News

Obviously, I'd never do cheesy publicity pictures in support of the live work!

In answer to some questions I’ve had about what – exactly – constitutes a gig, I’m posting a link below. As I noted in the last update I’ve talked to people as diverse as schools, the Women’s Institute and – from this year – psychotherapists and other specialist groups. So the ‘gigs’ in question can be as simple as running through a few of the greatest hits about how to get a book published, or as complicated as workshops aimed at updating the skills of professionals. The link below is to some flyers for workshops I’m doing in July and September. Typical of the more demanding ‘gigs’ on the current schedule. If you click on either of the workshops with ‘writing’ in the title, you’ll get the idea.

Link to – the Link Centre(Opens new window)

The Matchday Magazine note the ‘best read’ award announcement on the cover.

Thanks for all the contact with regard to my writing in the Matchday Magazine at Carlisle. I was honoured to be asked to join the team working on a football programme awarded a ‘best read’ award. One reason – perhaps – it qualifies is that any time spent reading the magazine and looking away from the pitch over the last few months might well have been well spent. There was a dull end to a season within living memory, honest, it was in 1989.

Mick and Simmo, on a good day at work.

 

Anyway, as of this writing, I’m already stockpiling work for next season. And I may well be asking for the odd bit of input from others in the Blue Army.

And whilst we’re on the subject, thanks for all the contact about the death of Mick Mitchell and the obit I wrote for my fellow Carlisle United author. Sad news.

For Fox Sake!

The latest updates on the forthcoming CUFC related books. As of this writing the Blue Army project, collecting stories of Carlisle fans, is about 30% of the way to a complete book. If you’re wondering what all of this is about, click over to the books page and the top story will explain how you can contribute. What I’ve got is really good stuff. The good news is that it keeps coming in.

Bridges LEEDS the way. Front cover shot from the new book.

The bad news is that it’s still coming in quite slowly. Blueseason 2008/2009 is also a definite for this summer. Largely complete as I write these words, with a few new features, and – fittingly, I think – dedicated to Mick Mitchell. It should be available by the time the next news update appears on here. Once it appears on Amazon I’ll post a link from this page. And probably spam you if you’re a member of the Carlisle United Facebook group.

As a rule I leave the lecturing work out of the news pages but it is overlapping with the freelance and writing work at the moment. One subject of the gigs and bits of consultancy I’ve been doing lately is working with groups and individuals on the ‘anyone can become a published author’ theme. It’s veered into the college work of late where I’ve managed projects turning just over 50 students into published writers.

With Love

The most worthy such venture saw a group of students write a book for a charity, cover pictures below. If you’re one of those dropping in here because I’ve been discussing such ventures with you for the future you might want to follow the link below to sample a few pages of the charity book.

With Love Link
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Lennon, he's an accepted classic, not sure about my movie script.

This isn't exactly news, this is the copy I'll keep on this page until they make the movie, or the option agreement expires in July 2012. Other than the Carlisle United stuff Mr Lennon still generates more traffic through this site than anything else. Not that anything of significance has moved in the last three months. All of which means I could just be three months nearer the next payment for allowing them to hang onto the option, or maybe just a day away from the phone call saying; ‘We've got the money, let's cast it.’

Such is the way in a strange business where – sometimes – you can earn more writing stuff nobody gets to see than you do putting books on shelves in bookshops. Keep sending the e-mails and I'll update this item once we have any real news.

The Unresolvable Plot: Reading Contemporary Fiction. Of course, you could just ignore this book and read the contemporary fiction.

By popular request I continue to keep illustrating this ongoing item with book covers of titles so unspeakably obscure and/or dense that only the truly committed would venture into the pages beyond.

As of this writing, I’ve had a couple of interviews over and above those that came before and got another offer. I’m still feeling very positive about the choice I made to hold out for the PhD I wanted to do, and not the options I was first offered.

One strange development is that another couple of possibilities have also come into the equation, one of whom approached me. More forms will be filled, more discussions entered into, and something should – probably – have happened by the next update, allowing me to formally start in September.