Greetings!
A bit of a shorter newsletter this week because I’ve been knackering myself by cycling every day. Well, someone’s gotta do it. I’m catching up, slowly, with a load of saved articles on Substack. Boy, there are some brilliant writers here.
But enough of this persiflage. On with the newsletter.
Terry
That ain’t right
Fats Waller was not only a great pianist but a master of interjecting with humorous comments. This song with Ada Brown is no exception. Enjoy!
Writing prompts
Thanks to
for hosting a guest post of mine about writing with constraints. Julie’s newsletter is full of great ideas to kick-start your writing, so please have a look.Puzzles galore
If you like puzzles then have a look at
. I’ve printed off some sort of anagram puzzle where you solve the anagrams and then work out where to put the answers. It makes a change from crosswords!Sax update
I had my first sax lesson last Monday. The tutor said I was very good, so clearly he must be tone deaf. I was on pretty good form, and it’s been downhill from there. Oh well. Elaine has taught me a bit of music, so I can now read some basic tunes, and I’m developing a sort of finger memory for the keys. It’s hard work though. What keeps me going is the thought of being able to take part in an open mic night one of these days. I’m looking forward to swinging with Three Blind Mice.
Have you started to learn a(nother) musical instrument late in life?
The astronaut band
I read an interesting article last week about a band formed by some astronauts. I love anything to do with space. I’m doing my best to live a few more decades in the hope that a trip to the moon will be affordable by then. Anyway, here’s the article, which I’m sure you’ll enjoy because it’s different: Have you heard of the astronaut band? —
Answer to mystery
Ain’t nobody solved the mystery I set in my review of Deadly at Midnight, so here’s the big reveal: the whole thing is a sham. There’s no such book. How might you have worked that out?
Firstly, the hero, Jason Fox. I used him in a story I wrote called Cindie Reller meets the prince.
Secondly, it’s unlikely that a hard-boiled private eye like Fox would be found lighting incense sticks.
Thirdly, the supposed author doesn’t bother with plots and churns out books at the rate of one a week, which is unlikely.
Fourthly, “Deadly At Midnight is subtly based on a rhomboidal structure of intersecting narratives and plot developments.” Sounds impressive, but I have no idea what that might mean. I just made it up.
Bonus: book extract
Have you read the extract from my latest book, about cycling in London? You might enjoy it. Here’s an extract:
“…if the weather is clement and it hasn't been racing in the last day or so, you may refer to eschew Oak Lane's meanderings and, instead, go a few metres beyond St Peter’s. There, desperately attempting not to draw attention to itself, hides a bridleway.”
How’s that for a paragraph? And how’s this for a sketch map?
Here’s the link: Forgotten Paths and Winding Memories.
The post was born from a challenge by
and I will be getting my revenge soon. This will make sense once you’ve read that article. Tomorrow I hope, in my paid subscribers post, to explain the process whereby I met the challenge.Other posts you may have missed
Experiments in style posts:
Death and birds
I recently discovered Death and Birds by
and love what I’ve read so far. It’s a very gentle and strangely poignant read.What’s next?
Apart from the paid subscribers post I’ve already mentioned, I have to respond to Rebecca’s letter on Wednesday. To keep up with this correspondence now, instead of waiting till it’s published after we’re dead, subscribe to Rebecca’s newsletter now. (And mine.)
Thanks
Well that’s it for now. Hope you enjoyed reading it and that you will check out the links to the other newsletters I’ve mentioned.
Share and share alike
If you’ve enjoyed reading this newsletter and you don’t subscribe, why not? Please see me afterwards1. At the very least, you could share it!
Sorry, it’s my old job as a teacher coming through.
Congrats on learning a new instrument. Looking forward to hearing about the open mic night one day! 💜
Fats Waller ruled! I subscribed to Death and Birds, too. Thanks for both, Terry. You always have something interesting to me!