Saturday, December 19, 2009

Success !!


The Book project achieved it's target this week, just a few days before the deadline !


More than 11 man (and woman) years in the making this novel has proved that a group of complete strangers from all over the world can labour together for a common cause creatively and produce a first class work of literature.

As the Copenhagen climate conference draws to a close and focus begins to turn to Mexico in 2010, the timing could not be more appropriate for our novel. As we reveal more about the story you will appreciate why!

Over the next few weeks we will create a website with information about our story and the search which now commences for a publisher. So please bookmark this Blog to keep up to date with the news.

Pete
(On behalf a tired, but very satisfied Crew!)

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Reduce Greenhouse Gases to Pre-Biblical times, or else ...


What would the world leaders meeting in Copenhagen do if they had a stark ultimatum;


'Get atmospheric CO2 down to pre-biblical levels within 3 years or face the destruction of the human race'

What if the evidence of this impending disaster in 3 short years was beyond doubt?

Would they be up to it? Could anyone pull it off? What could individuals and governments do NOW to ensure survival?

Time will run out, there will be no second chance, delay is not an option.

Passage to Redemption is now days away from completion and promises to be a block buster of a novel.

The Crew have been working non-stop around the world for almost a year and the deadline of 31st December, 2009 is rapidly approaching.

When the pen leaves the final page, a publisher or agent will be needed to get this important eco-thriller out to the public. They will need to be good, time is running out !

Pete
The Crew

www.amazonclicks.com/portal

Monday, December 7, 2009

Just 24 Days to go!

The team have been working for almost a year now and it's just 24 days to the deadline for The Book!

Will we do it?

My guess is we will just about make it although it will be very close. The first draft of the final chapter has been completed and the first 16 chapters have been veneered and edited.

It has been a huge challenge and everyone is keen to meet the objective of completing a manuscript worthy to send to potential publishers or agents by December 31st 2009.

The story itself has exceeded our most optimistic expectations and will not only make a great read but, given the world meeting about to start in Copenhagen this week and the likely activities resulting over the next few months, it is also extremely timely.

Pete

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The 'Veneer' Writer

Today we hold a vote to choose one writer from our team who will 'tweak' what has been written to their own style of expression. We call this role a 'veneer' writer as they will not change the substance or structure of the story but will give it a single voice.

Whilst we are celebrating the diversity of a collaborative work, we do want the story to read as if a single writer was responsible.

In most parts, the veneer may be very thin or non-existent but in others a little deeper. The objective is to have a consistent voice through each thread of the story but we also have a deadline to meet!

Whilst the veneer writer is at work, with one or more helpers, the remaining team will focus upon the few structural questions raised in our read-through and then final chapter.

I'm guessing the next few weeks will fly past as we work to get everything completed by December 31st!

Pete

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Latest News!

The collaborative novel remains ahead of schedule and we have now completed a complete 'read through' of all the chapters written to date. We did pick up quite a number of 'typos' as you would expect from the editing process and there are some tweaks to be made but nothing major.

This leaves only the final chapter and our creative team is now working on the conclusion to our story.

We were relieved to hear from our writer in Manila after the severe storms in that part of the world. When this is all over, we should draw up a list of the catastrophes that have affected our writing team through the course of one year on this great planet.

Pete

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Passage to Redemption - Chapter 20 Beckons!

Today we are reviewing chapter 20 which means there are only a few more chapters left to edit.

We have unearthed a number of typos and some inconsistencies that will now need to be ironed out. In addition, the final chapter will be drafted when the reviews are complete.

This week has seen more catastrophic conditions around the world and we are waiting to hear from our writer in Manila following the floods there and storms across South East Asia. It was only a few weeks Istanbul was similarly devastated by floods and we were concerned about our writer there - until she popped up on Facebook that is!

The project continues to devour a considerable chunk of our lives around the world but also continues to inspire us.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Chapter 15 Already!

The read through is going well.

Already we have 14 chapters under our belts and tomorrow we focus upon number 15. So far, I have been mainly interested in how the story as a whole hangs together, how readable it is and how I would feel about it if I had purchased The Book.

I'm delighted with the result, which you only really appreciate when you do stand back from the keyboard and read it through afresh.

Others in the team have been very focussed upon the editing tasks - thank goodness ! So they have been spotting any errors or typos, as well as looking for continuity.

This exercise has proved extremely worth while and I feel when we reach our penultimate chapter, we will have achieved a more useful perspective on the best way to deal with the final chapter. That's the plan anyway!

Pete

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Good news, bad news

Illness has blighted a few of our writers and our first case of Swine Flu has appeared on the scene in the USA.

The recent floods in Istanbul must also be making it very hard for our writer there and the economic situation around the world has brought it's own pressures for our team.

However, we expect to be fighting fit again very soon and have now embarked on another initiative!

With 23 out of 24 chapters completed, you can imagine we are all very focused upon our finale. But we have taken this opportunity to stop for a few weeks whilst we re-read everything we done so far. Starting yesterday, we embarked upon a 'one chapter per day' initiative and we will read and comment as we go so that our final chapter flows seamlessly from the story so far. Of course, we all know pretty much how it will end but there are a number of options on the best way to incorporate this.

Chapter 1 is already done and we are pretty pleased with ourselves - it's a great opening!

Pete

Thursday, September 3, 2009

September and the climax!

With 23 chapters under our belt, the final '24' is now under way and it promises to be a real cliff hanger!

One or two of the team are waning - it's been a long hall - but the others are picking up the workload and driving on to the end. It's been a fantastic effort and when I read the manuscript I can't believe it's been created by so many hands.

Over the coming weeks our entire focus will be on finishing and then going over our work to ensure we haven't missed anything.

Then the next stage begins and we will start to look earnestly for a publisher!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Webinar Date Changes !


Due to University holiday periods, we have moved the Webinars to October this year.

The exact dates will be confirmed here soon.

Meanwhile, The Book powers on and we are about to tackle the final chapter!

All our threads come together into a dramatic close and every writer in the team is very keen to see our finale. To discover more about how the project has worked, our highs and our lows, as well as the story itself, be sure to book your place on the Webinar.

Back soon ....
Pete

Sunday, August 2, 2009

"49 Writers" interview with Glenda Smith

A very interesting group in Alaska is "49 Writers." This refers to Alaska being the 49th state admitted to the union rather than the number of writers in the group.

I recently had the opportunity to discuss our collaborative writing "Book Project" in an interview for their blog site. I believe I stated so in the article but would definitely state it again -- the views expressed are mine alone and not endorsed by the other authors in the "Book Project." There may even be some of the group whose thoughts totally contradict mine.

If you would like to visit, this is a link to my interview. There are many other interesting items on the site including "Ode to a Dead Salmon" contest -- uniquely Alaskan.

http://49writers.blogspot.com/2009/07/49-writers-interview-glenda-smith.html


It is still hard to believe we are into the 8th month of our project -- it has indeed been an exciting trip so far.

Glenda Smith

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Secrets Revealed & Your Chance to Meet the Authors!

As The Book moves into it's final phase, our team is planning a 'Webinar' for all those who are interested in this collaborative project.

Over the months, several Universities and academic institutions around the world have contacted our team to ask about the project and some have even launched their own internal collaborative works within their English literature faculties.

A wide range of literary professionals have also been in touch for information, in addition to past project members, writer's groups and forums and the many people who are close to the authors themselves.

There are many questions about how we have managed this ambitious project as well as why we did it. When you talk about collaborative writing, most people think that one person writes something, then someone else and so on. This is what I refer to as 'serial collaboration' and there are a number of examples of this on the web.

The Book is not a serial project and I will explain our approach in more detail during the Webinar.

We have also, as you will imagine, been asked lots of times for information about the story (so far a tightly guarded secret!). What kind of story will be worthy of such an effort? How do we maintain a consistent style?

All this, and much more will be answered during the Webinar.

So what is a 'Webinar'?

It's a meeting - but a meeting on the Internet with people from all around the world. Our Webinar will include audio so you will hear us talking and you will be able to submit questions via your computer keyboard into a dialogue box.

We will start with a brief presentation about the project - how it came about and who is in it.

Then we reveal our big secret ...... what the story is about and what we plan to call it! (if the publishers agree!)

From the beginning you will be able to ask questions and these will be logged throughout and answered in turn after the presentation.

So when is this going to happen?

This September!

We will deliver the webinar in each of three major time zones within hours or days of each other. The Western zone will accommodate our audience predominantly in the USA and Canada. Central will cover Western Europe including Great Britain and Ireland, Spain, Holland, France, Germany and those countries in the region. The Eastern zone will address our audience from Eastern Europe through to Australasia including Turkey, India, Malaysia, The Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. You can attend any or all of the sessions if you wish, although the presentation will be the same each time.

What do you need to do to attend?

All you need is access to a computer and the Internet, whether that is a PC or a Mac. You don't need any special software but you will need sound or earphones.

To register and receive an invitation with confirmation of exact times and dates, please send an email to webinar@amazonclicks.com .

We'll look forward to welcoming you in September!

Pete

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Almost Half Way !

The end of June marks the official half way point for our novel and the progress has been exceptional.

Well over half the writing has now been completed and initially edited. We are all very proud of the story so far!

It has always been our intention to keep the details of our story under wraps but as we move into the final months a few hints will be given and the first is to announce that although we are writing fiction (and cracking fiction at that!) there will be an environmental theme to our story. That's all I can divulge right now but one or two more 'teasers' may be released in the months ahead.

Here in the British Channel Island of Guernsey the sun is out and my own writing time is having to compete with a strong desire to be out sailing! But the beat goes on and there will be no let up from our team as we plough forward with this unique project. Around the world the writing continues 24 hours a day in different time zones and the interaction between writers in our online forum is as busy as ever. An average of 370 page views every day between the dozen writers!

June will see our Reader's Circle casting off their identities and becoming strangers to the writing team as they imagine they have just purchased 'The Book' and must now review it!

Later in the month, I will post a message that I think you will all find very interesting ........! :)

Pete

Monday, May 25, 2009

my virtual office

It's Maya signing in from Canberra, Australia. It's hard to believe that I've been with THE BOOK project since the beginning of December 2008, because I feel as though I've been working with the other Book members for years. I feel as though we are old co workers, running reports past one another, agreeing and disagreeing about issues, meeting at the water cooler to recount tales of our home lives and weekend adventures around the world. The best part about this 'virtual office' of mine is that it really makes my love for writing a priority alongside the 'regular' day to day 'priorities'. As a wife and stay at home mother of three, home manager, home maker, housekeeper, etc. etc. etc., it's easy to get bogged down with the zillions of things that 'have' to be done and keep putting aside my own writing which seemingly has no deadline or priority. With THE BOOK, I do have coworkers, waiting for me to do my part and I feel that I have more reason to re prioritize all my activities and put writing first!

I don't know about the others, but as my chapters draw to a close, I'm thinking about THE BOOK 2, because I really am having fun with this new job - the hours are great and my co workers a pretty versatile and interesting lot of characters.

Finally, I've discovered another advantage of having my virtual workplace. I am currently on my 5th day of chicken pox, and am really appreciating having a virtual office which allows me to still work and chit chat at the water cooler without exposing anyone to my virus or to the sight of my ghostly visage painted in calamine lotion (though some might say it's an improvement on the way I usually look).

I'm off for another cuppa tea break to bake pear bread and make hamburgers for dinner tonight, but will be back online editing so when other co workers awake from their night's slumber in another part of the world, they can begin their work . . .

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Latest Press Release

Just over half way through the time allocated for The Book we are starting to look for representation both for the Novel and a Movie.

One of the first places we sought writers last year was the New Zealand news site 'Scoopit'. So this has been chosen as a fitting place to launch the search for representation.

Check out the news site link here;

Scoopit

There's a lot going on with the project and our authors at the moment and both good and bad fortunes, as ever, are with us. Yet again the story behind our story is a powerful reflection on life across our planet.

We will report on some more of this story here on the blog soon.

The good news is that we are ahead of schedule and the flow of creative juices is as abundant as ever!

If there were ever any doubts that we could see this through, they have long since evaporated.

Pete

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Tornadoes!!!

Spring always brings a wild array of weather...and this year is no different! This past week, Tennessee, along with Alabama, Kentucky, and several other states, were hit hard by spring tornadoes. Spring Hill dodged most of the damage, but other areas were not near as lucky. One community, Murfreesboro, suffered major damage, including two fatalities and many serious injuries. The clean-up effort has been non-stop since the storms passed, and it is amazing to see the community come together to help each other in such a hard time. However, these efforts are not only local. Volunteer crews have come from all over the state of Tennessee, and some from out of state, to help with the clean up and to provide shelter for the many families who were effected by these storms. This a true sign of humbleness and caring during a time when our world is in much turmoil. There is always hope!

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Hello From Eastern TN

It is now the middle of April and it seems that spring refuses to show itself in Eastern Tennessee, USA. We have had rainy cold days all during the month of March and now it continues into April. I just know soon the sun will come out and it will finally warm up.

The good news is the cool weather has allowed me to stay indoors and work on "The Book Project" along with all of the other authors from around the world. I have enjoyed this project more than anyone can imagine. I have met the most wonderful people that have such great talent, and it has been a pleasure to get to know these other writers.

As the work progress and "The Book" comes along chapter by chapter it is amazing to get to know others from around the world. I get a glimpse of how people live from different walks of life, something I would never get to see if I hadn't joined this most awesome venture.

Thanks Pete, for letting me be part of this group!

And a BIG thanks to everyone else for allowing me into your daily lives!

Carla

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Readers Circle and some Departures

Across the world, reading groups or 'circles' regularly meet to discuss literature and agree upon a book to read and debate.

Well we decided our book would benefit from the critical reviews of such a group but unfortunately it's still very much 'under wraps'. So we have formed our own circle comprising members of our project team to critique The Book.

By adopting a 50,000 feet detachment from the story, our readers will act out the role of customers who've purchased The Book and meet up to discuss its merits.

This week has sadly seen a number of writers forced to leave due to overwhelming issues that have, or will, prevent them from contributing. We say goodbye to Tim, Roy, Danni and Guat Choo and offer our gratitude for all the effort they've put in.

Undeterred our work goes on with the same or more resolve to complete The Book on schedule.

Nobody said it would be easy!

Pete

Friday, March 20, 2009

Some interesting stats from our project!

Would you believe that in the seven months (yes, just seven months!) since we first started this project a staggering 76,731 page views have taken place in the forum alone. Unlike open websites every one has been about our project!

There have been a total of 4,301 posts in 221 topics and, on average, 360 page views take place every day.

It might also surprise you to know that an average of 20 posts take place every day.

The one interesting stat I don't have at hand is how many hours in total have been spent online working on The Book, but I can reveal that just under 1,000 hours (933) have been dedicated by the top ten contributors alone! That's the equivalent 25 full-time working weeks so far.

And this is just the Forum so work offline researching, writing, editing or in the Wikis isn't included in these numbers!

What a truly splendid effort and little wonder that such a brilliant manuscript is being created.

Just another 8 1/2 months to go!
Pete

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Springtime in Alaska and its 40 below

For our followers enjoyment, I want to point out two yearly winter events in Alaska that test the mettle of man and machine and man and dog. Man is used here as a generic term for human. I’m not aware of any women winning the Iron Dog; but two women are famous, at least in Alaska, for their Iditarod Sled Dog race wins – Libby Riddles won in 1985 crossing the Bearing Straits into Nome in a blizzard other mushers chose to sit out and Susan Butcher followed Libby with four straight wins.


The first major winter event is the Tesoro Iron Dog, originally known as the Iron Dog Iditarod, an off-road snowmobile race across Alaska. It normally starts on a Sunday in mid-February and, at 1,971 miles (3,172 km), it is the longest snowmobile race in the world. The 2008 event featured a record forty teams competing for a $100,000 purse, with $25,000 awarded to the winners and attracted worldwide attention when 4-time winner Todd Palin's wife, Sarah, campaigned for vice presidency of the United States.

The race route now follows parts of the Iditarod Trail, the route of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. It starts at Big Lake and follows the main trail and its connecting trails until it hits the Yukon River at Ruby. It follows the river to Kaltag before it heads to the Norton Sound on the Bering Sea at Unalakleet, Alaska and it follows the coast until Nome. Then it returns back along the same path in the reverse order to Ruby, where it diverges off its original path by following the Yukon River and its tributary the Tanana River until the competitors finish in Fairbanks. The current course record of 37 hours, 19 minutes is held by the winners of the 2009 Tesoro Iron Dog; Todd Minnick and Nick Olstad.

Races are typically run in temperatures well below freezing, and -20°F (-30°C) to -50°F (-45°C) air temperatures are common without taking wind chill into effect. Some drivers apply duct tape to their faces to protect against frostbite. The machines are equipped with tall windshields for protection from the cold.

Drivers compete in two-driver, two-sled teams for their safety since they travel through remote areas of Alaska and teams are required to take three six-hour breaks between Nome and Tanana. They also take a 42-hour break in Nome to recuperate before they start making their return. Sleds are impounded during the break, ensuring that they rest since they are not able to work on their sleds. The race never had a fatality in its first 25 years, although there have been close calls.

In the 2009 race, Todd Palin, Alaska’s First Dude, sustained an accident that left his machine’s skis bent perpendicular to each other following impact with a barrel hidden under fresh snow. The snowmachine immediately stopped but Todd flew about 70 feet, probably saved from serious injury due to the race requirement for body armor to be worn.

As originally published in the Fairbanks News Miner on February 14, 2009, "Riding a pair of Polaris Dragons, Minnick, 29, and Nick Olstad, 23, held on to win the Iron Dog in record time, edging the Ski-Doo team of Aklestad and Tyson Johnson by just 3 minutes, 18 seconds.

Their time of 37 hours, 19 minutes and 8 seconds across the 1,971-mile trail shattered the previous course record of 38:07:57."

They also edged out Arctic Cat riders who had won the race since 2001.


Next, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race had its ceremonial start this year on Saturday, March 7, 2009, in Anchorage, Alaska, with mushers and their dogs going on short runs through the city.

The grueling 1,150-mile trek to Nome begins in earnest on Sunday with 67 mushers and more than 1,000 dogs competing, but controversy is already mounting.
The recession has hit the famous race, with entrance fees rising as the purse declines to $610,000 from $935,000 last year. Fewer mushers are competing this year, with some saying the expense of training in tough economic times caused them to sit out.

Two-time champion Lance Mackey is vying to win his third consecutive race. Only two others have achieved such a feat. (Lance lives with "a dozen non-competing canines -- chihuahuas, Jack Russell terriers and pomeranians," according to an article in USA Today.)

Animal rights groups such as PETA protest the Iditarod, saying it's "marked by cruelty, injuries, and death." This year PETA is mounting a campaign to urge sponsors to withdraw support from the event. The Humane Society of the United States takes a different view. The group doesn't object to competitive mushing so long as the welfare of the dogs is not endangered but opposes the Iditarod in its current form. Three dogs died in the race last year.

What would the dogs say if they could talk? I think the Iditarod would be on the bucket list of any mushing husky. These dogs train year-round for the competition. They are athletes of the highest nature and they live and breathe to race. That is evident from the canine excitement of yipping and tugging at their harnesses as the teams move into the chute to start the race on 4th Avenue in downtown Anchorage. Many humans participate in team handling to keep the excited canines in check and I would venture to say these dogs are more pampered than my own German Shepherd house mates.

During the fall preparation for this race, dog booties, the tough cloth boots that protect the dogs' feet on long runs and in races, are either ordered from one of a handful of companies, or they are sewn. Dog coats and wrist wraps are also prepared.

Each musher also calculates his/her own dog food diet but most feed a premium power-packed dog food with added options of lamb trimmings, poultry skins, hamburger, moose or salmon steaks, occasionally corn oil, and for some, seal oil or mink mixture, in addition to vitamin, mineral, and probiotic supplements. The musher aims for a food that is about 2500 calories per pound. Water is important too, and although the food is usually fed frozen and raw, snow may be melted for making a stew.

High performance snacks for the dogs are carried on the sled, but it’s not possible to carry two weeks worth of food for 16 huskies. Mushers must prepare the food a couple of weeks ahead of time, in pre-measured bags, and send it out to the eighteen checkpoints set up along the Iditarod trail.

These wiry little canine athletes can work up enormous appetites while averaging more than a hundred miles a day in front of a sled, in subzero temperatures, but tasty nutrition will be waiting for them at each rest stop.

The beginning of this race, in 1967, was to highlight the courage and endurance of the dog mushers and their teams who raced against time to bring serum to Nome during catastrophic diphtheria outbreak in December 1924. The sickness was initially diagnosed as tonsillitis in a two-year-old Nome boy, with several deaths occurring prior to the diagnosis of diphtheria and the discovery that the serum in Nome was outdated. Nome was quarantined and U.S. Public Health Service started a search for the needed vaccine and a way to get it to Nome. The only planes available were open cockpit biplanes whose pilots were not in Alaska at the time and, with temperatures driven to -85 degrees F (-65 C), several dog teams and their drivers undertook the trip to Nome with the life saving serum. The musher who arrived in Nome, with exhaustion and frostbite himself, was Gunnar Kaasen with his lead dog, Balto (now of Disney fame), who led the team through blowing snow so bad Gunnar could barely see the wheel dogs closest to the sled.

There are web sites that follow this trek from checkpoint to checkpoint and the winners for this year's race should be in Nome about March 16.

Glenda

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Spring in Guernsey

In the tiny corner of this wonderful planet where I live, Spring is just around the corner and with it comes renewed optimism. The season when things really start to grow and our book is no exception.

February saw the most significant progress yet on our novel as all the writing team are gelling and working around the clock. The chapters are coming together and during March a lot more than green shoots will be sprouting in our literary garden.

The past weeks have not been without challenges however and it would be wrong to gloss over some of the huge personal issues our writing team have also had to deal with. One of our writers from Penang in Malaysia lost her father only weeks after her son passed away and another writer from Canada is bravely fighting cancer. In Colorado, a writer's mum has also been diagnosed with cancer. We were relieved to learn that Australia's bush fires kept clear of our writers 'down under' and so far no eruption of Mount Redoubt in Alaska, although it still threatens our writer there and the repeated earthquakes must be a constant source of anxiety.

This is a team of strong as well as talented individuals who are putting extraordinary energy into this book. It will be a classic novel!

Pete

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Novel Writing Via The Scientific Method

In the past, I've often considered that I would enjoy writing. However, I've been encouraged to write about what I know well and thought to myself that what I know well would probably not make it past an agent to a publisher. The Book Project, so far, has required me to get outside the metaphorical box I've become quite comfortable in over the last few years.

It was mentioned during our planning that we could have different official aspects to our writing group, particularly if we felt more comfortable or productive that way. As each group needed to plan, research, write, and edit -- we could segregate that draft work but finish with a collaborative writing. First, I thought about research as a considerable amount of my day is spent doing just that and I'm good at research. Interestingly, my group took a little different slant and we are all participating, collaborating, writing, and critiquing contributions to our final collaboration.

In performing this collaborative exercise in writing, I'm learning that my B.S. (um, that's Bachelor of Science -- not the other B.S.) provides a good background for this work. I'm actually utilizing what I learned in the labs and I take an idea, form the hypothesis, perform the research, analyze those results, put it into a written form, and post it on the The Book forum for peer review. So far, I think I'm doing okay writing in venues I only "know" through research; although, for me, this requires many more hours devoted to the research than to the writing.

At present, we are barely toddlers in this collaborative novel and my gypsy soul is rekindled. The plan, 10 years ago, was to retire in 2011 and let the travel begin. In 2005, that plan was altered by the universe and ambiguity became my control for life's experiment. After researching two fascinating places extensively, in order to write about them in a manner I intend will pass peer review and critique, as well as intrigue our first readers in 2010, I have learned my desire to visit other parts of the world is still alive and well. That gypsy desire has simply been out of sight and out of mind, banished to my own Pandora's box of things I refuse to think about and the lid tightly in place.

I think I will purchase a new science journal to record the hypothesis, research, trials, and results as I explore and blog through The Book journey in 2009. When our collaborative novel is complete, my written journal might then serve the purpose any good experiment journal does and allow the same method to be repeated. Usually the science journal allows others to replicate the experiment and return the same results. Feeling confident The Book will be extraordinary, self-replication through articles or blogging by actually traveling to these fascinating sites could be a great way to support the hypothesis an author is capable of fascinating writing on topics she does not know well.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Being Creative Under Code Orange Watch

As a member of The Book Project team, from my home in Anchorage, Alaska, I've been a busy novice trying to soak up all the information and tidbits available from around the world. I often find myself amazed at the creative abilities in this group.

When Mt. Redoubt was elevated to Code Orange status, I found myself ignoring the project as I went about gathering up supplies that might be needed when Mt. Redoubt erupted. Having lived in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley during the 1989 eruption of Mt. Redoubt and the 1992 eruption of Mt. Spurr, I added to my supply list this time and even purchased dog booties (similar to those the racers use for the Iditarod sled dog race). Ash is very abrasive and one of the suggestions from a newscast was to make a litterbox for your dogs rather than let them outside during or after the eruption. Sharing my small space with two large German Shepherds, I simply could not visualize where or how to make them a litterbox and booties to put on at the door seemed an extremely reasonable alternative.

Now that we have been at Code Orange status for a couple of weeks, I'm back to the business of working on my writing -- knowing the scientific commentary now is usually the same of increased seismicity with continued 24/7 watch. Checking the earthquake warning center page continues to show 40 +/- earthquakes a day in the area, all registering under 4 on the Richter scale.

Right now, we are getting ready for the Fur Rondy celebration and the World Championship Sled Dog Races. Snow will be hauled in to Anchorage streets, if there isn't enough, and we'll celebrate with the Running of the Reindeer, the Miner's and Trapper's Ball, the Frostbite Footrace and many other events during the 10-day celebration. It might be difficult to concentrate on our project and not slip away to take part in at least some of the celebration between February 27 and March 8.

Friday, February 13, 2009

The Book Takes Shape

It's funny how at the start of the project, on this small island close to France, I thought I could see most of the steps that would be needed to gather an international community and write our Novel.

I hadn't really considered the environments our writers would be living in whilst they participated, only their participation. Now, when I read of the storms across Tennessee, or the Volcano in Alaska, or the new job GC has taken in Kuala Lumpur that means she has to rise very early and travel for hours, or how hard it is for some of our writers without access to their own computers, I realise the true commitment going into our book.

Our writers have coped with family and personal illness, financial hardship, and the strains of being creative every day whilst holding down a full time job. Then we have retired and more secure writers who live in worlds a million miles away from those in hardship but who invest enormously to keep the pace for all of us.

We have a spectrum of beliefs systems bubbling under the surface from Atheist to Christian to Muslim to, who knows what, because it isn't something we need to wear on our sleeves. Strange but with this diversity, the moral cores are remarkably similar.

Oh yes, back to the steps! Just lately we have crossed a chasm from the purely conceptual to the delivery of a tangible work of literature. The ideas are now connected, the thoughts mostly aligned, our writers are producing chapters and our planners are ensuring they fit together. Our researchers inform and our editors quality control our output.

It is a great story being written by great people.

Irene continues to find these wonderful people (thank you Alpha!) to support us and it will not surprise me at all if she succeeds in persuading Oprah to invite all of us from the far corners of the planet to meet for the first time on her show!

So it is fitting to end this update with another kind person Irene has convinced from her home in the Philippines to include our Press Release - she puts the rest of us to shame!

http://blog.joelchua.com/

Pete
Guernsey in the British Channel Islands

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

High Winds!!!

Today, bad weather hit Tennessee, the home of three of our authors.  A storm cell which spawned tornadoes across Oklahoma and Kentucky, stretched it's fingers over into the Volunteer State for a few hours.  But those few hours was all it needed.  High winds uprooted many trees, leaving residences and businesses without power.  Further east, high winds took roofs off of houses, and cause more annoyance than anything.  Luckily, no casualties have yet been reported in Tennessee.  We can come out from under our desks!

The Book Project - working around the world, 24/7

Another random thought from Maya, down under. This collaborative project and our communications via the forum discussions or emails can create frustrations as we hit questions, answers, requests for clarification and subsequent clarifications back and forth and back and forth, until perhaps two or three or more emails, we have our questions answered. Not to mention that in this back and forth, the involvement of even two or three people can change the course of the original question. While this time delay and long distance communication challenges our project, it is an oddly satisfying feeling once the question has been answered. It's that feeling you get when you play Monopoly and you make it around the board without going back three spaces or getting sent to jail. Also, the fact that we writers are located around the world makes for an almost 24 hour working project. I drift off to sleep each night wondering what will become of the seeds that I have sown in the discussion forum, and wake up to find that something has sprouted - be it a comment or another question. The night elves working on our collaborative project, our beanstalk project, tended by our international group, all hours of the day, someone working on it everyday.

In a world where there is a paradox of physical distance but internet proximity, it is a wonderful thing to have a project that brings people together - be it a project of the arts or the humanities - to work for a common goal. And with that, I sign off and await to see what sprouts this seeds will bloom.

Monday, February 9, 2009

From the Philippines to Guernsey

Back to say a big thank you to 'Alpha' who kindly included a write up about our project on her Blog in the Philippines. You can see this on the link below.

dailyartwalk.blogspot.com/2009/02/filipina-author-joins-international.html

Meanwhile, here in Guernsey it's not so sunny today. I've taken a couple of days off work to catch up on loose ends, the main one being a complete 'Chapter Plan' for our story. We have, of course, got a synopsis and our writers are already working the main story threads in their writing 'cells' but we need a chapter plan to make sure it all fits together properly. I keep starting, getting distracted and stalling, starting again, doing something else, and now - well I'm writing for the Blog, I'm still not doing it!!

Never fear I have some hours left and I know it must be done so I will get on with it.

But there is just one more job I need to do first....arghh!

If you read here on the blog that Pete has been beaten up by the other authors, you will know that I failed to get this job done.

It could be worse, if the sun was shining I would be even more tempted to go out on my boat!

Chow for now
Pete

Sunday, February 8, 2009

A word from Down Under

G'day! This is Maya writing from Canberra, Australia. Canberra has been spared the ravages of bush fires, which have claimed over 60 lives in other parts of Australia, and in equal drought. The rivers are still, bubbling in stagnating, shallow, muddy puddles; all fire alerts on extreme and water restrictions transforming gardens into deserts. Today, however, the weather has changed dramatically, dropping from 38 degrees centigrade to 28 degrees centigrade, grey skies and humidity. Hopefully, this will bring some relief to those in the harder hit parts of Australia. As always, when we read the news and look with despair at the tragedies that consume our neighbours in our area and around the world, we can become cynics and shake our heads disapprovingly at the injustices and disasters or we can participate in life, by appreciating all the graces we are given, and reach out to share our privileges, gifts and strengths with those who will, hopefully, also be in the position to one day do the same for someone else - perhaps even ourselves.

And on that note, I sign off on what was supposed to be a short greeting and update from Australia, but turned out to be a random note of appreciation.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

From another side of the world

Hi, I'm Mick Parker, one of the BOOK writers. I live in Spain on the Costa Blanca, near Torrevieja. Perhaps some of you may know the area. There are a lot of writers living here, and from time to time you get to know them one way or another. I usually write as Michael Parker, but for the purposes of 'hiding my light under a bushel', I prefer to be known as Mick by all the other writers who are contributing to this unique project; it makes it less formal, I think. We all have great hopes for our project, and although we know it will be tough, perhaps a little fraught at times, we all intend to see it through. At the moment I have just completed the first draft of the first chapter. This will be studied by the members of my 'cell', known as the 'Shipmates' and they can edit my narrative, pick holes in it or butter me up; whatever! But in the end we are all in it together and I am sure we will produce a novel that could be a world beater. Let us know what you think about this project and whether you would be tempted to buy the novel when it is published, as I'm sure it will be. As time goes by, and this blog gets added to, followers of the blog will learn more about the BOOK and the writers who live all over the world.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Now to the other side of the world!

Thanks to Irene for the following Press Release in the Bicol Mail, her local paper in the Philippines.

http://www.bicolmail.com/issue/2009/jan29/xlocal.html

A few days ago Mick featured in his local media in Spain with the story about our project.

It's great to know we are already getting media coverage around the world!

Pete

Monday, January 19, 2009

Williamson County Update

The Friday meeting with the Director of Williamson County Libraries was wonderful.  Dickerson discussed the months near the beginning of the project, including interactions between the authors, as well as the mechanics of the writing process.  The director showed much interest in the process, and requested a formal presentation, along with a Q & A panel discussion in the upcoming months.  Dates and times will be posted to the blog as they are set, so keep checking back.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Now a team of eighteen

This morning we bade farewell to one of our comrades Sommer, who decided to resign from the project due to other commitments that needed her time. It was sad to see her leave our ranks, her presence will be missed. Sommer wishes the team well and looks forward to reading 'The Book' in 2010.

As of this moment, there are people waiting in the wings to join the project. However, the authors are happy to move on with their team of eighteen since the writing process is well underway.

We'll be back with more soon. See you!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

The Book Project takes to Williamson County

Members of the project have been contacted by the Williamson County Libraries, in Tennessee, in regards to their interest in the collaborative effort.  Kyle Dickerson, one author close to Williamson County, is meeting with the library director Friday to discuss the project and possibly set up times to speak with groups within the library system about the project and collaborative writing.  If you are in the area surrounding Williamson County, check back here for updates.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Doc forced to leave

One of the stalwarts of our project team and a site moderator, Doc, has been taken ill and forced to leave at least for a while. Doc has made a huge contribution to both the writing and the management of our project.

We are all hoping he gets better soon and is able to rejoin us, but it was serious and he will need to rest and recover his strength.

Pete

Friday, January 2, 2009

2009 and the writing gets underway!

Even during the seasonal break some of our writers were hard at it working away on the story. As the rest of the group returns, our focus is upon the initial chapters for each story thread.

Most of the 'high level' story has been agreed and we are now filling in the gaps as well as developing all the characters. This work should be completed by the end of January.

One of the problems we have encountered is that with so many creative people, there are lots of really good ideas! It makes it quite hard to decide which to incorporate into our story. Still nobody said it would be easy!

Come back soon!
Pete