Advent Calendar Day 8 #XmasQuestionnaire

Behind door number 8 - me again! Boo!

I answered this questionnaire for another blogger, but then it never got used, so I figured I'd share some of my answers here.

* What does Christmas mean to you?

Presents, family, turkey, card games and panto!

* When does the Christmas excitement usually begin in your household?

Now that I have a son with a birthday on the 4th December, we usually let him celebrate his birthday before getting too excited about Christmas. I usually put the decorations and tree up around the 16th December. Now I can’t have a real tree (too big for my cosy little house) I can do it a bit earlier if needs be. I let him have his cards up for a week.

* In terms of present shopping, do you like to begin early and stay organised, or are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of shopper?

I try to buy things as I go. If I see something in June that I think will make a fabulous Christmas present, I’ll buy it then. I like to spread the cost and stress.

* What’s your favourite part of a Christmas dinner?

Pulling the crackers and telling the bad jokes from them. This one sticks in my memory as a kid is; ‘Where do you weigh a whale? At a Whaleweigh station”. Yep, bad I know.

* Least favourite part?

Picking up the discarded wrapping paper! (It always worries me it’s such a waste – at least it gets recycled now).

* Ultimate favourite Christmas song?

Fairytale of New York by the Pogues and Kirsty McColl – never tire of that song.

* Favourite Christmas movie?

Recently, with the kids, it’s been ‘Nativity!’ and ‘Nativity 2’ – because they include Martin Freeman and David Tennant, and the hilarious Mr Poppy who both my kids want as a teacher in their school. (Nativity 3 wasn’t as good but still fun.) Otherwise, I love ‘Santa Claus’ with Dudley Moore because for me, as a child, it answered the question of how Santa got around the world to all the children in one night.

* What sits atop your Christmas tree?

A star.

* Do you decorate with precision, or happy chaos?

Happy chaos. In fact I don’t put half up as my dad used to when we were kids. I don’t have the room.

* Who does the washing up afterwards?

Mainly Bosch the dishwasher – and what won’t go in, is sadly done by me.

* How early do you wake up on Christmas morning?

It’s not how early I wake up – it’s the kids. They’re not allowed in my bedroom before 6.30am! (They usually open their stockings on my bed.)

* Three favourite Christmas smells?

Mulled cider simmering, cinnamon, and fresh Christmas trees (not that I get that now I have to have a fake tree).

* Do you pile presents around the tree, or wait until Christmas Eve so they’re there on Christmas morning?

I pile them under the tree Christmas Eve once the boys have gone to bed, as if Santa has delivered them all. If I get handed a present before then, they go under the tree now the boys are old enough to know not to open them.

* Cranberry sauce or not?

Not my blog without some eye candy :) 

Definitely cranberry sauce!

* Mince pie or Christmas pudding?

Christmas pudding with brandy butter. I’ll eat mince pies, and even make them, but I’m not a lover of them.

* Any special Christmas traditions?

Panto! Every year Dad & I take the boys to the pantomime. It’s something Dad did with me and my brother, and I have fond childhood memories of those. I wanted my boys to have those memories too.

* At what point do the Christmas decorations come down?

On the 12th Day of Christmas (the 5th January I think) or as close to that as convenient. It’s unlucky otherwise. I can never understand those who put their decorations up the 1st of December and rip them down Boxing Day. The 12 days of Christmas are after, not before.

* What are you looking forward to most, this Christmas?

Relaxing, playing games with the boys and watching films, snuggled up on the sofa. I work in a Post Office part time, and the days I work fall over the bank holiday period, so I have almost two weeks off! Not sure I’ll get any writing done with the two boys about either, but it will be good to relax before the start of another year.

Not Only Dr Who Manages Time Lines.

With all the worry of getting words written for Perfect Isn't An Option, I've forgotten about preparing the submission of The Wedding Favour.

There isn't enough time in the day! 

But the kids are back at school... so I might, might, just get some more stuff done during the day.

Admittedly, I did enter it into a competition, so I can't really do much now, although 24th April isn't too far away. But I could at least look at some of the publishers requirements and put a submission pack together, right?

So, trying to write 7000 words for Perfect Isn't An Option this week (I've done 1000 words so far) and where possible, start drafting blurbs, letters etc. Argh!

My wall, right in front of me!

What I have been doing is my time line for Perfect Isn't An Option, making sure it's not wibbly wobbly timey whimey... stuff.

As you can see by the picture, I've printed off four months and decided to fill them in as a calendar. It was easier to work out how many weeks have passed. I've even thought I should put a Halloween scene in. And as Steve has been in the States for 15 years, should I give Thanksgiving a mention?

(I thought I'd share that I have a Robbie Williams calendar and I've moved my two favourite cards up to make space for The Time Line. One is a motivator to leave the housework alone and keep writing).

I have also another sort of time line in an A4 notebook, spread across two pages (so that's A3). This is helping for 'history' before the present day of when the book takes place. I'm going to add in the filmography into this, so I can know what Steve's mother saw before she died, and things like that, because it does get referenced.

Admittedly, this means less words have been written as it's taken some time to figure this stuff out and go through what I've written so far, but it does mean my novel is taking a better shape - I'm a stickler for things being right - and (hopefully) generated plot bunnies for additional scenes that are required.

For example, in One Day - which I forgot to add in the review as a nit - something threw me out of the book momentarily, and I did get annoyed for a bit. Unless Dexter was unsure of his mother's true age, (she could have been the sort to lie about it, thinking about it) she died at 49. Dexter, at the time, was around 29 - I think. (I've just spent 20 minutes trying to find this for certain and have failed lol!) This is fine, but he has a 34 year old sister...(at the time his mother is ill - I found that bit of info!) If I was working this out correctly... Hmmm... This makes his mum 14-15 when she had her - which is doable, but you don't really get the impression she had a teenage pregnancy, especially as his father is supposedly a much 'older' husband. I do hate it when writers don't do the maths!

Yes, so there's me, making sure if something happened two weeks ago, I making sure I don't have my character think it was a month. Which I did have, but it's changed now. 

Do you hate it when you spot something not quite right with the timings? Things like age or dates? Does it throw you out? Do you sit there working it out?



Right, with that, I'd better get some blinkin' words written!

Advent Calendar: Day 23

Gosh, only two more sleeps. I can't believe another year has spun around so quickly, and Christmas day is rapidly approaching.

Yesterday, I baked over forty biscuits, and glittered them in edible glitter. And I made 36 mince pies. The proof is on Tumblr. Yes, I was rather knackered by the end of it, but the boys were really good and didn't bother me. (Naughty Mummy let them play Wii all morning).

So who I am going to put behind this door?

I think another Christmas song, to get us in the spirit. I wanted to post Band Aid Do They Know It's Christmas but however much I love that song, and think it's a very powerful message, I don't want to depress you all. So instead, I'll post something cheery behind door number 23.

23rd December

Sorry, you have to skip the ads! That brings back some memories...

And okay, if that didn't work for you, here's a picture of David Tennant. 

Advent Calendar: Day 18

Yesterday we visited Santa. We do it every year, taking a steam train from Bishops Lydeard. It stops at the first station and we get off and see Santa. Adults get mince pie and a glass of sherry, while the kids get a juice and some chocolate, plus a toy from Santa.

Today I have work (so this is scheduled and it is really weird talking in past tense as if I'm writing this tomorrow, I mean today).

You may not like my next choice, but I'm feeling Christmassy now with the tree up, visiting Santa, etc. I had a crush on this man when I was only seven-ish (I think). My first ever record bought for me -  on 7" vinyl! - was by this man, and it was called Green Door.

Yep, Shakin' Stevens! Here's his Christmas song (which I quite like. You have to skip the adds, and watch a bit, then it starts up!) I always think this is just a fabulous Christmas song, with the bells and everything.  

18th December 

Is it me or does the Santa is this video look a bit scary? 

Okay - I better post something else to please you, incase Shaky doesn't rock your boat! Will Casanova (aka David Tennant) woo you?