Sam Wilding's Blog

Eagles and the Big Draw

samwilding1 — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:48:42 +0000

The month of October has been nothing short of a blessing. Book drafts were finished off and a nice break on the Cowal Penisula meant we had some great sightings of Sea Eagles and some truly superb meals. Apart from our own nosh at the Kilfinan post office, we managed to visit some of the best eating places I’ve ever known: Andrew Fairlie’s Restuarant; The Cross at Kingussie and Hipping Hall, near Kirkby Lonsdale; all came under the Wilding fork. As a consequence, my diet has suffered terribly and a new regime is needed as soon as possible to stave off the looming shadow of Christmas.

I’ve work-shopped another 800 children at schools including Gartocharn, Tobermory and Rhu, where the kids were all totally enthusiastic and imaginative. Based round my Tiffy Toffy picture books, I now have an interactive session aimed at younger children which involves counting, reading, wildlife, drawing and some laughs with the aid of a few homemade puppets. This younger audience means I can now reach out to all pupils from preschool right through to S2 and 3. So it’s 4 to 14 for the first time. I have literally rolled out a new exercise during the visits which involves wallpaper, crayons and about 30 children at a time. Once ready they begin to draw the various creatures we’ve designed until eventually there is one big class montage. Feeding off each other, their individual ideas all inevitably blend into one big pictorial statement of their joint imagination. FUN FUN FUN!

The books continue to sell and there are rumours afoot of new publishers and opportunities for 2012.

Dolly Mixtures

samwilding1 — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:01:18 +0000

August and September seem to have slipped by in smirr of rain, wind and pond water. That jaunt to Mallorca early on in August gave the whole family lucky boost before the onslaught of the Scottish summer of 2011. The SS Wilding has barely moved from her mooring. Well, that’s not entirely true; we have ventured out a few times and floundered on a mixture of jaggy rocks and bad tempers. The boat trips are still stressful but at the same time character building. On one occasion, with a storm afoot, my son decided to play cricket with our one and only paddle. Needless-to-say, his sister used a sizable rock as a ball and managed to split said paddle in two. This resulted in a nightmarish thrash about, with what felt like a toothpick, before we finally made it back to shore. Sorry for shouting, Joe.

Book-wise, there has been interest from China and another batch of schools asking for workshops. I love visiting schools and with the prospect of doing some Tiffy Toffy sessions for younger kids, I have employed the sowing services of my youngest, Ruth. She’s managed to make some brilliant puppets and props. The ten, two-foot, pink, wiggly worms are the best.

At last, there is a glimmer of hope on the Seascape front. A few more re-writes and a look over some of the illustrations by Scott, and I’ll be ready to submit to the editor.

Finally, I seem to have been battling with an ongoing green slime problem in the pond. It’s never been the same since my 16 year old had a party in our garden, where a few of her salubrious guests added to the level and almost poisoned the goldfish.

Oh, I almost forgot, I saw the legendry Dolly Parton in Belfast. She was simply amazing. Okay, she does tend to give you her whole life story in between songs, but her talent and youthful swagger cannot be faulted. It was good to see her in fine voice and fettle. I wonder if she will ever come back to the Wigtown Book Festival? See you there at the Box of Frogs Children’s Bookshop between 10am and 2pm on Saturday the 24th of September.

I’m not sure there will be any frogs in my pond this year but… hey ho. Fingers crossed for an Indian summer.

Sam
xx Dolly

The Wild Geese

samwilding1 — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 20:47:50 +0000

July has been a scorcher of a month, with more voyages in the family tub, the Wilding, and a trip across to deepest Majorca, or Mallorca, as the Spanish call it. Loch Lomond has been idyllic this month. Often flat-calm, we saw plenty of Ospreys, Goosanders and irate, posh boat owners. I don’t know what it is, but they seem to get very nervous when I do my, slightly boy-racerish, jetty approaches. Boats are built to take a few knocks for goodness sake.

The family also went on a last minute.com, holiday to Mallorca, which was great but very exhausting at times. I have a very adventurous wife who likes to go ‘goose-chasing’. We call it goose-chasing, because we never really know where we’re going to end up, or why we are 6 miles down some dirt track in a very inappropriate Ford Ka that wasn’t built for the outback. We usually see a few mangy goats, climb up to a closed castle in 35 degrees of sweat and dust, and then try not to be rude on the way home. Still, holidays just wouldn’t be the same…

Book-wise, all the books will feature at the Edinburgh Book Festival; they’ll be on sale in the Charlotte Square tent-bit; and my publisher, Olida, has also set up a signing at the Wigtown Book Festival in the world famous, children’s bookshop – THE BOX OF FROGS. This will be on Saturday the 24^th of September, between 10am and 2pm. So far, I have 2 schools booked for the new term: Tobermory High School, on the island of Mull, and Gartochan Primary School, a bit closer to home. There are many more events to announce in the near future, and with a new author booking agent, Margaret Patterson, on my case, I should be a lot more organised. I’m a member of the BRAW network and eligible for live literature funding, so, in line with many other Scottish based authors who want to ‘get out there’, I have duly updated my Scottish Book Trust page. Click on the following link -http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/contacts/sam-wilding

Writing-wise, I’m on the last run-through on two new novels: Book 4 of the Denthan Series – The Phantom flux, and Book 2 of the Island Adventure Series – Seascape. More about those two next month.

Managed to catch the last 3D instalment of Harry Potter at the IMAX theatre in Braehead. What a picture; what a truly influential and far reaching conclusion to the series. Hats off to JK.

The picture this month is straight off a chinese menu in Spain. Don’t get me wrong, we practically survive on the lovely food of the east when we’re on hols, but…

All the best and happy goose-chasing…

Sam

Sunny Days

samwilding1 — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 07:35:36 +0000

With a whole chunk of charity work done, a gig at the Wigtown Book Festival all sorted, the books featured at the Edinburgh Book Festival and a BRAW network networking meeting, things are getting busy again. We donated over 1200 books to some excellent good causes this month. see below… My old favourites, Asthma UK. With Gordon Brown, the ex-children’s commissioner, at the helm they can’t go wrong. (http://www.asthma.org.uk) UNICEF well known all around the world for protecting the rights of children. Readyforten is a charity helping parents kit out a much-needed playground for their kids in Linwood. (http://www.readyforten.com/parents-for-playgrounds/1/stages/2/candidates/579) Glasgow the Caring City Charity. Run by the Rev. Neil Galbraith, they donate books and many other items to Haiti, Japan and other places round the world in crisis. They also focus in on Glasgow itself, and do much more besides. (http://www.glasgowthecaringcity.com/projects/give_kid_a_goal.htm) Click on the links above to find out much more about these worthy causes. My meeting the Rev Neil Galbraith at Cathcart was inspiring. On first impressions, he’s a man full of great ideas, someone who gets things done quickly, and he’s totally driven to do good wherever he can. You can’t ask much more than that. I also met Asthma UK’s new fundraising officer, Barbara Boertien. Obviously, a good organiser and a real bubbly, outgoing asset to the charity. In addition, I had a day with Waterstone’s in Inverarary and set up a few more school visits for next term in Mull and Loch lomond-side. I even got back to work on the various books I’m trying to finish. I aim to have 2 new children’s novels and a thriller at my ‘pre-editor draft stage’ by the end of August. I’ve been assigned 3 new editors, one for each of the books, which is always interesting. I also had some film company interest in THE MAGIC SCALES. J K Wilding, or what? Probably a big ‘or what’, but we’ll just have to wait and see. I’ve had a pretty hectic travel schedule too, with a trip to Switzerland and Santorini ticking my ‘big explorer’ box. Oh, I turned 50 and…indulged in a new guitar, which I’ve gigged already, and a rickty old boat. I hope it floats. I guess you could call it a kind of mid-life mooring. Regards Sam the sailor.

Mayday!

samwilding1 — Fri, 27 May 2011 18:53:16 +0000

The fifth picture book in the Tiffy and Toffy series will be released this month by Olida. The Lucky Pellet is a read-out-loud story for kids with plenty to find and count in the pages.
The Tiffy Toffy series has been taken up by the Loch Lomond National Park. Full of animals and birds, the picture books are available to buy on their website and in all their shops from May onwards.

Now, we cheated. We had a lovely two weeks in the Canaries, swimming, walking and eating lots. The warm weather really lifted that winter fog from my brain and resulted in a spilling out of words. Seascape, book 2 of the Island adventures is well under way now, as is my re-write of The Eden Seed, my re-write of The Magic Scales and my tidy up of book 4 in the James Peck series. Apart from the impending visa bill, the holiday was… yes, well worth it.

When we got back, however, things were hotting up here too. Teenager trials and tribulations were the order of the day. It’s tough when everything you do and say is a big fat joke. You know: giving them advice, trying to put them on the right track and stuff; but I’m going to try none-the-less. Another thing I’m going to try, is to lose some weight and get fit. The holiday pictures put the hat on that one. What a bloater! So… I got myself a wee app for my Ipod. Yes, I know, just eat less and exercise more, but I’m incapable of common sense stuff like that. I need a prompt, a magical spell, a gadget to do it for me. So, I input all junk going in and all exercise performed and than see if I’m getting any closer to my target weight, (minus 2 stone). So far, it’s been very scary. I have the will power of a gnat, but slowly, slowly-catchy-monkey, I’m doing it. I’m walking more so I can have that chocolate Easter egg; swimming more so I can have a nice glass of red. At least I’m trying to balance my decadence with a little physical exertion!

Anyways… as far as the writing goes, I enclose a wee interview I did recently for a senior at Dillingham High School in Alaska. It should give you a bit of an insight into my writing and probably my personality again, I’m afraid.
1. How much do you write on a daily basis?
1-3 hrs
2. What do you do when you get writers block?
I write a random chapter heading and make the story fit.
3. Did you take any classes for writing, if so what are they?
No, I just have my English qualifications from my school days. an ‘O’ Level and a Higher Grade. 1978.
4. Where do you get your ideas?
My ideas come from news articles, and eavesdropping. Then I give them legs… For the fantasy material, I get some inspiration from my degree in zoology; lots of insect anatomy etc.
5. When and where do you prefer to write?
I prefer first thing in the morning, then I walk and think, take notes and carry on the following morning. I can, however, write anywhere: planes, trains, dining tables, hotels etc.
6. When is the best time to write (mad, sad, ext.)?
Emotionally, I write better when my life has been through flux. This is pretty easy, he he. However, to commit to paper, I have to be content, happy and secure.
7. When did you get interested in writing, and why?
I’ve always been interested, just never had the time or the true drive until 7 years ago. I was recording guitar with a friend and he read me some great poetry. The language interested me and spurred me on. Also, my son kept telling me to write things down as I always forgot where I left off in bedtime stories. Having a rubbish memory is good for writing. (I might have to expand on that one some other time ).
8. How many books do you read in a month?
I read very little. I listen to audio books as I travel, 3 -4 /month. Other than that, I tend to pick up books and read a few sample pages to get an idea of style and methods.
9. What would you say to someone who wants to become an author?
Don’t wait until your 42 to get started, although the experiences you get from living to that ripe old age are useful. The main thing is to have the determination to finish what you start.

Over and out…Sam

My own Shangri-La.

samwilding1 — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:47:18 +0000

A great day at Morrison’s Academy, a return to playing guitar and some super support in Oban. March began with a bang as I journeyed north to Oban with a pile of books in tow. Oban High are to use Windsacpe as a cross-curricular study book with the S2′s and want me to come back later in the year. They have a fantastic librarian there, Lyndsay, who seems to be getting lots of authors along to the school and is pushing hard for more funds. With the general library situation just now, which is horrendous, it’s good to see some proactive work going on there. Dance nights and raffles to raise money for new books etc. Waterstone’s, in Oban, are also very supportive and have some pretty nice window displays featuring Windscape. I am set to tour with Waterstone’s round some of the islands in May. Dates to be announced. Finally, hats off to Morrison’s Academy in Creiff. What a school. It reminded me of Hogwarts, but in a nice way. Lots of history, enthusiastic teachers and awe-inspiring grounds and views. I performed workshops with children from P1-7, starting off with the new Tiffy Toffy workshop and finishing with the Imagination session for the older kids.

I’m also back at the helm, when it comes to playing rock music again in THE GIFT. Playing some interesting venues over the next few months, I’m hoping to downsize from the rock stuff into acoustic gigs where I can chat, sing and sell books. Why not? I just need to get back into painting and that will be it, doing what I love for a living: My own Shangri-La.

Any small pubs / Inns who want a wandering minstrel just get in touch at: www.thegiftband.co.uk or www.sam-wilding.com

Jose, Patrick and the Flood

samwilding1 — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 22:42:03 +0000

Yes, it has been another crazy month in the zany life of Sam Wilding… fantastic kids up in Ullapool and Oban, wind-powered children in Galston, with under-floor heating. All in all, another 500 children got to design their very own monsters and find out a little more about asthma. The next bit sounds a bit name-droppy, but I’ll bash on none-the-less…

I worked with author Clare Wilson and was there at the turning on of the Vale lights. I bumped into Whitbread’s Children’s Book Award winner – Hugh Scott. Both Hugh and his wife were charming and very informative. They cheered me up on a no-show, snowed-out workshop near Loch Lomond.

I was honoured, along with Mrs Wilding, to be asked to the Albert Hall as a guest of John Major, President of Asthma UK, where we enjoyed and fantastic night with Jose Carreras and a whole host of classical stars. Being of the ‘rock’ persuasion, Jose was a revelation to me. Strangely, within 12 hours of seeing the great tenor, I came face to face with a hero of mine – Patrick Stewart – Star Trek captain and renowned Shakespearean actor. He was, however, fairly stressed at the Airport (I will not go into details) Needless to say, I will keep my feeble gushings of praise for another day. Yes, I’m a ‘Trekie’ and proud of it.

Reality struck home, however, when we found out that our pipes had burst and flooded the house. Sodden carpets, warped kitchen units and the inevitable struggle with the insurance people were all to follow. Oh well… It was nice while it lasted.

The windmills of my mind…

samwilding1 — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 22:56:19 +0000

: The time and the place for Windscape

What a week. Great kids, wonderful teachers, fantastic libraries and a chance to launch my first topical kid’s adventure - WINDSCAPE.

Up in Harris and Lewis there is a real dichotomy. They’ve just voted to halt a huge wind farm that would have run down the spine of the Western Isles. Some say that it’s been a missed opportunity; some say that it’s been more like a near miss. Windscape: an innocent adventure, has been hailed as a catalyst in the discussion. Mmm… Not sure I wanted that but, it’s good to talk. Unsure where I am on the subject, it was interesting to hear the various responses and ideas.

Some say the energy used to construct these majestic machines would never be cancelled out by the good they would do. Some say that the local community would stand to gain a great economic boost, both commissioning and decommissioning these things. Some say they scar the beautiful landscape that much of the tourist trade depends on. Some say they disrupt wildlife and destroy the peat bogs, Scotland’s lungs. Some, like me, are simply confused; torn between the damage they may do and the horrible alternatives. Are there other viable alternatives out there? Will it be the children who read this book that are ultimately affected?

The Rights of the Child

samwilding1 — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 16:21:59 +0000

Having been involved in a UNICEF / School steering committee, I was asked to write a play and a song that simplified the United Nations Charter for the rights of a child. I got stuck in and did my best, the results of which you can download for your school/youth club etc, free of charge, at my website under the Sam’s Songs tab, down at the bottom of the page. Christie Park Primary school successfully performed the play and the song. There are 4 school pack files to download from the site. A wee donation to UNICEF would be great, as they do a lot of great work around the world. Their link is on my page too.

www.sam-wilding.com

The Frankfurt Book Fair

samwilding1 — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 10:51:25 +0000

We’re here… Crushed on trains, squeezed on planes and blistered feet; it was all worth it. The fair is genuinely massive and takes up about the same area as 10 SECC’s in Glasgow. Finding stands and agents was the first challenge. I was only thankful that I brought Emma. My 15 yr-old daughter wanted to go to Germany and I thought she’d enjoy the cut and thrust of the fair. There are literally thousands of people talking about book stuff. Selling rights, re-selling rights, doing deals, looking at new media… all that kind of stuff. I was there to meet my German rights agent and to be intorduced to a possible rights agent for the rest of the world, excluding UK and Germany. It all went pretty smoothly, I think, so fingers crossed. She has a pretty impressive track record.

Emma, of course was enjoying the sights and food in Frankfurt. We wandered round the old district and along the river, beside the floating hotels and barges. £440 a room is what they were looking for a night because of the Fair. Luckily I’d booked on the cheap, well in advance.

We went to Frankfurt zoo and sat in the sun on the last day before setting off for home.