WASTED by NICOLA MORGAN

ANGUS BOOK AWARD and UPDATE

2011-05-19T19:55:00.002+01:00

I know this blog is meant to be sleeping but I wanted to add something. This week I was at the Angus Book Award ceremony. I didn't win but I had a lovely time, especially with the other authors and organisers. (Keren David won again! Clever lady.)

I just wanted you to see these two alternative covers for Wasted, designed by pupils as part of a competition.

This one is by Allanah Hendry of Carnoustie High School, who won the first prize.

And below is the one by Danni Robertson of Forfar Academy.

Clever!

Thank you to everyone involved in the Angus Awards - it's a fabulous one to be on and the organisation is PERFECT. Mmmm, lovely sandwiches, too.

Wasted is now on two more shortlists - I can't say which ones but that's seven altogether! Hope my publishers are pleased. They haven't said so, but I'm assuming.

SO LONG, FARE WELL...

2011-03-30T13:03:00.009+01:00

Time to lay this blog to rest. It was only ever meant to be temporary, and now I find myself with less and less time to keep it going. I'll leave it here for people to find out about the ideas behind Wasted. I've had such a good time visiting schools and answering emails about this book and I thank you all for your fabulous support. I'm very proud of how well Wasted has done, despite the fact that it has not been a heavily promoted title. For the shortlists that it is on, I am so grateful for the enthusiasm of lovely librarians and I thank them hugely. I also thank all its supporters on Twitter and through my other blog, and schools that I've visited or who have contacted me. And then there are the booksellers, who have worked so hard and successfully to hand sell it. Thank you all.

And finally, I thank my agent, who is currently very excited about my next proposed novel. Of which more later, I hope!

Thank you all and do keep in touch through my Facebook Author page. I'll put bits of news there from now on.

May good luck accompany you and keep you safe - but not too safe, because risk is essential in our lives. I took a risk in writing Wasted. I like to think it paid off.

LIKE BEING PITCHED AGAINST TWILIGHT

2011-02-18T20:39:00.000Z

Well, as some of you know, WASTED has made it to the final two in its category for the Coventry Awards and there are only a few days left to vote! I am frankly amazed that it's still there but incredibly grateful, too. It was such a strong shortlist and the book I'm now up against was always looking like a likely winner - Shiver, by Maggie Stiefvater. Someone said to me, "OMG, that's like being pitched against Twilight!"

So, if you'd like to help WASTED win its very first prize, even if you've voted already, please vote! The idea is that the more enthusiastic the readers, the more often they will vote, so repetitive voting is what the organisers want. If you're not at a school you just put n/a in the school bit and you do not have to put your postcode, either.

I'm also supporting lovely Keren David's When I Was Joe, in the Simply the Book Category.

To vote for WASTED, go here.

And to vote for WHEN I WAS JOE, go here.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. And thank you to the fab librarians who generate such enthusiasm. I am forever going on about how important librarians are but it can't be said often enough.

FIRST VIDEO REVIEW OF WASTED - very interesting

2011-02-08T11:03:00.000Z

Imagine how amazed I was when someone alerted me to this video review - the very first book chosen by Inbali Iserles and Joe Craig for their talking treatment.

I think what they've done is very clever indeed. I like how natural and informal it is. And I love the Schrodinger's cat section - watch Inbali's face!

TWO EXEMPLARY BOOK AWARD CEREMONIES

2011-02-06T14:06:00.003Z

Award ceremonies can be full of angstiness for the short-listed authors but the RED Award and the North East Book Award were wonderful events and I just wanted to say a tiny bit about them. Or, really, to make a list of the good things about them:

Lots of preparation of the pupils by teachers and librarians in participating schools. This means a good number of book sales before the event and lots of useful publicity locally. But it's also the best way to do things and the fact that authors and publishers do nothing to "push" their books makes it all so much fairer.
Lovely treatment of the authors with a real care for our comfort and welfare. We are made to feel like stars for the day!
The feeling that we were all winners for being on the shortlist, with all of us doing talks and having presentations made about our books during the lead-up to the announcement.
A fun and festive air without it being manic and shouty.
Our travel expenses paid. Sometimes, there's accommodation and a dinner, too, though the timing of these ones meant that that wasn't needed.
Book sales at the event.

I should point out that, sadly for me, I wasn't able to get to the RED one, as I was ill, but I sent a photo of my red boots (red, you see - theme of the award) and it was displayed. Apparently, my boots got a round of applause! So, I was amazed and delighted to receive a parcel later with prizes, even though I wasn't the overall winner. ALL the authors received the same prize, including a cheque, and the winner received a plate by local artist, Barbara Davidson. How lovely is that? (Big congrats to Cathy MacPhail for her win with Grass!)

I did, however, have a ball at the North East Book Award in the Centre for Life in Newcastle. (Also wearing my red boots...) I was thrilled to be the runner-up, Highly Commended, after Keren David's wonderful When I Was Joe. And it was lovely to meet the other authors. Keren and Paul Dowswell and I are all on the Angus award, too, so we'll see each other again soon. It was lovely to see Anne Cassidy again and to meet Cliff McNish, who has the same agent as I do.

My favourite thing was the groups of readers who came up to me before the event - actually, mobbed was the word - and said the most fab things about Wasted. (Some of their comments are on the NETBA blog here.) Oh, and getting the whole audience, including adults and authors, playing Jack's Game, was a lot of fun!

My thanks to the librarians who made all this possible at both events - Yvonne Manning at Falkirk and Eileen Armstrong in Cramlington and both their teams. Librarians are absolutely my heroes.

LOOKING FORWARDISH TO THE NORTHEAST BOOK AWARD

2011-01-23T17:23:00.000Z

On Friday this week I'll be heading off to Newcastle for the award ceremony for the North East Teenage Book Award. With mixed feelings.

On the plus side:

It's amazing to be shortlisted and I'm very proud of that.
I am looking forward to meeting the other authors, some of whom I know (Anne Cassidy and Keren David) and others I haven't met.
The NEBA is a brilliantly organised event and I've been before, with Fleshmarket. It's one of the best awards in the children's book world.
Some of the pupils have interviewed me on Twitter and I'm really looking forward to meeting them. Here's a link to the interview.
One of them has written a Wasted rap and they will perform it!
There's a party. There might be chocolate.

On the minus side:

I get quite stressed being the centre of attention. It's exciting but tiring.
I've damaged my voice and have been told not to speak loudly or much. I will have to speak loudly and much.

Because of that last point, I have a special plan! And I'm not saying what it is until I get there but one person in the room is going to be very, very lucky....

I will come back next week and tell you what happened!

DON'T VOTE FOR ME

2010-12-30T21:57:00.001Z

Back on October 4th, I asked you to vote for Wasted in the Coventry Awards. It's a scary knockout X-factor-style voting system and the deadline for the first knockout is earlyish January sometime - I can't remember when - so I should be asking you to vote for me again. Otherwise I'll be the first to be knocked out.

But I'm not asking you to vote for me. I would feel really uncomfortable if I did. You should vote for Wasted if you think Wasted is the best book on the list. And unless you've read the others, you can't really know, unless you think Wasted is so good that none of the others could compare. Which is a bit unlikely. I haven't read most of the other books so I don't know either.

Don't get me wrong: I love that librarians create awards and generate enthusiasm for books and I know that schools and young readers in Coventry will really benefit. (I wish I'd been able to come and do a talk.) And gosh, I'm HUGELY grateful and proud to have been short-listed. But I am just pleased to be shortlisted, so let's leave it at that. Really, if I'm voted off at the first hurdle because I couldn't face asking you and all my friends and family to vote, that's fine.

So, don't vote for me. Unless you feel that Wasted really is the best book on the list. If so, go here. If not, not a problem. Seriously.

And to all the lovely readers in Coventry, have fun with all the fabulous books on the various shortlists! Thank you, Coventry librarians, for all your work, and to the readers who've commented to me already. It made me happy!

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT 3: ST. PAUL'S CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL

2010-12-20T16:58:00.000Z

Here's a link to a really lovely newspaper article about an event I did in Manchester at St Paul's Catholic Secondary School. I had a lovely time and, as I said in the article, they were GREAT questions.

One boy asked if there was rivalry and jealousy amongst authors! No, of course not... Actually, as I said to him, there seems to be very little amongst children's authors. We all get on pretty well, some better than others, of course, but some of my best friends are technically my "rivals" and I don't feel we really do jealousy.

With thanks to the Catholic Herald for permission to use this photo, which appears in that article.

INTERVIEW FOR DUNDEE HIGH SCHOOL'S "THE KWYLL"

2010-12-14T07:30:00.000Z

I was interviewed by pupils at Dundee High School recently and the interview has been written up in their school creative writing magazine, The Kwyll. They've kindly given me permission to reproduce it below. I had a great day and was looked after beautifully. In fact, I blogged about it HERE.

Who or what first inspired you to become a writer?
I think it was a way I could express myself. I was a shy child and HATED actually performing, but writing was a way of “performing” without having to act or blush or forget my lines. I always loved making people laugh or cry with words. I’m probably a little power-crazy and language is THE power!

How did you feel when you had your first novel published?
Thing is, it happened so slowly that in the end it didn’t feel as special as I’d expected. First a couple of agents were a bit interested and then more interested; then it took a while before I signed the contract with my agent, then a while longer before the agent actually sold the book to a publisher, and then over a year more before it was actually published. So, by the time I saw my book on shelves I’d pretty much got used to the idea. But I LOVED the moment when I first saw and touched the real book. Mind you, I feel that exact same pleasure when I see and touch the first copy of each of my books. I stroke it and carry it around for a few days!

Who are your own favourite authors?
That question is very similar to “What are your favourite foods?” It just depends what I feel like at the time. I have lots of favourite authors. Here are a few: Kate Atkinson, Bernice Rubens, David Almond, Kevin Brooks, Ian Banks, Joanne Harris and Robert Cormier. They are all very different. Ask me on another day, and I’d probably have some different ideas.

Did you have a favourite book or books when growing up?
Different books at different ages. I was a pony-mad girl, so anything with ponies, even if it was really badly written! ‘The Little White Horse’ was a huge favourite for ages. Another that I loved and read over and over was ‘The Black Tulip’ by Alexander Dumas and I loved the Willard Price books. I needed books all the time, and lots of them were “easy” ones, like Enid Blyton, and others were “harder”, like Thomas Hardy and Graham Greene. I didn’t really mind, as long as I had a good story in my hands. I liked to be ill, so I could read all day in bed!

How does it feel to have your novels studied in schools?
I have slightly mixed feelings! First, I’m really, really proud when teachers choose my books, because it means that they think they’re good and they think you will like them, too. But I also wince a bit because I know that some of you will end up hating the book. Thing is, I believe we should read for pleasure, and my books are written for you to enjoy more than anything else. But I also believe that studying books in class is really important – especially for those of you who want to be writers, but also for anyone, to get the greatest possible understanding of how stories work. Stories and literature are so important to us as humans – recent research shows that reading novels develops our emotional intelligence, tolerance and wisdom, and I have to be proud if I’m even a tiny part of that.

What is your new novel ‘Wasted’ about?
Chance, luck, fate, risk, danger, obsession, passion, alcohol, quantum physics, Oedipus, imperfect parents, bereavement, grief, love, hate, mistakes, and why leaving the house ten seconds earlier could change your life.

Can you tell us about what you’re working on just now?
It’s top secret! Even I don’t know! I’m working on several things but I’m waiting to hear from my agent which one I should go with. It’s an exciting time in my career just now and I’m writing some adult non-fiction about how to write, so that’s a new direction, too. Watch this space!

How would you encourage pupils at the High School to read more books?
It depends on the pupil. There are millions of books out there and I believe there are books which will inspire everyone, if you can only find the ones that suit you. So, this is what I’d say:

1. It doesn’t matter whether you think you’re a “good” reader; or whether you read slowly or fast – it’s not a race.

2. Although reading IS very good for us, don’t think about that: just aim to find books you enjoy. When you’ve enjoyed some, then try something different. Reading is a journey and it will take you to places you’ve never imagined.

3. The only people who say reading is stupid or boring are people who don’t understand, or who haven’t managed to find the book for them, or who are afraid of it. Reading is everything you want it to be, because books are everything you want them to be – funny, scary, exciting, weird or simple, deep or light, gory, shocking, relaxing – anything at all.

What top tips would you give to teenagers who want to get into writing?

1. Read hungrily.
2. Practise – it takes years, just like trying to be a professional musician, dancer or footballer. So, do it! You don’t have to show it to anyone until you want to.
3. Start small – don’t think about writing a novel until you are desperate to. Don’t worry about the length of what you’re writing. Just make it as long as feels right.
4. Do it because you enjoy it. Writing is for pleasure, even if it’s hard, and because it’s hard you have to get pleasure from the result. So, enjoy it!

Thanks, everyone! I loved your creative writing magazine - I was reading a copy in your reception area while waiting to come and see you. Excellent stuff!

DERBYSHIRE'S ADVENT CALENDAR OF BOOKS

2010-12-09T12:18:00.000Z

Some great reads on this list and I'm really delighted to see Wasted as one of the few teenage ones on it.

Thank you Derbyshire librarians!

Actually, I do keep seeing Wasted in all sorts of unexpected places, which is very happifying. And I've had lovely emails from teenage readers. I always reply to emails so if you want to contact me, do: asknicolamorgan@hotmail.co.uk is the address.

FIRST TWITTER INTERVIEW - CRAMLINGTON LEARNING VILLAGE

2010-12-04T13:34:00.001Z

I've just had my first ever Twitter interview with a school - and it was a first for them, too. Cramlington Learning Village in the North East of England set it up and for a hectic 40 minutes on Thursday we batted questions back and forth. Such fun! And I didn't even have to leave my house, which is an advantage when outside it looks like this.

Anyway, I thought I'd try to transcribe the gist of the conversation here.

Me (A couple of minutes before we started): I keep thinking this is a radio interview - keep clearing my throat!

Them: Cramlington Learning Village says Hello to @nicolamorgan

Me: yikes, a twitter interview is a strange feeling. Hello Cramlington Learning Village!

Kirsty & Sophie: What's your best thinking and writing place?

Me: thinking: outside, walking with dog & no ppl! Writing: desk, home, no ppl...

Chris: what sort of dog do you have and what's it called?

Me: Hi Chris - yellow lab, called Amber. Eats snow & is completely mad!

Jaz: Have you ever put her in a book?

Me: Yes! She appeared in Mondays are Red, my first one. She behaved well, for a change Also, btw, ...(continued)...there's a character called Jaz in Chicken Friend. Unfortunately, she's not very nice. (Sorry!)

Jaz: LOL

Kirsty: What was your favourite moment in writing Wasted?

Me: Kirsty - yikes, I'm not sure. Usually my favourite moment is writing the last line ;) but with Wasted I had some more...(continued)...like the beach scene & the spiked drink & Jess going to Jack's room first time, OH and Kerry puking on a gnome...

Chris: Will you be at the North East Book Award party in Jan?

Me: Chris - YES, I will def be at the #NETBA party! try to stop me! Will u all b there?
(Much screaming, apparently, in the library)

Timi: did u like our rap? (They'd sent me a rap they are going to perform at the award ceremony.)

Me: I was jst about to say, rap is AMAZING & I can't wait to hear it!

Jazz: Are u musically trained? great description when Jess sings Jack's music

Me: am musical FAILURE. Useless! All from my imagination, I'm afraid...

Me: Jaz, thanks re comment about the descrip of Jess singing Jack's music 1st time - lots of ppl like that bit!

Me: Can u tell me what all your favourite scenes were?

Them: Jess going in Jack's bedroom, the spiked drink, Jack dying

Me: You are cruel! Poor Jack (and Jess!)

Kirsty and Danielle: What are u writing now? Or is it a secret?

Me: it's called Brutal Eyes, set in London; very gritty, tough, brutal, very shocking. Is that good or bad??

Chris (or Timi - I can't remember): shocking is good, not frightening!

(I also asked them if they'd all tossed a coin for the ending and if the pigeon scene gave them a fright, but their answers have vanished off Twitter. I'll ask them in January.)

Them: We all have to go to class now. See you in January!

Me: Thank you!! See you in January. Fab questions.

When they go back to school on Monday, they are going to play a coin-tossing game and one of them will win a book. With many thanks to Christine Athey for setting up the event. And I am really looking forward to the North East Teenage Book Award party. I was there once before, with Fleshmarket, and it was such good fun.

SAVE OUR MINDS: SAVE OUR LIBRARIES

2010-12-03T13:10:00.000Z

Beware: I'm angry.

Got my Oxfam gift catalogue recently. Bought a few things for some people I know who don't need anything bought for them and are delighted to have something bought on their behalf for people in places where they really do need things.

One of the more expensive things in the Oxfam catalogue is a library, which you can buy to help lift people in developing countries out of poverty. Because libraries are the mark of development, of self-esteem, of open minds, of growth, of strength and of humanity.

Which makes it all the more sickening, grotesque and ignorant that our politicians, in our so-called developed country, are closing libraries. They call it economic. It's not economic. We can afford libraries. We must afford libraries. No, this is not economic; it's political. It's stupid, too.

Only someone with a closed mind closes libraries. Or, perhaps, someone so ignorant, so arrogant, that he thinks that everyone can buy books. Or that "it's all on the internet, innit?"

No, it's not all on the internet. It's all in books. And minds. And without books, minds are empty.

So, Mr Cameron, Mr Vaizey, and all you other foolish, empty-minded, treacherous politicos: don't rob us of our libraries, because in doing so you show nothing but your own ignorance.

______________________________

Please, everyone, don't let this happen. Blog and rant about libraries and cuts. Write to politicians. I did last night. And if you know people who have already blogged, please put links to them in the comments below. I'll then transfer them into this post.

Here are some to start you off:

Join Alan Gibbons' Campaign for the Book Facebook page
Notes From the Slush-Pile
KM Lockwood- an open letter
Philip Ardagh writing on FB

CARNEGIE LONGLIST 2011

2010-11-05T12:33:00.000Z

I'm a very happy writer today. I have dreamt of moments like this and finally it happened. Yes, Wasted has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal, the king of all book awards. Now, the longlist is always a long list, but the Carnegie longlist is special enough that writers put it on their books and websites, even if they never get further. It's a prize in itself and I am absolutely thrilled. The big names are all there and I'm so pleased that Wasted is with them.

Unlike some other awards, publishers don't put books forward for the Carnegie, so it's a much fairer system. Other prizes, such as the Booktrust Teenage Award, rely on publishers deciding to put a book forward, and sometimes publishers don't enter the books you might expect. But the Carnegie is entirely down to enthusiasm from librarians around the UK, the people who really understand books and young readers.

So, to the librarians who loved Wasted enough to choose it for the prestigious longlist, I am hugely, hugely grrateful. I did actually scream when I saw that it was selected. And you've stopped me being able to concentrate ever since, so thanks for that...

Thank you to everyone who has given me such encouragement during what some of you know has been a difficult year. Things are really looking up now.

SIGNED BOOKS FOR SALE THIS CHRISTMAS

2010-10-31T09:57:00.001Z

Would you like to buy signed copies of any of my books? For Christmas? For presents? For yourself? Your school? For November only, I'm selling signed copies, while stocks last. That's Christmas sorted for your book-loving friends and family, anyway!

These are the books I have available, with the cover price. Please see my website for details about content, but I've added some very brief extra guidance to help you choose. All the teenage ones are also considered as cross-over, enjoyed as much by adults.

NB: I can only accept UK money in payment, unless you are prepared to cover the rather annoying commission that banks charge to change the currency. I will post overseas, but need to charge a bit more for postage - ask for details.

So, here are the books I have available:

Teenage / cross-over

Fleshmarket - now described as a "classic", probably my best known book, used widely in schools as a set text; it's the shock and gore that teenagers like, and the evocative history that adults like - £5.99
Deathwatch - a sinister thriller with a sad twist - £6.99
Wasted - the new one that people are going about, currently on four award shortlists; I don't recommend for under 12s - £6.99
The Passionflower Massacre - if you liked Wasted, you'll like this - £5.99
Blame My Brain - non-fiction, explains teenage behaviour, written FOR teenagers but grabbed eagerly by their adults - £5.99
Sleepwalking - I only have a few copies of this but it is many people's favourite, especially for keen teenage readers and especially girls - £5.99

Slightly younger but also enjoyed by adults

Know Your Brain - non-fiction, shows how the brain works and how your brain in particular works - £5.99
The Highwayman's Footsteps - thrilling historical adventure set in 1761, based on Alfred Noyes poem, The Highwayman; suitable for 10+, including teenagers. It's quite long, so for the younger ages they'd need to be keen readers - £6.99
The Highwayman's Curse - sequel to the above, same two central characters but this time set in Scotland, and dealing with the aftermath and hatred of the Killing Times - £6.99

8-10s

Chicken Friend - light-hearted and funny but with a serious core; the cover, á la Jacqueline Wilson, makes it look girl-oriented - £4.99.

UK Postage & packing: £1 for up to three books. £2.50 for more. Sorry I have to add a bit on, but this is not the full cost.

So, would you like some / one? Here's what to do:

Email n@nicolamorgan.co.uk with details of your request - titles, who you'd like each signed to, name and address for delivery; how you'd like to pay. (Cheque or UK bank transfer. If Paypal, I need to add on the Paypal commission, of just over 5%.)
I will email you back to confirm whether I have the books in stock and give you my address for payment, or bank details if you want to use paypal or bank transfer.
If you're ordering four books or more, I'll need payment in advance, and I'll post them as soon as I receive your payment. For orders of fewer than four, I'm happy to post the books and you can pay when the books are on their way.
Last orders November 30th.

And THANK YOU for every order! I am seriously grateful. Do let anyone know who might be interested.

Christmas, sorted!

CHESTERFIELD LIBRARY + CROSSING THE GENERATIONS

2010-10-21T07:30:00.008+01:00

A quick post about a recent visit. I partly want to mention it because it was a model visit in terms of organisation by the librarian in charge - Ruth Kaye. A nice overnight stay for me, a decent fee - thank you! - and a lovely reason for the event: it was a special project involving an adult book group getting together with a teenage book group. Everyone knew why I was there and there felt like a real point to the trip. I know that funding for things like this is difficult and I'm just very grateful to everyone involved.

They all asked some great questions. I also mentioned some other authors whose books I admire - Gillian Philip and Keren David, were your ears burning?

Cheterfield Library, Intergenerational Book Group, Oct 8th

Here we all are. I'm the Woman in Black, third from the left. Ruth is to the far right, with blonde hair.

I was amazed to discover that I was the author chosen to do this. I had assumed that it was an ongoing project with several authors, but it was a one-off and just with ONE author. It's the first time they've done it and they picked me when they could have picked a load of other people.I asked Ruth why they'd picked me and she said, "Because you're a cross-over author, and because your website said all the right things."

I think getting adults and teenagers together to read and talk about books is a wonderful idea. Which is why it's rather sad and frustrating to hear that when Ruth had asked all the adult book groups which one would like to do this project, the others weren't interested. Seems they thought teenage books were beneath them. I wonder if they've read any. The number of times I have told someone I'm a teenage author and they say, "Oh, what, like Jacqueline Wilson / the Harry Potter books." No, no, no. Open your eyes to what's out there, people. There's a world of teenage books and some of them will make you think more deeply and more interestingly than many adult ones.

Someone recently said to me, "I wish you'd written Wasted for adults." Thing is, I did, because I don't care how old you are. If you like Wasted, then I wrote it for you and I am blind to your age.

Thank you to the Chesterfield adult and teenage readers. It was lovely to meet you and I loved your questions and your enthusiasm. And the hat...

A BOOT PUZZLE FOR THOSE WITH A LOGICAL BRAIN

2010-10-17T18:37:00.000+01:00

This is nothing to do with Wasted but I have a conundrum for you, which illustrates just how weirdly my brain works.

Today, I bought a new pair of boots. (It happens.) And they had £20 off. Which was lovely, especially since I'd have bought them anyway.

Then, I went into Lakeland and bought three things for a total cost of £20. So, I decided that what I bought in Lakeland was, in effect, free.

But, the three things I bought were in a "buy 3 things and get the cheapest one free" offer. So, the cheapest was free.

Does that mean that the cheapest was free twice?

Or, was a proportion of a boot free, while two of the Lakeland items cost me and the third was free?

I know where the problem in this argument is, but I'd love to hear what you think!

Meanwhile, if you're of school age, don't forget to enter the new competition HERE; and if you're an oldy but know some keen reading/writing young readers, do send them over there. It's the perfect brainy task for a half-term break.

WASTED THOUGHTS COMPETITION

2010-10-12T19:09:00.001+01:00

To celebrate the fact that Wasted is on another happifying award shortlist - a secret just now ;-) - I am announcing a competition, open to all readers aged under 18 and living in the UK. Would you like the chance to see your writing published on this blog and to win a signed book?

The best entries will be published here and the best three will win a signed book. You may think hardly anyone reads this blog - actually, they do, because I can see the stats! Lots of people come over from Twitter as well, so your words could be read by hundreds of people.

So, what is the task? Simply tell us what you thought of Wasted. Like a review, but don't say what it's about - just your feelings and opinions. Anything you want to say about it. Try to capture the mood of the book and try to say the things you think are most important or interesting about it. You can be as creative as you like: it could be a diary or a poem or a conversation or just a brilliant piece of writing which gives your thoughts. I'm looking for something special, something that captures what I think Wasted is like, but also shows something of your personal response. You don't have to say everything you thought - choose the bits you feel like saying. Let your personality shine in your writing.

Here are the rules:

Two age categories: 11-13 and 14-17. (On November 1st 2010.) Please put your age on your entry.
Your piece should not be longer than 100 words. (I won't be picky about this, but try not to go over 80).
Email your entry to me at talkaboutwasted@hotmail.co.uk and put REVIEW COMP in the subject line. Don't send the review as an attachment - put it in the email, please.
I will reply to the email you send your review from so make sure it's an address you will be able to check.
Please include a name in your email. It can be a made-up name if you like. I will NOT publish any names until I have had your permission but I will ask that later. Do NOT send me your postal address at this stage.
If you are one of the three winners, I will contact you and ask for an address. If you are under 16, you will need to check with an adult before you give me your address. It will be possible to give a school address instead. Again, we will work this out later.
If you are one of the writers whose piece is chosen for publication on the blog, I will contact you and ask your permission and then I will ask what name you want to use.
The DEADLINE for entries is NOV 1st.
I will ask another adult to be the judge. His or her decision will be final.
Each of the three prize-winners will be able to choose from any of my books and I will post it, signed, to any UK address.

Any questions? Add a comment below.

PLEASE tell all your friends. If you're an adult, please tell any young people or schools that you are in touch with. I hope for lots of entries and lots of interest!

Now, get writing... And enjoy it! I want you to have lots of fun and freedom with your thoughts on this.

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT 2: Dundee High School

2010-10-08T08:20:00.009+01:00

On Monday I visited Dundee High School to do some school events. So, a lovely train journey across the Forth Rail Bridge to Dundee, accompanied by my usual tomato and cream cheese on health seed bagel from the Bagel Factory in the station, and there I was on a gorgeous sunny day, ready for the first talk.

120 keen-faced S1/Year 7 pupils seemed stunned when I showed them my Thomas the Tank Engine books. I shocked them with Fleshmarket, which half of them will be studying as a set text next term - which happens a lot, and always makes me a) proud and b) nervous. And I prepared them for Deathwatch by establishing that about 75% of them hated insects, before moving onto Wasted.

We played Jack's Game - see pic on the right - with the prize of a signed copy of Wasted. My nervous moment was when I told them that I only wanted them to enter the competition if they REALLY wanted the chance to win a copy. (Imagine if only three of them had.) Luckily, they ALL did. So, we played Jack's Game and the lucky winner was ...a boy whose name I am just checking with the librarian and she's going to get back to me! Much cheering. In fact, much noise altogether. And much book-buying afterwards.

Then to the library, where the senior book group - Chloe, Kirsty, Isabella, Rebecca and Ailsa - shared sandwiches, millionaire shortbread and opinions of Wasted. (Except that we seemed to keep coming round to the subject of Twilight. Why does that always happen??) I asked what they thought of the cover - of Wasted, NOT Twilight - and we all agreed that red was a great colour, despite the fact that my publishers didn't want it - ha! - and that one other good thing about it was that because the cover doesn't tell you much, it makes you want to read it to see what it's about.

They asked me about the title, and I told them it was because originally the book was going to be much more about alcohol and that, when it wasn't, I still wanted the title because it had a "sit up and take notice" factor, which they agreed with. Luckily. Bit late to change it now.

We also talked about how annoying it is that so many books are series now. (You hear that, publishers??)

Oh, and they asked me if I'd ever played Jack's Game for real. Yes, I have: I asked the coin whether I should write for teenagers or younger from now and the coin said younger. I have today decided that the coin is wrong. I will not let my life be ruled by a coin. So, as of today, I am going back to teenage writing and a book I started a few months ago before having my temporary change of plan. It's a very shocking book, and I was a bit worried about it being too shocking, but several people have convinced me that I should do it. Including my agent, so that's a good start. If you hang around on this blog, I might even tell you the title.

Then, back into the hall to talk to 120 S2/ Year 8s. If possible, they made EVEN more noise playing Jack's Game and the winner this time was a girl called Eve. Much cheering. And much book buying. By this time it was very hot in the hall so I told them I'd only sign their books if they fanned me while I was doing it. A good ploy. Two girls - Sasha and Eve - are having their names in another book I'm writing now. (I didn't promise that nothing nasty would happen to them, though...)

Lots of teachers came to talk to me afterwards. I say this because often teachers take no interest in an author event. I give credit to Catherine Owens, the librarian, who had done everything to make the event go well. She'd prepared pupils, staff and me. She had made sure I had everything I needed. AND she let me go and get some fresh air between the events. I am a person of simple tastes and I just need a bit of space to recover and get my brain in gear for the next talk. So, thank you to Catherine, all the staff and all the fabulous pupils from Forms 1 and 2 of Dundee High School.

Catherine told me the next day that she'd had a delighted email from a parent who said that her son had been so keen to buy Fleshmarket that he'd used money that he was supposed to buy a dance ticket with and that night he'd gone to bed early to read it - which was the first time he'd actually shown enthusiasm for a book. Hooray!

So, all in all, a happy day. Until I got home to find a workman hadn't come to the house, the dog-sitter had forgotten to come and feed and walk my dog at tea-time, and my husband had accidentally turned the fridge-freezer off.

SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT 1: Auchinleck Academy

2010-10-06T08:00:00.003+01:00

As a writer for young people, I LOVE school libraries. And their librarians. And all the clever projects they have to help kids find books they'll really enjoy. So, I have decided I'm going to give space to some schools that I've come across who are doing great things for teenage reading - and who have some fans of Wasted! Today in my very first School Spotlight, I want to give a shout-out for Auchinleck Academy, in Ayrshire, SW Scotland.

I first came across them when I discovered a lovely review of Wasted by a girl called Rachel - hello, Rachel! - on their library blog, so I contacted the librarian to thank her. She passed the message to Rachel; Rachel was happy; and then several other S2 pupils decided to read Wasted to see what the fuss was about. I like that idea!

To encourage pupils to give their opinions of books, Janice McGill, the libarian, puts slips in each library book and pupils can comment. She then types the comments up on the blog and leaves the slips in the books for others to read. GREAT idea!

Anyway, I wanted to show you their library blog - here - and also tell you about their special fund-raising day TOMORROW (Thursday Oct 7th). They are holding a disco for school funds and a load of pink activities for breast cancer charities. It's the day before the school half-term so I'm guessing there will be a lot of excitement in school that day and not much work done!

Auchinleck pupils: hello, and have a great October holiday! Read lots of books and if you like Wasted, please VOTE in the Coventry awards. I need you badly! It's like the X-Factor - the book with the least votes gets voted off first. :-(

NOTE to other schools: do some of your pupils love Wasted? Would you like your school to feature on the Wasted blog? Perhaps you've been running a competition or challenge and you'd like me to announce the winners here? Got some fun pictures from your library events? Contact my assistant and I'll see if I can fit you in. All you have to do is say why you think I should feature you on the WASTED blog.

WASTED shortlisted for the COVENTRY BOOK AWARD

2010-10-04T21:05:00.002+01:00

I am delighted to announce that Wasted has been shortlisted for its third award, the Coventry Award, in the category called Read It Or Else! What a lovely category!

The horribly scary thing is that this is done by public voting. And it's like the X-Factor because books get voted off if they have the least number of votes. PLEEEEEEEASE help me not be the first book voted off :((((((

Here's the link - do go there and make nice comments about any of the books you like. And if you choose Wasted, I will love you for ever. Or even longer.

Oh, and apparently you can vote as often as you like. Erghhhh, I HATE this! I don't expect to win but I'd love not to be voted off first time.

If you like Wasted, please tell your friends.

WASTED on KINDLE

2010-09-30T14:56:00.000+01:00

Hooray - by popular demand, there is now a Kindle version of Wasted!

Its here: WASTED on Kindle

Enjoy! I can't, because I don't have a Kindle :(

The other e-formats will be available soon.

I NEED TO SPEAK LOUDLY

2010-09-24T14:17:00.000+01:00

I write for teenagers. I do that because I like them and respect them. I want to tell their stories, which are my stories too, because I was a teenager and I remember it.

That's why I am so so very angry about the people in America who are trying to ban the amazing SPEAK, by Laurie Halse Anderson, from schools. They say it's pornographic. It isn't. It's the story of a girl, screwed up, driven mad and silenced by the apalling memory of having been raped. Which she blames herself for. It's called Speak because she can't. She chews her lips, makes them bleed through her tension. And she is saved in the end by the wisdom of a teacher who helps her tell her story through art.

Yeah, right. Pornography.

I'm just appalled.

I'd like you to watch a video. I'll put it at the end of this post. Laurie Halse Anderson reads a poem that she wrote about the book and the reactions she has had to it, not the reactions from ignorant people who misunderstand it, but reactions from young people who have dealt with rape or other terrible things they can't talk about, things I didn't suffer but which I wish no one suffered.

Let the book speak. Let them speak.

Here it is. It's called LISTEN.

BOOKS FOR KEEPS

2010-09-20T14:19:00.000+01:00

Very thrilled to find a 5 star review of Wasted in Books for Keeps - they don't give out 5 stars too often.

BUT, I find it really strange that people keep saying that the reader is asked "to take an active role in determining their fate" Now, I know you are asked to do this at the end, but that's not what the reviewer means, as you'll see from the context. I find this intriguing because actually the reader has NO control over their fate up till then.

What do you think? Did you feel in control? Because you shouldn't have!!

Here's a bit I will treasure: "In Wasted, Morgan creates sympathetic, intelligent characters you really care about and when the book ends, you can hardly bear to leave their stories behind."

Thank you, Lois Keith! If I ever meet you, please introduce yourself!

THE NORTH EAST BOOK AWARD

2010-09-02T15:35:00.003+01:00

Some lovely news for WASTED today - its third shortlisting! And it's a particularly lovely one: The North East Book Award. Books from all over the UK but voted for by teenagers in the north east of England. It's a daunting shortlist but I don't mind because I know the party will be fab! (I know this because I was there with Fleshmarket seven years ago and it's where my favourite quote from a teenager comes from: "People who say teenagers don't read haven't seen us!")

The full shortlist is:

The Dead House by Anne Cassidy
When I Was Joe by Keren David
Auslander by Paul Dowswell
Rowan the Strange by Julie Hearn
Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish
Wasted by Nicola Morgan

I'm really pleased to see Keren David there. I met her for the first time last week and really liked her. I think it's her first shortlisting, or at least it's her first book. Hooray! And Anne Cassidy is a friend too, so it will be lovely to see her again, and to meet the others.

The result is announced at a ceremony and party in Newcastle at the end of January. But I honestly am just delighted to be on the shortlist. That's the clever bit - the rest comes down to chance. But I hope no one actually tosses a coin to make their decision.

THRILLERS BOOK FESTIVAL EVENT

2010-08-17T19:07:00.000+01:00

Really enjoyed by Edinburgh Book Festival event yesterday. The Bookwitch wrote about it here, if you're interested. I didn't know if the audience would be mostly teenagers or more adults and I was really pleased to see that it was almost all teenagers and even a bit younger. All of them listened brilliantly and asked some great questions.

The only difficulty was trying to manhandle the microphone while turning the pages of my book when I was reading two short bits, but no one laughed at me, which was a help.

I had some lovely chats in the signing queue afterwards, too. Two people were there because I'd been mentioned on another blog months ago; and one girl had seen me at a school event; another girl said, "I hadn't heard of you but my aunt always picks me a random person." LOVE IT! And, considering that Wasted is about randomness, what better proof could I have in the power of luck, chance and randomness?

I was also really pleased that some South African teachers, who'd brought their keen readers to compete in the Kids Lit Quiz final, came to see me afterwards and we are talking about the possibility of my going over there to do some school talks and inspire reading. I would love that! I've done foreign visits to Switzerland and Paris, but never as far as SA. I really hope we can get this organised.

Meanwhile, if your school would like me to visit, let me know.

PS Weirdly, I had four separate conversations with South African people yesterday. It's a sign.

FACEBOOK PAGE - DO SIGN UP

2010-08-12T22:08:00.000+01:00

Started a Facebook author page - an experiment. There's a competition going on there now. Do get lots of friends to join the FB page - the more who join, the more prizes there will be! I'd especially like teenage readers to join.

Facebook page here.

NEWS, REMINDERS, SIGNED BOOKS AND EVENTS

2010-08-08T16:00:00.000+01:00

Scottish schools go back soon - apologies for the reminder... So, now seems like a good time to remind you of the idea for schools that I suggested here.

I've got a number of events booked up for Wasted, in Glasgow, Dundee, Fortrose, Manchester, Derby and elsewhere. Happy to take another booking or two in November and a couple each in January, February and March. See the events page of my author website.

I also have copies of my books to sell so if you fancy a signed copy, let me know. I do not charge postage and packing!

I'll be doing some events at the Edinburgh Book Festival. They're all sold out, I'm afraid, but I'll be around to meet any readers or writers after each one. For details, go to my other blog - Help!I Need a Publisher! - and click on the Edinburgh Book festival meet-ups page.

Enjoy the rest of your holidays!

WASTED ON SHORTLISTS

2010-08-02T21:32:00.002+01:00

I am proud and thrilled to tell you that Wasted is on two lovely shortlists for awards. One is a secret for absolutely ages but I will tell you when I can. :((

The other is a complicated one. It's the Manchester Book Award, but it's not going to be like previous years, which is a real shame. Apparently, funding has been withdrawn so there won't now be any voting or winners. That's a shame for readers in Manchester schools, who normally have such fun voting in this prestigious award. On the other hand, it's good because we're all equal and equally pleased! (Also, I believe there will be various ways that Manchester schools can get involved and some of us will probably do school events - if anyone invites us. Hint, hint...)

The reason it's complicated is that we aren't really sure how to describe it. It's not exactly a shortlist, because there's no further voting, and it's longer than a normal shortlist would be. It's sort of a list of recommended books, as far as I can make out. It's lovely, though.

Anyway, huge thanks to whoever liked Wasted enough to choose it. These are awards where publishers don't nominate books, so it's entirely down to the librarians involved. Thank you, librarians!

Another book on the Manchester list is the wonderful When I Was Joe, by Keren David, whose blog I visited on the Wasted blog tour. We've become friends on Twitter, which has been lovely. Hooray for us! (And WIWJ is a very very good book, btw.)

WASTED BOOK OF THE WEEK FOR "ULTIMATE BOOK GUIDE"

2010-07-22T09:12:00.000+01:00

I knew I loved The Ultimate Book Guide, edited by Daniel Hahn, Leonie Flynn and Susan Reuben. Now, I love them even more, as they have made WASTED their book of the week and put a wonderful review there. Do go over and see their blog and read some of the other books recommended over the weeks.

I've been lucky enough to have a lot of lovely reviews for Wasted, but this is one of the ones that most cleverly captures what I was trying to do. If you read it, you'll see what I mean.

Meanwhile, the Scotsman also did a lovely review which isn't online and the Times one is here. I won't bother listing the others, because you've got better things to do than trawl through them, but if you happen to need any - for a school project, for example - an internet search will find them. And there are lots on Amazon here. I never ask anyone to write a review, as I hate anyone to feel they should, but I am always so grateful to anyone who takes the time.

Hope you're all enjoying or about to enjoy your summer holidays. It's raining here. :(((

WHAT MAKES A GOOD ENDING?

2010-07-14T15:48:00.004+01:00

Something writers worry about is how to end their books. Readers get very cross with us sometimes! Thing is, some readers like neat endings and others like everything to be more mysterious. What do you think? What do you like or not like about types of endings?

I've made a poll for you here - please vote! And (or) just comment in the comments section below.

By the way, a very nice person in contact with schools in Australia, told me that she knows several classes who enjoy this blog, but that they aren't able to comment because of school internet policy. I quite understand and I just love the idea that you're out there reading this. So, helloooooo!

AN IDEA FOR SCHOOLS

2010-07-08T19:19:00.000+01:00

The beginning of the school summer holidays is perhaps not the best time to attract the attention of teachers and school librarians with an idea! But, hey, I like to live dangerously.

Anyway, if you are a teacher or school librarian or if perhaps you run a teenage reading group, this might interest you. If you would like to use any of the following creative writing ideas in your school, I would love to help by a) offering a signed book (or perhaps more), which you could either offer as a prize or else just have in the school library b) providing some posters and cards for your participating pupils c) be available to answer questions and engage with your pupils in any way I can. I'd also love to come and do an event, but I'm afraid I have to charge for that - though if we combine with other schools this can work out very reasonably.

So, here are some creative writing ideas, but you could also have your own - just let me know what you want to do.

There are a couple of points in Wasted where I write two alternative scenes, toss a coin and one scene vanishes. WHAT IF I'd tossed the coin differently - how would the story have turned out?
A "favourite scene" competition - say why you like a particular scene.
Write the conversation you'd like to have with Kelly (the bad girl!)
Write about a time when a chance event changed your life - perhaps an accident that almost happened, or actually did happen, thanks to a chance event.
Write a story where the events depend on a tiny chance event.
Do you think we can make our own luck or are we quite powerless? Discuss.
Is it possible to predict the future?

Anything else you can think of? Really, I'm up for anything that gets pupils writing and enjoying writing.

Please email me on talkaboutwasted@hotmail.co.uk

ALSO - does anyone have any other good ideas for school-appropriate activities based on Wasted? Add in the comments below!

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF TEENAGERS

2010-06-29T17:43:00.001+01:00

I have just come back from Inverkeithing High School and I have a story to share.

First, though, I had a great time - two large events, each with around 150 pupils, 14-15 year-olds, and a few 13-year-olds, huge hall, microphone that worked, eager faces, really attentive. And some good questions, including some very good questions.

Second, it was lovely to see some 6th form pupils there completely voluntarily, mostly boys. And to see them inspired to buy books when they hadn't planned to and to have them say it was nice to meet me, and to thank me.

Third, it was a new experience for me to see some pupils actually reading from their own copies of Wasted while I was reading from it - their faces were a picture of excitement, even though they'd already read that bit!

But what I want to share with you is a comment by a girl who came up to me afterwards. Now, this will only make sense to you if you have read Wasted, but this is what she said:

"You know how you were talking about how everything could be different if something before it had happened differently? And you know you were talking about failing to get published for 21 years? Well, just think: if you hadn't had those years of failure, your mind would be different and you might never have come up with the idea for Wasted."

WOW!

She was so right; had so very got it. I was gobsmacked. That required some seriously deep thought, some thought-experiment, out-of-the-box thinking.And she was one of the younger ones.

NOW do you see why I write for teenagers??

Anyway, to the librarian, Angela Macari, her lovely daughter, Nicole, and all the pupils of Inverkeithing High School whom I met today, have a lovely summer holiday and enjoy your reading - you never know how it might change your life.

HOORAY - SOME COMPETITION RESULTS

2010-06-22T08:10:00.001+01:00

I've kept you waiting long enough. It's time to announce some competition results.

GUESS THE NAME

This was where you had to guess whether Jess was originally going to be called Josie, Laura or Izzy.

There was an interesting result to this. First, only one person got it right. Second, of those who got it wrong, everyone apart from one thought the correct answer was Josie. And third, something a bit odd and Wastedesque has happened. See, when I thought of the two wrong options of Josie and Laura, I thought I was doing it purely randomly, just picking names out of my head and they could have been anything. Then I forgot about it. A few days ago, I started writing a new book. I couldn't think of the character's name at first, and then the name I chose was...Josie, again thinking it was just any name. Only when I looked at all the competition entries last night did I realise that a) Josie was one of the false options I'd given you, and b) that everyone apart from two of you would think that was the correct answer.

Are you spookily reading my mind, or what?

Anyway, the winner of that competition is the only one who correctly guessed that Jess was originally going to be called Izzy. And that clever person is...Isla Donaldson! Well done, Isla! (This is not the first time Isla has won a book from me - she won a writing comp on my other blog a while ago.)

FARANTELLA'S NAME
And then there was the competition to say what Farantella's real name was. Surprisingly, there were only two entries to this. And, amusingly, the entries were from Isla and her mother, Clare! They both got the right answer - Doreen - so I had to choose which of their reasons for picking them I liked better. I liked them both a lot because they were witty and very nice to me, but I chose Clare, simply because I couldn't have her being beaten by her daughter AGAIN!

So, Clare and Isla both need to tell me which of my books they'd like and who they'd like them signed to.

THE RANDOMNESS COMPETITION

This was a fascinating one. Check out the entries here. I asked each entrant to suggest a method whereby I could pick as randomly as possible. I would then choose the method I preferred and then use it to determine the winner.

So, first I had to decide whose randomness generator I preferred. Because I'm lazy, I looked for the easiest method and Captain Black's was the one. It was also, basically, magic. Utterly cool to someone of my little brain. Try it. You copy and paste this code into your browser:

javascript:alert (1 + Math.floor (Math.random () * 100));

(Replace the 100 by whatever number you want - in my case 15 because there were 15 entries.)

When I applied Captain Black's method, I got the number 5. Which means that the winner is.... Lacer! Well done! So, Lacer, please email me your address and say which book you'd like and to whom you'd like it signed.

So, thanks to all of you for being good sports and amusing me and better luck next time.

Meanwhile, there's still the chance to enter TWO competitions. Go here and check out the two last competitions. Go for it!

FLASH FICTION RESULTS

2010-06-20T08:00:00.012+01:00

What a lot of entries I had for this competition! And the standard was quite extraordinary, in both age categories. I'd like to make a special point of thanking and praising an Edinburgh school, George Watson's College, for sending in so many entries and for producing the winner and several commended entries.

As I'm a chicken, I decided to choose an expert guest author as a judge. My first choice, and a very easy one, was the talented and delightful Nik Perring, and I was so pleased that he accepted. I knew he'd take it very seriously and consider the stories carefully, which I knew they deserved. But I knew how busy he would be, as he has just had a book out, and so I was all the more grateful to him for accepting. To make it fair, my assistant, Catherine, sorted all the entries into a document and removed the names, so that Nik wouldn't feel awkward if he recognised any of the writers.

A bit about Nik Perring:

1. He's had loads of stories published, plus a children's book, and most recently a brilliant collection of flash fiction pieces, published by RoastBooks and titled Not So Perfect. It's beside my bed just now and I am horribly reluctant to finish it because each one is such a gem. If you look on Amazon you'll see some amazing reviews and I will be adding mine.

2. He has a great blog - http://nikperring.blogspot.com/ If you're at all interested in the process and art of writing, do check it out.

3. You can follow him on Twitter as @nikperring

4. He's lovely.

And now I will hand you over to Nik.

Before the winners are announced, I’d like to thank Nicola for asking me to judge the fabulous WASTED flash fiction competition – it was an honour and a privilege. I’d also like to explain a little about how I chose my winners.

What I look for in a good piece of flash fiction is, mostly, a good story. I want to be able to read something that’s believable and affecting and that moves me in some way; I want it to make me laugh or cry or think. And I want, ideally, the story to last long after the final word, to stay with me after I’ve put it down.

And in reading all of the entries (many times over two days!) I found that pretty much all of them fitted that, in one way or another. The quality was brilliantly high and I was impressed, not only that so many people had written flash fiction pieces, but that they’d written them so well.

Of course, that left me with a problem: picking winners.

And it was a BIG problem. So I ended up drawing up a short list, for both categories, of six. And from there, after much head scratching and frowning I eventually picked a winner. Eventually.

Congratulations to all who entered. And I’m not just saying this - but every entry was good.

I hope you all keep writing short fiction because you’re all rather good at it!

I second all that! And now, here are Nik's decisions. The winner in each category gets a signed copy of Wasted, or any other of my books. (By the way, you may notice that occasional punctuation or small errors have often not spoilt the overall enjoyment of the reader. I would also like to point out that I happen to know that most of the school entries were done in one lesson, without warning, and with no time to proof-read or do much tweaking.)

CATEGORY A – school age (including 6th form college students)

WINNER: Ellis Smith (13)

My head was pounding, everyone was unnoticeable, out of focus. The monitor was bleeping powerfully. The hospital bed was brick, my cuts and bruises were agonizing. Thoughts came and gone in my head, was it luck or fate for Marcus? Was he in the same position as me?

(Nik says: An excellent piece of flash fiction which does what flash should – it delivers a brilliantly affecting story which lasts far beyond the last word. Excellent.)

COMMENDED STORIES BY

Eve Kelsey (17)

A girl lay in the field, her lover lay beneath her. They’d always dreamed of visiting Paris, and now they finally had the chance, after years of turmoil and disaster. She smiled, then suddenly wept- and reached out a trembling hand… to caress the broken cross, amidst the poppies.

(Nik says: I love the way this works as a whole story in such a small amount of, very cleverly used, words. Excellent and touching ending without being too obvious.)

Jonny Urquhart (13)

Harris was a boy, the luckiest boy alive. It all started because once he walked into a shop and bought a lovely chocolate ice-cream and won the prize of the thousandth person to buy it. He was very lucky because the boy in front of him had decided on vanilla.

(Nik says: I really liked the narrator’s voice in this. And it made me laugh. Excellent work!)

Heather Philp (age not known but I think 13, as in same school class as the other 12/13 year-olds)

FATE
She bowed her head as a river appeared to flood from her eyes, drowning her black patent shoes in tears of sorrow.

I wanted to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be all right. That mum would get better. I was wrong, fate just wasn't on my side.

(Nik says: A story packed with emotion which was brilliantly and concisely told. And a killer ending.)

Daniel Baird (12)

My Stolen Jet
The alarm sounded to tell us there was a Luftwaffe attack. I ran outside to find my plane but someone was already at my jet.

"Oi! That my jet!"

He never heard and was taking off.

I saw my jet in the sky. It was a giant ball of fire.

(Nik says: Excellent and atmospheric with impressive dialogue.)

Hannah Nicholson (13)

Looking back on Chance.
There was once a boy. An unusual boy. You were never certain of what he was up to, in fact you were never certain of where he was. He was never around in daylight. He only showed up, creeping in shadows at midnight. Maybe it's chance I never knew him.

(Nik says: A lovely, mysterious short tale)

CATEGORY B - adults...

WINNER: Tanya Byrne

Cats and dogs

Mum says that rain is God crying. Actually, it’s me.

It rained the day she died; at the funeral; at the foster home while I waited for someone to tell me that I was going to be a hero, that my powers would save the world.

It rained and rained.

(Nik says: This is a perfect example of what flash fiction is and can do. The word count’s tiny and yet there’s SO MUCH here, and it echoes long after the final word. And when all that’s coupled with smooth writing and an excellent and believable voice it has to be my winner. Brilliant and affecting. Congratulations.)

COMMENDED STORIES BY:

Stephanie Butland

He shouldn’t have left. Not tonight.

Sharp shadows spike from his feet as he runs, runs, lungs wailing, to a wired white room where her breath barely shivers the air.

He is almost here, but corridors, lifts, stairs sprawl between them.

Her cold hand suddenly colder.

He’s too late.

(Nik says: A brilliant piece which captures so much in such a small number of words. Full of atmosphere and excellent writing.)

Barbara O Connor

FATE

I always said, “It won’t happen to me”. I was wrong and you were born. It’s strange that we can produce another life, yet can’t always save our own.

I feel that part of you, so unselfishly given, filling me with life. I am so glad you happened to me.

(Nik says: I love the language used here, love how the writing’s to the point and all the words are the right ones. There’s a lovely, honest tenderness here too.)

Kate Kelly

Fate

Keep playing, bows on strings. Don’t stop. All paths converge on this moment. Nothing could have changed that. Fate.

The sky is starlit clear, the air filled with screams. They can’t drown our music with their panic. But the music will drown. The deck tips. Titanic sinks.

Keep playing.

(Nik says: Brilliant in its brevity and it captures a moment we’re all familiar with wonderfully. It’s what’s unsaid that makes this work.)

Dan Metcalf

Revelation.

“If you got pregnant now, would you keep it?”

We’d been arguing. I guess I wanted ammunition. I just wanted to know if she loved me. We’d been dating for years, but I wasn’t convinced. It was a cheap trick.

She turned, eyes glistening:

“What do you mean ‘if’?”

(Nik says: A perfect snapshot of a life-changing conversation. Well written. And it made me laugh.)

José Kilbride

"So, what do you think it was? Luck?"
"No."
"Chance?"
"No."
"Fate."
"No."
Frowns.
"Okay, what then?"
"Sheer bloody stupidity on my part and an extraordinarily forgiving
universe."
Silence.
"Oh."

(Nik says: Another piece that made me smile. I especially like the form of this – I think the writer’s been brave and that (s)he’s produced something believable, funny and moving.)

Congratulations to all the named authors and especially, of course, to the two winners, Ellis Smith and Tanya Byrne! Catherine will be in touch to ask where to send your prizes and I will sign the books and write to you personally.

To the others: remember, all fiction reading is about personal response. A different judge might have made a different choice. I might have made some different choices. If Nik had eaten something different for breakfast, HE might have made a different choice! That's what Wasted is about, after all, the tiny things that make us do what we do.

The choice you made, the thing you could and did control, was to enter the competition. And in doing so, who knows what positive changes you have created in your life?

So, whether or not you were lucky this time, well done and thank you for contributing to a wonderful standard of entries. Oh, and on Tuesday I'll be announcing some winners of other competitions. Meanwhile, there are still two competitions to enter. Go here and check out the last two on the page. If you don't enter, you can't win!

PS - the librarian at George Watson's has just emailed me to say that "by chance" (as always!) my email telling her about all their success came on the morning of the year prize-giving, so the pupils had their achievement read out in front of the whole year group. Lovely!!

MY MYTHIC VISIT TO SCRIBBLECITYCENTRAL

2010-06-18T14:50:00.000+01:00

Today I am over at lovely author Lucy Coats's blog - ScribbleCityCentral - talking about myths. I was brought up on a rich diet of myths of all sorts. They are stories that permeate all cultures and affect and influence writers all around the world. They are gory, shocking, violent, scary, passionate, exuberant and just great fun.

So, if you'd like to see Lucy's piercing questions and what she managed to make me say, head over there!

The Greek and Roman myths, which are the ones I know best, are so much about fate and chance and luck that I think it's highly likely that they influenced my thinking in Wasted and caused the obsession that I have with the part that chance plays in our lives.

And, of course, the Oedipus story is firmly at the centre of Wasted. Lucy got me talking about that in a different blog post, too - if you want to know why I hate the Oedipus story so much, go here. There was some pretty hefty discussion after it, too!

WASTED, DEATHWATCH AND A CRY FOR HELP

2010-06-12T15:09:00.002+01:00

This week I've been around the UK doing school events for Wasted and I've had a lovely time answering superb questions from pupils who have really engaged with the ideas behind the book. When I set out to write it, I worried that because it was such an unusual book lots of people would find it TOO unusual, but if they have they haven't told me! (Long may that continue...)

Bizarrely, I also heard this week that my previous novel, Deathwatch, was the No 1 best-seller for the year June 2009 to June 2010 in the Edinburgh Children's Bookshop, outselling JK Rowling, Stephanie Meyer, Michael Morpurgo and everyone! I can hardly believe this and I'm wondering if the bookshop owner, Vanessa Robertson, might have made a mistake but she assures me she didn't. So, Vanessa wonders, can she do the same for Wasted? I hope so. She's certainly selling it well already.

But, I need your help, since if Wasted is to sell well it's going to need word of mouth success. It is actually achieving that at the moment, thanks to you and to some fabulously supportive friends. When a book is not a "highlight" title for its publishers, the author has to work extra hard, and that's what I'm doing - nothing special: all authors have to do this, unless they're big commercial sellers with big marketing budgets. So, if you enjoyed Wasted, please do one thing for me: tell a librarian. Librarians are very important when it comes to spreading the word about books and without them authors are dead. There's a press release which you can give them to explain about the response the book has had - if you want one, let me know and I'll email you a copy.

Do I sound desperate? I am! I've had the most fabulous response to the book on Amazon, Twitter, blogs and in The Times, among other places, and I just want it to have the best chance. Until I know I've done my best for it, I can't get stuck into writing my next one.

It's an emotional roller-coaster being a writer!

I AM INTRIGUED BY READERS!

2010-06-04T12:53:00.001+01:00

There's something funny going on when people read Wasted. I have lost count of the number of people who, in reviews or comments, have said something about the reader having control, or the reader getting to choose an outcome or path.

Now, don't get me wrong: I'm NOT cross or criticizing them but in fact they are ...um...wrong! There are two reasons why I want to point this out and talk a little about it.

It may make people who haven't read it think it's going to be like one of those "quest" books from the 1990s, where the reader could choose different paths. Anyone who has read Wasted knows that nothing could be further from the truth. I tell the story and the reader has no choice at all until the end (and I'll come to what sort of a "choice" that is in a minute.)
I find it interesting that some readers subconsciously feel in control when they are not, and I want to think about why that might be.

I think that's because the unique narrator / narrative voice in Wasted allows the reader to see what it (the narrator) sees. So, in a way that you don't often find, the reader is fully aware of everything, looking down on the characters from exactly the same viewpoint as the godlike narrator.

So, because you assume that the narrator (or author) is in control, you assume that the reader also is.

But no, the reader has no control. In fact, the narrator doesn't have much either. The narrator simply directs you as to what to see, but is entirely at the mercy of what happens. The narrator is little more than photographer and wise spectator combined.

So, what about the "choice" that the reader is supposed to have at the end? Some people have called this a choice of endings. No, you have no choice of endings! You have only one choice: whether to toss the coin and follow it to the ending that it gives you, or to refuse to toss the coin and just read both endings. (Of course, I fully expect that even if you do toss the coin, you will read both endings...).

And it's this funny thing about choice, too: do we really have choice? (I believe we do, but it's hard to explain and prove.) When you chose to toss the coin or not, was that really your choice or have I influenced you and primed you so much that, when combined with either your natural curiousity or your natural refusal to do what you're told, you really have no choice at all? Is an author really more godlike than you suppose? Have I manipulated you into believing that it makes any difference at all whether you spin the coin or not, so that you either decide you must or that you mustn't?

DOES it make any difference at all whether you spin the coin or not?

Why is it that we can KNOW that an author is making a story up and yet believe in the characters and their situation so fully that we seem to believe and feel their pain? So fully that we even have to consider whether spinning a coin is the right thing to do to find out what happens to them?

DOES it make any difference at all whether you read Wasted or not? Will it make you think differently? Will that be a good thing or not?

But then, you know, every book changes you. Everything you hear or read or see or think changes you. In ways you can't predict or control.

Which is what Wasted is, essentially, about. Probably the only choice you have is whether to read it or not - after that, you are putty in my hands! Yay for author power! That's why I write: I'm power-crazy...

I ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

2010-05-31T08:29:00.001+01:00

I said I'd spend today answering your questions from the post on Friday.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

At some point during school, I knew I wanted to be published, but I didn't immediately think of this as a job or career. I can't explain why that was. At university I got some bits published in newspapers and magazines, and I knew I wanted to do this much, much more, but I still didn't think of it as a career, though I did consider being a journalist. (Which sounds the same but isn't.) In my final year at uni, I decided, grandly, "I want to be A Novelist". (I wrote a letter to my parents saying this, and my father kept the letter!) I started trying straightaway, and 21 years later I succeeded...

As a kid, did you have a teacher or aunt or someone like that who continues to inspire you today?
No. No one ever, ever suggested that I become a writer. The people who inspire me now are the friends I've made as a writer, the readers who say nice things, and my husband who continues to allow me to earn a pathetic income doing what I want to do. When I was failing the get a novel published for so long, my mother-in-law was hugely supportive and used to get terribly annoyed on my behalf every time I failed again. She was dying in hospital when the news started to come through that my first novel might be published. I think she understood and knew before she died, and my first novel, Mondays are Red is dedicated to her. I wish she were here now to see what happened next.

Which novel or author has influenced you the most?
Reading Skellig by David Almoond is what made me decide to write for teenagers. I've never looked back. And now I know him!

What's your favourite kind of weather?
Warm (but not too hot) and breezy, with me sitting in the shade of a huge tree.

What thing would you use to describe yourself and why?
I think I'm quite like a cat. I can be aloof; I'm independent; you don't know what I'm thinking; some people are frightened of me but others like me (I hope).

Can you sing?

Not well. A lot of people think that from my descriptions of Jess's feelings while she sings, I must be a singer. No. I used to sing in choirs, reasonably well, and was also in madrigal groups, which requires a fair amount of skill, but I was never good enough to be a soloist, and never confident enough. I never wanted to, either. And now my voice has gone - I'm pretty rubbish now!

What is the strangest thing you have ever eaten?

I have strong tastes in foods, so I love anchovies, strong stinky cheese, pickles, olives, and Brussels sprouts. Probably the oddest thing (to you) is that during the winter, when Brussels sprouts are in season, if my husband is away (because he hates them) I will have as my evening meal a plate of sprouts, doused with a little lemon juice, butter and black pepper, and then sprinkled with cheese!

If you could bring one character to life from one of your books, who would it be?
Jack, in Wasted. I'd tell him that he's a wonderful guy but that he mustn't think so much. I'd tell him he had nothing to feel guilty about. I'd tell him just to live his live.

If you joined the circus, what act would you perform?
Something on horseback. Except that I don't like animals in the circus. So, maybe fire-eating. Or juggling. Except that I can't juggle. Mind you, I can't fire-eat either.

Do you collect anything?
Shoes! And boots.

Did any of your characters give you a lot of trouble? i.e. did they just refuse to do what you wanted them to?

The bad girls, the Kelly Gang, were difficult at first because I couldn't get what they looked like in my mind. In the end, I had to resort to looking at pictures on the internet, after googling the phrase "bad girls". I found some that looked just as I wanted, and then I was fine. But otherwise, no, my characters ALWAYS do what I tell them!

What is immediately to your right hand side at the moment?

The computer mouse and a cup of coffee. As always.

Catdownunder, who is actually a cat, wants to ask some questions of Spike, the cat in Wasted. So, Spike will answer.

How do you feel about being such an important part of Wasted?

Can't you hear me purring?

Was it a comfortable experience fitting in to a book?

It was my idea to be in the book, because I am brave and inquisitive, but I found it strangely disconcerting how much I cared about Jess. I worried for her a lot, even though I kept telling myself she wasn't real. I admire the human for making it feel so real. [Spike, you are lovely. Have a sardine - NM.]

Did you have problems getting that human to understand you as a cat?

The human is incredibly clever [thanks again, Spike] and really understood my feelings very well. I think she has known cats herself and she tuned in remarkably well, disconcertingly so, in fact. I tried to hide my feelings from her most of the time but it was impossible, so I decided just to relax and go with the flow.

Do you think it is difficult for humans to portray animals in books in this way?

It is very annoying when humans make them wear clothes or speak in human language and so often we are portrayed as having human characteristics because humans are so narrow-minded and think the universe revolves around them. So, I think this human did a wonderful job [oh, Spike... NM] in not falling into that trap. I'd actually be quite happy to live with her. [Spike, that's a lovely idea but I'm terribly sorry: I currently have a ... ahem ... *whispers* ...dog with me, so I'm not sure you'd be happy.]

Spike turned away at this point and began washing himself, so we cut the interview short.

Thanks everyone for your questions. If you have any more, just add them here and I'll answer them another day.

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Nowhere - I've finished! In real life I'm going to Dunbar this evening, to talk to a group of teenage readers about Deathwatch. I may also find a way to talk about Wasted...

Everyone, this has been such fun. We've come to the end of the main blog marathon, but, as I said the other day, I'll still blog here, just not every day. In fact, very soon I'm going to talk about something that a lot of people have been wrong about when they've talked about Wasted...

Come back every now and then for news and competitions. And when you read Wasted and have anything to ask or say, just say it! Add your reviews to the link on the reviews page above, and/or to Amazon.

Be bold in your lives. Don't be afraid of failure - next step: success. Good luck and take care but not too much care. Life is for living and it's yours to live.

NEARLY THE END AS WE KNOW IT

2010-05-30T08:10:00.001+01:00

We're getting so near the end of this 39-day blogathon. I said I'd be posting something new every day from April 23rd till the end of May and I have enjoyed every bit of it (except the few days when I was away from internet access - grrrrrr - and I couldn't join in comments).

Let me tell you what's going to happen next.

Tomorrow, the last day of the main show, I will answer the questions that you started asking me yesterday. If you'd like to add your questions, go here and see what other people have asked, then add your questions to that post. Those that I don't manage to answer tomorrow, I will come to another day.

After tomorrow, I will still keep blogging here but more occasionally. Do stick around, because sometimes I will have news, reviews, thoughts and opportunities for you.

When I do school events, I will blog about these.If you'd like me to visit your school, ask your librarian or English department. I travel a lot and am delighted to visit anywhere I can. I can do (and have done) overseas trips, too, but obviously the finances of that may be difficult.

What can you do?

If you liked Wasted, tell people about it. Adding a nice review somewhere like Amazon or Goodreads is always hugely appreciated.
Tell people about this blog.
Stick around and leave comments - then I know you're out there! It's lonely being an author sometimes!
Keep buying and recommending and valuing books of all sorts - not just mine. Writers need you! We need you to buy, borrow from libraries and talk about our books. The recession is hitting writers very hard - and not just the recession: the habit of slashing prices, the pirating of books, illegal downloading, and the difficulties that we have in continuing to earn in an environment when too many people think that words should be free. Violins, please!

Back to today...

...and I have a little snippet for you now. I thought I'd tell you my favourite lines from Wasted. I think all writers have their favourite lines in a book. Here are mine - they made me think or cry or laugh.

"He feels so small now. A fractional part of something vast and unknowable. Because everyone, everyone in the world, has an equal loss. Everyone has a billion things that haven't happened. He is nothing special."

"It is the sound the future would make if it slipped through a gap in the skin of time."

"...frankly I'd rather be kissed by an eel."

"She'd puked on a gnome..."

THE WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Nowhere, but tomorrow I will be in South Africa, at Absolute Vanilla. Sunshine!

COMPETITION - FAV SCENE

2010-05-29T09:24:00.001+01:00

Which is your favourite bit of Wasted, and why?

If you would like to win a signed copy of any of my other in-print books, just answer that question in no more than 60 words and email it to talkaboutwasted@hotmail.co.uk with the words FAV SCENE COMP in the subject line.

Closing date: June 30th 2010

I will email the winner and ask for an address and your choice of prize after June 30th.

I'll tell you my favourite scene, but you don't get extra points for having the same favourite as mine! The competition is all about how you explain why your favourite is your favourite. And I'm looking for a perceptive take on the scene, something that gets under its skin a bit.

My favourite is the beach scene near the end. For those who haven't read it: it's after the Leavers' Prom and Jack, Jess and lots of friends go to the beach for a late night party. They light fires, toast marshmallows and drink. They talk and mess around. I love the atmosphere, the wood smoke, the dizziness, the euphoria of the end of their schooldays, the feeling as Jess and Jack wrap their arms around each other; and the readers' horrible knowledge that something terrible is about to happen, that this is the end of innocence, the end of peace. They are hanging onto every moment of pleasure, and I hope the reader does, too. I was when I was writing it. I could hardly bear to end it. But end it I did. I'm sorry.

I'm dying to hear what your favourite bit is.

Good luck!

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Over at Fairyhedghog's place, talking about cats. Join us.

Pick ME!

2010-05-28T06:57:00.002+01:00

Sometimes what we call luck is about being noticed. People who are too pushy can be really irritating and that makes others not want to choose them or do good things for them. These over-pushy people can sometimes be really successful at first, but they fall hard and painfully when people cotton on to the fact that their heads and mouths are bigger than their talent. But not being pushy enough means you don't get noticed. A lot of the whole art of "getting on" in life is about treading the line between being too pushy and not pushy enough.

What is my point? My point is that I'm giving you a chance to attract luck by being just the right amount of pushy. I'm asking you to ask me to pick you to receive a free copy of Wasted. So, if you'd like to win a signed copy, sent** anywhere in the UK, (sorry!), then add a comment to the bottom of this post, a comment which must include the words "pick me". So, wow me, amuse me, impress me, tell me something I won't forget, intrigue me, lie to me, persuade me, bribe me - it's your choice. Push the right buttons.

Also, whether or not you're entering the pick me comp, I NEED YOUR HELP to fill a space in my diary for May 31st. So, what I'd like you to do is ask me some questions. I'll answer them all in a post on May 31st. I'll need tham by Sunday, please. Hurry!!

** or possibly handed over personally - see below...

Over to you!

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? At Iffath's place - and I was nearly late - sorry, Iffath!

In real life, I'm at home, partly writing - I've got two books on the go, one fiction and one non-fiction - and partly indulging in my favourite hobby: cooking. I'm having a lunch party for Wasted next Tuesday and I want to get some puds in the freezer. My patent lemon cheesecake and a tiramisu gateau, plus some meringues marbled with raspberries. (Experiment suggested by my agent, who is one of the guests).

Yesterday, I found myself on Talli Roland's blog, accidentally. Talli's blog is amazing and she is a lovely person and a talented writer. I met her recently, when I handed over a copy of Wasted that she had won. It turned out to be very lucky for me that she won it, because she loved it and wrote about it. She was also, over on my other blog, my first blog baby.

And, inspired by my meeting with Talli, here's a suggestion for you:

EXTRA: If by any chance you live in London and can manage to meet me on June 8th (as long as we can agree a time and place that will suit us both) I will actually hand over your copy to you personally and buy you a coffee! (If you are under 18, this might not be appropriate - we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.)

OTHER BOOKS ABOUT CHANCE OR FATE?

2010-05-27T08:56:00.001+01:00

What about other books where chance plays a big part? Do you know any?

Here are some I thought of (with a little help from my Twitter friends). I haven't read them all but I'd like to. So many books, so little time...

The classic - aimed at adults, though likely to be enjoyed by keen teenagers, too

The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart. I'm definitely going to read this. I know there's some kind of similarity with the premise of Wasted. From all the reviews, it's obviously different though - the only similarity is a character who lets an object rule his life; but for very different reasons, in totally different circumstances, with different intention and different results. Here's the product description from Amazon: "The cult classic that can still change your life! Let the dice decide! This is the philosophy that changes the life of bored psychiatrist Luke Rhinehart -- and in some ways changes the world as well. Because once you hand over your life to the dice, anything can happen. Entertaining, humorous, scary, shocking, subversive, The Dice Man is one of the cult bestsellers of our time."

For younger readers - 10+ as a guideline, though I believe readers should read whatever they want whenever they want...

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet was a book your children (older children and young teenagers, I think) that did really well. I haven't read it but I know it was regarded as interesting and unusual and had some excellent reviews - and there's a puzzle to solve. Actually, it was the puzzle that stopped me wanting to read it but don't let that put you off - that's just me! The book plays with the theme of chance and coincidences.

Romantic fiction - aimed at adults

Fortunate Wager by Jan Jones - Jan is a romantic novelist who I know through Twitter. And her regency romance, Fortunate Wager, looks a lot of fun. I loved Georgette Heyer and I think Jan can fairly be called a writer in that tradition, but with extra feistiness to her heroines. What's it got to do with luck, chance or fate? Well, the central character is called Caroline Fortune, for a start; then there's the title itself ... does what it says on the tin, folks! And I'm looking forward to reading it.

Definitely aimed at adults, or at least older teenagers...

Atonement by Ian McEwan - the tragedies of this story hinge on several tiny chance events: an act accidenttally witnessed, a letter mis-directed, a remark misunderstood. A fabulous read, but quite shocking in lots of ways, so be prepared. One of my favourite books and one of the few where I've felt compelled to go back and read it again as soon as I got to the last page.

And here's one for teenagers and older children

A Crack in the Line by Michael Lawrence. I haven't read it but I've met Michael a couple of times and he's lovely, which is one way to encourage me to read a book. But also, MUCH more importantly, it sounds really good. Here's a review on Chicklish. AND it's part of a trilogy so if you like it, it will keep you going for a while.

But now - over to you. what books have you read and loved where chance or luck play an important part? Tell us the title and author and maybe say something about the part that chance plays.

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Over at lovely Cat Clarke's blog, This Counts as Writing, Right? Yes, it certainly does.

OSWALD AND THE END OF THE WORLD

2010-05-26T09:22:00.001+01:00

I got chatting to a children's author, Andrew Strong, recently. I'd seen something he wrote on the Awfully Big Blog Adventure blog and I was attracted by the title of the post, GOOD LUCK. And if you've been reading about Wasted, you'll know just why that struck me. He talks about coincidences, chance, luck, and miracles.

I thought: here's a man who is fascinated by chance, just like me, and he's talking about a book, so what's his book like? Well, it's aimed at quite young children and it's called Oswald and the End of the World. I thought I'd ask Andrew about it. Let's have a bit of a rest from heavy teenage stuff and relax with a beautiful picture book. We deserve it after all our deep philosophy and science. (Mind you, Andrew's book is still deep - never make the mistake of thinking that simple can't be deep...)

NM: Hello, Andrew, and thanks for dropping by. Can you tell us what gave you the idea for Oswald? Is this something that's fascinated you for a long time?

AS: Part of me is like Oswald's father - I want to be able to predict the future. It's a very childish way to be: that instead of working to make the future better, just cross your fingers, or touch wood. When I realised Oswald's father was going to be so childish, then it became obvious that Oswald himself had to be the rational adult. And so the idea for the book was born - a clear thinking, practical boy, with a fortune telling, slightly unhinged father.

NM: Do you think people "make their own luck"? Or is it entirely "random", pure chance?

AS: It's both. People who work at things don't always succeed, but it is much rarer that people who choose to do nothing ever get what they want. I think there is a third option, however. That like migrating birds, or spawning salmon returning home, we have instincts that make us do things that later we try to see as being thought through, but probably weren't. [NM: Mmm, I think that's what Jack does in Wasted.]

NM: Have you ever had your fortune told / would you ever? Do you know anyone who has and who has changed something they've done because of it?

AS:My grandmother used to read tea leaves. My father used to use dowsing rods to predict the winners of horse races. I once met a clairvoyant who told me I had an aura, and that I could see the future if I wanted to. I'm not sure I do.

NM: In "Oswald and the End of the World" Oswald's father believes he can control the future. He sees signs in snail trails and seaweed. Do you do things like this yourself - see signs in things?

AS: Yes, all the time, although I have learnt to ignore them. I think we often choose which signs to take notice of and which to ignore.[NM: Very true!]

NM: So, do you think you're mostly a scientist / rationalist or mostly a dreamer / wonderer?

AS: I'm both, absolutely. I swing from one to the other and am sometimes both, or neither, at the same time. I refuse to make up my mind.

NM: I'm asking everyone to think about small "chance" events or decisions that have changed their lives in big / unpredicted ways - do you have any examples form your own life?

AS: When my children were quite small I decided to move us all out of the city and into a rambling old house in the middle of nowhere. I thought it would be good fun. I thought less about this decision than when I've bought a new jacket. It was a good decision, however, and we've lived in this house for over ten years. My mother grew up in the war and was told she would have to be evacuated to Canada. On the day she was due to leave she had toothache and wasn't allowed to go. The ship she was to sail on was torpedoed and sunk. If it wasn't for that toothache, me, nor brothers or sisters, nor my children, would be here today.

Wow. That was one important toothache. Incredible story.

Thank you, Andrew - really, really interesting. Just shows how much goes into a picture book - and there's something for us all in there.

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE TODAY? Over at Rhianareads and I can't remember for the life of me what I was talking about so I'll have to head over there myself...

Also, yesterday I was on Vanessa Robertson's blog at the Edinburgh Children's Bookshop, talking about how horrible it can be for an author going into a bookshop. She said I could be snarky - hooray!

Please do visit them and leave comments. And do tell me what you think of Oswald and the End of the World.

TEEN TITLES and ST THOMAS of AQUIN'S

2010-05-25T08:32:00.001+01:00

Yesterday, I went to St Thomas of Aquin's School in Edinburgh and did an event for some S2s (that's Year 8 / second year of high school if you're not Scottish) and was then interviewed by some of them for Teen Titles. I had a lovely time and heard loads of their lucky escape stories and "how did your parents meet" stories - the point of that being that if your parents hadn't met, you wouldn't exist...

Anyway, I also want to tell you about Teen Titles. It's a remarkable magazine, which began its life in Edinburgh and is still produced here, funded by the Edinburgh City Council, but you'll find it in schools all across the UK now. Its selling point is that every single review is written by a teenage reader and all the interviews are done by teenage readers. Since the whole magazine is reviews and interviews, this means that the entire content is provided by teenagers.

For YA authors, this is a) wonderful and b) absolutely terrifying. Because when teenagers don't like your books, they say so. And we cry.

Another fab thing about Teen Titles is the annual party, held during the Edinburgh Book Festival, when as many authors as possible will be available. A couple of huge rooms heave with milling authors and teenage readers hunting autographs and pouncing with amazing questions. And the food is the best, most plentiful and most appreciated party food of all the festival parties.

What is my point? My point is that people who say that teenagers don't read haven't read Teen Titles. People who says that teenagers can't hold a conversation haven't been to the Teen Titles party. It's a fabulous atmosphere and the conversations you can have about books and what they mean are just wonderful. I come away from it every year feeling better and reminded of the point of what I do.

I have to mention as well that a couple of years ago Teen Titles got schools to come up with their 40 Best Books Ever and I was thrilled to find Fleshmarket named there - so, yes, I have a bit of a soft spot for them!

So, hats off to Teen Titles and the dedicated adults behind it and if you're interested in getting it for your school or library or for yourself, contact the address you'll find on this website.

And thanks to St Thom's for interviewing me for it - I just hope I said something sensible. I do seem to remember that several times I said, "Hmmm, I think you shouldn't put that bit in..."

ENTANGLEMENT

2010-05-24T08:29:00.005+01:00

Extraordinary weirdness about the consequences of quantum physics in this video. We're all connected? I'm touching you? Help - run away now: I've got chocolate on my fingers!

http://vodpod.com/watch/1600081-dr-quantum-entanglement

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Was supposed to be over at the Edinburgh Children's Bookshop / Fidra Blog talking about the horrible feeling for an author having to go into a bookshop. Vanessa even told me I could be snarky... But there was a technical glitch and I'm going there another day.

In real life, I'm visiting St Thomas of Aquin's school, to be interviewed for Teen Titles and also do a school talk for them. Really looking forward to it!

A TRIP TO THE NUT PRESS

2010-05-23T11:09:00.000+01:00

I'm having a little rest today but you'll find me over at Kath Eastman's lovely blog, The Nut Press, where I did an interview.

Also, if you haven't entered any of the competitions in the blog, why not do that today? The Flash Fiction comp has lots of fab entries in both age categories - goodness knows how the judge is going to decide the winners. But the other easier competitions have only a very few correct entries so you have a real chance. Click here for all the comps so far.

Good luck!

ST JOHN'S RC SCHOOL & CHANCES

2010-05-22T09:37:00.036+01:00

I do loads of school visits - I couldn't really guess how many different schools I've visited but we're talking hundreds. And some stand out as being exceptionally exciting.

One school like that is St John's Catholic School and Sixth Form Centre in County Durham. I did a school visit there a few years ago as part of the Northern Children's Book Festival and the response from the pupils was really special. They had incredible ideas and dynamism and the questions were fantastic. Actually, one boy asked my favourite question ever:

"How does someone as nice as you write such nasty books?" Love it!

Anyway, as I went back home on the train, I got thinking about how I could respond to their enthusiasm. To cut a long story short, I handed over the promotion of my next book, The Highwayman's Footsteps, to them. They did the most amazing job, involving the English, art and history departments for the whole of Years 7 and 8, and it culminated in a launch in front of 700 pupils, with press and photographers and all sorts of coverage. The project was led by two remarkable pupils, Brogan and George, and Brogan even mentioned it in her personal statement when applying to Oxford University - she got a place, she told me recently!

What has this got to do with Wasted? Well, the connection continued and about a year ago I had a vibrant and excited email from another pupil there, Amy, who had remembered being in Year 7 and in the audience when HF was launched. We got chatting. (You can't not get chatting with Amy...) And I thought, hmmm, it would be wrong to ignore such enthusiasm - what could we do? I asked Amy if she'd like to be my teenage marketing person (along with another vibrant teenager from the other side of the country, Iffath at lovereadingx). Amy is known for her enthusiasm and her reply kind of went off the scale of excitement.

Amy and her friends have been reading and planning and talking and thinking and getting their school involved. I'm going to report on that later - but for now, suffice it to say that I am in awe of them and St John's.

But there are some interesting chance happenings to do with this, and since Wasted is about Chance, I thought you should know them.

The St John's librarian, who has been hugely important in all this, is called Miss Heads. Considering this is about a game with a coin, don't you think that's quite a coincidence?

It gets more spooky.

The pupils and Miss Heads were trying to think of a game involving a coin that they could get the whole school to play, as a way of sparking interest in the book. At this stage, most of them hadn't read it so they were a bit in the dark, but they kept thinking. The night before the copies of the book were due to arrive, Miss Heads's husband went to a fund-raising event of some sort and there they played a game called ... Heads or Tails.

Result! And that is the game they played in assembly for the whole school on Publication Day for Wasted.

Here's the game. You need a room full of people, and one coin.

Everyone stands up.
On the count of three everyone puts their hands either on their heads or on their hips / buttocks / whatever.
Everyone keeps their hands where they've chosen until the leader tosses the coin and calls out the result.
If the coin landed heads up, all those with hands on head remain standing. Everyone else sits down.
This is repeated until only one person is left standing. That person wins a copy of the book!

Do you fancy doing this in your school? If so, the school could win a signed copy. All you need to do is get your school librarian or teacher to contact me if your school would like to do this. I have three books to give away as priazes. If more than 3 schools sign up, I will pick 3 at random. The only conditions are: that you agree to spend a few minutes explaining to the assembly / class why you are doing this; that you agree to receive some posters of Wasted and recommend Wasted to readers who you think will like it. The book will be bought and posted at my expense so I hope you don't mind my asking this.

Pass it on!

Meanwhile, if you'd like me to come to talk to your school about Wasted and my other books, the page about my events is here. I love doing events so I'd love to hear from you. I have some vacancies in the autumn and lots of space next year but I do tend to be booked far in advance so don't delay!

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Over at the remarkable Jesse Owens's blog - Books4Teens - where, by chance, you'll see a picture of me after a school event.

DELLA SAYS OMG AND MY SO-CALLED AFTERLIFE

2010-05-21T08:33:00.008+01:00

A double interview here today, with two brand new YA authors, both of whom I know through Twitter. The first is Keris Stainton, author of Della Says: OMG! and the second is Tamsyn Murray, author of My So-Called Afterlife. I've read both books and loved them. They are very different from Wasted and very different from each other, but I link them in my mind because they are both what I call "fresh new voices", they both show how much YA fcition has broadened and moved on in the last few years and they both tackle tough topics in a deceptively light way.

Later today, I'm also over on Keris's blog - come and join us there, but DO first take a peek into their minds and comment below.

Hello Keris!

Do you have an examples of how an unpredictable "random" event has changed your life?

Years ago I read a magazine article that really resonated with me. It was called Get What You Really Want. It was fairly typical 'seize the day' type stuff, but so funny and inspiring that I googled the writer, Martha Beck, and read that she had a book coming out called Finding Your Own North Star: How to Claim the Life You Were Meant to Live. At the time, I totally felt that I'd taken a wrong turn and was living the wrong life and so I couldn't read it fast enough. It not only made me realise I wanted to be a writer, but it also convinced me that I could be a writer, that I SHOULD be a writer. I started taking steps towards my "right life" and now I'm living it.

I read a lot of magazines, but I hardly ever even finish articles (short attention span) let alone tear them out and get googling. I'm sure I would have heard about Martha Beck at some point, but I truly trace the transformation of my life to reading that one article.

Did luck play any part in you getting your publishing deal?

I actually pitched a different agent at the agency I'm with now and she passed me on to Alice, who was just starting out with her own list. And then when Alice sent my book to Orchard they'd just started expanding their teen list. So, yes, I definitely feel like my manuscript was in the right place at the right time... twice.

Do you think we can affect our own luck? A lot or a little or not at all? Can you give an example of something that's happened to you that might look like luck but was actually based on good decisions?

My journalism career probably looks like luck to many. I gave up my job after selling just two articles (both to the same magazine) and then had (and continue to have, I hope) a moderately successful freelance career. I'd always believed you needed to have worked on staff and made lots of contacts to make it as a freelancer, but I just threw myself in and hoped for the best. As to whether we an affect our own luck... I tend to believe the Seneca quote: "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

Would you ever be tempted (or have you ever been) to have your fortune told? If a fortune-teller gave you a warning, would it change how you behaved??

No. I have no interest in fortune telling really. I don't believe a word of it and yet I'm scared of it at the same time.

What three things do you "thank your lucky stars" for?

1. My husband, David. Not only is he funny and lovely, he cooks, does the washing and, er, contributed to my two amazing and gorgeous sons.

2. My health. And I really wanted to say "touch wood" then, even though I don't believe in that either. And I've deleted this twice since I don't want to "jinx" it. Ha.

3. Martha Beck. Really. She set me on the right path and continues to inspire me every day.

Thanks, Keris and good luck with Della - may you and she go places!

Now, over to Tamsyn. Same questions, otherwise it wouldn't be fair and they might fight each other. Or me.

Do you have an examples of how an unpredictable "random" event has changed your life?

I do. A few years ago, I was looking for a part-time job and got chatting to a stranger about work. She told me her friend owned a pub and was looking for a barmaid. I went to the pub and the owner gave me a job. A few days later, I met the man who would become the father of my daughter.

Did luck play any part in you getting your publishing deal?

I think it played a part in getting my agent, which in turn influenced my publishing deal. A friend pointed out that a new agent had started up around the same time that I'd finished my manuscript. I queried the agent and she asked to see the full MS. A couple of months later, following her heavy-duty editorial advice, she signed me to her agency and a few months after that I had a publishing deal. If my friend hadn't told me about that agent, my book would have looked very different and might not have been published at all.

[I think you're wrong in assigning this to luck: if your book hadn't been good enough or promising enough, the agent would have utterly ignored you!]

Do you think we can affect our own luck? A lot or a little or not at all? can you give an example of something that's happened to you that might look like luck but was actually based on good decisions?

Yes, to a certain extent I do think we make our own luck. I tend to be optimistic and expect things to work out for the best. I've been known to give up jobs I didn't like, for example, and have the perfect job drop into my lap within days. I've had a lot of success with my writing in a relatively short period of time, too, which on the surface looks like luck but is actually a case of understanding the market and writing something publishers are looking for. [YES!]

Would you ever be tempted (or have you ever been) to have your fortune told? If a fortune-teller gave you a warning, would it change how you behaved??

When I was twenty-one, I went to a group reading with two psychics. I didn't know many people there but listened as one of the psychics worked his around the circle, making comments to people at random. When he got to me, he studied me for a minute, then said, "Why did you give up writing? You have something to say." No one in that room knew I wanted to be a writer, I don't think I even knew I wanted to write. It stayed with me all my adult life until the day I picked up a how to write book and realised it was what I was meant to do. That was two years ago and I think I'm now a writer. Whether or not I have anything to say is another matter...

[Spooky.]

What three things do you "thank your lucky stars" for?

My health, my family and my empathy.

Thanks, both and may we all have luck with our books!

JACK'S GAME + KEREN DAVID

2010-05-20T08:33:00.001+01:00

Jack plays a game of risk. Often. And very dangerously.

Warning: do not try this at home! There are plenty of games you can play with a coin which will not risk anything dangerous happening to you. Jack means no harm - he's somewhat damaged by stuff that happened to him when he was younger. Also, Wasted is a story, not real life... So, if you choose to play games with a coin, use your common sense and don't do anything dangerous to yourself or anyone else. (Sorry to sound like a boring adult, but I have to say this otherwise I'll be in trouble!)

Jack's Game is simple. Every now and then he decides to sacrifice himself to "luck". Although he was very unlucky as a baby and small child, he's pretty lucky now - and a bit cocky about it. He thinks that the reason he's lucky now is that he makes sacrifices to luck. He promises to do what the coin says, and if the coin brings him a bad result, he is fine with this because it means (he thinks) that this increases his chance of good luck next time.

One night, for example, he goes out of his house in the middle of the night (BAD idea!) and uses the coin to tell him whether to go left or right; then, at every corner he spins it again. This random journey takes him into huge danger and will affect the rest of the story.

Have you ever let a coin help you make a decision? If you have, or if you would, tell me about it. It's easy to imagine situations where it would be a good way to choose. For example, suppose you can't decide between two different garments in a shop, or your family is arguing about what to do on holiday, or about whether it's going to be chicken or fish. But you wouldn't get obsessed about it. Or would you?? I've had readers of Wasted tell me that they now look at coins differently, see a power in them they never saw before, think of luck and chance in an entirely new light.

Tomorrow, I'm going to show you what the pupils of St John's RC Community School in County Durham have been doing, using Wasted as a prompt for ideas. They came up with a way of playing Jack's Game in school assembly!

WHERE IS THE WASTED BLOG TOUR TODAY? Hop over to ace YA writer Keren David's blog and find me there. I absolutely massively loved her debut book, When I Was Joe, and I'm lucky enough to have read the sequel, Almost True, before publication. It's so gripping, so gritty, and SO good. It's just the sort of YA book I'm naturally drawn to.

THE CAT's RAAR READING GROUP

2010-05-19T08:17:00.000+01:00

A couple of weeks ago, on election day in fact, I met some real readers to talk about Wasted. It was the first time I'd met a Wasted reader (so to speak) and seen the whites of their eyes, so I was a little bit nervous. Also, they were teenagers and some younger kids, and young people are well-known for being very very honest. Sometimes too honest. But I needn't have worried. They were lovely and sparky and we had a great time.

They were the Cat's Rrar reading group, run by the wonderful Cat Anderson, who works in the Edinburgh Children's Bookshop.

And actually, I'm going to give today's platform to them, because they interviewed me and the gist of it is over on the Cat's Rrar blog. So, all I'll do is thank them very much and also publish Douglas's incredibly perceptive and well-written review. You'll be amazed that he's only 16.

Do head over to the Cat's Rrar and add some comments to encourage the great readers in the group.

‘Wasted’ by Nicola Morgan

The new and compelling novel ‘Wasted’, written by Scottish author Nicola Morgan, leaves little to be desired as it combines philosophical dilemmas and romantic wonder in the threatening backdrop of a teenager’s life. As if this isn’t enough there is the daring aspect of Jack’s game, where risk is taken and the consequences must be dealt with no matter what they may be.

Jess is an average teenager whose life is changed by a seemingly random event. She meets Jack. She attempts to cast aside her domestic troubles – a non-existent dad and a drunken lacklustre mum - by following her ambition of becoming a singer, so when Jack appears with his proposition she throws herself into a whirlwind; created by a slightly open door. So having joined a band and found a loving relationship, Jess appears to have luck on her side. But as is shown in Jack’s game luck can depend on the toss of a coin where infinite possibilities become when it lands heads or tails. So when vengeful girls and twists of fate arrive, on which side will Jess’ and Jack’s story land? At the end of the novel you flip the coin and decide.

This complex style of novel which mixes realistic action and thought-provoking ideas will challenge many readers whilst keeping them entertained and thrilled. The appealing storyline involves situations that many teenagers will be able to relate to, allowing for an attachment and understanding of the characters that inevitably creates more excitement and drama for the reader.

The intelligent and unique interaction that Morgan makes with the reader makes for a fascinating story which constantly holds attention. The philosophical debate; that is placed carefully into the plot before being subtly intertwined into the main themes of the novel, broadens the appeal and range of the book therefore making it recommendable to both teenagers and adults. The relevant issues dealt with in the story make it evocative and emotive whilst maintaining enough action to balance the novel and keep the reader compelled. All in all an intelligently crafted novel which will require thought and time but it is time that will not be regretted for this enjoyable read.

By Douglas McClintick, 16

MENDELEYEV'S DREAM and YOUR BRAIN

2010-05-18T08:37:00.000+01:00

Do you study chemistry at school? Well, I gave up when I was 12. Useless. Didn't understand it at all. Still don't.

In fact, you might like to know what my last science report said, before I gave up physics and chemistry and focused on biology for O-levels. (The old-fashioned version of GCSE - and yes, I did start O-levels young, in case you think I'm exaggerating. There was a reason, but I won't go into that now.)

My report said, "Nicola has no aptitude for science subjects." Thanks, mate. Obviously, he was wrong, since I went on to write two books about the brain, but sometimes teachers don't know everything.

Anyway, back to chemistry. You know the periodic table? All those odd symbols you have to learn for all the elements? Yes, well, I'm very glad I don't need to know it but I am aware that without understanding it you cannot understand what the world is made of. And what we are made of. That's you on the right, that is - a pretty pattern of symbols.

Anyway, the guy who discovered the periodic table had an easy time of it. What, you thought he had to work it out? No - it all came to him in a dream. Apparently. I have my doubts but I'm an old cynic. On the other hand, I do sometimes work out plot problems for my novels in my sleep, so maybe he did.

So, grumpy old Dimitri Mendeleyev was working late one night, trying to work out what the world was made of, as you do, and he fell asleep. And he dreamt the periodic table. And thereby changed history. (Obviously, someone else would have got there eventually, by the more normal route of damned hard work, but lucky old DM just dreamt it.)

There's a good book that tells this story - Mendeleyev's Dream: The Quest for the Elements by Paul Strathearn.

Actually, there's an interesting and relevant point to this, which no one has mentioned, so I will. Because I'm so interested in the human brain, I keep up to date with new research. There's fascinating new evidence of how our brains work while we're asleep. It seems that they focus, while we're asleep, on the things we were doing during that day, especially - and here's where I think the whole human brain thing is utter MAGIC - on the things we found difficult.

So, if you focus on the things you find difficult today, chances are your brain will rehearse them when you go to sleep tonight. Isn't that fantastic?

Gah - 've just realised. This means I should spend my day doing maths and chemistry and physics.... Noooooo!

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Over at lovely Iffath's place at lovereadingx - join us there.

FILMS ABOUT FATE + LUISA PLAJA VISITS

2010-05-17T08:30:00.000+01:00

Today, I'm over at Chicklish talking about five films that feature chance, luck or fate. Thanks to Luisa Plaja for inviting me!

Meanwhile, since Luisa has a book of her own out, I thought I'd get her to guest for me here. After all, you're probably sick of hearing from me now. No, no, I hear you say...

Over to Luisa:

Diary of a Random Writer
by Luisa Plaja, author of teen novels including Swapped by a Kiss – out now!

"The premise of Nicola Morgan’s Wasted has somehow reminded me of the blog I used to keep back in 2006, when I was an unpublished dreamer with two small children and very little time to write. To get myself in the right mood for writing as quickly as possible, I’d pick a word at random from one of my dictionaries. I’d free-write about something – anything – that popped into my head to do with that word. My one constraint was that I had to write for an imaginary audience. Then I’d post the results on my blog (which did have a real-life audience, but a tiny one.) After that, I’d usually find I was in the right frame of mind to get stuck into the novel, even if it was only for a few minutes. I’d also find that the random word exercise would influence my writing, which was no bad thing. I wrote the first draft of my second novel (Extreme Kissing) almost entirely using the random method, although I used a pile of teen magazines for that instead of a dictionary. It needed a lot of editing afterwards, but it was fun.
In the hopes of showing that this can be an exercise worth doing, even when time is short, here are a few of the old entries from my ‘Random Word’ blog.

***

Date: 11th January
Subject: Keeping it Surreal
Random Word: 'shake'.
OK. I was shaken awake this morning with a little voice screaming in my ear. "My flannel, mummy, my flannel!" It was my 21-month-old, thankfully back to health at last, but obviously having had a bad dream about someone taking her flannel, which has a picture of a fish on it and is firmly and resolutely HERS. Nobody touches my little girl's flannel, no way no how. I can understand anxiety dreams about flannels, though. I have similar ones about my manuscript. Anyway, I'm exhausted because this happened after a night of being woken up a few times by my son, who was also having bad dreams. "If dinosaurs try to eat me in the night -" "That won’t happen. There are no dinosaurs anymore. They're extinct." "Yes yes, they're ess-tint, but IF they try to eat me, I won't let them. I'll throw my cars at them." "Good. You do that. Go back to sleep." "But mummy, if dinosaurs try to eat YOU, what will you do? You haven't got cars in your room, mummy. What will you DO?"

When you have a baby you think nothing could possibly shake up your life as much ever again, and maybe that's true, but as they grow they seem to keep right on shakin' in lots of little ways.

Date: 2nd February
Subject: I am unwordy
Random Word: 'drain'. So... I used to be a lexicographer. I wrote dictionary definitions for a living. I’d spend my time poring over thousands of examples of word usage, trying to pin words down with only other words as tools. Working on 'S' was exhausting. It's a big letter. 'B' was mostly a cheery letter - those were happy days. 'D' was a bit depressing - many more 'dis-' words than 'delight'. The worst letter was probably 'U'. We all got stuck for days in a swamp of words beginning with 'un', finding ourselves getting more and more negative by the day. But nothing beat the heady days of working on an idioms dictionary, and working out the difference between phrases like 'laughing your head off' and 'laughing like a drain'. My colleagues and I had to try it out loud en masse, just for the sake of accuracy. If you're feeling down at all, I'd recommend it. Laugh like a drain. Do it now! Just don't laugh your head off, OK?

Date: 10th Feburary
Subject: Child-led editing
Random Word: 'involve'. I've found that the only way to do anything at all with kids around is to involve them. My boy is very good at dusting and my girl sweeps the floor, all Cinderella-like. (Yes, wearing rags and everything.) In fact, they do it better than I ever could, I'm sure. My kids can wash vegetables so well that they need a complete change of clothes afterwards. I was wondering whether, today, my children might try some new, fun activities. For example, I'll read out a page of my manuscript and they'll comment, reminding me that I've already said 'smile' twice in that paragraph and isn't Jake behaving a little out of character? I wonder if this could work with pre-schoolers, or whether it would result in the wordy equivalent of water all over the floor?

Date: 16th February
Subject: Empty mailbox
Random Word: 'empty'. Here's a conversation from the breakfast table.
ME: I can't believe I've been asleep for six whole HOURS, on and off, and not one person has sent me an email.
HIM: (Weary) Hmm.
ME: I mean, what's the point of friends in different time zones if they're not going to send me emails while I'm asleep?
HIM: Mmm.
ME: You know?
HIM: Mm.
ME: I didn't even get any junk mail. Hey, can you imagine when the REAL post arrives and my big brown envelope is there with my manuscript in it? I'm going to be so upset, I'm not even going to want to look at it!
HIM: But you never know...
ME: What? If it's a fat brown self-addressed envelope, it can only be one thing.
HIM: Not necessarily. It could be stuffed with money. And a note saying, "We've kept your manuscript, here is your payment."
ME: Do you think?
HIM: Definitely. In unmarked notes. Hundred pound notes.
ME (hopeful): Or maybe pages of letters from people who've read it and loved it?
HIM (nodding): Who knows?
ME: I think I'm looking forward to seeing that envelope now. (RUNS OFF TO CHECK WHETHER POST HAS ARRIVED)
My empty mailbox is full of possibilities.

Date: 24th February
Subject: Rambling Cupid
Random Word: 'ramble'. Instead of writing some anecdote about a ramble, I think I'll just ramble a bit. I should be able to manage that. I like a good ramble. (With words, I mean. Not so sure about walking.) Oh. But my son just came in and told me about a friend of his having a girlfriend. (They're four years old.) So I asked if he had a girlfriend, and he said no. "First you have to get an arrow in your bottom," he informed me, "and then you fall in love. So that's how it works." And now I really can't think of anything to ramble about. Cupid has struck me speechless.

***

I don’t blog anymore – unless you count Chicklish, the teen fiction site I edit, where you can find Nicola Morgan’s guest post today. I still sometimes kick-start my writing in a similar random way, though. I highly recommend it.

P.S. The big brown envelope never arrived. Instead, I was offered representation and eventually a book deal. Dinosaurs never invaded my son’s bedroom though he still has a car or two by his bed, and my daughter’s flannel is lying forlorn and forgotten in the bathroom cupboard. I retain the ability to laugh like a drain.

Luisa Plaja’s latest teen novel is Swapped by a Kiss, published by Random House Children’s Books and available from all bookshops.

***

ME AGAIN: Thanks, Luisa! That was fascinating. I love the idea of the random word prompts. And it fits with the ideas behind Wasted, that it's the tiny things we do that make the difference, in unpredictable ways.

And now, follow me over to Chicklish where I (or possibly my film-mad daughter) talk about films that you might like if you like the idea of randomness and chance. (Is there any such thing as either??)

DOES RANDOMNESS EXIST - RANDOM PRIZE DRAW!

2010-05-16T11:09:00.002+01:00

What is randomness? We take it to mean something like "without physical cause or mechanical explanation". We say, for example, that tossing a coin or rolling dice shows randomness, but it actually doesn't. Because, as Jack knows, the coin lands one way or the other depending on physical reasons. Just because we can't see them, doesn't mean they're not there.

When I was at university I was a member of the Psychic Research Society, and our aim was to set out to try to prove or disprove, find evidence for or against, various supernatural phenomena, such as ghosts or clairvoyance. We even tried to test a ouija board. "Amazingly", we did get some actual answers from the ouija board - the glass really did move around and spell out letters.

Erm, actually it wasn't that amazing. I know perfectly well that someone round that table was making it move. How do I know? Well, it was me. I just couldn't help myself. (Which you might call being possessed but I'd call just being a trouble-maker.) And if it hadn't been me it would have been someone else.

Anyway, forget ouija boards. And don't mess around with them - either there'll be some idiot like me trying to freak everyone out, or nothing will happen, or something will happen which you won't be able to explain.

So, what's this got to do with randomness? For various bits of scientific research we had to find a way to generate random numbers. So that we could make sure psychology didn't come into it and it was pure unbiased science. Now, I am no mathematician - trust me - and I thought it would be easy: you could maybe stick a pin in a list, blind-folded; or you could ask a computer to generate "any old numbers"; or you could write numbers on bits of paper, throw them in the air and see which landed face up. Or something.

But the clever people explained to me that those methods would not create true randomness. All those things are like tossing a coin: they depend on physical cuases, not randomness. Unless we redefine randomness to include quantum uncertainty, but I don't know how that would work and I certainly didn't know about quantum mechanics then. (Not much new there.)

Now, frankly, I became very bored with this and pretty much gave up and left the Psychic Research Soc. But it did get me thinking about randomness, in a vaguely interested way. I never came to any conclusions and I'd quite like to know what you clever mathsy people think.

Meanwhile, let's apply some pseudo-randomness and let's have a competition. If you'd like to win a signed copy of one of my books (sent anywhere in the world because I've had a good day and am feeling happy), simply add a comment below, with your name. Then, suggest how I will apply some kind of randomness to picking a winner. There's no prize for the person who gives me the best suggestion but I will then apply it and we'll see whose name wins the book!

Deadline 30th May.

HELEN's STORY - LUCKY OR UNLUCKY?

2010-05-15T08:18:00.002+01:00

I've been asking for your stories of chance events and how tiny unpredicted decisions have affected your lives. You've sent me loads of great ones and some are already on the blog. I have one for you here, sent by Helen Hunt, which is very chilling. It's also incredibly similar to something that happened to me last year.

Helen's story:

It was a Friday afternoon, a few years ago now. I was at work and knew I had a long journey down the motorway to get home. It was winter, so it was dark and it was also pouring with rain.

As anyone who has read ‘Wasted’ will know, the exact time you set off on a journey can have huge repercussions on the outcome of that journey. So when a colleague came to discuss a work-related problem with me, things could have gone in one of two ways.

I could have said, ‘You know what, it’s Friday, it’s late and I’ve got a long journey home. Let’s discuss this on Monday morning.’

But it was quite a serious problem. So I didn’t say that. I decided to stay and discuss the problem and decide a course of action. I left the office nearly an hour later than usual and set off down the motorway for home.

I have no idea what sort of day everyone else on the motorway had been having. Maybe some of them were running late as well. Maybe that had an effect on what happened next.

My car shouldn’t have been on the exact stretch of motorway a lorry driver decided to pull over on to without looking. But it was. I should have been sitting safely at home with a cup of coffee. But I wasn’t.

As my car bounced off the lorry into the path of a car in the fast lane, then did a 180 degree turn which sent me skidding across three lanes of traffic and finally left me in the fast lane facing the wrong way, I was convinced I was going to die.

The phrase ‘lucky to be alive’ is an interesting one. Yes, I was lucky that none of the other vehicles hit me, lucky that the driver of the car coming towards me in the fast lane was able to stop and lucky that I walked away without a scratch. But surely more ‘lucky’ would have been not being there at all?

At any point from when the lorry hit me, to when my car ran out of steam and stopped of its own accord, something could have happened which would have resulted in me being killed. For many weeks afterwards, I felt like I was living in one of two parallel universes. As I walked around my house I couldn’t shake the feeling that I shouldn’t really be there because in that other universe, that alternative reality, I was dead.

I so know how Helen felt. It took me quite a while to get over what happened to me. In my case, our car was hit by a lorry and ended up at the very tiny end of the tapering bit between two motorways, with cars whizzing past on both sides. I thought one must surely hit us, and that we wouldn't survive.

But Helen's point about whether we call it lucky or unlucky is very interesting, and one of the things that crops up in Wasted. Jack thinks that Jess was lucky not to have been seriously damaged when her drink was spiked but what he doesn't know (but we do) is how in fact she was very unlucky that the drink was spiked in the first place.

We don't know half the things that nearly happen to us. If we'd gone down that street instead of the one we did, something bad might have happened. We'll never know.

One thing's for sure: when something like Helen's story happens to us, it does make us think, for a while, about just how lucky we are. But I think we need to keep a lid on those thoughts and don't let them have too much air or too often: other than that we just need to get on and enjoy our lives, grabbing every opportunity, believing in free will and throw ourselves at life with enthusiasm. This is not a rehearsal.

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? I'm delighted to be over at the blog of Catherine Hughes, though I can't remember what I said. Catherine is an example of luck for me: I haven't met her in real life, though I'm going to very soon, but I "met" her through blogging, from ther very early days of my Help! I Need a Publisher! blog. Catherine is now my assistant, and very amazing she is too. I count myself very lucky to have found her. Anyway, she has two blogs, that one about her life and thoughts as a writer and another one about her daily fight against what life throws at her. Go follow both!

ALSO, THERE'S A GREAT COMP TO WIN A COPY over at Sammee's I Want To Read That blog. Sammee works in a bookshop and she loves YA books especially - do head over there and try your luck at winning a copy.

VISIT TO GEORGE WATSON'S COLLEGE + SCRIBBLING SEASERPENT

2010-05-14T08:18:00.004+01:00

Two different things for you today. First, a big thank you to the S1 pupils of George Watson's College where I went on Tuesday. Actually, I need to tell you about this event, as it was pretty special. For me, anyway.

It was the first time I'd stood up in public and talked about Wasted. I didn't know how it would go or what I would say. Well, thanks to the pupils, it was amazing and if ever I had worried about whether this book would really grab teenagers, I suddenly realised the truth: this book would absolutely grab them.

Near the beginning, I asked them a question. I'd never asked this before and I had no idea what would happen. My question was, "How many of you know how your parents met?" More than half put their hands up. And then I asked if anyone would like to tell us what happened.

The first one was the most perfect example of what I wanted to talk about. The boy's father had been on a plane and his mother was the stewardess. He had asked for some water and she'd brought it to him. Love at first sight! I asked the boy, if his father hadn't been on that plane or his mother hadn't been the stewardess on duty, what would that mean for him? "I wouldn't exist." Bingo!

Then lots of others chimed in with stories, all different, all fascinating, all relevant, and we thought for a bit about that unthinkable thing: not existing.

I then moved them on to my next question. "Imagine you were walking along the street and a piece of roof tile or a slate or a piece of masonry fell off and landed at your feet. If you'd been a few centimetres further on, it would have hit you." I was about to ask them how they'd feel, but I could just see them all nodding and then a load of hands went up. They told me stories, unasked, of chilling things that had happened to them, near misses, car crashes that they should have been in, times when they were babies when they should have died; they talked about their parents never forgetting the moments when something bad nearly happened; they showed insight and fascination; they were excited by their stories, by the thought of how lucky they were; but it was scary to think about, too, and often quite moving.

I was also aware, very aware, that there could be someone in the room who had an example of very bad luck - any of them could, for example, know someone who'd died very unluckily; they could have lost a parent, or friend, or sibling. I am aware of that and am ready to deal with it; I will be sensitive, but I am also talking about real life and the world we all have to live in

I told them about how we all think about these things sometimes, but that it can screw us up if we think too much about "what ifs": we have to let the what ifs stay in a safe place inside us; we have to get on with our lives without thinking too much. And then I told them about Jack in Wasted, and what happened to his mothers and how it messes with his mind.

We talked about fortune-tellers and I told them the Oedipus story - they laughed at the bit where he pokes his eyes out with a stick...

And then they asked questions and were lovely. But two other important things happened - first, masses of them bought Wasted. I'd been talking about Deathwatch and Fleshmarket too, which are my usual good sellers, but no, they wanted Wasted. And that made me happy not because it means I earn a few pence, but because it proved to me that there was a point to my writing it.

Secondly, when I got home, I found 22 - twenty-two! - entries to my Flash Fiction competition on this blog. The wonderful English teacher had immediately taken me up on the suggestion that they have a shot and she must have used the English lesson that afternoon to talk about flash fiction. Good for her, I say! THAT's what school talks are meant to do - not tick boxes and make the government happy. They are meant to engage teachers and most of all, pupils.

So, thank you, George Watson's College, and well done for your amazing, varied and talented entries. And thank you to the fab librarian, Jane Shankland, for inviting me.

********

And second, I am bringing you a wonderful true story from Kate Kelly, about how she once used a dart to make a decision in just the same way as Jack uses a coin. Kate has a blog and, by pure chance (or not) I am over there today doing an interview. So, read her story below and then hop on over and get to know Kate, too. Oh, and Kate did a lovely review of Wasted here.

Kate's Story:

The toss of a coin or the throw of a dart

I'm not normally one for spur of the moment decisions, or acting on the toss of a coin. I'm too logical I guess, probably something to do with being a scientist by trade. But there was one time, many years ago, when I made a decision based on the throw of a dart.

I was a simple scenario, four skint students in a flat in Dundee, and a few weeks left before the start of term, the summer drawing to a close. Our various vacation jobs had come to an end, and we wanted to take off into the Highlands for a spot of hill walking. The only problem was, we couldn't agree where.

I wanted to go to Skye and 'do' the Ridge. Rob reckoned the walking around Glencoe was our best option. Jackie didn't want to go any further than the Cairngorms whilst Hamish was determined that we should go to Islay - but we all knew that he really only wanted the check out the distilleries.

And so we decided to plan our holiday on the throw of a dart.

Rob pinned a map of Scotland to the wall of the living room and we each took aim.

Well Hamish's landed somewhere in England, much to his disgust, and mine landed in the middle of the North Sea, so that was a bit of a non starter too. Rob missed the map completely, his dart jutting, wobbling out from the wallpaper, before dropping to the carpet with a thud.

Only Jackie's found its mark.

We crept closer to the map and peered at the point of her dart, and just to the side of it was the name of a place.

"Poolewe," said Jackie. "Guess that's where we're going camping."

And so we did.

To the north of Poolewe we found a wide raised beach where we pitched our tents. In front of us was a beautiful sandy beach and the sea stretching out in a wide bay. There was a pub in the village and we found a nearby spring with sweet fresh water. We cooked our sausages on an open fire and drank beer into the early hours. The sea breeze kept the midges away, but the best thing about this raised beach was that there was nobody else there.

A magical place we would never have found if it hadn't been for the throw of a dart. In fact, some years later I took my husband back there and it was still just as lovely and just as deserted, just as magic.

READ AND BE SPOOKED

2010-05-13T08:05:00.004+01:00

After I blogged about fortune-telling and Fantastic Farantella at the weekend, a reader sent me an amazing story. She doesn't know how to explain it and she's not saying it proves anything. I also don't know how to explain it. It doesn't shake my conviction that the future isn't like this, but I still don't know how to explain it. If I didn't respect the person who gave me the story, I'd say that there was a degree of mis-remembering, but I can't really say that. But I do think that when we tell stories, even when we tell true stories, we tell them in a way that sometimes does what magicians do: makes you focus on the bit the magician wants you to see by hiding the rest. When a fortune-teller tells something that turns out to be true, I want to know how many times they have turned out not to be true.

However, this is indeed a remarkable story and I believe that the teller is telling it honestly.

I'd love to know what you think. More to the point, in view of the Oedipus story I talked about yesterday, what would have happened if the clairvoyant in this story had actually told the girl and the girl had told her brother not to get out of bed?

Now that is the really interesting question, in my view.

Here is the story, exactly as told to me:

As a postgraduate student from Australia I lived in an international student hall of residence in London. One Sunday afternoon a Chinese friend invited a number of us to afternoon tea in her room. This was because she had an Indian friend visiting from Singapore. Su had already told us that her friend Parimala had a reputation for being able to ‘see the future’.

About nine of us sat (rather like sardines) drinking cups of tea and chatting for sometime before someone inevitably asked if Parimala was going to tell our fortunes. Although the others seemed eager and even light hearted about this it made me feel very uncomfortable. I therefore just said, “Thankyou but I would rather not know.”

Parimala gave me a rather odd look but she accepted it without comment. She then proceeded to go around the other girls in the room until she came to an American student. She was silent for a moment and then shook her head and said, “I’m sorry. I can’t tell you anything.” The other students seemed to find this rather amusing but I sensed Parimala was feeling uncomfortable too.

A little later the party broke up but I stayed behind for a moment because Su wanted me to look at something. When all the other students had gone Parimala closed the door quietly and said,
“I could not tell her anything because her brother will be killed in an accident riding his motorbike tomorrow.”
Parimala had never met the American before and knew nothing about her family. I don’t believe any of us were aware that the girl had a brother or that he rode a motorbike.

She looked at me again and asked, “Did you know too?”

I shook my head and said, “No. I just felt very uncomfortable.” I felt I could not tell her that I did not believe it was possible to foretell the future.

I still felt uncomfortable but my extreme discomfort lifted with the knowledge she had given me.

There was a telephone call the next morning to say that the American girl’s brother had been killed riding his motorbike along a highway in South America.

I have no explanation for this, nor have I had another experience like it.

So, what do you think?

I should stress, by the way, especially for the benefit of younger readers who might be very spooked by this: I personally don't believe that the future is laid down in this way. I don't believe that it was inevitable that the brother would be killed by a motor-bike. And I do not recommend that you ever go to a fortune-teller if you even believe a little bit. I have no explanation for this story but I do know how many fortune-tellers and apparent psychics often appear to get things right. They also very often get things wrong....

Meanwhile, don't forget to enter Farantella's competition. All you have to do is guess! By the skill of my psychic powers, I predict that someone will win...

SMILE AND THE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU

2010-05-12T08:00:00.001+01:00

Recently, I talked about Richard Wiseman and his book The Luck Factor. Well, Richard has written other books on psychology and how to get the most out of life. One of them, a fascinating one, is called 59 Seconds: Think a little, change a lot.

He gives quick and very simple ways of drawing success towards us and he explains the psychology behind each. And if we think that success is at least partly about luck, then he shows that we make our own success and luck. Which is what Jack thinks in Wasted, though for different reasons.

I want to tell you one of the fascinating bits in 59 Seconds. It suggests that if you smile, the world smiles with you. In other words, people are more likely to help you, like you and respond well to you if you smile. Actually, that's not what Wiseman says - he says put a picture of a cute, smiley baby in your wallet if you want your wallet returned to you when it's lost!

Let me explain about the baby and the wallet.

Wiseman wanted to discover the best way to ensure that a lost wallet was returned. What would be the best thing to put inside it? He bought 240 wallets and "filled them with the same set of everyday items, including raffle tickets, discount vouchers and fake membership cards."

He also added one of four photos to some wallets. Forty wallets got a photo of a smiling baby, forty got a puppy, forty a happy family and forty a contented elderly couple. Forty more wallets got a card saying the owener had contributed to charity. And forty got no extra item. All the wallets were then randomly dropped in public places around Edinburgh .

A week later, 52 wallets had been returned. And these were the results:

no extra item - 6%
charity card - 8%
elderly couple photo - 11%
puppy - 19%
happy family - 21%
smiling baby - 35%

So, smile like a baby and people will help you?? Well, OK, not quite as simple as that. But it does suggest something about luck, because surely having your wallet returned when you've dropped it is a matter of luck? That's what you'd say, isn't it? "Yay, I was lucky to have my purse returned."

The thing is that we think of luck as being something we can't affect. But luck is often about whether other people choose to help us and what we do can make a difference to how people treat us. Being endearing, smiling and unthreatening, could make people more likely to be on your side.

Obviously, I'm not suggesting you go round sucking your thumb or making cooing baby noises, but we can still think about ways to make our faces soft, open, friendly, and happy, when we want to influence people in our direction.

My problem is with photos - I CANNOT smile nicely in photos.

Meanwhile, I recommend 59 Seconds to you and suggest you follow Richard on Twitter - he is @RichardWiseman Oh, and tell him I sent you.

THE WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Over with Claire Marriot at The View From My Garret. Join us there. She did a fab review of Wasted, too.

In real life, I'm at George Watson's College doing a school event for some S1 pupils (Year 8 if you're English). I will report!!

THE OEDIPUS PUZZLE

2010-05-11T08:28:00.002+01:00

The Oedipus story is an important Greek myth and is a story that really annoys Jack. And me!

Today I'm over at Lucy Coats's fab blog talking about it - do go there and read the story. Does it annoy you, too? It a very frightening story if you believe it. So I don't.

Jack hates the story because it tries to show the powerlessness of human beings to avoid their fate. He says,

"It tangles me up – like, if he’d never been told he was going to kill his father and marry his mother, he’d never have done it, and yet it was only trying to avoid it that made it all come true. If he’d ignored it he’d have been fine. I hate that story. It’s … I don’t know … cruel. It gives us no power or choice at all. Just makes everything pointless."

Jack doesn't believe in Fate (quite rightly, in my view). He wants to believe in free will - the idea that we make choices of our own. We all need to believe in free will, no matter how philosophers and scientists try to prove to us that it's impossible.

I hate the Oedipus story because it proves nothing. It hangs on a ridiculous coincidence which you'd only believe if you believed that everything was laid down. It claims to show that we cannot escape our fate, but there is no such thing as fate.

"For nothing is decided. The Oedipus story is an exercise in thought, a nonsense story not of the real world. And the only way to deal with it is not to believe it. Same with Farantella the Fortune-teller: if you believe her, you are doomed. If things turn out to fit with her prediction, it will only be a coincidence."

"The prophet who messed up Oedipus’s life was doubtless also wrong very often, and it’s a shame Oedipus’s parents didn’t guess that."

As far as I'm concerned, since you cannot know the future, for reasons to do with chaos, the butterfly effect and quantum physics, a story based on knowing the future is just that: a story, not of the real world. Of course, I love stories, even ones that are not of the real world, and we can derive meaning from them. But the thing about this story is that we're supposed to read a real-world truth into it. It wouldn't annoy me if it didn't seem to have such power. It's a false power. It makes us worry about the wrong things.

So, read the Oedipus story as a myth, not a story of power. It has no power except to tangle and cause fear. And I strongly recommend that you only have your fortune told if you don't believe in such nonsense. As Jack and Jess discover in Wasted, "the only way to deal with it is not to believe it."

Thanks to Lucy for inviting me onto her blog for the day. Do go and comment there, too. She has loads of interesting stuff about writing and also her pet expert subject: myths.

FANTASTIC FARANTELLA COMPETITION

2010-05-10T08:01:00.003+01:00

Did you read about Fantastic Farantella yesterday? If not, go here.

AND NOW: COMPETITION TIME!

I’ll give a signed copy to the (UK resident) winner of the following competition. All correct answers will be put in a hat and I’ll draw the winner at random on May 30th. If you live outside the UK, you can nominate a UK resident to receive your prize.

Farantella is not her real name. Her real name is given in the book so you can either find a copy or guess. Here are your choices:

A. Maureen
B. Noreen
C. Doreen

To enter, add your guess to the comments below - just say your answer and give a brief reason why I should pick you if you get the answer right! I want to be amused, entertained, surpised or all three. Flattery will also help. I'm only human.

Deadline is May 30th, midday UK time.

Good luck! (Though of course, only one person will actually have good luck... Why do we always says "good luck everyone" when only one person can win???)

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Over at Seven Miles of Steel Thistles, talking about luck in publishing. Join me there on Kath Langrish's great blog.

FANTASTIC FARANTELLA THE FAMOUS FORTUNE-TELLER

2010-05-09T09:00:00.008+01:00

Fantastic Farantella the Famous Fairground Fortune-Teller

Your Future Foretold for a Fiver:

She Can See It Coming!

I had such fun writing this scene. It’s funny but sinister at the same time.

Jack and Jess are in a fairground, running from some lads who want revenge. The only place they can hide is a fortune-teller’s caravan. But Fantastic Farantella is on her tea / cigarette-break and is not best pleased to have her smoke interrupted. Eventually, they persuade her to tell their fortune.

Farantella sits down at the table and signals to them to sit, beckoning with a swooping, dramatic arm. She slowly drapes something like a piece of net curtain over her head and pulls a crystal ball from under the table, sets it on a saucer covered in crumpled tin foil and finds the plastic switch on the side. The ball starts to moan and glow. Jess feels Jack begin to shake with laughter and she
refuses to look at him.

Fantastic Farantella closes her eyes. A hum comes from her nose, vibrating. It goes on for a long time, but then Farantella starts coughing. She takes a slug of tea. Opens her eyes.

Stares at them both. They stare back, wide-eyed, every muscle frozen to trap the laughter. “You are drawn together,” she says, in a drony voice. “Am I right?”

They nod. Well, it’s hardly rocket science. She’ll need to do better than that.

Farantella’s hands are hovering above the crystal ball. It stops moaning, begins buzzing and then the light goes off.

“Bugger,” says Farantella. “I knew that was going to happen.”

So, FF gets a new battery for the plastic ball and then tries again. But she can’t seem to get any vibes. And she really needs a cigarette. She keeps trying but Jack and Jess are not that interested any more, since they know that the lads who were chasing them have gone. Jack teases FF that it’s really just a bit of a joke anyway and FF gets quite narked with him and is determined to prove him wrong. She asks them to give her something close to each of them and she’ll see if she can get some vibes from it. Jack gives her his lucky coin – the one he plays the Game with. Up till this point, the scene has been comical, light-hearted. That’s all about to change.

Jess and Jack watch carefully, thinking she may have a secret talent for disappearing tricks even if she’s rubbish at telling fortunes.

For a few long moments the scene goes still. We can look down on them and see the dark red room with the tacky glowing crystal ball moaning away on its new battery. There’s the incense swirling, the mug of tea, Farantella with her net curtain. The distant sounds of the fairground are still outside and we have no idea where Simon and Joe are but we don’t have to worry about them just now. There’s a Post-it note reminding Farantella that she has a dentist’s appointment tomorrow.

And into this unlikely setting, a sinister spirit enters. If we believe in such things. Or if we don’t, then something else we can’t rightly explain. Jess shivers. Jack finds her hand. For some reason, they do not feel like laughing now. Both of them stare at Farantella. Her eyes are screwed shut but suddenly across her face flies something that clutches at her, twisting the muscles of her mouth. She bends forward quickly, her shoulders hunching.

A small noise slips from her mouth. Or the noise could come from somewhere else – it is hard to say. It is the noise a spirit would make. If such things existed. It is the noise that the future would make, if it squeezed through a gap in the skin of time.

Shivery. Well, I shivered.

Have you ever had your fortune told? Would you, for a laugh? But what if you were told something important? Something bad. Would you believe it? Even a little bit?

Fantastic Farantella gives Jack and Jess a sinister warning. The rest of Wasted hinges on whether they (and you) believe the warning or whether, when aspects of it turn out to be true, you decide that the truth was merely coincidence. Or whether perhaps Farantella had a more mysterious power than even she thought.

Come back tomorrow for a light-hearted competition to do with Fantastic Farantella...

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Nowhere! resting. But thrilled to see that there are so many 5-star reviews on Amazon. I think some of them were written by readers of this blog so thank you very, very much. You are very kind to take the trouble.

Also, Amanda Craig did a great review in the Times yesterday. This means that even my parents might think I'm doing ok...

CHAOS and BUTTERFLIES

2010-05-08T08:30:00.023+01:00

The Butterfly Effect

Scientist Edward Lorenz was obsessed by the weather. He thought that if you could know all the factors that would effect it, you could predict the weather because each element of it must be caused by something else before it. Nothing, he thought, just happens - everything happens because of something. And if you knew the something, you could work out what would happen.

So in 1960 (I think - roughly, anyway) he created a computer simulation of the weather and, sure enough, he saw that the weather did consist of repeated patterns. Complicated, yes, but patterns nevertheless. He learnt that if a particular pattern happened, it would be followed by a predicted pattern.

Thing is, he noticed that the patterns were never exactly the same. There was a degree of unpredictability. Even when you knew all the weather conditions (because you'd put them into the computer), tiny differences at one point would create huge unpredictable differences later on. He then discovered some weirdnesses to do with tiny fractions of numbers and this led him to the conclusion that long-term weather-forecasting was impossible. However much we knew about weather, we would never be able to predict it further than a short way ahead, because the things that might affect it were so small that they could never be known.

This discovery became known as the Butterfly Effect - because it suggests that if a butterfly flaps its wings in California (for example), this can contribute unpredictably to changes in the weather in Nebraska, and in theory bring about a hurricane.

It forms the basis of chaos theory - that tiny changes or inaccuracies will multiply and multiply and produce totally unpredictable effects.

Lots of films and books have used aspects of this idea, and Wasted is now one of them! But I didn't know any of this when I began to play with the ideas. I was a philosophy student when I came across causal determinism (the idea that each event is caused by one before it), and I certainly knew no physics. Ask my old teachers if you don't believe me...

Here are some films that use the idea of the Butterfly Effect in some form:

It's a Wonderful Life - where snow falling or not falling makes a difference to whether a character is born or not, affecting the lives of thousands of people.

The Butterfly Effect - duh.

A Sound of Thunder based on a short story of that name by Ray Bradbury. Read the review to see the point of all this stuff.

And then of course, there was Jurassic Park, where the mathematician character played by Jeff Goldblum is obsessed by the butterfly effect, to the extent that this is probably why most non-sciencey people like me know about it (though that film portrayed it over-simply and most of us misunderstood it...)

One of the best books I've read about Chaos theory, which includes a great explanation of Lorenz's discovery, is Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick.

Although I was useless at physics at school, for a while I did become quite obsessed by stuff to do with chaos and quantum mechanics, randomness and Brownian motion. I can't say that I ever fully understood it but I don't believe we have to understand something fully to find it fascinating and beautiful. And sometimes the meanings that we extract may not contribute to science but they feed creative ideas. So, even if I have mostly misunderstood the physics, I still stand by the thoughts that this misunderstanding led me to.

But I'm verrrrry glad I don't actually have to do the mathsy stuff that people like Edward Lorenz had to do. I'm very happy to leave that to the experts and just use my imagination to write a novel.

THE WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Over with Sasha at The Sweet Bonjour. Join us there!

And don't forget to enter the Flash Fiction comp if you enjoy writing (lots of adult entries so far but VERY few school-age ones - please pass the message to any teenagers you know) and the easy Guess the Name one. And tell me your own stories of chance here.

ALTERNATIVE REALITIES IN WASTED

2010-05-07T08:47:00.001+01:00

ALTERNATIVE REALITIES

Twice in the book we come to a knife-edge situation and I write two versions, tossing the coin as to which way the story goes.

One of them involves the famous pigeon scene and a car that crashes... or doesn't.

In the other one, Jess and Jack are in a night-club. It's their first date and they're not really concentrating on what they should be concentrating on - such as, could someone be about to spike their drink??? Someone with a real motive to do harm.

HEADS

In this version, another girl, Marianne, gets past the bouncers into the bar. She gets chatting to Jess and Jack's friends, Chris and Ella, so they don't see Jess's drink being spiked and don't warn her.

TAILS

In this version, the bouncer is distracted and decides not to let Marianne in. (She's under age). So Chris and Ella are not distracted and they DO see Jess's drink being spiked, so they warn her.

Then, I tossed a coin and one of those becomes reality in the book and the other vanishes.

Now, I'd like YOU to toss a coin. Be careful: you could change Jack and Jess's life. You have to go with the result. I wonder if you get the same result as I did? (You'll have to read the book to find out, because I can't spoil it for you now!)

When you read the book and discover what happens in my version, I'd like you to think about how the story might have gone if I'd got the opposite result. If you were the author, how would you have taken the story forward?

Even if you haven't read it yet, you could still toss a coin and write the night-club / drink-spiking scene as YOU imagine it.

Anyway, back to the story: Jess's future depends on whether that bouncer lets Marianne in. I thought you'd like to read the bit where he is trying to decide:

"So he flicks through the pages to find one with tourist stamps. There are a lot of stamps – this is a girl who has travelled. Or, if it’s not hers, the owner of the passport has. He can probably catch her out. On the other hand, can he be bothered? He’s turned away a load of people that night, done his job.

No, he will – he’ll trap her. Might as well. He opens his mouth to ask her the first question. But at that very moment there is a noise over her shoulder and he looks up. It’s a group of boys, rich kids, noisily pushing into the queue. They could be about to cause trouble. The other people in the queue are not happy. His colleague has just gone to the toilet, so he’s on his own. For a moment, he hesitates. It could go either way.

But you can’t hesitate long in a job like this. You have to make snap decisions.

He decides.

Well, I won't spoil it by telling you whether Jess drinks the spiked drink or not, but you can think about what might have been going through my mind as I tossed the coin. The differences for my story. What I'd have to deal with. And if, as I suggest at the beginning of the book, any god would either play dice or watch the game and laugh, is that maybe what authors do as they write stories? Are we playing god? Are we laughing? Or do we actually find ourselves deeply involved and not at all in control? Do the characters and events in our stories actually control us?

My short answer is: yes to all of that.

WASTED BLOG TOUR: WHERE AM I TODAY? Over at Once Upon a Bookcase with lovely Jo. head over there and join us!

And in real life, I'm back at home, catching up on a million emails and comments.

COMPETITION - GUESS THE NAME!

2010-05-06T08:00:00.002+01:00

Recently, I was doing some sorting and clearing before moving house, and I came across the first notes I made about WASTED. I had forgotten that originally, Jess had a different name.

So, guess the name!

Was Jess originally going to be called:

1. Izzy
2. Josie
3. Laura

How to enter:

email your answer to talkaboutwasted@hotmail.co.uk with the words NAME COMP in the subject-line
on the closing date (May 30th), I will put all correct answers in a box, pick out a lucky winner and announce it on the site
then I'll ask the winner to email me with a postal address (if you're under 18, please get permission for that)

CLOSING DATE: May 30th 2010

THE PRIZE? A signed copy of Wasted OR one of my other books - your choice (as long as it's still in print).

Good luck!

What do you think, by the way? Is Jess a better name than any of those? Do you like the names Jess and Jack? In the comments below, tell me what you think and whether names are important to you in books.Can you think of a book where you've hated the main character's name? My younger daughter had a problem with Hermione in the Harry P books because all the time she was reading the first book she was saying the name wrong in her head - Herm-eye-own!

Comments and questions in the comments box below. Competition answers to the email address, please.

WASTED BLOG TOUR: WHERE AM I TODAY? Nowehere. I thought I was over on fab writer Katherine Langrish's blog, talking about whether you need luck to get published...but we changed the date so I'm there on Monday 10th.)

Physically, I'm on my way back from London today but this evening I'm visiting the teenage reading group of the Cat's Rrar blog, chatting to them about my books. I'll be posting about that on May 13th - and so will the Cat. And somehow, I've got to find time to vote...

THE LUCK FACTOR

2010-05-05T08:00:00.002+01:00

Do you think luck is something you can't control, something that just happens to us?

Apparently not. We affect our own luck, and a great way to understand how is to read psychologist Richard Wiseman's work. His book, The Luck Factor: The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind, "reveals the four scientific principles of luck - and how you can use them to change your life."

Wiseman conducted research into people who considered themselves very lucky and those who believed they were very unlucky. He wanted to see if it was just luck or if there was something different about their behaviour, anything that could be causing their good or bad luck. Because if we knew what was causing it, perhaps we could change it?

He shows that lucky people share four principles:

they maximize chance opportunities
they listen to "gut feelings"
they expect good fortune
they see the bright side of bad luck

And Wiseman isn't the only person who can tell you about luck being in your control. Here's an article referring toThe Book of Luck, by Heather Summers and Anne Watson.

I told you about John Woods, surely one of the luckiest men alive. If Jack, my character in Wasted, had known about John Woods, he'd probably have been obsessed by him. Well, fine, but I can't see that John Woods did anything apart from be lucky. He didn't make choices which in advance he could say were sensible, could he? Just really lucky.

But there are other aspects of our lives where there are clearly things we should do to attract luck. For example, in jobs, careers, relationships, the experiences of meeting people, if you put yourself in the right situations and go into them positively, you give yourself more chances to be lucky. Whereas if you sit at home, too scared or lazy to do anything, you will miss possible encounters or events that could change your life for the better.

So, Richard Wiseman did a number of experiments to discover why some people may affect their luck - for good or bad. And I thought I'd tell you about one of them, which he relates in The Luck Factor.

He found two people, Martin and Brenda. Martin seemed exceptionally lucky and Brenda exceptionally unlucky. Martin talked about all the good things that happened to him and Brenda seemed to talk only about the unlucky things that happened to her. So, Wiseman set up an experiment, without telling either of them what was going on - they just thought they were going to be interviewed about luck.

A TV crew rigged up hidden cameras outside a coffee shop and Martin and Brenda were asked to go there at two specific times and wait in the coffee shop till someone from the "Luck Project" came to meet them. In the coffee shop were four tables, each with a person sitting there who was secretly involved in the experiment. One was a successful businessman and the others were not. All had to behave the same way.

A £5 note was left on the pavement outside.

When Martin arrived, he saw the £5 note and picked it up. He sat next to the businessman, bought him a coffee and introduced himself. Soon they were chatting.

Later, after Martin had gone, another £5 note was placed outside and they waited for Brenda.

Brenda didn't see the £5 note. In the coffee shop, she did sit next to the businessman, but she didn't say anything.

Later, Wiseman interviewed them about any lucky or unlucky things that had happened that day. Brenda said nothing had happened; Martin talked about the £5 note and the chat with the businessman.

The point, as Wiseman says, is that these two people had exactly the same opportunities for luck that day, but they each behaved differently and so experienced different things.

So, keep your eyes open for £5 notes on the pavement and do take opportunities that arise! You never know what might happen. Martin's life didn't change (or not obviously) after his chat with the businessman, but it might have done. What if he'd been looking for a job? What if the man had been impressd by him and liked him?

Yes, bad and good things happen to us. But we can and do make our own luck.

Good luck!! Or, I should say: grasp those chances that come along, keep your eyes open, be positive and don't let £5 notes pass you by!

BLOG TOUR: WHERE AM I TODAY? I'm over at the Bookette, with a Home and Away feature. You get to peer inside my home, if you want to. It's a bit messy but I did a bit of tidying before the Bookette came...

TELL ME YOUR STORIES OF CHANCE -

2010-05-04T08:00:00.002+01:00

Tell me your stories! How has chance affected your life? Have you had a really unlucky incident, where you were JUST in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or a very lucky escape? Or do you know anyone who has? I'd love to hear - you can tell me in the comment box below.

Read the posts called LUCKIEST MAN ALIVE? and TOMMY ALLSUP's LUCKY ESCAPE to see what I mean. Though I don't expect you'll have anything as dramatic as that!

I've had four lucky escapes do do with car accidents. One where I fell asleep at the wheel and ended up on the other side of the road. But if I'd ended up on the OTHER side of the road, I'd have been dead... And, since I had fallen asleep, I couldn't control which way I went. It literally could have been left or right. Also, what if a car had been behind me in the lane I went into?

On another occasion, we were on the motorway and suddenly decided to take a different road, perhaps because we fancied some lovely scenery. We left the motorway but about ten minutes later we decided it was a mistake because there was a lot of traffic, so we went back onto the motorway. A few miles further on, we came to a bad accident which had just happened. A really bad accident... Now, I can't be sure whether we'd have been involved in it if we hadn't made that short detour, but the timing of it looked very much as though we'd have been just there at the wrong time.

I'm collecting other stories of chance from people I know. Lucy Coats, Kath Langrish and Catherine Hughes have started me off. You can read their stories here. Also, they're writers, so you'll see how amazingly different each writer's approach is to the simple task, "Tell me your stories of chance."

I have also just been sent this one by Claire Marriot, one of the bloggers I'm visiting. Her blog is over at Buckswriter but I just had to bring you her story here. When I read it, I felt my skin shrivelling.

"On the morning of 7 July 2005 I was running late. I’d probably hit the snooze button one too many times but, however it occurred, I found myself hurrying towards the door with my bag slung over one arm and coat over the other, intent on getting the next train into London. Except my front door wouldn’t open.

"Irritated, I put down the bag and tried the lock again. Nothing. I cursed under my breath as I had only had the locks changed a few weeks earlier when I moved into the house. I wiggled the key, pulled on the latch, tried oiling the lock but that door just wasn’t going to budge. I could get out of the back door and into a side alley through my garden gate but I couldn’t lock up behind me if I went out that way and I didn’t want to leave all my new possessions unprotected for the rest of the day. Finally I realised I was going to have to call the locksmith and get him to break me out.

"Really cross now, I called the office and told them I’d be late for our morning meeting. I boiled the kettle and tried to relax, waiting for the locksmith to arrive from the next village. He got there in about 30 minutes and was absolutely astonished at what had happened. The deadbolt had stuck in the locked position and he said he had never seen a new lock fail like that in over 25 years. Scant consolation for me I thought as I paid him and set about gathering up my coat and bag. Then the phone rang…

"It was a colleague from my office telling me that if I hadn’t left home yet I should stay where I was and turn on the TV as something odd was happening with transport in London. I told her I’d ring her back and switched on the morning news. That morning suicide bombers had blown up a London bus and three tube trains, killing 52 passengers and injuring hundreds more. Horrified I watched as the whole city shut down and streams of people, dazed and crying, emerged into the streets – many being carried or helped by passers-by.

"I never made it in to the office that day, we were a government building so the whole place shut down for several days afterwards. I have no way of knowing if I would have been on any of those trains, they weren’t my usual routes but I sometimes went a different way to avoid the crowds. Thankfully none of my colleagues were hurt either, although one had a very near miss. All I do know is that a lock failed on that day, in a very unexpected and unpredictable way, and I was physically prevented from journeying into London.

"Luck, chance, a kindly fate looking out for me? I’m not sure, but things like that certainly make you think."

No decision was involved in Claire's story, and it's small decisions that I'm mostly looking for from you, but nevertheless this is a powerful example of how chance events have huge consequences.

Over to you! And keep them as short as possible, please, otherwise we could end up writing a book between us. Hmm, now there's a thought!

BLOG TOUR: WHERE AM I TODAY? Nowhere. Lounging around at home. In real life, I'm unpacking boxes. Such is the glamour of my life. Tomorrow, I'm over at the Bookette.

PUBLICATION DAY!

2010-05-03T08:00:00.001+01:00

Publication Day! So, what do you think I'll be doing? Opening bunches of hand-tied flowers and drinking champagne? Basking in pleasure?

Not quite. First, I'm presenting the prizes at the Pushkin prizes in Edinburgh. This is a creative writing competition for teenagers in Scotland and Russia and it's a fabulous showcase of young writing talent. I've been judging the competition with the poet Stewart Conn and Jenny Carr from the Scotland-Russia institute and today we present the prizes to the winners, with their families and teachers and lots of important people. All the winners and runners-up will receive a copy of Wasted as well as lots of other books.

Then, I'm leaping into a train to go to London. Oh, you mean for a glittering reception for publication day? Or to Buckingham Palace so that the Queen can personally congratulate me? Er, no. (Thank goodness...) We've bought a flat in London and one of my daughters and I are doing the removal bit tomorrow, with two vans arriving with stuff from storage. So, I will be sleeping on the floor tonight and I may have no internet connection. But I'll have my favourite possession - iphone - so I'll be able to read your comments.

Thank you ALL so much for all your support up to now - today, I'm not bringing you any mind-boggling science or fascinating philosophy, just thanking you for your kind words and hoping you'll stay with me for a while and share your thoughts about the ideas behind the book. If you read Wasted and like it, DO tell your friends, comment on the blog and put a review on Amazon. I really really really do need all the help I can get and I will be grateful to you for ever, if not even longer.

I have been stunned by the response so far and am now even more dreading the first time someone will think (and say) that the book is rubbish. Until that point, I'm thrilled with the Amazon reviews and other online stuff. I happen to know there's a major newspaper review coming up soon, but obviously I don't know what it says. *bites nails*. Trust me when I say that it's not the fact that the reviews have been so positive that I'm so pleased about, but the fact that every single one of them has understood exactly what I was trying to do. It seems to have struck chords and I'm so glad it's not just me who thinks about the world in this weird and wondering way.

Meanwhile, this evening I will raise a small glass of sparkly stuff to you all. By chance - chance rules again - tonight I'm staying with my old friend from university, Karen, and the philosophy stuff in Wasted was what we used to spend hours and hours arguing about. And her daughter is currently at our old college so there'll be lots to talk about.

THE WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY?

Over on the fabulous publishing blog of Jane Smith at How Publishing Really Works. I still haven't met Jane but we've become good friends through our shared desire to strip away the mysteries of publishing and tell it how it is, to help good writers achieve publication. Join me there! (Though I can't remember what I said in the post...)

RISK AND YOUR LIFE

2010-05-02T08:15:00.008+01:00

Taking risks is essential. If we didn't take risks we'd never achieve our potential. After all, applying for a good job or for promotion are both risky: you might fail. Going on stage or singing a solo would be risky: you might mess up. Travelling is risky - but if you don't do it you won't see new things, learn more. Even going on a course, or to an event where you might meet new people, is risky: you might feel embarrassed or left out, or not have anyone to talk to. But taking all those risks would be a good thing because you give yourself more chance of success.

Humans wouldn't have left our caves if we hadn't taken risks. We'd never have crossed oceans, built planes, discovered new technology, if we hadn't taken the risk of failure first.

Even if we want to avoid risk, we can't. Think you'll just stay at home? Well, that's risky, too!

In one year in the UK:

nearly 4000 people died after an accident at home;
650,000 ended up in hospital after colliding with a person or object in the home;
439,000 ended up in hospital after simply walking through their home or garden;
96000 ended up in hospital after being injured while sleeping, relaxing, sitting down.

In one year in the USA, on average:

1 in 400 Americans will have an accident while lying in bed, usually from the headboard collapsing;
130 will die falling out of bed;
1 in 6500 will be injured by a toilet...

So, we can't avoid risk and luckily we mostly don't go round worrying about it. Imagine if we did - we'd soon be nervous wrecks.

At the same time, we have to make decisions about some risks, and we'll all make different decisions based on many aspects of our personalities and circumstances. Some people enjoy more risk than others. And different sorts of risk. Because there are different sorts: there's the physical, thrill-seeking risk of things such as sky-diving (fools!) or the "experience-seeking" risk that makes us like meeting new people, having new experiences. And other sorts, too.

What sort of a risk-raker are you? I wrote about this in my book on the teenage brain - Blame My Brain - and there's a great quiz in that, so you can assess your risk-taking. I'd love to re-print it here, but I can't because I'd need permission from the scientist who allowed me to use it in the book. I'm not very good at telling people to buy my books but Blame My Brain is a really popular one for teenagers and their parents, so I think I can honestly recommend it. (It's actually written for teenagers, but adults keep adopting it and quoting from it - thieves.) It's written to be enjoyed, and is very reassuring for teenagers (and parents) who are stressed or worried, or just interested in what's going on in their brains.

In Wasted, Jack is a big risk-taker, because he throws himself on the mercy of the toss of a coin. What he does when he goes out at night and lets the coin lead him is hugely risky. But that's why he does it: he needs it, emotionally, psychologically.

Me? I'd rather risk the headboard falling on me while I'm "safe" in bed...

Mind you, one huge risk I do take, even though I'm not a big risk-taker, is the risk of writing a book. Have you any idea how risky that is?? After all, people could hate it and tell me so, and then I'd feel awful and ashamed and want to curl up in my bed, EVEN if the headboard might fall on me. Seriously, writing a book is very risky, very exposing, very terrifying.

Quite like sky-diving, really. Which I would NEVER do.

WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? Nowhere! I'm having a rest. But tomorrow, I am over at How Publishing Really Works, invited by my lovely friend Jane Smith. As for where I'll be physically: presenting prizes and speaking in the morning and hopping on a train to London in the afternoon, to prepare to take possession of our new London flat on Tuesday, after much delay and enormous stress. Do watch out for me on twitter if you want to know how that goes... I am @nicolamorgan on Twitter and I'd love to see you there and follow you back.

SCHRÖDINGER'S CAT - VERY WEIRD

2010-05-01T09:00:00.004+01:00

Jack's band is called Schrödinger's Cats. I'd like to tell you why.

It relates, as many of you will realise, to a scientific conundrum commonly called Schrödinger's Cat or The Schrödinger's Cat paradox. It's one of the weirdest things to think about in the whole of physics and philosophy. Hardly anyone really understands it - I certainly don't! - and scientists argue about what it means.

It's called a "thought experiment" because it can't physically be proved. (Luckily for the cat.)

Here's the wikipedia entry.

And here is a nice clear video featuring a scientist with mad hair.

But I prefer this one, because you get to click a button and see whether the cat lives or dies - very like tossing a coin at the end of Wasted.

Confused? You're not alone! You are supposed to be confused. The scientist Niels Bohr said, "If anybody says he can think about quantum physics without getting giddy, that only shows he has not understood the first thing about them." And also, "If quantum mechanics hasn't profoundly shocked you, you haven't understood it yet."

(If you are stumbling on this for the first time, I blogged about quantum mechanics / physics here, and do read the comments, too, because they're very helpful.)

Schrödinger wasn't saying that we have to believe that a cat can be dead and alive at the same time. He was saying that our current understanding of quantum physics suggests that the cat is dead and alive, which doesn't make sense, and either that therefore we haven't yet explained it properly, or that quantum science doesn't follow the rules of the rest of the universe. (Which we know is true - but we want to know what rules it follows.)

But the reason that Jack in Wasted is so interested in Schrödinger's Cat is that it's all about tiny (really tiny, invisible and impossible to observe even with a huge microscope) particles that change just by being observed**. And the idea that nothing is true until it's true. This is my explanation of Schrodinger's Cat - bearing in mind that I'm not a scientist but a philosopher by nature and training. "Everything is possible until it isn't." So, his idea is that if our lives seem ruled by chance (even though they're not - it just seems that way because we can't see or control the causes) then we can CHANGE what happens to us just by thinking about, or watching, or talking about what might happen.

For example, leaving the house five minutes earlier might make a big difference to your life - you might meet someone, or have an accident, or AVOID an accident. (I'm going to talk a lot more about that in later posts and ask you for your stories on May 4th.) Because we can't predict these things we don't bother to think about them - so, we don't think, "Hmmm, if I leave the house five minutes later, this will make a difference." We just leave the house without thinking. But Jack thinks that if we take control of small actions, we will affect our luck. We still won't control luck but we will affect it and feel in control.

**(Though, according to one of the helpful commenters on my recent blog post in the link above, the idea of observation here is not just the act of someone looking, but the measuring, which involves a physical act likely to change the particle. However, this is still why Jack is fascinated and why he calls his band Schrödinger's Cats.))

When I was at university, I studied philosophy, and specifically metaphysics, the discussion of how the world works beyond physics. We talked about truth, reality, knowledge, relativity, and a whole load more. Some of the things you have to puzzle over can drive you nuts! A philosopher can claim to prove that the table in front of you isn't real, which is very disconcerting if you want to put your mug of tea on it. So, you have to live your life as a normal person, and reserve the philosophy for fun. I think it's the same with quantum physics - we have to live our lives ignoring it, and just puzzle about it for fun.

Unless your job is to be a quantum physicist... In which case, I am happy for you to be dead and alive and work out for yourself just how that feels.

I'd love to know if any of you have any thoughts about Schrödinger's Cat, or if you can help me explain it better. But those of you who are serious scientists need to be careful - the rest of us are simple beings and are probably confused enough already...

THE WASTED BLOG TOUR - WHERE AM I TODAY? I am delighted to be over at Mary Hoffman's blog. Mary, aka the Book Maven, is a hugely successful and well-known author for young people and she's been kind enough to support me in lots of ways. Over there I'm talking about how writers ~~prey on~~ make use of the fact that readers can be made to suspend their disbelief; how even rational, sciencey people can, when engrossed in a story by a skilled story-teller, believe what we want them to believe. The reason I was thinking about that when I blogged for Mary is that last night, April 30th, was Walpurgis Night and I was doing an after-dinner speech at the Scottish Arts Club. Head over to Mary's to see what on earth that's got to do with anything!

PS - the speech went really well, though this was definitely the oldest audience I've ever spoken to and, although they were charming and laughed in all the right places, I don't think most of them had a clue what teenage fiction was about or why anyone would bother to write it! Maybe they should read this fabulous piece by one of my blog readers, womagwriter.

HELP! I'M NERVOUS!

2010-04-30T08:22:00.012+01:00

Nervous? Have you any idea, you readers? Do you think writers just sit glowing with pride at having published a book? Ohhhh no. We're sensitive souls, fragile creatures, and we care so very much about our books. We KNOW not everyone will like them but we also foolishly hope they will. Or at least that when people don't like our books they will find a nice way to say so or else say nothing.

And I am very nervous because it's horribly close to publication day for Wasted. Not that the exact day makes much difference because it's all too late to stop it now. I may WANT to change half the words in it but I can't. I may WANT to hide in a cupboard but I can't. (For a start, I have this blog and all of you are kindly and patiently sitting there waiting for Wasted to come out - or at least making a very good show of pretending to.)

Once a book is published, there's so much luck involved. So much can go wrong and there are myriad reasons why some books fail to be noticed. More reasons to be nervous. And some books mean more to the author than others. Wasted means more to me than any of my others - only The Passionflower Massacre came close, and that faded into obscurity despite having great reviews from the start.

I'm also doing an after-dinner speech this evening at the Scottish Arts Club, where they are having a black tie dinner to celebrate Walpurgis Night. They obviously thought that since Walpurgis Night is all about evil spirits and witches and other nasty things, I was a suitable choice of speaker...

Doing these things - writing books and giving talks is risky and nerve-inducing. But there's a lesson here, to do with luck. And luck is something that Wasted is very much about.

You see, I know there are lots of things that happen which we can't control. Really bad things happen to good people and good things happen to horrible people. But apart from that, I DO believe that if we are bold and confident and get out there and try things, we have more chance of luck coming our way. In other words, we have to take risks in order to succeed. (I'll be blogging about this another day.)

Writing a book is a very big risk. People might hate it; I might feel stupid; it might be a total waste of time if it does badly. It's very exposing. So I'm nervous.

But I'm glad I took the risk. I love so much about being a writer. And the pleasures of seeing people love a book outweigh the times when someone hates it. Yes, when someone criticises it, it's horrible, truly horrible, but I have to accept it as one of the risks. Like falling off a horse - it hurts. But you get back up and you gallop with the wind in your hair and everything is worth it.

Doesn't stop me being nervous about Monday, though!

(On the other hand, when you read the post on Monday, you'll see that I'm not going to have much time to be nervous...)

Thank you all so much for joining and reading this blog. I promise you lots of interesting stuff over the next few weeks. Several chances to win copies of Wasted or my other books, and lots of opportunities to be involved. And, as with everything in life, you just never know where it might lead. My motto in life is simple: do. If you do nothing, nothing will happen to you. And how boring and frustrating that would be.

THE BLOG TOUR BEGINS - WHERE AM I?

Today I am a guest on writer Nik Perring's blog, where I'll be talking about all the emotions that writers go through on their long journey to publication. Including being nervous, of course.

Tomorrow I'll be visiting the Book Maven, Mary Hoffman's, blog. I hop you'll join me at Nik and Mary's and check out the excellent blogs of those two successful writers.

Don't forget that tomorrow is also the next prize draw for a copy of Wasted - all you have to do is be a follower of this blog. Good luck! Oh, and do encourage people to enter the Flash Fiction competition - I've had a fantastic standard of entries but very few stories from school age writers. Go write!

PIGEON SURPRISE

2010-04-29T09:00:00.002+01:00

SPOT THE PIGEON

A pigeon smashes through a window at one point in WASTED. This actually happened to me while I was writing the book. If it hadn’t, the whole story would have been different. While you're reading the book - if you do! - see if you can predict when it will happen…

I thought you might like to see the picture of my window afterwards. Rather bizarrely, this has happened to me twice, same window, and both times I was in the room.

The time which affected WASTED was interesting: I was sitting in my study, near the window, with my laptop on my lap, trying to think of something that could happen to one of the characters which would make a few minutes' difference to the time when he reached a particular spot. It had to be a completely unconnected, random event. Anyway, as I was trying to think of this, CRASH! A pigeon smashed through the window.

Once I'd finished screaming (and running out of the room), I realised that this was exactly what I needed in my plot, because it would delay him by a couple of minutes, which was all I needed. As you'll see when you get to that point, whether he is there when the pigeon smashes through the window or not makes a life or death difference.

You see, sometimes writers don't need an imagination: sometimes real life is all we need.

Warning: both my editor and agent said that the pigeon incident is one of the shocking moments of the book.

WASTED BLOG TOUR - begins tomorrow, with a visit to Nik Perring's blog. Thanks, Nik! His blog today has lovely pictures of his new book of short stories, Not So Perfect. In view of the fact that my post today has been about pigeons, it's quite interesting that his has a picture of a cat on the cover. Cat among the pigeons, eh? Or something.

MEET THE CAST OF WASTED

2010-04-28T08:24:00.004+01:00

I've had lovely comments about the characters in Wasted, so it's my pleasure to tell you a bit about them here.

Jess - gorgeous, half-Italian / half-Norwegian, fabulous singer and musician. I would love to have been like her. Trouble is, her mother, Sylvia, is becoming an alcoholic. Jess has no brothers or sisters, and her father left home years ago, so Jess feels responsible. She knows her mother doesn't want her to leave home, but Jess finishes school in two weeks' time and she really wants to go away, to music college, after some travelling. Jess is very together, very cool and lovely, but she's worried about her mum, and doesn't know what to do. Not just worried, but embarrassed and somewhat exasperated. There's a crack opening between them and it shouldn't be Jess who has to deal with this but Jess is more mature than Sylvia and is left with a lot she shouldn't have to deal with.

Jack - also gorgeous! Mad hair, very arty, fabulous musician, has a band called Schrodinger's Cats. Studies philosophy and music for A-level, very intense - sometimes in a good way, sometimes not. He's very together as well, and it takes a lot to rock him: he has equilibrium. But inside, Jack is dealing with an obsession about luck and chance. He's obsessed about stories of people dying through chance events. He's got good reason to be obsessed about that - he has twice lost his mother. His first mother died while giving birth to him. His second mother died on his first day at school, and it was his "fault", or at least caused by him. I won't tell you how it happened but I have to warn you: it's not nice. It's really, really not nice. But Jack is 18 now and he's recovered. Hasn't he? Well, yes, but now this obsession with luck is threatening to destroy him.

Jack and Jess meet, by chance, and fall in love. WOW, how they fall in love! I never quite meant it to happen like this but I love how their relationship takes over - it takes them over and it took me over. They almost can't touch each other because the electricity between them is so strong. It takes their breath away.

Sylvia - Jess's mother, flighty, dippy, fragile, blousy, artistic, scatty, uncontrolled, damaged, yet lovely too. And drinks too much. Much too much. She's falling to pieces.

Kelly, Samantha and Charlie - the Kelly Gang, enemies to Jack (because Jack once knocked Kelly back when she tried to come on to him) and Jess (because she's friends with Jack and accidentally insulted Kelly); they are tarty but stunning, tanned, mini-skirted, long-legged, wild. And they cause a whole lot of trouble. One of them will pay a heavy price.

Lorenzo - Jess's dad, who lives in Chicago and sees her about once a year. Italian, clever, successful, but a lousy father. Buys Jess's love, doesn't know how to care properly about her. Quite unemotional, clinical. He has a lot to learn.

Sam - Jack's dad. Lovely man! We don't see much of him but he seems very together despite having been widowed twice. Does a great job with Jack. Relaxed, confident, cool, sensible. Worries about Jack but not too much.

Spike - Jess's cat. Spike is delicious, soft, warm, and important. Like all cats, he senses trouble, reads emotions. Spike has a chapter to himself and I've put it here.

I don't think it's necessary for a reader to like the characters in a book but I like liking them, and I certainly do like the main characters in Wasted. I really hope you do, too. I'd love to know what you think. I know some of you have read it already - do put your comments here.

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IN OTHER NEWS

Some fab reviews on Amazon already. And lovely comments by email, too. Thank you! I don't know if any of you understand how important this book is to me - much more so than anything I've done. I know some people won't like it but I really want it to reach its intended readers.That's all I can hope for, but so many good books don't succeed and I'm pretty nervous about Wasted still.

Meanwhile, the blog tour starts soon - I'll be visiting Nik Perring's blog on Sunday. Thanks, Nik!

QUANTUM PHYSICS FOR SCAREDY CATS!

2010-04-27T08:30:00.004+01:00

The first thing you need to know is that I am no scientist. Utterly useless, I am. You think I’m exaggerating? Well, my last science report at school said, “Nicola has absolutely no aptitude for science subjects.” So, I gave up. Well, I was probably planning to give up anyway, but then I certainly did, much to the relief of all concerned.

So, it’s not very easy for me to try to explain anything sciencey to you, especially something so weird and extraordinary that it actually doesn't make sense, even to scientists: quantum physics. (There's a video coming at the end of this post which I think explains it really well, but bear with me while I try... Oh, and apologies if I seem to be speaking very simply: this is for my brain's benefit, not because I think you won't understand!)

Here are some things that I do understand about quantum physics:

It’s the science of VERY small things, smaller than atoms, smaller than I can imagine.
These particles are called quanta (the plural of quantum).
Even a quantum is not the smallest thing – each quantum is made of gluons, quarks, protons and electrons.
Quanta do not behave like other particles – they follow very different rules.
Scientists don’t fully know what those rules are.
But they have some theories.

One theory (which I believe they have proved - and the video you'll see later seems to show how) about quanta is that they change / move when they are observed – SO, we cannot predict where one will be at any time because the act of finding it will change where it is or how fast it moves.

That is "Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle": that you cannot simultaneously know the position and speed of a quantum particle, because it moves by being observed: in other words, the act of trying to measure its position changes it.

This theory was HUGELY important because before that we had assumed that every particle’s position was a) measurable and b) governed by physical laws and all we had to do was know the position and movement of every particle and then we could know what it would do. For example, if we knew everything that would affect the way a coin was spun, we could know which way it would land.

The Uncertainty Principle tells us that we cannot know, not even logically, not in theory or practice or even if we had infinite power. Because everything changes. And it's very important in Wasted, even though (thankfully) I never mention it.

The video below explains why scientists believe this and some of what it means.

One confusing and famous consequence of quantum theory is the Schrodinger's Cat paradox, but that will have to wait till Saturday because I'm now exhausted by all this science and need to go and lie down in a darkened room. On Saturday I will attempt to explain it, so please don't go and mess things up by telling me anything about it in your comments, otherwise I may have to do something nasty to the cat.

While I go and lie down, take a look at this video. I don’t know about you, but it really helps me a) understand b) see just how weird this all is c) see why scientists are fascinated by it.

Oh, and c) it makes me very glad I’m not a scientist. But then, after all, I have no aptitude for science.

Except that I did write two books about the brain! Hooray for teachers saying I am useless...

FLASH FICTION COMPETITION

2010-04-26T08:12:00.006+01:00

This for all the writers amongst you - young or not young, published and unpublished. A flash fiction competition. Flash fiction is a very very very short story. I wrote about this on my other blog here.

Stories can be told in a tiny number of words. Ernest Hemingway once wrote a story in six words which he considered to be his best ever:

"For sale: baby shoes, never used."

I wrote one once, in four words:

"Certainly," said the inn-keeper.

These stories are obviously not very satisfying for readers. But they open your mind to ideas and possibilities. How would history have changed if there'd been room at the inn? What is the story behind Hemingway's unworn baby shoes?

My challenge to you is to write a story in not more than 50 words, inspired by any one of these three words:

Luck, Chance or Fate.

Two age categories:

A - school pupil (at today's date: April 26th 2010)

B - left school (however long ago!)

RULES:

Closing date 15th June 2010 - winners announced before end of UK school term.
Prizes sent to UK address only - if you're overseas, do enter but nominate a UK resident to receive the prize. You'll still get the glory!!
Category A entrants - please indicate the name of your school on your entry and ask permission from school or parent. Also please indicate your AGE.
Email your entry to talkaboutwasted@hotmail.co.uk
Put the words FLASH COMPETITION in the subject line.
Give an email contact but not your postal address - I will ask you for that if you're a winner.
50 words max. Hyphenated words count as one. I will not disqualify a writer for writing 51 words accidentally. But I might for 52 or 53...
I will use independent judges and their decision will be final.
One prize in each category: the winner's choice of any of my in print books, signed. Runners-up will get honourable mentions on blogs.
By entering, you give permission for me to publish your entry or part on my blogs.

Off you go! I will publish some of the best on this blog and on my other blog - www.helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com - and I'll use Twitter to publicise them so loads of people could read your work. Take time to polish, polish and polish. In flash fiction, every word counts so make every one work really hard.

And as Wasted shows, you never know where any action might lead you. Your decision to enter this competition could have unpredictable effects and one thing is certain: you'll never know unless you try.

Tomorrow I am going to attempt the impossible: to explain quantum physics. For someone who was as useless at science as me (according to my teachers - thanks for the support anyway), that is a very difficult task.

I need coffee. And probably chocolate.

LUCKIEST MAN ALIVE??

2010-04-25T09:01:00.008+01:00

Yesterday I told you about Tommy Allsup. But there's another man alive today who has been so lucky that it's hard to believe. There's a part of me thinks this simply can't be true, but it seems to be, so I'm going to tell you.

He's called John Woods.

(Actually, after the post yesterday, several of you came up with some others stories of amazingly lucky people. Check out Franko Selek and Maryanne Bruce. No one guessed the correct answer so I get to keep the prize - hehe! On the other hand, lucky blog-follower Vanessa O'Loughlin won yesterday's free draw, so she will receive a signed copy very soon. Well done, Vanessa! Everyone else - next draw Sat May 1st.)

Back to John Woods. In 1988, he was booked on the Pan-Am flight which exploded over Lockerbie, killing everyone on board. But he cancelled at the last minute because someone had persuaded him to go to a party in his office.

In 1993, he was on the 39th floor of the World Trade Centre when it was bombed, but he survived, uninjured.

On September 11th, 2001, he left his office in one of the Twin Towers. Seconds later, one of the two planes involved hit the building in the appalling tragedy which shook America and changed the world. John Woods was safe again.

I wonder how many days go by when he doesn't say to himself, "What if?" But you could go crazy thinking like that - so I hope he locks it away in a small place in his mind and focuses on the fact that he simply is a very, very lucky man.

What has this to do with Wasted? Well, one of the two main characters, Jack, is obsessed by stories like this. Jack has lost two mothers. The first one died giving birth to him - a blood clot, terribly bad luck, quite unpredicted and very rare. The second time was rather horrible, and Jack was there too, aged five - he'd just come home from his first day at school and an incredibly unlucky accident in the kitchen, "caused" by Jack, killed her. I'd rather not tell you about it here - it really is rather shocking...

Anyway, although he moves forward and grows up strong and seemingly undamaged, he does have this obsession about luck, good and bad. He covers his wall with stories of people who have horribly bad luck because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like Aeschylus, who is supposed to have died when a tortoise fell on his head! Jack believes that if he throws himself at the mercy of luck, by letting a coin rule his actions, luck will look out for him.

John Woods made a decision which saved him from being on the Pan-Am flight and another that saved him from dying in the Twin Towers. He didn't know he was making an important decision, but it was a decision all the same.

Jack thinks if he makes the right decisions, he will be lucky. But how will he know what the right decisions are? He thinks he knows. He thinks that the only important decision is to spin the coin and follow the answer. But he's going to discover that he's wrong...

I'll be asking for YOUR stories of lucky escapes or chance events on May 4th. So, get thinking. I'm going to collect them all and I might tell them when I do school events and other talks. I want examples of how a tiny chance event affected your life - lucky escapes or unlucky actions, being in the wrong or right place at the right time, how your parents met etc, anything where you believe important results came from a tiny chance happening or decision. Don't tell me now - wait till I post the piece on May 4th. (For soome examples, see the page at the top of this blog, titled Your Chance Events.

Thing is, sometimes we have lucky escapes and don't even know - like Lorenzo in Wasted. Whether he dies in a car crash or not depends on whether he's driving a red car or not, which affects whether a pigeon crashes through a window when he's drinking coffee ... Sounds unlikely? Well, the pigeon scene actually happened to me. I'll tell you about it on Thursday.

See you tomorrow, when I will have a writing competition for you - a chance for adult writers and school-age writers. If you're at school, tell your English teacher today - this is going to be a great chance for you to demonstrate your creativity and have a chance to be published here.

Meanwhile, comment below! And may you have a very lucky life.

TOMMY ALLSUP'S LUCKY COIN - AND A COMPETITION!

2010-04-24T08:30:00.007+01:00

Tommy Allsup is alive and well, but he should have died on Feb 3rd 1959. And he would have done if another man hadn't challenged him to toss a coin.

Tommy was a guitarist with Buddy Holly's band. (Their music should play automatically when you open that link!)

On Feb 3rd 1959, band members were due to fly on an eight-seater plane from Clear Lake, Iowa, to Fargo, New Delaware. All the seats were booked and Tommy had one of the bookings, but Ritchie Valens wanted to join them.

"I'll toss you for it," said Ritchie. And Tommy agreed. Tommy lost the toss and gave up his seat to Ritchie. The plane crashed, killing all on board. The Buddy Holly band had been incredibly successful and this night became known as "the night the music died".

How many times must Tommy Allsup have thought to himself, "What if?" What if Ritchie hadn't wanted to go on the flight? What if Tommy had refused to toss him for it? What if...the hand that flipped the coin had spun it just slightly ... fractionally ... teensily a different way? After all, the way a coin lands depends on so many things. What if a breeze or air current had caught it differently, or if the coin had been the other way up when he picked it up... Arghhhhh! Those unknowable things! You could drive yourself mad thinking like that.

In some ways, that's what Jack does - playing what I call Jack's Game. (I'll tell you more about it another day.) This is what Wasted is based on - those events that seem like "chance" and which rule our lives. But it's not chance, is it? It's about the physical properties of that coin, the way it was spun, the strength of the fingers, the way the wind blew. We can't control it but it's not chance - it just seems like it. It is luck, though. Or it certainly was for Tommy Allsup.

You think Tommy was lucky? Not as lucky as the person I'm going to tell you about tomorrow... Any ideas who it is? Could be the luckiest person alive today.

COMPETITION: guess the name of the person I'm going to blog about tomorrow. I will use a coin to pick a winner if there's more than one correct entry and the winner gets a copy of Wasted. Or, if you already have Wasted, you can choose one of my other books. Hurry - you'll have to post your comment before tomorrow's blog post goes out! So, deadline 09.00 UK time. The post goes out at 09.01 - you get a lie-in for a Sunday!

THE BEGINNING - and CHAPTER ONE

2010-04-23T12:00:00.004+01:00

Let the blogging begin!

I am so pleased to welcome you to the first day of the Wasted launch. Whatever your age - and there'll be teenagers and adults of all ages here - I hope you find things to fascinate, challenge and argue about.

I will bring you something new every day: snippets, behind the scenes facts, things to make you think, prizes to win, chances to test your own writing skills. Some of it will be light-hearted, some will be incredible science which I only half understand. I hope you will get to know me, be interested in Wasted, want to talk about it. There are so many ideas behind it, ideas I've been thinking about ever since I was a teenager and that I've never fully found answers to. In Wasted, my characters showed me something which comes as close to answers as I think I can manage. My answers, anyway. Maybe you'll have some better ones.

I hope I will get to know you, too. Please leave comments and questions. I will answer them all - though I'm away doing events on some days, so sometimes I may be slower.

You can write reviews and have them published here. You can add them beneath the post over here. Or email them to me.

If you want to contact me off the blog instead of commenting, email talkaboutwasted@hotmail.co.uk - my assistant will pick up emails if I'm away and she'll pass them to me.

Would you like a poster for your school or library? Email rebecca.harper@walker.co.uk Also, a link for a free downloadable poster is coming here soon.

Press enquiries should go to ruth.maurice@walker .co.uk

In the last few weeks, some people have read Wasted - librarians, teenagers, teachers, general readers, booksellers - and I've had an amazing response. I've never had a buzz like this about any of my books and I'm very excited. But nervous, too. Wasted is more me than anything I've written - it has my heart and soul etched deep. If you like it, please say so - here, or by reviewing it on Amazon, or telling my publishers. Or all three! I will be grateful for ever. (Actually, I mean that.) And, as Wasted shows, you never know what effect your small actions may have. Small actions can change everything. I really, really need your help.

I'm visiting loads of great blogs on a tour in the next few weeks and there'll be links to all of them here. Thanks to all the bloggers who welcomed me. If you want to see where I'm going, there's a list in the righthand menu bar.

If you click on the pages near the top, you'll find stuff to give you an idea about the book.

NOTE: those of you who have already voted in the polls on the right will need to do it again because I had a tech problem and had to delete all but one. Sorry!

I think what I should do now is let you read the first chapter. So, here it is. Are you sitting comfortably?

(Reproduced by kind permission of Walker Books Ltd.)

WASTED - CHAPTER ONE

Jess is spinning a coin. Not actually playing Jack’s Game yet, because if you’re going to play you have to be very sure. Heads or tails, win or lose, life or death: playing the game changes things and you can’t escape its rules.

She thinks – because she has thought about this quite a lot in the last day and a bit – that if there’s a God, He must play Jack’s Game. There’s not really any other explanation she can think of.

Jess is sitting in a horrible waiting room the colour of old white socks. Waiting. The waiting is awful. It numbs her. Though perhaps waiting for ever would be better than knowing. She wants her guitar, but it wouldn’t exactly be appropriate. You can’t sing in a place like this.

On the floor is a grubby doll with no clothes and one leg. It lies there with blue eyes open. It looks shocked, or dead. There is pen scribbled on its stomach and someone has tried to cut its hair. Jess remembers doing that to a doll once, convinced that it would grow again.

Jess is seventeen years old. Her dad’s a genetic scientist, apparently. Her mum’s an alcoholic. If you tossed a coin, chances are she could take after either or both of them. Trouble is, her dad lives 4,000 miles away and her mum lives next door to her bedroom. This probably alters her chances.

A flash of anger crosses Jess’s mind. She thinks that if she saw the Kelly Gang now she’d want to… But no, best not to think like that. Jess is not prone to violent thoughts. But she is in a state of shock, and strange feelings are stirring. She tries to think about anything else.

The bracelet she’s wearing. A birthday present from her best friend, Chloe. That was a good day: her mum remembered to rustle up a cake – all the way from Mrs Beaton’s Tea Shoppe – and they ate it on the beach, digging their bare heels into the shingle and breathing the seashell air. Her dad phoned and sent the usual money.

But Jess is scared and it’s hard to keep her mind on such things as cake, though she must try. So: it was a fantastic cake; she and her mum used their fingers to scrape the chocolate icing off the wrapping; they have the best cakes in Mrs Beaton’s Tea Shoppe.

If she saw the Kelly Gang now she’d want to kill them. To be honest. Not very nice, but then why should Jess feel nice?

Keep spinning the coin, Jess. It will help. Focus on that coin. Don’t drop it. That’s better.

Jess is trying to make a decision. Does she dare play the game? The sensible part of her knows she shouldn’t. After all, she managed to stop Jack taking it so seriously. But Jack’s Game is serious, and perhaps it’s all she can do now. Maybe all the spirits and gods and everything else that has a say in the world watch when you play Jack’s Game. Maybe that’s what gives it its power. It’s like ancient magic, but with science. According to Jack. Now she is confused and alone and needing him to take the decision away, but when she thinks back to the newspaper stories on his bedroom wall, she knows what he would do. She just can’t decide whether he’s right.

Jess is more than confused and alone. She is barely holding herself together. If she breathes too hard she may shatter into a million pieces.

She glances at the clock. Still spinning the coin. With remarkable skill, considering that she’s only been practising for two weeks. It almost ripples across her fingers, weaving in and out, a life of its own. Left hand as good as the right. That’ll be the piano-playing, and guitar. Someone comes through the door. A woman. Her eyes are puffy. She grips the hand of a bewildered child with chocolate on its face. Jess doesn’t want to look at her, but she’s drawn by her grief. The woman picks up the dead doll and gives it to the child, who grins and grabs it by its remaining leg. Jess thinks that if she was the child’s mother she’d make her daughter clean and dress it and learn how to love it in more ways than just holding on. The door clunks shut and the air settles again.

Jess rummages in her bag and gets out her iPod, plugs her ear-things in and retreats into her music. Their music. The colours wash over her and her senses merge. She closes her eyes, keeps the outside out: the Kelly Gang, the smell, the being really scared. Yesterday. Saturday. Everything. Her mum should be here. Her dad. Someone. A girl shouldn’t be in such a place on her own. But then Jess didn’t tell anyone she was coming so early, so you can hardly blame them.

She opens her eyes suddenly, rips out the ear-things. Breathe slowly, Jess. Almost lost it there. Maybe music is not such a good idea right now, or at least not this particular song. Maybe you should read a magazine. Something shallow, something that won’t slice its way deeper than skin.

Actually, apart from the old sock colour, the room’s not that bad. Soft chairs. Tea and coffee. Free. Plants. A fish tank. They’ve made an effort, just to stop you thinking. Box of tissues. Cushions. You can’t hear sounds from outside, except when the door opens, though there’s a buzzing of air-con. It’s designed to help you forget where you are. So there’s a magazine on sailing and one on houses. And some children’s books and toys. She picks up a board book for babies or toddlers or whatever and looks at pictures of diggers and cranes and just does not allow herself to think of what’s past that door and what will happen when she is told to walk through it.

Probably she will spin the coin soon and play Jack’s Game. After all, a fifty-fifty chance is not that bad. The truth could be a whole lot worse.

******

Would you like to know something about that scene? When I first wrote it, I had no idea what Jess was waiting for. Clearly, she's in some kind of hospital or clinic. But I had no idea why. That's what I love about being a writer - I never know what's going to happen.

I don't believe in God but if I did I'd imagine him being like a writer: supposedly in control and arguably in control, but actually at the mercy of the characters and what they do and what happens to them. In a nutshell, that's the whole idea behind Wasted: prediction and control are limited to the present. The future is another world and nothing is until it is.

Tomorrow, I bring you a true story that influenced Wasted hugely.

And finally (don't worry, posts won't usually be this long!) my editor has just emailed this lovely contribution. Chris and I have worked together for a long time and before I ever met her she told me she was "an old bat". What that actually means is that she's very honest, sometimes painfully so. So, when she says nice things, I know she means them.

"The moment I read the first draft chapters for Wasted I knew that this was something special, even by the standards of a writer as accomplished as Nicola. I have had the pleasure of editing a good handful of Nicola’s novels, but none of them has given me quite the same ‘hairs-tingling-on-the-neck’ feeling as this one. I think it has to do with the originality of the tone and voice, as well as the deft treatment of the subject matter. Chance and choice may seem unlikely driving forces beneath a book for teenagers which is essentially a passionate and potentially tragic story of first love; but the author handles these themes cleverly, so that the reader is completely drawn into alternative scenarios and what-ifs, and is invited to consider the roles that luck and free will may play in their life.

"A wonderful, unforgettable read."

Thanks, Chris!

By the way everyone, you don't need to buy Wasted - order it from your public library. It's free. (But your very own copy would, of course, be much lovelier...)

See you tomorrow and THANK YOU for joining me.

BEFORE I START...

2010-04-23T08:30:00.003+01:00

Blog launching later today but first some news:

NEWS: Due to popular demand, Amazon have released Wasted early. However, there's only one left so hurry... (More are on order.) Meanwhile, please ask for it in your local bookshop, or branch of Waterstone's. There are already a couple of 5 star reviews on Amazon - HUGE thanks to the people who took the trouble to do that. I really DO appreciate it.

There's a real buzz going on amongst booksellers and readers but before I launch I'd love to get to the 100 followers mark - the next prize draw is tomorrow and you have to be in it to win it! Spread the word.

Later today, the first real post will go up to start the ball rolling - and it includes the whole first chapter of Wasted, just to give you a flavour and introduce you to Jess and the horrible situation she is in. Or is she? Because, of course, "nothing is until it is. Until then anything possible is possible."

YOUR REVIEWS

2010-04-13T15:08:00.016+01:00

I'd love to hear your views on Wasted. Just comment below. (But be kind to me: I'm very nervous about my book and it's only little and fragile. And so am I. Well, not very little, but...)

Some of you have already read the book and given feedback. I've pasted extracts below - THANK YOU!

If you can't comment below, do email me and my assistant at talkaboutwasted@hotmail.co.uk and we will post it here.

Link to Amazon reviews Here

Link to The Scribbling SeaSerpent review here

Vanessa Robertson, bookseller - on Twitter @edinbookshop

"Wasted is an outstanding book. If it doesn't sell hugely and win awards ... there's no justice."

Clare Donaldson – parent and reader
WOW! I was riveted, from the brilliant first chapter right through to the end.... I HAD to know how it (potentially!) ended. Sinister, chilling, contemporary, pacy, thought-provoking and highly original in presentation - if you don't have huge success with this there is something VERY wrong with the market.
...
My daughter, at 13, also raced through it and I was fascinated to see how excited she was by it - it's a while since I've seen that particular response from her.

Nikki Heath – school librarian
Oh, my gawd, Nicola! Your book arrived at work today and I brought it home to read. It was supposed to last the weekend but I just could not bring myself to put it down and only reluctantly did so to cook tea. I adore it. Love the apparent randomness that isn't, the sadness of the 2 mums and the alcoholic mum theme. 2 kids who could have been incredibly messed up but aren't. As for the coin, spookily I was chatting to a child about 'what if ... had happened' yesterday.

Would happily give it to both girls and lads. Want to go read it again NOW. Loved the way you chose the ending, too, as well as the partial repetitiveness of both choices. Makes it so much sadder and more poignant - much more hard hitting. Wow wow wow wow wow!!! Can see in my head a whole tribe of kids I want to give it to who I know will love it too!!!

It'll fly off the shelves! it's such a different format to others out there in a way and I LOVE it!!

Linzi Heads – school librarian
Wow! (More to follow!)

One magazine reviewer is writing a review – meanwhile she said “Wasted is the best thing you’ve done.”

Diana Esland – Head of English, The Mary Erskine School
.... The tensility of the narrative is gripping and there is a mixture of a kind of shadenfreude mixed with doubt that kept the plot on a tightrope between believability and the hope that there may be a happy ending.

From Lucy Coats - author
Just finished Wasted (and yes, I did play Jack’s Game and it came out heads). I can only say that I was hooked and entranced right from the first page and now I think even more than before about choices and whether or not they will make a difference—I was always horribly superstitious anyway. What a brilliant idea—I love it. And I love seeing all those different angles and aspects of the plot. In both real life and in my writing head I am constantly asking the question ‘what if?’ What would my life be/have been if….What would my characters do if…. Wasted is so absolutely my kind of book, and I know it’s going to get a lot of well-deserved praise and attention.

Iffath at lovereadingx blog – you are a genius! Wasted is awesome! (From Twitter)

Catherine Hughes – reader with teenagers (Also my assistant - but she reviewed it because she wanted to!)
I've read several of Nicola's books and this is the very best of them. I absolutely adored this book. … she writes about how it feels to be able to sing with such authenticity and feeling that it brought tears to my eyes. ... the appeal of the book for me lies mainly with its beautifully-drawn characters. I sang in a band as a teenager and I remember it well; 'Wasted' evokes those memories perfectly.

'Wasted' brings up classical myth (the story of Oedipus and his mother Jocasta) and blends it with quantum physics (Schrodinger's cat) and philosophy. There is, within this one book, huge food for thought and so much for me to to discuss with my children. ....

Jo Treggiari – author and reader, works with teenagers
I just finished Wasted. It kept me up for two nights .... I found it intriguing, exciting, and touching. .... I was so caught up in Jack and Jess's lives that at the end, when the reader is asked to flip a coin to determine what happens next, I was really nervous. Fantastic, thought-provoking read. Great writing.

Isla – teenage reader
I think “Wasted” is a really good book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I have never read anything like it before. I especially liked the parts of the book where there are two possible paths for the book to follow, with the slightest variations leading to huge differences in the story. … “Wasted” is definitely a book for deep thinkers. It makes you think of all the possibilities and consequences that could arise from your actions, even just by varying them in the tiniest way. It makes your mind boggle!

As I was reading “Wasted”, I found it hard to put it down! It was gripping and also slightly eerie, what with Kelly and her gang and the knives and the fortune-teller, Farantella. That brings me to the coin and Jack’s Game. What a unique idea!
...

I really enjoyed reading “Wasted” and would recommend it to other readers of my age or older. I think perhaps you should send a copy to my English teacher, to show her what kind of great books teenagers of this day and age should be reading!

Thank you, everyone - I'm overwhelmed and delighted. (So far...)

Hello, earlybirds...

2010-03-28T12:22:00.001+01:00

Hello and thank you for dropping by. The party hasn't started yet, so I've only just begun to decorate, but do nose around and bookmark it. And comment if you have some ideas for activities that seem relevant. It's going to be a lot of fun so I really hope you'll join me.

Blogging will begin properly on April 23rd. Do come back. Please!

Also, if you have your own blog and would like to link to this one or let your readers enter the competitions, that would be great. There may be room on my blog tour, too. You can email me or my assistant, Catherine, here: catherine.hughes@gmx.com (If you don't use Outlook, just copy and paste Catherine's address into your normal email browser.)

Are you on Twitter? If you follow me (@nicolamorgan) I will follow you back (as long as you're friendly - erm, but not too friendly...). But let me know you're there by dropping a comment below, with your twitter name, so's I know who to follow back.

Are you a school pupil? I'd love to send your school library or English department a copy (while stocks last) so ask them to drop me a line. And make sure you get the first chance to read it!

Meanwhile, I'm off to prepare all the activities, competitions, extracts and cool info for the site. Something new every day from April 23rd until I collapse...