It has been a funny week. It has flown by so quick and i feel as though i have not done a thing. Which is true in a way, because all i have done is attempt to buy Christmas presents, and as i am a woman who hates shops (no kidding guy's) it has been murder.

With all our purses being pinched, we as consumers, no longer wish to buy the sily gadgets that will played on Christmas day, and then thrown away buy New Years day, we now look for things that people want, useful things, things that they are needed. alas, nothing of the sort flung its arms around me to be taken home and loved.

I've been to my local town, only to find junk at prices that i cannot afford. Telford, only because it was cold, and you kept warm. However, a few nick nacks were bought. The German Market in Birmingham, which was expensive, and i knew that some of the goodies that they were selling, i could buy way cheaper in Aldis.

So that has been my week, traipsing around like a wounded soldier from one county to another hoping to  have got all my shopping, and over the weekedn have it all wrapped up in sparkly ribbon, and fancy paper...well no, i think the paper has snowmen on, and the cellotape has been half chewed by our puppy.

But i will not bore you any longer with Christmas cheer, if like me, it is very overwhelming and brings tears to my eyes, but if i hear another "Merry Christmas" song on the radio once more i will scream.

 Last night i went to my local Writers' Circle, and it was nice to see not only the old faces  (and i mean old..lol), but also new too. As one member said, it brings a different feel to the circle, as there are so many diffrent genre and different types of authors that bring fresh ways of writing to our club. No longer is it romance, factual, and crime, we now have flash writers, people who write for magazines, children writers, true life, fantasy and sci-fi, and history. A lovely jumble of work that we can listen to on manuscript nights, and put our voice in, on the construction of their work, how it could be improved, and what they could do to make it more appealing to the reader.

Also last night, our first publication of work by the circle was given out. It was stories from the group about our lives as children. it was supposed to be of our early days at school. as usual i thought differently, i was not a fan of school, so wrote about the time out of school. But you know when some of the stories were read out most had bad memories of school too, which made me feel guilty about not revealing my school past. The book is called Satchels, Inkwells and Milk Monitors, not sure if it is going to be published for public viewing, but still it is nice to actually have my name in a published book.

well i wil leave you at this point, i have ham that needs curing, and the house is in need of festive cheer.

take care, and thank you for coming by.

Victoria

Good day to you all. Well i am not one to let folk down, and with the Realm of Wonders Union, exceeding the 2k mark and people commenting that they like the story, i decided last night, whilst eating tea (chicken and roasties) that from here on, i will allow two chapters of my story every other day to be free to those who are reading the story, and are curious to where the story is leading to. I know money is tight, and even at the measly price, no one can really afford to put hands in pocket at this time of year to purchase the book. I know been there done that, and still are.

My main hope is not to sell a book and make millions, and cruise around on a private plane drinking pink chamagne and having my photo took with the rich and famlous. No i want to share it with you, the public, the world. It may be o.k, good, brilliant, even a load of crap, but i just want to put a bit of happiness in your souls'. And if like me, you had always wished to write, but never had the time to do so, or that you have no idea where you wish your story to go, then look no further than me.

Alison Benson began as just a bit of a doodle thing, something to do, whilst sitting in the garden. it was never meant to have gone this far. All of what i have written in the past got to x ammount of pages, and was put away, never to see the light of day again. But this story was different, it kind of began writing it self, the characters were in front of me, and it came so easy. Plus i did mention that i was writing a book to many people, and i did not want to feel a failure when they asked how the book was coming along. So you see we can all do it, bit of a shove, but it can be acheived.


My main hope is that a publisher and agent see it. I know it needs a bit more work on it, but you do overlook things. Like a letter, you can write it ten times, and it never looks right. And this is the same - 130k words is a lot to go through on your own.

Well enough ear bashing for now. The link is coming up. I know it is a bit cheeky of me to ask, but if you are able to pass the link around, or put a like in the facebook tick thing or even post it on facebook, retweet it, whatever you can do to pass this story around, i would be so grateful.
Till next time take care.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/113772693/Alison-Benson-and-the-Realm-of-Wonders-Union

As Christmas is nearing, and well, i like to give rather than receive, i have put two more chapters on scribd.com for you to read.  If it works on this page here is the link. if not, if you go to home page at the bottom of their you will see a link.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/113772693/Alison-Benson-and-the-Realm-of-Wonders-Union 

The story is long, and i know that many do not enjoy a long winded tale, but you know, i too am one of those people that would rather read a book in a day and carry on with my life. However,  once you get stuck into a good story, you wish it never ended. I could read forever and a day if i was allowed to, but obvioulsy i would need to be mega-rich, and be able to afford a cook and cleaner to do my daily chores. Alas, i'm not, so reading is restricted to the i-have-a-spare-five-mins time.

So please read a book, and enjoy it. Turn your phone off, and take that break from your life, it'll only be a cold caller insisting you need warrenty for your washing machine.

Take care now
Victoria

Why is it that when there is a story in your head, the ideas overflow, you can't sleep, tossing and turning, eager to get all off to work and school just so that you can begin that new project? But then before you begin, the mundane tasks are to be done. Nothing runs smoothly, your daily routine has gone to pot, and yet, all you want to do is sit down, write, get the imgination into full sing, and begin that new adventure?

It is soon lunchtime, no time for a cuppa - no time to do anything, as your day is going fast. That easy job of cleaning the bathroom has taken longer than usual, more washing to put away, the phone ringing, you forget you need groceries.

one o'clock comes and goes, soon nearing two, and you have your nearest and dearest calling you.Their day is going bad, so you have to listen, sympathize, whilst rolling your eyes in annoyance, knowing they're unable to see you, as your first sit down of the day means a good ear bashing about how so and so is "doing their head in" and you just wishing that they would hang up, and leave you be.

Three o'clock. Kids' will be home shortly. You sneak your cuppa, a biscuit, and find a pen, sit down and begin to write. How rejoiced you feel, the pen running like a smooth car over your lined paper, no mistakes, no stopping and thinking, just pure indulgence, your feelings coming fast and furious. But then the phone -it rings. "Pick us up, it's cold" the darlings say.  With more pulls to your face, like Mr. Rubber, you reluctantly agree. looking at those few sentances with woe, wishing to have written more, as you put your scribblings away, and grab the keys to the limousine and head off to torture yourself in queues of traffic with parents in their 4x4's.
And so the end of the day is here. The house is a mess, the kids are arguing, old man is watching footy, and the dogs' are running around the house pulling socks from the washing basket. And me? Well i am at odds. The day that i had planned had not gone to plan. Not a thing that i enjoyed doing had been acheived. And so with a yawn i get into bed, hoping that one day i can write that story that is dancing in my mind. It may be the next day that it can be done. But knowing my luck? Well give it a year or two....at least.