27 January
This morning
I had to go to the bank because on Saturday after I had drawn £25 worth of
petrol, the card terminal wouldn't work; it wouldn't accept my card - very
embarrassing. I've also been caught out in not being able to use a couple of
the local ATMs as well, down to the way banks have changed their rules. As for
Saturday, the problem was that Lloyds had a major IT problem and with the
garage using a Lloyds card machine it wasn't able to connect and do the job.
BUT ... I only had one card with me so I had to make a quick call to Jan to
come down and use her card. However, Jan's card went through OK I've just
thought. So what is going on then ... I'll report back when I do finally get
some sensible answers.
My NANO
effort is still on-going but I have got just over half way through now. The
sooner I get that done the sooner I can get on with something else. As a new
writer I keep reading about not using clichés in our work. Well, the other day
I bought a Peter James book called Dead
Letter Drop. I like James but I am disappointed with this one. It's about a
MI5 man working in the States and James is very free with the clichés,
sometimes using three or four at a time. The overall tone of the book - think
of Mike Hammer working for MI5 in the 1980s and you're part way there.
This was
James' first novel and it didn't sell, even if WH Smiths did stock it for a
time. Another point drummed home time and time again is not use twins in a
final twist, but James has done so, and it was clear from early on that was
what would happen. I have also used twins in my House of Pain story. The twins in my story are there right at the
start and both take part in the story all the way.
Another idea
we are advised not use is a large lottery win as a final twist. Well, in Finding Our Way I use a lottery win from
early on, not as a way of getting the goodie out of fix at the end. So how do some writers get away with such
no-nos that are not acceptable from new writers. The number of errors I find
some books is really disappointing too.
Time for a
photo ...
A mute swan at Brandon on Saturday
And a funny
...
A man and a woman were having a quiet,
romantic dinner in a fine restaurant.
They were gazing lovingly at each other and holding hands.
The waitress, taking another order at a table a few steps away, suddenly noticed the man slowly sliding down his chair and under the table, but the woman acted unconcerned.
The waitress watched as the man slid all the way down his chair and out of sight under the table. Still, the woman appeared calm and unruffled, apparently unaware her dining companion had disappeared.
The waitress, thinking this was a bit risqué behaviour that might offend other diners, went over to the table and tactfully, began by saying to the woman, "Pardon me, ma'am , but I think your husband just slid under the table."
The woman calmly looked up at her and said, "No, he didn't. He just walked in the door."
They were gazing lovingly at each other and holding hands.
The waitress, taking another order at a table a few steps away, suddenly noticed the man slowly sliding down his chair and under the table, but the woman acted unconcerned.
The waitress watched as the man slid all the way down his chair and out of sight under the table. Still, the woman appeared calm and unruffled, apparently unaware her dining companion had disappeared.
The waitress, thinking this was a bit risqué behaviour that might offend other diners, went over to the table and tactfully, began by saying to the woman, "Pardon me, ma'am , but I think your husband just slid under the table."
The woman calmly looked up at her and said, "No, he didn't. He just walked in the door."
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