UnisWriters

Not a bad day at work today - even managed to distribute the incredibly small-fonted (how the heck do they think people can read this stuff??) nursery flyers, and discovered parts of the university I never knew existed. And I've been here two years now.

Had the UniSWriters group at lunch - lots of manuscripts to look at, and a new person turned up, so that was good. We also said goodbye to Angela, one of our stalwarts, who's leaving at the end of the month. I'll really miss her. So we had cake to mark the occasion. Nobody bought a copy of my magnum opus though - sob! Ah well, I'll hide in my writers corner (I have attempted to put an apostrophe in that phrase, but can't be arsed to work out whether I'm single or plural - 'twas ever thus ...) for a while and come out when the angst has blown over.

Guildford Writers (http://www.guildfordwriters.net) tonight, and I'm taking along the slightly updated beginning of "The Gifting", bearing in mind my current short story embargo. It always seems more frightening reading out something from one of my novels, as it means more and feels more private, whereas the short stories always seem more distanced from me. I'll have to see how it goes.

Wrapped up another copy of "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" for someone who wants it - hurrah! Now, all I have to do is wait for the cheques to come in ...

And I've just finished Philippa Gregory's "The Constant Princess". Not that impressed, I have to say. The character was terribly wordy and not that interesting. I think it's a case of the author getting carried away with their own love of their creation, so they fail to show the character's charm to the reader, having assumed we must already see it. Hell, we've all been there (as writers) and, no, this particular reader didn't see it.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com