BOOK PLEDGES - UPDATE

We last checked in on the book pledges when both Inkpot and Valpot had read 5 out of the promised 150.

Let's see where they are now. Valpot?

Valpot: I've read 12 out of the 150. And almost finished 13.

That's 8 % - or 8.3%, if we count the half finished one. Sounds like you're right on target.

Please give us an update on how you rate - let's say books 6 to 10.

Valpot:
No problem.

6. By The Light Of The Moon by Dean Koontz
Another very enjoyable read from Dean. As usual, the action takes place over a very short space of time. The characters are good, the story is far out, and the plot moves along. I was not mad about the end but I did like the book, although not as good as his Odd Thomas series.
Rating: Not Bad

7. The French Confection by Antony Horowitz
Light hearted, light weight story of an unbelievably dumb detective and his smart kid brother (Hong Kong Phooey). Well written and amusing, though most of the humour is directed at the dumb brother. I found this limiting but a child probably wouldn't. Not for adults.
Rating: Readable

8. The Blurred Man by Antony Horowitz
As above, humorous simple detective tale. Very short. Suitable for younger children.
Rating: Readable

9. I know What You Did Last Wednesday by Antony Horowitz
As above, this time like Agatha Christie's Ten Little Niggers tale, with plenty of bodies piling up. The tone is so light that despite the deaths, it's not gruesome. My favourite of the three.
Rating: Readable

10. Spiderwick Chronicles - Book One.
This book took me perhaps twenty minutes to read, twenty minutes I could have better spent staring into space. Poorly written, lack of story, unlikeable characters, unrealistic behaviour - this "book" is a cheat and a con, barely constituting the first chapter of an average children's book. Produced in the style of the Lemony Snicket books, I pity the person who wastes the time glancing twice at it. Unreadable. Unpublishable. Unbuyable.
Rating: Unrateable - Darren Shan-tastic would be to recommend it too much.

Ok, thanks for that, Valpot.

Unfortunately, due to histrionic commitments, we were unable to contact Inkpot for an update on her book pledge. However we hope to bring you news on this subject later this week.

January close to end

As January draws to a close, we wonder how the Nodpots are getting on with their January targets.

This is what the bookie says:

Odds on for completing targets reported earlier in this blog:

Blueberry: NR (no odds available - the bookies having been reading this page!)
Inkpot: 2/1
October & November: 5/4
Sparkie 250/1
10/1 bar

We'll find out on Thursday who's right, so you don't have much time left to place your bets!

Interview with DNOTY 2006

A Conversation with Mungo

By Bee Gears

Mungo reads from his fantastic novel Leaf

It was a rainy day in Blackrock, Co. Louth when I visited Mungo, current DN of the Year, to talk to him about his writing career, winning the DNOTY and all things Mungo.

It took me a while to find the entrance to his palatial home, just off the sea front, surrounded by verdant gardens and a high stone wall. I drove up the long curving avenue and squeezed my battered VW into a space behind a phalanx of French cars.

Approaching the front door, I was greeted by a volley of vicious barking from the guard dogs (three intimidating hounds – a german shepherd, a poinsettia and a collie). Thankfully, they were enclosed behind glass and couldn’t get at me to rip me to shreds. I could understand the need for them, as I am sure Mungo’s fame must draw a lot of unwanted callers to his door. Not being in that category, I didn’t have to wait long for the door to be opened by a burly rabbit, who ushered me inside. There I met Mango, Mungo’s campaign manager. She informed me that Mungo was very busy and could only spare a little time to talk to me, as she led me to the inner sanctum where Mungo sat upon the shining silver Nodpot cup, dressed in his DNOTY t-shirt.

Bee: Oh Mungo, thank you so much for seeing me, it is an honour. I know what a busy schedule you have.

Mungo: Hello.

B: You look wonderful as always, I must say. How do you manage to look so wonderful and white all the time?

M: Clean living (laughs)

B: You look very dashing sitting on top of the Nodpot Cup. Tell me, was it a surprise that you won?

M: (looking bashful) Not at all Bee. Last year I was upset that, despite all my contributions to the Nodpots, I was not even nominated for DNOTY.

B: You mean 2005, don’t you, Mungo? You won last year.

M: (frowning) Oh yes, yes of course. Anyway, I was told that I would have to write to be eligible for nomination the next year (which was 2006) and I said I would write a book – because writing is easy, after all – and win DNOTY 2006. And I did.

B: I have often heard you quoted as saying that writing is easy, but for many people – even professional reporters like me – writing is a daunting task. Tell me Mungo, what is your secret?

M: Well Bee, I don’t know why you find writing so difficult, or anyone for that matter. You think up an idea, you think about it for a little while, and then you sit down and spend so many hours a day writing it. I think a lot of people think writing is hard and then, when they should be writing, they are surfing the internet or watching TV. But really, writing is very easy.

B: That is wonderful advice, Mungo, thank you for sharing that with me.

M: You’re welcome.

B: However, even with that, Leaf is a wonderful book. Few people would be able to write such an original, absorbing, amusing story. Where did you come up for the idea of a story like that? Was there an external influence or is it simply your natural genius?

M: (smiles) I suppose my natural brilliance did have something to do with it, but I believe you should write what you know. Most modern literature has little interest for me because it is so human centred. I decided to write something I would like to read, something about monkeys. I also wanted to write an adventure story that would be humorous. I can’t bear boring depressing rubbish.

B: It must have been hard making the transition from being a judge to being a writer.

M: Not at all, not at all. I’ve been retired for some years now, and Leaf actually came about because I used to tell stories about the Animal Kingdom to my good friend, Miss Monkey. She loved the tales so much that she encouraged me to write it down, and that’s what I did.

B: Yes, you dedicated Leaf to Miss Monkey, didn’t you?

M: That’s right.

B: Is there any truth in the rumours that Leaf and Rainbow are based on you and Miss Monkey?

M: (laughs) None at all. People like to see themselves in my work, I suppose, because they aspire to be like my characters but no, Leaf and Rainbow are not me and Miss Monkey. Leaf isn’t as handsome and talented as I am, for one thing.

B: To get back to winning DNOTY 2006. I know you had a strong campaign going, with Mango as your manager and publicity on your blog and the streets of Dublin. Even with all this, were you afraid that you wouldn’t win?

M: Not at all. You see, this year I knew the votes would be counted properly because they got in an objective non-Nodpot to count them. Other years they have been counted by Valerie, and I know the vote has been skewed by her so that Iseult would win.

B: They are very serious allegations, Mungo.

M: I’m not alleging anything; I’m just saying that I knew the right Nodpot would win this year.

B: I see. Still, at the moment before the winner was revealed, did you feel a thrill of fear that you might not have won?

M: Not at all. I never feel fear.

B: What was it like when you found out you won?

M: I knew that justice had been served.

B: And what are your plans for this year? Do you want to win the Nodpot cup again?

M: I’m not really bothered about retaining my title, now that I have achieved what I set out to achieve, however I am sure that I will win again in 2007 as I am the best Nodpot and my work this year will prove that. I don’t intend to become a slave to writing, because it is only an enjoyable pastime to me, but I am going to write three books this year. I have Mango the Unlucky Monkey coming out in March and then the third book in the Kingdom of Animals series, Rainbow and the Mountain of Life, which should be due out in the autumn and the first in a new series, Tottie the Demon Rabbit Slayer, should be out in time for Christmas.

B: That sounds very ambitious Mungo.

M: Not at all.

B: What about Leaf, are you still seeking for an agent?

M: I will be submitting Leaf to agencies again this year, yes.

B: That’s good. Is it true you will be touring with the Nodpot Cup this year?

M: I have to keep the fans happy, you know. I will be going to Dublin for a while, to thank the people of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown for voting for me, and I have been asked to travel over seas as well, but I have yet to make up my mind on that offer.

The door opened and Mango entered. She gestured for me to leave.

B: I can see my time is up. Thank you for your time, Mungo. It was an honour to meet you and I look forward to reading your new books this year.

M: Thank you.

Mungo & the cup posing with me

INTERVIEW TOMORROW

Don't forget:

Tomorrow we publish the interview that our intrepid reporter Bee Gears undertook with Mungo - Disresponsible Nodpot of the Year 2006.

Don't miss it!

Bee Gears before the Mungo interview!

LEAF - In Search of Ramune ***Guest Review***

A review of Leaf

By Drakles

Leaf is the first book written by Judge Mungo (who is also Nodpot of the year 2006 and an award winning actor).

It is the story of Leaf, a monkey who lives in Arborea, which is a lovely happy place but lacking in the excitement and adventure that Leaf craves. However, things change for him when he witnesses a brutal slaying, his best friend, Rainbow, is kidnapped and he is given an urgent quest which, if left undone, will lead to the destruction of the Kingdom.

So there is Leaf, alone in a strange hostile world, with no idea where he is heading, where they’ve taken Rainbow, indeed, with nothing except unbounded confidence in himself and a bag of strange fruits given him by a dying bear. And so his adventures begin and Leaf, true to his brave resourceful nature, is not too fazed by all the strange, exciting, dangerous and near impossible situations he finds himself in.

Rainbow, after her initial trauma, seems to have landed on her feet a bit more than Leaf, but this is deceptive and it turns out she is just as deeply embroiled in danger. So the fate of the whole kingdom rests on the slender (and shapely) shoulders of the 2 little Arborean monkeys.

This is an excellent book. Extremely well written, it engages the whole attention of the reader from the word Go. The characters are all endearing, the adventure is engrossing and the kingdom captivating. There is never a dull moment in the kaleidoscope of magic and colour that is Leaf.

Suitable for toys of any age, it will also be appreciated by humans, young and old alike. Finally there are some great minor characters, the best being a wonderful pig and duck, who really deserve a book of their own.

January still

Welcome to another week in January 2007.

What is in store for the Nodpots this week? Who can tell?

Here in the world of news, views and idle gossip, a rumour has reached us that the first Disresponsible Nodpot meeting of the year was convened last Sunday night. It was a surprise occasion in an unexpected location, so we were unable to smuggle in a spy or bug the room to find out what was going on. Please give us more notice next time, Marvin!

However, the word on the street is that ALL nodpots attended it - another rarity! It will be interesting to find out what was agreed by the DNs. If you don't find out on this blog, keep an eye out on the "official" website - http://www.disresponsiblenodpots.com/

We have an exciting week ahead of us in DN land. Midweek will see the publication of a review of Leaf: In Search of Ramune by another surprise guest reviewer. The publication of this book played a large part in the awarding of DNOTY '06 to Mungo, the book's author.

On Friday, we will have an EXCLUSIVE interview with DNOTY '06 himself by our intrepid reporter Bee Gears.

As January draws to a close, we will update you all on the pledges and targets, fulfilled or otherwise, of the Nodpots - so keeping reading next week!

Book Pledge Count

Recently I noticed the Nodpots who have undertaken to read 150 books this year are slowly but surely making headway.

I asked them to descrive briefly where they are with it.

Valpot:

I've finished 5 out of 150 so far. The books are (in order of reading):

1. 7 Days in Hell by Iseult Murphy.
A tale of horror in the countryside, packed with gore and laced with humour.
Rating: Shines like The Lucky Diamond

2. Black Rabbit Island by Valinora Troy
Tourist - island- zombies: need I say more?
Rating: Curate's Egg

3. The Singing Stone by Orla Melling
Kids tale of Druids, Tuatha de Daanan, fir bolg, etc full of plot but lacks charm
Rating: Half way decent

4. Life of Our Lady as seen by the mystics
Edifying but written a little too simply
Rating: Not sure if there is one on the list for this

5. Brother Odd by Dean Koontz
Another great tale from Odd Thomas in an unusual setting, though a little disappointing at the end
Good piece of fiction

How about the books you've been reading, Inkpot?

1. 24 HOURS – The 2nd version – by Iserie Valult
This book should be burned. I would class it as almost unreadable. Much better than Billy the Pheasant at sending you to sleep. It has passed through so bad it is good and come out rubbish. Reviewer rating – 1/10 Darren Shan-tastic!

2. NEXT by Michael Crichton
An interesting exploration into genetics and transgenic animals. Very readable, as all Crichton’s works are, I found the lack of a central hero and a huge cast of characters distanced me from the story. Reviewer rating – 5/10 Readable

3. ACROSS THE WALL by Garth Nix
A disappointing collection of short stories for a fan of this fantasy author. It contains The Creature in the Case and several of Nix’s older short stories. Most of the stories are ok, but do not shine as much as the author’s later work. The Creature in the Case is, of course, fantastic and one other story caught my interest, however I was left feeling cheated overall. Reviewer rating – 6/10 The Curates egg

4. BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON by Dean Koontz
Written before The Face, this is a transition book between Koontz’s older and newer styles. Three well drawn characters, a short time frame, lots of action, twists and turns make this a good book, but it is not a great book and it did not capture my imagination as much as some of his later work has. Reviewer rating - 7/10 Not bad

5. BROTHER ODD by Dean Koontz
Koontz’s most recent book and third in the series featuring Odd Thomas, an inspired and compelling character. I loved this book and couldn’t read it fast enough. Odd Thomas seeks solitude in a monastery high in the Californian Mountains, only to find that evil things lurk in the snow clad grounds. Reviewer rating – 9/10 a good piece of fiction

Profile of Disresponsible Nodpot of the Year 2006 - Mungo

Mungo started his own blog in February 2006.

This is what he wrote about himself:

Mungo
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Astrological Sign: Capricorn
Zodiac Year: Ox
About Me
I arrived in Ireland 17 years ago, after smuggling myself out of Africa in a bunch of bananas. My best friends are Marvin and Nobbles (who can't quite make up his mind whether he is a monkey or a cat) and of course, the beautiful Miss Monkey
The first time you had your shoes taken off - how surprised were you to see that you still had toes?
I never wear shoes
Favorite Movies
Serenity
Favorite Music
jungle drums
Favorite Books
Lemony Snicket and Garth Nix's the castle series

Mungo's origins are shrouded in mystery. He claims to have arrived in Ireland 1989 (or perhaps late 1988). We can identify his presence on a special occasion on 14th May 1988, and know that he arrived in Blackrock at least Christmas 1987, if not a year earlier. Well known author Geri Valentine once documented his history, but alas this document has never been published. Our trusty researcher Bee Gears is endeavouring to obtain the original copy so that we can find out more about him.

Photo of Mungo posing for the first DNOTY voting form (2004)

The first few years of Mungo's life - prior to joining the Disresponsible Nodpots - were full of life and excitement. He frequently went where he was not invited (On Iseult's First Holy Communion, he snuck into her bag and went through the entire ceremony). He appointed himself Judge to the Toy Court. He starred in a film. And all the time, his best friends were Marvin and Nobbles - together, they were known as The 3 Amigos.

Nobbles, Marvin & Mungo in the inseparable days


It was only in 2001 that he grew interested in the Disresponsible Nodpots. Possibly suspecting that Marvin, as Chairtoy, was having fun without him, he tricked his way in to a meeting, uninvited, but contributed so much that he made his way to the minutes of the DNs, and, by default, became a member of the society without going through any of the usual application and initiation processes. (To this day, nobody is quite sure how he managed it - and Mungo is not giving away his secrets.)
Mungo visits his fans in Dublin!

Mungo's most famous words - the line quoted most regularly - is "Writing is easy!"

Doubtless he was getting tired of his fellow Nodpots vacillating ways - it is rumoured that they talked about writing but did little, and that the early meetings were all about giving each other presents.

To prove what he said was true, he promised to write a book and to win Disresponsible Nodpot of the Year in 2006.

He did both.

Mungo photographed with his wonderful book "Leaf: In Search of Ramune"

Early in 2006, Mungo wrote the exciting fantasy tale of Leaf, a little white monkey based loosely on himself (although no one can see the resemblance). We will be reviewing it later in this blog but it was received with critical acclaim, both within the DNs and without. He then sourced a POD service and produced beautiful hardback and paper back copies of his story. In fact, by that action, he instigated the Disresponsible Nodpot Publishing concern, which we have covered in another post. He is currently in the process of obtaining an agent - we wish him all the best in this venture.

Early in 2006 he invented the phenomenon of the mungo-bot. These are other toys programmed to adore and idolise Mungo, and to obey him in every respect. We believe he has to date at least one mungo-bot.

During 2006, he appointed two campaign managers to head his bid to win Nodpot of the Year - Mango and Tottie.
Pictured at the launch of the media campaign

As we all know, this campaign was very successful, with thousands of people promising their allegiance to Mungo (also affectionately known as Little White Paws or LPW). Unfortunately few of them had the vote, but the word got out that Mungo was to win.

Which he duly did.

Congratulations, Mungo - a very worthy winner of DNOTY 2006.

We look forward to seeing what Mungo accomplishes over the next 12 months.

Mungo claims his trophy December 31st 2006, under the Chairtoy's watchful eye

Watch out for an exclusive interview with the winner of DNOTY 2006 by our ace reporter Bee gears!

THE LUCKY DIAMOND *** GUEST REVIEW***

Our latest guest review is by Geri Valentine, well known children's writer and author of the St Brigid's series.





She recently read The Lucky Diamond by Valinora Troy, and this is what she had to say about it:


A review of The Lucky Diamond

By Geri Valentine

I would highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a really good adventure story well told.

I don’t want to give anything away, so I will merely say that it is about what happens to five orphan children in a world that is different to ours, but as it develops it is hard to put the book down.

Well written and original in its concept and plot, with a very good ending which is quite unexpected too.

V. Troy writes extremely well and one looks forward to more of her work.

Update on January Targets

I'm sure all the Nodpots are doing really well with their targets for January - shall we check?

Okay, since you insist!

Blueberry, how is January going for you?

Blueberry: No meetings as of yet.

Sorry to hear that, Blueberry. Inkpot, what have you done?

Inkpot: I'm working hard on TTMF. I've started editing TMOTW. Almost finished Ass 2. Had one meeting on our joint books with Valpot.


Marvin, how's that website going?
Marvin: Slowly, DN, slowly.

Plenty of time yet, Marvin.

Mungo, I'm sure you're flying!

Mungo: Sure am. Right on target. Writing is easy.

Great to hear. How about you, October?

October: I'm well rested - completed my January target. Even discussed the blog with November!

And you November?

November: Yep! Same here - the resting is going REALLY well.

Parsley, how are those subscriptions going?

Parsley: I have come to an arrangement with the relevant parties and all subcriptions are now up to date.

Congratulations, Parsley.

Sparkie, the bookies don't give you much hope of getting that gavel,

but what do you say?

Sparkie: No comment.

And that leaves us with the last nodpot, Valpot. How is January going for you, Valpot?

Valpot: A little disappointing so far. I'm still editing TLD - though I hope to have it finished by the 21st. And had one successful meeting with Inkpot, as she mentioned. I'm confident though that I will meet ALL objectives by January 31st.

Well, that concludes what the nodpots are saying about themselves.

What do you think?

UPDATE ON PLEDGES

As we are almost half way through January, let's that a look at where those foolish nodpots who took pledges at the DNOTY dinner (under the influence, no doubt, of lots of bevvies) are.

Inkpot, you pledged to read 150 books and to submit The (as yet unfinished) Moonwolf Chronicles up to 30 times. How are you getting on?

Inkpot (big smile): Brilliantly! I have not yet submitted but I have commenced the edit of The Mark of the Wolf. I have also read 4.5 books.

That's very inspiring (hee, hee). And you, Valpot?

Valpot: Well, I'm pretty pleased. Yes, sir, pretty happy.

And...?

Valpot (smirks a little): I have read 3 out of 150 books, and started 4 others, so I'm sure I'll be well ahead of schedule soon.

But you need to be reading 3 a week, don't you? Any submissions yet?

Valpot: Yes. And no.

Okay, let's check with Mungo, DNOTY 2006. I'm sure he'll be well ahead of target. Mungs?

Mungo (frowns slightly): I'm busy hand picking my next 15 agents for the wonderful soon-to-be-award-winning book Leaf: In Search of Ramune.

Watch this space for more news!

Disresponsible Nodpot Publications

2006 saw the start of Disresponsible Nodpot publications.



Leaf: In Search of Ramune was the first book by a Disresponsible Nodpot (Mungo) in print. Although originally published by Mungo is Great, it subsequently appeared under the DN imprint. Available in both hardcover and paperback, with the same cover illustration. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the story was received with critical acclaim. In the near future, a review of this story will be published on this blog.

The Original 24 Hours was next to appear in print. This is a collector's item, as the authors - Iserie Valult - say that this is an early version of the story, which will not be generally available. A review of this book is already available on this blog.



This second version of the original story 24 Hours is extremely rare. Only two copies are known to ever be in existence, and their authors are extremely cagey about the whereabouts of these. Therefore, unfortunately, and no matter how much we like the cover, this book will not be reviewed on this blog. Nor anywhere else.




2006 also saw the long awaited publication of The Lucky Diamond, pictured above in both hardback and soft cover. Rumours are that it took the best part of 35 years to produce so you might well wonder if it was worth waiting for. Find out on this blog in the near future!

November 2006 saw the start, finish and publication of two horror novels, written by Nodpots - a new genre for the Disresponsible Nodpots. The bulk of both these tales were written in 12 days, and we at nodpots applaud such industry.

7 Days in Hell was the first to be publicly available, a mixture of humour and horror. As with all worthwhile publications, it will be reviewed here shortly.



Black Rabbit Island, a traditional tale of gore, also appeared in December. It too will be reviewed on this blog in the near future.


Overall, not a bad selection for the Disresponsible Nodpots publications to commence with. We expect the list to be added to greatly during 2007.

Watch this space, to read about it first!

24 HOURS ***Guest Review ***

A Review of 24 Hours

By Michele Murphy

24 Hours is the first book written by Iserie Valult (a Preston Child type combo of Iseult Murphy – The Moonwolf Chronicles, 7 Days in Hell etc. and Valinora Troy – The Lucky Diamond, Black Rabbit Island, etc.). It is a sci fi futuristic thriller, but mainly just a thriller – that is, a non stop action, page turning, cliff hanging, who’s getting the chop next kind of thriller.

A group of travellers are on a space shuttle to Oilers city when their shuttle stops for a refuelling on the deserted planet of Ely with its two suns and non-interrupted views of uninhabitable desert. There, in the glaring suns, the shuttle is stolen, by a ruthless killer, escaped convict and master of disguises leaving the passengers to the tender mercies of the refueller and his daughter – both slightly (and charmingly) other worldly and eccentric. So far so good, they only have to wait 24 hours (albeit in relatively primitive surroundings) for another shuttle. Except strange things start happening… of course strange things start happening.

First of all the vicious killer crashes the shuttle, why? He is seriously injured but the killings go on. Why? And then the dead bodies disappear… and the body count rises… and soon it’s not safe inside and its not safe outside and it’s not even safe when the new shuttle comes…

Of course, in keeping with the genre, there is something decidedly fishy about a lot of the passengers – each has his or her agenda which prevents full disclosure and honesty which ultimately makes it worse for them.

There’s nothing much more I can say about the plot without giving a lot away. As a plot it’s nothing special although it’s very good – it’s tight, it’s fast moving and it resolves fairly satisfactorily. While I would have preferred a little more plot, it’s certainly adequate. It’s a thriller that relies more on the ‘inescapable menace’ factor and the ‘we’re all trapped in the dark’ factor rather than twists and turns and surprises. Not to say that there aren’t twists and turns and surprises, there are, and they are well spaced and nicely timed but they don’t drive the plot.

I had the privilege to read the original version, written in tandem by the authors in little more than 24 hours and I have to say this impressed me tremendously. Each of the 2 writers wrote alternative chapters without reading the intervening ones. In reading the book, you will not notice this, it is seamless. In fact it reads like one author only and I think that is an amazing achievement. The characters are great, very deftly drawn, they live from the minute they grace the page. Even the quick sketches of the first victims breathe enough humanity for the reader to feel pity at their demise.

I also love the world created, again it is very deftly done, just a few throw away lines and comments but it lives – completely believable and easily imagined. In fact a world which hints as being multi-dimensional and interesting but never dominating the characters or situation.

In conclusion, 24 hours is a rattling good yarn but with more, great writing, characters you want to know more about and a fascinating world.

Disresponsible Nodpots Targets for 2007

Here follows the list of writing targets for 2007 by the Disresponsible Nodpots.

We will keep you informed if and how these targets are met!

Blueberry: Would like to attend more meetings (but in the house, not in restaurants so that I can accumulate points

Inkpot: Edit the Moonwolf Chronicles and submit
Edit 7 days in hell and submit
Work on/write our three joint books
Complete two writer bureau assignments a month
Research and write a zombie horror (working title Zombie Island)
Write and submit two zombie short stories/flash fictions
Write a New Zealand journey novel in November.

Marvin: Continue to inspire and motivate the DNs
Have the new DN website up & running fully

Mungo: Write Mango the Unlucky Monkey
Write Rainbow and the Mountain of Life
Write Tottie the Demon Rabbit Slayer
Submit Leaf again (maybe do a little editing)
Tour the world with the Nodpot Cup
Make lots of money from endorsing products and interviews

November: Start October and my mystery blog
Get nominated for DNOTY 2007

October: Start November and my mystery blog
Get nominated for DNOTY 2007

Parsley: Keep the accounts of the DN in perfect order

Sparkie: Make sure Mungo fulfills his promise of getting a gavel for Marvin

Valpot: Complete the final final final edit of The Lucky Diamond
Write Lottie - Book One
Do the first draft of The Druids Revenge
Write first draft of the sequel to The Lucky Diamond
Plan The Hombit for 2008
Edit & polish Black Rabbit Island
Write one of the Iserie Valult books
Submit The Lucky Diamond
Complete the Writer's Bureau course

Nodpot objectives for January

The following lists what each Nodpot hopes to achieve by the end of this month:

Attend a DN meeting in the house (if possible)

Write 50K on TTMF
Start to edit TMOTW
Ass2 and 3 for WB
2 meetings with Twinnie (Valpot) about our joint books

At least one page of the website to be completed

Commence Mango: The Unlucky Monkey

Rest my energies & get ready for my mystery blog

Discuss our mystery blog with October

Collect all due subscriptions

Get the gavel!

Complete the edit of TLD for the horse
Complete & send Assignment 3
Submit Assignment 2 to Cosy Moments
Plan Assignment 4
Discuss joint books with Binnie (Inkpot)

What chances do you give them of success?*

*Photos from DN Voting form 2004 - this reporter will have more current phots posted during the year

Pledges

During the DNOTY 2006 meeting, some Nodpots signed formal pledges of their intentions during 2007.

Inkpot promised: To read 150 books and to submit The Moonwolf Chronicles to publishers/agents up to 30 times.

With difficulty, she was persuaded against making her pledge to read 300 books!

Mungo's pledges consisted of: Submit Leaf to publishers/agents up to 15 times

Valpot foolishly also pledged: To read 150 books and to submit The Lucky Diamond to publishers/agents up to 30 times.


OUR pledge to you is to monitor the above promises and let you know how they are progressing!

Nodpot of the Year 2006

It seems only appropriate to start the year (and this blog) with a profile of the winner of Disresponsible Nodpot of the year (DNOTY) 2006.

But first, a review of the big night - December 31st 2006, where the trophy was unveiled, revealing the winner's name.

As everyone (in the world) knows by now, Mungo was crowned winner!

Here he is, pictured wearing the hat and sitting on his cup, and enjoying the company (or adoration) of his publicity manager, Mango.

The Nodpots engaged the services of Pinky (Pamela) as independent vote counter. Here she is, expressing her delight that Mungo won:

A lot of nasty words were spoken after the winner was announced, implicating the "judge" in some kind of bias or prejudice in favour of Mungo. This reporter wants to state categorically their belief in Pinky's integrity, and puts these rumours down to sour grapes.

There were actually 5 nominees for the award - Inkpot, Valpot, Marvin, Parsley and Mungo.

Before the vote - note their happy and expectant faces.

After Mungo was announced the winner, Valpot said: "I'm gutted! I just can't believe it! I thought the trophy was mine at last!"

She wasn't the only distraught one. Inkpot covered her face with her hands and wept (the photographs are too upsetting to publish). An insider source reveals an attempt to nobble Mungo as he took his place on the trophy - though Inkpot denies this.

The other Nodpots seemed to take the news of Mungo's win with equanimity

Marvin commented: "...Having never written before, Mungo produced an excellent novel in the form of Leaf: in Search of Ramune and submitted it to many agents. It is a mystery to me why it was not snapped up immediately, but I am sure he will gain that success this year. While he has not been as prolific as some of our other members, he had a longer journey to make and his peers have awarded him for his hard work, dedication and belief in his writing..."*

Parsley added: ".... I was surprised when Mungo won, but pleased for him as well. I felt very sorry for Iseult and Valerie who had worked so hard all year and didn’t win. They looked very upset..." *

October and November had no comment to make, other than that they were very pleased for Mungo, but as they both sported "Vote for Mungo" badges, we can guess where their loyalties lie.

Sparkie had this to say: "...I hoped Mungo would win because he said he would buy me a gavel for Marvin if I voted for him and he won. He did win, but I am still waiting for my gavel..." *

The other highlight of the evening was the inauguration of the Muffin Memorial Trophy. However, due to the importance of this award, we will leave this to a separate post.

Therefore we will leave the final word with Blueberry: "...2006 was a very sad year for me. I had a nasty accident and spent months in recovery. I lost my best friend Muffin and this new beast has invaded my lair. Then the Nodpot of the year was announced. I wasn’t very interested because I wasn’t nominated this year. I tried to talk to them about having more meetings in the house, but they wouldn’t listen. Mungo won. I found it amusing. He had asked me to vote for him, but I can’t remember whether I did or not in the end..." *

* Full text of what these Nodpots had to say about DNOTY 2006 will be published on their dedicated profiles.

The Year of the Nodpots!

Welcome to this exciting new blog!

2007 has been officially denoted as The Year of the Nodpots, and therefore this blog is specially dedicated to each and every one of the Nodpots - their aspirations for the year, their monthly objectives, their pledges and how well they are measuring up!

We will spotlight each DN individually and give relevant biographical details. We will also monitor closely aspirants for DNOTY 2007 award.

This blog will not be updated daily. However, new posts will be added on a regular basis, at least once a week.

Enjoy this exclusive insight into the Disresponsible Nodpots!