Doddsy, wood foraging next week?

I said YES! Daniel is a wood foraging pro:

Back in the day when we worked at Changeworks, I dreamed of getting a stove but most people told me it was a bad idea. Most people, but not Daniel. He had a stove and pointed out how easy (and fun) it was to forage for wood in Edinburgh. Four years later and there we were.

My bow saw was a bit smaller than Daniel’s so it took me a bit longer to cut through the logs:

This was the pile we cut between us in less than an hour:

Daniel suggested bringing a wheelie bin but I only had a wheelie suitcase. I filled it just as it started to rain:

I felt proud of the wood we’d chopped as I walked back through the trees:

But when I got to the streets I suddenly felt a little self conscious. Did people assume I lived in the wild and had decided to return home and all of my worldly belongings were logs?

When I got home I started my first log pile, hurrah!:

My arm ached a little but I loved the experience of cutting my own fuel and being outdoors. Thanks to Daniel, I’ll be foraging again soon and next winter I’ll have the pleasure of burning those logs!

Just in case you were wondering, the wood was already dead and lying on the ground, we just cut it into bits. 

I’ve been thinking about cake lots lately (mmm).My friend Claire (above) just started a cake business. She’s been inventing cakes and I’ve been helping her by trying them. It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it! I also came up with the name for her business (Home is Where the Cake Is) and these last three Saturdays I’ve ended up at an afternoon tea so with all that cake I started to realise…

Social Media is like baking

Well, sort of. Imagine you’re inventing a new cake. You’d try putting a few things together based on what’s worked before. You’d have some essentials but you’d maybe try new combinations or add something different. Then you bake it. If it’s good people enjoy eating it. If it’s really good they ask you for the recipe.

Leith Library was named as the best social media contributor to Book Week in Scotland. The cake we baked turned out well so now I’ve been asked to share the recipe at Social Media for Social Good in Glasgow tomorrow. I can tell people how to make our cake but really, I want to tell people to go and invent their own cake using the ingredients they already have in their organisation. My top tips would be:

• Use the resources you already have
• Don’t be afraid to try something different
• Plan for some of what you’re doing
• Make space for the spontaneous
• Don’t forget to have fun

Often the reason we don’t just try new and exciting ways of engaging with people using social media is because we’re afraid. We’re afraid of what people might think. We’re afraid it might go wrong. Or other people are afraid on our behalf. Perhaps we’re afraid we don’t have a good enough idea but people are made to generate ideas. People are brilliant, they are the best resource. People make things happen not social media. Social media is just a tool to share ideas and make connections. It’s a giant tea party!

If you can’t be at tomorrow’s conference but want to follow online just follow the hashtag #begoodbesocial on twitter. You can read about what we did at Leith Library for Book Week Scotland on my blog here.  I’m also speaking about Bookweek at the CILIPS Library conference in Dundee in June.

It’s a seasonal magazine which includes outdoor activities, puzzles, comics, wildlife, books, craft and cooking. The magazine is aimed at children 5 to 10 years or as the cover says “it’s for families who are wild at heart”.

Flicking through the pages you’ll notice Firefly is visually stunning. I think what makes it special is the contributions from many different illustrators and writers. I was commissioned to write a 2 page nature feature for the magazine and I chose to write about otters:

Why Otters? 

Otters are an animal most children won’t have seen but would like to spot. They’ve got character, they do funny things like pooping on the tops of rocks or tufts of grass so everyone can see where they’ve been. Urban otters are getting much more common so even if you live in a city you won’t be too far from an otter. They’re inclusive but not too common to be ordinary. I’ve tried to spot otters myself a few times so otter spotting is something close to my heart.

The Writing Process

First I found out as much as I could about otters online, in books and by asking people. I interviewed an otter expert (Chris Cathrine from Caledonian Conservation) and I spent time choosing the best bits from everything I learned. The hardest thing I think is condensing all of that research. Which bits stay and which bits go?

I wrote sections in bite sized chunks and gradually and ruthlessly chopped out sections until I was only left with the best. I want to make children laugh or tell them something so weird and wonderful that they would want to tell their friends or family about it. That way they’re much more likely to remember it.

If I used a complicated word I made sure I explained what it meant. I used to write the Dino’s Dynamos Kids Club magazine for Dynamic Earth so that really helped with knowing how to write and plan to communicate science to children. I had a good editor back then so I got told which bits worked and which didn’t. Later I edited the magazine when new writers started writing it so I think that whole process helped me to be objective and to really weed out every word that isn’t necessary.

I included Chris Cathrine’s answer to “What is the funniest thing you’ve ever seen an otter do?” because I knew children would love finding out something like that from an otter expert. I thought about the illustrations we would need to go with the text and made notes and found examples in books so I could send these to the illustrator who was working on my section (Cat O’ Neil).

I spent lots more time rewriting and cutting to get down to the word limit I’d been set.

Help, I can’t think of an otter joke!

I was desperately trying to come up with a good otter joke but hadn’t managed it. I went along to the Edinburgh Literary Salon for a much needed break from writing. It’s a monthly get together for writers and anyone involved in books and publishing. My friend Alan McIntosh was there (I interviewed him on this blog here) and knowing how quick-witted he is I explained I was trying to come up with a good otter joke. Here’s how the rest of the conversation went:

Alan: Tell me about them, where do they live, what are the names for things?

Me: Their homes are holts, their poos are spraints, they eat fish…

Alan: What do you get if you tread on an otter poo?

Me (smile)

Alan: A spraint ankle!

It was perfect, exactly what I was looking for. Any joke about poo is a big hit with children but they also love to learn a new word that they can show off with by using it in a joke. Funny and educational. When you laugh you learn more so massive thanks to Alan for that one!

Finishing

When I finally submitted my feature it included a page of extra ideas, things like a dot to d’otter (otter dot to dot) or having a hidden spraint (otter poo) somewhere in the magazine for children to find. Firefly Editor Hannah Foley liked my ideas. She decided to add an extra page called ‘Otter Fun’ to include the puzzles and extra ideas so now I’ve ended up writing a three page spread on otters. My text went to copy editor Genevieve Herr and she was happy with it, she made some minor changes and that was me done.

It really is amazing to see the magazine in print. I just need to order a copy for my nephews and nieces!

Order your copy of Firefly Magazine on the Firefly website here. Find Firefly Magazine on Twitter and Facebook. 

“It’s the cheers that keep you going” that’s what they say. I’ve never run a marathon and don’t think I ever will but last week I started running again. I ran on Thursday and last night too. I ran by the sea and the oyster catchers scuttled across my path. I’m excited to be running again. The thing is I’ve been a bit ill since Christmas. I’ve not been able to cycle or run or even walk too far.

It’s been frustrating. All sorts of strange things kept happening to me. For two weeks I couldn’t move for 2 hours every morning. The doctors said it was an arthritic hangover, over night my muscles were seizing up and in the morning they just didn’t work. It’s taken a few months to recover and at the same time a close family member was diagnosed with cancer. On top of that I’ve been having building work in my flat. It was supposed to take a few days and it’s ended up taking 9 weeks.

So all in all I was struggling a bit but I didn’t really tell people. I thought it would pass and I’d be alright. I managed to keep up with work but I didn’t manage to keep up with all of my friends or the social things that were happening around me.

Eventually I realised I needed to be brave and tell people I was struggling. When you’re going through something difficult you need people to cheer you on, to tell you to keep going. Just to be there with you on the sidelines.

So I did it, I told a bunch of people I trust and things started to get better. Just the act of telling people in itself was so good. I think it’s hard to admit you can’t do things sometimes or to admit you need help but we do need each other. Last week I started running again and I remembered… it’s the cheers that keep us going!

This weekend I met with four teenagers at Leith Library for our first podcast workshop. The teenagers are making a young adult fiction podcast (read more about how they applied to the project on the leith library blog here). It was brilliant to meet them for the first time. I was impressed with their ideas and how well they worked together even though they’d only just met. They’re preparing some questions and doing a bit of research before next week’s session where they’re interviewing author Keith Gray. The week after it’s Roy Gill. I can’t wait to see how they go and what they produce at the end. So that’s the teenagers, next it’s the older people…

Tomorrow I start a six-week digital storytelling project in Govan with older people from the Govan Reminiscence Group. I’m working with Brian Wilkinson from the Britain from Above project (find them on twitter @AboveBritain) and we’ll be working with the group to help them to create and share their own digital stories about Govan. We’ll be looking at aerial photographs and talking about how Govan has changed over the years. The group have done similar projects before but they’ve not been able to tell the stories they’ve wanted to tell so this time it’s different – the group are going to choose their stories and learn to add images to their stories and share them at a celebration event.

I’m excited to see what both groups produce and I know we’re going to learn from each other throughout the process. I feel privileged to be working with such interesting people and to have the opportunity to help them to tell and share their stories.

The two older women above were part of a reminiscence workshop I facilitated with Generation Arts.

I did it – dressed as a pirate for World Book Night and had a parrot on my shoulder (well on my back but close enough!). I was giving away copies of Treasure Island with my Leith Library Reader in Residence pirate hat on. We wanted to encourage people to read by doing something a little different so we hid in a secret Leith Location with a giant golden macaw called Bongo.

There’s Treasure in Them There Books!

To find us people had to solve clues using a new library resource www.ourtownstories.co.uk. They used old maps and photos of Leith to solve the clues to reveal a secret pirate postcode. Then they just had to go there and look for a pirate flag. I had a lot of fun taking photos of the clues with various pirate backgrounds. Captain Colm had fun covering paper with tea and baking it in the oven to make it look old!

You can have a go at solving the clues on the Leith Library blog here.

X Marks the Spot

It was fab when people actually found us! We gave them copies of Treasure Island and let them choose from a range of prizes donated by local businesses too.  We had a pirate wardrobe for people to delve into and we took photos of them in pirate gear with the parrot.

Pirate Portraits

Children were carefully positioned in front of the parrot so it looked like it was on their shoulder. Adults did the real thing. Check out the photos of all the pirates who came to visit here.

So what was it like to have a parrot on your back? To tell you the truth I was petrified. The parrot was very nice but it flapped and made loud noises and I’m just a bit scared of big birds with big beaks being close to my head!

Thanks to The Crew

Captain Colm (he’s a digital librarian – he masterminded the clues)

1st Mate Victoria (Made the voyage from Carlisle with her parrot)

Pirate Jim (let us capture the Leith Agency’s Barge)

Leith Library Staff Pirates (who dressed up to mark the occasion)

I drove the parrot home, not to Carlisle but to Leith. He has two homes like the Queen. It was very strange – looking in my mirror to see Bongo looking back! That was yesterday, my day as a pirate.

I’ve written about our day and the treasure hunters who found us on the Leith Library blog here.

This Easter I challenged myself to try social reporting from the caperwatch 2013 at RSPB Loch Garten.

Social reporting is about capturing an event from the inside using audio, video and photos.

Caperwatch is about waking up at 4am to see if you can spot a big black turkey like bird dancing, while peering through the window of a little wooden hut on the side of a loch.

The bird I’m talking about is the capercaillie and here’s how I got on: Watch to the video on youtube here

I interviewed Richard Thaxton from the RSPB to ask why we have to get up so early to see the capercaillie dancing, here’s what he said: Watch the video on youtube here

On the way and during the caperwatch I live tweeted some photos, here’s a couple from the car 

We watched the sunrise from the hide, wow!:

This is the osprey EJ, taken through a telescope with my phone on the eyepeice:

Can you spot the red squirrel in this shot?:

But the bird didn’t dance. Does that matter? We also went to see golden eagles but they didn’t fly in:

And we visited the national dolphin centre but we missed the dolphins by an hour:

I didn’t mind and the things we did see were beautiful. Getting up at 4am was worth it just to see the sunrise. Eagles would have been a bonus but mountains were enough.

Life can be a bit like that sometimes, you don’t always find what we’re looking for, things don’t always turn out how you planned but if you didn’t look for things in the first place you’d never see the wonderful things there are to see along the way.

Just wanted to point out the kindest way to watch a capercaillie is in the loch garten hide. The capercaillie are critically endangered and when they dance every day they sometimes just drop dead. Bob till they drop. If you go looking for them in the wild and one sees you it will dance to defend itself. The purpose of dancing (or leking) is to attract a mate and you are not that. You will be wasting the poor birds energy and it could be enough to push that bird over the edge. Please let him save the last dance. 

This Saturday 12 S2 pupils from Holyrood High School perform their first science theatre show at the National Museums of Scotland as part of National Science and Engineering week.

They’re performing ‘Alex’s Amazing Adventure‘ as part of a pilot project ran by Conor Hull, Community Engagement Officer at the National Museums of Scotland. I worked with Conor and the pupils for one afternoon a couple of weeks ago. This was the beginning of the project and the beginning of their training as science communicators.

Here’s a bit about the training session and how it went.

What did we do?

We started with introductions and an ice breaker. Next the students pretended to be primary school pupils as they watched a performance of ‘Alex’s Amazing Adventure’ from Conor. They were looking for what they enjoyed about Conor’s presenting and the show. We discussed this afterwards. Then it was over to me and I covered:

• Science Shows (What use are they? What do the audience get out of them?)
• Nerves (and how to deal with fear of the audience, your performace and your material)
• Safety (entrance and exits, props etc)
• Good beginnings
• Working with volunteers and audience interaction
• Questions (open and closed and how to field them)
• How to use your voice and body
• Working with props
• Expect the Unexpected
• Top Tips
• Memorable Endings

We looked at clips of science communicators in action and evaluated their performance in light of what we’d just learned. For example did the presenter ask the volunteer their name and then use it?

The session included lots of group discussion, brainstorming and practical examples. It ended with the pupils performing a very small section of the show which wee filmed and played back to them.

How did it go?

The pupils were selected by teachers for being

• good at drama
• good at science
• pupils that would benefit from the experience

So it was a group with mixed interests and abilities. I loved working with them. Their questions steered every section of the training and I often covered topics ahead of the schedule because of their interest and lively questioning. They asked questions like

• What do you do if people laugh?
• What do you do if everyone starts talking?
• What do you do if the science experiments go wrong?

One pupil said to me “everything you’ve said I would have done the opposite!” I assured her that was brilliant because it meant she was learning loads.

The pupils applied what they learnt straight away too. For example we’d covered if a science experiment doesn’t work you try it again and if it still doesn’t work you explain that science is all about trial and error -some of the greatest discoveries in science come from things not working in the way we expect! You would then explain briefly what would have happened and you move on without laughing or blaming the volunteer for messing it up.

Several of the pupils were expertly unflappable during their performance when an experiment didn’t work. They even talked about trial and error and how what we’d just seen was an example of science in action – amazing for their first ever science theatre performance.

For my first science theatre performance (eight years ago) I had a total blank and froze! I told them that. I wanted to give them examples from my own experience and most of all I wanted to encourage them.

Feedback

We asked pupils to put dots on a line for their enthusiasm and ability in science and drama before and after the session. All of their responses increased positively.

The teacher accompanying the children was really enthusiastic about the training and she said it should be mandatory for every pupil. She said it wasn’t just science communication, we were learning life skills – how to present yourself, how to treat others and how to empathise, EVEN with your teachers!

The pupils have been practicing with support from their teacher and with help from Conor.

I know they’ll make excellent science communicators this Saturday. You can go and see them at the Museum for free at 12.30. 13.30 and 14.30. More details here.

This year it’s different; I’m beginning the year with warmth. Quite literally – there’s a wood burning stove crackling away beside me. It’s new and I love it. I don’t have central heating so I’ve spent the last five winters feeling a little cold. Now, at last! I can afford to be a bit warmer.

I’m beginning 2013 with an inner warmth too. Perhaps it’s an assurance that things do work out when you step out in faith. Or a warmth that says it’s worth making sacrifices to pursue the things you really feel called to do.

I’m not long back from Kidscreen in New York. It’s a big children’s TV market (I wrote about it here) full of people from all over the world with ideas. They‘re there because they want to make something beautiful and something they believe in. It reminded me that life really is too short not to go for it!

And now to look back over 2012, here are my highlights. Click on the links to read more.

Children’s TV Commissions

• Writing 5 new series treatments for CBeebies science show Nina and the Neurons
• Developing 4 new science programmes for CBeebies
• Storylining 5 episodes for CBeebies science show Nina and the Neurons
• Screenwriting 2 episodes of CBeebies science show Nina and the Neurons
• Developing an Eco Comedy Drama for Visible Ink Television (and writing the show bible)
• Working with CBeebies online on an exciting new science project

Training Commissions

• Training Edinburgh Secondary School Pupils to make videos and become social reporters at the Changeworks Make Waste History Summit
• Training 18 teachers in West Lothian to become storytellers
• Training third sector organisations in Digital Storytelling at the Social Media for Social Good Conference
• Training community groups and active citizens in Inverleith to become digital storytellers in partnership with journalist Tom Allan
• Training secondary pupils to make litter films as part of the Litter Innovation Project
• Training staff at Leith Library to blog and tweet as part of my Residency
• Facilitating reminiscence and creative writing workshops with Generation Arts
• Training after school club leaders and youth workers to become Crafty Storytellers in collaboration with educator Jaimie McDonald.

Audio and Video Production 

• Live tweeting and creating audio and video content at the Parenting Across Scotland Conference (including interviewing the Minister for Children and Young People)
• Producing a podcast about home insulation for the Energy Cooperative
• Creating and sharing audio, video and photos during Book Week Scotland for Leith Library
• Greener Leith Zero Waste Podcast series (12 ten minute podcasts to engage people to reduce waste – I finished the last of these in 2012). Funded by the Waste Action Grant.
• Producing six litter and dog poo films for Greener Leith (Funded by L£ith Decides)

Live Performances

• Featured Poet at Blind Poetics at the Blind Poet, Edinburgh
• Storyteller for Electric Tales at the Stand Comedy Club, Edinburgh
• One of Ten Performance Poets with a ten minute slot at Ten Red, Edinburgh
• Spoken Word Artist / Storyteller during the Scottish Mental Health and Arts Film Festival at the Lapidus event at Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow
• Featured Poet at ‘Pea Green Poetry’ Fundraiser Gig for Theatre Paradox at Looking Glass Books
• Performer at Happy Verse Night, Inky Fingers and Illicit Ink event at Pulp Fiction Books, Edinburgh
• Performer at The Portobello Book Festival Opening Gala: The Library at Night (wrote a stop frame animation script for a competition)
• Science and Poetry Poet and Ukulele performer (Inky Fingers Minifest during the Fringe Festival)
• Digital Storytelling Workshop at Social Media for Social Good conference (Live streamed)
• Guest speaker at the Literary Salon (speaking about Readers in Residence)
• Recycler / jar washer on the council recycling promotional videos (featuring my hands!)

I was almost physically sick before my first comedy performance. I was so nervous but I actually really enjoyed it once we got started -the audience were fab. Here’s a Chris Scott photo to prove I really did it (thanks Chris).  Find previous and upcoming gigs here.

For the Love of It (Voluntary Work)

• Commissioned by Artist Alastair Cook as one of twenty poets to write a piece of flash fiction for his PechaKucha film project ‘Twenty Second Film Poem‘
• Cycled down Leith Walk with camera attached to my bike basket to make an Indiana Jones style adventure film about the terrible potholes.
• Volunteered as a social reporter at the Poverty Assembly
• Wrote my last blog for Greener Leith in August 2012 after 2 years of volunteering (70 blogs in total!).
• Organised some get-togethers for freelancers called Freelance Friday
• Wrote my first stop frame animation script as part of a call for submissions on the theme of ‘The Library at Night’. It was selected to be performed at the Portobello Book Festival Opening Event.
• Helped to lead a weekly community group in Leith (that’s ongoing)
• Continued as trustee of the Speygrian Education Trust (artists, scientist, writers and educators interested in outdoor learning) and helped them to set up twitter and Facebook

I was one of 12 writers to be selected to take part in the CBBC Lab, a competitive entry training course on how to write for CBBC run over 4 days by the Scottish Book Trust and BBC Scotland. It was brilliant.

Outdoor Adventures

• Wild Swimming on the Isle of Eigg
• Walking and wildlife watching in the Highlands
• Exploring on the Isle of Skye
• Being a bridesmaid at my sister’s wedding in Glencoe

Things I Started

• My first residency at Leith Library (September)
• The Leith Library Blog
• The Leith Library Twitter
• Festive Furballs Christmas Pets Competition
• Growing tomatoes on my windowsill
• A log pile (for my wood burning stove)
• Wearing wellie socks

Things I tried  

• Sick Kids Writer in Residence
• Heliotrope Writing Residency
• Olympics related poetry job with West Lothian Council
• To get mentoring with The Scottish Book Trust
• Internet dating

This is just to point out I’m definitely not successful at everything. There are plenty of things I hope for but I keep learning and trying. I applied for 2 residences before I got the one I’m doing now at the library but this one is just perfect for me so it goes to show things often work out for the best in the end.

People Who Really Inspired Me

• Elspeth Murray, a wonderful freelance poet. My poetry mentor and friend.
• Peter Hynes, a brilliant screenwriter and creative thinker. My screenwriting mentor
• Josh Selig, creative genius and President of Little Airplane Productions. Encourager.
• The women in my writer’s group, wonderful talented Marianne Paget and Mairi Wilson
• Sara Harkins, Head of BBC Scotland Children’s. Sara is wonderful.

I want to thank the people above as well as everyone I’ve worked with in 2012.  Also to my friends and family and to everyone who’s supported me on this journey – you’ve been amazing!

2013: What’s ahead?

The good news is I’m booked up with commissions and projects until early September. So far I’ve completed my tax return, got a stove put in and I’ve been to New York to pitch some kids’ TV shows for Visible Ink Television.

I’m working 2.5 days a week at Leith Library as Reader in Residence. Over the next few months I’ll be writing the Leith Library blog and working with teenagers to make podcasts about young adult fiction. I’ll also be supporting the library staff as they get blogging too.

The library part of my residency finishes in June and then I have three months where I still get paid but I do my own practice. What’s that? Well… I’m considering:

• Starting a series of science related young adult novels; I have 13 planned.
• Rewriting my first attempt at a sitcom using feedback from the BBC and screenwriter Adrian Mead
• Writing picture books. I showed drafts of a science series idea to Agent Lucy Juckes in 2012 so I’ll work on her suggestions.
• Cycling around Scottish Libraries on a ‘Banana Me Beautiful on a Bike’ book tour. My paperback should be out by then and I’d like to go on a journey and help to promote positive mental health.

This March (a sample month):

I start working as a digital storyteller with older people in Govan for the Britain from Above Project - can’t wait for that!

I’m writing some episodes on commission for CBeebies (that’s secret – will blog about it when I can).

I’m visiting Flora Stevenson Primary P1 classes for their Book Week – hurrah for children!

I’m working for Third Sector Lab to create audio and video content and run a training session for the 2013 Poverty Assembly. Ross is brilliant, looking forward to working with him again and on something so worthwhile.

I’m working with P6 and P7 in Mid Lothian to help them to create Haikus for their litter bins (for the Scottish Poetry Library).

I’m developing and pitching some ideas to promote fish in nurseries on commission from Seafish (the fishing industry) with writer John Stoddart.

And I’m working at the library – I love it!

Busy!

So as you can see it’s pretty busy.

I’m looking forward to working with Elspeth Murray at the Solas Festival in June and with artist Alastair Cook on the Dunbar North Lights Arts Project in August.

One of my best friends gets married in September, so can’t wait for that (and I need to organise a hen do).

Hopes for 2013

I’m hoping to do the Great North Swim in the Lake District in June with my friend Judith. I hate wearing a swimming costume and I figured training will force me to overcome that fear. Plus I’ve never been to the Lake District and I like Judith. I also ate too much chocolate over Christmas. And exercise helps with creativity. I’m trying to talk myself into this!

I’ve written four children’s TV science shows so I’ll be pitching them to channels and independent production companies in 2013. I’ve especially enjoyed working with puppeteer Josh Elwell (and Bounce) on one of these shows so I do hope we make it!

Hopes for the Future….. I want

• to encourage others.
• to have an ideas box that I add to throughout the year.
• to make one day a week my day for writing.
• to write a list of things I’m thankful for every night.
• to go walking more.
• to start painting again.

I don’t want to EVER stop doing things that scare me.

And One Day..

I’d like to write an episode of Doctor Who and a bunch of books and some screenplays. I’d like to live in an eco home in the mountains with a cat and a man and perhaps some kids.

Finally a few numbers from 2012….

Who comes to Kidscreen?

In 2012 there were:

• 1,600 delegates
• 46 countries represented
• 350+ content buyers
• 900+ producers/distributors

What am I doing here?

I’ve been developing a live action eco comedy drama for Visible Ink Television, it’s for children age 6 – 9 years. I’ll be meeting people during the conference to pitch the programme to them. I’m part of the British Delegation at Kidscreen too, there’s around 50 of us.

What’s coming up?

We kick off tonight with a party at Little Airplane Productions, Little Airplane make awesome preschool shows featuring singing potatoes (Small Potatoes), singing birds (Third and Bird) and singing super hero pets (Wonder Pets).

Kidscreen runs through to Friday night and then I’m heading on to The Academy at Little Airplane for 3 days of training.

Just now I’m researching the people I’m going to be pitching to and planning my agenda (and writing this blog!).

All Work and No Play?

I’ve been to New York City twice before so I’m not trying to pack too much sightseeing in this time. Saying that I’m in an amazing city and since I arrived on Saturday I’ve managed to say hello to Woody in Times Square:

I’ve pondered humanity while gazing from the rooftop terrace of my hotel:

And wondered are we pips? While standing in front of the big apple in the big apple:

I’ve been snowed on. I’ve eaten a burrito and I’ve smiled at the doughnut shaped soap in my sink (for the love of doughnuts). Speaking of doughnuts, the creator of the Simpsons is here, he’s the keynote speaker at Kidscreen.

I noticed fruit is much more expensive here, all fruit except for bananas! I brought two for less than 50c in celebration. I unpacked to discover I’d accidentally brought 8 pairs of tights with me, what was I thinking!?

I asked for lemonade to discover it’s a completely different drink. I enjoyed a Dr Tim Keller talk about unconventional heroes, irony, Les Miserables and Lord of the Rings. I went back to Times Square at night:

Hopes for the week?

I want to visit the Highline, an inner city park up in the sky on old railway lines. I want to do a spoken word open mic somewhere (any New Yorkers reading this – do let me know where’s good).

I’d like to have a wander round Central Park and see the snapping turtles.

Most of all I want to meet some brilliant creative people and make new connections.

If I sell the show I’m pitching I will go on a horse-drawn tour around central park in celebration. Otherwise I’m walking…

How am I feeling?

It’s my first Kidscreen so I’m a little nervous. I’ll be meeting lots of new and highly successful people.

What if I’m pitching and I accidentally spit on someone? Or I meet the creator of the Simpsons and notice I’ve spilled part of my lunch down my top? Or I could laugh and snort? I don’t usually do these things so I don’t know why I’m considering them. At the end of the day we’re all just people, regardless of our achievements. The person I’m pitching to could just as easily spit on my face and I wouldn’t mind.

I guess we’re all here to consider new ideas and to make money but most of all I’m here because I want to make something wonderful for children. So I can’t wait to get started at the party tonight, spitting, snorting and spillages aside. I just need to decide which pair of tights to wear…

If you’re on twitter you can follow all of the twitter action on the hashtag #KSS13. JAM Media Animation have put together a twitter list of delegates here. Anne Richards from No Crusts has published a great list of pickup lines to break the ice so if it’s your first time you could always try them…