Monday, October 09, 2006

The Talent Thief


The_Talent_Thief
Originally uploaded by jamesandthebluecat.
My good chum Alex has his first kid's book out - it's called The Talent Thief, and it's a cracking read, and on offer with amazon at the moment, so go and buy it now, to support Cornish writers everywhere. Well, in this case specifically Alex, but I'm hoping the largesse will spill over.

It's great knowing another writer in Cornwall - Alex has done his fair share of kid's telly as well (at one point being considered the 'go to guy' for any series involving animated footballs, which is possibly what made him shout 'aaaargh' and go and write a great spooky thriller for kids instead), so we can have those proper bitchy moaning conversations, where you don't even have to say the whole sentence, just name a well-known production company or producer or actor and hear the groans of recognition and/or hatred. Alex also said to me the immortal words: 'well of course, you can only really get about three and a half hours of good writing in any one day, so there's no need to spend too long fretting about it it'. Yay Alex.

Hello to all the blogging people I met last week, in the whirl of social events that I... whirled through. Sorry, I'm tired. But you were all lovely.

I also had a fabulous dinner with (amongst others) the marketing head of a not-huge, but highly prestigious broadcasting channel who, after a right chat about blogs, looked me in the eye and said 'so have you got a blog then?'

What's this? This thing here, just visible when I look down? Oh look, it's a knife in my heart.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

He's just not hip and down with it falmouth stylee, that's why he didn't know about the blue cat massive

Tim F said...

"It's great knowing another writer in Cornwall."

I'd be impressed if you just found another reader.

Dave said...

Have you got a blog?

James Henry said...

I particularly liked the sharp intakes of breath from around the table, as the other diners looked at me pityingly, though also with an edge of eager anticipation to see if I'd crumble from the lack of validation.

Obviously I just laughed carelessly, then after the tiramasu I stepped outside to have a little cry.

Anonymous said...

But we love you, James ;-)

On another topic, are you getting a cut from Julian and Stephen's Barclaycard adverts? After all, they do appear to be playing their Green Wing characters... I had to see the ad 3 times before I was convinced it wasn't for the new GW dvd!

James Henry said...

'are you getting a cut from Julian and Stephen's Barclaycard adverts?'

*collapses in hysterical laughter*

God bless you Jane.

Less patronisingly, the answer there is 'no'. I haven't even had anything from the first series DVD yet, bastards etc.

LMS said...

Kalista - apparently it's all the rage now...

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/indietopnews.php?id=16901

Terri Nixon said...

"I'd be impressed if you just found another reader."

Oh, OH!! Okay so I'm no longer actually in Cornwall, but I did grow up there and take exception to that; I'm all the way up to 4c of Peter and Jane.

*looks down* I have one in my heart too, James. Smarts, doesn't it? *sob*

Anonymous said...

Ton corbeau est dans ma chambre. Est-ce que tu veux récupérer ce corbeau? J'ai pensé que tu avait fini.

James Henry said...

No no, you hang onto it until you're finished. Just pop it in a bag and post back when you're done.

Anonymous said...

Episode 8 of Green Wing 2 went out on cable in Australia last night. They have promised episode 9 for the 29th December. Maybe this will prompt C4 to set a date to show it in the UK before then? Just keeping you updated James, as the writers claim they're always the last to know!

James Henry said...

Good to know, thanks.

Wyndham said...

Don't worry, James, she says that to me all the time.

James Henry said...

I'm still holding out for some DVDs, and shall compile my uberlist very soon...

Lucy Diamond said...

Don't worry, your blog kind of got a mention in the Guardian yesterday, so not everyone is as out of touch as this marketing bloke. (The fool!) Victoria Pile, I think her name was, and she alluded to the Green Wing bloggers. Marketing bloke (the fool!) was probably burning with shame when he read it. Feel any better?

patroclus said...

For the record, the 'marketing bloke' is actually a very lovely and charming laydee, and I'm sure she now reads everyone's blogs assiduously. Even Wyndham's.

the triple T said...

Well, I guess that's comforting. Even though I did intake-breathe-sharply at that part.

the triple T said...

When I read that part, I mean. Hah.

James Henry said...

She was a very nice lady.