Chester Zoo

Hi readers,

Yesterday I spent the day at Chester Zoo with my friends as this cool photo above shows! They take your photo when you enter and you can buy it afterwards. That's what we ended up doing when we saw this pic! It's good as well because you can access them online and there's two other backgrounds one with elephants and the other with rhinos. I like this one though.

We had an amazing day out and took a lot of photos! Some of my pics turned out pretty good and we had a close experience with many of the animals. The weather held out too and it was sunny, though slightly cold in the wind, but all the animals were out. Enough of us went as well, so we were able to catch up on things that had been happening since we were last together. So the zoo was a back drop for us getting together really, but it was still interesting. I've not been to a zoo in awhile, last time must have been Blackpool zoo with college for my animal care course. I think also a small part of me is against zoos, because I like animals to be in the wild as that's where they belong. I know that they are not safe in some areas and the conservation works most zoos do around the world is important to
make sure these wonderful animals are still around for future generations to see for real.




My favourite animals had to be the fruit bats, red pandas, meerkats, the elephants (pic above) and some of the tropical birds, because they were cool. I was most excited about seeing the bats and it's a shame you couldn't take pics inside their house. I don't think they would have turned out anyway, because the bats move so fast and it is really dark. I liked just standing there and watching them flying around. They come really close to you as well and you can feel the air moving around you. I could have spent more time in the bat house, but some of my friends were getting a little scared, so we left. I didn't get any pics of the red pandas either because they were hiding high up in the trees when we walked by. They are really cute though! The meerkats were cute too, because they had babies and I took a lot of photos of them. I'll put them up at the end with some of the other good ones.

In the tropic house there was some cool birds, and we were kept amused by one of these bird which took a liking to one of my housemates! There's video evidence of this as well, but I don't think anyone is going to forget it any time soon. My housemate spend a lot of time whisling and talking to this bird and then he trainned it to follow him. So he would run from one side to the other and the bird would copy him and jump from one branch to the next! We had a right laugh over that and it was hard to tear ourselves away, but more animals were waiting. This is bird below- a White-Crested Turaco.




I also really liked the butterfly house because there was so many large and pretty butterflies fluttering about and it was hard not to stop and stare at all the bright patterns on the wings. It was interesting too because my other housemate wrote her dissertation on butterflies-though it was just the one kind, but she still knew some interesting facts about some of the others. I liked the big black and white ones and watching them drinking up orange juice was really cool. I also really liked the glass wing butterfly because it has see through wings. It was hard to take a photo of, but I think I just about got it. The reason why it's wings are like that is for camaflage so it can survive longer in the wild.



We had a good day out over all and Chester Zoo is well worth the visit any time! They have some many cool animals there and the staff are really friendly and know the different animals well. I've some other cool pics too, so I'm going to put them up now.

Liverpool Night out

Hi readers,

I've been baking again! It's a birthday cake this time for my housemate last saturday. I had a problem with the oven though and there's still two peices of cake sitting on the kitchen table waiting to be eaten! It doesn't taste so bad, but the oven just didn't have the energy to cook the middle, so it was slightly uncooked.....still though it's better then no birthday cake! I think it'll be awhile before I cook cake again though....

On saturday night, I went out to celebrate my housemates birthday and that of my other friend who was turning 21. I spent an age getting ready, because I wanted to curl my hair and wear my dress too. It was worth it though and we set out for her house first with presents and drinks. We did get a little lost once we got off at her station though! But we made it to the party and had time to join in the fun and eat these amazing fairycakes....

Then we headed into Liverpool! Has we had caught the train ahead of everyone getting taxis, we got lost finding the nightclub we were going to meet in. We went to Walkabouts first, but left after one drink to try and find everyone. Luckily, I found the place thanks to a few text messages from another friend and we caught up with the group. After that we went to Krazy House. I'd not been before because it only opens a few nights a week and so far I'd not been on nights out on that night or else other plans had meant that we'd not go to that club. I still can't believe I've missed out on that place for 3 years though, because it was really good. There's like 3 different floors and they play didn't music on each. My favourite was the heavy metal one because that's my kind of music. (We're still at the house in the pic below)

I had a great time and I'm so looking foreward to doing it again soon on just a general night out. We got back at like 3am and had pizza- my idea to make sure we had something in to eat after drinking. So it was like 4am by the time we decided to go to sleep. I didn't take that many photos actually, think all that dancing must have got to me, it didn't help that we lost everyone in Krazy House and then because we had kept to the space we had first gethered in, met up with some of them again. My head was fine in the morning, surpirsingly, but I didn't do much on Sunday!

Not been doing much since really, been writing and reading. Going home tomorrow for a break and a catch up with family and next week I'm off to the zoo!

New Novel

Hi readers,

I thought I'd stop by my blog and see if anything was happening....yep 396 comments pending for me! So I'll be reading through them once I'm done here. Not a lot has been going on since last time, well with me anyway. As most of my friends are still doing uni work or have decided to move back home for summer. I've been keeping busy through, I've been writing a post-modern, futurist story about rebel groups and strange shadow voices.....I've been keeping my best friend on edge about it, because she's been reading it, but can't figure out what is actually happening. Good news for me, because she is normally the first person to figure out how a novel or movie is going to end. So I've to be really inventive with this novel to make sure that she doesn't see the ending coming! As of yet I've not seen it either. I think that's why I'm currently really into writing it, because I've no idea how things are going to go.

My characters have been leading the plot and there are like a number of different sets of characters now. They are linked by one person at the minute, though things might change....still though it's a challenge to write. When I first started with it, I had this idea of having it set around and on trains as much as possible, because there was just something about this transport that was important. I've still not figure out why, but I know that trains are a key theme! Then I decided that I wanted to have it written in a strange style. I wanted there to be a sheet of glass between the reader and the happenings within the novel. So the read could still get attached to the characters, but the characters would only show the reader so much. Meaning that most of the time the reader is left out of the world which the characters live in. So this distance was created and it's still going on. The reader doesn't know anything! Issue is though, this means I don't know anything either......

Difficult to explain, but hang on a minute. As the writer I should know my characters and the plot. I should be the one making the choices and deciding things, but for this novel to work out how I started it, I can't be in control. Therefore, I don't know myself what'll happen till I start writing and the characters wonder into my mind and show me things. The other restriction I've in place at the minute is not thinking about the novel when I'm not writing it! So not normal for me, because I like to wonder away from the computer, take a walk outside whilst listening to some loud heavy metal music and let my thoughts drift. This way new ideas enter my head and by the time I return I'm ready to note them down and carry on writing. With my new novel, that's not an option, so I've to relay on the characters to keep showing me things whilst I write, so that I can put them in. Luckily, they are still doing this! Here's hoping they carry on too, because I really want to know how things will work out for all the characters!

So, that's been my life lately. I'm having a night out tonight though! It's a friend's 21st, so I'm going to Liverpool with all my housemates, some of others and her friends for a good night of partying and drinking. Though I'm not going to get too drunk, because that's a bad thing. So there'll be photos of that coming tomorrow or Monday....depending on how things go and if we go to any good places I'll write about them too. :)

Uni Is Over!

Hi readers,

Yesterday, I handed in the final essay of my joint Creative Writing and English Lit BA Hons degree. I've a lot of mixed feelings about it. In one way it's a massive weight off my shoulders because all my work is now and I don't have to think about doing anything else. The one way is the fact that I officially won't have to do any more work for my degree and my student life is almost over, (for this part anyway). It feels sort of like a catch 22, good and bad sides and I don't think it's sunk in yet. Though I think this has more to do with the fact that my housemates and most of my friends are still hard at work, so good luck to all of them!

I baked chocolate chip muffins in a mini celebration yesterday too and I made a load, so if anyone fancies one just drop by. That and I'm still waiting for the pics of me reading out last week as I've not been out and about with my own camera lately. I'm sure that's about to change though, because my diary is full of outings at the minute and I know there's still about three that need to go in there. So, though my student life is drawing to an end there's still a lot happening.

After finishing all my work, I so wanted a break and to have some time to myself and to catch up with my friends. But the sudden idea of not doing anything after all the stress and work of doing my final essays, bugs me too much.....So I'm caving today, by first writing my blog and then sitting down to read through my novel. I've been having a lot of ideas about my novel and I really want to get back writing it and not even writing one of my others is helping to stop my urges. So I'm going to give in and try my hand at editing once more.

Writing and editing are two very different things. With writing, you get it all out on the page and just go with it. Yeah, you might spend the time planing plot lines and characters, but overall you just write what you want. Editing is different from this, you have to use a different part of your brain and start thinking more like a reader and questioning your work. Will the reader understand what you mean? Is your character real and your setting realistic enough to pull off that world? And how about the way it is written? Not just the spelling or grammar, but the structure of the sentences, the paragraphs, the chapters? Also its not about re-writitng the whole thing, its about adding and taking away. Having the strength to rip your own work part and re-do it, is in the talent of the writer. To be able to say 'okay that's not working and needs taking out,' or 'more needs to be put in here, 'cause my character's anger just isn't getting through right,' is all part of a writer's life. Editing is a long road, but it's worth it and will make your writing better.

So, that's my helpfully writing tip for today and now I'm off to follow my own advice!

Reading in Liverpool at WOW

Hi readers!
Last week I told you about going to read some of my first chapter of my novel out in a competition. Well, the big event was last night in Liverpool at this really great coffee shop called The Green Cauldron. I'll be dropping by for a visit there next time I'm in Liverpool, because they have an amazing carrot cake and though I don't like coffee the smell is just great. Anyway, so I had entered the first chapter of my novel into this competition for it to get published in a small book of first chapters and I didn't actually win. Still though, I sure felt like I had done last night! I was really worried about presenting my novel and not just because reading my own work to strangers is mega unnerving, but in case it wasn't very good.....
I had worked hard on getting my words right though and I didn't mess up. The judges asked some questions too and I answered them really well. The winning for me was the fact I was there and I did my reading. To me it just showed how far I'd come really, because I'd never even think about doing anything like that when I was at college! Still though I knew my novel would be okay and I know it still needs work, but that's way writing just goes. I got a chance to speak to one of the judges after too and she said my chapter had potential and was interesting, I just need to sort out the opening a bit more. So that was really encouraging and I wanted to run home and start writing again!
I had a great time and it was fantastic to be a part of something like this. I liked listening to everyone else reading their chapters too because there was some interesting openings there. I wasn't alone though and I should have said before that my fan club where their to witness this massive step in my life and also that of the novel. I don't know what I would have done if my friends couldn't have come. They were amazing as my support and somehow they managed to keep my nervousness down and make me laugh. I owe them so much and truly I can't describe my gratitude to them, because they are completely amazing brilliant people.
I think I'm still in shock and on a high. Silly really, but I just provide to myself that I can do things like this and I did really enjoy reading. Well, that's something I've always loved and I have been known to read aloud to friends and family before now. Strange thing to get a kick out of, but still....So now I'm recommending people get out there and share their stories with the world. It's important to do this because there's so many great tales out there and it's a shame most of them get lost. I know people are too busy and technology is currently ruling, but still go grab your fav novel and start reading it! Or start writing!!!
Here's the WOW website- http://www.writingonthewall.org.uk/index-page.html
Lastly for today, I only have one more essay to do. I've not started it, but I will be doing tomorrow! It's due in on monday, but I've been stuck with my other ones and doing my reading. I'm sure it'll be fine though and it's on Modernism which is very interesting in itself. Also I'll put the photos up of me reading when I get them off my friends soon!