Monday, September 10, 2007

200-year-old crows (not mine!)

Current work: finalising some PM stuff and admin, then Med revisions
Listening to: Athlete; David Gilmour
Reading: just finished Elizabeth Oldfield, Vintage Babes

Quote from Amelia Opie, writing to her friend Mrs Taylor in 1801 just before the publication of her first (acknowledged) book, Father and Daughter:

‘As usual, all the good I saw in my work, before it was printed, is now vanished from my sight, and I remember only its faults. All the authors, of both sexes, and artists too, that are not too ignorant or full of conceit to be capable of alarm, tell me they have had the same feeling when about to receive judgement from the public.’

So it't not a 21st-century phenomenon, then.

Apart from that, have discovered a Norwich character I hadn't heard about before... and although I have one chapter devoted to the, um, 'characters' (I may have mentioned before that our county's/city's/university's motto is 'Do Different' - and we really do have some characters), I really think he deserves a chapter all of his own.

I'm also getting lightbulbs for something I really shouldn't be working on (bearing in mind the deadline situation, now is NOT the time to start something in a completely different genre) but have made notes and ordered some books.

Roll on Wednesday and the archives (though I'd better earn that visit today...)

3 comments:

Michelle Styles said...

The Crows are ancient. And travel on well known paths. It is part of what makes you a writer.

Make notes, order books but work on the screaming deadlines.

Margaret McDonagh said...

Your new Norwich character sounds really interesting. I hope you enjoy your research day on Wednesday. And good luck with the revisions.

I have so many crows of doubt here, they must surely be giving you a rest for a bit!

You're a star, believe me.

Love,
Mags xx

Kate Hardy said...

Michelle - I'll do the deadline tomorrow *g*

Mags - he was fascinating. Except he didn't like dogs. Hope your crows vanish promptly!