Savage Business

04.24.10

Well, for the first time since I started participating in #FridayFlash in September 2009, I have been unable to post a story due to time constraints.

One reason for not #fridayflashing this week was that my employer sent me, kicking and screaming, on an ITIL Foundation V3 course where I had to learn all about the IT Service Lifecycle (yes, it is as boring as it sounds). That had an exam at the end of it and hence required me to spend time studying mind-numbing nomenclature rather than writing fun things. Grrrrrr. Still, I have my revenge: I doubt I passed this exam *blows raspberry at boss*

A more noble reason for missing #FridayFlash was that I have an assignment due soon for the
Astronomy module I am studying with the Open University, and needed to work on that as well.

There are also some exciting reasons, however, that stopped me from producing flash fiction last Friday.

I am a founding member of the Leeds Savage Club, a society for writers and artists in Leeds, and also its current Communications Officer. We are still in our infancy, and it turns out there is a LOT of work involved in forming an official society! Apart from that I have been preparing for two events where the Leeds Savage Club are going to publicise ourselves, and tell the world who we are!

The first event is this coming Tuesday, 27th April. The current Chief of the Leeds Savage Club, Robert St-John Smith and I are doing a presentation on the club at Bettakultcha.

The second event is the Leeds Savage Club’s launch party. We will be hosting an exhibition at Temple Works, a former flax mill in Holbeck, Leeds. It is a gorgeous building that was based on the Temple of Edfu at Horus in Egypt and, its history aside, it holds a special place in our hearts as that is where we put together the constitution of the club.

The exhibition is going to involve a speech from the Chief, artwork from the Club’s Sketchers on the walls, and some readings by the Club’s Writers. I will be reading out a past #FridayFlash of mine about elephant racing, First Place, with the help of Robert St-John Smith who will be taking on the lines of the commentator for the race.

While I didn’t post a story on Friday, I did indirectly (ish) post something else: the Leeds Savage Club were cordially invited to do a guest blog for the Guardian Leeds. In the resulting blog post, which was written by myself and fellow Leeds Savage Hannah Bisson, we describe a Leeds Savage Writers’ meet and take a trip through space, time and genres.

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9 Responses to “Savage Business”

  1. Donald Conrad says on :

    I’ve never read a formal bit of apology for not posting a #fridayflash, Mazz. It is obvious you have a lot on your plate and I do so look forward to reading how you’ve cobbled words together from week to week—but hey, no apology necessary if you skip once in a while. I might be wrong, but I think we all do on occasion. And with less fanfare.

    As Mr. King has said in the past, there are other worlds than these.

  2. Laura Eno says on :

    You’ve been busy! I did notice that there were extra virgins running around this week, waiting to be sacrificed…

  3. Tony Noland says on :

    I hate it when anything intrudes on writing, but the demands of a day job is one of those thing, like a spouse, which you ignore at your peril.

    I remember “First Place” – excellent choice!

  4. Cathy Olliffe says on :

    Well congratulations on the Leeds Club… I am SO jealous we don’t have one in my neck of the woods. Sounds amazing! Good luck with everything.
    And while I look forward to your stories each and every week, I totally understand. It’s amazing anybody has time for anything these days.

  5. R Canepa says on :

    Congratulations on the Guardian Blog article! That’s great stuff.

    You’re far, far better about posting to #fridayflash than I am 🙁

  6. Virginia Moffatt says on :

    Ah Mazz, you set your bar high…I’ve missed two weeks for reasons of life and work etc, so you’re doing well to even post with what’s been going on. Loved the Grauniad piece, which I’ve retweeted. I wanna live in Leeds and join the Savages! Can we have an Oxford branch?

  7. Cecilia Dominic says on :

    Well, darn, you’re going to just have to kill twice as many characters next week. 😉

    Totally understanding,

    Cecilia

  8. Anthony Venutolo says on :

    Mazz… Sounds like you can use a drink from all that work. Sit back, kick your feet up and watch some TV.

    We all have to unplug once in a while…

  9. mazzz in Leeds says on :

    Thanks chaps and chapesses.

    Donald – it wasn’t an apology 🙂 It just seems weird to me, more than anything, not having a flash to post, after posting one every week for 33 weeks!

    Anthony – ah, no rest for the wicked maybe, but I certainly enjoyed a few drinks 😉

    Virginia and Cathy – you can go ahead and start your own club – it’s well worth it!

    Going to spend today preparing the exhibits for the launch party and this evening trying to learn my bits for the presentation on Tuesday…eek.

    I’m almost looking forward to being back at work tomorrow, for a bit of a rest! *Almost*

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