Literary...sort of (well ok, not really)

The summer blockbuster season is upon us, and last week I started what will hopefully a cinema extravaganza of superheroes, more superheroes, and even more superheroes.

Yes, put a guy in a cape and I'm a happy camper. So...Iron Man. Ok, doesn't have a cape, but he can fly, which is almost as good. Everything Robert Downey Jr. does is cool, and this is no exception. Throw-away oneliners, the perfect mix of arrogance and charm, and the flying scenes were INTENSE! While I'm a through and through DC fan, this one from Marvel was great. The only thing missing was a REALLY BIG aerial battle with Iron Man and dozens of fighter jets, instead of just two.

Sticking with the comic adaptation (or graphic novel if you want to pretend to be grown-up about it) I also saw Persepolis, about a young girl growing up in Iran during the revolution. The animation was simple and beautiful, and the main character was both poignant and hysterical. It ended way too suddenly.

Multi-tasking

Went to a talk given by Darren Shan last week. Felt slightly embarrassed being the only adult there without a kid on tow, but never mind.
The guy's a steam-engine of productivity and said he usually has three books on the go, writing one, editing another, and something inbetween with the third.
Does anyone else work like that? Must admit, I'm not sure I could keep it all in my head. My methodology is finish one, work on another, stop, go back to the first, stop, go to the second. Actually, now I think about it, it's quite a shambles. Basically I'm a fair chunk into Book 2, but will shortly be putting that aside for a few months to rework The Devil's Kiss. What's great with having a sequel is that you don't get confused with you you're writing about since they're the same person, and each book feeds back and forth from the other.

Hooray for Harriet!

My sibling at Greenhouse has struck the publishing world like...a thing that strikes! Harriet's written a great book called The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43 and it's a pretty unique tale (boy crashing his car into the underworld and teaming up with a girl who broke her neck centuries ago). She's got a two book deal with Stripes, an imprint of Little Tiger. It'll have maps, artwork and everything!

So, it's another notch in Sarah's pencil (go Greenhouse go!) and also another result out of the SCBWI Undiscovered Voices anthology. Make sure you order your copy now from British Isles SCBWI and find out how it all began...

Well done Harriet!

Music to write to...or what's on my MP3

I started listening to my MP3 ( by Sony, I REFUSE to get an Apple anything) when I used to hang out in parks and cafes to write, so I could tune out from everyone else. I know I shouldn't listen while I write, but there are some tunes that get you in the Zen-like zone...

1. Scary Monsters Super Creeps...listening to it right now. back when David Bowie was a GOD.
2. Werewolves of London
3. Strange little girl...spooky throughout
4. Shut up and Drive by Rihanna. This song actually inspired a character in the Devil's Kiss. You know when you're at a club, party whatever and someone (usually of the opposite sex) comes in and it becomes that SLOW MOTION moment when you think...nothing. Your mind's utterly blank and it's all about OMG and what you feel is on a sub-molecular level? You don't just fancy them (join the queue) but every atom of you CRAVES them. No? Maybe it's just me then. Well this song is that character's theme tune.
5. Sorry...where was I?
6. Lucretia My Reflection by Sisters of Mercy. Yes, deep down I'm still a goth.
7. Voodoo People by The Prodigy. They define the early 90s for me. We won't go for Firestarter, too obvious. But this is a close call and I remember it from going to a Christmas party at a police station. Now THAT'S another story entirely...
8. The Wanderer by Johnny Cash. With a line 'They want the Kingdom but don't want God in it' this is another one of those songs that just builds and builds until your blubbing... Of the ones on this list, probably the CLASSIC.
9. Man Kunto Muala by Mehr Ali and Sher. Nope, you won't have heard of it but it's BRILLIANT. It's qwaali music and has a melancholy air you feel WAY deep down. The original SOUL MUSIC.
10. The Queen of the Night Aria out of The Magic Flute. Makes you sit in awe that a human voice can produce such music.