Romantic journeys

Volunteer Vacation

2008-01-31T00:21:00.000-08:00

No more romantic journey than one to a European castle. And if your journey also involves a way to help other people, you could find yourself enjoying your volunteer vacation even more. Bike or hike? I for one am really tempted as you can see by reading between the lines of my Garden and Hearth column. Find it under Travel Europe.

American non-profit organisation For A Cause Inc arranges cycling and walking tours in aid of charity. This year they have organised three trips to Europe. The Italian vacation is already filled unless you would like to travel as a crew member --but hurry as the positions are filling fast

However there are still a few places left for the bike and hike vacations in Ireland -- base camp at Ross Castle -- and in Spain where you'll be living in a fifteenth century Spanish castle in Catalunya.

You'll have to be fit for the cycling and moderately fit as a walker -- 60 miles in the five day adventure is the norm. The Travel Europe article this month has an overview of what's on offer and what you're volunteering to do -- raise $1500 by finding sponsore for your vacation.

Best of all, every cent of your sponsorship money goes to the designated charities in aid of AIDS and Breast Cancer. You can also nominate a non-profit charity of your own to receive a proportion of the money you raise.

Robert Webber, of For a Cause, first started cycling for AIDS charities over ten years ago. Although he had not been on a bike in ten years, he signed up for the Boston to New York, four day, 350 mile bike ride. In all he participated in 17 long distance bike rides to support AIDS charities.

In 2000, he started to feel conflicted about the discrepancy between the amount of money raised and the amount of money that actually reached the beneficiaries after organisational costs were deducted.

With For a Cause, the reasonable $1200 registration fee covers your castle accommodation, bike hire, breakfasts, most dinners, support vehicles and snacks and non-alcoholic refreshments en route.

If you choose to visit an Irish pub --certainly recommended --then you'll pay for your own Guinness.

If you're looking for a vacation with a difference or even simply wish to raise money for a favourite charity, Rob and George organise for private groups as small as 10. The registration fee stays the same but you can choose your own beneficiary safe in the knowledge that all your sponsorship money goes there.

It could be the added incentive to keep yout New Year Resolutions about keeping fit, staying healthy. Bike or Hike? Or perhaps, like me, dream on.

Zarafa --the giraffe that captivated Paris

2007-10-25T02:55:00.000-07:00

Zarafa, the gangly-legged, wide-eyed and playful giraffe which captivated Paris in the 1800s, was one of the the totally unexpected sights of La Rochelle this month. She peers out and around every historic building in La Rochelle, a totally incongruous but enchanting character chosen to advertise the reopening of the Natural History Museum in La Rochelle.

Already famous for its amazing aquarium (and yes Zarafa stands on the wall there too), La Rochelle is home to the giraffe which was stuffed and sent there on its death. And now she bids to be as popular two centuries after her death as she was in life.

She is the focus of my Garden and Hearth Travel Europe feature for March 2008 and also the subject of Michael Allin's book, Zarafa, which tells the story of her adventures on the way to Paris.

The book is easily available on the Internet and you can read about it on Amazon reviews

Ho ho ho and Happy Critiquing

2006-12-10T06:45:00.000-08:00

The ho ho ho is sounding pretty hollow at this end. I just
made the mistake of reading my first post. I intended to produce a romantic novel by the end of 2005. Give me a break.

I resigned sadly from my critique group --not doing me any good to post stuff on a first draft basis. However I learned a lot and would recommend joining a congenial group for the following reasons:
1. Reading another writer's work critically helps you see what faults lie in your own work.
2. Confidence gained from being brave enough to show your work to another (preferably sympathetic) writer helps you write more confidently and hopefully more prolifically. You no longer need to spend hours of anguish over something that does not seem quite right. Someone else will solve the problem for you by commenting on what they see as wrong with the passage.
3. You get the practice of problem solving using someone else's work. This is much easier than trying to see the faults in your own work initially.

If you're waiting to find out about the nano novel --I rather like the idea but putting it on hold while I finish the WIP. I am at last ready to return to it after reading a dozen novels in the genre I'm writing for. I see the problem --my sentences are too long. I need to share the POV between hero and heroine to give more suspense and immediacy to the building romance. I need at least two good and relevant action scenes per chapter.

So that's all right then. Another ho ho ho but feeling a bit better. After all I'm only a year late.

The nanowrimo novel

2006-11-20T06:04:00.000-08:00

...creeps on at petty pace from day to day. Having decided I had thought my plot into the ground, I was bored to death with the story and theme so back to my old pantsing freedom. I may come a cropper, I certainly did last year but for the moment I'm having fun. I wrote almost as much yesterday as I had in the whole first fortnight of Nanowrimo.

The sudden spurt could have been from the invigorating first meeting we had with all available nano-novelists on the Island. Interestingly all the successful word counters were plot-based story tellers.

My novel started as usual with a character -- a fat frump on a sofa crying out for someone to listen to her story. Sadly she's decided to tell it to a journalist --always a mistake --so conflicts from the off.

Amazed that it's only a week since I applied to Garden and Hearth--it feels like weeks since I applied to work as their contributing editor on Pet Sitting. The more I research and talk to other about this, the better idea it becomes. Fingers still crossed.

Makes it a bit difficult to type the novel though. :-)

Romantic Tangents

2006-11-10T01:31:00.001-08:00

What has pet sitting to do with romance?
With lateral thinking, more than the obvious meets the eye.

Researching the business of pet sitting gives a solid basis for a strong romantic heroine. It's also a super job for a romantic suspense or cosy mystery heroine. Through her vocation she will have access to all sorts of people and homes in a range of society settings.

It provides leads to a further range of occupations for novel characters -- read both meanings of novel into that sentence. Veterinary surgeons and nurses, practitioners in complementary medicine, doctors if the animal causes an accident to a person, breeders, farmers and estate managers with working dogs. The list is endless.

Pets, let's face it, are popular protagonists. From Lilian Braun's cat detectives to Steinbeck's red pony they tug at the heart strings and inspire devotion in their fans.

It's a job I've always done, usually for friends with horses, dogs, cats, and farmyard animals. But suddenly through finding Garden and Hearth, I am passionate about turning my hobby into an occupation that will pander to my love of animals and help finance my work at home lifestyle.

I have applied for the position of Contributing Editor in the Work At Home Mums section with my focus being Pet Sitting.

Why am I not joining the band of merry freelance writers who encourage every other mum to join them?

To do any job well, it is my belief you must be a thoroughly rounded person. Socialising, family relationships and work relationships help develop negotiating skills and strength of character. As a writer, you need both.

A writer writes but to write well, you need to interact with people with real world issues and real world problems. You need to hone your skills with practice. You need a job where you are often dealing with the unknown.

Christina Jones, a writer I really admire for many reasons, still worked part time in a pub even when her books were best sellers. Been there, done that -- super for characters and drama -- but it no longer fits into my family lifestyle.

Pet sitting will.

Obviously freelancing takes total dedication and we all know how hard and lonely it can be. I'm looking forward to having a few new fluffy friends for company from time to time. Besides they'll provide even more leads for the non fiction articles I can freelance to pay the bills.

My novel will never do that.

They'll keep me exercising and following a healthy lifestyle.

My novel will never do that.

Pass the biscuits please.....

Ups and Downs

2006-10-05T04:03:00.000-07:00

Very erratic ebbs and flow of progress in the creative journey. Recent romantic journeys to Bulgaria have proved balm to the soul. Wandering the historic sites and the unspoilt countryside, attending folk festivals and being welcomed to village barbecues have forced me to reevaluate my priorities and question my drive to write for publication.

Returning home, I found my novel was back from the Romantic Novelists' Association reader whose crit was full of positive and helpful advice. The initial enthusiasm to progress was instantly dampened by a fierce crit from one of my very helpful critique group. The new chapter bored him rigid. Such is life.
I have found a new and enthusiastic interest in procrastination.

This has come at the ideal time with the rerunning of the 60-Day Experiment --David Perdew's spiritual take on making money. Now can these two ever go together? I suppose they should but simplistic is never what it seems.

Off to write my thankyou letters for my Bulgarian holiday and my anonymous RNA reader who never once whimpered with boredom reading through my work. (Wish I could say the same.) A saint indeed.

Where has the year gone?

2005-10-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

Read my post from January 23. I hang my head in shame. What have I done this year? Nothing of note. I diverted back into education and relied on that for my income. Read and marked 500 hopeful essays from GCSE students --all of whom appeared to write with more verve than I was doing at the time. Made money but nearly lost my eyesight by the end.

Finished my maths coursework which hovered over my head like a paraplegic dinosaur until late September. Now in October I feel at last full of energy. Only two and a half months to go into which to fit 12 months writing...hmm...

To improve my self-discipline, I started two new projects.The Writing as a Home Business column is meant to focus my mind on practising what I preach --four new articles written and marketed per week while Visit Bulgaria is my happy language learning blog which I'm hoping will provide ideas for future travel articles.

This sudden spurt of autumnal energy has been sparked by interviewing author Margaret Gaskin about her wonderful book "Blitz." When I transcribe the interview, recorded on minidisc for broadcast on Angel Radio IOW next week, I shall rewrite it as an article for use here and elsewhere. It will be well worth checking back to read it.

The other spur is, of course, the Nano challenge beloved of procrastinating writers all over the world. Join in the fun here and write a 50,000 word novel on any topic you like between November 1 and November 30.

Great fun, a real incentive and I made a really great cyberwriting buddy through it last year. Hi Alexis --waves madly.

She has finished her book, edited it and has it ready to go. I of course have not quite finished, nowhere near edited. To be honest, I have not even reread it.

But will do better next time.

Diversion

2005-02-18T03:29:00.000-08:00

You are an earth Dragon! You have a knack for
Nature or animals, and are peaceful, careful,
chariming, and optimistic. You can throw a
tantrum now or then, but who doesnt? You value
simple things in life, such as friends,
familly, and Nature.

What elemental dragon are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Oh dear, just clocked on the next blog which was really interesting and ending up taking the same personality quiz. Silly but fun. Now I MUST go and write. Really pleased that my romantic characters have started to feel better now that I have offered them more secure lifestyles in different locations. I found the heroine a lovely if aged friend and hopefully she will cheer up instead of being so whiny.
I also have a learning profile to finish for my maths Level 4. Hate typing out bibliographies and references. I read it, I said it. What more do you want to know?

Time passing

2005-02-18T02:51:00.000-08:00

Two weeks and little to show though gradually achieving new focus through doing. Have restarted my travels through the Artist's Way (Julia Cameron) and just writng the 3 morning pages each day helps clear my mind of useless trivia.

I then rush to switch on my computer and read my emails so that I can clutter myself up again -- a vicious circle.

Snow forecast here for the weekend so I surfed the five day forecasts for home (the South of England) and Edinburgh where my brother has just started renovating his new home. As I write the snow will probably be drifting dreamily into his drawing room. Like all men, I expect he has demolished outside walls first in preparations for the extension.

Check Bulgaria too, wondering about the pipes freezing in my chalet in the snow clad mountains. To my joy, the weather by day is warmer than here. They even have less snow. Perhaps I should rush over. Wednesday's icon is a blazing golden sun. Would like to see that. Ours is multiple gray bars with gloomy grey snowflakes.

Have had visitors --two teenage boys preparing for their Duke of Edinburgh award, camping out overnight. I of course was more excited than they were but very careful to sound laid back and bored.

Offered a choice of sites, they chose the one beside the house . I did not realise until too late that I would have to keep curtains closed until we were all uppped, dressed and abluted. Fortunately they did not get up too early.

The camping seemed interestingly to be an end in itself. DH surly because they took the last tin of the dog's baked beans. Well I couldn't leave them to starve, could I? Amazingly polite. Well-trained offers of help. Sadly they disappeared so early this morning, no time to take them up on that.

Camp fire very successful after they borrowed paper, wood and demolished one of the old cupboards in the caravan aided and abetted by DH who has always wanted to gut and burn the whole thing. They had to break in as the door had jammed and is now in two pieces. Vandals the lot of them. Felt very sad about the caravan --an old Eccles, lovely rounded shape and crooked chimney. Homed loads of our visitors in the early years here and previous owners of the property before that.

Is it my imagination or do men always need to demolish and rebuild while women feel the need to preserve and restore? Or am I just feeling jaundiced?

On rereading this blog, I see it was to be an exploration of my writing --hmmm. Nothing much to write there. Two months almost gone and not a query in sight. I have signed up for Mindu Khuller's free ecourse on writing query letters this week. So that's all right then.

Computer explorer

2005-01-28T13:45:00.000-08:00

I am one of those sad people who find romance in computer glitches. All my writing time today was diverted into exploring the hidden entrails of my computer files -- a romantic journey indeed through mysterious and previously unknown folders.

My free AVG antivirus software is sadly off colour and has been for a couple of days now. The happy red green and yellow logo is now a gloomy black and grey square hunched on my taskbar. I would do anything to cheer it up.

I visited the AVG website and downloaded the priority updates available. But the little square was still inconsolable. Its alt message tells me crossly it will update itself tomorrow. But I know better. It has been saying that for days.

I have now juggled some files around, copied and pasted file folders into various places in the hope that too much is better than too little. I suspect I may be mistaken, having crashed catastrophically earlier today.

Still procrastinating

2005-01-27T01:06:00.000-08:00

Certainly in the mood to stand and stare at the moment --fascinated by the gauzy clouds lacing the unexpectedly blue sky. Anything to take my mind off the fact that my printer is playing up again, making life very difficult indeed when it comes to producing student handouts.

Diverse notes

2005-01-24T04:57:00.000-08:00

Having spent ages failing to find the pushbutton to ease my photoblogging, I have had to give up and start writing. Procrastination is the keyword I need to eradicate from my vocabulary. But years of bad habits stack up against me.

So far today, I have been to the dentist (that smacks of desperation), gone book shopping ( a treat for my past birthday), looked wistfully round the sales, and eaten and eaten and eaten to avoid putting fingers to keyboard.

I have patiently persevered through AOL cutting off my dial up connections in order to read every email in my box --all of it pretty irrelevant to life --and have just remembered some outside chores I should be getting on with.

Romantic journeys through today include investigating Feng Shui (OK I'm well behind the trend), succeeding in attaching photos to my blogging and starting to read the Jane Austen Book Club...mf.....

Romantic journeys

2005-01-23T10:24:00.000-08:00

Romantic journeys will detail thoughts and learning curves of an aspiring writer determined to produce at least one completed contemporary romance in 2005.

It will also record all writing done in the year, whether factual articles or fiction, and efforts to boost income from sales. Writing courses are burgeoning all over the net, classes are held in Adult Education centres everywhere.

Can we all find success as writers? And if not, why not?