-------- MANTEX NEWSLETTER --------
Number 121 - October 2006 - ISSN 1470-1863
Make money writing - Art - Literature - Quiz
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0--- 'How to Write' - new book
Here comes yet another guide on writing skills
from Oxford University Press - the spiritual
home of language standards in the UK.
Alastair Fowler takes an approach that breaks
down writing into its basic elements. He presents
short chapters on creating drafts, punctuation,
structure, paragraphs, grammar and spelling.
But more than that, he deals with all those
tricky issues and imponderables that flummox
beginners - such as knowing how *much* to write,
how to use quotation, and how to edit your work.
Excellent value too. Full review at -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/fowler_2.htm
0--- Pub quiz - Question #1
What sort of creature is a Capercaillie?
0--- Did you know that ...
American novelist Mark Twain was the first
known author to submit a typed manuscript.
0--- 'Show me the Funny' - BBC comedy writing contest
Our friends at the publicly-funded BBC are looking
for material on the cheap - as usual. They've got a
comedy sketch-writing contest on the go at the moment.
You can use characters or situations from the pilot
to create new sketches, or write a completely new idea
which you believe fits the format of the show.
Each sketch must be under three minutes in duration
or 700 words maximum. Fifty of the most-promising
writers will be invited to a workshop, then the
best ten selected.
Writing format templates, plus all the fine print
available at -
http://digbig.com/4msxn
For guidance notes on becoming a freelance author
and other outlets for writers, see -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/biblios/art-journ.htm
The writer's handbook lots of people have been
consulting of late (according to Amazon) is
Andrew Croft's 'The Freelance Writer's Handbook',
which has the attractive sub-title 'How to make money
and enjoy your life'. That's what they're going for.
So, to see what the excitement's about, have a look at -
http://digbig.com/4negj
0--- Pub quiz - Question #2
How many faces has an icosahedron?
0--- Did you know that ...
Robert Southey wrote the story "Goldilocks and
the Three Bears" in 1834.
0--- Google Watch
When Google started out in its bid to be the
world's biggest index of web information, it
had a fairly staggering 24 million pages in
its database. That was in 1996.
Today that figure has grown to 25 billion pages.
http://searchenginewatch.com
0--- Pub quiz - Question #3
Who was Little Sureshot, according to Sitting Bull?
0--- Did you know that ...
The pound key (#) on the keyboard is called an octothorpe.
0--- 'Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations' - new book
Who said on his deathbed, 'I am about to take
my last voyage, a great leap in the dark.' The
answer is Thomas Hobbes.
This is a collection of over 9,000 quotations,
arranged thematically for easy look-up. Covering an
enormous range of nearly 600 themes, there's every
subject you can think of, from the more traditional
topics of courage or parliament, to topical themes
such as the Internet or genetic engineering.
A useful author index (including descriptions and
context lines) gives quick and easy access to what's
in the dictionary and provides information on each
author. Here are some more gems:
'People say I wasted my money. I say 90 percent
went on women, fast cars, and booze. The rest I wasted.'
George Best
'Is sex dirty? Only if it's done right.'
Woody Allen
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/oxf-quot.htm
0--- Pub quiz - Question #4
In which part of the body is the patella?
0--- Did you know that ...
There was no punctuation until the 15th century.
0--- Blogging writers fight back!
Richard Thomlinson is an ex-spy who was sacked
for publishing a book about his job - 'The Big Breach'.
MI6 also raided his home, stole his computers, and
shut down a blog he started at Typepad.
He has bounced back by starting a new blog on
which he's publishing extracts from his latest
novel 'The Golden Chain'.
MI6 are also miffed because he criticises their chief
John Scarlett for his part in the now-discredited Iraq
war dossiers - and he also claims that they might have
been behind the death of Princess Diana.
Read all about it - with links to mirrored copies
of his old blog plus lists of secret agents at -
http://tomlinsonvmi6.blogspot.com/
0--- Pub quiz - Question #5
What is the name of Sherlock Holmes' housekeeper?
0--- Did you know that ...
Bamboo plants can grow up to 36 inches in a day.
0--- The Serial Novel
Penguin have just announced that they will be
releasing a novel in serial form before it is
published next year. Gordon Dahlquist's fantastical
gothic mystery Glass Books of the Dream Eaters will
be sent to buyers in the mail in ten weekly paperback
instalments, each with a cliff-hanger ending, before
publication of the full hardcover in January.
Stephen King tried this in 2000 with his novel
'The Plant'. He charged readers one dollar a time
to download each chapter, and promised to keep
writing so long as people kept paying for their
reading.
Best-selling author: novel idea: lots of publicity.
I downloaded the first chapter, and it wasn't too
bad. And yet the experiment didn't work - and you
don't need a Nobel Prize in economics to see why.
He was charging too much. Readers quickly realised
that at fifteen episodes, the total cost of the book
would be more than a normal paperback. King hadn't
taken the beginner's class in eCommerce. If people
are doing the work of downloading and possibly
printing out the book, they should be charged a
small fraction of the normal cost.
Penguin are going even further down this Suicide Route.
Their press release proudly boasts "Only 5,000 editions
of the serial version will be sold for 25 pounds
($47.08) each with free delivery, and they must
be purchased online directly from Penguin.
The hardcover will retail for 16.99 pounds."
http://www.penguin.co.uk
0--- Pub quiz - Question #6
What is the chemical symbol for lead?
0--- Did you know that ...
Cleopatra married two of her brothers.
0--- Print your own photo business cards
Brand new web startup Moo have put together a
novel wheeze which should appeal to all those
people who upload their photos to Flickr.
You simply choose your best snaps, crop them
to use the best bits. then enter your personal
contact details, choosing your own fonts and
colours. Moo creates 100 business cards - all
different - for just $19.99
http://www.moo.com
http://www.flickr.com
0--- Pub quiz - Question #7
What is the home of a beaver called?
0--- Did you know that ...
Isaac Newton used to be a member of parliament.
0--- Howard Hodgkin - works of art
Anyone who has seen the almost but not quite
completely abstract paintings by Howard Hodgkin
will know what a beautiful sense of colour he
brings to his work.
You might have problems working out just which
brushstrokes represent the figures in a painting
such as .'Walking in the Park with Andrew' - but
his evocation of ambience and emotions with a
palette of hot colours and rich textures
is unmistakable.
In a fit of enthusiasm I've put together a web
gallery of his work snatched from the Net which
probably breaks every copyright agreement known
to man. But my justification is that it has no
purpose other than to celebrate the artist and
his work. That's my defence your honour.
See the pictures HERE - (before they arrest me)
http://www.mantex.co.uk/art/hodgkin_00.htm
0--- Pub quiz - Question #8
What name is adopted by Don Diego de la Vega?
0--- Did you know that ...
A baby octopus is about the size of a flea when it is born.
0--- Spectacular Formations
Lenticular clouds are a natural and very
beautiful phenomenon which explain why
some nutters believe in UFOs because they
think they've seen them.
This site features a gallery of colour
photographs of clouds so breathtaking, you'll
want to scroll to the bottom of the page.
http://pic1.funtigo.com/valuca?g=25544746&cr=1
0--- Pub quiz - Question #9
Which word meaning letter is in the titles of books of the Bible?
0--- Did you know that ...?
Crocodiles can live for many months without
eating because they don't use very much energy.
0--- 'Gallimaufry' - new book
Michael Quinion is an authority on obscure
words and where they come from. His latest
book is a compilation of words that are
disappearing from our language.
Do you know what a 'joculator' is? Would
you know how to make a 'burgoo' or a
'hasty pudding'? And do you know how many
gallons there are in a 'hogshead'?
He traces the etymology of such terms
in a way that will fascinate anybody
with an interest in language. And he
also gives reasons why they have fallen
out of common use. Full review at -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/quinion_2.htm
He also runs a web site which is an
ever-expanding database of obscure words,
plus he offers a f.r.e.e weekly newsletter
http://www.worldwidewords.org
0--- Pub quiz - Question #10
What is the world's largest species of penguin called?
0--- Did you know that ...?
Although white wine can be produced from both red and
white grapes, red wine can only be created from red grapes.
0--- Pub quiz - ANSWERS
#1 What sort of creature is a Capercaillie?
ANSWER: A bird
#2 How many faces has an icosahedron?
ANSWER: 20
#3 Who was Little Sureshot, according to Sitting Bull?
ANSWER: Annie Oakley
#4 In which part of the body is the patella?
ANSWER: It's your knee-cap
#5 What is the name of Sherlock Holmes' housekeeper?
ANSWER: Mrs Hudson
#6 What is the chemical symbol for lead?
ANSWER: Pb
#7 What is the home of a beaver called?
ANSWER: Lodge
#8 What name is adopted by Don Diego de la Vega?
ANSWER: Zorro
#9 Which word meaning letter is in the titles of books of the Bible?
ANSWER: Epistle
#10 What is the world's largest species of penguin called?
ANSWER: Emperor
0--- COMING SOON
Moodle: User's Manual
Leonard Woolf's Diaries
Web Design: Flash Sites
Lytton Strachey: Self Portrait
Web Services Essentials
Lytton Strachey - Letters
eBay - The Missing Manual
Yahoo! Hacks
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News-121-October-2006
ISSN 1470-1863
The British Library