Thursday, December 20, 2007

Facials and interviews

Was delighted to find that my interview with Chroma Journal is now online under the 19 December 2007 heading - the first one at the top at the moment. My, how normal I look, and how mad I sound. So no changes there then ... And thank you so much to Liam and Eric from Chroma for arranging it. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Drove into Guildford early today simply in order to get a parking space - which turned out to be a wise move as later in the morning the place was heaving. I sat in Waterstone's for an hour and a half and wrote a poem as below:

Uninspired

Words curdle my head.

I’m hoping for milk or honey –
if I’m lucky maybe both –
but what I get is

yoghurt past its sell-by date,
sea-green cheese, clotted coffee,
sour cream.

Staleness and history on my tongue:
the dregs that remain when the writing is gone.


And also another 800 words to The Bones of Summer, which I've typed up at home now. Might do some more later on - we'll see. But I'm pleased with how it's gone today - I've got a huge theme which makes sense in relation to what's happening in the book which I only realised yesterday, so I suspect I'll have fun writing that one in. Poor old Craig - he does go through the mill, but hell that's the way I like it.

I then spent a glorious two hours having a Clarins facial and back massage with Charlotte. Utter bliss. I've already booked my next one. I think it'll do my regularly tensed-out shoulders good. All this computer work, you know - it plays havoc with the back! I'm feeling quite chilled already. On the way home, I popped into see Gladys, who was happy to see me as she was having a day when things were going missing. And I'm a dabhand at finding stuff, though sadly only in other people's houses. Today, I have managed to find Gladys' kettle, her biscuit tin and the paper. St Jude (Patron Saint of Lost Items, I think?) has nothing on me. Ooh and on the way home, I actually saw a heron in flight over the car which landed on the house I was driving past at the time. Marvellous!

Tonight, I've watched "Strictly Come Dancing It Takes Two", even though I'm not much fussed over who wins, to be honest. And later on, I suspect we'll be watching our "QI" video. The world is so much better with Stephen Fry. And I'm definitely planning an early night. In fact I think I might even make getting early nights into my New Year Resolution. About time I had one - the resolution and a good night's sleep both!

Today's nice things:

1. The Chroma interview
2. Clarins treatments
3. Writing (God, how I love it sometimes).

Anne Brooke
Anne's website
Goldenford Publishers

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

My, Anne, you have a fancy tongue for words.
CONGRATULATIONS on your awards. I stand in your shadow.
I enjoyed reading your interview. Well done!
A commonality we share is the way our characters demand such a distinct presence in our heads.
I've always claimed that it's more like I'm reading my stories than writing them. I'm betting you can relate to that same feeling.
Oh, and saying goodbye at the end is like losing some friends all at once. I find myself laughing and crying right along with'em. I hope that doesn't sound strange. I suppose we reveal a great deal about ourselves in our novels unconsciously.
It's a delight having a friend such as yerself.
Keep up the good work.
God bless...
Peace and Light,
Taylor

Anne Brooke said...

Gosh, thanks, Taylor! Glad you liked the interview - and so glad also it's not just me who gets so involved with their characters. Nice to have company in this weird writer world!

Hugs & love

A
xxx

Tania Hershman said...

Anne, great interview, congratulations. I really resonanted with what you said: "Their voices – Michael in A Dangerous Man and Paul in Maloney’s Law – were both so strong in my head that it would have been almost impossible not to choose them."

and

"I did very little character research as such – I just take the things in my own head which are hard, if not impossible, to express as a “UK British female” and express them in a male persona."

Tania

Anne Brooke said...

Thanks, Tania! And I must say I'm looking forward hugely to your short story collection next year!

:))

A
xxx

Jilly said...

I've just read your interview with Chroma and you mention 'A dance to the music of time'. By coincidence I was the person who recommended the novels to the person who was one of the founders of the Anthony Powell society and is still the secretary of the society. Keith always blames me for changing his life completely. website www.anthonypowell.org.uk if you're interested. Strangely I haven't read the books myself - I only mentioned them because they seemed to be popular at the time. Name dropping over - it was a good interview by the way.

Anne Brooke said...

Goodness me, Jilly - it's a small world for sure! Thanks for the link - I shall visit!

:))

A
xxx