What to do with a pickpocket

As you know, I had my creative writing workshop recently and was asked as a homework to write the synopsis of a novel using the material I have created and worked on on that day. Not all the material, but some of the material, to be rearranged and developed as I see fit. So I am trying to write down a plot based on that. Of all of what I wrote, the lady pickpocket is the character I find the most inspiring. The rest, the politician who loves a book he never read and the mobsters, less so. I could find them something to do of course, but I find my low level criminal far more engaging, especially since she can easily be pictured in a sympathetic light, more an antihero(in) than a villain. Now the question is what to do with her, since I now have a good idea of who she is and why she does what she does. I know that she will run into trouble with some members of organised crime. A bit of a commonplace, perhaps, but it has a lot of narrative potential. Now it is how to have her go from point A to point B that I need to work on.

Revoir Val-Jalbert

Petit retour sur un billet récent. J'y repensais et je pense qu'il faudrait peut-être organiser un jour une petite visite (revisite pour moi) en famille à Val-Jalbert. D'habitude, mes retours au pays se passent à deux endroits: Montréal et Chicoutimi, c'est à peu près tout. Mais il y a pleins d'endroits au Québec à voir et revoir. Surtout dans ma région, qu'il faudra bien faire connaître à mon fils.

Cuddly red panda

In the last few weeks, our little Wolfie has become more interested about teddies than he had been before. He cuddles the plush toys he has far more than he used to and, while he still spends a lot of time with his cars, trains and dinosaurs, he does enjoy his moments with his teddies. I am glad as I bought many of all sorts when he was in his mummy's tummy. In fact, he has a whole menagerie of them now. That said, given his new interest towards stuffed toys, I thought it might be the right time to buy him a red panda. If you remember, I once blogged that the animal is pretty much meant to be a model for stuffed toys. So maybe I should buy a red panda to add on to the menagerie, especially since Wolfie seems particularly fond of animals who have bright fiery colours. Maybe next time we go to Branféré, where I took that picture. Or another zoo that has red pandas. Or I will just look online.

Les Fous de Bassan

Autre photo prise par mon père il y a des décennies en gaspésie, cette fois-ci des Fous de Bassan. Joli nom, dont je ne connaissais pas l'étymologie jusqu'à ce que je lise l'article sur Wikipedia. En haut d'une falaise (ou d'un cap?), c'est assez impressionnant.

Italian friendship

A few days ago, I was chatting to my Italian friend over Messenger. She is a friend I met during my first year at uni in this country and is about the same age as me. The last time we met, it was back in 2000 in Bergamo, where she is from and where I think she still lives. She is generally discreet on social media, so it was nice to getting some news from her. She has a young boy a few months older than Wolfie, let's call him Cesario. I haven't seen any picture of him yet. Anyway, she told me that she will give birth to a baby in six weeks, another boy. Talking to her like this made me feel better about myself, not only because of the nostalgia, but because she is living the same reality as a parent. We both became parents at a relatively late age, our children seem to have a similar mischievous spirit, they both have long afternoon naps and they both struggle to keep a sleeping routine. I wonder if Wolfie would get along as well with Cesario as he does with Uber. In any case, I think a trip to Italy is long overdue. When my friend get used to the reality of being a parent a second time (and at 41!), maybe we should plan a visit there. I'd learn a bit of Italian, reconnect with an old friend and we could maybe even extend this friendship to a new generation.

Le char de gros Gin

On est quasiment la fin de semaine, alors j'ai pensé partager un numéro hilarant de La fin du monde est à sept heures, afin de se dilater la rate et de se mettre dans un bon état d'esprit. Ah, les années 90! L'époque du début de l'internet et des cassettes VHS qui étaient encore populaires. Bruno Blanchet est vraiment au sommet de sa forme, dans un gag long, lent, presqu'un suspense, jusqu'à la chute finale. Si elle ne vous fait pas plier en deux de rire, je suis vraiment très triste pour vous.

The Woman in the Blue Cloak

Since the beginning of the year, I have been binge reading crime fiction. I mean more than usual. Maybe it is because of my writing workshop, as I try to find inspiration learning from the very best. Who I think are the very best in their craft anyway. Among them is of course South African crime fiction writer Deon Meyer. I recently discovered that his latest book, featuring reformed alcoholic cop Benny Griessel, is now available in English, under the evocative title of The Woman in the Blue Cloak. So I hurried up to buy it. It is next on my reading list. The book is actually a novella, which I have been told is quite a popular format these days. So reading it will also be instructive.

Le Rocher Percé

Nouveau billet sur une attraction touristique québécoise. Mon père m'a envoyé des scans de vieilles photos, voyez-vous... Enfin bref, il y avait celle-ci du Rocher Percé. Je ne l'ai vu qu'une fois, je l'ai trouvé brut et magnifique. J'ai montré la photo à mon fils, il a été très impressionné. Il faudra bien que je fasse découvrir la Gaspésie à ma femme et mon fils un de ces quatre.

Merlin and a new old story

Time goes so fast that I did not have time recently to report here on this blog a piece of news that got the former academic and medievalist that I am very, very happy: they found a "new" XIIIth century manuscript telling the story of Merlin at the University of Bristol. As you may know, I specialized in Arthurian literature, so this is right up to my alley. when I read something like this, I wish I was still in academia and I envy the lucky team of experts that will investigate things further. It especially reminds me of the time I was studying paleography some twenty years ago. Now I hope the text will soon be available to the general public. Or I might just book this family a short holiday to Bristol...

Les chutes de Val-Jalbert

Mon père m'a envoyé hier des photos prises il y a très longtemps dans divers endroits du Québec, dont une des chutes de Val-Jalbert. Je crois que ces photos datent d'avant ma naissance. Je ne me rappelle être allé qu'une fois à Val-Jalbert, le village fantôme comme on l'appelait, mais c'était en mai je crois, pas lorsqu'il y avait encore de la neige. J'avais trouvé l'endroit plein de charme et d'atmosphère. Les chutes étaient impressionnantes, quoique pas autant que sur cette photo.

Willow, the cat from the garden centre

Here is a little bit of feline news to hopefully brighten up your day. We recently went to a nearby garden centre, which we hadn't visited in a while. It was being refurbished, so there wasn't that many interesting articles there, but we made a chance encounter that made the whole visit worth it. As we were walking through the aisle, I had a glimpse of a swift shadow passing by, then I saw this gorgeous black cat. I love all cats, but full black cats are by far my favourite. We were worried that this was a stray cat, so we made a few queries to the staff and apparently no, this is the garden centre's feline resident. Her name is Willow and she turned out to be quite friendly, although a bit aloof, as many black cats are (from my experience anyway). I can't wait to visit the garden centre again and get better acquainted with Willow.

Répondre aux commentaires

Ce billet est en fait une courte notification: je vais essayer de répondre aux commentaires. Ma femme m'a fait remarquer que je ne le fais à peu près jamais. C'est parce que j'ai peu de temps libre pour ça, j'écris mes billets en priorité et je commente sur les blogues que je suis. Sauf que là, je vais répondre de temps en temps, sinon régulièrement (je vais faire mon gros, gros possible, promis, juré)...

About the writing workshop

As promised, I thought I would give you a few details about the writing workshop I went to recently. I don't want to give too much away, but I absolutely loved it. it was great to meet other wannabe writers aspiring to be published. We were a small group of eight, mostly of women, but there was another man as well and everybody was very nice. We did a couple of exercises, a good deal on writing stuff on the spot, as well as a bit of poetry. I liked the poetry part less, as I have never been very good at it. They were all very encouraging about me doing crime fiction

Here is a bit about some of the exercises:

-The first was using one of two pictures to write a scene. One was a crowded dodgy London street, the other a Mediterranean looking town by the sea. I felt inspired by both, so managed to fit in two scenes, one set in Italy, where a private eye was pondering about Italian beer, the other set in a dingy strip club where two mosbters met to discuss a drug deal.

-We were given each a list of objects and had to create a character who owned and used them. Mine were a purse, lipstick, mirror, knife and condoms. I came up with a female pickpocket. A prostitute would have been too obvious. And I thought even pickpockets are entitled to a sex life.

-We were given a list of characters, a recluse, a homeless person, a failed actor, a politician and so on, and were meant to describe their habitat. I chose the politician (mainly because it's easy to put one in a crime fiction setting) and described his office. We had to choose five objects that was important to the character. Among them, I listed "a book he hasn't read." That was apparently brilliant, as it told so much about him.

So there you have it. For the next workshop I have been asked by the hostess to write a novel synopsis using the stuff above, characters and settings (or not, I was pretty much given free reign). Not sure where to go with it or how to go with it. I do like my pickpocket and want her developed (a name for her would be nice). The politician, I might put him on ice until I find something interesting for him to do. But I will definitely write more.

L'oiseau de métal

Il y a des artefacts qui parfois me fascinent. Prenez celui-ci par exemple. J'ai pris cette photo au York Castle Museum. C'est l'un des nombreux bibelots anciens qui sont exposés dans le musée. Je dis ancien, mais selon mon souvenir, c'étaient des objets du 18e et 19e siècles surtout. Celui-ci, je parierais qu'il vient de l'époque victorienne. Je me demande si c'est une représentation d'un oiseau réel ou mythique. Si je ne trompe pas, c'est un oiseau de proie. Il y a aussi un médaillon avec une inscription dessus. Quelqu'un arrive à la lire? Je me demande ce que l'oiseau représente et ce qu'il décorait à l'époque où il a été créé.

A barrel for a chair

We recently went to Perkys Coffee House in Wooburn Green. It was our first visit. It is a nice café, from what we could tell, but what struck us the most are some of the chairs. I took a picture of one. They are basically like barrels turned into a chair, with a few extra cushions for comfort. They also have more mundane ones, but of course when we saw the quirky barrels, we wanted to sit on these. Wolfie really enjoyed them, he spent a lot of time sitting there, hiding underneath the cushions, messing them around and so forth. I might actually buy some cushions for our own sofa, so he can put something else on it than his toys. But maybe it was the chair that got him so hyper.

La Pathétique

C'est dimanche après-midi, le moment mélancolique de la fin de semaine. Si vous n'avez rien à faire, ou si vous avez à faire des affaires plates comme les tâches ménagères, autant écouter un peu de musique. La mélancolie, ça se cultive et ça s'apprécie. Alors j'ai décidé de partager ici la Sonate dite Pathétique de Beethoven. La Sonate pour piano numéro 8. Avec une illustration tirée des albums du Petit Ménestrel. Parce qu'elle est mélancolique aussi.

Veggie chili

I went to my writing workshop today. More on that on another post, but I wanted first to mention that lunch was included, and what a lunch. We had this chili con carne, but vegetarian, so veggie chili. With true chili pepper and cubes of feta cheese to go with it. The feta was truly inspired. I will ask for the recipe, as it was exquisite, with just the right kick to it.

La Chandeleur

J'utilise la même photo que l'année dernière avec ce billet sur la Chandeleur. La photo a été prise au York Castle Museum. Photo de chandelles, parce que la Chandeleur, ben forcément on l'associe aux chandelles. Je ne fais pas grand-chose pour la souligner, à part bloguer sur le sujet. Cela dit, j'aime bien associer le mois de février à autre chose qu'à la Saint-Valentin, alors j'essaie de mentionner la Chandeleur ici. Et mine de rien, cette photo est la première de février.

Grey: more or less

I bumped into the father of Blonde Tickler a few days ago and he asked me if I had done something to my hair. He said I looked less grey on the temples. I told him no, that my last haircute was a bit more than a month ago and that there was no product whatsoever on my hair. I added "If anything, being a father of a young boy, I am greyer than I was before." He laughed and he agreed. (Although I must add that even if he barely younger than me and the father of a teenage girl who is also a tomboy, he is not greying at all.) I then said, as if to give myself some kind of solace: "But I don't mind if my temples are greying, at least I still have plenty of hair." He laughed and agreed again. I think both lines deserve to be great unknown lines. I do like my grey temple, it may remind me of my own mortality, but also of the life I have. And I am really happy I have so far escaped baldness.

Observations à propos de la neige

Au moment où j'écris ces lignes (nous sommes le soir et donc la veille de la journée où vous lisez ce billet), il neige depuis déjà quelques heures. Je sais que je blogue souvent sur le sujet, mais je vais le faire encore une fois, car j'ai fait quelques observations:

-S'il continue à neiger comme ça, l'état des routes me forcera à arriver plus tard au travail, voire à avoir un congé forcé.
-Si ça se calme, mais qu'il neige à nouveau dans la journée, je devrai terminer plus tôt, mais alors le retour à la maison sera plus long.
-Dire à son fils qu'il neige juste avant de le mettre au lit, ben c'est pas la meilleure idée.
-Quand même, comme il demandait "More neige, more neige!", au moins son français a progressé d'un mot.