Give me the ability to rage correctly...

Sunny afternoon greetings, gentle readers

But though the sun is shining (which makes a change round London town), I have dark clouds in my heart. Nothing too serious though I am incandescent with rage at the curtains and blinds department of John Lewis in Brent Cross Shopping Centre. I had to leave a very angry message on someone's answerphone, which did contain the phrase, "It beggars belief, quite frankly." When I'm incandescent with rage, I turn into Joyce Grenfell who none of you will know because you're too young and/or not British.

My other journey into angst is because the last four chapters of my current book (nope, still can't reveal any details, but I'm on the second one in a four volume sequence) have been scrapped. I got back from Florence, read them and realised that I was quite possibly insane. Joking aside, I think it's worth mentioning the Holy Grail that is the chapter by chapter outline. I plan one out in laborious detail before I write a book, which isn't to say that I never deviate along the way. But this is the ninth or tenth book I've written and I still get over-excited about some minor story arc, forget my plot outline, beaver away, and then have to junk the lot because it's doing nothing to further the plot. If you trawl back through the archives on http://sarramanning.blogspot.com you will find even more words of wisdom on plot outlines.

Let's Get Lost is coming out in hardback in the US and Canada on 19th October. Remember that date, put it in your Blackberries and then take the necessary action on that day. As ever, I can't wait to hear what you think of it. And if no tears are shed while reading it, then I've failed miserably!

And one last thing, a little book rec. I'm reading But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn, a memoir froma writer who used to work for Rolling Stone. As well as being funny as anything, she has lots and lots of tips on interviewing celebrities. I know a lot of you aspire to becoming journalists and this book is well worth a read. Not many of us will ever get to interview Brad Pitt or Madonna, but there's lots of good advice to take away from the book. My own journalistic career is ticking along and if you buy the current issue of British Elle (with Jordan on the cover), you can read two pieces of mine. One is about learning to knit and the other is about bunny rabbits. Yup, you read that right! I got paid to write about bunnies - it's either one of the best or worst things I've ever written, depending on your politics.

So, that's all that's going on in my world. Be happy, be safe and do not order any blinds from John Lewis in Brent Cross...

Love

Sarra x


(crossposted to http://blog.myspace.com/sarramanning)