Five (Left) Lions

Nottingham treasure LeftLion Magazine reaches its 100th issue this month! It's a must-read if you're in the city, and free to pick up from many a fine Notts establishment. I'm dead chuffed to have been doing a few articles for their website recently, here they all are if you fancy a gander...


1. Nottingham Writers' Studio to Host Joint Networking Event with Society of Authors

A little plug for our beloved Notts Writers' Studio, which is well worth a visit.


2. 10 Nottingham Watering Holes with Pub Sports and Games

I had so much fun researching for this (2-3 pubs per week for a month).


3. Art Review: Strike Site at Backlit

Review of an exhibition about the refugee crisis at indie gallery Backlit.


4. Fluent Females: Third Annual Women Say Stuff Event at Cafe Sobar

Write up of a female-led poetry event for International Women's Day.


5. Film Review: The Square

Getting bitter and preachy about the mad world of contemporary art.

Playing Ringing the Bull at Ye Olde Trip (plus mystery observer)

Writing/everything is hard

So, “restarting my blog” went well, didn’t it?

I had a bit of a writing hiatus during December, but January feels better.

Had my first taste of publisher rejection before Christmas (wrote a short story back in October for an anthology, which was “borderline” but not quite right). The first in a long line of disappointments, which is half the fun of being A Writer.

Started another story about a manipulative priestess and a giant crab. One day a publisher will appreciate my talent and send me a limo pfffff.

Genuinely good; I won 1st prize for Flash Fiction and 2nd for Poetry in a competition at Nottingham Writer’s Studio. I am so proud of my wee trophy! The hardest thing for me is just getting started, so events are a great motivator.

I’ve got a couple of fun things to write for Left Lion too over the next month. I like to think stuff like this is my “real job”…

2018 resolutions are Fitter, Happier, More Productive. And get published (ha).

Did you die?

Is blogging dead too?

I hope not, but social media made blogging redundant for a “casual” blogger like me. I found it easier to stick a few photos/words on Facebook or Twitter, rather than spend time fleshing out a big beautiful blog post about my week.

Why are you doing a blog post then?

I write about law now! To remedy this, I have joined a writers' group and write weird fiction in my spare time. Social media posts aren’t very satisfying - I want to torture my three followers on Blogger with some long reads.

What delightful things can we expect?

Just the usual boring stuff I used to blog about. Television programmes, beauty products, what I like for dinner etc. You may also get some mildly interesting stuff like book reviews and local event write ups (I live in a city now!).

Is that it then?

Yes, that’s it. I am a world famous blogger once again.

I've been blogging more than you think.

I have a bad habit of neglecting to write 'for myself' when I'm working full-time, hence months of nothingness on here. But I DO write and - as I realised when I tried to pick just 10 12 examples from my work blog posts - I still really enjoy and take pride in it . Below are some of my YHA faves!

(I've also done some wee descriptions so that I can say that I've been writing about something other than hostelling, i.e. writing about writing about hostelling...)

The most scenic hiking trails in the UK
I describe a 183 mile walk as being "for beginners". I think the most miles I've walked is 7. 

10 things to do in Liverpool this spring
Tracey Emin and (amazingly) The Beatles get mentioned. Internationally published, so proud!

Lights-off for Earth Hour 2015
It's not easy being Green - luckily the YHA are forward-thinking so it's eco-warrior time.

The Hosteller's Cookbook
I really wish that I could cook some of these. I did help make the veggie biryani though, woo.

Top 10 mind-blowing novels for travellers
Science fiction, fantasy and pop culture references. This has my fingerprints all over it Holmes.

Bizarre & British: alternative places to stay in the UK
Not-so-subtly destroying the stereotype of hostels being purpose-built and grim. They're not.

Take the Classroom to the Great British Outdoors
Making education sound a lot more exciting than I remember it being when I was at school.

How to get a good night's sleep when travelling
Good tips that I consistently ignore; I am writing this like 5 minutes before I go to bed.

Battle of the Kindle vs Traditional paper books
Well I could hardly admit that I barely use my Kindle could I. Also, "BOOK SNIFFING".

The most beautiful National Parks the UK has to offer
Proving that England and Wales are absolutely stunning. I wish I'd taken those photos.

Why travelling Solo rocks and how to make the most of it
Follow the wisdom of someone who usually goes on holiday in the UK, with her parents.

The ever-changing Hostel of the Week page is also my doing, archived as blogs here.

I promise I will eventually get round to doing a proper update on ME (probably involving Matlock's antique shops and how difficult jogging is) but in the meantime check out my ramblings about the mountains, travelling and adventures that I never see. MOUNTAINS GANDALF.

Yes, I really need to follow my own advice and get out there. *bizarre mix of blatant self-promotion/self-deprecation ends*

Promises to a new laptop (a love poem).

Oh laptop, thou art barely born.

Rejoice, you are now the lucky vessel of my neuroticism and creativity (yeah right).

I promise to overlook your sharp edges and fascinating ugliness (potential baby names: Rorschach, John Merrick). I was spoilt with my old Sony Vaio, it was a beautiful woman with gentle curves (sounding a bit gay here). But NO, you are a sleek monolith with no need for tawdry decor!

I promise to update you properly, protect you from virusy harm (sorry about this morning) and change your metaphorical nappy when needed (what?). I promise to install and master Photoshop, rather than just The Sims 2. I promise to upload my art and photography, rather than staying up to read rude fanfics. I promise to hunt for interesting work, rather than stalking people on the internet. I promise to use you for inspiration and personal development, rather than scrolling through amusing cat photos. I promise to stick up for your homely averageness when my boyfriend bullies you for not being fast or powerful enough (which he will). You're just about right for me.

In return, please keep my secrets safe and secure, so I don't end up in nude photo scandal shocker/blackmail hell. Not like I take any (sorry to disappoint). Here's to a fresh start and a few years snuggling up and slaving over the keyboard together.

Love from Natalie (a girl who writes for a living yet is appalling at poetry, and who hasn't owned a laptop since last year). *pats your wee laptop head*

A Field in England, A Beach in Wales.

Or what I did this summer when I wasn't working heh.
(really, really appreciate my free time these days)

I went to Latitude festival with my favourite people, the highlights included...

It being so hot that my lip balm melted (I then used it).

Being nude and proud like Amanda Palmer in the showers.

Getting to the front for Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Hot Chip and Kraftwerk. Right on time.

Stalking Alan Moore, David Shrigley and Carol Anne Duffy.

Eddie Izzard, Dylan Moran, Richard Herring and Tim Key lulz. Everyone needs a good larf!

The flock of multicoloured sheep.

My 'cookery'.

Then we went to Wales for a week, the highlights included...

Swimming in the freezing sea with my lovely man.

Visiting all the castles. History is a story of humans being shitty to each other.

Reading Trainspotting and A Clockwork Orange like the cool kids we are.

Folly Farm (and zoo) which definitely isn't just for kids.

Not being at work/staying in bed all day.

Other people's cookery.

Everything.

I've also been on a couple of protests, written lots about beauty/babies for a household name and generally been too busy (one way or anuzzer) to blog on here.

I need to write and make time for myself more -- I'll try! :)

Books and writing and stuff.

Do I buy a Kindle? I literally can't fit many more books in my room, my shelves are bordering on ridiculous and 'Book Mountain' next to my bed has three peaks now.

I'd estimate that I have about a zillion books. But I NEED them all. They make me look way smarter than I actually am.

Kindles are very practical and I'd probably really benefit from one, but at the same time I can see myself moaning "oooh, it's just not the same" on my first digital purchase and then sniffling over a gorgeously battered second-hand copy that I'd found. I know, I'm such a cliche -- my lifestyle is like, totally analogue.

Currently reading Brave New World, which I've been looking to get my hands on for years. Dystopian novels are a personal fave (congratulations everyone for surviving the apocalypse by the way); I like a good reminder of how bad things could get/why we should be preventing them.

If I haven't told you IRL, which is unlikely as I've been telling everyone, I now work for Boots.com as a copywriter. Daisy from Spaced much.

Have a New Year's Eve wedding to attend too, should be lovely! So until my next blog post about books and writing and stuff (to be fair, all my blogging seems to fall into these categories), have a good 'un. In the meantime, here are Mum's wacky words for things...

Baldy-no-nose = Lord Voldemort 

Cotton-wool Pringles = Make-up removal pads

Your winter newsletter.

Hello out there! A wee bit chilly isn't it. I haven’t updated this properly in a while, so here’s a thrilling lowdown on what I've been up to…

In October I went to Whitby with my fella, to see how the real goths celebrate Halloween. I still live in hope that one day, I’ll move there and live in nautical/Bram Stoker bliss.

In early November, I tried my hand at door-to-door sales. Needless to say, I was shite — I’m much more suited to typing from the safety of my bedroom.

Earlier this week, we buried our family cat of 15 years. Missing him terribly, I’ll have to post some photographs on here; he was beautiful.

In the last couple of days, I’ve been worrying (more than usual) about the direction our government seems to be headed. Universal Jobmatch is actually Orwellian.

Adam Curtis’ documentaries are also a huge eye-opener.

Would very much like to stop being underemployed (I love my copywriting, but I’m so dreadfully POOR), and have a nice little home of my own with ample bookshelves/useless antiques/a vast collection of cats.

Buuut, I am going to see Alanis Morissette tomorrow night! FOR FREE.

Spectacular news. Thank you Jake for having access to free tickets (and for making the last 6 months the best ever), thank you India, thank you terror, thank you disillusionment, thank you frailty, etc…

P.S. I still haven’t finished Crime and Punishment. Fail.

Blogging versus Tumblelogging.

Quite like this blogging lark. It's probably a phase, but it's an enjoyable one. Brushing the tricky concept of putting everything you ever thought/said/did all over the internet, for everyone, forever, everywhere.

All internet publishing could be interpreted as attention-seeking to a degree, in particular blogging perhaps, but I think I mostly post interesting things... THOUGH I SAY SO MYSELF!

But. "Which is better, Blogger or Tumblr?"

I use Tumblr more, with about 20 posts opposed to just 9 on Blogger. But that's the difference between them for me; Tumblr is the scrapbook where you scribble thoughts and collect pictures and go this is good, look at this thing I've found. Blogger is better for traditional blogging (no shit Sherlock), recording things that YOU have made or done, taking the time to write more than a few words. Like a secret diary, one that everyone with a computer can look at.

If you remember learning about primary and secondary sources in English, it's something like that I guess.

Personally I use Blogger for posting original images or pieces of writing that I consider good enough to stand alone. I filter what is 'worthy'. Tumblr is more about sharing; it gets everything my Blogger does, and then some.

The platforms themselves?

Blogger's control panel does not seem to occupy the rules of logic, time or space. And the interface is UGLY. But it has been around longer, is less pretentious, has a simple archiving system with TITLES and I can usually expect to find focused, original, quality work on there. It is however rumoured to be changing it's name to "Google Blogs", which sounds absolutely disgusting and I will probably leave.

Tumblr is gorgeous, busy and fluid. Busy as in you leave it for a day and you have a bagillion notifications saying who has reblogged your blog. Reblogging and recycling is not frowned upon on Tumblr, infact most people's archives are filled with content they've found elsewhere. More quantity than quality? It also crashed my internet browser, but works like a dream with Google Chrome. Oh the irony.

Oh well, fact is I can't choose. They're both good in their own way and they both keep me writing and my brain working. It's probably a bit unhealthy actually, I've got to the point where I sleep with my notepad.

That's my input, now back to spooky pictures I've found and stoopid dreams I've had.

http://nataliesarthouse.tumblr.com