This week I've had the fun experience of taking our two kids to London for their very first visit. I lived there for a while, so I'm pretty familiar with how to get around, what to do, and most notably: where to avoid (Oxford Street, I'm looking at you). It's a very different experience with children though, and I'm glad I wasn't doing the trip solo. That said, they were absolutely on their best behaviour and amongst all their choices of what to see, they happily agreed to come along to my choice too! Japan: from myths to manga is the first exhibition the Young V&A have hosted since their big renovation, and I was thrilled to be able to head along.
Greeted with some drums, origami, Manga colouring, and story stations, the boys had some interactive elements to keep them entertained whilst I got to indulge my desire to actually read about the surprisingly wide range of exhibits in a relatively small exhibition space. I was particularly enthralled by the bakemono, the shapeshifting creatures of the forest. Shapeshifters feature in A Quartz Storm and whilst my creations weren't originally inspired by Japanese folklore, I'm certainly making the effort now to read more about tanuki raccoon dogs and kitsune foxes.
Despite my eldest insisting loudly and incorrectly that of course he'd never seen My Neighbour Totoro, much to the amusement of nearby visitors, we all had a great time. Although I'm fairly sure they were both more entertained by the Power Up video game exhibition at the Science Museum the previous day, it was lovely introducing them to myths from a different region. Plus, I've got a great excuse for a Studio Ghibli marathon in the coming weeks. That is, between the furious edits that I'm determined to finalise before their next school break in just a month's time.
That's right: I have my shortlist of agents sorted, my query package drafted, and having closed all the plotholes I and my beta readers could find, I'm now merely trying to cut around 10,000 words. Coincidentally, from draft number 10,000. I'm under no illusions that the next phase will be easy, but I'm looking forward to the challenge!