Rob in España

Copywriting Course

2012-01-26T10:57:00.001+01:00

I received my final assignment feedback from my tutor this morning which means I have finished my Copywriting course.

It feels rather like finishing a good book - you never want it too end and a sort of emptiness comes over you.

But it has been both enjoyable and informative - whether I shall actually use the new found skills remains to be seen.

If you are interested in any genre of writing and need to acquire new skills then give the Writers Bureau a go - I can thoroughly recommend them.

Discover Jason Webster

2012-01-22T15:53:00.001+01:00

I discovered him online whilst searching for books on Spain - I took the plunge and started with his 'Guerra' - Living in the shadows of the Spanish Civil War. I thoroughly enjoyed it (review here)

So I moved onto his 'Duende' What is duende - well that is rather the point of his book as he gets caught up in the world of flamenco and much more besides. My review:

Being an Expat myself it is naturally interesting to see how others fare in this country - and Webster was determined to scratch his itch and find 'Duende' it nearly killed him. His story gently unfolds then the pace hots up and to be honest I could not put it down. He has an easy style to read but still conveys a lot enabling the reader to feel, smell and sense the different environments he finds himself in. Whilst I do not claim to have had all the same experiences I do relate to many of his points and thoroughly enjoyed it. But please don't think this is the typical Expat life! But a welcome change from much of the drivel Expat 'literature' out there. Good for JW.

Next up 'Andalus'....

Some of My Best

2012-01-14T19:21:00.000+01:00

Are online here:

Open publication - Free publishing - More ave

The Chinese Attack

2012-01-04T20:58:00.001+01:00

Great to see another of my friends getting into print -

The Chinese Attack
by John Bishop
Pages: 400
Imprint: Vanguard Press ISBN: 978 1 84386 8 919 1

Jack has always done his duty. Always obeyed orders without question. Until the murderous futility of war drives him not just to question but rebel. However, protest leads to humiliation. And the Chinese Labour Corps. Where he’s plunged into a world of prejudice, suspicion and deadly cat-and-mouse games in which the losers will pay with their lives. Can Tien, his enigmatic servant, and the outspoken Eve, an Australian nurse desperate to hide her marital status, help him evade the malign reach of injustice? If not, the firing squad awaits them. And Jack keeps making wrong decisions. So in the end his choice is stark:’All or nothing,’ he shouted in Mandarin...

Good luck - hope it is a bestseller.

Best online deal - here - with FREE shipping, even Spain

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T19:11:00.003+01:00

Well here we go again - full of good intentions and those New Year Resolutions - good luck with yours.

The first edition of the year of TIM is on the streets and available online. My contribution is a short article on the Spanish Constitution and how it causes an annual early wake up call - see more on Page 20.

ps If you are using Firefox browser some functions may not work. Don't blame me!

Open publication - Free publishing - More costa blanca

WordPlay Quarterly

2011-12-22T23:09:00.000+01:00

In response to my suggestion the WordPlay magazine is now published on ISSUU - this edition includes several of my contributions including some fiction.

Open publication - Free publishing - More arts

Spanish 'El Gordo' Lottery

2011-12-22T14:32:00.000+01:00

Well El Gordo has come and gone again - over 3 hours of chanting, I hope you can now say E - Uro correctly (emphasise both vowels) and maybe you are even a few E - Uros richer. Me? Well I had a premonition that 2011 was the year for an El Gordo win, everywhere I went the tickets on sale seem to include my year of birth - so I bought them. I just could not resist (actually more like I dare not, just in case...........)
Well I watched most of the draw (E - Uro) in my local (where I had bought one of my 'lucky' tickets) Every time the little boys or girls walked to the table with the big winning numbers we held our breath (well I did because I never catch the number first time around) then focus on the screen and watch the spinning balls (why can't they spin slower, they know we have been in the bar all morning).
Followed by a simultaneous cry of 'Dios Mia, they always win, that province has all the luck,' pause for further thought, 'Why they are so far up in the mountains, they still have the Peseta.'
The fruit machines start again, more coffee/beer/wine is ordered, more people arrive,
'Hay mas premios?'
I decide to cancel my new Ferrari order, postpone viewing the bargain 2.5 million front line property and head home.
'Told you it would be double numbers this year,' I say.
'Yes,' she replies, 'Pity it was not our double numbers though.'
Ah well, even in these uncertain times we can count on there being another El Gordo December 22md 2012. Maybe see you in the local bar?

R.I.P. George Whitman

2011-12-15T21:11:00.000+01:00

You may remember a post earlier this year (and some articles) regarding my visit to the Shakespeare and Co bookshop in Paris.

Sadly George Whitman the amazing character behind this enterprise has passed away:

An extract from that link:

"PARIS — George Whitman, the founder of the Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris -- an iconic English-language literary hub and writers' refuge in the heart of the French capital -- died Wednesday aged 98.

"George Whitman died peacefully at home in the apartment above his bookshop," the shop said in a statement.

"George suffered a stroke two months ago, but showed incredible strength and determination up to the end, continuing to read every day in the company of his daughter, Sylvia, his friends and his cat and dog," it said."

I am so glad I was able to visit, unfortunately I did not get to meet the great man.

TIM Christmas Edition - Out Now

2011-12-01T13:23:00.000+01:00

Just collected the December (The) Inland magazines (TIM) which has a very festive cover and a bumper 66 pages. My article on the writer's group outing to Albacete is on pages 12-13 and also a Spanish tax article on page 32 are my contributions.

TIM can be viewed online here

Open publication - Free publishing - More tim

Copywriting - A Different Genre

2011-11-26T13:19:00.001+01:00

I had an offer to good to refuse from Writers Bureau (WB) and decided to enrole on their Copywriting course. I have just received my tutor feedback from my third assignment and I seem to be doing well.
What is Copywriting? (The following from the WB course notes)
"Copywriting means, literally, writing copy. The word 'copy' in this context means any
written communication that is intended for wider distribution via print or other media
(e.g. television or radio). Journalists routinely refer to 'copy' when talking about the
news stories they write.
The one-word term copywriting, however, is normally used to refer to producing a
particular type of copy, and that is copy written for commercial purposes. Copywriting
involves producing copy that is intended to inform (like journalistic copy), but also to
advise, influence and persuade. One defining quality of copywriting is that it attempts
to change the behaviour or attitude of readers in some way."
My next assignment is to produce a Press Release - time to get back to work.

Banco Sabadell Prestige Magazine

2011-11-23T09:10:00.001+01:00

Account holders at BS are sent a copy of the Prestige Magazine which runs a photography competition to which all readers are invited to submit photos themed on Spain.
I regularly enter, as I take lots of photos to illustrate my articles in TIM, so I eagerly turned to the photos comp pages and yes - there was one of mine of nesting storks taken in Sebes and Flix Wildlife Nature Reserve (TIM May 2011)
But had I won? No! My shot was included amongst other entries - winner to be announced in the next edition. This is the second time they have printed one of my photos - so maybe this time I will be amongst the winners.

Opportunity - One Missed, One to Come

2011-11-18T14:48:00.001+01:00

Unfortunately I had to miss the book signing event yesterday as I was suffering with a bad cold. A friend managed to sell some books, not an easy task these days.
But after one missed opportunity along comes another............
I am a frequent forager amongst the books on sale in my local Alzheimer charity shop. Tomorrow I have volunteered to give the book stocks a good sort out and change the displays. I plan to put all the best sellers in the boxes outside and rearrange the shelves inside. Hopefully managing to organise such a great display that book sales will rocket!
My last great find was Antony Beevor's 'Stalingrad' which was a very interesting read as part of my WW2 research project.
If you are local to Torrevieja please call into the Alzheimer shop and buy some books or any of the other wonderful bargains that they are selling to raise money for their charity.

TIM's 7th BIRTHDAY EDITION

2011-10-30T20:58:00.000+01:00

My article - More Mountains and Wildlife appears on Pgs 14-15 and another article for the DWP appears on Page 18 - Consulate in the Community in the 7th Birthday edition of TIM - available online here

Open publication - Free publishing - More inland

Published in WA Anthology

2011-10-24T13:45:00.003+02:00

The 2011 Writers Abroad Anthology is published today and two of my pieces are included:

Foreign Flavours: A New Anthology from Writers Abroad

Online writing group Writers Abroad are proud to announce the publication of a new anthology of short stories and non-fiction articles, entitled Foreign Flavours.

The anthology takes as its theme food, drink and recipes from around the world. It is a tantalizing collection of fiction and non-fiction, full of spice and flavour and sprinkled with mouth-watering recipes. The wide-ranging, sometimes bittersweet, contributions show how adaptable an ex-pat has to be to leave familiar dishes behind and venture into the culinary unknown.

This is the second anthology published by Writers Abroad. All the contributors are, or have been, ex-pats living in places around the globe. Alexander McCall Smith, acclaimed author of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Series and himself was born and worked abroad, has written the preface.

Following a call for submissions, 64 contributions were selected for the anthology. Since Writers Abroad is a virtual writers’ group, all the work to produce Foreign Flavours was done online.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will go to The Book Bus, a charity whose aim is to bring literacy and the joy of reading to children in the developing world.

Foreign Flavours is available from Lulu

To find out more, please go to the Writers Abroad website

Notes for editors

· Writers Abroad is an online writing group, founded in 2009. It provides a forum for ex-pat writers to exchange ideas, views and news on writing and to offer support and constructive feedback on each other’s work. Membership numbers are limited but ex-pat writers can apply to join if they are able to support the group’s initiatives and aims.

· Alexander McCall Smith is one of the world’s most popular and prolific authors. He was born in the former Rhodesia and was a Professor of Medical Law for many years. His No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series has sold over 20 million copies. His various bestselling series of books are available in more than 40 languages. He has received numerous awards for his writing and now lives in Edinburgh.

· Foreign Flavours contains 64 contributions. Thirty-four are non-fiction articles and 30 are short stories. The anthology also includes 33 delicious and appetising recipes. Writers Abroad members supplied 24 of the contributions; the remaining 40 were selected from 96 external contributions.

· Contributors live in and have written about the following places: Albania, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Corsica, Cyprus, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malawi, Mallorca, Morocco, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, USA, Wales.

· The Book Bus is a registered charity that aims to improve child literacy rates in Africa and South America by providing children with books and the inspiration to read them. Find out more on their website.

The Quiet Man Festival

2011-10-05T14:55:00.000+02:00

I blogged earlier regarding the TQM festival I recently attended in Ireland. My article has been published in the October TIM along with many photos, pages 14-15. I also have an article on the next Volvo Ocean Race on page 6. The magazine is available online if you don't see a hard copy.

Open publication - Free publishing - More inland

Walking Season

2011-09-25T18:41:00.000+02:00

Just back from a few days great walking in one of Jaen’s (Andalucia) Natural Parks. Lots of interesting bird life as well as some wild boar. The weather was glorious so it was a good start to the walking season. Stayed at the Rosa Blanca CasaRural, very comfortable with good food, including my favorite – fresh eggs from the resident chickens.

More to follow later in TIM.

Writers Abroad 2011 Anthology

2011-09-18T12:13:00.001+02:00

I submitted two pieces of non-fiction for this years WA anthology and I have now received an email confirmation that they have both been accepted.

This years theme is a general theme of food, drink and cooking from around the world - 'Foreign Flavours'. All profits made from the publication of the Anthology will be donated to charity, The Book Bus, and acclaimed author, Alexander McCall Smith, has agreed to write the foreword.

I understand that there were around 120 submissions with around half accepted so the book will run to around 70,000 words. For more on last years anthology see the panel on the right.

WORDPLAY

2011-09-12T16:35:00.002+02:00

I managed to catch up with the Wordplay group this morning during their first meeting at their new venue (Emerald Isle, Playa Flamenca near Torrevieja) and what an interesting session it was - we covered a lot of writers hot topics including self publishing and paid writing opportunities.

Having lost touch a little I was surprised to see my work in print in the group's -
The WordPlay ShowcaseThe annual anthology of contributors' work, selected ezine features, competition winning entries. Prose and poetry talent showcased. For more

I have ordered my copy which I shall collect at tomorrow night's Open Mic session, for which I am frantically looking for pieces to read. More to follow.

Back to Work

2011-09-02T12:42:00.004+02:00

After a short summer break it is now time to get back to business.

TIM September carries my 'The Mountain Life' article, featuring Frigiliana Malaga with plenty of my photos (see above) - see pages 14-15.

Lots more planned for the autumn including something a little bit different.

I have just returned from Cong, County Mayo - Southern Ireland where I had been invited to attend TJ Miles One Man Art Exhibition based on the film The Quiet Man which was celebrating its 60th anniversary of being filmed in and around the village of Cong. More to follow.

Other projects in the pipeline including a makeover of the TIM blog which I manage.

The famous ISSUU display software appears not be working to display the TIM magazine so here is a direct link http://issuu.com/timadmin/docs/tim-sept-11?mode=embed

Open publication - Free publishing - More inland

Now it's Hot!

2011-08-07T13:25:00.000+02:00

The serious heat has now arrived so it is time for either shade or in a cool pool. I have been enjoying a break from writing but maybe now feeling I need to get back to my passion and so have some articles in the pipeline. I met with the TIM guys (The Inland Magazine) last week and we were discussing some ideas. So keep a look out for the September edition.

I have been reading a cross section of books during my break and I have posted some short reviews on Shelfari Given the non fiction a rest and have read some very funny stuff.......

Always interesting to compare my reviews to other readers and a great way to keep track of what I have read and enjoyed.

I will be travelling to Ireland for The Quiet Man festival at the end of the month - more information here looking forward to a good craic whilst support the arts. May meet Maureen O'Hara as well...The above image is from the unique collection by TJ Miles especially created for the The Quiet Man festival.

June TIM Out Now

2011-06-02T14:39:00.011+02:00

My last article for a while is published in this months TIM - The Battle of the River Ebro, the last major battle in the Spanish Civil War - see pages 48-49.

The magazine is also available online here via the TIM blog
http://blogs.timspain.com/?p=718

all earlier editions available here
http://issuu.com/timadmin

Life in the Mountains

2011-05-14T13:40:00.001+02:00

Was very enjoyable with the coming down probably tougher than going up. but Frigiliana Malaga is a pretty spot. Even though I plan to take the summer off from writing I was inspired to write an article for later publication. In the meantime the May TIM has been out for a couple of weeks and features my last adventures in Flix, Taragona.

It can be viewed online here

or

Open publication - Free publishing - More inland

Summer Plans

2011-04-24T13:04:00.001+02:00

I have decided to take a break this summer to reflect and maybe develop some new ideas. After the May edition of TIM which will feature Flix on the River Ebro followed by an article on the Battle of the Ebro (Spanish Civil War) in June I shall be laying down my pen, so to speak, for a few months.

Thanks to everyone who has commented on the TIM blog
http://blogs.timspain.com/?p=707#comments

This break follows over 100 contributions dating back to The Inland Magazine March 2008, rookie days for sure!

A lot of my published TIM articles appear here on ISSUU, the online reading site.

Hopefully my explorations in the Malaga region mountains will provide inspiration.

The Inland Magazine - April

2011-04-06T09:16:00.000+02:00

Back to more local articles this month with 'Almoradi - Heart of the Vega Baja' (an inland village) Pages 2/3 with my photos - their local tourist office commented:
"Your article is wonderful !! Thank you very much!!" (Juana Rodríguez)

The monthly Bibliomaniac Page (Pg 24) features news and reviews and the 2nd part of Spanish Tax is on Pg 18. The magazine can be viewed online if you can't get hold of a copy.

Open publication - Free publishing - More inland

TIM March Out Now

2011-03-03T09:45:00.000+01:00

Start of a new month so another edition - maybe not our best ever cover photo but the content is still good.
My 'How are the Neighbours Doing' a slant on my recent Paris trip appears on Pages 2-3 along with the Bibliomanic Page which this month is a special on Shakespeare and Co (Paris) on Page 20 and also an article on Spanish tax written in conjunction with Pellicer & Heredia (Solicitors) on page16 are my contributions.

Open publication - Free publishing - More spain