fiction – Page 15 – Ruth Livingstone

Putting it off…

Final part of the final assessment for my Open University course (A174 Start Writing Fiction) is due in at the end of this week. Friday lunchtime, to be exact.

I am trying to avoid tinkering right up to the deadline.

But I can’t bring myself to submit it. Maybe I will miss that one typo? Or maybe I have misread the instructions and there is some vital ingredient I have omitted? Or maybe it is complete rubbish and I have time to start again, if I need to?

Or maybe I just don’t want to say ‘goodbye’ to the course? It has been good fun and the 3 months have flown by.

Morning distractions

The pile of notebooks holds the delicious promise of empty pages – waiting to be filled. Pink with white spots – this is the notebook that catches my eye. ‘Open me!’ it shouts, joyfully. ‘Open me and write.’

But wait. What else must I do before I begin? I write a ‘to do’ list. Number one, top of the list, must be my latest Open University assignment. Be quiet, pink notebook with white spots. Wait your turn. I will get to you soon.

Worst Science Fiction Book Cover Art ever?

For anyone interested in science fiction, particular old sci fi from the middle part of the twentieth century, I recommend Joachim Boaz’s blog, Science Fiction and other Suspect Ruminations.

I laughed and laughed at this post (see below). Actually, I don’t find this cover particularly offensive. Just rather silly.

Has anyone got any suggestions as to what the story might be about?
– a woman who turns into a shark at full moon?
– an alien woman who keeps a shark as a pet?
– a man meets an alien woman who bites and scratches …. (perhaps I better stop there!)

I nominate the cover of Michael G. Coney's The Jaws That Bite, The Claws That Catch (1975) as the worst I've ever seen. I've submitted it to Good Show Sir so hopefully it gets posted on that hilarious website soon. Kelly Freas is considered one of the best sci-fi artists of all time — but this, is there an explanation for this pathetic/sexist piece of ___? Perhaps if I knew what the book is about (the internet doesn't give me any clues) — I m … Read More

via Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations

Praise … makes me weak at the knees

I am doing block 3 of the Open University’s course – Start Writing Fiction. There have been ups and downs. Today was a definite ‘up’.

Posted a piece of work in the online tutor forum and the tutor made some nice comments.

It’s such a little thing – given the great events in life. But it meant such a lot to me. I finished the day on a high.

#Amwriting

Recently joined the #amwriting Web site. This seems like a friendly group of writers, many with published books, who all congregate around the Twitter hashtag #amwriting.