Bookcrossing

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

No writing prompt pic this week folks, because, today, I will be attending the Bookcrossing Unconventional in Colchester. I haven’t been to one of these events for about, oooooo, 6 years! Lol….where does the time go eh?

I’ve been a member since 2004, but I’m not as active as I used to be. Here’s my “bookshelf” 🙂

It’s something I feel passionate about, the idea of passing my books on, leaving them somewhere for someone to find. I’ve worked in charity shops, I know what happens to books that are donated, so I’d much rather dispose of my read books this way. Plus, it’s great fun, especially when you find out your book ended up on the other side of the world 🙂

So here are a selection of pics from previous Unconventions….. The highlight of the event is the “book table” lol. The idea is to take books with you for the table, and come home with less books than you took….it rarely happens 😉

I’ll let you know if I manage to come home with less books than I took with me 😉

So what do you do with your books once you’ve read them?

Bookcrossing: Good Book Karma (lucybirdbooks.wordpress.com)
Lost, Found and Read: BookCrossing as a Global Phenomenon (publishingperspectives.com)

Disposable Memories

Posted on April 15, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I’ve made a discovery!!!! I’m a huge fan of BookCrossing and now we have CameraCrossing arghhhhhh! Of course I’ve signed up! 🙂

I don’t know where I picked this up from (a fellow WordPress bloggers post I think) but I’m gunna pass it on.

The Disposable Memory Project is a global photography experiment.

Since April 2008, people have been leaving disposable cameras in public locations around the world. Each camera contains a message, inviting its finder to pick up the camera, take some photos and then pass it on. At the end of its journey, the camera is returned home, and they upload the photos to share with its followers.

In the three years since that first camera, people across the globe have taken part, either through finding an existing camera, or creating a new one to introduce into the project. They’ve visited over 75 countries, released over 410 cameras, and travelled over 500,000 miles – that’s to the moon and back.

Of those 410 cameras, they’ve had 30 return home, with amazing images, stories and journeys, all of which you can see on the web site.

The project is not commercial, doesn’t aim to make any money, and has no goal other than wanting to get cameras into as many hands as possible, in order to see what stories are captured on their film.

If you’d like to know more about the project, check out the existing cameras, or read the blog to see what has been happening recently.

Check out their Flickr page. I’m sure there are some great pics there to inspire a story or two 😉

So here’s my camera, all ready to go 🙂

And here it is starting its journey 🙂

My camera is number 455….you can see its location here.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

Reading

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Philip Roth said that reading was a way to keep the circuits open and to think about the piece he’s working on while getting a little rest from the actual work in hand.

Sooooo, the question is….should I join a book club? I’ve been thinking about this for over a year now, but never actually done anything about it. “Mount Toobie” (sorry, slipping into BookCrosser mode there), my to be read pile is huge, verging on thousands, which is what has always put me off….but.

My writing style is very similar to my reading preferences. I tend to read what I call “real life stuff”. No fantasy or sci-fi. I’m not even keen on crime either. I like emotional character driven stories, about people, their lives, and how they overcome obstacles. Which, is kinda what I write about.

But does that allow me to grow as a writer? Am I missing out on the opportunity to “broaden my horizons” so to speak? Also, would joining a book club/reading group give me an insight to what readers want from their books?

Jack Heffron says “Don’t try to write a short story until you’ve read fifty of them, preferably a hundred. Don’t try to write a novel until you’ve read fifty of them, preferably a hundred. The same is true for scripts, essays, poems and so on.”

I do copy writing I like into my note book. I collect pieces that I think are powerful. I did at one stage start doing book reviews, but now I just use Goodreads.

Are you a member of a reading group/book club? Do you feel your writing benefits from it?

Whilst compiling this post an update email hit my inbox from Kitty Hietala’s blog which I found very interesting.

Here’s a pic of just one of my book shelves lol.

I wasn’t really inspired by today’s prompt, the emergency exit. I ended up writing a story about 2 young girls running out of the ice rink because the boy one of them fancies comes in. Today’s prompt is eating at a diner so I’m hoping I’ll be a bit more inspired today 😉

Book Launch

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

Last night I attended Elizabeth Haynes Book Launch for her 2nd novel Revenge Of The Tide

We’re all so proud of Elizabeth. Even only a few days ago we learnt that Amanda Ross has publicly announced that Into The Darkest Corner (Elizabeths brilliant debut) is one of the 4 books she recommends you must read this year! So what with that and being voted as Amazons Book of the Year 2011 and the The TV Book Club Elizabeth is hot stuff at the moment (and long may it continue!!!!).

I met Elizabeth through a writing group (just as she was getting a book deal for the first book) and she has been a wealth of information. Always eager to encourage and share information with those of us who aspire to be where she is now 😉

I went to the last launch (in Central London) with the ladies from the writing group, but this time, as it’s more local, hubby came with me. We read Elizabeth’s first book simultaneously (I bought 2 copies) so no doubt we’ll be doing the same with this new one.

The launch went really well. I got to meet up with the ladies from the Mermaids Writing Group and the lovely Maidstone Writers were all there. Plus, I met a BookCrosser from Essex who I’d corresponded with through email and it looks like I’ll be going to Colchester at some stage 🙂

So, if you’re reading this Elizabeth….CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! it really is much deserved. I wish you luck and success for the future, and can’t wait to be invited to the opening of “The Shed” lol 🙂

Elizabeth looking stunning with her pole dancing cake 🙂

Yesterday’s prompt about the fog turned from a creepy tale of a woman breaking down in her car on an empty fogged road, to a romance, where along came a knight in silver armour….awwwww, perhaps happy endings aren’t so bad after all 😉 Today’s prompt is write about your fathers eyes. Oooo, errrr, that’s a bit close for comfort….I didn’t even meet mine til I was 26! Lol

WOW! :)

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Vikki Thompson

I am so chuffed right now! I’ve just received a Kreativ Blogger Award thanks to Sandra Madeira

Thank you sooooo much Sandra :o) When I started this Blog I didn’t expect anyone to read my ramblings, so it’s nice to know that someone does, and actually enjoys it!!!!! 🙂

So, I will play the game 🙂

The Kreativ Blogger award rules are:

1. Share 10 things about yourself that readers may find interesting
2. Pass the award on to 6 other Bloggers. Be sure to leave a comment on their blogs to let them know.

So here goes 😉

10 Things About Myself

1 I’ve only been writing since October 2010. Prior to that I hadn’t wrote any fiction since being at school, a gap of approx 20, ahem, years.
2 I’m a Face Book addict lol
3 I am a yo-yo dieter 😦
4 I attended Swanwick for the first time last year, and will definitely be going again this year, and probably for ever more lol
5 I am a BookCrosser
6 I’m a huge Oasis fan (the band not the drink lol)
7 Dom Perignon is my favourite champagne (expensive taste lol)
8 I work (occasionally) with my husband. We have our own printing business.
9 My favourite authors are Fay Weldon, Anita Shreve, Elizabeth Haynes and Linda Gillard.
10 My daughter is a hairdresser (lucky me) 😉

Blogs I’m Nominating (in no particular order)

Quillers Place A great blog by Sally Quilford, a Pocket Novel author. Always something interesting to read on her blog 🙂

Curly Mum A blog by Beccah, who I met through Nanowrimo. I love hearing about her family life, the perils of a young mum trying to write.

Libro This blog is by a lady called Liz Broomfield who I’ve known for, ooooo, quite a few years 😉 She’s now a full time editor/proof reader and her blog is full of little snippets regarding grammar etc that all us writers really should already know about 🙂

Two Moons I haven’t been reading Jenny’s blog long, but, what I have seen so far is very entertaining.

Strangling My Muse I love Sandy Ackers blog 🙂 If I’m ever stuck for something to write about, this is the place to go!

The Writing Calendar Sally Quilford has put together a calendar of Writing Competitions…..a great resource :o)

That’s it! I would have nominated Sandra’s Place but we don’t want her to get too big headed now do we 😉

Edited to add…… Oh, go on then…..Sandra gets a nomination for the link above, so my list is actually 7 😉

Again, thank you Sandra, I feel very honoured 🙂