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Sunday 6th May, 2012

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No cuteness for you this week. I’ve decided you’re on a diet.

I have now finished the beta reading of a friend of a friend’s work and I’m back into my own stuff. I’m partway through writing a short story sort of sideways inspired by the recent “Meet The Romans” series on BBC2 (the 1st episode on BBC iPlayer is here: [External Link]). It’s not really historical, it’s not really fantasy – it’s just… Well, maybe you’ll find out one day!

Longer fiction projects are on hold for the moment. I suspect this translates as The Gens and the novella idea I had have sputtered to a halt. Both refuse to come out the way I want them to – I can’t get more than 100 words out at a time and it always reads wrong, as in not what I actually want it to say – so it’s not the right time for them, after all. I’m thinking about launching back into the WIP I tend to refer to as A Granted Wish once I’ve got the short story out of the way. A Granted Wish started as a short story but it doesn’t feel like it’s the right end for the main character actual character and it could do with more depth. So, basically, it wants a higher word count and more time.

I’ll be getting back to my notes on language this week and publishing at least a static page and one blog post in the next couple of weeks. I’ll aim to publish one a week, midweek (i.e. Tuesday/ Wednesday). The first will be up this week.

And, the final bit you might be interested in: I made it to Cold Hanworth Forge [External Link] for the first time in ages on Saturday. I hope to get back for the Spring Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May to finish off the piece(s) Bob Oakes and I started this weekend. (Photos when it’s done.)

Bob also took me to go and see the Lincoln Art Works gallery [External Link] – and I ended up buying some presents. There are some lovely works on display and Rosie Ablewhite, proprietor and artist in residence is a lovely woman. Well worth a visit if you’re in Lincoln area!

Sunday 11th April, 2010

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In which our dashing hero makes a bid for freedom. Plus some blacksmithing and a plug (or two).

Iron Rose

Iron Rose

The iron rose to the left is the result of Saturday’s trip to Cold Hanworth Forge [External Link]. Bob Oakes, the forge-master did a lot of the work, along with Nick and Ryan, the idea being to show me how to make a rose. I did a few minor bits (cut out the shapes, drew out the stem, cosmetic shaping of sepals and petals). The idea is that I’ll be making the companion piece – another rose – on my next visit, whenever I go back.

In order for me to go out for a day’s forge-work on Saturday, I had to put Finn in kennels from Friday afternoon until earlier today. I take him to Mount Pleasant Kennels [External Link] just outside of Doncaster where they also take rescue dogs from the South Yorkshire area ([External Link]). They do a lovely job but there is no escaping the fact that kennels are not home. It’s the best solution for us when I wish to do something – like blacksmithing – that is time-consuming and unsuitable for Finn to accompany me to. Compared to the alternatives (leaving Finn in the car the whole day, leaving Finn at home all day), it’s the best available option. Unless you seriously believe I should have no interests outside of my dog and shouldn’t be allowed out without him. But they don’t give him the time and company that I do – they can’t because they have other dogs to care for, too – and I always feel like I’m leading a jail-break when I go to collect him. Finn, of course, has never commented on how he feels about the situation.

And so to the plugging section. First off, I didn’t mention in last week’s diary the short story I recently had published (Three Little Pigs from the New Dryas world, turns up in Issue 17 of Crossed Genres [External Link]). I didn’t mention it because it appears (or should) in the Latest Updates section on the right. But just in case you didn’t notice, please go read my pirate story. When you’ve done that, have a look at my writing friends page. I’ve just added Gareth L Powell [External Link] to the list – a lovely fella based in Devon whose first science fiction novel, Silver Sands, has just been released by Pendragon Press [External Link]. He’s also good at short stories!

Sunday 21st February, 2010

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My latest piece of smithing work and some writing news.

Dinky Knife

Dinky Knife

If you’re on Facebook (my profile: [External Link]) or Twitter (ditto: [External Link]) you may have already seen other photos of the dinky knife displayed on the left. It isn’t sharp, was never intended to be and is only about 5cm long in real life. I have a thing about the curved handle / tang of the medieval pattern that this and a previous not-knife were based on. Expect to see more of them over time. One day, I will make the perfect knife-shaped pendant!

This one is wrought iron pattern-welded with hardened steel (a farrier’s rasp, in fact). The pattern-welding was probably the most time consuming part taking a couple of hours, not including breaks. The shaping of the tang only took about half an hour and the polishing and final shaping of the blade were maybe an hour. The more practised guys at Cold Hanworth Forge [External Link] can probably do it in an hour and a half.

I confess I had originally intended to work on something more impressive – or at least longer. I hope to one day make my own training blades and need to work on drawing metal out longer and learning more about the suitable kind of metals. But we wimped out and decided to work on one of my other metalworking obsession, instead. (The other one is flowers, by the way, and I should be learning how to make roses on my next visit.)

My writing is actually a lack of update. Specifically, I’ve removed what I had labelled as World: The Virtues [currently tagged as the “Virtuous World” – JT 30/09/2011] from the site, along with the 7 stories I had posted here. That particular set of ideas has been mothballed. It may be resurrected at a later date. I am working on some new flash fiction for the site, though, so expect to see that some time in March.

While I’m mentioning future updates, some of you may also have noticed that promised genealogy updates haven’t appeared. There are some changes to be made to CHARLESWORTH, CUTTS and TABERNER families but I’m taking my time over them. In the main it’s minor additions of individuals and dates so it shouldn’t change the structures much. The updates will appear eventually.

Sunday 11th October, 2009

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Some genealogy updates with thank yous and some photos of work done at Cold Hanworth Forge [External Link].

First, my pretty pictures:

Baby Table Knife

Baby Table Knife

The knife I posted a fortnight ago with a little cosmetic surgery. I’ve taken off the point and added a slight bevel (probably not the correct blacksmithing term…) to either side of the blade to give the appearance of being sharp without actually sharpening it.

Not Knife

The Not Knife

And the not-knife based on a typical medieval design that’s actually going to be a pendant.

Bob Oakes, forgemaster at Cold Hanworth, has asked me why I don’t have a blacksmithing set of pages on my web-site. I think he’s just after free advertising. However, he has a point. I’ll be thinking on it.

And now the genealogy updates:

TABERNER – There’s some additional infomation and a little extra linkage to a family or two on the TABERNER page. This is due to the Lancashire OPC [External Link] team and their project, so a big and well deserved “Thank you” goes to them.

CHARLESWORTHs to follow next week!

Sunday 4th October, 2009

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The Boy and His Dog was rejected by Futurismic [External Link]. Which is almost the fastest turn around time / contact I’ve ever had with a publisher. Anyway, The Boy and His Dog is now available on the stories page. As mentioned several weeks ago, it’s just a flash / border-line short story at a thousand words long. I wouldn’t have ordinarily tried to rehome it elsewhere if it hadn’t been for a feeling that it fitted with Futurismic’s work.

And I’m still working on that In The Shadow of The Wall idea I mentioned. It’s not grown or anything. I’m just having difficulty sitting down and writing it. I keep getting distracted.

I’m at Cold Hanworth Forge [External Link] again next Saturday but I hope to finish off some genealogy tweaks. These are minor additions and link ups with the tangled messes that are my CHARLESWORTH and TABERNER pages. Don’t worry, neither family have stomped into each other’s territory to add to the mess (Thank whatever greater power you choose). It’s just that a few new bits and pieces became available to me for both at about the same time. Thanks where it’s due will be handed out when I’ve prepared the update.

Sunday 28th September, 2009

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Look what I made! With some help from Cold Hanworth Forge [External Link]. Hair supplied by Finn.

Baby Knife

Small Table Knife

There is a second piece of work, but I haven’t quite finished it. I’ll post a photo once I have.

Other than that, not much to report.

But I’m going to bore you with some writing thoughts. The story ideas I mentioned the other week (Broken Bear, The Boy and His Dog and City of Dreams) are more or less sorted. Broken Bear and The Boy and His Dog are attempting to find new homes. City of Dreams needs at least one more go through before I let it out. And I’m working on that In The Shadow of The Wall idea I mentioned. No prizes for guessing what the setting is based on.

Sunday 21st September, 2009

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Our Dashing Hero

Our Dashing Hero

In which our dashing (and slightly blurry) young hero celebrates the passing of his third birthday.

Actually, Finn’s birthday is not until Wednesday – and he’ll be “on holiday” as I’m going to be at at Cold Hanworth Forge [External Link].

So, I dragged Finn back to his homeland (West Cumbria) so that we could enjoy a minor dress-up party with my sister, neice and a couple of friends. By the way, Finn was not the only dog used and abused in this horrific manner. Another photo of the birthday dog has been added to Finn’s page. And this is why we’re late publishing this week – as I wanted to upload a couple of photos as proof and the laptop didn’t want to do the job.

Yes, that’s pretty much the extent of activity in the household. Simple things…

Sunday 12th July, 2009

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A brief diary entry today. Just my latest metalwork and the new story!

Flower on Red Background

Flower Sculpture on Red Background

So that part finished thing I showed you, looks a little something like this, these days. I finished it at Cold Hanworth Forge [External Link] yesterday. It is best described as a (structural) flower sculpture as it’s not intended to look like any real flowers out there!

The fourth and final instalment of the Dwarvish Virtues, is now on the web-site. You can now breathe a sigh of relief!

Sunday 28th June, 2009

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In terms of web-site updates, just the one piece of news: the addition of new story. The other very important thing is the reminder that Shelter From The Storm is being performed on Friday.

Work In Progress

Work In Progress

I’ve been at Cold Hanworth Forge [External Link] again this Saturday and I’m part way through making this (see picture). I’ll admit to what it is when I’m finished. Assuming it looks like it’s supposed to. Back to web-site news, though.

Temperance, the second Dwarvish Virtue, part of the Virtuous world, is now on the web-site. Story the Third (Courage) should be up next week.

I’m still doing a few genealogy tweaks, but I hope to have a few updates next week, by the way.

And, finally, the important bit! Shelter From The Storm is being performed on Friday 3rd July at Hull Truck Theatre [External Link] as part of the inaugural Find Your Voice night. Information on how to get tickets (if you’re in the Hull area and interested) can be found on their web-site. Shelter From The Storm is part of my New Dryas world.

Sunday 7th June, 2009

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Welcome to the first diary entry on JourneyMouse.net!

First Hanging Basket Bracket

First Hanging Basket Bracket

A busy week for me, this week. I tried to fit everything into about three days so that I could go away to Cold Hanworth Forge [External Link] on their beginners’ course, the result of which is to the left. And, while there, I had no time for anything else! But I didn’t do too badly, did I?

On the writing front, no movement. Not even for the play version of Shelter From The Storm. It took about a week and a half from hearing I was in to getting the paperwork and I made the mistake of contacting the recommended dramatics groups individually and giving time for response. I am still working on getting a cast and crew. Never mind, we’ll be there at the Hull Truck [External Link] on the Friday 3rd July. Complete with play.

And finally, a new toy for you all. A member of my extended family has been working on MapTango [External Link]. It’s currently in the beta stage, so the more people who join, the better for its long term survival. It’s a bit like Twitter but with the ability to tie your comments to a geographical spot.