tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52720633392782974042024-03-13T08:42:55.295-07:00Through The Looking GlassObservations of lifeVikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-21703230105427409782017-06-19T14:49:00.000-07:002017-06-19T14:49:23.748-07:00Fitting into corners ~ A Story of Priorities and a Jar <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQNL1JDF9InXp6EbQ5ITykMqvcOBvLNSL3j2OX7pDG6eRHpwbhnBmOA8q9TbJjDf-bMpDZDQM2ptp1Hd20CFJkinHxKIFrMyCFIhu2cuS2tF1xOp-xMtu_f95sbo494vYABXNfjqTKX4j/s1600/IMG_0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQNL1JDF9InXp6EbQ5ITykMqvcOBvLNSL3j2OX7pDG6eRHpwbhnBmOA8q9TbJjDf-bMpDZDQM2ptp1Hd20CFJkinHxKIFrMyCFIhu2cuS2tF1xOp-xMtu_f95sbo494vYABXNfjqTKX4j/s200/IMG_0308.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">Before I sat down to type this post I was making my
bed, a task I loathe as I always seem to take a ridiculous amount of time
trying to tuck the sheet in trying to smooth out the wrinkles, and usually lose
patience half way through trying to fit the quilt into the corners of the
cover. But then it’s kind of worth the hassle as nothing beats that feeling of
climbing into a clean, crisp bed…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">And then I got to thinking, when it comes to fitting
into other corners, is it always worth it? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">It’s easy to find yourself in a
corner, wondering how you got there if you spend too much time listening to the
expectations of others, listening to their perception of you and thinking, ‘<i>You’re right, I am like that, so this is a
really good idea, following this path, because really it’s the only sensible
option at this stage of my life and won’t I be a bit of disappointment to you
and to myself if I don’t try it?</i>’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">And it’s easy to forget to listen to another voice,
the one that’s echoing in the perimeters of your brain, that’s demanding you listen
to the creative dreamer. The dreamer sometimes gives you a good kick deep
inside when you listen to a haunting song, and the goosebumps erupt up your
arms, waking up your imagination, pulling you back into another part of your
world you sometimes forget to spend adequate time in. Maybe that world got a
bit real, when your words were released into a forum you didn’t quite
understand, so you hid for a while wandering along another path of expectation that
has more clear cut rules that you know how to follow… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">But then you remember that day, when you were a few
weeks into following the path with more rules, you found yourself sitting in a
meeting and you were shown a video called, ‘A Story of Priorities and a Jar’. The
smart professor on the video explained that if you fill the jar with sand first,
then there will be no room for the rocks or the pebbles, which are the
important bits. And you couldn’t quite shake the thought <i>I’ve just gone and put a whole heap of sand in first and now I have to
spend a lot of time sinking into the sand</i>, <i>when really there’s rocks and stones I need to collect to build
something else…</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">So this is the start of me going back to building
something else. Remembering to listen to the dreamer, and the dreamer is so
happy as I type these words, that I can feel a little tingle dancing up and
down my spine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 107%;">P.s The photo at the top is of a beautiful ‘Small
Stones’ booklet that my friend Rebecca made me for my birthday a few months
ago. You should check out her creative website <a href="http://rebeccajohnstone.com/">here </a><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-59570197856339418682017-02-12T12:30:00.005-08:002017-02-12T12:30:56.855-08:00Small Stones <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last month I decided to repeat a writing challenge I tried many years ago called 'Small Stones' to kick start some creativity. When I completed this exercise the first time around it showed me how much detail you can see in every day observations if you look closely enough.</div>
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The idea behind the Small Stones challenge is to:</div>
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~ Notice one thing each day</div>
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~ Give your whole awareness to it</div>
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~ Write it down</div>
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I attempted to capture observations in a poetic and creative way. Here's a selection of my January observations below: </div>
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<b>Misread subway advertisement on the morning commute: <i>Think of your perfect hell. </i>This is it, right here - Monday morning where the grind begins again, a row of weary eyes reflecting mirrored emotion, a glimmer of who we want to be burning beneath restless hands turning the pages of today's news, lost under the city in a rattle of repeated loops. </b></div>
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<b>A teenage boy, vulnerable face, dark shadows under nervous eyes, a sigh of relief flooding his body as he walks into the comfort of a group who understand: with no questions, no judgement. They speak his language of technological puzzles, navigating night monsters into oblivion, so he can live another victorious day.</b></div>
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<b>A montage from a photography class displayed above a robot with confused.com printed across his chest. A photo of a girl - one green eye, one red. Startled by a flash of realisation that she is being looked at, examined, seen - not judged - captured and suspended in a beautiful light, expressed through colour.</b></div>
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<b>Red Glove: child sized, waving hello from a puddle on a dark January morning. The puddles pulled her under and this is a sign -Help, come and find me...</b></div>
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<b>Girl in stilettos, walking comfortably in new shoes, head held high. Her friends are running alongside still trying to catch up with who they are.</b></div>
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<b>Wooden heart laced with fake red berries, tied to a fence. A cheap remembrance of a love so rich. </b></div>
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<b>Pink hair, pink trainers, black nails and fierce eyes. Sweet and sour: Do not underestimate my power.</b></div>
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In January I also had a nice surprise of being a runner up in the Weegie Wednesday Shorts competition. (Weegie Wednesday is a writing networking group I have attended for years).</div>
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My short story, <i>Only You</i>, was broadcast on the Glasgow Hosptial Broadcasting service and was read aloud by an actress, with sound effects and music. They captured the atmosphere of Paris within the story perfectly and it was quite special to hear it 'brought to life'. </div>
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Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-61358378290786528212017-01-08T08:38:00.001-08:002017-01-08T08:38:51.949-08:00Hello Again <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday I logged back into this blog and couldn't quite believe it when I saw that my last post was in December 2015. I re-read the post, where I talked about how fast paced life had been during 2015. 2016 followed a similar vein and I had a year of purposely 'stepping outside of my comfort zone' and seeing where that took me. It took me to good places: a perfect new house, a promoted post in my day job and some romantic adventures. Throughout 2016 I was also really lucky to take part in a lot of fun book related events, engaging with lots of enthusiastic and passionate teenagers, some of whom took the time to contact me afterwards to tell me I had inspired them to read more and write more. (You can read about these adventures on my author website <a href="http://www.victoriagemmell.com/">here</a>).<br />
Every time I leave one of those events I feel a renewed energy and enthusiasm for the power of creativity, but also a sense of guilt as I've been really bad at disciplining myself with my own creativity, of creating enough space to silence my mind. But then I kept telling myself <i>if you want to write something of true depth, with emotion and meaning, isn't it also important to make sure you live a full life?</i> That's what I feel has been important for me the past year or so, as I had been so immersed in my writing and day dreaming for a good couple of years I felt I'd let my 'real life' plod along without much change.<br />
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Now that I've thoroughly shaken up my life (in a good way) I feel it's time to get serious again about re-connecting with the creative side of my brain. I have still been working on my new book and I'm happy to say it's over the half way mark now, but I want to be typing THE END <i>really soon</i>.<br />
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The past year I've stopped myself from writing anything which isn't <i>the book</i>, because I feel guilty when I use (my very limited) spare time to play around with words in other ways. But after reading over this blog again yesterday I realised how much I've missed using it as a way of expressing myself creatively and documenting anything interesting I see, or using it as a way of expressing thoughts which pop into my head from time to time into something more meaningful. This blog was a fantastic way to keep me connected to the creative part of my brain.<br />
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One of my favourite exercises I documented on here was the Small Stones challenge so I'm going to put a notebook in my work bag this evening so that I can start to doing this every day during my commute. I'm going to re-train my brain to edge aside work things and some life things, and make more room for my imagination to take flight.<br />
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Watch this space!<br />
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<br />Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-55717086252393530422015-12-14T12:55:00.001-08:002015-12-14T14:13:52.256-08:00Through the Looking Glass <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It wasn't until I logged into Blogger today that I realised it has been nearly two months since I posted on here. This is partly because I sometimes now post short updates on my author website <a href="http://www.victoriagemmell.com/">here,</a> but also because I use this blog for more personal introspection, and I feel like this year has flown by at such a break-neck exhilarating speed, that I've not always had much time to just sit and reflect on things...which I miss, as I feel one essential ingredient to achieving creativity and letting your imagination flourish, is to ensure you have time to reflect and daydream.<br />
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During the last Christmas holidays and start of 2015 I let my imagination run wild, and got thoroughly lost in daydreams as I composed a secret 'Future Dreams' board on Pinterest. I love the visual worlds you can create on Pinterest and have read a lot about the power of positive visualisation, so instead of writing a list of goals for the new year, I decided to post pictures, relating to things I wanted to achieve. One of the images had the words; 'Achieve your publishing dreams: Ready to make your dreams come true? It's Time!' And four months later that time did indeed arrive! </div>
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I also started to post pictures of nice houses, and things relating to a new home, as I knew I was going to put my flat on the market. I just moved out of my flat last week - it was on the market for most of the year, and even although I've temporarily moved back in with my parents until I find a new place, I've taken a big step in the right direction. I'm going to enjoy adding new images to my board during the holidays and it's an enjoyable way to keep focus. </div>
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Over a year ago I also created a 'mood board' for my book <i>Follow Me</i>, which made the story and characters stay present and real in my head throughout the whole submission process, and it was very useful to be able to transfer some of these images onto a new board for my cover artist to access. I printed out and laminated my 'mood boards' to show pupils during a school workshop showing them how it can help to build on atmosphere and character when you write. </div>
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So many new, exciting, and sometimes overwhelming, things have happened to me this year that I think it's going to take me some 'downtime' to actually absorb everything. I've called this post Through the Looking Glass because a turning point for me in my writing career was when I went through quite a transformational time in my life, and when I named this blog. I've mentioned this before in a previous post, but the name for this blog came to me when I was on a trip to Vancouver, and was standing looking in the window of a shop with lots of Alice in Wonderland paraphernalia. </div>
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That trip was really important to me because it was the first time I had flown anywhere alone, and as I was visiting a friend who was living and working there, I spent a bit of time travelling around the city solo. It was also the first big holiday I'd taken since the break-up of my longest relationship to date, (even although I was well over it by then, I still felt I was going through a period of re-adjustment and was at the positive stage of viewing life as being a bit of an adventure, full of unwritten possibilities). I had also just turned 30. I returned home from that trip with a sense of determination and focus, and probably entered one of the most fulfilling and creative periods of my life. A lot of people have described my writing in <i>Follow Me </i>as assured, and when I think back to the frame of my mind I was in when I started to write the book I think I was probably the most centered and creatively free I've ever been, which maybe carried into my writing.</div>
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Now I feel I've entered the next stage of my writing journey, and I'm looking through the glass from another perspective. With every stage of the writing process there are re-adjustments, challenges and learning curves. There is a big part of me that would love to hire a doppelganger to manage my social media, events (and to do my day job for me!), to allow the 'real' writer me to go back to my daydreams and get my next book finished. </div>
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But really, I do love the interaction part too. In my 'day job' as a careers adviser the aspect I enjoy the most is my attempt to motivate and inspire teenagers. So it was very rewarding to step inside a school, this time as an author, and see the enthusiasm from some fourth years at a recent workshop who constructed some very imaginative flash fiction stories. Talking to them about some of my earliest writing attempts when I was at school reminded me of the fire which has always burned inside of me to construct imaginative worlds and attempt to create a little bit of magic. I'm looking forward to hiding away for a little while over the holidays to drift off into an alternative world where the characters from my imagination get to lead my story again for a while. </div>
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Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-28670434601072325012015-10-25T03:28:00.000-07:002015-10-25T03:28:58.764-07:00Blog Posts and a 5 * Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I am featured on Patsy Collin's <em>Words about writing and writing about words</em> blog, providing an insiders guide to a book launch night. Thanks for having me on your blog, Patsy! You can read the post <a href="http://patsy-collins.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/book-launch-night-insiders-guide.html">here </a><br />
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My friend Rebecca also did a lovely post about my book <em>Follow Me</em> on her creative blog T<em>he Magpie Diaries</em>, with reference in particular to <em>Ode on a Grecian Urn</em>, a John Keats poem which is quoted in my novel. You can read her post <a href="http://themagpiediaries.co.uk/midweek-poetry-ode-on-a-grecian-urn-follow-me/">here</a><br />
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And I was also delighted to see a lovely <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R9EMM007I2U10/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=191082903X&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=266239&store=books">5 star review</a> popping up on Amazon yesterday for <em>Follow Me.</em> I really appreciate readers who take the time to leave thoughtful reviews as they can help sales on sites such as Amazon so much. <br />
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Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-41295519114902651332015-10-20T06:04:00.000-07:002015-10-20T06:04:26.453-07:00Launch Night<br />
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Hi all,<br />
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I'm conscious I haven't posted on here for a while. I had a brilliant time at the launch night for my YA debut <i>Follow Me</i> the other week at Waterstones in Argyle Street in Glasgow. I did a short post about this on my author website which you can see <a href="http://victoriagemmell.com/2015/10/15/launch-night/">here</a>. One of my work colleagues (and a few friends) took some great photos from the night so I managed to set up a slideshow of these on the homepage of my website. The photo at the top of my blog post was taken by my colleague, Derek Mooney. He put a great 'Pop Art' effect on some of the photos, to link in with the Pop Art/Andy Warhol theme in my book.<br />
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I was overwhelmed by all of the encouragement and support I received both on the night, and on the run-up. And some lovely emails and texts are now arriving from readers who have enjoyed the book (which is always a relief!). It's quite a strange feeling knowing <i>Follow Me</i> is now 'out there' in the world being read.<br />
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I was also asked to write a guest post on another writer's blog about my experience of having a book launch, with any tips, so I will be linking to that post when it goes live in a few days.<br />
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A new print-run was put in for <i>Follow Me </i>after the sell-out success on the launch night, A couple are still in stock on Amazon, so you buy a copy<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/191082903X"> here</a><br />
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<br />Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-28640884293116159102015-10-08T04:31:00.002-07:002015-10-08T04:31:56.515-07:00Ready for Take Off <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJ6R425BCAsS_rcKeg4DG-_SIH7cP3RHIDTDurD26TIm-HKALX62rUDGKOSGaptJn5FRq70HIbpCKWNTk8RarIR9_sAtt5LVCQqJNHEptnXFFoKIZvStJgNpd0nuZFd3mZE0mKYhC5D2G/s1600/montage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJ6R425BCAsS_rcKeg4DG-_SIH7cP3RHIDTDurD26TIm-HKALX62rUDGKOSGaptJn5FRq70HIbpCKWNTk8RarIR9_sAtt5LVCQqJNHEptnXFFoKIZvStJgNpd0nuZFd3mZE0mKYhC5D2G/s320/montage.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tomorrow is the big launch for <em>Follow Me</em> and I am putting the final preparations together today for little things I want to take along. I've put together a montage photo (at the top) with some moments from my day yesterday. One big moment was getting to hold my book <em>Follow Me</em> for the first time in my hands - such a great feeling! And I also received a pop art card from one of my work colleagues - that's me, Andy Warhol style, which is just brilliant. All of my work colleagues have been so supportive and excited for me and it makes the whole run up to launch day even more exciting for me! <br />
The coke bottles are a little extra thing I am taking along to my launch, keeping in with the Andy Warhol, pop art theme. <br />
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One of my biggest champions since I could read and write was my Mum, the writer Rosemary Gemmell, and I was delighted to be interviewed on her blog yesterday. You can read that <a href="http://ros-readingandwriting.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/debut-author-victoria-gemmell.html">here </a> I couldn't ask for a more inspiring and supportive Mum and it's brilliant being able to share a love of words and writing with her. I was so happy when she got her brilliant book, The Highland Lass published earlier this year (one of many), as I know this was a story close to her heart, and I think this is probably my favourite book of hers.<br />
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I'm really lucky to have been brought up in a creative and supportive family (my Dad and brother were always very encouraging also, and I am lucky to now have an extended family in the form of a literature loving sister-in-law and an already creative little niece). <br />
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And thanks to everyone who reads this who has offered me encouragement along the way! <br />
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Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-18449228984828615262015-09-28T02:18:00.001-07:002015-09-28T02:20:57.885-07:00Author Interview It is now only two days until the release of my book and I am sitting wondering where the time has gone. Since the meeting where I heard my book was to be published, life has been a bit of a whirlwind. In the run up to my launch night I have been busy preparing essential things, such as buying my dress, ordering cake toppers of my book cover to put on, well, cakes! I have also found the time to answer some interview questions from Fiona, on the Authors Interviews site. You can read my interview <a href="https://authorsinterviews.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/here-is-my-interview-with-victoria-gemmell/">here </a><br />
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My author profile is also now live on Amazon <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Victoria-Gemmell/e/B015VKTEE6/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1">here</a>, with my updated cover image on the pre-order link page. <br />
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Thanks to everyone for all of the support and encouragement on the lead up to launch day. It means a lot!<br />
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<br />Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-24895517174013844392015-09-22T06:03:00.001-07:002015-09-22T06:03:45.653-07:00Launch Night <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So excited to reveal that my book launch event for my YA debut <i>Follow Me,</i> will take place at the Argyle Street branch of Waterstones in Glasgow on Friday 9th October. I love nothing more than browsing the shelves of Waterstones, (and buying books to add to my already over flowing bookshelves), so it feels amazing to know that I will get to launch my own book in one of their stores!<br />
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There will be drinks, nibbles and of course book signings on the night so I hope you can join me in celebrating!<br />
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For those of you further afield my book will be available to buy from other branches of Waterstones, independent book shops and Amazon from 30th September.<br />
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You can read a coming soon blurb on the website of my publisher, Strident, <a href="http://www.stridentpublishing.co.uk/coming-soon/">here </a>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-67928940749376657152015-09-09T14:36:00.000-07:002015-09-09T15:14:58.683-07:00Book Cover Reveal <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg425Lq51iY3B9-us5dBSejjRHYiGrgZWI9WgNxyta2-ae9Roq6nUDle3PbsFHwG6tk86AZXpC79h7cP5mjizR1ls7BYQNaUAkSRuWwIMOVxX5v87xf7qvvcroUoU8jdZZs2AkrU1CFYY-4/s1600/Follow+me+front+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg425Lq51iY3B9-us5dBSejjRHYiGrgZWI9WgNxyta2-ae9Roq6nUDle3PbsFHwG6tk86AZXpC79h7cP5mjizR1ls7BYQNaUAkSRuWwIMOVxX5v87xf7qvvcroUoU8jdZZs2AkrU1CFYY-4/s320/Follow+me+front+cover.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
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The cover design for <em>Follow Me</em> went through some last minute, quite dramatic, changes the other week and I am delighted to be able to reveal the final finished version above. The artwork/photography is by artist Ida Henrich, and I am really happy with how it turned out. It makes everything feel very real seeing my name on a book cover! <br />
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I was lucky to be consulted about my cover (I wonder how many authors are?). My publisher, Strident, even asked me to write a short brief of any ideas I had before work began. I had always visualised woodland being central to the image as Eddison Woods is a central feature in my story (and leads to the Barn). I love the green light in this too.<br />
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The release date is 30 September, so not long to go now. And as any writer knows, this is when the true work just begins :)<br />
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<br />Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-11859266585359443772015-09-01T05:42:00.003-07:002015-09-09T14:56:54.533-07:00First Blog Feature <br />
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Hi all,<br />
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Just a short post to alert you to the fact that I am featured on Margaret Montgomery's fantastic blog, <i>Notes from the Blunder Ground, </i>today. You can read the post <a href="http://blundergroundnotes.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/victoria-gemmell.html">here </a><br />
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Margaret's debut novel, <i>Beauty Tips for Girls,</i> was released in March, published by Cargo, and is a brilliant book. (you can read my review of that <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R2TO64H35Q9H2S/ref=cm_cr_pr_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1908885386">here)</a>.<br />
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You'll maybe notice from the image on Margaret's feature that the cover for <i>Follow M</i>e has gone through some last minute changes... I'm still waiting on the absolute final version, but it will look pretty close to that one and I love it!<br />
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The release date is creeping ever closer...<br />
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<br />Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-58215396728260936562015-08-09T08:23:00.000-07:002015-08-09T08:47:40.479-07:00The Writer's Journey...and why it should be a personal one <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjh_ffKb0jxAsg9m2WvdLxp6YXxaRZDUI7ltni-XNB_wFJQODDNPOPCQJcwP3Hbx8opoivIF3fK5K2dXz0M5SbWxAYbApEqUkOWRmZ8-n_HhM8qVVe6z57qFYMP5HVOF8OM1Hfd4-Qpr_/s1600/Converse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjh_ffKb0jxAsg9m2WvdLxp6YXxaRZDUI7ltni-XNB_wFJQODDNPOPCQJcwP3Hbx8opoivIF3fK5K2dXz0M5SbWxAYbApEqUkOWRmZ8-n_HhM8qVVe6z57qFYMP5HVOF8OM1Hfd4-Qpr_/s200/Converse.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you’ve ever read a writing magazine, or friended writers
on social media, then it’s fairly easy to gain an insight into the writing
world and all that entails. When I catch glimpses of other published authors posting
constant updates about round-the-country book tours, school visits, library
talks, multiple launches, multiple guest posts, tv appearances, the #amwriting hashtags announcing
that another 5,000 words are complete, I get a little bit anxious (and envious)
about being tied to a full time 9-5 day job. I always like a challenge, but I
know it won’t be possible for me to be able to engage in the same level of
activity as some writers, at such a constant pace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A friend said something to me the other week which resonated
with me – ‘Don’t focus too much on what other people are doing. Remember this
is your own unique journey, so just focus on that’. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The same friend let me read an article in Mslexia magazine
(Issue 66) titled,<strong> ‘Don’t give up the day job</strong>’, by Naomi Elster. This article upset my
friend a bit due to the fact she had given up her own full time job to pursue
creative projects and it made her feel a bit guilty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to admit when I first started to read the article, I
felt an element of relief – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">here’s a
writer I can relate to, she understands the challenges which come from working a
full time ‘day job’ and writing</i>. But I stopped identifying with her pretty
soon into the article and actually started to get quite annoyed. She wrote her
piece in reaction to articles from other writers who believed, ‘You can’t write
if you have to work too.’ Seeing as I’m living proof, (along with millions of other
writers), that yes you can, I’m not disagreeing with the premise of her article.
However, what she went on to do, in my opinion, was insult and condescend the
writers who have given up the ‘day job’, as well as devalue the writing profession. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Her line, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘We live in
a world with very real problems, problems that can’t be cured with an
appropriate sonnet’</i> seemed quite disparaging. It made me think, but
imagine the world we would live in if the creative arts didn’t exist? Books can
be powerful, educational and magical and provide many with a very important escape
from their repressed and limiting worlds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The article continues with lines such as , ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I doubt that any writer who isolates herself
in the proverbial ivory tower will ever create stories and characters that
anyone else can engage with- apart from another isolated writer, that is</i>.’
This made me wonder ~ does she have an imagination- is she creative? If I gave
up my ‘day job’ tomorrow I certainly wouldn’t be sitting in a ‘tower’ locking
myself away from the world all day long, but even if I did, I know my
imagination would conjure up some three dimensional ideas for me. And a lot of
the time, if I’m in the middle of an intense piece of writing, isolation from
distractions is necessary. An ivory tower would come in rather handy…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">She implies that working a ‘day job’ is the only way to
really live and experience ‘real life’. No, it’s not – being employed by a
company means being restricted to a 9-5 (or set hours), often getting bogged down
with repetitive tasks and surroundings. Don’t get me wrong, at times my job can
be varied and interesting– I’m in a client facing job so I get to interact with
new people every day, but elements of my job definitely drain my energy and
stifle my creativity. I do like the routine of a job,(though would prefer a more part time routine!), and get fulfilment from it, but I have a much more fascinating
and enjoyable time outside of work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This writer then goes on to talk about how she had to spend
a lot of time at home during long term sick leave, saying, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When I did venture out the house, the only
people not at work were a handful of self-styled artistes who were permanently unemployed,
by choice, and seemed determined to be misunderstood</i>’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She doesn’t stop there but goes on to say, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘(I)…found myself writing affected
pretentious prose in a voice that didn’t suit me</i>…’ (Implying this was due
to hanging around with these <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">artistes</i>
and attending too many spoken-word events). A helpful friend then told her, ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Your writing just isn’t accessible anymore</i>.’
She doesn’t specify why she was on sick leave, but I found this a poor example
of visualising what life would be like if she didn’t have a ‘day job’. Physical
or mental illness would clearly drain your energy levels, so few would be able
to write anything worthwhile during that time. I've also hung out with some great, inspiring writers who treat their writing as a profession by day, and by night, and certainly don't act like misunderstood 'artistes'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you can probably tell this article provoked a strong
reaction in me. This has made me even more acutely aware about how important it
is for writers to focus on their own journeys and what works for them. As this
writer is in a similar situation to me I thought she would be able to offer me
some invaluable insight and advice into managing a busy life. Instead, it just
made me realise how we are all very different in our approaches and that it can
be wrong to categorise writers as those who have a supplementary ‘day job’, and
those who don’t, as ‘work’ and responsibilities come in many different forms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What is a good plan for you, won’t necessarily work (or be possible) for me,
and that is ok. It’s still nice for writers to share advice and tips, (and I’ll
certainly be picking brains on promotional aspects), but when any aspect of ‘advice’
starts to feel like pressure or judgement, I’m going to make a conscious effort
to tune out. And that applies to the pressures I tend to put on myself too! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tune out, and write on...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-87658021505978689892015-08-02T13:15:00.001-07:002015-08-09T08:47:08.838-07:00Living Fearlessly <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKKBI5-iFQwQsNZkMo9RuaP5l0K_n1MYjkJ8LuWmFcTFGkOLVSqhTUq3DIw31DKFi2TP7QHeElw-ebMNXWYE5J0ZVoDDHY-DkeqU2L14OxPWKSFZ1BaFXg2hdhzWOV2DmqzQNTq1_qz5M/s1600/Sun+in+trees+-+perth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKKBI5-iFQwQsNZkMo9RuaP5l0K_n1MYjkJ8LuWmFcTFGkOLVSqhTUq3DIw31DKFi2TP7QHeElw-ebMNXWYE5J0ZVoDDHY-DkeqU2L14OxPWKSFZ1BaFXg2hdhzWOV2DmqzQNTq1_qz5M/s320/Sun+in+trees+-+perth.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last week myself and two friends went along to a meditation talk titled 'Living Fearlessly' which was led by a resident teacher, (Kadam Morten Clausen), of the New York Kadampa Meditation Centre. Kadam, like all of the Buddhists I've encountered (which isn't many), emanated a sense of calm and joy and led us through an insightful hour and a half's talk and guided meditation. <br />
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The talk centred around the Buddhist teachings of Kelsang Gyatso - at the heart of which is the simple philosophy that true happiness occurs when we feel at peace within ourselves. A lot of the philosophy I had heard before at the few meditation classes I have attended at the Glasgow Kadampa Centre (which I've also made reference to on here before), but the more you hear the simplicity of the philosophy, the more you do realise how much we tend to let our negative (or panicked) thoughts get a bit too loud. Even if you're a positive, upbeat person most of the time, we all have an abundance of moments which make us over-analyse, along the lines of: 'but what if that were to happen' 'why is this happening???' or the torment of, 'if only I had that/did that/achieved that/they noticed me,' I know I'd be truly happy. <br />
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I can't even begin to capture half of what this Buddhist teacher said on here because it always sounds too basic when I attempt to explain it. I think the thing which resonated the most with me was when he kept saying the words, 'We need to learn to let go'. As in, let go of everything you believe will make you happy - external goals, the reliance on others to achieve your happiness. And accept that everything which has a beginning, also has an end (scary, but that's ok).<br />
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He said Buddhists like to recognise the truth -that trying to control your external world, which is always going to be in a constant flux of change, is a bit of an impossibility and shouldn't really be your focus. If you let go of that idea of control, then you can free yourself from a lot of anxiety and fear. The focus, they believe, should be on striving to have a happy and calm mind - an inner peace (so that when bad things do happen you have the strength within to deal with it), which is why they practice meditation. <br />
I'm rubbish at trying to meditate myself at home, but I really get into the guided meditation (sometimes too much, nearly dozing off. My friend nearly fell asleep at this one - Hi Rebecca!). <br />
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I'm not saying I agree with everything that was said, but it certainly made me think, and made me want to write this post as I know a lot of people who have had a bit of a rollercoaster of a 2015 (sometimes in a bad way, sometimes in an exciting way).<br />
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I also had the chance to talk to an ordained Buddhist Monk afterwards and he very kindly answered my nosy question, 'So what exactly does your day to day involve?' (This guy leads the Glasgow meditations and always looks so happy and has the most calming presence ever). His day looks like this: Get up early - meditate, study meditation, eat lunch, teach meditation, study some more, teach mediation, take a turn cooking dinner within a shared house of Buddhists, maybe socialise, then meditate before bed. <br />
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The simplicity of his life wouldn't be for everyone, (I know I'd love it for a few weeks, then probably get bored), but it did make me wonder: Do we all follow a more complicated path than we need to, just because society has brain washed us into thinking it's normal? I sometimes worry about that, that we've all lost our so called 'free will' somewhere along the way because we're constantly being fed messages of what we think we need and what we think we want. <br />
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I'm going to finish this post with an image I came across a while ago, which I really like, and which I think is fitting for this post. Night all!<br />
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<br />Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-66667418306346835352015-07-20T05:51:00.002-07:002015-07-20T05:51:44.127-07:00Keeping it (un)real<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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About time I did another update on here! There has been some progress on the book front since I last posted. You can now see a 'Coming Soon' blurb for Follow Me on my publisher's website: <a href="http://www.stridentpublishing.co.uk/coming-soon/">http://www.stridentpublishing.co.uk/coming-soon/</a> This makes it all feel very real!! <br />
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I'm writing under my full name, Victoria, as I don't want there to be any mix ups with the erotic writer Nikki Gemmell. Plus, people always spell Vikki wrong. And it's also kind of nice using my full name for a change. <br />
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As the publication date draws ever nearer, there has been a mix of putting on my 'edits' and sensible 'business' hats- thinking about promotional things, filling out applications to become part of an author database (which I'll post about when my profile goes live).<br />
And then the fun parts, where I get to immerse myself in more creativity - putting together <a href="http://victoriagemmell.com/">my author website</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/vikkigemmell/follow-me-~-inside-the-barn/">Pinterest board</a> and <a href="https://instagram.com/victoriagemmellauthor/">Instagram page</a>. (If you click on those titles it will take you to my pages). <br />
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I'm a very visual writer and I've had fun searching for photos on Pinterest, (and also taking my own photos and putting together collages), to pin to my board and Instagram pages. This gives you a glimpse into how I visualise parts of 'the Barn' to look (the underground hangout place in my book) and other aspects of my story. <br />
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The challenge at the moment is switching between my day-job brain, up-and-coming publication excitement, and maintaining a focus on newer pieces of writing. I was thinking the other weekend that it's important to leave some time aside to just daydream- let your mind go on a wander whilst you listen to some music, draw something, read something, have some inspiring conversation, visit new places...<br />
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Sometimes if I have a quiet moment at the weekend I like to visit a café and a friend mentioned spotting a place called Mad Hatter's. When you look at the title of my blog it isn't hard to guess that this might be a café I'd want to visit... It was a great little place to take some time out and drink hot chocolate (which was VERY good!). I loved their Alice In Wonderland tea pots. The next time I'm in I'll have to get some photos. This is their facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Madhattersscotland">here </a><br />
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Happy daydreaming! <br />
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Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-89877388652301685232015-05-26T12:55:00.000-07:002015-07-02T05:51:40.863-07:00Dreaming that Dream <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once again it's been a while since I've blogged but I think I've got a pretty good excuse this time for my absence. The past couple of months have been a bit of a whirlwind thanks to an exciting chat with a publisher one evening, then an exciting email, and then an even more exciting meeting where I heard the words, "So I loved your book, and I'd like to publish it."<br />
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It's hard to describe how that felt, hearing those words. Knowing that my book will be gracing the shelves of book shops (and libraries) and that I can sit it on my own shelf, alongside some of my favourite authors, all feels a bit surreal just now. I found the photo (above) and thought I should use it for this post. You might be able to see my reflection - I thought as I was taking the photo this was kind of cool, like it made me look as if I was a part of the library, inside the books. Books have always been such as big part of my life- it seemed appropriate.<br />
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Becoming a published author has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and there have been many times over the past few months in particular I've wondered how many more 'nearly theres' can I take. But for writers who are reading this and are still waiting for their big break my words to you today are, 'Don't give up! Keep going.' It might sound like a cliche, but you really don't know what is around the corner.<br />
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And also trust your instincts. I'm delighted my Young Adult novel Follow Me is going to be published by Strident Publishing, a Scottish publisher. When I first finished my book a few years ago I thought this publisher would be a good match for my work, but circumstances didn't make this possible until recently. This was also a lesson in seizing an opportunity and having the guts to pitch my work face to face. If you suddenly find yourself in a room with the publisher you want to be with, then make sure you talk to them!!<br />
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Working with an independent publisher has been
fantastic so far - the personal touch and approachable nature has made everything feel very much like a team approach. I can't wait for my book to come out in October.<br />
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I'm sitting listening to a random music mix on my computer as I type this post and appropriately one of the songs I class as the 'soundtrack' to this book has just clicked on. (Which is Dots and Dashes by the Silversun Pickups if you want to know!). Any time I listen to songs like this, it takes me back to the nights I was immersed in getting the story down.<br />
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From the word go I loved writing this book, and that's what I'm always going to remember. Nothing beats the excitement of creating a story which demands to be told! <br />
<br />Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-49501675620136833992015-03-03T13:45:00.001-08:002015-07-02T05:52:25.668-07:00Your mountain is waiting <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I've been quiet on the blogging front
of late due to life taking over a bit. Many a weekend has been spent getting
stuck into a long overdue clear out and I have also been contemplating a long
overdue change. I find big changes quite stressful, though usually I get to the
stage where I recognise they’re necessary and then start to see the positives
and potential excitement. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was delivering some training at work
last week w<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>hich drew me into interesting conversations
and discoveries (ones which tie in quite well with my blog post from December, 'Thinking Things Over',
where I referred to a meditation class I went to). The training explored some coaching methods and techniques, and my training
partner shared her experience of a recent Neuro Linguistic Programming course
she had been on.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I find the idea of NLP interesting – it focuses
on how we can learn to control our thoughts, and in doing so can free ourselves
from negative thinking. A great book she recommended is,‘How to take charge of
your life: The Users Guide to NLP’ by Richard Bandler,(the co-creator of NLP), Alessio Roberti and Owen Fitzpatrick. Some of the quotes from this really got
me thinking. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In my job I work with clients who sometimes hold themselves back
with limiting beliefs, and really I think we’re all guilty of that to some
extent. I know how many opportunities I’ve missed out on due to self-doubt and
it’s something I still struggle with in some aspects of my life. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A couple of my
favourite quotes from the book were: </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Believe
that you can achieve what you want, and you will set yourself free to achieve
it</span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And:</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Our
biggest limit is not in what we want and cannot do; it is in what we have never
considered that we can do </span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On my way home on the train on Monday I
looked up at one of the stops and noticed a poster on the railings, (which I
think was part of an art project). I didn’t have time to absorb the full picture
but what I caught was an image of the word ‘Worry’ on the left hand side,
changing into the words ‘Things got Better’ and underneath it said something
along the lines of, ‘Take control of your thoughts and change your world.’ It
was strange noticing this the day after I just finished the NLP book but
there’s a theory that our brains also seek out what we want to find. So maybe
these are all messages I need to hear just now, and at the end of the NLP book
the authors encourage anyone who reads it to share their messages, which I
guess is partly why I’m posting about this, because maybe these are things <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> need to hear too. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The title of my post is inspired by a Dr
Seuss book, ‘Oh, the places you’ll go.’ Twice in the past week I’ve seen a
reference to this book and it’s one I personally love. A work colleague once
gave it to me as a parting gift many years ago and I think it’s very uplifting and
inspiring. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">I’ll leave you with
Dr S’s parting words: ‘Your mountain is waiting, So…get on your way!'</span>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-20601227878699486132015-01-19T13:57:00.001-08:002015-01-19T13:57:23.207-08:00Direction <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Seeing as this is my first post of 2015 I'll start by wishing you all a Happy New Year! I hope you've set yourself lots of attainable goals, and abandoned the not so attainable ones, with much enthusiasm... <br />
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As part of my Christmas my Mum got me a 'Writing Map', (from the Write Around Town series - see <a href="http://writingmaps.com/">Writingmaps.com</a> ). <br />
The theme of mine is 'My Writing Life'. This is one type of map that won't bring me out in a cold sweat - I'm pretty hopeless at reading regular maps and also have a terrible sense of direction. A lot of my wandering is aided by instinct (and google streetview), and I guess when it comes to my writing 'instinct' is what often sets me off in the right direction a lot of the time too...<br />
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Within this map are lots of questions and tasks. One of the questions is <strong>'What does writing mean to you</strong>?'. And I've been pondering this for a while now. What <em>does </em>writing mean to me? For me, writing feels part of who I am. From a very young age it's what I spent a lot of time doing - writing stories, drawing silly pictures to go along with them, writing ridiculous angst ridden journals from about the age of eleven right through to my late teens, and sometimes throughout my twenties and even now into my thirties...( I like to think I've dropped the angst and have now moved into depths of philosophising about life). My observation journal from last year actually provided a lot of new story ideas.<br />
Writing is what keeps me sane, and connected to a deeper part of my brain that even I don't understand. <br />
I was having a conversation with a friend once, describing moments in life where I've gone for weeks, (or longer), without writing anything and how it feels kind of horrible, like 'I'm missing a feeling'. So for me, writing is keeping that 'feeling' alive and having fun creating characters and worlds where I get to choose the ending. (But actually, if the writing is going well, more often than not your characters choose that for you.)<br />
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Another question within this map is <strong>'What Inspires You?' </strong> I've touched upon this topic in many a blog post, but I was thinking about this question on my walk home today and when I looked up at a clock tower I regularly pass by I noticed that the hands on one of the clock faces were missing. (I'm guessing the high winds probably blew them away, or damaged them badly enough for them to be taken off). <br />
Without the hands, the clock face looks so different - blank and eerily naked. It made me think how fragile time is - how it can be easily altered or stopped by uncontrollable events and how that change can transform the face of everything. And that train of thought reminded me again how little observations like this have the potential to inspire lots of ideas. <br />
News stories and interesting articles also spark off ideas for me. Life <em>is</em> stranger than fiction when you read what some people get up to...<br />
Reading about life, and <em>living</em> life - these are key inspirations.<br />
And great storytellers - they're the most important inspiration for me. Closing the last page of a great book always ignites that fire inside of me; the desire to be able to write a story half as good as the one I just read keeps me writing, and keeps me learning! <br />
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How about you? <br />
<br />Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-10884970978773112062014-12-16T14:32:00.000-08:002014-12-19T02:39:27.727-08:00Thinking Things Over <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few weeks ago I finally visited the Kadampa Meditation Centre in Glasgow (I'm saying finally as I've been saying for months I was going to go!). I went along to a thirty minute lunchtime meditation class with a friend and it was a really uplifting and relaxing experience. As soon as I stepped inside the centre I felt a sense of calm- a welcome contrast to the rush of the city outside. It was the first time I’d ever been to a meditation class so I wasn’t sure what to expect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This particular centre offers guided Buddhist meditation, so the session was led by a Buddhist. He had a very calming voice and manner which helped me to focus on the breathing techniques. (once I’d tuned out the distraction of the woman near me who kept moving around in her squeaky chair!). I was able to sink into a deep state of relaxation but wasn't completely successful with silencing my mind....although by the second breathing exercise I was definitely getting there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">During the session our facilitator talked about confidence and how most of us will struggle with low self-esteem at times, due to holding onto a false sense of confidence where we place too much focus on external things- like our looks, our intelligence, our talents or relationships. If any of these things change or are threatened, our self-esteem suffers. He talked about how we should aim to seek confidence within ourselves and recognise that our feelings and thoughts dictate a lot. If we learn to control our mind and rid it of negativity it gives us control of any situation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">His message that we can’t control external things which happen, but ultimately have the power to change our feelings and our minds, (and how we approach situations), was very simple but powerful. He articulated it in a much better way than I’m attempting here, and he also illustrated what he was saying with a couple of stories. The whole experience was rather uplifting and a nice time out from the 'every day'. One of the tasks on that old <em>Fifty Things</em> list of mine , (you can find info on that in my blog archives!), was to sign up to a class – this will be my ‘class’ and I plan to return to more regular sessions in the new year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For a while I’ve been thinking about the power of our thoughts. Last year I subscribed to something called Notes from the Universe (Truly Unique Thoughts at <a href="http://www.tut.com/">www.tut.com</a>). I get a daily email with a motivating or insightful message along the lines of, ‘It’s not knowing what the answer or solution is…but simply knowing that there is one, which brings it forth.’ The tagline of the site is ‘Thoughts Become Things’. It might sound really cheesy, and I signed up mostly for a bit of fun, but it does sometimes take me by surprise how applicable a message can be on certain days! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few weeks after the mediation session a couple of people on separate occasions asked me if I’d ever read the book ‘The Secret’. I’d read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">about i</i>t, and had a good understanding of parts of it thanks to magazine articles, but had never read the whole book. I started to get curious, so downloaded it to my kindle and read it in two days on my commute to and from work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The book talks about ‘The Law of Attraction’ and the power of positive thought attracting good things into your life. I agree with a lot of the concepts in the book, (the power of positive thought and positive visualisation), but for me there was a lack of recognition that to take true control of your life you also need to take action, put some work in, and plan things…not just sit back and visualise, hoping the universe will bring things to you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On dark winter days it’s also quite a challenge to maintain a sunny disposition… but it has sparked off a lot of thinking about future goals. Some of my favourite parts of the book were the references to Einstein – I need to sit down and read his theories properly one day because every time I read snippets of them I want to know more. Like his theory that time is an illusion and everything is happening simultaneously, leads the author of the book to speculate: ‘If everything is happening at the one time, then the parallel version of you with what you want <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">already</i> exists’. So whatever you want in the future already exists… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All of this is getting a bit too deep for a Tuesday night so I’m going to sign off with a link to a really interesting Japanese Positive Thinking experiment, (The Rice Experiment), conducted by a researcher and alternative healer from Japan, Masaru Emoto. His experiments demonstrate that human thoughts and intentions can actually alter physical reality. The results of the Rice Experiment are fascinating!! Read about it <a href="http://www.positive-thinking-principles.com/positive-thinking-power.html">here </a></span></div>
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Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-16400975227218703862014-11-10T12:41:00.000-08:002014-11-10T12:41:08.513-08:00Creative Doodles <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A lot of people in my life love Winter and rejoice at the disappearance of sunlight (perhaps I'm friends with too many vampires?). I was determined to embrace the darknesss this year and convinced myself the rainy nights would motivate me to double my creative output... Then October and the pitch black mornings arrived, along with an unpleasant sickness bug, and me and Winter were once again not such great friends. My motivation had been zapped and I was missing being able to SEE my surroundings on my commute to and from work.<br />
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Then this morning Winter showed me her beautiful side. On an early walk to the station I was blinded by a blood red sun which slowly disappeared behind the gothic spires of a distant church. As the sky dissolved into shades of pink and orange I thought <i>okay, maybe this is the season to be jolly after all</i>...<br />
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I've been thinking about all of the people who are taking part in NaNoWriMo this month (I applaud your discipline and wish you well). The thought of rushing a novel doesn't appeal to me, but the challenge of upping my creative output does...So for the rest of November I'm setting myself a challenge of producing something creative, (no matter how small), every day to kickstart my motivation.<br />
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Yesterday I'd hoped to write a 4,000 word story but probably produced about 100 words I was actually happy with. I was having trouble switching off that pesky logical 'left hand' side of my brain and then I remembered a tip in my Mslexia writing diary (taken from the book 'Drawing on the Right Hand Side of the Brain') which suggested you start drawing, listening to music, do some gardening or meditate, in order to force a cognitive shift and send the left hand side into shutdown.<br />
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So I kept listening to music and started doodling (the result of which is at the top of this post). It seemed to work - maybe a bit too well as I found myself wide awake at 3am this morning with new ideas for stories whirring around my head...<br />
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Here's to the dark and rainy nights where we get to lock ourselves indoors without the guilt of feeling like we should be enjoying the sunshine outside... Happy writing! <br />
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<br />Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-52628272265278913432014-09-24T12:08:00.001-07:002014-09-24T12:29:59.385-07:00Flash Fiction Publications <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the past wee while I've had some success with my flash fiction appearing in online journals. I love the challenge of telling a story in as few words as possible, and I think short works can sometimes have the most impact. This form has taught me a lot about character development and the senses.<br />
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Here are links to some of my stories:<br />
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Ghosts is published in Issue III of the Scottish Journal <b>The Grind.</b> My story is in Part B and you can download the journal by clicking <a href="http://thegrindjournal.weebly.com/download.html">here </a><br />
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My story Once Ours is published at <b>Word Bohemia.</b> You can read this <a href="http://wordbohemia.co.uk/fiction/once-ours-by-vikki-gemmell/">here</a><br />
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My story Baby appeared at <b>FlashFlood journa</b>l on National Flash Fiction day back in June. You can read that <a href="http://flashfloodjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/baby-by-vikki-gemmell_21.html">here </a><br />
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And this techincally can't be called a flash fiction story (or can it?!) as it's only 50 words. My story Into the Woods can be read<a href="http://fiftywordstories.com/2014/09/05/vikki-gemmell-into-the-woods/"> here</a> at <b>Fifty Word stories </b><br />
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The Scottish Book Trust run monthly 50 word story competitions. If you're up for the challenge check out details of that <a href="http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/writing/love-to-write/the-50-word-fiction-competition">here </a>Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-66308844970590432682014-09-22T14:01:00.001-07:002014-09-24T12:29:14.425-07:00Radio Waves <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of months ago a friend sent me a link to an essay titled 'The Opposite of Loneliness', written by a Yale student, Marina Keegan, who was approaching graduation. The essay appeared in the graduation issue of the <i>Yale Daily News</i> back in 2012. In the essay Marina speculated about life after university. She described campus as a place where she felt like she was part of something, and where she felt the 'opposite of loneliness.' In the essay she expressed some fear and uncertainty about what lay beyond the security of university. But her tone was optimistic with lines such as, 'We can't, we MUST not lose this sense of possibility because in the end, it's all we have.'<br />
It wasn't until I'd finished reading the article that I noticed the byline along the top stating that Marina Keegan died in a car accident five days after graduation, at the age of 22. Goosebumps darted up my arms as a line from her essay jumped out at me: 'We're so young. We're so young. We're twenty-two years old. We have so much time.'<br />
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Recently I was on holiday on a Riviera cruise for a family celebration. I could easily have lived on the ship. It even had a library. I visited the library the first afternoon I was on the ship but couldn't really find anything. I was determined to find something good, and something which I could finish in the eight days I'd be there. On my second visit I walked straight up to a book titled, 'The Opposite of Loneliness'. Pulling it out of the bookcase I recognised a photo of Marina Keegan on the front. The book was a post-humous collection of her short stories and non fiction articles, named after the aforementioned essay. So of course this became my reading matieral during my holiday. <br />
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I was in awe that she had managed to produce so much polished writing whilst studying what had to be an intense academic degree (she was at Yale after all). She approached her writing in a very disciplined manner (which made me think I should become a lot more disciplined with my writing). She talked of her disappointment at not being asked to join some university secret society club and instead of wallowing she decided to dedicate the Thursday night when the group met to writing instead (giving her three solid hours or so). Her fiction was very insightful and mature for a twenty two year old, but it was her non fiction I enjoyed the most, as it revealed more about her inner thoughts and personality. <br />
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In some of her works she had a bit of a preoccupation with death, not in a depressive way, more in a philosophical way. I wonder if her family draw comfort from reading some of her musings. In the Introduction her parents write that the car crash occured due to her boyfriend falling asleep at the wheel, on a journey to their house. Her parents refused to let him take any blame and attended court to ensure all charges were dropped because they knew it would have been what Marina wanted. This tells you a lot about Marina I think, and her parents. Through putting together this book it was clear they realised the importance of allowing her voice to be heard, of allowing her words to be read, and creating something positive from a tragic situation.<br />
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In a foreward, her tutor talked of her passion for writing and the way
in which she challenged an author who was being negative about the
future of the industry. Her passion and enthusiam came across in many
ways throughout this body of work, and her determination to write
fuelled a new determination in me. It's easy to start doubting your work
if doors are shut and this flipped a switch in me not to give up. Maybe it's self indulgent to think I was
supposed to find her book on this holiday, but I love moments of
synchronicity as I believe it's the world's way of saying PAY ATTENTION -
someone, somewhere is trying to tell you something. In one of her
stories she refers to a poem 'Ode On A Grecian Urn'. This poem features
in the book I'm still trying to get published and I took this as another
nudge, <i>keep going, get it back out there. </i><br />
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I smiled when I came to the line in her non fiction essay, <i>Song for the Special</i> 'I want what I think and who I am captured in an anthology of indulgence I can comfortingly tuck in some labyrinthine library.' In her closing paragraph the goosebumps returned at her words:<br />
'I read somewhere that radio waves just keep travelling outward, flying into the Universe with eternal vibrations. Sometime before I die I think I'll find a microphone and climb to the top of a radio tower...Hello, I'll say to outer space, this is my card.' <br />
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<br />Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-51794845878340517622014-08-30T09:14:00.001-07:002014-08-30T09:14:54.280-07:00Wanderlust <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I once again fill my suitcase with far too many clothes in preparation for another trip away, I've taken some time out to update my blog as I feel it's been far too long since I've sat down to write anything more than a few scribbled lines or ideas. The good thing about travelling to lots of new places and being busy is that it does make new ideas pop into my head, and I know once things slow down again I'll at least have some fresh material which I'll then attempt to shape into something coherent. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu86Gl-wqYAjBvk3t0nWZR6_Fi6CUUPaRZrMDl0HYw8-wiAI2k0JgwFkZKaWkTA5zze-d8jWbMC7W4f7Yjmg1yHCFJk443nEMKWSW4OzKTWIvWgFIAAD3l0G9Aj0yDpO64RWyEj0DtbHv9/s1600/Perth+Pitlochry+2014+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu86Gl-wqYAjBvk3t0nWZR6_Fi6CUUPaRZrMDl0HYw8-wiAI2k0JgwFkZKaWkTA5zze-d8jWbMC7W4f7Yjmg1yHCFJk443nEMKWSW4OzKTWIvWgFIAAD3l0G9Aj0yDpO64RWyEj0DtbHv9/s1600/Perth+Pitlochry+2014+042.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEbROXIygiqj-HsUMDEW_kcwxdA1KdVP9fsDwXbEJ8-jIdX3W0hMbUpOTrvA6yENNaSA1qW6r2h2RFzMni7Qbq_4IqW1rGB_mGskdkA5V_3lhi83pGS8x5MZA98_1jb5sGyw1B36nGrOp/s1600/Perth+Pitlochry+2014+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfEbROXIygiqj-HsUMDEW_kcwxdA1KdVP9fsDwXbEJ8-jIdX3W0hMbUpOTrvA6yENNaSA1qW6r2h2RFzMni7Qbq_4IqW1rGB_mGskdkA5V_3lhi83pGS8x5MZA98_1jb5sGyw1B36nGrOp/s1600/Perth+Pitlochry+2014+044.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a>A highlight of one trip was stumbling across a private members club in Perth (Scotland). On the walk back to our hotel one evening my friend and I noticed some lamps shining in the window of an old building and we made jokes about it looking like a Vampire hang out. Then a man appeared out of the side door asking if we would like to come in for a look around. And in we went. The main room was decorated with ornate furniture and elaborate paintings and a bar was set up at the side. The owners - a male and female - enthusiastically told us about their 'private club', how they didn't like to advertise and preferred to choose who attended. The woman kept going on about the 'girls' who came to drink and party; how they liked the quiet and safe environment. As we got taken on a 'tour' and were offered a drink my writers imagination went into overdrive and part of me wondered if we were both going to be taken hostage and join other unsuspecting 'girls' in some old attic. That didn't happen obviously. My photos of the main room don't do it justice. <br />
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During the same break, I came across love padlocks on a bridge in Pitlochry. I never imagined to see this tradition in such a rural part of Scotland. It made me think back to my trip to Paris in April (where part of their bridge has now fallen apart under the weight of the padlocks!). This bridge looks very sturdy and robust. I'm sure it could handle a few more declarations of love (so long as the keys aren't being thrown in the river as that pollutes the water). <br />
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The other weekend I was in Cardiff catching up with a friend I'd not seen for ages. The stunning castle is just a stones throw away from the busy high street which makes the city feel like a strange contrast of modern and old. There was a medieval festival taking place, so it was enjoyable to walk around the castle grounds pretending I had stepped back in time for a while. There was even a battle re-enactment but I was more interested in the amazing gothic architecture. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbac8r9W1jLnMFsDQP-oikbjHDQEkZ4baDzWgOUbcLWs1iyKVNLj1nNCQ-6SYpPbToPezoKTwCI4JiuvdMvpv2kDQJZtSJEXISo9xcCVQzuo0TOTVLs2xuALvWEugUEXB_kKTaIoaWfs0/s1600/Perth+Pitlochry+2014+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnbac8r9W1jLnMFsDQP-oikbjHDQEkZ4baDzWgOUbcLWs1iyKVNLj1nNCQ-6SYpPbToPezoKTwCI4JiuvdMvpv2kDQJZtSJEXISo9xcCVQzuo0TOTVLs2xuALvWEugUEXB_kKTaIoaWfs0/s1600/Perth+Pitlochry+2014+092.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
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Au revoir for now as I head off on my next adventure! Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-72184012674663867622014-07-21T13:13:00.000-07:002014-07-21T13:13:05.066-07:00Everything, everywhere <br />
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Sometimes when life gets busy the writing has to take a back seat for a while. And a conversation today got me to thinking about the importance of fitting in some creativity into the every day, even when time is limited. That then got me thinking about what creativity actually is, and I think it can be as simple as how you view things and situations in every day life- you know in those boring moments when you're caught in the rat race of travelling to work on the same route, following the same routine. If you keep your eyes open, there's usually something a bit out of the ordinary waiting to be noticed and turned into a story or an interesting photograph. <br />
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Sometimes I'll find inspiration in the most unexpected of places - like on a quiet afternoon walking down my local dreary high street I'll spot someone who makes me look up and wonder, 'What is <i>their </i>story?'. An old man pushing an empty wheelchair intrigued me enough to get filed away in one of my many notebooks and later became a character in a story which is currently awaiting publication. (The only thing my character had in common with him was the empty wheelchair - I never spoke to the real man and visually I created someone else).<br />
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Other times I'll see an image of something and experience that 'light bulb' moment of inspiration. I was going through photos on an old mobile phone the other week and I came across the picture at the head of this post which inspired my whole blog. The photo is of a window display at a great little shop called 'Urban Empire' on Commercial Drive in Vancouver. As I caught sight of my reflection in the glass, whilst looking at Alice in Wonderland paraphernalia, I thought about how Through the Looking Glass would be a great name for a blog about observations of life (and the computer screen would be a metaphor of sorts for the glass). This was a good few years ago and my Mum had often suggested I start a blog, but I had put it off, not knowing what on earth I would write about. The trip was a good starting point to my posts, and having a name for the blog gave it some kind of a purpose...<br />
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The other night I was at a gig, (Owen Pallet - who was amazing live), and something about that evening inspired a whole set of scenes for a novel I've been thinking about for a while. Even although I've barely put any of this book down on paper my mind was working in overdrive that night -presenting the opening scenes and playing out key moments of the book in my head like I was watching stills from a movie of the characters' lives. When I got home I frantically scribbled down as much as I could remember. I don't think the book is ready to be written yet, but at least I feel like I've made some progress, even if my word count is practically non existent.<br />
You can click<a href="http://bop.fm/s/owen-pallett/the-passions"> here </a>to listen to one of my favourite songs from the gig, The Passions.<br />
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I sometimes think taking time out from actually putting words and pictures down on paper is as valuable as when you do finally get around to finishing the final piece.<br />
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And on that note I'll leave you with a paraphrase of a Burton Rascoe quote: '...a writer is working when (s)he is staring out the window.' <br />
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<br />Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-9676981867397669972014-06-09T13:17:00.003-07:002014-06-09T13:17:58.311-07:00Create<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Over a 12 week period from March to May I
had Mondays off from my day job to devote to writing. Unsurprisingly it became my favourite
day of the week.I treated it like a work day, getting up early, making
sure I had a some words down before lunch. Never before had I looked
forward to working so much on a Monday! Any creative person who works full time
I’m sure can identify with the frustration of having to go into the office on
days where all you want to do is lose yourself in words or art. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Knowing I only had this luxury for 12 weeks
really helped me focus and I completed at least one or two new stories, (sometimes spending some of the time editing old ones), every Monday. Some I’m really happy with, some I’m not, but the important thing is I got words down on paper.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">My original aim had been to complete my second YA novel but I realised I wanted to use the time to focus on a different type of writing and experiment a bit. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">There were moments where I started to
overthink and panic, thinking I might waste the whole day staring at a blank
computer screen. If lines weren’t flowing for one story, I would simply abandon
it and move onto something else.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">One weekend in amongst my Mondays when I
was feeling a bit demotivated and uninspired, (and probably having a bit of a week
where I was doubting my writing, amongst other things), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I sat in a café reading through a helpful
little booklet which was free with Writing Magazine, called ‘Just Write’ (7
days of inspiration to unlock your creativity). I liked the NO RULES in bold at
the top of the booklet, because really when you start setting yourself strict rules
in writing that’s when your words stop flowing…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I paid particular attention to the Neil
Gaiman quote in the book: ‘Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and
in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all the other
ways that life can go wrong. And when things get tough, this is what you should
do. Make good art.’ (taken from Neil Gaiman's commencement speech 'Make Good Art' delivered to the University of Arts in 2012).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">On leaving the café I stopped in at
Waterstones in search of a book I’ve always meant to read called ‘The Artists’
Way.’ As soon as I walked to the art section a different book caught my eye. It was
called ‘Make Good Art’. Yup- it was Neil Gaiman’s whole speech in a creative
book form! So I sat and read the whole speech (you should look it up - you can hear/see him speak it on youtube). Some
very encouraging and inspiring words for artists everywhere.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The weekend after this I met up with a
friend for a late birthday get together. The photo at the top of this blog post
is part of her present to me. The ‘Create Happiness’ pencils and the blank
journal seemed like another sign that I should continue with the making and the
creating! </span></div>
<br />So now my Mondays off are over that’s the challenge – to keep making good art and figure out a schedule which works for me to make sure I give myself time to do this.<br />
<br />
A friend recently recommended an interesting book called ‘Daily Rituals: How Artists Work’ by Mason Currey, which documents over one hundred famous writers'/artists’/musicians' working routines. I envy the writers who can get up at 5.30am (some as early as 4am) and function.<br />
<br />
I've come to the conclusion that it's probably best I don't try to think too much about a writing 'routine' and instead focus on getting words down anytime, anywhere that I can, and worry about the sentence structure during moments of calm.<br />
<br />
So that said, I think it's time we all got off the internet to go and make some good art! <br />
<br />
<br />
Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5272063339278297404.post-18628706298042812672014-05-13T14:11:00.001-07:002014-05-13T14:11:44.995-07:00Lost in Paris ~ Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9NDou2TLRdNPJ70h219nSk7743EeSetxwa2qeLwMx8Ypj-Ps5JoSixK95yvN5MjA7EMRoBtS3p7z0b3HZ6ujwmsvL1xjWOo7wdUjp5rqHs3I8I0yxEaD6sx8VSvOuYf1MGIMsCzoGXxl/s1600/padlocks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9NDou2TLRdNPJ70h219nSk7743EeSetxwa2qeLwMx8Ypj-Ps5JoSixK95yvN5MjA7EMRoBtS3p7z0b3HZ6ujwmsvL1xjWOo7wdUjp5rqHs3I8I0yxEaD6sx8VSvOuYf1MGIMsCzoGXxl/s1600/padlocks.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-CMDueFRHbmqG8wMF6mJ02lmhyphenhyphenn9jxN5lYbr-lWKP_BmtEKVuNqZui4OJT_kxnkcUbf_Kx37YK97OAFX9KpJpwKrHJlMlatOYD6P-TvaX63BLNYNgLhZRHBi-nzoL_Xn1v2HzalaoCnH/s1600/love+lamp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-CMDueFRHbmqG8wMF6mJ02lmhyphenhyphenn9jxN5lYbr-lWKP_BmtEKVuNqZui4OJT_kxnkcUbf_Kx37YK97OAFX9KpJpwKrHJlMlatOYD6P-TvaX63BLNYNgLhZRHBi-nzoL_Xn1v2HzalaoCnH/s1600/love+lamp.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
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On a walk along the famous Pont des Arts bridge, I stumbled across a tour party and listened with interest to the guide's stories about the famous 'Love Padlocks' (pictured above). Apparently the Love Locks started to appear in 2008 as a result of the famous scene in the last episode of Sex and the City, where Carrie and Big kiss on this bridge. Romantics from all over the world came to share a kiss on the bridge, leaving a mark of their eternal love by writing their names on a padlock and fastening it to the bridge, then throwing away the key into the Seine. The guide joked that if you look close enough you'll see three names on some padlocks, as the French are fond of the Menage a trois. He also said that local boys tend to buy combination padlocks if their love is insincere.<br />
The trend has become so popular that Pont des Arts is now overflowing with padlocks, and the trend has extended to other bridges across the city.<br />
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Locals have started a protest to get them removed, and the government is taking steps towards this (the day I was on the bridge a panel had already been taken away). They believe the padlocks are ruining beautiful historical structures as the weight of the padlocks is damaging the bridge, as well as altering it visually. Environmentalists have also been leading protests, as the keys being thrown into the Seine are polluting the water. I like the quirky trend, but I can understand why the locals want to preserve the beauty of their city. I love the fact some couples have now resorted to clipping their padlocks onto the lamp posts...<br />
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I love walking around the St Germaine part of Paris - this is where a lot of famous artists and literary types used to hang out back in the day, and I think it has a really magical atmosphere. As soon as I stepped inside Jardin de Luxembourg I felt the same sense of calm I experienced on my last visit. I enjoyed watching children sailing old fashioned boats on the pond - there's a sense of stepping back in time in this park and this image only added to that. The photo I captured of the boats is one of my favourites from this trip.<br />
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One of my favourite discoveries on this trip was the Stravinksy Fountain, which is outside the Pompidou Centre. The whole surrounding area is like a Surrealist exhibition, with interesting grafitti on the walls and steps, and the bizarre sculptures in the fountain itself look like something from a Tim Burton film set. I spent a lot of time walking around the fountain, taking photos of the sculptures from different angles. The more I looked at it, the more bizarre it became!<br />
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What added to the whole scene was when a gang of young men arrived, and sat at the edge of the fountain, dressed in black and purple studded clothes, with spiked or dreadlock hair. They looked like futuristic rebels from a dystopian film and had quite an intimidating air about them. They kept laughing amongst themselves as if they knew a secret about the fountain none of us ignorant tourists had any clue about. I was too scared to take a photograph of them! Wish I hadn't been such a chicken now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyC7IuFXVPdBlN1QST5NriT8LZ7wBygnGLqX0nh28in718Ev-xpFszw1Iu-EgQh4LU0Z0VlLym6p1Xl0mt2vZ7MuzjPLA7RVBaYEk2JpibR89-Nix2XQvuT8a1LlhiVaLdCe9OcCoYSVtv/s1600/Notre+Dame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyC7IuFXVPdBlN1QST5NriT8LZ7wBygnGLqX0nh28in718Ev-xpFszw1Iu-EgQh4LU0Z0VlLym6p1Xl0mt2vZ7MuzjPLA7RVBaYEk2JpibR89-Nix2XQvuT8a1LlhiVaLdCe9OcCoYSVtv/s1600/Notre+Dame.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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A peaceful moment was sitting in Park Jean XIII, which overlooks the back section of Notre Dame. You can see so much gothic detail on the building from this angle, that it's a nice place to sit. A local Parisian man sat down beside me and chatted for a while, telling me that the Illes St Louis part of Paris has become so expensive only rich Americans and Italians can afford to buy apartments there. He told me that the leaves of the trees in this park are magic, and that if you leave them in water for 6 months and then pour it into your plants they bloom within days.<br />
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What made this trip, was the quirky hotel I stayed in, <a href="http://www.hotelnotredameparis.com/">Hotel Notre Dame</a>. My friend Rebecca had blogged about it after her stay there last year and I loved the unique/arty style of the rooms. The real selling point was the prospect of having a room overlooking Notre Dame and the Seine, which I got. Nothing quite beats the sound of the bells of Notre Dame ringing in the early morning.<br />
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Paris, I look forward to a part 3 sometime. Vikkihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08039838691449950827noreply@blogger.com7