Anna Aden Writes

Nothing happened this week, it was rather quiet. Perhaps, I should keep a journal or something. Anyway on Friday I went to the Southbank Street Food market, Street Food is such a big concept in London nowadays but it typically just burgers, chips, wraps, curry and some Pad Thai. No real variation, and it tends to be overpriced. But at least most take card payments now.  I didn't buy anything because I had a big lunch at another street market near my workplace. So I walked past, to my destination. Lately I've taken to writing at Festival Hall but over the past week, I found just sitting in the Foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall was nicer. It's a bit darker in there, not as much natural light as the Royal Festival Hall but there is enough for me to write.  Anyway on Friday there was a performance by a young artist. I didn't catch his name, but he was good.  Blog activities review I'm cutting down on my blog posts, I'll continue the 52 week chal...

I've reached week 26! Wow! So that's the cash on the top righthand - a twenty and five pound note with a one pound coin. And then put into the money jar! Moneywise it's been up and down and I did miss the first seven weeks of the challenge so I may, only may back pay that. We'll see. I've still got some IOUs in the jar as you can see from the pieces of paper sticking out. As you know, I find saving money boring and I'd rather spend so nothing interesting to report. Maybe I could post it on my IG, I'm not sure. That is a lovely picture of the city from Waterloo Bridge. Another twenty six weeks to do. Okay until next week!

A messier desk than usual today. So starting from the lower left handsome, there is my Baldwin book of essays, I think I shall return that today. On top of the book are some coins, a pen and my handbag or purse. Beyond the handbag is my Friday money pot,  where I put my weekly 52 week money challenge cash. Next to it is the coconut oil, I use for my hair, and an old ruler. Yes, sometimes the desk acts as a dressing table. Just sometimes. Then the regulars - my desk lamp and pencil case. Next is my glasses case and penholder, followed by a greeting card. I used to make greeting cards so that is one from a long time again. Maybe I should start again? I used to be into crafts and I hand made invitations. Big Momma makes cards, and sells them at markets. Not to digress, and moving on. The box which contains the sauces, and that is an old diary. Yeah, a week later, I still have the liquid lipstick brush squatting on the desk, and black cover is my face cream. I should get roun...

General Walking This week I decided to do a little more walking to count as exercise, I'm not currently using the gym despite my membership. I'm just tired when I get home, and in a rush to work in the morning. Plus I do writerly things, so that is also a time-suck. Anyway with such a sedentary lifestyle, I've had to increase somehow. If you remember, I even got myself a pair of walking shoes so no excuses. And there hasn't been - I've been walking a lot more on my route to walk. The walking shoes have been excellent - worth the money. Merrells. Before that it was I would wake up, walk about five minutes to my transport link, get dropped literally in front of my office block, sit at my desk for eight hours plus. Go back to transport link, get dropped five minutes from home. At home, I'd be too tired or either I'd work on my novel. So very little. Now I'm walking for at least thirty minutes a day, and up to the hour and an half on clear days. ...

It was rainy day and I was taking a walk over my favourite bridge, Waterloo Bridge, and I decided to pop into Somerset House. It's quite interesting because I don't think I've ever been into Somerset House, though I gone by numerous times. During the summer, when I was a student, I used to use the Kings College Library which is next door. And I've often peeped in through the gates during London Fashion Week, as it's a popular venue for fashion shows. It's feels like a place and I only had a few minutes to spare so I didn't see much. But I didn't manage to go and see the famous Nelson Stairs which goes the Navy Board Rooms.  So I guess if you are fan of Navel Times wars, it's definitely one for you. I think the Navy Board Rooms are by appointment  only, I wasn't bothered because I was having a wander around. I walked to the top of the stairs and railings are quite wonky and there is strange vibe so it felt a bit scary, with that said, p...

Week twenty-five! Can you believe it? Wow! So today, I had a half day holiday from work and so decided instead of doing another IOU for twenty five pounds maybe I should just make a withdrawal. Normally, the banks are closed by the time I get home so I took this opportunity and that's the reason why I have twenty five pounds.  It was painful withdrawing the money, but it was better than owing the money jar more money.  These challenges are only fun for those who make them, and write on how to do them. The actual doing  and saving is boring. Again, if you want to have regular savings, get a saving accounts and put a fixed sum preferably on the same day of your payday and put that money away.  Look at how many times, I've put in an IOU into the pot. I think it's about three times now though I paid one off, paid a pound towards one and the larger one is still outstanding. And there has been a couple of  occasions when I needed change so I got it from ...

This is a very simple film marketed as a romantic comedy but felt like a platform for Tiffany Haddish's talents. She had the most gags, most laughs and basically carried the whole film. Without her, and honourable mention to Whoopi Goldberg,  I'm not sure the movie would have work. So basically an upwardly mobile professional had to take in her sister cue Tiffany Haddish who has just been released from jail. Everything goes a bit chaotic and crazy as the jailbird sister interfere in her relationships. Though Tiffany Haddish seems like the supporting actor to main character, she was actually the star. Romantic comedy? Yes, its romantic as in the main charater's quest to find true love and a man. Comedy? Down to Tiffany Haddish's part playing the sitter. This film/movie is great if you are a fan of Tiffany Haddish, or want a simple chick-flick with some attitude. Actually it was probably better than Girl's Trip so if you liked that you'll love this one! But ...

For some reason, I have a clearer desk this week. So I'll start from the left handside, work upwards towards the right and downwards again. So on the far left are two books which I borrowed from my big boss. It was while we were moving offices and he was clearing out his cupboard. The first is The Goldfinch by Donna Tart and Mastery (I've this for a few weeks now) by Robert Greene. The Goldfinch is newish because I just brought it home from the office on last Friday. Next is my desktop lamp, after that is a large jar of extra virgin organic coconut oil. Apparently it's raw and cold pressed. I only bought it because it was half price in Holland and Barretts (a UK health food chain) and I tend to use as a conditioner in my hair, or an emergency body moisturiser - I don't use it in cooking. The brand is Vitacoco. On the jar cover is my liquid lipstick brush, it fell in the bathroom sink so I need to give it a good wash. After the coconut oil is my penholder and the...

Nothing much this week, apart from a busy week at work. And a busy week tends to have a knock-on effect on other things I want to do. I've been slight off-kilter since I was ill last week so it will take a while to settle back into my routine again.  I didn't do the movie or have time to visit a London location. I discovered a magazine called Breathe - and make time for yourself.  It professes to have articles on wellbeing, living, mindfulness, creativity and escaping, and I thought it would be a different sort of reading. Not really but I'll share some things with you. Wellbeing Embrace the Downtime Life can be pretty hectic and chaotic at times. Look at me missing blog posts. So they reckon look for some down time activities such and flower arranging (er no thanks), reading (yes please), learn a craft - knitting for some reason is a hot favourite, try a crossword or socialise. However a 26 minute - nap is probably the ultimate option (this is according to N...

This week has been very busy so this skipped my mind until just a few hours ago. Things are just busy! Anyway, let get on this this. So I got twenty-five pounds but because this is only week twenty-four, I decided to put the extra pound to last week's IOU of four pounds. This means I only owe three pounds. Actually come to think of it, I think the week number was wrong. What does it matter? Really, who cares? Anyway, I put down an extra pound on the four pounds IOU note, so now it's only three pounds. Does that make sense? Probably not, however it's all in the money jar.

A nearly decluttered desk. Surprise, right? I know and there are reasons but lets roll with the line up. It starts with my faithful MacBook Air - this reminds me I must got to the Apple shop as the screws are coming loose. Never had this with my PC laptop. Next making an appearance after missing for a while is my desk lamp. Yes, I had house guests so one needed a reading lamp in the bedroom for the the duration of their stay. Now the lamp is back. Underneath the lamp is a piece of card which is a mobile phone top-up voucher. Yes, I have a pay-as-you-go sim, its just convenient. After that is my calculator, very important in my line of work, which brings me to why the desk is sort of decluttered. I had a very bad cold last week, spent a couple of days in bed, dragged myself to the workplace sniffing, sneezing and feeling stuffed. So I decided it was best to work from home otherwise the journey in would do me no good, and run me into the ground. Plus, it would take longer to recove...

Changes to Editing Updates I've decided to post about writing only once a month - 2nd Sunday of the month - since not much happens. I'm still editing and it's going very slowly. Last week's goal using  How to Edit Your Novel by Corner-Bryant and Price To iterate, I'm not going on the course, however I'm matching the course outline to the book and seeing what I can do.    I'm still working with this book but I've  started working posting chapter to the online workshop Scribophile. This is more to monitor my progress and work in a different format. It's coming along okay though I'm probably going to miss my first deadline. So my next progress update will be on the second Sunday of July with will be the 14th of July.

I've had a bad cold for most of the week, which knocked me out badly so nothing much happened. On Saturday, I went to a festival called Mighty Hoopla in Brockwell Park, South London. I wanted to do something different this summer, and having never being a festival I decided on this one. The acts where mostly cheesy pop and about three music stands. For some reason, I was on the mailing list last year, so when it came up this year, I asked Sis if she wanted to go and she agreed. I opted for the VIP tickets, which was nothing special only there were proper toilets (no plastic portaloo business) in the VIP enclosure - still long queues. There were also 'intimate' celeb DJ sets, and two bars. I realised bars were very important at festivals because the bars out side the VIP enclosure was very very long.  It was an extra £20 on top of the tickets so that was reasonable for peaceful atmosphere in the VIP enclosure. The festival was very chilled and had a carnival like ...

No change, though I managed to get hold of two twenty pounds notes, it would have been less if someone had been serving customers behind the till of Itsu - an Far Asian inspired food joint that sells mostly Japanese-ish food for the western appetite. I say Japanese-ish because it's not really Japanese food, just inspired and concoctions. Anyway I come home sick from work, and decided I needed a nice big pot of steaming ramen but there was no one at the counter, so feeling ill and irritable, I came straight home, therefore not breaking into the two ten pounds note above. I had no change so another IOU, but for the wrong amount, I guess I lost a pound to the money pot. Oh, apologies the picture is up side down but money is money, you can still the money pot and notes. I have a family house guest - Big Momma, who seems to have an interest in this money pot and savings business. So this recently she asked me when I was going to pay up the IOU for last week which was twenty-...

Not even Rachel Weisz ams Mrs 007 aka James Bond aka Mrs Daniel Craig can save this sinker. Honourable shout-outs to Iain Glen and other good actors however there is nothing to write home about. It's boring and though Rachel Weisz does her best, a bad script is a bad script. Normally I try and look for something nice or good to say but watching three novel adaptations for film/novels has taken its toll. First it was On Chesil Beach, then the Tulip Fever now. I can't. What was wrong with it? I guess as a fan of the novel  My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier, it lacked the basic gothic element that gave the novel much of its suspense. Plus there is swearing. I don't mind swearing, cussing, cursing but if the book doesn't have it, why should the film? I guess it makes it contemporary. I think it wasn't dark enough, the locations were too large, too grand, too much light given it's a a gothic story. But what do I know? It was just boring. And boring is bori...

A busier desk than usual. From the lower left hand-side is my marked up synopsis I'm supposed to be working from, and above it is a container with the scene index cards. No, it's not a masterpiece just trying out a lot of editing techniques to find out what works. Moving clockwise are sachets of tomato ketchup and mayonnaise from my whooper burger. I rarely use the extra sachets given, though I might carry them to work, in case I get chips/french fries or something as the workplace cafeteria charges extra for them. Yes, the even charge for coffee cups. Next to the sauce sachets are my penholder, china mug, and a pile of stuff. The pile is my pink glasses case, a coaster (I probably should have put the mug on that) and the book on mastery I'm still yet to read. The blue tube is  handy size of hand cream for my bag. Moving down is my pencil case, calculator, a bunch of loose pens, a pair of glasses and my old glasses case. Next to it is my diary in some box. Then final...

Last week's goal using  How to Edit Your Novel by Corner-Bryant and Price To iterate, I'm not going on the course, however I'm matching the course outline to the book and seeing what I can do.  Taking the guidance from the next class, I shall proceed with the next. Page Turning Pacing Aim: Develop advanced approaches to balancing material — dealing with overwriting or superfluous elements, and knowing when to extend/slow down and when to cut back/speed up. Discover how to apply the idea of pacing to your overall structure. Outcome: Rewrite a dramatic incident employing pacing appropriate to the subject and atmospher e. ( https://www.profwritingacademy.com/edit-your-novel-the-professional-way ) Progress Report I'm still working on it. It has great material but it's very intense so I'm going to be spending maybe another week  or two figuring this chapter out. Even before I come to writing a scene, Corner-Bryant and Price suggest to prioriti...

Normal life is pretty uneventful at times with small moments with family and friends, making a beautiful thing. So I'm just going to bang on about my handbag drama and then answer twenty questions below. Handbag Repair Drama I mentioned my bags need some repairing, so this is my Gucci canvas messenger bag, I'm not sure if it's worth repairing because I got it ten years ago in the sale for £150 - I queued up in the dedicated Gucci queue at Selfridges, and it would cost me the same to repair it - according to a quote from a designer handbag repair service. It's rather battered, and slight unsightly mainly because I tend to knock my bags around - it was an everyday use bag. I might have to go back to Gucci for a quote or just chuck it out. This is my Hispanitas handbag, soft leather, but not as expensive as Gucci. This cost about £80 ten years ago, and I got it from a boutique in Parkway, Camden Town.  I'd really like to repair this but again the cost might be...

I know communications has moved on and now everyone just uses text messages, emails and DMs or social media but The Postal Museum was a gem I found tucked in the depths of Clerkenwell (a London District), one day as I was going to Gails an artisan bakery.  It was free entry and had lots of activities for children and adults. The battered green post box on the left hand-side is the first ever, the next was a special edition for Queen Victoria and then gold one for some celebration. Not sure what, it was probably the Olympics or something. Though small the had plenty of display, like old carriages, and tales of highway robbers and a few fire arms on display. This was the motorbikes for the telegram boys, no need for that with email now. Old fashioned telephones and there was a telephone box as well. You can see a few around central London, but mostly for tourists. A few display of war time letters, they were very poignant, and a few sad, others happy. This was ...