Makeover magic.
Earlier this year, I got involved with the Short Stories Group set up by Vanessa Wester. The aim of the group is to produce themed collections of short stories (like you couldn't have guessed that from the name of the group!) with the intention of selling books in support of various charities.
St Valentine's Day Massacre was the first story I'd written after attending an on-line self editing course run by the Writer's Workshop (the same lovely people who set up the Word Cloud), and it was the first time I felt really, really pleased with the finished product; I knew I'd improved as a writer. When my first ever published story arrived, neatly packaged in a pink-hearted paperback called Love is in the Air, I was so proud.
Well, a second edition has just come out - revamped, recovered, and with an extra story, by David Corbett.
Looking good, don't you think? I've changed the link on the 'where I've been published' page so you can go straight to the second edition, but blowed if I can change the picture to match! Either way, if you purchase a copy, it'll be doing lots of good things for Diabetes UK, as the authors receive only the satisfaction of seeing their work in print and finding out what you - the reader - thinks of the stories; the profits go to charity.
Anyway - it got me thinking about makeovers in general. Remember Trinny and Susannah? Well, I have them to thank for a huge change in my life.
Oh, I wasn't lucky enough to be the object of their attention on the telly programme (did I just say 'lucky'? I'm certain there are some who were on the show who didn't feel that way...). I just bought the books.
It all started when I saw a picture of myself and the in-laws on Scarborough beach. I looked as old as Grandma - and she was nearly seventy. So the time had come for some drastic action. I tried on a catalogue order of all the things I usually wore - I looked awful and sent everything back.
Then I sat and studied the 'What Not to Wear' books from cover to cover. I analysed my body shape and discovered I was the same proportions as Trinny - the skinny, leggy one. But apparently it was all an illusion. Could I create the same illusion for myself? Somewhat nervous, thinking 'I wouldn't normally wear any of this stuff,' I ordered all the things they said I should choose to hide my faults (No, I'm not going to tell you what they are - that's part of the magic, to keep them hidden!)
Low and behold - when the new order arrived, a miracle occurred! I looked good! My wardrobe's never been the same since.
And a certain 'scareycrow' in Follow the Yellow Sick Toad is based (loosely) on that real-life event...