The state of the union

It has a been a long time since I blogged here, or anywhere for that matter. I have all kinds of excuses lined up about life taking over and work being busy and finding that I needed all my writing time for, well, writing novels. But the truth is, I got a little bored.

Looking back at my blog, now, I think I understand why. I started this site as a place to post news and perhaps muse randomly about writing, which I still think is fair enough but reading back my posts I feel they lacked a certain depth of thought. Mostly, they rambled on about what I'd been doing, a little like an online diary, which I suppose a blog is, except that I'm not sure how much of myself, as a writer or otherwise, I was really giving people here. It almost feels like lipservice.

So, now I'm back and I've been thinking and I might handle things here a little differently from before. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

I'm also planning to resurrect Frankie over at Starfish Soup. I've discovered recently that she does have something to say, after all. I think it could be fun. Watch out for new posts there very soonly. I have also decided I will make up words if I want to. I like it.

Niki x

The Left Lion mystery

The left lion in Nottingham's slab square is an institution. Everyone who grows up here has countless nights out that start there. Why the left lion? Nobody knows. Years ago, I'm told by older friends, it just used to be 'the lions' but it's evolved. How do you tell which one's the left lion? It's on the left hand side when you are facing the building, not standing outside looking out. There is even a (rather good) cultural magazine named after this most famous meeting place. And yet, although everyone claims to meet there, the place is rarely packed with people. How does that work? It's all a bit platform nine and three quarters if you ask me.

Today, though, there were hundreds of people there. The event was a meeting of minds or, at least, a photocall, for all of the creatives in Nottingham. And they came. And they all tried to stand at the front, which was quite funny to watch. Especially the girl in the hat who was just determined not to be moved backwards no matter what. You go girl! Lol.

All my creative friends have been banging on recently about how cool it is to work in Nottingham right now, and how there's a buzz, and how it truly is becoming a creative hub. I knew this. But to see it today in flesh and blood in the market square, it was quite something.

What's more, I met Troubled Diva, whose blog I've been reading for a while. And what a very nice man he is too. We talked blogging and people we knew in common, while drinking wine in the sunny mezz bar at the Broadway, and he had his caricature drawn. I love being a writer :) He was off to see Armistead Maupin afterwards, together with most of the Nottingham literazzi, but I didn't have tickets.

Talking of talking about blogging, I must point you in the direction of a new website I've been involved with which has just gone live; Bookarazzi. It's been put together by a support/networking group I was invited to join a while ago. It's a diverse group of writers who all have blogs and who all have book deals. That's probably as far as the similarities go. There are memoirists, chick lit writers, literary types, artists,... Actually, there is another couple of things they all have in common and that's talent and energy and ideas. Oh, that was three things. In fact, this is in danger of becoming a 'what have the Romans ever done for us' comment so I'll stop here. Visit the site. It is good there.