Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Rejections and the Art of Positive Thinking...



I just received three rejections for my work.

Three. Count 'em...

Being a writer - I refuse to use the term 'struggling', although poor is probably apt - I am getting used to rejections and I'm determined not to take it personally. Even though each rejection feels a bit like the literary equivalent of someone calling your kid ugly... But even a self-confessed Eternal Optimist like me has to admit that three in one day is a bit much...

Nevertheless, the way I've decided to look at it is like this: each rejection is one less to endure before someone says 'Yes'. Just purely by the Law of Averages, someone, somewhere has to say yes eventually.

I've had some success - visit www.myvillage.com to see my latest review of Made of Honour - so I know I'm not a completely useless scribbler. Still no money, but it's the writing that counts.

One day, I will write something that becomes part of someone else's world. It's not an if, it's a when. Until that day, I'm utilising the Positive Gene™ whenever and wherever possible!!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Sneezing pandas!




A-a-a-a-a-a-chooooooo!

As this is the season of hay fever, I thought I'd share these sneezy videos to make fellow sufferers smile. (In between sneezes, that is...) Enjoy!

Panda sneezing fit



Making Mum jump

Thursday, May 8, 2008

The Slowest Learner Moped Driver in the West Midlands...



Tonight, I encountered a strange creature.

I was running late - something that happens to me with surprising frequency, despite my best attempts to avoid it - so I needed to get to my friend's house in ten minutes flat, or else risk missing the film we were supposed to be seeing. Normally, I can do this easily, traffic lights pending. Tonight, however - as is so often the way of things when you're in a hurry - every light was a red one, making my progress frustratingly slow.

Just when I was starting to wonder if I would ever get there, I encountered a strange creature, as it pulled out cautiously in front of me. It appeared to be too large for its mode of transport; wobbling precariously atop a bright red moped. With a comically big and shiny helmet, the picture was magnificently completed by the gaudy flowers painted on the sides of the moped and a large 'L' plate blowing slightly in the breeze at the back.

I'm not sure what was the most amusing - the extraordinary flash of be-thonged bum cleavage heaving over the top of the driver's too-small jeans, or the fact that she appeared to be incapable of going any faster than 20mph.

At first this too-slow vehicle in front of me was a source of annoyance. But, after a few minutes, I found myself fascinated by the sheer effort this creature had to exert simply to stay upright on her mode of transport. As we approached each hill, I was rooting for the driver: "Come on, you can do it!"

When she managed 25mph on one section I was triumphant on her behalf; when she freewheeled down a long hill and hit 28mph, I was practically euphoric.

I never thought that being stuck behind the Slowest Learner Moped Driver in the West Midlands could turn out to be such a life-affirming experience. But when she finally turned off the road, I found myself strangely deflated.

I hope that, somewhere, that wobbly, overly-cautious owner of the splendidly be-flowered two-wheeler continues her journey towards 30pmh - and that, one day, she will truly discover the joys of attempting speeds beyond her wildest dreams.

"One day, my friend," she will say, patting the shiny red paint of her beloved scooter in the growing dusk of the evening, the look of a wild deamer in her eyes, "one day we'll hit 35mph - hell, 42mph even! One day - maybe not so long from now - we'll push as hard as we can until we reach the Holy Grail of speed - yes, the National Speed Limit will one day be ours and ours alone!"

As for the film, I didn't get to see it after all. But that's another story...

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Swanky new website (fnar, fnar)...



Oh yes.

I am now the proud webmaster (?!) of my very own swanky writer's website!

Holds up hands to quieten thunderous applause... Why, thank you, thank you. You're too kind...

After several dead-ends and false starts trying to get my work out there (wherever 'there' is...), I finally decided to put my own site together so that I could have an outlet for my writing. Whether or not anyone actually visits it is another thing, but at least I know it's there.

I've called it Coffee & Roses , like this very blog - not because it's going to usurp this one but rather that coffee and roses sums me up quite nicely. So feel free to pop along and have a leisurely stroll through its pages - and let me know what you think!

You can find my site at: www.miranda-dickinson.com

Also, if you have a site, blog, or similar online thingy that you would like me to plug on my site, just ask nicely and I'll see what I can do. Blatant bribes in the form of chocolate or coconut mushrooms will be considered but never officially condoned...

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Old mail and new beginnings...



Something odd just happened...

I was checking my emails (as you do) and realised I had a whole folder of stuff I'd kept from an old boyfriend. I don't know why I'd kept it - I can't remember the last time I even looked at it and, seeing as I was unceremoniously dumped by him over two years ago, there's absolutely no reason I'd want to revisit my past.

That was why it was so strange to find the folder - and realise how much I've moved on since that time.

It was odd to think that I had ever been (a) as naiive as I was; and (b) as completely desperate as I was with him. The poor guy probably didn't know what hit him when I fell for him as hard as I did. Having said that, it wasn't all one-sided; what began as an online correspondance quickly turned into this web of words that caught both of us up in its potency, I think. It's odd how you can feel you know someone through emails and phone calls so quickly - when if you were meeting face to face you would naturally take a lot longer to get to know each other. One minute we were sharing jokes about awful chick-flicks and Ninja Grannies (yep, this was where the genre of geriatric warrior originated) and the next he was declaring undying love for me and I was spending hours at my laptop waiting for him to message me.

Ugh... When I look back on it now, I feel so completely embarassed by the whole thing. It would have been so much better if we had just remained jokey pen-pals and never let our hearts run away with ridiculous romantic notions. I lost a friend because it all got out of hand and it's a shame...

They say you learn from your mistakes; in my case this was definitely true. After this guy I met the gorgeous Bob and took my time getting to know him. I was so scared of being that bunny-boiling FREAK which I'd turned into before that I got a grip of myself and didn't entertain crazy notions beyond what we were capable of. That's why it's working and I'm not panicking about the future.

So, if the email guy in question should happen upon my blog - I'm sorry. I wish you'd just stayed my friend and I wish I hadn't reacted the way I did. Hopefully, lessons learned and all that should count for something...
Related Posts with Thumbnails

Listen to my album tracks!