Thursday, January 09, 2014

A busy day

It's been a busy day creatively. First I taught the Battkids how to make a mind map and then use it to write a story. Using the word 'archery' Erin is now writing a story about the Statue of Liberty running amok through Central Park (somehow she got there through Katniss Everdeen. Shrug.) Connor's first word was 'Super Heroes' and his story subsequently has a lot of dying and crying in it. Mine was 'pirate' which I used to spring- board some action for my Treckie Travers novel.

Treckie Travers, if you don't know, is the future child of my heroes - Milly Navilly and her boyfriend Travis Travers. The novel features the many of adventures of Milly (aged 14) and Travis (15) as they work on various ships (great and small) in order to get married (in the far-off future). Through a dreadful accident involving fainting and nose-picking, Milly loses her left leg and Travis loses his right arm (or it might be the other way around, right leg/left arm, something like that) and so they begin a relationship whereby they help each other navigate their way through life. 750 words later I have a good chapter start and three new characters.


Win!


Treckie Travers is tumblesome fun to write because I'm constantly talking about a great hero who never actually enters the story. This is, I think, my focus novel for the year and one that gives both me and the family pleasure whenever I read it out. Yes, this makes me one of 
those writers: "I'm sending you this novel because my kids think it's great." :)

A Short Review #3

"The Stolen Bacillus" by HG Wells. (Short Stories from the Nineteenth Century Selected by David Stuart Davies). Read 9 January 2014

Another story from a well-loved author and one that, quite frankly, left me feeling "Aha. Next?" The story opens with a chemist showing a guest a slide of a deadly cholera germ. The visitor steals some of the germ because he aims to use it for nefarious purposes. The chemist, the thief and the chemist's wife then engage on a deadly chase through London and what happens next, well, just happens.

This scenario is not uncommon. Indeed, I watched an episode of 
Bones today which was, pretty much, the same plot-line ("The Pathos in the Pathogen.") Okay, I'm prepared to accept that maybe Wells was, maybe, an early adopter of the plot, but for me it seemed tired even in his hands. I'm giving this 3 stars out of 5 because I'm giving Wells the benefit of the doubt of being the first, but he loses stars for the moments when my eyes skimmed over words without taking them in.

My boy, the hero.

If you've been following my Facebook or blog, you'll probably know that my little boy, Connor, suffers from Rumination Syndrome. Some days pass with only 2 or 3 episodes in the evening, other days can see him vomit dozens and dozens of times. By the end of the day he is usually exhausted, teary and in need of big hugs and showers. On those days he lies pretty much on a couch with a bucket at his side either watching DVDs or playing video games on the XBox 360. This month's game of choice is "Lego Marvel Super Heroes." Those days usually see us housebound as Connor refuses to go anywhere or do anything.

For this reason, Connor made one of his goals for 2014 to be "Overcome Rumination Syndrome on 5 occasions." This doesn't mean he won't get over his RS, just that he won't forgo an event just because he's afraid that the Syndrome will ruin it. 


Now, on Thursdays Lee has scheduled basketball time with both kids down at the local court. This is their thing while I go to the gym and have some time to myself. However, Connor is having a really bad day. Really bad. We're now in the 30s and counting. I suggested to Connor that maybe he would like to stay home with me and play his game while Daddy takes Erin to the court for basketball.


Connor's reply was beautiful. "I do feel sick and bad, but I think I'll try and make this one of my 5 times. I have to trick my brain into feeling better, even if I'm not."


My little boy is such an inspiration. 

No comments: