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The problem with short breaks is facing your email inbox on your return - mine were absolutely overflowing especially as I belong to three online writing groups. Among them was a link to the Guardian newspaper website's How To Write series. I haven't had chance to read everything but there are articles on scriptwriting, comedy, poetry, journalism, historical writing and writing for children. There are words of wisdom from Robert Harris, Antonia Fraser, Michael Rosen, Linda Newberry and Meg Rosoff. There is also a great piece on the benefits of reading your work aloud to children by publisher David Fickling. I've mentioned before how horrible I find reading my work to other people, and I haven't yet tried reading it aloud to them although I have had a couple read it and give me their thoughts. Perhaps I should be brave and approach a local school to see if I could try it out on a class. I also think it's important to read aloud your story to yourself - although it can be a bit embarrassing if anyone hears you. When I first read some Dr Midas aloud (to a writer's group) I realised I had used 'said Dr Midas,' and 'said Millie' far too many times. It just sounded silly. It can also help to make sure sentences aren't too long and that there's a nice natural rhythm to your writing. My great ambition of course it to have complete strangers reading my stories, that's why I keep sending them out in the hope of publication. Find out more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/series/howtowrite Another email waiting for me was from the North West branch co-ordinator of SCBWI (www.britishscbwi.org) which I joined just over a year ago. SCBWI is the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators and it has a British group. SCBWI organise regular events with top agents, publishers and writers. The north west group also meet regularly for critique groups (in Manchester and soon in Chester) and have just set up their own website with the fantastic address www.afewofmyfavouritethings.co.uk which publicises local writers and artists including me! If you would like to read my short story 'Diversity' which won the Writers' Advice Centre for children's books competition just check out the website. The final email I'm going to share is from an independent bookseller Simply Books based in Bramhall Village, Cheshire - about upcoming children's author events. I've yet to visit the shop but I will have to as it looks amazing on their website - they were also 'runner-up' for Independent Bookshop of the Year 2008 and have regular author events. On Wednesday, October 1st, (4pm - 5.30pm) Rick Riordan American author of the 'Percy Jackson' series of books will be visiting and signing books. Simply Books say: "'Percy Jackson' books take stories from Greek Mythology and set them in modern day New York -they're fast, funny adventures with lots of action and real page-turners. Perfect for boys and girls aged 9-12 and Rick himself is great fun." Then on Tuesday, October 7th, (11.00am-12.30pm) author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson will be chatting and signing copies of her brilliant new book Stick Man. Simply Books said: "Separated from the 'family tree' we follow Stick Man's perilous adventures and eventual reunion with his 'Stick Lady Love and their stick children three'. Funny and touching, we think this is likely to be another classic of 'Gruffalo' proportions." Find out more at www.simplybooks.tbpcontrol.co.uk Don't forget you can share your writing news and events or links with me via the comments section or email me at www.drmidas.co.uk

Your writing could feature alongside those of Tracy Chevalier Here's a great competition organised by York Art Gallery where author Tracy Chevalier is currently writer-in-residence.Tracy's best-known novel is Girl with a Pearl Earring, inspired by the painting of the same name by Johannes Vermeer, and she often uses art and history as starting points for her works of fiction. With this in mind the gallery is asking writers to pen a 300-word story about one of 15 pieces of art (ten paintings and five ceramics) on display at the gallery. This competition is really up my street but picking one piece is proving really difficult. Tracy is a great writer and I really admire the way she weaves a story around a piece of art or a person. I can't wait to read her next book about fossil hunter Mary Anning - working title 'She sells seas shells.' Two winners will be chosen by Tracy, one from the young people's category (12 -17) and one from the adults' (18 and over). The winning stories will be published on the back of postcards showing the piece of art they are inspired by. These will be included in a gift pack of postcards also containing stories by Tracy on selected works. The winners and runners-up will also be invited to join Tracy at a prize-giving event in November, to read their stories to the public. The winner of the adults' category will receive £100 and the winner of the young people's category, £50. Runners-up will receive copies of the art book What Great Paintings Say by Rainer and Rose-Marie Hagen. To enter choose a painting or ceramic from the 15 featured on the York Art Gallery website, or on show at the gallery between May 8 and September 30 2008. Now write a story of 300 words or less and type it onto a single side of A4 paper or in an email. 'Man with a book' by Parmigia - One of the art works you could choose Please include the title of the painting or ceramic that has inspired your story, your story's title (if this is different) and the number of words in your story. Send email entries to [email protected] or post them to Short Story Competition, York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square, York, YO1 7EW or drop them in at York Art Gallery in person. The closing date is Tuesday, 30 September, 2008 Full details of the rules are available at www.yorkartgallery.org.uk * You can meet Tracy Chevalier at York Art Gallery next month gallery and ask her about her work, writing processes and her thoughts on the paintings on display. Tuesday July 1st, 2pm - 4pm.

There is a long post about how to paint easily a wall-painting at on my how-to site!

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It will be a quite long post, but I really glad that I've got this lot pictures of a wall-painting process.The first step to make a good picture you need to find the best person for working together. I was lucky at this point.
Ez a bejegyzés az átlagosnál kicsit hosszabb lesz, de nagyon hálás vagyok, hogy ilyen sok képet kaptam a nyári falfestésről.
Az első legfontosabb lépés, h. jó kép készüljön, h. az ember megtalálja a tökéletes partnert az együttműködéshez. Én nagyon szerencsés voltam, hiszen Atti barátom társult ebben a vállalkozásban (és ígérte h. ha nagy lesz, együtt fogunk festeni! )
We were drawing the pencil lines to the wall following our sketches. We really had to focus on our job.
Felrajzoltuk a ceruza vonalakat a vázlataink alapján. Nagyon kellett figyelnünk, arra h. mit csinálunk.
Then we mixed the right colours from the three prime colours. We can do magic easily!!!
Aztán kikevertük a megfelelő színeket a három alapszínből. Simán tudunk varázsolni!!!
One of us did the hard job, and the other one was controlling the whole process, and told what to do.
Egyikünk végezte a piszkos munkát, a másikunk meg ellenőrizte az egész folyamatot, és irányította a munkát.
Sometimes Atti (the smaller of us) needed to show what was exactly the job.
Néha Atti kénytelen volt megmutatni, hogy pontosan mi is a feladat.
After a while things was going on their own way.
Egy idő után már maguktól mentek a dolgok.
My friend was getting tired of the hard work, so he had to had a short nap.
Attit lefárasztotta a nehéz alkotó munka, és elvonult egy kis pihenőre.
The rest of the job was easy as a pie.A munka hátralévő része már gyerekjáték volt :) .
This is how easy to make a wall-painting!
Nos, ilyen egyszerű falfestést készíteni!