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Post by steppedonwolf on Aug 11, 2009 21:17:43 GMT
Certainly am enjoying them, sir.
The clicker has really helped on the field of archery. Scored 451 on the short metric tonight - only 50 below my PB. All Hail the mighty Clicker! Let's hope this has cured me of target panic.
Chapter 18 of The Caretakers, everything hotting up nicely...or nastily.
And the sun shone. A great day.
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Post by steppedonwolf on Aug 21, 2009 22:05:36 GMT
A good week, but a tiring one.
BSI audit at work. Never fun.
Some c*nt nicked my second recycling box - the same week that the South Oxon District Council announced that their collections will be fortnightly. Awaiting a new box, in the meantime I'm having to jump up and down on everything in the first to make space for my crap over the next week...
Chapter 24 of The Caretakers. Not happy with the exposition chapters, but I've realised I can spread the exposition over the latter part of the book rather than cramming it all in to the two earlier chapters.
The subplot with the undead boar has now generated a link to the main theme.
Now, the last six chapters are what I've been looking forward to. Action, violence and bloody mayhem and the build up to the grand finale.
My new arrows finally arrived yesterday from Quicks of Waterlooville. Tested them out today and they're working great. Shooting a bit lower on the target than I expected, someone suggested that the nocks are too tight on the string which is why they're dropping.
Some good advice to take on board, so I'll do some twiddling on Sunday.
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Post by steppedonwolf on Aug 28, 2009 17:15:16 GMT
Aaargh! Bloody weather. Too windy for arrows.
Had fun with the Lovecraftian story thread, pleased that Amie and Willie liked it. I'll take his advice and submit it - and No Grave But The Sea - to the anthology he posted a link to.
Three chapters of The Caretakers to go now, so I'm hoping to get them done over the weekend.
As it's a Bank Holiday weekend, I don't think I'll be distracted and tempted to go outside by any sunny weather...
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Post by Jim on Aug 29, 2009 11:10:46 GMT
but is it too orangey for crows
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Post by ian on Aug 29, 2009 16:58:25 GMT
It's just for me and my dog.
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Post by steppedonwolf on Aug 30, 2009 11:45:39 GMT
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Post by steppedonwolf on Sept 5, 2009 10:54:11 GMT
Ah, Wallingford Bunkfest. We tried working our way down the real ale list - got halfway through, not bad for three hours drinking, we were congratulating ourselves - and then someone kindly pointed out that the list was two sided. Only a quarter of the way through... Going back now. www.bunkfest.co.uk/
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Post by Jim on Sept 9, 2009 12:52:55 GMT
That's what a like a man of conviction sand principles. Never leave a pint un drunk
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Post by steppedonwolf on Sept 9, 2009 17:57:06 GMT
Failed to complete the list! Ah well, next year...
Apparently we finished up in The Dolphin to see a band and I was so pissed I tripped over someone's amp. Wondered why I left so early...
Sunday - GNS convention. A lovely day as usual, marred only by a flat tyre on the way back.
Changing a wheel in a pitch black layby outside Worcester ain't fun. Thank God for wind up torches.
Surprisingly small turn out - there were about 8-9 of us and a load of kids. The goody bags hadn't turned up, they'll be sent out in the post - but Guy doesn't know what's in them.
Food and wine was top rate as usual. The dogs were friendly and well behaved.
I think I pissed Guy off. I went up in the attic/bookshop to take some snaps and told him I was grassing him up to the Health and Safety Executive for not providing emergency exits, fire action points and hard hats for visitors.
I had to say 'joke, JOKE' twice before he realised...
If any of you get down there next year make sure you look at the wooden box in the centre of the attic - it contains all his research scrapbooks and his acceptance/rejection letters from past publishers. Fascinating reading.
He still hates Tesco. Top bloke.
I asked him about updates on future works and sadly nothing much is forthcoming. Severn House are holding back on further commissions due to the 'economic climate' and the date for the GWP release for Night of the Werewolf hasn't been confirmed yet.
NOTC hardback will be sent out on September 17th. Apart from that...very little in the way of future works
Let's hope that changes by next year.
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Post by steppedonwolf on Sept 14, 2009 22:50:24 GMT
Finally finished the newsletter for the archery club. Christ, it took ages.
Called it 'The Arrow of Artemis', after the classical goddess of hunting. The annual tournament we host is called the 'Diana' - the other name for Artemis - so I thought this would be a nice link.
Now back to The Caretakers. The last chapter beckons...then an epilogue.
Worrying developments at work - we're quiet in our branch, but the North Wales lot are snowed under with a massive warehouse move. My boss phoned me earlier asking for 'volunteers' to spend a month or two in the Dark Country.
None are forthcoming, obviously. So how long before a volunteer is 'chosen'...
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Post by steppedonwolf on Sept 24, 2009 22:27:34 GMT
Well, no more 'invites' from our guv'nors. We're breathing easy...for now, at least. Worryingly, another Fugro Opco is being liquidated from the Wallingford site. I feel a hammer is about to fall... Committee meeting at the archery club. Two and a half hours...sigh. Still, good feedback about the newsletter so I'll be doing another one in time for Christmas. If you'd like to see the non-fiction I do have a look at this: www.harlequinbowmen.org.uk/page31.html(Mine's the September 2009 one, BTW). Halfway through the final chapter of The Caretakers! The end is in sight - but it's like the finish line a marathon runner sees. Relief and exhaustion at the same time...and hallucinations brought on by exhaustion and head injuries from hitting The Wall. But at least an athlete doesn't have to revise and 'final edit' his or her performance and then submit it to a cold, indifferent entity known as a Publisher. Marathon runners...you don't know you're BORN!
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Post by steppedonwolf on Sept 29, 2009 20:55:15 GMT
Nothing much to report.
A Clout Shoot in Salisbury on Sunday - again, a great day with fine company, lovely sunshine and a better score than my Southampton show.
Even better considering that I'd had two thirds of a bottle of red absinthe the day/night before.
Don't look at me like that! Some interesting people came back to my flat after chucking out time on Friday, and they left me a little present.
I think.
Yes, I'm finishing the rest of it now.
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Post by steppedonwolf on Oct 4, 2009 22:52:25 GMT
Well, a momentous day for me. My first ever attempt at a long distance on the field of archery. I shot a Long National round, which is four dozen arrows at 80 yards, then two dozen at 60 yards. Score of 303, not brilliant, but better than I expected. Considering I can't get a sight mark at 80 (I have to pull the bow up because my sight block won't go down any further) and was using the tip of my longrod to get an approximate fix, it's not too bad. Only a few misses. And on another note - I've finished The Caretakers! Well, not 'finished' as such - there's still a bit of tinkering and tidying up to do before it's ready for submission, but it's fair to say that I've finished writing it. Wonderful feeling when I typed in the final sentence of the epilogue, and thought "Yes. It's the end..." But I feel sad now.
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Post by steppedonwolf on Oct 14, 2009 16:57:52 GMT
Mobility clauses. Got to love them.
Yes, our guv'nors are refusing to take no for an answer. We've been served 30 days notice to comply with the request for temporary reassignment in North Wales, or risk facing a disciplinary for breach of contract - which I've been advised could lead to instant dismissal. The mobility clause in our contracts means they've got us over a barrel.
Appeals are in progress. Needless to say the stress and bad feeling this has caused is considerable, and I've been unable to concentrate on anything - let alone editing The Caretakers.
I've said this before in a story I wrote, but I'll repeat it here. Read the Terms and Conditions of your Contract of Employment carefully before signing. VERY carefully...
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Post by Vaughan on Oct 14, 2009 22:44:44 GMT
Being unemployed is NO FUN. No-one knows it better than me! If I don't find a job in the next 45 days, I'll be homeless. And no - that's no joke.
But let me ask you this. Why have you not considered doing the temporary assignment? What are the downsides?
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