April 4, 2012
25 years later...
I hope you’re going to forgive me an indulgent post because today is a special day: 25 years ago today, Mr Bennet and I got married. It was the age before digital photography, and I’m afraid I’ve not done a very successful job with the photos I’ve found and scanned from various albums, so please bear with me!
The rain poured and the wind howled on our wedding day and today I’m feeling right at home because outside, it’s snowing right now! Actually, we’ve been together for 30 years, we met at school and started dating at university – he was at Manchester and later Birmingham, and I was at Oxford.
We got married on Grand National Day in 1987 (won by Maori Venture at 28/1) at the village church, and had our reception in the upstairs room of a local inn which is famed for its views over the surrounding countryside – however, with the mist we couldn’t see much. No matter, we had a lovely celebration with friends and family, many of them huddled round the fire in the bar!
Our best man was John’s friend from uni, Martin, and my bridesmaids were my school friend, Jan, work colleague, Sally and Mr B’s cousin, Joy. Needless to say, we’re all still friends even though they had to shiver their way through the ceremony and photos in summer bridesmaid’s dresses from Laura Ashley. 🙂
Our wedding night was spent at the Hertfordshire Moat House before we jetted off from Luton Airport to Majorca for 2 weeks.
Here are some of the events of that year. 🙂
Maggie Thatcher was Prime Minister
IKEA opened its first store in the UK (in Warrington, we made a special trip there)
Hurricane force winds battered much of south-east England, causing extensive damage
Timothy Dalton made his first Bond appearance in The Living Daylights
The Church of England allowed the ordination of women
26 million viewers saw the Christmas Day episode of Coronation Street, in which Hilda Ogden made her final appearance.
Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up was in the charts, as was Kylie’s single, I Should be So Lucky and La Isla Bonita by Madonna – which became ‘our song on honeymoon!
We now have a wonderful daughter and I can honestly say that it’s been a blast!
So Mr Bennet, thank you for 25 wonderful, happy years and in the words of Steve Ovett: ILY.
Posted by Phillipa @ 12:00 am |
March 23, 2012
Friday again?!
This is a quick post because, I am actually writing! Well, editing is the more correct term but as that requires new writing, it counts. Really enjoying myself and hope to share some new books with you soon.
But in the meantime, if you’re from the US, I urge you to get over to the British Babes Book Page on Facebook NOW where you can nominate your favourite British Babes book you’ve read recently. You can win books of your choice on there but only for today.
The sun is out, I’m planning a trip to Pembrokeshire shortly with Mr B and Ms B which includes bodyboarding so I’m feeling very chipper indeed. I’ll hold that thought when the rain’s lashing down at Easter!
Posted by Phillipa @ 9:53 am |
March 16, 2012
No, I didn’t say that, but the great crime writer, PD James did and she was talking about Jane Austen. Apparently it’s a famous literary quote but I wasn’t aware of it until I heard it from PD James herself at a completely inspiring talk she gave at the Oxford & Cambridge Club in London.
My friend, Sue invited me to one of the club’s Writers’ Lunches. Now, Sue is, I hasten to add, a lovely, down-to-earth person who I met at my college many years ago. Anyway, we had a rather nice lunch and then listened to a fascinating talk by PD James, about Death Comes to Pemberley, detective fiction, Jane Austen and writing in general.
Afterwards I approached Baroness James’ lectern to have my copy of the book, signed. I felt like I was meeting The Queen and Jane Austen herself rolled into one – PD James was lovely, it’s just I was in total fangirly awe! She also shared that the novel is going to be made into a TV series. I can’t wait for that one.
Her comment about Mills & Boon, was, I think, talking about how you can write a really great novel within the confines of a tight genre or format – whether that be a detective novel, a romance or a sonnet.
Much of what she said, you can find here in her book Talking About Detective Fiction – most surprisingly, she finds Emma to be the most interesting example of a mainstream novel which is also a detective story.
She talked about her writing process and how she thinks creativity is about empathising totally with your characters and getting inside their minds – while remaining detached enough to craft a story that engages all the readers’ emotions. So much of what she said about writing fiction chimed with me, that I found myself almost believing I’m a proper novelist. 🙂
But her best quote was something like this:
To say that one cannot produce a good novel within the discipline of a formal structure is as foolish as to say that no sonnet can be great poetry since a sonnet is restricted to fourteen lines—an octave and a sestet—and a strict rhyming sequence. And detective stories are not the only novels which conform to a recognised convention and structure. All Jane Austen’s novels have a common storyline: an attractive and virtuous young woman surmounts difficulties to achieve marriage to the man of her choice. This is the age-long convention of the romantic novel, but with Jane Austen what we have is Mills & Boon written by a genius.
I’m now inspired and please, watch this space for I’m planning to share some rather exciting news in the not-too-distant future. 🙂 🙂
Posted by Phillipa @ 7:01 am |
March 9, 2012
I decided to end the week on a high with a Happy Friday post. So here are my ten reasons to be cheerful:
1. It’s the weekend.
2. Spring is here.
3. I *didn’t* spend any money in the Debenhams sale last night which means I can do #8 (see below) with less guilt.
4. I have bought Fish Tank on DVD which gives me an excuse to post this photo:
5. We’re planning a trip to the Lake District shortly.
6. I’ve started revising a manuscript I loved, but now realise needs more work.
7. I keep getting fresh ideas to develop my new wip.
8. I’m off to London next week for business and pleasure. 🙂
9.I’m going metal detecting in the name of research
10. Watch this very cute cat video, sent to me by Ms B:
Are you looking forward to this weekend?
Posted by Phillipa @ 5:58 am |
March 8, 2012
On Monday, for inspiration and research, the Coffee Crew hit the bright lights of Wightwick Manor – a Victorian house in the care of the National Trust. It’s crammed with Arts and Crafts treasures and furnishings by artists such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Millais and William Morris.
However, it was a tiny drawing in the dining room that really captured our attention and made us laugh. It’s a cartoon by Dante Gabriel Rossetti of his sister Christina Rossetti, having a tantrum, after receiving a rejection for her poems.
It’s copyright of the National Trust but you can see it HERE.
We laughed and nodded in agreement as all three of us have received Rs for our work at some point, like almost every single writer I know.
So think of some ways of dealing with Rejections. Everyone’s different – and some rejections are more painful than others.
Knowing how much of the advice to take on board and what to ignore, is an art in itself. You have to try to develop your knowledge of the business and trust your instincts.
I asked a few writer friends for their advice on deailing with the knockbacks without going insane or giving up.
“My tip on rejections is every time I get one back I find two more places to send it.”
Nell Dixon
“My tip would be simple: Eat chocolate, lots of it. Chat to a friend, preferably a fellow writer who understands your pain. Then get back to writing/editing/sending out!”
Elizabeth Hanbury
“Coping with rejection? Take it to readers directly by self-publishing. If you’ve got a solid, well-edited story, you’ll find a market.”
Talli Roland
Here’s mine: “Weep and wail for a short time then get mad – and then move on. It gets easier if you try and think of this business as a Business and not take R’s personally.”
If you have any more tips, please share them!
Posted by Phillipa @ 7:51 am |
