Check out what top reviewer, Ella McKenzie, had to say about Scream Street 1: Fang of the Vampire…

If you haven’t met already, allow me to introduce one of the most famous and fascinating Japanese monsters, the Kappa.

Handsome, dapper, charming…

…are all words that /don’t/ usually get applied to Kappa.

However, as I’ve just discovered from this video, it turns out that Kappas can be excellent dancers. Click the link to see for yourself.

-Sam

Invisible Fiends: Mr Mumbles publication day deserves something special to mark the occasion.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t think of anything special, so I’ve done a video blog instead. Enjoy!

I’ve been trying something new this week – and it’s been great!

Instead of driving from my dark, damp cave to Kent and back (270 miles each way) to run my creative writing classes, I’ve been linking up with year 8 pupils at Holmesdale Technology College over the Internet each day.

Using Skype (a free Internet telephony and video conference program), I’ve been teaching pupils at the opposite end of the country how to come up with unique story ideas, develop three-dimensional characters and plan a three-act plot.  And I haven’t had to charge a penny in travel expenses!

As you can see in the image below, grabbed from screen during today’s session, I get to see the class in front of me and – at their end – I’m projected on a screen on the wall (very Big Brother!)  This is the view I get – the pupils filling the window and me in a box in the corner.  They, of course, see the opposite.

The whole thing is still a learning process and, as with any new endeavour, there are pros and cons:

On the plus side…

• I get to work from the cave, so I can get some writing done instead of driving to and from the school

• The school only pays for my time and not travel and/or accommodation expenses

• I’m working on ways to show screen elements, such as graphs, illustrations and writing examples

On the minus side…

• There are occasional technical glitches – but nothing, so far, that’s stopped us from linking up

• I can’t point to individual members of the class to ask questions

• I have to make my own cups of tea!

It is, however, HUGELY EXCITING, and I intend to set up many more of these sessions.  If any other schools are interested in linking up with me in this way – to wherever you are in the world – please drop me a line.

There’s no end to where we could go with this kind of event – in fact, the Skype’s the limit!

Tommy

This week, I was going to write a post filled with writing tips, but then I found this video – which says just about everything I was planning to cover:

I had a seemingly endless number of technical problems while trying to get this thing shot and edited, and the finished video is nothing like I had intended. It was really just cobbled together from the few bits of footage on the video that hadn’t been corrupted by the faulty tape heads.

Anyway, this is my first attempt at a Mr Mumbles teaser trailer. I’d love to hear what you think – good or bad – so please do leave me a comment below.

I had no idea that in Germany, Austria and parts of Italy it is commonplace for monsters to attack at this time of the year. Apparently they take to the streets and openly beat the local citizens with sticks … not sure that the folk of the UK would cope with this sort of behaviour.

This particular breed of monster is known as a Krampus and apparently they traditionally accompany St Nicholas on his rounds, illustrating to children the difference between good and bad. Hmm! They make their point pretty well, I’d say. Being confronted by one of those chaps as a little kid must be pretty terrifying. Try doing a search on Utube for the word Krampus and you’ll be amazed at how many attacks are suffered every year … and at how horrific some of the beasties are!

Take a look at this stunning stop-motion ad from the New Zealand Book Council…

This amused me no end, and since it’s packed full of muppety monsters, it seemed appropriate to stick it up. That said, I hope it doesn’t give the monsters in here any ideas – the last thing I want is to be subjected to their singing.