Me, Asperger's and Library Events

Last Saturday I took part in the local community library's grand sale. I was hoping to sell a book or two of mine. I set up a table in the library, next to an older woman who was selling her hand-made jewellery. I got chatting to her about selling. Then came along a younger woman who started talking to me about her writing and asked me to have a read of what she had written. I agreed. Seeing her with the main librarian I know, I realised she had been the lady that had already been mentioned to me. In a break, I read what she had written, and said she had good ideas (she writes fantasy for teens) and needed to write more for me to have a good read of it. I have since decided I do like what she has written, it will be fun to help her write it and want to be her coach. It being a warm day, I later decided to join the jewellery lady outside, which is by a park. We got chatting again outside, and I also chatted to the lady opposite me who was selling home-made natural salts.

So, how did this affect my Asperger's? Well, I think it helped me. I got talking to others whom I hadn't met before, because we were all selling things and trying to get customers. It helped me get out of the house and meet people. Inside the library wasn't too bad, although when children came in it did get a bit noisy but outside where it's more open and bigger was better.

I did sell books - the main librarian returned from a break at her house, and bought a copy of each of my paperback for the library.

I will probably take part in their Xmas fayre in December, if they still have one.

Me, Asperger's and Library Events

Last Saturday I took part in the local community library's grand sale. I was hoping to sell a book or two of mine. I set up a table in the library, next to an older woman who was selling her hand-made jewellery. I got chatting to her about selling. Then came along a younger woman who started talking to me about her writing and asked me to have a read of what she had written. I agreed. Seeing her with the main librarian I know, I realised she had been the lady that had already been mentioned to me. In a break, I read what she had written, and said she had good ideas (she writes fantasy for teens) and needed to write more for me to have a good read of it. I have since decided I do like what she has written, it will be fun to help her write it and want to be her coach. It being a warm day, I later decided to join the jewellery lady outside, which is by a park. We got chatting again outside, and I also chatted to the lady opposite me who was selling home-made natural salts.

So, how did this affect my Asperger's? Well, I think it helped me. I got talking to others whom I hadn't met before, because we were all selling things and trying to get customers. It helped me get out of the house and meet people. Inside the library wasn't too bad, although when children came in it did get a bit noisy but outside where it's more open and bigger was better.

I did sell books - the main librarian returned from a break at her house, and bought a copy of each of my paperback for the library.

I will probably take part in their Xmas fayre in December, if they still have one.

Me, Asperger's and Library Events

Last Saturday I took part in the local community library's grand sale. I was hoping to sell a book or two of mine. I set up a table in the library, next to an older woman who was selling her hand-made jewellery. I got chatting to her about selling. Then came along a younger woman who started talking to me about her writing and asked me to have a read of what she had written. I agreed. Seeing her with the main librarian I know, I realised she had been the lady that had already been mentioned to me. In a break, I read what she had written, and said she had good ideas (she writes fantasy for teens) and needed to write more for me to have a good read of it. I have since decided I do like what she has written, it will be fun to help her write it and want to be her coach. It being a warm day, I later decided to join the jewellery lady outside, which is by a park. We got chatting again outside, and I also chatted to the lady opposite me who was selling home-made natural salts.

So, how did this affect my Asperger's? Well, I think it helped me. I got talking to others whom I hadn't met before, because we were all selling things and trying to get customers. It helped me get out of the house and meet people. Inside the library wasn't too bad, although when children came in it did get a bit noisy but outside where it's more open and bigger was better.

I did sell books - the main librarian returned from a break at her house, and bought a copy of each of my paperback for the library.

I will probably take part in their Xmas fayre in December, if they still have one.

Wrtiing a story with a twist at Woman's Weekly

On Friday 8 July I went to London Bridge to a Woman's Weekly workshop on how to write a story with a twist ending. I went because I had no idea how to write one or where to get ideas for one.

The two presenters were Fiction Editor, Gaynor Davies, and author, Della Galton.

Della said that twist endings mustn't be predictable or contrived eg character winning the lottery, or having an aunt giving them an inheritance.

She gave us a list of dos and don'ts for these stories. One do is that the story has to build up to the twist.

We had an exercise in the morning, to write an outline for a story. I thought of a story I had in mind to write for another magazine. So I wrote a twist outline for that. I also got an idea for another twist story which I wrote down and will probably write another time. Once time was up, we were asked to read them out loud. My heart went fast at this and for one moment I thought I was going to faint, but I was OK in the end and read out my outline, which was said was good.

Della then read a story in the WW Summer Special (which I later bought and read), which gave me the idea for the twist ending of my story.

You can write an outline for a story which has lots of possible endings. The character and conflict of the story has to be at the start.

We were given a list of types of 'Twists'.

We were given another exercise to write the ending of our story then read it out. I offered to read mine first, to get it out of the way. Was told it was good. During the day, Gaynor told me I am learning. Praise indeed.

I really enjoyed this workshop. It gave me another idea for a twist story for a story that I have already written. I did ask if I could resubmit a story with another ending, and Gaynor said yes, as long as it's not too regonisable. So that is what I plan to do.

I am working on a story for WW now, not a twist one, a normal one, but I plan to rewrite this and send it to another magazine as a twist, which I have worked out.

Me, Asperger's and travelling

The other day I posted on Facebook that I went to Bromley on my own. I got comments saying I was a good daughter because it was mainly to get ice cream for my mum. I am now posting to let people know how it was a big deal for me. I have been to Bromley before, but never on my own, it has always been with my mum. Mum said to me that when I go shopping with her I have always followed her like I have since I was a child. So true, I do do that. Mum hasn't been well this past month with possibly a UTI that knocked her energy and she was getting low on her dairy-free ice cream. The only place we can get it is in Waitrose at Bromley. First of all I said I didn't really want to go on my own, but got thinking that I have already been to Croydon, Charing X and Holborn on my own, so I could do Bromley if I knew where the bus ended up going. Once I set my mind to do a thing, it is part of that day's routine. Mum told me where the bus went and I made a mental note of this when I was on the bus. So, I went to Bromley, which involved getting 2 buses there, and 2 back. A lot of social energy used up. I got there, only to find they had one tub of ice cream, which I got.

So, I felt proud of myself, and Mum did too. I now feel that as I have done this once, I can do it again if I have to.

Mum is still unwell this week, so my brother is taking me shopping today.