orisitme

[orisitme]

'Brexit Comes to Bedwell Ash' a sideways look at the issues surrounding Brexit! Available now on Amazon - free if you have Amazon Prime! #brexit #brexit🇪🇺 #brexitshambles #ukpolitics #politics #politicsasusual #uk #satire #satiregram #book #books #bookstagram #novel #reading #reader #readersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BzycWcIBi-I/?igshid=1w85di312p4eu

[orisitme]

Another 5* review from USA for my novel 'Brexit Comes to Bedwell Ash' If you want to read a sideways slant on Brexit give it a try. Free if you have Amazon Prime! #brexit #brexitshambles #ukpolitics #change #satire #satiregram #politicalsatire #comedy #bookstagram #books #bookshelf #book #read #reading #reads #goodreads #goodreadschallenge https://www.instagram.com/p/BzyYnJIBQMP/?igshid=3db3cibt8rf5

[orisitme]

#writing #writers #novel #blog #blogpost #brexit #ukpolitics #politics #EU #Referendum #amwriting #comedy #humour #humor #farce #satire 

On Writing My First Novel

What is a first novel? Is it the first novel you write or the first novel you publish? I ask the question because I was almost at the end of completing the first draft of a novel about a disenchanted employee who decides to murder his manager (write about what you know they said!) when – in June 2016 we in the UK voted to leave the EU.

2016 was a memorable year for so many reasons. It was the year when many of our beloved entertainers and musicians were handed their death certificates and invited to perform at a spiritual variety show somewhere in the afterlife. Halfway through the year, with one celebrity death after another keeping us wondering what on earth was going on, we toddled along to vote in a referendum which had been promised to us as a political ploy to get the Conservative party into government. Millions of us ticked our In/Out preference (although 26,033 people spoiled their vote – you know who you are), dutifully taking part in the democratic process.

I’m guessing our Prime Minister, David Cameron had an ‘oh shit’ moment when he saw what was happening in the early hours of June 24th. The result confirmed what many people had already suspected – that there are deep divisions in our country. It also triggered the second most irresponsible act of political self-interest in a decade when he resigned, floored by the power of the people. I say the second most irresponsible act of political self-interest – the first being the referendum itself.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for people power and the masses having a say, let’s face it, we are fortunate to live in a democracy after all. But the way it was done, the campaign that was run and the question that was asked on the ballot paper was so simplistic only somebody incredibly arrogant or naive or stupid, (delete as appropriate) could possibly think it was a good idea. Stand up and take a bow, our government.

In my opinion, David Cameron made a number of errors when he decided to give us a vote on our membership of the EU. Firstly, he should have thought like a lawyer - ‘never ask a question unless you know the answer.'Sadly, he probably thought he did know the answer which just goes to show how out of touch he was. Secondly, he made the fundamental mistake of thinking that people would look at the wider issues such as our trading relationship with the EU and what would happen if we told the EU by way of our ballot box to 'sod off.’ In fact, when casting their vote the majority of people will look at their own personal circumstances to make their decision. Let’s face it, a family working for minimum wage and struggling to make ends meet are going to be more concerned about the erosion of their employment rights than they are about listening to bank bosses bleat about job losses and moving their assets out of the country. Such a family are more concerned about keeping a roof over their heads and (rightly or wrongly) link rising rents and a shortage of housing stock to the large numbers of people coming into the country. It is pointless telling somebody on minimum wage they’ll be worse off after Brexit. If they lose their job they’ll soon find another one. There are plenty of jobs around where you can earn minimum wage and have minimal employment rights. Bearing this in mind, if we take a look at the question on the ballot paper ( I have put in brackets how I think the question was read by most people):

Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union? (Am I happy with my life as it is or do I want it to change?

 Remain a member of the European Union (I am happy with my life as it is.)

 Leave the European Union (I am not happy with my life as it is. I want it to change.)

And 17,410,742 people decided it was time for a change. There were so many opinions, ‘leavers are a bunch of racists,’ ‘leavers didn’t know what they were voting for,’ ‘old people shouldn’t be allowed to vote.’ Then questions, ‘why did we vote to leave?’ ‘What about all of the lies we were told?’ Seriously? Politicians? Lies? It’s what they do. It’s what they’ve always done. They just can’t help themselves.

So as questions were asked and theories formed I stopped work on my first novel and started writing ‘BrexitComestoBedwellAsh’because I had theories of my own. I am not an ardent political analyst, however, I take an interest in politics and what goes on in the world and on this topic I had something to say.

In 2008 we had a serious financial crisis in our country. Gordon Brown (our Minister for Money from 1997 – 2007) stood up and attempted to explain it all away by suggesting, ‘it was because we were monitoring individual banks not the system as a whole.‘ What? WHAT! So it was nothing to do with the greed and lack of integrity within our financial institutions then? A climate which – let’s face it - he was more than familiar with. Then, of course, austerity measures were put in place which impacted the most vulnerable people in our society. Add to that the shortage of housing stock, pricing many people out of the property market and contributing to the massive increase in homelessness. Add to the list the gradual erosion of our employment rights – large businesses now have to comply with a Modern Slavery Act for goodness sake! All of this against a backdrop of millions in bonuses paid to the chums of the business elite, many of whom were already on huge salaries just for doing their jobs! By August of 2016 I had something to say. I just had to settle down and figure out how I was going to say it.

Originally my tome was going to be a dark, slightly sinister read, however, as I continued to write I realised that it had to be a humorous, satirical work. There are after all enough works on the market stating facts and figures and making doom and gloom predictions. How could what I wanted to say be anything but a farce?

My novel took me two years to write. It is based around a family – Elizabeth and Rafael Rossi and their three children who live in the village of Bedwell Ash. Elizabeth drunkenly announces at her son’s 18th birthday party that she intends to vote Leave in the EU referendum. Her family are horrified and don’t understand how she could do such a thing. Pretty soon there are deep divisions within the once happy family unit as promises are broken and secrets revealed.

When I completed the first draft of my novel I foolishly thought that that was the hard work over with. The next phase was the editing process. Little did I know what was waiting for me.

[orisitme]

On Writing My First Novel

What is a first novel? Is it the first novel you write or the first novel you publish? I ask the question because I was almost at the end of completing the first draft of a novel about a disenchanted employee who decides to murder his manager (write about what you know they said!) when – in June 2016 we in the UK voted to leave the EU.

2016 was a memorable year for so many reasons. It was the year when many of our beloved entertainers and musicians were handed their death certificates and invited to perform at a spiritual variety show somewhere in the afterlife. Halfway through the year, with one celebrity death after another keeping us wondering what on earth was going on, we toddled along to vote in a referendum which had been promised to us as a political ploy to get the Conservative party into government. Millions of us ticked our In/Out preference (although 26,033 people spoiled their vote – you know who you are), dutifully taking part in the democratic process.

I’m guessing our Prime Minister, David Cameron had an ‘oh shit’ moment when he saw what was happening in the early hours of June 24th. The result confirmed what many people had already suspected – that there are deep divisions in our country. It also triggered the second most irresponsible act of political self-interest in a decade when he resigned, floored by the power of the people. I say the second most irresponsible act of political self-interest – the first being the referendum itself.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for people power and the masses having a say, let’s face it, we are fortunate to live in a democracy after all. But the way it was done, the campaign that was run and the question that was asked on the ballot paper was so simplistic only somebody incredibly arrogant or naive or stupid, (delete as appropriate) could possibly think it was a good idea. Stand up and take a bow, our government.

In my opinion, David Cameron made a number of errors when he decided to give us a vote on our membership of the EU. Firstly, he should have thought like a lawyer - 'never ask a question unless you know the answer.'Sadly, he probably thought he did know the answer which just goes to show how out of touch he was. Secondly, he made the fundamental mistake of thinking that people would look at the wider issues such as our trading relationship with the EU and what would happen if we told the EU by way of our ballot box to 'sod off.' In fact, when casting their vote the majority of people will look at their own personal circumstances to make their decision. Let's face it, a family working for minimum wage and struggling to make ends meet are going to be more concerned about the erosion of their employment rights than they are about listening to bank bosses bleat about job losses and moving their assets out of the country. Such a family are more concerned about keeping a roof over their heads and (rightly or wrongly) link rising rents and a shortage of housing stock to the large numbers of people coming into the country. It is pointless telling somebody on minimum wage they'll be worse off after Brexit. If they lose their job they'll soon find another one. There are plenty of jobs around where you can earn minimum wage and have minimal employment rights. Bearing this in mind, if we take a look at the question on the ballot paper ( I have put in brackets how I think the question was read by most people):

Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union? (Am I happy with my life as it is or do I want it to change?

 Remain a member of the European Union (I am happy with my life as it is.)

 Leave the European Union (I am not happy with my life as it is. I want it to change.)

And 17,410,742 people decided it was time for a change. There were so many opinions, ‘leavers are a bunch of racists,’ ‘leavers didn’t know what they were voting for,’ ‘old people shouldn’t be allowed to vote.’ Then questions, ‘why did we vote to leave?’ ‘What about all of the lies we were told?’ Seriously? Politicians? Lies? It’s what they do. It’s what they’ve always done. They just can’t help themselves.

So as questions were asked and theories formed I stopped work on my first novel and started writing ‘BrexitComestoBedwellAsh’because I had theories of my own. I am not an ardent political analyst, however, I take an interest in politics and what goes on in the world and on this topic I had something to say.

In 2008 we had a serious financial crisis in our country. Gordon Brown (our Minister for Money from 1997 – 2007) stood up and attempted to explain it all away by suggesting, ‘it was because we were monitoring individual banks not the system as a whole.‘ What? WHAT! So it was nothing to do with the greed and lack of integrity within our financial institutions then? A climate which – let’s face it - he was more than familiar with. Then, of course, austerity measures were put in place which impacted the most vulnerable people in our society. Add to that the shortage of housing stock, pricing many people out of the property market and contributing to the massive increase in homelessness. Add to the list the gradual erosion of our employment rights – large businesses now have to comply with a Modern Slavery Act for goodness sake! All of this against a backdrop of millions in bonuses paid to the chums of the business elite, many of whom were already on huge salaries just for doing their jobs! By August of 2016 I had something to say. I just had to settle down and figure out how I was going to say it.

Originally my tome was going to be a dark, slightly sinister read, however, as I continued to write I realised that it had to be a humorous, satirical work. There are after all enough works on the market stating facts and figures and making doom and gloom predictions. How could what I wanted to say be anything but a farce?

My novel took me two years to write. It is based around a family – Elizabeth and Rafael Rossi and their three children who live in the village of Bedwell Ash. Elizabeth drunkenly announces at her son’s 18th birthday party that she intends to vote Leave in the EU referendum. Her family are horrified and don’t understand how she could do such a thing. Pretty soon there are deep divisions within the once happy family unit as promises are broken and secrets revealed.

When I completed the first draft of my novel I foolishly thought that that was the hard work over with. The next phase was the editing process. Little did I know what was waiting for me.

[orisitme]

I am just putting together my first blog post, talking about the conceptual concepts of art. I think she's had enough! #catlover #catsofinstagram #cats #cats_of_instagram #blogger #blog #bloggerstyle #bloggerlife #bloggerlife #bloggersofinstagram #art #artistsoninstagram #artsy https://www.instagram.com/p/BzIP8dqBvHP/?igshid=1n5b1a0t08r6t

[orisitme]

testing gardening! Can I export this?