My plea to budding writers

I am making a personal plea to any writers reading this blog that you write not only what you love to write about, but that you don't write purely for money making interests. I mean sure, you can be as talented as someone like Dave Eggers, get spotted for your work and make a good bit of money off of that, but please - please - don't do a Katie Price and write a book because it's the new and improved way of making money on the side, as a business deal. It's stripping writers like Zadie Smith and Zoe Kelleher of their reputations as writers; I mean, let's face it, anyone with the money can publish a book, and I'm pretty sure that anyone can write a best seller. But there are so many writers who don't get the recognition they deserve (or rather they do, but they don't get paid what they should be getting paid). For instance, I bet when you walk into a book store you see the sparkly cover of 'Angel' or 'Angel Uncovered' and read the first page about her cascading blonde hair, massive tits and perfect boyfriend and think 'wahey! Holiday read sorted for this year!'. What I want to know is how many of you browse a bit further down the shelves and pick up a copy of 'Notes on a Scandal' or 'White Teeth'? Then pick it up and read the first few pages and realise that yes, it's full not only of grammatically correct sentences free of clichés, too many adverbs and adjectives, but it's also clear just from reading the first paragraph that each sentence is woven with the writer's passion to write a fantastic book because it's the right thing to do. You see, every writer makes a choice in their career. Do they write a book badly because they know that it will become a best seller, or do they write a book that's a masterpiece because they will feel much better about themselves and prove to the world that yes, you can get published if you're talented. So my plea to you budding writers out there, or readers even, is that when you want to find a good book to read, or write a good book to be read, make sure that you do it for your own personal satisfaction above all else. That's when you know you've got a truly brilliant book. Thanks and good night

Meaning what I write, writing what I mean: TV terror and the Muppets

Meaning what I write, writing what I mean: TV terror and the Muppets: "We are all too scared of what we see on television. It's a well known fact; TV is scary. Or rather, what's on TV is scary. For example, you ..."

TV terror and the Muppets

We are all too scared of what we see on television. It's a well known fact; TV is scary. Or rather, what's on TV is scary. For example, you know Animal from 'The Muppets'? The red one with the shackles and the drum kit? I hate him - I can't understand why kids love him because everything about him points to something bad, ugly, scary; his sharp teeth, his bushy black eyebrows, his lack of vocabulary and his eyes. God, his eyes are the worst - big and white with tiny pupils, like he's focusing on you, deciding that yes, now is the time to fix you with this look until he can smell the fresh soil in your pants. If you've seen The Muppet's Christmas Carol then you might understand my far from irrational fear when Animal has his eyes closed and he turns to look at the screen, and then opens his eyes and stares straight out of the screen at the poor child who is fixed to the TV, who has no choice but to gaze back, terrified.
Well, that child (around about the age of six or seven) was me. It ruined my Christmas that year and even now, as a fully grown woman, whenever my mum decides to put that DVD on after our turkey dinner I still have to leave the room when Gonzo comes into Fozzywig's barn with a frozen Rizzo the Rat because I know what's coming about a minute later.
What really irritates me is that yes, as my boyfriend has so often pointed out, he is only a bit of fluff and fabric on a stick. That's all I'm scared of. So what I want to know is this; what are your TV scares and terrors? Do you have yours from when you were children? Or is it something you've seen recently that's terrifying you? I want to know them all, and I want to know why they scare us so much! Good night, and thanks for reading.