P.M.A

[erastes]

I tell you something. If I was Derren Brown, I wouldn't just have a TV show. I'd be ruling the WORLD.

He is illustrating a good point tonight though - the power of negative suggestion.  (He put a kitten in a electric box and told the girl not to press the button and she'd win £500 and she pressed the button!!!)  The whole positive mental attitude thing is more powerful than people realise. "see yourself flying down the track" etc.  When I had a horse my trainer used to say that I needed to imagine clearing the fences, and I would.  It worked too, more often than not.  I think it's the same with writing, to a certain extent. It helped enormously that I had a decent horse who trusted me, of course but he wasn't faultless. and with writing I know I'm no better than many people, and many many many people are better than me - but what I see over and over again with my peers is that they tie themselves up in knots with self-doubt and lack of confidence. "I'm not good enough" "I can't possibly submit to THEM!" "I can't go and promote my book, I'll die." etc etc etc.  Believe in yourself. Believe 199% in your book. Believe that you are best thing since sliced bread (without arrogance!!!) and the karma should work for you. That's my belief anyway. Blame my mum.

But back to Derren Brown. Why isn't he God Emperor of Earth? I WOULD BE!!!!!

Interesting post on book covers here

Comments

[tharain.livejournal.com]

Why isn't he God Emperor of Earth? I WOULD BE!!!!!

And we would live in ANY CASTLE WE DAMN WELL PLEASED.

[markprobst.livejournal.com]

Please tell me it was a FAKE electric box and they didn't really electrocute the kitten!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

oh god yes! (sorry, should have made it clear) it was all an exercise to help her think more positively - whenever she was tempted by negative suggestion in future, she would be reminded of the emotion of "electrocuting the kitty" and would immediately be forced into a more positive mind set.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

The world would be our castle. and if we didn't like the one we had, the minions would build us a new one.

[tharain.livejournal.com]

MMMMMMmmmm. Minions. I like the idea of minions.

[crawling-angel.livejournal.com]

*sits cross-legged and Ommmmmsss* My story is the dog's bollox!

LOL

I treated myself to Standish last night...but I couldn't stop at the first chapter. Norty moi read 4! Then again, you did inspire me to come back to laptop and write another 300 words. I did 724 yesterda! *yip* *repeats* My story is the dog's bollox ;p

I adore Rafe already *wants* Young Rafe was a norty boy! I can't wait for current Rafe to make his needs known to Ambrose ;)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Oh yippeee - i'm so glad you are enjoying it. I know there's probs with the POV, but still , V happy you are enjoying.

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with book-cover-guy. I've seen some appalling SF covers in my time, where the artist obviously thought 'it's science fiction it had better have a rocket on the cover' even when the book itself was about intelligent amoeba living in a warm underground sea. It's just that rockets are somehow less embarrassing than men with their shirts off ;)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

That's so true! Some of Heinlein's books have been covered by famous artists (I can't remember the name of the man I mean, but he was incredibly popular for sci-fi art in the sixties and seventies, did a lot of purple landscapes) and they did, as you say, have rockets and monsters when the story didn't do that at all.

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

Not Roger Dean? http://www.rogerdean.com/ Wow, check out his house! It's Salvador Dali in a hobbit hole :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Yes! That's him!