Drip drip drip …

Not plugging Starb*cks – but loved this image. Going to set up one for NaNo, which starts in twelve or so days time. Might brew my own heady concoction instead, a mix of High Mountain and Podocarpus …

Dark Arches

This is the  header image on my new site, it’s from one of a series of photographs I took in Leeds a few years ago before work started on transformation of the notorious Dark Arches, brick caverns that allow the river Aire to flow under the city. It is, or rather, was an eerie place.

According to The Architects Journal, the scheme:

… developed with Arup Acoustics, Berlin-based artist Hans Peter Kuhn and local graphic designer Andy Edwards, includes widening the footpaths, adding sound-absorbing wall-panels and installing a vandal-proof lighting scheme featuring thousands of LEDs

which sounds interesting, and safer, but will most likely, make it not as intriguing a place to photograph or visit … hmm.

Pulling myself together

Been feeling rather fragmented over the last few days – not me per se, but my online presence, which is composed of several blogs, Twitter plus links to all the stuff I write and do …

So, I’ve spent today creating (another) new site, but this time it has links to everything from one page. Hopefully it will keep my head in check and give me more time to do what I like to do best, which is – writing.

I’m going to keep this blog – I’ve been writing it for a year now – but I’m going to take it in a new direction (probably) – either for a writing project or for posting more random links and comments on things that inspire me, to be honest, I haven’t decided yet.

The new site is http://dianebeckerwrites.wordpress.com if you want to check it out or even bookmark it.

NaNoWriMo 2009

So … another year, another NaNo and the new web badges for 2009’s participants have gone up on the site today.

This time I’m actually going to try to write a novel. Last year it was an exercise in stamina building. Having bound and gagged my inner editor I wrote 61k pure stream of consciousness drivel in three weeks. No, I couldn’t possibly have edited it into shape, but I did learn how to write snappy dialogue, I learned how to let go and found myself with a creative resource that I’ve drawn on for short stories during the year.

In the run-up to 1 November I’ve decided I’m not writing anything – apart from ideas in my notebook – a bit like going on a diet then being able to splurge when it’s finished (not that I do that but you know what I mean). I have a title for my ‘novel’ – it’s Bending Daisies. As I’ve no idea what I’m writing yet, I’ve no idea what genre it will be either so I’ve filed it under ‘Other Genres’. Warning, it may be speculative. It will be quirky. It could be weird but it will be fun. If you fancy joining me on the NaNo site, I’m there as dotseven. Counting down …