Articles

Random Acts

I had a bit of a strange week really.

On the train to work one day a young girl fainted right in front of me. I helped her regain her composure, assisted her in leaving the train and saw her on her way.

On another day I was sitting on the train when a girl got on, talking on the phone and she then burst into tears. I reached into my bag, fetched a tissue, got up handed it to her and returned to my seat. No pressure, no interest in the reason for her tears but I understood her anguish and how difficult it is to be in public, upset and without a tissue.

I’ve been on both sides though. I’ve had someone holding a door open for me as I ran through the pouring rain with a wheelie case in tow. I was a fair distance away but they gave me a big smile and said “Everyone deserves to have the door held for them at least once a day.”

I also was walked to the station a few days ago, rather than doing the familiar hurried march through the streets, staring forwards in the hope that I look determined enough not to get mugged.

These events got me thinking.

We often talk about the little things that mean a lot but in actual fact, those little things aren’t little at all. They could be the difference between serious situations and small mishaps, they could brighten someone’s day, they could even be enough to save someone’s life. The simple fact is you don’t know what the impact of a random act of kindness might be, and probably never will, but ask yourself ‘Would I rather know I did something worthwhile, or would I rather just keep myself to myself and leave them to it?’

Sure, I’ve had my share of occasions when I too have left them to it but I know that I’ve often felt bad about it afterwards. Maybe I could have done something, maybe not but if I just walked away, I failed my fellow human being.

I have been there. I have been in bad places with bad things happening and I have been totally alone. There have been times when I would have given anything for a kind word, a simple gesture, a random act.

We are all capable of it, a simple message, a smile, an offer of help no matter how small. We are all capable but we don’t all do it, now do we?

Good Lord, where does the time go?!

I can’t believe that my last post was a somewhat hurried Christmas card and now, here we are, beyond the Ides of March. I survived by the way, how did you get on? Good, glad to hear it!

Well, I’m fast approaching the six month mark at my new job and I still pinch myself when I think about it. It’s a great company with a truly forward thinking approach to the things that matter most and I feel privileged to be a part of it. Kind of makes the uphill struggle to get that degree and all the other stuff really worth it doesn’t it?

Get Writing was simply amazing. We had a few little hairy moments, with people struggling in the snow, technical glitches and the need to swap things around once or twice but all in all it was a fantastic day. I’ve had some incredible feedback (even calls of ‘It was the best yet!) and it looks like I’ll be doing it all over again. Course what I need now is the biggest name I can find for a star turn but heck, it’s nearly a year away, right?

But what about my writing? Well, it’s happening. I’ve had a short story accepted for the Cities of Death anthology (although I’m waiting for the email that says they found something better… confidence? What’s that?) I’m also working on a couple of short stories to sub to some other anthologies, I just need a little more spare time. Gah!

The really exciting thing though, is that whilst Libertine is still very dear to my heart, the back burner novel is now very much on the front burner. Oh it’s a stonker of a tale with Steampunk very much at its heart. The lead is a feisty lady, who is about to discover that she’s not quite the Lady she thought she was. Meet Lady Elizabeth Silverwood – the same name as my steampunk character but very different. For a start she’s very dainty and ladylike, prim and proper in every sense of the word. That is, until Lord Erasmus Silverwood and his friend Mr Darwin go missing. It’s down to our Lady to find them and trust me there will be many a buckle swashed, one or two bucca’s neered and it won’t just be Elizabeth that discovers a whole other side to her nature.

The world will be changed with the snip of a thread as we sail through skies and seas in search of truth and learn that evolution wasn’t all that was discovered on the Galapagos Islands.

I’m excited, but then, I know what’s coming don’t I?

All change

I’ve just realised how exciting my life is right now.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I forgot what’s going on but somehow, with my head in a whirl I just couldn’t quite find the space to get excited. Heck the nerves haven’t even kicked in yet.

You see, the thing is, suddenly everything is different.

For one thing, my writing life is just awesome, considering I’m not yet published in the traditional sense. I love writing for Fantasy Faction and I am stoked with the programme we have created for Get Writing 2012.

But that is not all. Oh no!

Whilst I’ve been working on all of that I’ve also been drafting CV after CV, specific ones for every job I wanted to apply for. At first it seemed that I wasn’t getting anywhere but then I am a firm believer in that saying that when it’s meant to be, it will be.

To cut a long story short I have found a fantastic job with Southern Rail. It will be a challenge, taking my environmental career to the next level but I’m excited about it, looking forward to all the new experiences I’m about to have.

I’ll also be moving home, leaving my beloved Hertfordshire behind and discovering the delights of the West Sussex countryside. Morpheus my gorgeous little black cat will be shaken for a little while, it’s a big move for a little cat but in the end, I think he’ll be happy.

I’m taking the opportunity to make some sustainable choices too. I’ll be travelling to work by rail, slashing my car use, plus I’ll be sharing a house with my newly retired mum. Sure that’s going to be a challenge after years of doing whatever I want but it has it’s advantages. Not only will it be cheaper running one house instead of two flats but it also reduces our various footprints. I’m hoping to start a new personal project (more on that soon) and also, I’ll have the freedom to spend time writing, travel a bit and more knowing that my little cat will always have someone home for him.

Of course, big changes like this mean lots of goodbyes too. I’ve met some amazing people through my work at Dorma, my membership of Verulam Writers’ Circle, East Herts Fantasy Writers, Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Badger and Bat Groups, Stevenage Council’s Tree Warden Scheme… so many friends and so little time to say goodbye to them all. So I’m not saying goodbye. These days contact is so easy with facebook, twitter, email, post, phone, travel all available. I will see everyone again, not as often as I wish I could but I am not losing friends, I’m gaining new ones. If I haven’t been able to get in touch yet, know that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking of you, I am well aware of the impact you’ve all had on my life and for that I thank you.

I’m writing this sitting on the train on my way to Fantasycon where I’m meeting up with people I know, people I’ve met once or twice and people I’ve only met online, just another branch of my life these days.

My future is open to offers. Seriously, how much more exciting can life get?

Cultivating Confidence

Contrary to popular belief I am not a naturally confident person. It’s taken a lot of effort to build up to change myself from a girl who spent all her time wondering what people thought of her to someone who is able to believe in what I can do.

Back in May 2009 I had my first article published in The View From Here. By now lot’s of people have read it, or heard it as it has also appeared in the Verulam Writers’ Circle anthology ‘The Archangel and the White Hart‘. A few weeks ago we had the launch party and I read it out.

As I read it occurred to me that when I wrote the article I could barely read to the circle in private for critique, let alone to perform to an audience. I grinned as I reached the sentence stating that I had just submitted my first short story. That story went to The People’s Friend and was accepted and has since been published. Imagine how I felt when the readings were done and people started coming up to me to congratulate me on the piece and to tell me that they had been inspired by it. Inspired by little old me.

I’ve been working hard on organising Get Writing 2012 and sometimes you get lost in the thick of things. There are also some huge changes coming up in my personal and work lives and you just forget to stop and appreciate where you’ve got to. So let’s have a little look.

This year I joined the staff of Fantasy Faction and took over as GW12 co-ordinator. I’ve written articles and blog posts, including my first guest blog on Steve Lockley’s Confessions of a Technophobe and even hosted a guest blog from the incredibly talented Jonathan Pinnock of ‘Mrs Darcy Versus the Aliens‘ fame. I feel like I have started to become ‘someone’ in writing.

But, something was missing. I was always using my Libertine picture as my Avatar and never used my own image. I still do use her because now she is out there and recognised. I couldn’t quite allow myself to look at a photo of me and like it. No matter how many people said how ‘nice’ any picture of me was, (you know the phrase “Ooh, that’s a NICE one of you!”), I could not see it. As a result I hide photos on facebook, have very few at home and generally avoid the stare of a lens.

I knew this would have to change. How many people in the digital age manage to be successful and anonymous? Well, I guess there’s Banksy but then his art speaks for itself. Mine doesn’t yet…

So I figured I need to get some photos sorted.

About the time I came to this conclusion I found out that Paul Simister was setting up as a professional photographer. He was starting to take some shots of friends to build up his portfolio and that included some fantastic black and white shots of a DJ which really caught my eye.

I talked to Paul and told him how I felt about posing for photographers but somehow he convinced me that this time would be different. I decided that if I was going to do this, it would be good to have some fun with it.

We did a few black and white ‘serious’ shots, in less than half an hour I’d relaxed a little and Paul managed to capture several that I was satisfied with. Then it was time to play.

One of the books I’m working on is a steampunk novel. I love the genre, there are some fantastic novels out there, the community and fashions are thriving and some of the art is just mindblowing.

My main character, Lady Elizabeth Silverwood is a staunch, strong-willed woman with an ordered world that is turned upside down. I created an outfit which represents who she is when we first meet her. The costume is starting to evolve with the character as she journeys into a dark world where murder is currency and heroes become villains. You could argue that she was doing the posing, not me. To be fair I wouldn’t argue back.

Either way, the results speak for themselves. Paul taught me how to relax and pose in front of the camera. We had a great afternoon wandering around in a local woodland, working with different locations, waiting for the light to change and the sky to present the perfect backdrop. Sure, there were moments when I wondered what the Hell I was doing there but Paul made it fun and who was I to question when he told me to look up,  turn to the side, move an arm here or there…

Believe me when I say, this is a guy that is going places. Check out his website, I’m sure you can guess which ones are me, I hope you enjoy them. When you’re done with those, look around at the others, portraits, corporate, construction, wildlife – in Paul’s hands everything is beautiful.

Confessions of a technophobe

Confessions of a technophobe.

Here is my guest blog as part of Steve Lockley’s Open House.

I am feeling rather humbled as the guests so far have been extensively published, incredibly talented people. I, on the other hand, am still finding my place…

Well, it’s a start

A large part of me is very excited. Our government has finally made a commitment to cutting carbon emissions. You can read about it here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/17/uk-halve-carbon-emissions

OK, so that’s it then, right?

Well, no. That is so far from right that I don’t have the words.

This really is just a beginning. What has to happen now is that the commitment is embedded into our society. We all have to make changes, at home, at school, at work, on the road, everywhere.

The government cannot make this happen alone, sure they can ratify the commitment in law, they can wave their laurels around a bit before resting on them but in reality, it’s us that needs to embrace the commitment. But what can we do?

Actually, we can do more than we think. We can stand up and challenge where we think there is scope to do more, we can get involved with schemes and plans that are already in place, we can dare to try harder.

Two and a half years ago I did just that. I told my employer we could look at green issues, pointing out that they could be missing out on savings if they didn’t. A week later I made a presentation to our Finance Director, explaining about carbon, landfill tax, packaging regulations, competitive advantage and so on. A couple of weeks later I was standing in a board meeting giving the same presentation. I was given the green light, (or maybe I should say they saw the green light…) and I took on the project alongside my normal accountancy role.

Just over a year later we had made significant savings in our electricity consumption, made reductions in fuel consumption, tackled our waste streams and achieved certification to BS EN ISO 14001:2004. It is now acknowledged that if I hadn’t made that presentation we would still be on the starting blocks.  Of course, the presentation I would give now would be quite different, things move quickly in the field of Environmental Management, but the possibilities for making a difference are still there.

So, my challenge to everyone is this. Look closely at what you can do. It may be as simple as making changes in your life but maybe you could be the start of something bigger.

We have a target to meet now, don’t we?

DNA/How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Internet

DNA/How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Internet.

Douglas Adams and his view of the internet from the Sunday Time August 29th 1999.

It’s interesting to reflect on how right he was but for me, the most fascinating thing, and the most exciting, is that we’re seeing huge changes all the time. I remember growing up with Star Trek and the idea of people carrying little pads around with all their work on seemed far fetched. There are children currently taking their first steps, running around in nappies and having stories read to them from their parents tablet of choice (or phone, or e-reader, whatever). For them it’s the norm, just as Douglas Adams said.

Of course there’s a big difference for me and my peers getting older in the information age. We are blessed with this knowledge and armed with a choice. We know that change is the norm, all we have to do is embrace it.

Giving Green Issues the Red Light

I’ve just read a blog from George Monbiot (the link is below), these are my thoughts.

I have spent the last few years of my career driving a change in me and my employer, of which I am proud. I know there is still a lot to be done and we are continuing with the improvements but this is a choice not a result of legislation. What bothers me is that this is the exception, not the rule.

In the business world there are countless missed opportunities, sometimes this is due to a lack of interest but more often it’s down to lack of knowledge. Businesses will all too often only consider ‘green’ if they really have to mainly because they can’t see the benefits.

The sad fact is that there are systems for business which help to make financial savings and also benefit the environment which aren’t being used either.

Quality and Environmental Management systems are closely linked by design but systems such as Lean also have benefits as they aim to wipe out waste. They recognise the fact that waste costs money but many managers still don’t see that the by-product is that less waste is better for the environment.

Trusting the corporate world to ‘Do the right thing’ simply isn’t enough. Legislative constraints are a serious driving factor in making directors sit up and think. Especially where falling foul of the law results in a personal liability. There is not enough of a financial return for many businesses to make the investment without support, guidance and a bit of a push. (In some cases a hefty shove.)

If the government honestly thinks that there will be a spontaneous shift towards responsibility if the so-called RED TAPE is removed they are, frankly, and in my opinion of course, living in Cloud Cuckoo Land. Problem is, I don’t think many Cuckoos voted.

So, Mr Cameron, please wake up. Your Big Society was already here, charities have been filling the gaps that the government couldn’t fill for years. Charities are the mainstay of defending our wildlife but they can only do so if the legislative structure – wildlife protection, reserves, parks and so on – is there for them to rely on. Businesses will only go the extra mile if they really have to because there is a cost involved.

Now I’ve said all that, I will add my own little curveball. The legislative framework does need a review. There are many issues, from the fact that it is difficult for a business to give away stuff rather than dispose of it because it is regarded as waste so requires a Waste Transfer Note. It is tricky for businesses to group together to generate a return on their recyclables without a heap of paperwork. The list goes on. But this doesn’t mean scrap the legislation, it just means step back, take a long hard look, with a business head on and redesign it.

I fear that removal of legislation, Cameron’s ‘Red Tape’ will give a red light to green issues. If we are to survive as a species, if our wildlife is to survive for future generations, we cannot afford to allow that to happen.

George Monbiot Shaking the tree

The Archangel and The White Hart

The Verulam Writers’ Circle has published an anthology!

It’s called The Archangel and The White Hart, fondly named after the two places we meet, the St Michael’s Church Hall and The White Hart Hotel both in St Albans.

The anthology is available on Amazon, Lulu or you could just come and visit us and buy it direct. Watch this space for news of the Launch Party coming soon at Waterstone’s St Albans (where you will also be able to buy a copy!) We’re making it easy for you to get hold of it, just let us know what you think, we’d love to hear from you!

I should mention that I am in it. Twice actually, since you’re asking!

The opening scene of Libertine is in plus my first published article ‘Don’t Revere the Peer’. Sincere advice that we should all follow!