Kill: Phyllis and Audrey had killed before and they knew they would kill again!"

It is also working with puzzle maker Ravensburger on a collection of "adult" puzzles using retro jackets. The puzzles will be launched this December.

The centenary publishing programme will see a collection of 24 short stories (two each month) published with iconic '80s-style -covers.

The books, which will include Assignment: Seduction and Promised to the Sheikh, are priced at £1.49 and are by top Mills & Boon authors.

"We've got some great new photos featuring couples in a clinch, and we've got a mix of our best themes of the boss, the tycoon, the wedding and the sheikh," said retail marketing and sales director Clare Somerville.

All series romances will feature centenary logos on their covers, and M&B will release a 2-in-1 "collectable" centenary series title each month.

05.10.07 Alison Flood http://www.thebookseller.com/news/46159-mills--boon-moves-into-greeting-cards.html

Random acts of non-writing. Monday

Just in case I become bored, working through my huge File of Cunning Ideas, I could always try this...



HOW TO MAKE A DICTIONARY WALL

Methinks some folks have WAY too much spare time on their hands.

Now old movie posters- or Maps. THAT I can understand.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/how-to/how-to-make-a-dictionary-etc-wall-040423

Calm before the storm

“Some day after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we will harness the energies of love. And then, for the second time in the history of the world, we will have discovered fire.” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Time to clear the desk, and decide which of my ideas is the most exciting and energising before launching into the next storyline.

Options -

1. Old partials I have already worked on but did not fit anywhere at the time? The character work and basic storylines are there. Maybe a couple of chapters.

2. New ideas where there is only a sketch idea and a few hero and heroine photos.

I am going for about 60K so I can plan the time, but still remain flexible.

And be a bad, bad girl, and catch up with some of the 2B Read pile.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Final Read Through

Procrastination

Tomorrow morning I am going to print out my WIP, take it to the Post Office and mail it to the lovely editor who 'suggested' that I should avoid 'over-editing.'

Drat. BUSTED!

Does there EVER come a point where you think the text is truly finished and perfect?

I suspect not.

And of course, you will ALWAYS think of some wonderful plot twist or revelation AFTER you have sent it in, and you know your package is sitting in the stack for the next X months impatiently waiting its turn.

So. Time to bit the bullet and mail it.

Or maybe wait until next week? When I am jazzed about the next story?

Abnormal brain kicking in again.

What's playing on my YouTube right now? Madeline Peyroux. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl-cVgAU8K8&feature=PlayList&p=4F1D642A6F9D7B46&index=59

* pic of the brilliant Marty Feldman in Young Frankenstein, ex Corbis

A different approach to Story Structure

Robert Browne has been taking a different slant on story structure, and I pick out a few salient points for my education and delight.

THE GENTLE ART OF LOVEMAKING

We're often reminded in how-to books that the typical story is broken into three acts:

Set-up, Confrontation, and Resolution.

But what if we were to refer to the three acts in this way: Seduction, Foreplay, and Climax.

We want to create a successful story with a satisfying ending -- one that keeps our partners wanting more -- we must pay careful attention to these three words.

SEDUCTION

The beginning of a story, any story, cannot and should not be referred to as anything other than a seduction.

It is our job to make our audience want us.

We must create characters that our audience won't mind, figuratively speaking, getting into bed with. Particularly the lead.

Is he or she someone we find attractive?

Does he have a problem or flaws we can relate to?

Are his life circumstances universal yet unique enough to pique our interest?

Mystery. Every story should be a mystery. Remember the girl in college the guys all wanted but knew so little about?

A big part of her allure was that hint of mystery she carried.

No matter what genre you're writing in, you should never, never, never put all of your cards on the table at the beginning of the game.

Instead you must reveal them one at a time, each new card offering a clue to the mystery of our characters and their stories.

The third and most important element of seduction is giving your characters a goal.

And not just your lead.

Every single character you write should have a goal of some kind. Put two characters with opposing goals in a room and you have drama.

But the goal of your hero must be compelling enough to intrigue us and hold our interest.

In The Fugitive, Harrison Ford is wrongly convicted of killing his wife, escapes to find her killer, and soon discovers he's being hunted by a relentless cop who doesn't care whether or not Ford is guilty. All three elements of seduction are satisfied and guess what?

We're hooked.

For thoughts on Foreplay and Climax go here; http://www.bksp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=127&Itemid=1

'Every time you sit down to write, you must remember that your audience is your partner, your lover, and in order to make them happy you must seduce, thrill and, most importantly, satisfy.'

Interesting.

What's playing on my YouTube at the moment? Goldfrapp. [The video is mad. ]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5VPyso87fZU&feature=user

The One Song

'And, of course, that is what all of this is - all of this: the one song, ever changing, ever reincarnated, that speaks somehow from and to and for that which is ineffable within us and without us, that is both prayer and deliverance, folly and wisdom, that inspires us to dance or smile or simply to go on, senselessly, incomprehensibly, beatifically, in the face of mortality and the truth that our lives are more ill-writ, ill-rhymed and fleeting than any song, except perhaps those songs - that song, endlesly reincarnated - born of that truth, be it the moon and June of that truth, or the wordless blue moan, or the rotgut or the elegant poetry of it.
That nameless black-hulled ship of Ulysses, that long black train, that Terraplane, that mystery train, that Rocket '88', that Buick 6 - same journey, same miracle, same end and endlessness."--





Nick Tosches, Where Dead Voices Gather

[And I thought I wrote long sentences.]

Still Editing

Overused words.

Everyone does it, and if you like me, don't realise that you are doing it until someone else reads the pages.

I use this cheatsheet * using the 'FIND' function in Word -then run the spellcheck on the text, which hopefully will pick up any horrors. Search and replace is a killer.

Some might be valid of course, but at least I have decided to keep them.

*and - but (can indicate run-on sentences)
*that (unnecessary in most sentences) instead of which, and vice versa
*that (when you mean "who")
*just
*very
*nearly - almost
*really
*seem - appear
*felt - feel
*begin - began
*would - should - could
*quite
*few
*rather
*thing
*stuff
*anyway
*because
"*ly" adverbs
*so
*then
*even
*only
*down - up (as in sit down, stand up - can be redundant)
*got - get

So you see, that is why I need all the help I can get!

http://www.inkalicious.com/cheatsheets.php#editing

Undiscovered Stars

What are agents looking for in new authors?

Well one agent actually tells you what he dreams of finding in the slush pile.

As you know, Donald Maass is a literary agent in the US who wrote a brilliant book on story telling. He still has an agency - and each month they produce a list of work they would love to see coming into their Submissions Dept. Such as this -

'December, 2007 - Romances We'd Like to Read

We are speaking here of single title romance. That means excellent writing, strong characters, high personal stakes, layered plotting and more.

As usual, this is not all we’re looking for. Our intention is not to suggest paint-by-numbers plotting or to limit authors’ scope. We do hope to promote discussion of what would be fresh and exciting in romantic fiction.

*An inspirational paranormal.

*An Asian or Latina paranormal, not using Euro-centric mythology.

*An historical military romance; e.g., special forces in the Middle Ages, a la “Sharpe’s Rifles”.

*A literary romance like The French Lieutenant’s Woman: manners, morals, aching hearts, a heroine who belongs to another.

*A triple-generation romance: three generations of women in one family all find love, and conflict, at the same time.

*A stylish romance featuring an elusive free-spirit, a contemporary Holly Golightly.

*A serious romance about a soccer mom with a secret life.

*An ex-CIA agent who plans her wedding and struggles to keep her engagement intact while taking down her arch nemesis.

*A marriage of convenience in reverse: A Regency man and woman must do everything in their power not to marry.

*A time travel romance in which both protagonists travel through the ages—and never meet. '

This list certainly made my head spin with lateral thinking. I do have one partial which would work with a twist on the CIA premise, but there are 10 ideas here.

What do you think?

http://www.maassagency.com/thismonth.html

Writing Motivation

Jurgen Wolff has posted today on Motivation. *

Some people find visual symbols a powerful means of motivation - for example-

Do you have a 'fat picture' of yourself on the fridge door?

Or have you stuck a photo of your own head on the body of a supermodel/hunk and stuck that on the fridge?

'If you’re more motivated by fear of the negative, find an image or a phrase that encapsulates what you’ll feel/look/sound like this time next year if you don’t steadily pursue your writing goals. Put it where you’ll see it every day.

If you’re more motivated by the draw of the positive, find an image or phrase that encapsulates what you’ll feel/look/sound like this time next year if you do steadily pursue your writing goals. Put it where you’ll see it every day.'

Interesting thought.

Linked to the Visualisation techniques used by motivational coaches in business.

If you have a clear vision of who would be be, and what your life would be like if you had achieved your goals, the evidence suggests that you are more likely to be motivated to achieve them. No matter what those goals are.

For me it has to be positive. Fat pictures would only re-inforce negative thoughts. Not going there thank you.

What type of motivation suits you? Positive or negative?

*http://www.timetowrite.blogs.com/

What's playing on my YouTube right now? Darren Hayes. On the verge of something wonderful/ http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QCEDG9kvRtE&feature=PlayList&p=AD563AB40FF75834&index=4

More Distractions Friday

Tim Dowling has mused on the procrastination opportunities of a writer. * I could not have put it better myself - here is an extract.

'Writing a novel must be one of the easiest things to avoid doing in the world - chances are no one has asked you to do it, and no one will care if you don't.

As soon as you start, almost every other activity in the world seems preferable. Distractions come in every shape, but these are, to my mind, the top five.

Food.

Try to arrange things so that there are several flights of stairs between you and anything remotely worth eating. ...once I am in the kitchen the prospect of going all the way back up again means that making several dozen profiteroles shaped like swans suddenly seems a better use of my time.

Family Life

In many novels you will find an Acknowledgments page in which friends are thanked for the use of cottages, beach houses or flats in exotic locations...Most of us, however, will not have such options: we have to write even while we continue parenting, walking the dog and executing urgent DIY projects in a distracted and half-assed manner.

The Internet

This is the biggest distraction faced by the modern novelist.

Everything Within Reach of Your Desk

When you don't want to write, you will do anything to avoid it. If there is an old, broken cassette nearby, you will unscrew it, repair it with tape and wind it back up with a ball point pen. If there is a banjo to hand, you will teach yourself to play it, in both the three-fingered bluegrass and old-fashioned clawhammer styles.

The only way to maintain focus is to clear the immediate area of anything which you could be considered mildly interesting, or, failing that, cover everything in several layers of yellowing newspaper.

The Terrifying Enormity Of What You Are Trying To Do

Writing a novel is, in my experience, a bit like swimming across a huge, dark lake. Starting off is easy and finishing is both a relief and a triumph, but there's a long stretch in the middle where you can't see either shore and you're not even sure you're heading the right way.

This is the point where you may prefer banging your head against the desk all morning to writing a single sentence.

The best way to keep swimming is to remind yourself that it's no good staying where you are because it's 200 feet down, although I'm not sure the lake analogy really extends that far.

To be honest I'm finding it very difficult to concentrate and tune this banjo at the same time.'

* http://www.jointhemediacircus.com/mediacircus/2007/08/the-5-biggest-d.html

Reality Check Thursday

Kate Hardy* reminded me on her post today of something which is crucial as to why I am still knocking my head against the writing wall every day.

And yet so easy to loose track of.

Writers of Romance Fiction have the power to put some sparkle into people’s lives.

We write happy endings that make people smile and feel good.

Now that. Is worth fighting for.

I am still not happy with the black moment scene. So today I am going to fight and fix it so that, one day, someone else may read the story and smile.
Thank you Kate.





*http://katehardy.blogspot.com/

Black Moment Scene, Wednesday

Danger/Black Moment; where the inner conflicts clash in a devastating way, driven by an external event. The whole book has been moving toward this moment, the darkest hour when all seems lost.

This is the scene when the Plan Fails. Some major revelation through the external conflict threatens their relationship, which directly challenges the internal conflict and fears of one of them. Or both.

John Truby* teaches screenwriting, but the story structure is very similar to that described by Jenny Crusie** and other story coaches. With perhaps one exception.

John advises that the author look VERY hard at the battle and self-revelation storylines and THEN look backwards to see how the writer has built up the detail on the internal conflict so that this scene is the most powerful in the book.

In effect, creating the storyline from the self-revelation moment.

So today I am focusing on what I want this scene/chapter to achieve, before working my way backwards to see if the turning points support the conflicts and this scene is both inevitable and necessary.

My heroine has been through the grinder. Time for her to break through and find happiness with the man who has come to love her.

Then all I have to do is revise the scene to make it the most powerful and fundamental life changeing event in her life.

That's all... Sigh. I need Josh.

**http://www.crusiemayer.com/workshop/the-central-question-and-the-conflict-box/jenny/

*http://www.truby.com/

No YouTube today - Mozart on Radio 3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/breakfast/pip/i75iy/

Point of View Tuesday

Headhopping.
Changing point of view from the hero[ Him ] to the heroine [Her] and back again.

I have 14 pages in my revised first chapter. The only POV are the hero's and heroine's - this is a short contemporary and I want to focus on the two main characters.

The POV shifts are as follows;

Her. 1,2,3 - main intro. sets out her external and internal conflicts. location one

Him. 4,5,6,7.5 - main intro. external, hints at internal conflict. location two

First meeting. Page 6.

Her. 7.5,8 - first meet reaction- location one

Him. 9,10 - impact to him of first meeting

Her. 11, 12,13,14- her story takes off from here - ends with the first plot point - action starts.

There are space breaks and scene breaks between the POV changes, but I am now wondering if I should revise again to make this a single POV after they first meet.

Thoughts?

What's playing on my YouTube right now? North and South- Mr Armitage. In the Deep. Never saw it coming. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DnJLgyonhNA

Revision Monday

As I noted in October, Kyle Kerr *has this comment on his blog:

'During the Maui Writers Retreat, John Lescroart made a really great speech…

He says that, during the writing process, there are two different modes an author goes into.

When she’s writing the first draft, the author is in “Genius Mode,” where everything she writes is flecked with gold and diamonds.

Then, when it comes time for editing and revision, she enters “Idiot Mode,” where the author realizes that what she had first taken for gold and diamonds is actually pyrite and kitty litter.

It’s the worst thing she’s ever seen, let alone written herself.'

Guess which mode I am in right now?

Hint - cat litter does not even come close.

*Go here for Kyle's website http://www.kylewkerr.com/

No YouTube today - the visuals are too distracting for my fractured brain cell. Listening to CD of Vaughn Williams and Elgar.

Distractions

The Lutener household has several compost bins which benefit from the large quantities of veggie peelings and shredded paper which we generate in a week.

Last week, one of these bins had a tunnel in it. A round tunnel. At an angle.

Result:

1. A humane rodent catcher cage. Bait goes inside cage and door locks behind critter.

2. Cold night Thursday. Compost bin tunnel destroyed. Cage baited with dry cure bacon.

3. Yesterday morning. Live rat in cage.

At this point Mr Ray-Anne has to go to London so Ray-Anne given responsibility for regular checking of long, sleek, not-too-happy, rat which is trying to gnaw it's way out of cage.

IT IS A BIG RAT.

4. Cage loaded into plastic storage box with lid. Box loaded into car boot.

5. Car driven to local woodland a few miles away. Box out. Cage out.

6. 3 attempts to open fancy secure latch on cage with thick gardening gloves before door open.

7. rodent leaps and bounds into forest.

8. Realisation that rodent probably has a family group nearby and we shall have to do the whole thing again. Several times.

Distractions.

The Truth can hurt

Ten Things People Say When They Meet Writers (and what we're really thinking while we're politely smiling)

1. Are you really a writer, or was he joking?

He was joking; I'm a retired porn film producer. Say hi to your husband for me.

2. Authors make big money, don't they?

Of course we do. I'm just putting these canapes in my purse for the dog.

3. Books put me to sleep.

Sounding out all those words must be pretty exhausting.

4. Can you write like Stephen King?

No, but I bet you could give him ideas for his next book.

5. Do you have a real job?

Yes, I beat the c*** out of people who think writing isn't a real job. Can I talk to you outside for a minute?

6. Have I read anything you've written?

Oh, my God. You can read?

7. I never go into bookstores. I can't find anything I like.

Hey, maybe someday Barnes & Noble will carry pork rinds and personal massage units.

8. I have this great idea for a book. Would you write it for me?

Sure. Just as soon as I write the books for the forty thousand other people with great ideas that I met before you.

9. My sister/wife/mother reads all your romance novels.

Don't worry, Big Guy, your secret is safe with me.

10. You don't look like a famous writer.

While you, on the other hand, look exactly like a jackass.

Posted by Lynn Viehl. http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/

Ps. In the UK. I would add, ‘Do you earn as much as JK Rowling?’

Sunshine ahead

Holiday photos from the Greek Islands.

Hot sunshine. Blue skies. Warm winds. Lapping waves. Star filled night skies.

Just the thing for a cold January morning.

Hope your day is warm and cosy.

No YouTube at the moment. Radio 3.

The hidden power of the words we use

The English language must be one of the most mangled, derivative languages in the world, and I sincerely admire the many people who have to learn English as a second language and become so fluent.

Take for example, the historical basis for the names we use to describe the basic calendar.

All pagan, all ancient, and linked to the simplest of planetary and astronomical observations.

There is a world of history behind WHY we have twelve months and seven week days, which many cultures do not share.





January. From the god Janus.


In Roman mythology, Janus (or Ianus) was the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings.


His most apparent remnants in modern culture are his namesakes, the month of January, and the caretaker of doors and halls: Janitor.
Janus is usually depicted in sculpture and text as having two faces, one looking backwards, one looking forward.

Janus was also thought to represent beginnings. This belief comes from the idea that one must emerge through a gate or door before entering a new place.

Wednesday: This name comes from the Old English Wodnesdæg meaning the day of the Germanic god Woden or Wodan, more commonly known as Odin, who was the highest god in Norse mythology, and a prominent god of the Anglo-Saxons (and other places) in England until about the seventh century.

In Old Norse myth, Odin, like Mercury, is associated with poetic and musical inspiration.

Two words with a cultural heritage which we take for granted, even as writers.

My twisted brain cell finds that quite fascinating.

Now on with using other words to create my made-up world and people.

What's playing on my YouTube right now? Cuban music from the past. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wFCG2TIEAjY&eurl=http://doyouspeakenglishradio.blogspot.com/