A little bit of Autumn

Normal service has resumed at Scarlett HQ. Although it is early August, we are experiencing a little bit of Autumn, thanks to Ex Hurricane Bertha. I have a new drip in my studio roof light, luckily it is not falling onto anything important, just another thing to sort out when the weather clears up!

Mad looking cloudy sky just before the thunder.

I quite like autumn. The word was first used in literature by Chaucer in 1374 and comes from the old Latin, Autumnus. For me, it means conkers, acorns, blackberries and beautiful leaves. These days I put conkers on all windowsills and the stairs and for the past few years we haven't had so many spiders in the house. I'm not keen on spiders in houses. Like New Forest ponies, they should live outside.


Autumn also brings for me a bit of relief - the end of the show season. And a new time to write and think about my new book ideas. At the moment I am working on a story which I wrote many moons ago. It's called Bluebell's New School; a witch who wants to go to normal school. The star of the story is a little boy by the name of Alfie Spinblast, naughty but with a few one-liners - I'm hoping this will appeal to girls aged 7-9. 

 

Bluebell's first spread - not yet finished.

I'm also desperate to get 'Fidget' out there - after all, he has been my Facebook icon forever!! He's a little Owl who doesn't know what he wants for his tea. He was inspired by my (then) two year old son. About time he made it off my bookshelf.

Fidget - the owl who can't decide.

And then there's 'The Golden Stone', a much longer story for confident readers all about the Isle of Wight and a magical vortex.


Last week, while I was busy doing not very much, I started to write my own version of Little Red Riding Hood. I'm not sure why it suddenly came to me - after all, I have never felt the urge to rewrite a story before, but I had drawn her....she came to life....I couldn't help myself!

Sketch for Red Riding Hood

So as you can see, there is much to be done. 

And now there is THUNDER OUTSIDE!! I may be trapped in the studio until it passes.....