Cakes Glorious Cakes - 2018

The cakes at this years Cake International were spectacular again. 

The life sized Harry and Meghan cake has been updated to show  Meghan carrying a baby book and Harry wearing a union flag and carrying a baby bag. Note the tiny teddy sticking out of the bag.

Harry featured again along with his mother Lady Diana and his brother William. A deserving gold winner.

We also had dogs, gorillas and eagles.

Another Gold Winner. Love how the dog is licking at the French Fancies. 

A Gorilla clutching her baby in her arms.

You can even see the ruffling of the eagle's feathers.

Laurel & Hardy made an appearance in Black and White and won Gold in their category.

Shoes and handbags good enough to eat.

There was magic and imagination with a Sorting Hat;

 An Outlander Cake with Jamie and Claire reaching out to touch the stone circle.

 

And an array of Discworld characters including:-

Cohen the Barbarian

The Librarian

The Luggage

Twoflower

And even the Late Sir Terry Pratchett made an appearance riding 

Great A'Tuin

This month marks a 100 years since Armistice Day and it was humbling to see how the bakers commemorated this auspicious date and honoured our fallen.  

Another Gold cake that won 2nd place.

Below is the well deserved 1st place.

A simple white cake with the only splash of colour the red poppy on the soldier's uniform as he bows his head and the poppy on the cross on the side of the cake. Along with lines from the poems; 
'For the Fallen', and 'In Flanders Fields'. 

A quiet cake that speaks to the heart. 

So deserving of Gold and first place.

Lest we forget.

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass

This is one of my favourite return to books as the exercises at the end of each chapter are designed to help you enhance the manuscript you are currently writing or editing.

Each chapter is a discussion on the subject, example(s) and exercises. There are 34 chapters including; From Protagonist to Hero, Multidimensional Characters, Larger-Than-Life Qualities, Ultimate Stakes, and High Moments.  

All the chapters have exercises with follow up work as well. For Example the chapter - Larger-Than-Life Character Qualities - has an exercise section on 'Creating Larger-Than-Life Qualities:-

Step 1: Write down the following: What is the one thing that your protagonist would never, ever do, say or think?

Step 2: Find places in your story in which your protagonist must do, say or think those very things. What are the circumstances? What are the consequences? Make notes, starting now. 

Amazon.com:   Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook
Amazon.co.uk: Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook

This reversal is shown to great effect in 'A Knight's Tale' where main character, William, refuses to forfeit a jousting match even though everyone else has because the opponent is the heir to the throne. Thus demonstrating William's determination to win regardless of the risks. So when his love interest asks him to lose the jousting tournament to prove his love for her we understand how much this goes against his nature and the depth of his love when he does indeed do the one thing he never would. This is a true memorable moment. With this book you could include many more memorable moments in your manuscript. 

I love that that the exercises have follow up exercises, usually to find more places where you can repeat the exercise or even have your character pointedly let the opportunity go.

I return to this book time and again and I know I'm not the only author that does so.