I woke up this morning thinking that I really wanted some homemade apple-and-raspberry pie, a sure indication that pie season has begun. However, a simple idea of pie became a trip to the pick-your-own followed by a big jam-making session. It’s been ages since I made jam, and never from your fancy farm fruits like strawberries and raspberries. Before it’s always been jam from the wild blackberries that grow on a mass of brambles on Sunnymead meadow. But last week a friend from Manchester dropped by with a pot of homemade strawberry jam from his own family’s trip to the PYO. It was so delicious – and nearly all gone by now.
So now I have 5 jars of strawberry jam, 2 pots of raspberry and since I had 500g of jam sugar left over, thought I might thaw the left-over blackberry pulp and jam that too.
That’s a year’s supply of jam, in one evening. More, to be honest. We’re not big jam eaters. Now I have to make scones to go with that jam. Jeez. I’m going to wind up a blimp.
This has to be my most boring blog post ever…apologies. I WAS going to write some thoughts about how important it is to develop a writing method and how listening to a Radio 4 programme this morning about Method acting made me realise that there might well be some parallels with writing. Then I remembered that my agent has firmly instructed me Never To Tell Anyone How I Write. Not for fear of being copied – for goodness sake! But for fear of casting light on some mysterious process, exposing it for it’s quotidian normalcy.
A writer and actor I greatly admire, Victoria Wood, recently said – I think on Desert Island Discs – that she learned how to write jokes. And that she wouldn’t tell her method – for the same reason.
Anyway. I hope readers have as much fun reading Joshua book 3 as I’m having writing it. Yesterday I wrote the first scene of High Drama, which occurs around 55 pages into the book. Very exciting, set in the giant sand dunes of Genipabu, Brazil… (well I found it exciting to write. Only time will tell if it actually makes for an exciting read…years in fact! March 2010…?)
6 replies on “Jam (and writing, but mostly jam)”
Home-made jam is the best! I’m not a big fan of jam either, but you can’t beat jam on scones 😀
So your quite a way into Book3 then. Is that a possible release date i see there? Have you got a deal with Scholastic for the third book or more yet? Write it anyway, maybe if scholastic doesn’t another publisher might. But i’m sure you will get it published.
Good luck writing, it’s good your enjoying writing it, it’s sure to make readers enjoy it.
Best Wishes
Lukas
I had some of the jam for breakfast (and pie…!). Wow it was so good. Later today – scones!
Yes, the publishers are going to offer me a deal for two more books…negotiations are about to begin with my agent. One is Joshua book 3 and the other is flex – Josh book 4 or Jaguar’s Realm – we’ll decide later.
Don’t worry, I think we’re all committed to 5 books, with the Big Finish in 2012…
Lukas, are you around over summer? I’m toying with the idea of taking a trip with my family, it might as well be to Isle of Wight (I’ve never been) and if so I could do a visit to Waterstones. This isn’t a promise, okay! Just a thought. There’s a salsa congress in Bournemouth that we might go to at the end of July – could tag something bookish on afterwards.
Pie! Never made one, must try it.
I’m busy mostly July 29th to the 1st of August then away August to the 9th, but thats all.
I no longer have a contact at Waterstones any more 🙁 But, i’m sure they couldn’t resist!
If you do visit, i could reccomend some good places to go too, good weather and bad (it tends to vary but usually in the summer it’s hot!)
So Joshua Files finishes 2012, coincedence? Or Purposeful? he he.
Lukas
hi aunti pita! hows it goin! i have always wanted to make a post here but have never had the time, now i am typing this during my english lesson on our new laptops! woooooot! they r macs! god i love macs… anyway… back to the subject. i have made this mpost just to say HI! i put it in this section becuase i have no idea where else to put it… plus i thought that since i love jam (and berry pies) that this post would be welcome! by the way, i will be sending photos of my brother, thas, and will send a video of my brother-to-be when he is born. another thing, i want to kjnow when your next book is comin out! seriously, the invisable city ended in the biggest cliff hanger i have ever seen at the end of a chuildrens book! please write another! i beg of you! if you dont i will be seriously tempted to dis-own you as my aunti, but not my friend, just my aunti… well, my english lesson is drawing to a close so i leave this post with a piece of me (and australia) G’DAY MATE!
HEY RAPH!!! How are ya mate?
I miss you soooo much.
Glad you like the blog. I am making even more jam lately, picked almost 2kg of blackcurrants. You should see the berry farm right now, raspberries, strawberries and blackcurrants are dripping from the branches.
I can’t wait until you read book 2. I’ll send you a copy when it comes out in March 2009. Prob next summer in Oz.
If you think INVISIBLE CITY ended on a cliffhanger… And pretty sure that you are gonna love book 3 too, which I’m writing now.
Can’t wait to see pics of Thas and the new baby. Love to Ali too.
XXXXXXXX Aunti P
hahahahahahaha! r u tryin to make us back here in oz jealous? “seriously You should see the berry farm right now, raspberries, strawberries and black-currants are dripping from the branches.” here in our little country town of perth the only “berrys” we get r in our special K breakfast cereal! its not fair! i want a berry! plus how did u aford 2KG of berries?
i would have to trade in my computer to afford that! 😀 also a few more things related to the teenager side of life… firstly, i have discovered an awesome swedish teckno artist. his band is called BASSHUNTER d[-_-]b and all of his songs r about computer games and chat forums! u have to check him out! secondly, i have found the FUNNIEST you-tube video! its called ‘POWERTHIRST energy drink’ its so funny! now, onto a completely different subject… how r josie and lilia? i bet she is sooooo cute (lilia that is!) i cant wait to see you all in Mauritius (u have to come! if you dont i will lock myself in my room for the duration of the holiday!) another thing i want to do is go to england for a few years! my mum said that if i work really hard i can get a scholarship for oxford uni when i do my postgraduate degree. if i get it will be so cool because i will have loads of spending money for us to go skiing! the babys due in 3 weeks! i will send u heaps of photos of thas, me, ali and the baby (who is most likely to be called Benedict) my dad is also gettin more tape for the video cam so we can send u some movies! i gotta go now… so BYE! i wuv u so much! 🙁 say hi to every1 for me!
XXXXXXXXXXXX Nephew R
(ps. i did not mean that whole thing about disowning you… and im very sorry about any offense it may have caused :D!)