C T Furlong's tumblr blog

I don’t know what it is about crafty things that makes me want to blog. The endless hours of hand-sewing must trigger some very, very well hidden synapse, which shuts down again within hours.

This time, the kids and I are half-way through a pillow, and have completed a fabric doggy bone with the initial B on it. I’d post a photo but I’m far too lazy …

The bone is for Bandit, my sister’s dog whose name I pilfered for my ARCTIC6 books.

Anyway, I was lying in the garden, trying to sunbathe (more difficult than you might think – I have an allergy which brings me out in spots, plus I don’t lie around easily – too much to do, too much to think about!) I was feeling a little melancholy since the final ARCTIC6 book Killer Star is released today and they’ve been such a part of my life for the last few years that I’m seriously missing them already. The ARCTIC6 adventures were always envisioned as a trilogy, so I had never even thought of further storylines until a young girl at a recent book-signing remarked that if there are 6 members in the group and each book is narrated by a different character then there should be 6 books!

To cut to the chase – another storyline just popped into my mind (involving something my publisher mentioned a while ago). I might just go ahead and work up that idea.

It might involve spies, lies and a sad demise. Then again, it might not …

Now back to the sunbathing     ;-P

I know I’m one of the world’s laziest bloggers and I’m doing this now in lieu of housework, which I sometimes do in lieu of writing, which I can find many things to do in lieu of, like twittering, updating facebook, emailing, making tea etc.

I’ve recently started on ARCTIC6’s third adventure and although I love the start - the actual “inception”, getting going can be hard work.

I’m not a planner, as anyone who knows me will verify. My kids’ school doesn’t even put letters in their bookbags anymore. They just get me to sign stuff there and then!

Being a committed “non-planner” can have its downsides, but as far as writing goes - I find it a real benefit. I absolutely love not knowing where the adventure will lead (of course, I need to have a vague idea). I usually start with just the overriding arc and let the rest happen.

For ARCTIC6’s third adventure, I’m changing narrator again and by doing this I accidentally created a minor character who’s taking on a life of his own. He may be more than a walk-on by the time I get to the end.

Then again, he may not!

For me - that’s the most fun part …

I tumbled out of bed at (for me) the ungodly hour of 6am to catch the train that met the train that met the tube that met the train that got me to Princes Risborough in time to meet the lovely Penny Didcock who organised my event at Icknield Community College yesterday.

It was probably just as well that I was so tired because a cup of tea later, I had to stand in an auditorium (well - the school hall kitted out with an impressive pull-out cinema seating arrangement) and give a talk to 150 year 8 students and some teachers… for a whole hour!  Major public speaking panic flashbacks…

I got through it, and I hope I didn’t bore them too much - sorry there might have been a tiny bit too much science.  There really isn’t that much science in the book. 

After lunch I did a creative writing workshop with 25 of them.  I have to say that I really enjoyed this.  I gave each group characters and weapons (from Cluedo) and asked them to write a short story in different genres.  The results were fantastic!

The Crime writers really got inside the mind of the criminal.  The sci-fi spoof was funny yet atmospheric.

The girls that I’d deliberately given Horror, wrote some really creepy stuff.  But hilariously the boys who’d been given Para-romance split it into its respective parts - half of them collaborating on the Para - a zombie gorefest with pictures, while the other half wrote a hard-hitting military romance, where the guy shoots the girl dead in the end!

Brilliant…

Last night I had the great pleasure of meeting some of the wonderful illustrators and authors taking part in the Crystal Palace Children’s Book Festival on Oct, 23rd.  They all brought their books - something which didn’t occur to me!

I got to chat with Alex Bell and Sarwat Chadda, who are both taking part in the Horror workshop at the festival.  And that’s when it happened - I became jealous.  I want to have a hideous monster to share with everyone.  I would love to strike terror into the hearts of the unsuspecting public.

I do actually have a hideous monster hidden in a YA manuscript somewhere in my files and I can hear him begging to be set free…

Next year he’ll be out and he’ll be bad… really hideously bad…

There I was, happily sitting in in my garden doing some needlework.  Actually, I wasn’t doing it all that happily.  It’s a present I started making for my friend’s baby the day he was born.  He’s pushing two months now and we’re visiting this evening so I was concentrating very hard.  Then I was “buzzed” by an F14 (I know it was an F14 because I’ve been told this by the guy next door!).  Exactly like in Top Gun!  Really - the spilt tea and all.  The noise was so unbelievable my stomach actually flipped.  This has only happened once before - on one of those gravity wall rides at a fair.  And they say nothing happens in Suffolk.

Also - I said I’d post a recipe for the very lovely Stephanie Burgis.

Banana Bread Rolls (adapted from the original by a famous chef)

500g flour

7g yeast sachet

3 ripe bananas

sugar or honey if you have a sweet tooth (I don’t - but say 3 tablespoons)

Mix flour and yeast.  Blitz bananas - then make up to just over 300mls with water.  Mix all together and knead.  Do not lose heart if it looks dry - keep kneading.  If success continues to elude you then add a little more.

Prove once.  Knead again.  Separate into small rolls.  Prove again.  Bake for 30 mins.

Best served almost straight from oven with butter but can be toasted thereafter.

Enjoy.

Carol