Day 24: a picture of something you wish you could change

I would like to change the speed of light, or failing that, the fact that you can’t go faster than it. I find this fact quite serially inconvenient.
What I love about this shot, incidentally, is Han and Chewie’s total non-reaction to what is happening outside. Han doesn’t even look up until after the effect begins, a bit like a driver might pull away from the kerb before properly looking at the road ahead. In reality this could be because both actors were staring at a blue screen beyond the cockpit windows – but in terms of the story it underlines just how unspectacular and normal a hyperspace jump is.

Day 23: a picture of your favourite book

Well, there were so many to choose from and even after much thought I might not have hit on my absolute dead favourite of all time, assuming such a creature exists anyway. But this is certainly up there at the very highest levels of the Top Arbitrary Number.

It’s certainly my favourite of all the Narnias. I remember the thrill my infant mind felt when it worked out the concept of a prequel from first principles. That’s the white witch! They’re in Narnia! (The presence of the lion was a bit of a clue there.) So that’s where the wardrobe came from …

Also, the creation of Narnia is one of the most beautiful passages in fantasy fiction ever, and the fact that much, if not most, of it is set in the real world – even the real world of 100 years ago – also gives it that much more resonance.

Day 22: a picture of something you wish you were better at

Is no contest. I wish I was better at this. Not necessarily as good as John Williams, but … better. I started learning around 1994 or 1995, and then rather foolishly stopped, or that is to say, very wisely gave my priority to writing. So I could have been quite good by now, if I’d stuck at it. As it is I’ve probably even forgotten “Polly Wolly Doodle” and “Michael, row the boat ashore.”

However I can remember how to do my favourite chord, which is E minor and always makes me think of Ennio Morricone.