Poland in Mourning

April 10th 2010. A day meant for commemeration. A day for remembrance. The 70th anniversary of the Katyn tragedies.

Instead, Poland is in mourning another tragedy.

The Polish President and his wife, have been tragically killed in an aeroplane catastrophe near the Smolensk Airport.

What has occurred is beyond anyone's imagination. What happened this morning is one of the biggest tragedies of the 21st Century that a nation could experience.

As the TVN broadcasters read out the names, one by one, they claim that there were 88 individuals on board, though the number could be lower or higher. Many of them important parliamentary and religious figures in Poland.

The loss experienced is beyond words, beyond understanding, unimaginable, unbelievable.

How could this tragedy have occurred?
Why?

Questions that may not be answered to anyone's satisfaction.
Faulty aeroplane. Bad weather. Something else.

The irony in it.

70 years ago Poles were killed in Katyn. Today, 70 years after, another catastrophe has hit Poland.

An investigation will take place. But whatever they find, it will not bring back the lives of those lost. Condolences and sympathies to the entire nation.

When things like this occur, it forces us to reflect. To wonder about what is life about. How insignificant the things we worry about are. We don't know what tomorrow brings. Yesterday shouldn't matter, tomorrow doesn't exist, and we should focus on the present because really it's a present to have every extra day. Accidents happen, we cannot predict them. Things happen that are out of our control.

The magnitude of this tragedy, the repercussions on the nation. What will happen next?

Writing Excessively or Not

I often read about the problem with overwriting. Too many details, too many words, similes, metaphors, unnecessary adverbs and weak verbs. Looking over my manuscript I find that my problem is 'skinny' writing. I'm yet to come across an article telling me how to avoid this – I doubt that I am the only one with this problem.

I've written and thrown out about a dozen novels. My apprenticeship as I see it. The problem is that once I get to about 60,000 words I'm finished. The story is finished. There's a lot happening. The problem is that I don't know how to thicken the scenes out.

So what is my solution?

Well I need to learn to write excessively. Figuring that out is the easy part. How does one write excessively?

Details. Details within the details. Description. It's easy, so why can't I manage to do it?

Any advice?

Did I or Didn't I?

Lent is finished. At the start of this period I created some goals. I have to say that life got in the way. My work load was higher and there were a lot of other things in the middle that couldn't be avoided. Some positive some negative, most unavoidable.

So how did I go?

I successfully managed not to eat any chocolate, cakes or sweets during the Lent period. This was probably the most important goal because I love eating chocolate. Surprisingly it wasn't as difficult as I assumed. This morning I was reading a health magazine and there was a short filler on the benefits of dark chocolate on stress levels. Eating a small piece or two of dark chocolate every day can reduce stress levels – that probably explains me having a short fuse over the past forty days.

Exercise was overlooked a little bit. Weather and time constraints. Yes, excuses, excuses. But I have started a regular exercise regime again to stay fit and improve my fitness level, running time and general health. I've got a 10km run coming up mid April – Bieg Zoo – or Zoo Run. It's a few laps around the Warsaw Zoo.

Writing those queries. This was a tough goal. I probably overestimated my abilities and time availability. I slacked off a bit. The aim was to write and submit 100 queries. I've submitted about 50. This is still a good effort. Every extra query I send out is better than none. The results from this effort? I've had one acceptance so far and five rejections. I'll give it another two weeks before I follow up. The rejected queries are going to be sent out to start looking for another home.

Happy Easter to All!