Rambling and the Write Stuff.

It's been a pretty hectic few years since I first moved to London. A lot of new beginnings and a few endings too.

For example, the London Writers' Society has a new executive. I spend the last year as treasurer and learned a few things. I am hosting the Monthly LWS Pub Night this year. Beer! Not just for breakfast anymore. **evil grin**

The first pub night was pretty cool. Laid back talk with other writers, and the partaking of some very nice Austrian cheese. (Hey Bob? How do they milk Austrians?) Not as wild as JA's pub, but heh! that's alright too.

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I have a bit more time to actually read these days. Picked up No Time to Say Goodbye by Linwood Barclay. Another excellent book that I walked away with from Bloody Words IX in Ottawa.

Bloody Words was a treat, by the way. The highlight was the WOULD I LIE TO YOU workshop - wherein I learned never to hot air balloon behind Mary Jane Mafini's house, and NEVER trust Rick Mofina to multitask with infants and coldcuts at the same time. (Will have to tell Sandra that story!)

Reconnected with Melanie Fogel, editor of Storyteller magazine and attended an excellent workshop of hers. Storyteller publisher Terry Tyo accepted a short story of mine WAY back in 1994 called The Ice King, despite having submitted the hard copy in a vile font, sans double spacing, and numerous other faux pas.

It was my first serious writing credit.

Melanie helped me remember why I started writing in the first place. The constant love affair with words, the crafting of a plot, the sheer joy of entertaining others with the children of one's imagination - not for money, fame, or any banal return - except for the satifaction of creating a mood, a place and time and most importantly - characters that would not otherwise exist.

To watch words take on a life of their own. To reveal things about yourself you might not otherwise realise. Sometimes I think the only real sin in the world is to not use the gifts God has given you.

You can replace almost anything, except time. It's going to be an interesting year.
Watch me.