Debut Authors and Party Atmosphere

My day started with arriving early (this is becoming a reoccurring theme, must get better time management!) at the Pop-Up Bookshop to purchase the books ready for the Debut Authors - Tanya Byrne and Louisa Reid event.

Got the new girl on the till, had to point out the deal for the day on these books not that it was a problem, everyday there are new books, new deals or the prices change. Books in hand, I sat down on the brightly covered sofa with its orange cushions and throw and took in the surroundings.

Let's say that it was orange, very ornate and in the corner of the room an artist was decorating the wall for "City of a 1000 stories". The idea behind it is to tell the story of our wonderful city through drawings and anyone can contribute when visiting the Library and Pop-Up Bookshop, have a read of the blog from the event at: http://cityof1000stories.blogspot.co.uk/

Whilst in the bookshop, a few members of the organising committee and team from Writing West Midlands came in to collect stuff for the big event that evening, Stuart Maconie and Caitlin Moran at the CBSO.

                          

As I was standing pretty, I offered to help with the loading of the boxes and props that were needed. Sara had to park at the Copthorne Hotel, which involved walking through the Paradise Forum with crowds of people while I was balancing boxes on my arms! We made it though and the car was packed. Read about Caitlin and Stuart, who are both local authors to Brum at http://www.birminghambookfestival.org/the-world-according-to-moran-maconie-3887/ or alternatively their websites http://www.how-tobeawoman.com/ and http://www.stuartmaconie.com/

Debut Authors

Next task was some relaxation with Tanya Byrne and Louisa Reid, held in the murky depths of the library in the lower ground floor, the business centre had just finished work for the day as we trundled in. The warning bells signalling closure for the library started the event at 5.30 and the announcement from the Library Staff that we will be locked in, took me back to my youth when I tried to hold off until the very last second before I left.

Tanya Byrne's book Heart-Shaped Bruise is about a 17 year old girl called Emily who writes a journal that she is not meant to have and through her words, you find out why she is in the psychiatric facility of Youth Offenders Institute. Tanya spoke about her book with passion, excitement and even though she told us most of the main plots, she saved the suspense and tension for the page turning. She answered all the questions that she was asked with a smile on her face, honesty and a love for her chosen path and this is going to come out in the book I believe. Can't wait to get stuck in. Follow her @tanyabyrne on twitter, or facebook https://www.facebook.com/tanyabyrnewrites

 

Louisa Reid's book Black Heart Blue is about two sisters stories, Hepzi and Rebecca, each tell their own story before and after Hepzi has died. Rebecca is now free from her sisters shadow, as a suffered from Treacher-Collins Syndrome, she has always been the one people couldn't talk to. Follow their story as it unravels. This book appeals to me for the two sides of the stories, the dark nature of the plot line. Find out more about Louisa at http://www.louisareid.com/ Twitter @louisareid.





PARTY TIME IN THE LIBRARY THEATRE

I walked in after finishing at the Book signing and the music was playing in the background, Reggae from the speakers mixed with acoustic guitars from two gentleman sat on chairs in the audience. The stage had a theme of someones front room, chairs placed around, tables there was books, vinyls and food/drink placed out ready.
The theme for the evening was Independence Party, the freedom from the reigns of rulers, dictatorship and personal steps towards the release of shackles. There was poetry, prose and music in the first half where eight performers from the group Writers without Borders.

We have Urdu for a poem about personal freedom from marriage, we have poetry about the English taking over the Tea Empire and we have music and dance from the belly dancer much to the embarrassment of her brother who was also on stage!
It was informal, fun and very captivating to the audience, I can see why they are asked to come back year after year to entertain the audiences.

Writers without Borders is a Birmingham based group of writers from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Some have lived in England for many years and others have arrived in the country quite recently. The group includes professional, semi-professional , new and emerging writers and meets monthly at  Stageside Bar and Restaurant, Birmingham, to share their work. Here is there blog: http://wwborg.wordpress.com/

False Details: Update

I have now got to the point where all things are good, ticking along very nicely and a brickwall has now hit the free flowing narrative and creative word count.



I have written up all the ideas and now I trapising through the words to find things I have missed, does the story flow, does it make sense?!
Well it does to me, I keep saying but when I read it as non-writer, no it does not!!!

PROBLEM!

Here is an extract of my latest chapter written for False Details:

“M12, are you free for an immediate”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“It has come through as “The Inn”, which looking does not look like it is anywhere we know. We are trying to find out, consulting Google”

“Local knowledge it is the youth club at St Martins Church” shouted up someone with some information.

“Thank you that officer, then according to mapping shows to be part of St Martins Church, Stanton Green off the Highway close to Princes School.”

“All received. What is the job please?”

“There has been a party this evening, well not a party as such but a group of youths have gone to the youth club for the memorial of Natalie Woodman, killed a few days ago. And it looks like it has got out of hand and criminal damage has occurred, large groups are now spilling into the surroundings.”

Kenny had sat and listened to the whole exchange on his radio. His ears pricked up from the calming melodies and rifts of Joe Bonamasa streaming from his computer terminal. He spoke to intelligence this afternoon after his visit to the school and receiving such information from the teaching staff and students. He wanted to find out how he could best distribute the information across the force in case of any issues that spilled out of Birmingham South into other police areas. They suggested using the Intelligence Management System otherwise known to the officers as IMS. IMS is good for long term issues that need to be collated for a one off event that is happening that same evening not so good.

He called the Service desk, logged the conversation and asked it to be brought to the attention of the local Neighbourhood Team. Which would have been fine but they booked off duty at 10pm according to the shift pattern, it is now nearly half past 10. It was now up to response and the units to deal with.

“M12 arrived at the scene. More units required. Approximately 30 youths standing outside the premise. Very intoxicated and I don’t think the Police arriving has calmed them down.”

“Thank you for update. Other units are one minute away.”

“Blue lights and sirens may need to be switched off, silent approach.” Sergeant Blake barking orders from the comfort of his office. “I repeat no tones; do not want hostility to rise.”

Suddenly, the air was clear of two tones and the crowd moved away from the centre.

Extract from my Book

PROLOGUE

0700 hours 19^th June 2011

Officers were crammed into the smallest briefing room in the entire station, The Sam Waters Room, Birmingham City HQ Police Station. More officers entered the room which held an oval wooden table in the centre with 10 chairs around; for a normal tasking meeting this would be sufficient, with the 32 officers now present it was like a tin of sardines. All of the chairs were pushed under the desk tightly and everyone stood or leaned against the nearest wall or piece of furniture, trying to have individual conversations with the closest person was verging on impossible.

Luckily for people’s eardrums, Detective Chief Inspector Holland wandered in and then stood to address his troops for the forthcoming days work.

“Good Morning, getting straight on with things; gathered from recent intelligence linking Human Trafficking gangs to a number of addresses across the Birmingham South area, Operation Safeguard has been put in place to raid and secure a number of addresses...”

“….he said exactly the same bloody thing yesterday, why the f…” sitting at the back of the room chatting was probably not a good idea.

“…is there a problem PC Bradford? My fucking problem is that we are now a person down in 1:7 nominations. Get changed and meet me in my office NOW!” the usually calm persona was broken. DCI Liam Holland knew one thing no-one else did, they were going to be busy today and tomorrow, especially now, and another officer will be needed.

DCI Holland allowed the officers to murmur for a moment and then cracked on with the evidence presentation; this contained a map of the addresses to be raided, pictures of the suspects and video footage of some exchanges made with the suspects.

After a moment of composure, “Everyone else, good luck for today, remember you are all working towards my promotion from DCI” He chuckled to himself as he walked back to his office, recently his fast track promotion had come to a slow halt.

4 addresses were raided on the Operation Safeguard that morning, there was series of arrests for numerous offences from human trafficking, prostitution, drug possession and cultivation and evidence bags were filled from all the locations. All the addresses held links with a local gang who have targeted the quiet suburbs of Birmingham for their operation.

DCI Holland had no interest in any of these addresses; all he wanted to learn about when he called Operational Support Unit Sergeant Thompson was from 65 Winding Lane, where the intelligence was led to believe that it was a storage house for the larger cultivation plants related to the rest of the raid. DCI Holland had been using an intelligence source that had been giving information since Liam Holland was a beat sergeant on the local policing team. The source was meant to be at 65 Winding Lane and to be arrested for some minor offences.

“Address was checked, there were no signs of life in the premises. Had been lived in but not for at least a month. Following from the intelligence from the premises, we seized approximately 5 VHS recordable tapes from the living room area.”

“Good, very good. The Intel was very strong then, your team did well today with the whole series. Scene from 65 Winding Lane has been secured and forensics requested?”

“Yes, Yes, Sir, I don’t see the requirement for forensics at the address and it was not in the original notes for the address...”

“…the requirement is there, please just go along with the request and update me with the results. Thank you, Sergeant Thompson.”

DCI Holland had found from a number of the addresses checked one further residential property kept popping up and the interview conducted gave more details. This was the one address to check and this would be completed tomorrow, the address check would be completed by his team with him leading, he knew that this was going to be the big one, but he didn’t expect to find what was in store for him.

Am i doing enough writing??

I have always found it hard to write for prolonged periods of time, I have a blitz of 45 minutes where all I think about is the writing in front of me.

So to challenge myself to see if i can do some more, I set myself a target of 1 hour the other night and I made it to 50  minutes I just can not break this.

Is it just me or am not alone with my issue?

I have read Tim Weavers Blog on his website and he says he works during the day, gets home has dinner and puts his daughter to bed then writes from 7-11 or until he gets tired.

I suddenly lost my breath, 4 hours of writing after a normal day! I definitely don't feel I am doing enough now then.



A normal session means that I sit in the study with my notepad, a pen and the computer. I have my writing that I have completed and I read through what I have already written and see if there are any changes to be made from last nights efforts. I will then go ahead and start my new writing, pick through my notes and expand on an idea by using the notepad and pen and write to hearts content but I begin to fade at 45 minutes.

I start to mess with whatever is around, with the computer there I usually open the Internet, How can I stop this??

Is this writers block? I don't have a problem with writing though just my attention span!