Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Bad Language does Bad Literature
In honour of the Manchester Literature Festival and Robin Ince's Bad Book Club, Bad Language have decided to indulge in their very own bad literature night. The below video features Dan and Joe reading some raunchy delights from Mills and Boon. Get ready whilst Bad Language topples you to a climax....
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Poetry is better than fruit (and that means alot coming from me)
I'm not a big poetry writer myself, I tend write a poem once a year and am happy with half of them, but I love reading poetry. The wonderful thing about poetry is that it's so transferable you can listen/watch/read poetry and still take something away from it. I love the way that poetry can fit into your every day life and yet, there is poetry for every occasion.
Whether you want a poem to fit every day; such as Max Wallis who manages to write something every day even if it is about ice cream (though I believe this is changing to a website about his novel now), or you want to listen to the poet reading their work, such as on the innovative Poetry Station, there's always something out there for you. Another good website to dip in and out of is The Pygmy Giant, though I prefer to join their mailing list and then I get poetry/short fiction straight to my inbox everyday ;)
One of my favourite things is when poets animate their work with a video. I believe it makes the poem more powerful as it puts another layer of meaning behind the words. It also means that the poet regains control of the poem as there is less chance for alternative interpretation. As well as, of course, making it accessible to those who don't necessarily enjoy reading poetry. Such as the below video of Manchester poet Dominic Berry:
"Manchester" by Dominic Berry from Siobhan McGuirk on Vimeo.
I try to read one poem a day as it helps me break out of a mindless routine and reminds me there are bigger things in life to worry about. One of my favourite ever poems is The Woman Who Could Not Live with Her Fault Heart by Margaret Atwood, which I have put at the end of this blog,though granted it does have a melancholic theme so it's not really for every day.
I recently bought a copy of Popshot, the poetry and illustration magazine, from their broken biscuits promotion which I am still delving into. I bought issue two which is themed around 'Them and Us' and I love the mix of illustation with poetry and the challenging which it presents. Sometimes the image will compliment what you pictured when reading the poem or even add more to your internal image, and other times it will conflict with what you thought the poem was about. Though one of the main elements that I love about poetry is that it is subjective and is easily interpreted to help you through a personal situation. I wonder how this freedom of interpretation affects the poets creating the work? I know in my own writing I like to leave an element to the readers imagination as stories are more powerful when you can directly relate to them.
Something else which I feel is a necessity for poetry, is watching live local poetry; whether it is first timers at an open mic night or an up and coming artist embracing their local culture. One of my favourite local poets who I've seen perform at the lively Freed Up Poets and also at Manchester's Poetry Pillow, is Jackie Hagan. She's one of those rare poets that can make a poem work on the page as well as bringing it off the page when performed. You can read some of her poetry on her facebook page.
One last thing I would like to ask is: can a poet be as strong in fiction as they are in poetry, or vice versa? The majority of the time I would like to say no, that a novelist will never be as strong in poetry or a poet as strong in fiction; they have learnt to hone their skills on their particular format. However, of course there are exceptions to this rule, such my previously mentioned favourite poem below. Here's my poem of the day, I hope you enjoy.
The Woman Who Could Not Live with Her Faulty Heart
By Margaret Atwood
I do not mean the symbol
of love, a candy shape
to decorate cakes with,
the heart that is supposed
to belong or break;
I mean this lump of muscle
that contracts like a flayed biceps,
purple-blue, with its skin of suet,
its skin of gristle, this isolate,
that caved hermit, unshelled
turtle, this one lungful of blood,
no happy plateful.
All hearts float in their own
deep oceans of no light,
wetblack and glimmering,
their four mouths gulping like fish.
Hearts are said to pound:
this is to be expected, the heart's
regular struggle against being drowned.
But most hearts say, I want I want,
I want, I want. My heart
is more duplicitous,
though no twin as I once thought.
It says, I want, I don't want, I
want, and then a pause.
It forces me to listen,
and at night it is the infra-red
third eye that remains open
while the other two are sleeping
but refuses to say what it has seen.
It is a constant pestering
in my ears, a caught moth, limping drum,
a child's first beating
itself against the bedsprings:
I want, I don't want.
How can one live with such a heart?
Long ago I gave up singing
to it, it will never be satisfied or lulled.
One night I will say to it:
Heart, be still,
and it will.
Whether you want a poem to fit every day; such as Max Wallis who manages to write something every day even if it is about ice cream (though I believe this is changing to a website about his novel now), or you want to listen to the poet reading their work, such as on the innovative Poetry Station, there's always something out there for you. Another good website to dip in and out of is The Pygmy Giant, though I prefer to join their mailing list and then I get poetry/short fiction straight to my inbox everyday ;)
One of my favourite things is when poets animate their work with a video. I believe it makes the poem more powerful as it puts another layer of meaning behind the words. It also means that the poet regains control of the poem as there is less chance for alternative interpretation. As well as, of course, making it accessible to those who don't necessarily enjoy reading poetry. Such as the below video of Manchester poet Dominic Berry:
"Manchester" by Dominic Berry from Siobhan McGuirk on Vimeo.
I try to read one poem a day as it helps me break out of a mindless routine and reminds me there are bigger things in life to worry about. One of my favourite ever poems is The Woman Who Could Not Live with Her Fault Heart by Margaret Atwood, which I have put at the end of this blog,though granted it does have a melancholic theme so it's not really for every day.
I recently bought a copy of Popshot, the poetry and illustration magazine, from their broken biscuits promotion which I am still delving into. I bought issue two which is themed around 'Them and Us' and I love the mix of illustation with poetry and the challenging which it presents. Sometimes the image will compliment what you pictured when reading the poem or even add more to your internal image, and other times it will conflict with what you thought the poem was about. Though one of the main elements that I love about poetry is that it is subjective and is easily interpreted to help you through a personal situation. I wonder how this freedom of interpretation affects the poets creating the work? I know in my own writing I like to leave an element to the readers imagination as stories are more powerful when you can directly relate to them.
Something else which I feel is a necessity for poetry, is watching live local poetry; whether it is first timers at an open mic night or an up and coming artist embracing their local culture. One of my favourite local poets who I've seen perform at the lively Freed Up Poets and also at Manchester's Poetry Pillow, is Jackie Hagan. She's one of those rare poets that can make a poem work on the page as well as bringing it off the page when performed. You can read some of her poetry on her facebook page.
One last thing I would like to ask is: can a poet be as strong in fiction as they are in poetry, or vice versa? The majority of the time I would like to say no, that a novelist will never be as strong in poetry or a poet as strong in fiction; they have learnt to hone their skills on their particular format. However, of course there are exceptions to this rule, such my previously mentioned favourite poem below. Here's my poem of the day, I hope you enjoy.
The Woman Who Could Not Live with Her Faulty Heart
By Margaret Atwood
I do not mean the symbol
of love, a candy shape
to decorate cakes with,
the heart that is supposed
to belong or break;
I mean this lump of muscle
that contracts like a flayed biceps,
purple-blue, with its skin of suet,
its skin of gristle, this isolate,
that caved hermit, unshelled
turtle, this one lungful of blood,
no happy plateful.
All hearts float in their own
deep oceans of no light,
wetblack and glimmering,
their four mouths gulping like fish.
Hearts are said to pound:
this is to be expected, the heart's
regular struggle against being drowned.
But most hearts say, I want I want,
I want, I want. My heart
is more duplicitous,
though no twin as I once thought.
It says, I want, I don't want, I
want, and then a pause.
It forces me to listen,
and at night it is the infra-red
third eye that remains open
while the other two are sleeping
but refuses to say what it has seen.
It is a constant pestering
in my ears, a caught moth, limping drum,
a child's first beating
itself against the bedsprings:
I want, I don't want.
How can one live with such a heart?
Long ago I gave up singing
to it, it will never be satisfied or lulled.
One night I will say to it:
Heart, be still,
and it will.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Literature of the day
I love the idea of making literature more accessible; whether that's by creating shorter pieces that fit neatly into busy lives, or mixing images with words to bring a story off the page. Electric Literature, I believe, does both these things.
Today, my favourite piece is below.
I hope you like it.
Today, my favourite piece is below.
I hope you like it.
Monday, 30 August 2010
Literature Pub Quiz, oragami for kids and poetry: My perfect Sunday.
In preperation for The Literature Pub Quiz which is the next Bad Language event on the 2nd September I have been attempting to make pretty things. However, pretty things aren't as easy to make as they look. Thinking I was a genius I decided to make oragami books to compliment the literature theme. But my skeptical brother tried to prove me wrong by stating that oragami books would be no different to normal books. Well brother, the internet proved you wrong.
I attempted the below under the false hope that having never done oragami before, I would be a pro. After four attempts and weird triangle pages, I decided I needed to start with something simpler.
Origami book from Eddie Dakore on Vimeo.
Then someone finally understood me and decided to get the internet to show me the below: oragami for kids.
So if you're as unskilled as me, the above is a good alternative to attempt to make pretty things without hurting your brain too much.
I decided to make two things for the quiz. First, a set of small chap books for a poem of mine called Graceful. It's something I've been thinking of doing for a while and not got round to creating a design for. The chap books are hand written and tied up with gold embossed paper and string, which I thought went with the delicate theme of the poem. I will be attempting to sell these at the pub quiz for £2.50 each.
I also made the minature oragami books for decoration, mainly to prove my brother wrong. They will sit among cup cakes on the tabels to hopefully make the venue look pretty and entice people in. I made the books out of hand made paper which was a present from my lovely friend Nell Ellwood. Nelly makes hand made paper and also beautiful hand crafted paper jewellery. Nelly lives in Derby. Nelly is lovely.
Now that you know my friend Nelly, that's about the extent of my pretty things. I also had a go at painting but as my boyfriend pointed out; 'It looked like the void'.
The poem included in the chap book is below. It would be nice to hear what you think. The quiz is this thursday at The Waldorf next to Picadilly station, if you're interested click on the link at the top of this blog for more information. I am also very excited about guest speakers David Gaffney and Max Wallis! I hope to see you there.
I attempted the below under the false hope that having never done oragami before, I would be a pro. After four attempts and weird triangle pages, I decided I needed to start with something simpler.
Origami book from Eddie Dakore on Vimeo.
Then someone finally understood me and decided to get the internet to show me the below: oragami for kids.
So if you're as unskilled as me, the above is a good alternative to attempt to make pretty things without hurting your brain too much.
I decided to make two things for the quiz. First, a set of small chap books for a poem of mine called Graceful. It's something I've been thinking of doing for a while and not got round to creating a design for. The chap books are hand written and tied up with gold embossed paper and string, which I thought went with the delicate theme of the poem. I will be attempting to sell these at the pub quiz for £2.50 each.
I also made the minature oragami books for decoration, mainly to prove my brother wrong. They will sit among cup cakes on the tabels to hopefully make the venue look pretty and entice people in. I made the books out of hand made paper which was a present from my lovely friend Nell Ellwood. Nelly makes hand made paper and also beautiful hand crafted paper jewellery. Nelly lives in Derby. Nelly is lovely.
Now that you know my friend Nelly, that's about the extent of my pretty things. I also had a go at painting but as my boyfriend pointed out; 'It looked like the void'.
The poem included in the chap book is below. It would be nice to hear what you think. The quiz is this thursday at The Waldorf next to Picadilly station, if you're interested click on the link at the top of this blog for more information. I am also very excited about guest speakers David Gaffney and Max Wallis! I hope to see you there.
Graceful
Too weak
To smile
She lifts her head up off the pillow and,
Breathes.
And,
She thinks of a time when
Her bed didn’t wear a cage. And
Her body didn’t need two extra arms to help it sit.
Though her children visit often.
Bringing ruins of corner shop flowers
The smiles that they wear always fade to soon.
And,
The letters that they bring
Always two lines too short
She never could get used to being that age.
Silence consumed every visit
Until,
She was ready to talk
And they were ready to leave
Although their hands would linger too long,
They touched her with the same hands that
Disposed of the
Dead flowers
And she never could forgive.
Their deadened touch
On her
Leathered skin
With their backs turned
With bars on her bed
With unkind hands
She never could get used to being that age.
Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Sad and Beautiful World
Sad and Beautiful World is the last in the 12 part comic series, Demo, written by Brian Wood. Each issue is a separate self contained short story in which Wood wanted to explore the experience of a group of ‘mutant’ youths, albeit set in a non-super hero setting.
Sad and Beautiful World is my favourite story of the twelve because the idea itself can be seen as an extended metaphor and brings a sort of poetic beauty to it. The story features a young couple who have over the years come to fall out of love, but cannot physically be apart from each other or their bodies will tear apart, literally. I love the fact that you can compare this to a modern destructive relationship that have learnt to hate each other through love but cannot bear to be apart.
The comic features beautiful repetition of the phrase: ‘And we healed’ showing the on going pain the couple face of having conflicting wants and needs. The style of the art work, by Becky Cloonan, is aggressive black and white panels, featuring thick black strokes which almost look like rips. I like how it feels like each panel is tearing out of the page at you, as though the panel itself wants to leave but can’t, the same as the characters.
The narrative style features both points of view, from the girl and from the boy, first person, though their stories don’t contradict each other. It describes the times they have tried to leave each other, gradually revealing the climax of their dilemma, and also the process of trying to live everyday life with each other whilst keeping a happy distance. Somehow one of them even manages to have an afraid despite their proximity issues.
My favourite part about this short story is the face that it can be seen as a large metaphor for life; learning to live with each other, how it can cause so much pain, but how you always heal.
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Writing without ducks
Morning. I've been away for the week and thought that I would have a quick catch up on here. I'm changing jobs, from one boring job to another, but the benefit is I've got a two week gap so I decided to go back to my mum's for a week. She has a long garden with a log cabin hidden at the bottom so I thought this would be the perfect place to try and settle into writing for a bit.
Despite being attacked by earwigs by nights and thunder fly's by day, it was the perfect place to write. The log cabin has a large veranda with big comfy sofas and a little table, so it was the perfect plact to set up my mini lap top and curl up. Also my mum has a new collection of mini ducks whose house is right outside the veranda, so watching little creatures chatter to each other and take baths was quite relaxing.
I've managed to write 40 pages of a 60 page script I am writing and multiple micro fictions which need to be edited. Although it is a bit worrying that the 40 page script has reached it's finishing point so I need to have a good look over and see how I can extend it by twenty minutes.
But now I'm stuck, because I'm back in the real world and there's so many more distractions. Out there it was hot, quiet, and distractionless ( other then the little ducks of course). But here, back in the real world, back in my flat, I struggle to concentrate. I always feel like there's something else to do. Worst of all, I put pressure on myself to find a better job, to get something I really want quick before I get stuck in something I don't. I also think more about other people reading my pieces and what they think, before I've even finished a piece. Those thoughts are distracting from writing.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, writing is hard. You have to make time for it in your every day life and keep making time for it. Or it'll end up being a hobby you do when you're on holiday. I think what I need to do is have a move around of my flat and see if I can create a writing cubby, because at the moment it's nothing like curling up in front of ducks!
Despite being attacked by earwigs by nights and thunder fly's by day, it was the perfect place to write. The log cabin has a large veranda with big comfy sofas and a little table, so it was the perfect plact to set up my mini lap top and curl up. Also my mum has a new collection of mini ducks whose house is right outside the veranda, so watching little creatures chatter to each other and take baths was quite relaxing.
I've managed to write 40 pages of a 60 page script I am writing and multiple micro fictions which need to be edited. Although it is a bit worrying that the 40 page script has reached it's finishing point so I need to have a good look over and see how I can extend it by twenty minutes.
But now I'm stuck, because I'm back in the real world and there's so many more distractions. Out there it was hot, quiet, and distractionless ( other then the little ducks of course). But here, back in the real world, back in my flat, I struggle to concentrate. I always feel like there's something else to do. Worst of all, I put pressure on myself to find a better job, to get something I really want quick before I get stuck in something I don't. I also think more about other people reading my pieces and what they think, before I've even finished a piece. Those thoughts are distracting from writing.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, writing is hard. You have to make time for it in your every day life and keep making time for it. Or it'll end up being a hobby you do when you're on holiday. I think what I need to do is have a move around of my flat and see if I can create a writing cubby, because at the moment it's nothing like curling up in front of ducks!
Friday, 2 July 2010
Artist interview: John Routledge - Images vs Words
John's main work is based in sculpture. Since graduating from Coventry University with a degree Fine Art in 2008 John has taken part in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and had many exhibitions country wide for his sculpture and photography work. His most recent exhibitions includes: 'Encounters at Wheatley' at Wheatley Manor in Oxfordshire, and 'Making of Encounters' held at the John Radcliff Hospital in Oxford.
John's ambitions as an artists are quite modestly 'to be recognised as an artist.' His aim is to get his own studio and eventually work on larger public commissions.
So, over to you John.
How would you describe your artwork?
I am particularly interested in night photography, and will walk around the streets at night taking photos. On a personal level, I enjoy the solitude, but also the contradiction of a place being designed for the use and inhabiting of so many being so empty, it also allows me to concentrate on more formal elements to my photography - contrast, composition, etc – without interference. In a way I see this as a documentation of modern life, representing the new environments we have created for ourselves.
My sculptural practice is based around light, and I see my installation work really as an extension of this practice. I not only utilise light in my work, through the use of fluorescent tubes, but I also manipulate it through the use of highly reflective surfaces and mirrors. I don’t know why but I am a bit of a moth really, I am drawn to light, and I think there is an essential beauty and purity in there some where. I’m really interested in contradictions and hypocrisy, in an abstract sort of way, and really enjoy light as an example of this: it is an absolute, it is on or it is off; there is darkness or there is light. And yet in reality, there is never true darkness, even in the depths of space there is some form of light, however weak, otherwise we wouldn’t know anything is there. Without light we wouldn’t experience the world as we do, we would not be able to see, period. We couldn’t enjoy the beauty of a sunrise, or our partners, or the multitude of other amazing things we experience via vision. In what capacity do you feel that art in general has the potential to tell a story?
I think art has great narrative potential, and one of the beauties of the freedom of modern art is that so many people are expressing so many things in such an astounding number of ways.
How does your work relate to this?
Whether we like it or not people will always try to read a story into your work, and subconsciously I think art always expresses something of the person who made it. In my sculpture and installation work I think this is ‘the story’ of what I have made, the story of me. I don’t really do this on purpose, but I think subconsciously it happens anyway.
Do you have a specific piece which has a strong story telling element?
I suppose the one I’d most like people to make a story about is ‘The Mirror Room.’ It was one of my final degree projects and was a 6ft wide, 18ft long, 7ft high space with mirrors on all 4 internal walls. I customised fluorescent fittings to create a specific atmosphere and this was enhanced by a constantly evolving sound scape composed specifically for the space by composer David Loveless. It was a very contemplative environment, but also very visually complex, as the mirrors reflected themselves into infinity. The space ended up being almost another world, and I would like to think people imagined themselves in other worlds, dimensions, places.
In your opinion, can a piece of art tell a full rounded story or is it only once words have been added that it is complete?
I think it is possible to construct one without the other, you can create imagery with words, and you can create words with images, but I think really the two are more effective when combined, rather than used in isolation.
Do you think that images can be any more manipulative then words in terms of making the viewer feels something?
I think images are the easier tool to use, as for stronger I’m not so sure. Recently I’ve attended a few literary events, including Bad Language events, which have really made me reconsider my view on this. There is a vibrancy and immediacy you experience with spoken word, that you just don't get reading a book, and I think this proves that when used properly, by a great writer, words have far more effect. But it seems to me that a far less proficient artist or photographer can achieve something similar. While qualitatively I think words have the edge, in the lazy, accelerated society we live in, pictures get the message across quicker with less effort.
Thank you John! You can view The Mirror Room video below and view more of John's sculpture work at: www.jwr-scrulpture.deviantart.com.
You can view more of John's photography work at: www.johnny-r.deviantart.com.
Thursday, 24 June 2010
Dreamscape - An artists inspiration
Following on from the idea of images VS words I've written a short piece taking inspiration from the artist Antoinette Burchill. The below is the picture I used to spark a story. I wanted to see how such an abstract piece would create a complete idea of a story. However, as the piece is so abstract I feel in return my ideas were abstract. Instead of writing a full rounded piece I have written a short micro fiction which in the end became very personal.
The day I sat down to write this piece I had just discovered that two of my cats had to be put down, both of which I've had since I was a baby. In that respect this piece lends itself to express individual experience and I'm not sure if another writer would get any where near the same story. I can name the particular parts of the image I took inspiration from, which is what lead me to the final idea:
My first thoughts on the image was that is was quite an earthy natural picture. The yellow and red reminded me of a wilted petal. This in my mind related to the earth and ground, fresh in my mind of where we had buried the cats. The way the picture moves from a dusty dark in the top left corner to a softer white in the bottom right brought ideas to mind above recycling and the idea of the continuous pattern of life and death. Again it was probally my own situation that took these conclusions from the colours, but it would be interesting to see if someone else took the same notion of an idea from the image?
You sit like gobstoppers, shrinking; disintergrating; switching from the colour of skin, to organs, to bones. Until the two of you are rotten, and become one.
I site above you, feet pressed to the grass, and imagine your breath is the wind.
The day I sat down to write this piece I had just discovered that two of my cats had to be put down, both of which I've had since I was a baby. In that respect this piece lends itself to express individual experience and I'm not sure if another writer would get any where near the same story. I can name the particular parts of the image I took inspiration from, which is what lead me to the final idea:
My first thoughts on the image was that is was quite an earthy natural picture. The yellow and red reminded me of a wilted petal. This in my mind related to the earth and ground, fresh in my mind of where we had buried the cats. The way the picture moves from a dusty dark in the top left corner to a softer white in the bottom right brought ideas to mind above recycling and the idea of the continuous pattern of life and death. Again it was probally my own situation that took these conclusions from the colours, but it would be interesting to see if someone else took the same notion of an idea from the image?
Untitled
We burried you together, by the oak tree. The tree was strong enought to hold a chair, a swing chair, and we buried you below where we could brush our toes against your memories. I think of your stillness, deep below the skin of the earth.
Swallowed whole.
You sit like gobstoppers, shrinking; disintergrating; switching from the colour of skin, to organs, to bones. Until the two of you are rotten, and become one.
I site above you, feet pressed to the grass, and imagine your breath is the wind.
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Ten Rules for Writing
As stolen/inspired from Daniel Carpenter's debut blog post ( thank you Dan!).... it got me thinking about my own personal rules that I write to. I'm not saying that this is the way everyone should write, it's just a few thoughts about how I go about writing.
In no specific order:
1. Write. And if you can't write, think about writing. And if you can't think about writing, read, read, read, read, read until even the act of making a cup of tea feels like a story.
2. Go out. See other writers, poets, performance artists. I take most of my inspiration from listening to and reading other writers work, so go out to your local events and pay attention to what is happening around you.
3. Listen. I've heard some of the most interesting, heartbreaking, funny and unbelievable stories from talking to colleagues or overhearing conversations. I once heard a drunk man on the tram telling his nephew how to survive in prison.
4. Experiment. I recently picked up a horror novel for the first time since I was fifteen and ended up writing my first horror short story. It has now become one of my favourite pieces. Don't be afraid to experiment with genre.
5. Relax. Stress is one of the biggest killers of creative inspiration. When I'm stressed I get a black block at the front of my head that stops ideas getting through. Go to the gym, take a walk, have sex, water some plants, do something active that will de-stress you but keep your mind active.
6. Ask for criticism. One of the best ways to improve is to pass your work to an honest critic who feels your work isn't at its strongest, and the test out their methods and ideas of how to improve. It may not work but it will get you reflecting on what other readers like to read.
7. Talk. Talk about films, stories, novels, articles, documentaries... Constantly be analysing and looking at storytelling tools. Me and my partner are always pulling apart a film we've just watched reflecting on what worked and why or what partronised us or what bored us. This makes me reflect on the same mistakes I make in my writing and why they don't work.
8. Submit. Apply to competitions, magazines, websites, zines. It will help you to build a portfolio of work but regularly writing to spec and the knock backs will help you improve.
9. Enjoy. Enjoy writing or what's the point?
10. Support. Your peers are not your competition, they're your colleagues. Support other writers, help them succeed, celebrate their successes. We should learn from each other and be one big happy family. (sorry for the cheese)
So yeah, that's it. Just a few thoughts about my writing patterns and what helps me. I wonder how different each persons rules are? Thank you Dan for letting me steal from your blog, and goodnight :)
In no specific order:
1. Write. And if you can't write, think about writing. And if you can't think about writing, read, read, read, read, read until even the act of making a cup of tea feels like a story.
2. Go out. See other writers, poets, performance artists. I take most of my inspiration from listening to and reading other writers work, so go out to your local events and pay attention to what is happening around you.
3. Listen. I've heard some of the most interesting, heartbreaking, funny and unbelievable stories from talking to colleagues or overhearing conversations. I once heard a drunk man on the tram telling his nephew how to survive in prison.
4. Experiment. I recently picked up a horror novel for the first time since I was fifteen and ended up writing my first horror short story. It has now become one of my favourite pieces. Don't be afraid to experiment with genre.
5. Relax. Stress is one of the biggest killers of creative inspiration. When I'm stressed I get a black block at the front of my head that stops ideas getting through. Go to the gym, take a walk, have sex, water some plants, do something active that will de-stress you but keep your mind active.
6. Ask for criticism. One of the best ways to improve is to pass your work to an honest critic who feels your work isn't at its strongest, and the test out their methods and ideas of how to improve. It may not work but it will get you reflecting on what other readers like to read.
7. Talk. Talk about films, stories, novels, articles, documentaries... Constantly be analysing and looking at storytelling tools. Me and my partner are always pulling apart a film we've just watched reflecting on what worked and why or what partronised us or what bored us. This makes me reflect on the same mistakes I make in my writing and why they don't work.
8. Submit. Apply to competitions, magazines, websites, zines. It will help you to build a portfolio of work but regularly writing to spec and the knock backs will help you improve.
9. Enjoy. Enjoy writing or what's the point?
10. Support. Your peers are not your competition, they're your colleagues. Support other writers, help them succeed, celebrate their successes. We should learn from each other and be one big happy family. (sorry for the cheese)
So yeah, that's it. Just a few thoughts about my writing patterns and what helps me. I wonder how different each persons rules are? Thank you Dan for letting me steal from your blog, and goodnight :)
Saturday, 22 May 2010
Long time no see
Hi! I've been so caught up in work that I've had absolutley no time to think of writing, or even having creative thoughts at all. Spending all day sinking under a pile of paperwork and listening to grumpy managers and engineers who want your response 'right now!' is not what I call creative inspiration. On the other hand I am desperately trying to change the situation and have new projects to focus on.
First thing is the Bad Language book launch which is now happening on Wednesday 2nd June at The Bay Horse in the Northen Quater. Finally! We had a few issues with dates and venues but have finally settled on a date and I refuse to move it any more, even if the Queen came to beg me to move it. Not that she would. Bad Language are also working on their next event which will be a literature quiz night filled with many surprises!
Also, next week, on the day after my birthday, is the exciting Unsung Festival which I have been looking forward to for a long time! A whole day of cider, music, literature and art, at least I hope there's cider. I'm going to treat it as my real birthday seeing as I have to work all day on my actual birthday. Work is even less fun at the moment as I'm covering someone who usualy has so much work to do of their own that they do 30 hours over a month on adverage. I have to pick that up and maintain my own workload! Anyway, enough of work rants. More fun planned...
The next project is the World Cup Special with Bad Language. We're looking for short pieces of fiction or poetry centered around the World Cup, which I have to admit is quite hard when you're not into football. But then again, it was Joe's idea, who is a football enthusiast. The first piece has already been posted to the Bad Language blog, which gives you a taste of how you can write about football when you're not that enthusiatic about it.
The next personal piece I'm working on is the inspiration from Russell Morgan's picture, as mentioned in the last blog. I've been throwing ideas around for a while but have been waiting until my words have stopped drying up from work. I'm working on a very short micro fiction, or extract, about a dead girl who is stuck in a man's mind due to his memories. She cannot move on until the man stops thinking of her so much, and also faces much frustration as he changes and manipulates both their memories into something that isn't truth. This may prove to be quite a complex idea to fit into a short piece, which is why I say extract.
I've started reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers, which makes my skin tingle. It follows the story of a mute man and his relationships with the people around him. I am up to the moment when he allows a lonely, lost, drunk man to move into his home and share his life. I find the ideas about how satifying the protagonist finds the relationships in his life romatic; the rhythms and patterns in McCullers language is like reading a song.
I'm also reading Watchmen, old skool I know, but I have been reading it on and off since the big craze about it started. I'm not really into superhero comics but I enjoy the relationship side and the idea of how focusing on the negative side of society can make you corrupt. It's quite a fun novel but I also enjoy how it's influenced by real life events and the philosophical ideas behind the plot.
That's all I've got to say for now. The short piece about Russel Morgan's art will follow shortly, and I am also writing interview questions for my first two artist interviews. I hope to see people at the official book launch where you'll hear readings from the performance poets/writers featured in the new book, visual/audio literature, art work and possibly live music. Also, if you're in Manchester next weekend please make it along to Unsung, that looks to be set to tickle your artists taste buds. Farewell for now!
First thing is the Bad Language book launch which is now happening on Wednesday 2nd June at The Bay Horse in the Northen Quater. Finally! We had a few issues with dates and venues but have finally settled on a date and I refuse to move it any more, even if the Queen came to beg me to move it. Not that she would. Bad Language are also working on their next event which will be a literature quiz night filled with many surprises!
Also, next week, on the day after my birthday, is the exciting Unsung Festival which I have been looking forward to for a long time! A whole day of cider, music, literature and art, at least I hope there's cider. I'm going to treat it as my real birthday seeing as I have to work all day on my actual birthday. Work is even less fun at the moment as I'm covering someone who usualy has so much work to do of their own that they do 30 hours over a month on adverage. I have to pick that up and maintain my own workload! Anyway, enough of work rants. More fun planned...
The next project is the World Cup Special with Bad Language. We're looking for short pieces of fiction or poetry centered around the World Cup, which I have to admit is quite hard when you're not into football. But then again, it was Joe's idea, who is a football enthusiast. The first piece has already been posted to the Bad Language blog, which gives you a taste of how you can write about football when you're not that enthusiatic about it.
The next personal piece I'm working on is the inspiration from Russell Morgan's picture, as mentioned in the last blog. I've been throwing ideas around for a while but have been waiting until my words have stopped drying up from work. I'm working on a very short micro fiction, or extract, about a dead girl who is stuck in a man's mind due to his memories. She cannot move on until the man stops thinking of her so much, and also faces much frustration as he changes and manipulates both their memories into something that isn't truth. This may prove to be quite a complex idea to fit into a short piece, which is why I say extract.
I've started reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers, which makes my skin tingle. It follows the story of a mute man and his relationships with the people around him. I am up to the moment when he allows a lonely, lost, drunk man to move into his home and share his life. I find the ideas about how satifying the protagonist finds the relationships in his life romatic; the rhythms and patterns in McCullers language is like reading a song.
I'm also reading Watchmen, old skool I know, but I have been reading it on and off since the big craze about it started. I'm not really into superhero comics but I enjoy the relationship side and the idea of how focusing on the negative side of society can make you corrupt. It's quite a fun novel but I also enjoy how it's influenced by real life events and the philosophical ideas behind the plot.
That's all I've got to say for now. The short piece about Russel Morgan's art will follow shortly, and I am also writing interview questions for my first two artist interviews. I hope to see people at the official book launch where you'll hear readings from the performance poets/writers featured in the new book, visual/audio literature, art work and possibly live music. Also, if you're in Manchester next weekend please make it along to Unsung, that looks to be set to tickle your artists taste buds. Farewell for now!
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Images vs Words - Artists vs Writers
As part of an individual project I will be interviewing artists on my blog about whether they feel their art work is telling a story or whether the story is only built once an image is related to words: whether this be through thought, vocal or written language. My plan is to discover what a more powerful storytelling tool is: images or words.
I will also be looking at various pieces of art and writing a creative response in the form of poetry or micro fictions. This is to asses the storytelling aspect of the picture and how the image itself represents a story. I want to discover whether the organicness of the image is telling a story or whether it is the writer who adapts it to a story.
My first artist example is Russell Morgan, an illustrator based in Kettering. I met Russell at the World Horror Convention 2010 in Brighton earlier this year and was particularly taken by his work. I like how thousands of tiny tiny dots scrunched together can create an image. I think Russell's work has a particularly strong storytelling element to it: his pieces seem to feature a character and always portray a strong emotion. For example the picture below: Suppressed Memory, builds a series of stories in my mind.
I will post my response to this seperately.
My project will take the form of interview's with artists, posted here, and my personal creative response to images through fiction writing which, I will share an example of here. The first interview will be with John Routeledge: a photographer and sculpture based down is Essex! Watch this space!
Monday, 5 April 2010
Writing from Home
Following an interview with Bad Language about how writers are affected by their environments it got me thinking about my own writing identity and what has effected this. Or indeed, what it is?
Although others felt that their home had a relation or presence in their writing, I'm sad to say I don't think mine does, at all. I think one thing that was so disappointing for me growing up was that there wasn't any inspiration about the place I grew up. Not even out of hatred, I didn't even passionately dislike the place, I was just bored. One of the things that drew me to Manchester in the first place was the fact that it seemed to have an identity; I've never been part of somewhere that has a collective identity.
To me, Essex is flacid; it's got no collective identity or atmosphere, people leave Essex to find the activity. Something that is so refreshing as a writer is that Manchester is full of activity; built on atmosphere. Perhaps it is the conflict element? The fact that a city will always have conflict, whether it be crime, or the buzz of a collection of different people in the same place, but a city will always have conflict. I guess, in a depressing way, that is inspirational. It creates something to write about. Happier, calmer places are harder to write about because there's less of a story to be resolved.
It's interesting moving to a city how the environment has started to creep into my writing. I've tried in the past to force my hometown into my writing, unsuccessfully. I've tried writing in dialect which I have no true connection to. The story had no truth. I've tried writing about memories, places I've been. But my memories have no excitement, at least not enough to drive a piece of fiction. Is fiction lively then life? I guess in my case it is. So it's a change to move to a place where people do feel that connection to their environment and allow it to influence their writing in an organic manner.
Continuing on from the idea that I find it hard to write about a place I have a memory connected to, I find it inspiring to see a place I have no connection to. There are so many more stories in the unknown than in the known and in that I find creative freedom. In Manchester, for me, there can be anyone or anything. It's a fresh story everytime I leave the house. In that sense, perhaps I have no true writing identity. Only that of other, imagined roots.
However, it's only once you leave a place that you can see it's true identity. For me, when living there, Essex had no identity. Since leaving, I can recognise someone from Essex, through their mannerisms, speech, reservedness. I can sometimes even place which part of Essex they're from. I find now, from a distance, I can start to define and find my identity in my roots and how that has affected me. Standing in the middle, it's impossible to see.
Which leaves me with the question: As I writer, can I ever take on another idenity in a new place? If I now start to write stories about Manchester and organicially grow to have a Manchester writers voice, will that make me a Manchester writer? Or will I always be an Essex writer? Perhaps, despite the fact that I can't see it, others will think that my writing carries an essence of Essex. Perhaps, it is impossible for writer's to move away from their root identity.
Obviously this debate doesn't only apply to rural vs city but it's a simpler definition of how an environment can effect your writing. My environment affects my writing on a subconsious level, until I've stepped away from that place and can start to reminisce. There is more creative freedom in the unknown or past known, than the now. Is that depressing?
As writers, is it impossible to write in the present?
Although others felt that their home had a relation or presence in their writing, I'm sad to say I don't think mine does, at all. I think one thing that was so disappointing for me growing up was that there wasn't any inspiration about the place I grew up. Not even out of hatred, I didn't even passionately dislike the place, I was just bored. One of the things that drew me to Manchester in the first place was the fact that it seemed to have an identity; I've never been part of somewhere that has a collective identity.
To me, Essex is flacid; it's got no collective identity or atmosphere, people leave Essex to find the activity. Something that is so refreshing as a writer is that Manchester is full of activity; built on atmosphere. Perhaps it is the conflict element? The fact that a city will always have conflict, whether it be crime, or the buzz of a collection of different people in the same place, but a city will always have conflict. I guess, in a depressing way, that is inspirational. It creates something to write about. Happier, calmer places are harder to write about because there's less of a story to be resolved.
It's interesting moving to a city how the environment has started to creep into my writing. I've tried in the past to force my hometown into my writing, unsuccessfully. I've tried writing in dialect which I have no true connection to. The story had no truth. I've tried writing about memories, places I've been. But my memories have no excitement, at least not enough to drive a piece of fiction. Is fiction lively then life? I guess in my case it is. So it's a change to move to a place where people do feel that connection to their environment and allow it to influence their writing in an organic manner.
Continuing on from the idea that I find it hard to write about a place I have a memory connected to, I find it inspiring to see a place I have no connection to. There are so many more stories in the unknown than in the known and in that I find creative freedom. In Manchester, for me, there can be anyone or anything. It's a fresh story everytime I leave the house. In that sense, perhaps I have no true writing identity. Only that of other, imagined roots.
However, it's only once you leave a place that you can see it's true identity. For me, when living there, Essex had no identity. Since leaving, I can recognise someone from Essex, through their mannerisms, speech, reservedness. I can sometimes even place which part of Essex they're from. I find now, from a distance, I can start to define and find my identity in my roots and how that has affected me. Standing in the middle, it's impossible to see.
Which leaves me with the question: As I writer, can I ever take on another idenity in a new place? If I now start to write stories about Manchester and organicially grow to have a Manchester writers voice, will that make me a Manchester writer? Or will I always be an Essex writer? Perhaps, despite the fact that I can't see it, others will think that my writing carries an essence of Essex. Perhaps, it is impossible for writer's to move away from their root identity.
Obviously this debate doesn't only apply to rural vs city but it's a simpler definition of how an environment can effect your writing. My environment affects my writing on a subconsious level, until I've stepped away from that place and can start to reminisce. There is more creative freedom in the unknown or past known, than the now. Is that depressing?
As writers, is it impossible to write in the present?
Friday, 2 April 2010
World Horror Convention 2010: Brighton Shock
The world horror convention of 2010 was a manic whirl-wind of horrors; a combination of authors, fans, artists and art work and lots and lots of free tea. It was held in Brighton this year, the first time in many years since it has visited Britain and I was very excited to be a part of it.
Despite the long, long hours of work which I won't mention (8am-12pm most days!) mostly I can say that it is one of the best, biggest literature events I have been too.
We started the weekend by setting up the art show with the same people that were setting up the art show for Easter Con. With a team of less then 6 volunteers and 2 experts it took us around 9 hours to turn a cold, damp room into a magical, wonderful art gallery ready for the artists to set up their work. You can see our progression below.
First we set up the scaffolding, with no idea what we were doing!
Then we added the boards. I never want to see another cable tie!
Then we added the lights...
And then we were ready for the artists to come and fit their fantistic art work! This particular corner was for Les Edwards work!
The art room was full of such wonderful work; it was my favourite place to be over the weekend.
Although it did turn your head a bit funny after a while considering most of the work was based on horror! Artists I spent my time drooling over instead of watching the door included: Les Edwards, Ben Baldwin, Jim Burns, Vincent Chong and many many more.
A particular favourite of mine which, yes, I did end up buying (don't blame me, blame the subliminal message the artist left in the painting) is as below:
By Russell Morgan - Appropriately titled Suppressed Memory:
My favourite part of the weekend was that there were no ego's. Despite there being people such as Neil Gaiman, James Herbert, Kelley Armstrong or Les Edwards about everyone mingled with everyone, there was no divide which was lovely. In fact nearly every writer/artists/book seller etc which we helped over the weekend made the effort to come up to us at the end and say thank you. Even if I was a little star struck shaking hands with Les Edwards! He does, afterall, created hand painted pictures which sell for thousands! My skabby hands are not worthy!
Here's a few clips of things I didn't get to see but some lucky people with my camera did:
James Herbert getting ready to be interviewed:
Neil Gaiman interviewing James Herbert:
The huge crowd at the mass signing. I only managed to get this photo because I stood on the stage, although my bad photography skills show me up again as I didn't manage to get any of the writers in the photo! I can assure you they are behind the crowd, cowaring behind their tables with a pen!
I loved the convention with all it's: hard work, pier parties, free drinks, free books, writers, artists, fans, beautiful hotel rooms, rain, writers crawling to the bar, lifting, carrying, building, taking down, buying, browsing, pointing, fish and chips and most importantly, people!
I wish I could say I'd love to do the next one. However, it's in Texas.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Ian McEwan at the Royal Northern College of Music
The whole team of Bad Language went on a visit to the Royal Northern College of Music yesterday to see the lovely Ian McEwan reading from his new book Solar.
I have to admit I've never read an Ian McEwan book before but I was curious to see him speak and now I am burning to read his new book. He opened by stating that this novel was a character piece; he had a strong desire to create a piece that only revealed the characters past in the last 100 pages. He said that he found it interesting to explain a characters past after we have got to know the character and his actions.
An interesting discussion that came up was how important it is for a writer to be accurate with details? I believe that Ian McEwan spent 5 years researching the topic of his new novel; Climate Change. Despite this he claimed that he is still expecting complaints from readers of supposed inaccuracies. He used an example of one of his past novels where he placed a character in a car and described the action of them changing gears. From this minor detail he got a letter of complaint stating that his details we're inaccurate and the chosen car would not change gears in this way. He always raised the question: How easy is it for writers to point to facts in novels? Is it indeed risky business.
Despite this Ian McEwan stated that he loves writers who give the taste, feel and look of details. Perphaps this is what has lead to his need to get details correct and spent a long time researching the topic of a novel.
How powerful is poetry? This is a provocative question that a member of the audience and I was curious to know his answer, although I doubt that the answer to this question can ever be given a definitive answer. Ian McEwan doubted that poetry ould make anything happen on a national level, or change an issue such as climate change. But he did seem to point towards poetry having the power to change an individual, not a nation.
Ian McEwan is quite a witty man. Here is a few sound bites from him following his reading:
'If it ended too quickly it's because you're reading too fast.'
' The novel would be dead if women gave up reading.'
'With first person writing you have to do a strange rhetorical trick; it doesn't let you off the hook with writing well.'
If that still hasn't made you feel like reading his books, here's a few words that his audience related to his writing; sinister, 'blokey', sparse and carefully chosen. I wonder what words he would use to describe he own writing?
I have to admit I've never read an Ian McEwan book before but I was curious to see him speak and now I am burning to read his new book. He opened by stating that this novel was a character piece; he had a strong desire to create a piece that only revealed the characters past in the last 100 pages. He said that he found it interesting to explain a characters past after we have got to know the character and his actions.
An interesting discussion that came up was how important it is for a writer to be accurate with details? I believe that Ian McEwan spent 5 years researching the topic of his new novel; Climate Change. Despite this he claimed that he is still expecting complaints from readers of supposed inaccuracies. He used an example of one of his past novels where he placed a character in a car and described the action of them changing gears. From this minor detail he got a letter of complaint stating that his details we're inaccurate and the chosen car would not change gears in this way. He always raised the question: How easy is it for writers to point to facts in novels? Is it indeed risky business.
Despite this Ian McEwan stated that he loves writers who give the taste, feel and look of details. Perphaps this is what has lead to his need to get details correct and spent a long time researching the topic of a novel.
How powerful is poetry? This is a provocative question that a member of the audience and I was curious to know his answer, although I doubt that the answer to this question can ever be given a definitive answer. Ian McEwan doubted that poetry ould make anything happen on a national level, or change an issue such as climate change. But he did seem to point towards poetry having the power to change an individual, not a nation.
Ian McEwan is quite a witty man. Here is a few sound bites from him following his reading:
'If it ended too quickly it's because you're reading too fast.'
' The novel would be dead if women gave up reading.'
'With first person writing you have to do a strange rhetorical trick; it doesn't let you off the hook with writing well.'
If that still hasn't made you feel like reading his books, here's a few words that his audience related to his writing; sinister, 'blokey', sparse and carefully chosen. I wonder what words he would use to describe he own writing?
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
A delayed response to the Writing Industries Conference.
This is my very delayed response to the Writing Industries Conference which took place on Saturday the 6th March in Loughborough.
The day opened with a key note speech by the wonderful Graham Joyce who gave an honest discussion on the end of the print age. Although the future of the print age seems dark, Graham Joyce argued that the future of writers, however, will prosper. Provided that writers can become adaptable and learn to write in various forms. My favourite point in this key speech was the idea that society will always need stories, no matter what form they come in:)
I had two favourite panels of the day. The first was the 'Community Journalism, Blogging and Finding New Relationships' panel chaired by James K Walker, John Coster, Al Needham and Susi O'Neil. The best advice I took from that panel was to do with being honest and direct when blogging - the audience need to know what to expect from your blog and who is speaking. As expected though it was hard to define how running a blog can assist a writer financially although there was a concensus that it definitely helped in building an audience.
My second favourite panel was the 'How does public funding support the development of writers' chaired by Henderson Mullin, Jonathon Davidson, Farhana Shaikh and Kate Wilkinson (standing in for Steve Dearden). The concensus was that writers can't expect funding for their writing only; they need other skills which will advtantage the public in some way as well as themselves. The most interesting idea I took from this panel was that funding bodies do not only have to be literature intended companies; places like the NHS/Walking companies, organisations outside the box can be a possibility if you can explore how literature relates to the companies aims.
Writers need to treat themselves as businesses and find new ways to reach new audiences; whether that be through building an on-line presence, taking part in community projects or finding ways to relate their work to the public. At the end of the print age writing is losing its solitariness; writers will need to have more of a public presence. It's no longer onyl about sitting at home and writing, writers need a face as well.
If the Writing Industries Conference is to run next year I would like to see more opportunities to network and discuss individuals work; perhaps a reading lunch where writers can have an open mic to read their work. I would also like to see more indepth panels that explore already tried and tested ways to build an audience for a writer. There was a lot of general advice and it would be good to see more specific advice aimed at writers who are already networking have a presence in the community and how to push this further. Perhaps this is the hardest thing to define as it is not straight forward.
I would love to see more events such as The Writing Industries Conference around the country to bring writers and literature development activists together. I'm looking forward to the next one:)
The day opened with a key note speech by the wonderful Graham Joyce who gave an honest discussion on the end of the print age. Although the future of the print age seems dark, Graham Joyce argued that the future of writers, however, will prosper. Provided that writers can become adaptable and learn to write in various forms. My favourite point in this key speech was the idea that society will always need stories, no matter what form they come in:)
I had two favourite panels of the day. The first was the 'Community Journalism, Blogging and Finding New Relationships' panel chaired by James K Walker, John Coster, Al Needham and Susi O'Neil. The best advice I took from that panel was to do with being honest and direct when blogging - the audience need to know what to expect from your blog and who is speaking. As expected though it was hard to define how running a blog can assist a writer financially although there was a concensus that it definitely helped in building an audience.
My second favourite panel was the 'How does public funding support the development of writers' chaired by Henderson Mullin, Jonathon Davidson, Farhana Shaikh and Kate Wilkinson (standing in for Steve Dearden). The concensus was that writers can't expect funding for their writing only; they need other skills which will advtantage the public in some way as well as themselves. The most interesting idea I took from this panel was that funding bodies do not only have to be literature intended companies; places like the NHS/Walking companies, organisations outside the box can be a possibility if you can explore how literature relates to the companies aims.
Writers need to treat themselves as businesses and find new ways to reach new audiences; whether that be through building an on-line presence, taking part in community projects or finding ways to relate their work to the public. At the end of the print age writing is losing its solitariness; writers will need to have more of a public presence. It's no longer onyl about sitting at home and writing, writers need a face as well.
If the Writing Industries Conference is to run next year I would like to see more opportunities to network and discuss individuals work; perhaps a reading lunch where writers can have an open mic to read their work. I would also like to see more indepth panels that explore already tried and tested ways to build an audience for a writer. There was a lot of general advice and it would be good to see more specific advice aimed at writers who are already networking have a presence in the community and how to push this further. Perhaps this is the hardest thing to define as it is not straight forward.
I would love to see more events such as The Writing Industries Conference around the country to bring writers and literature development activists together. I'm looking forward to the next one:)
Sunday, 14 February 2010
Peppermint tea and pretty paper
I am happy to announce that the next Bad Language event will take place on Tuesday the 16th of February in the usual venue of Nexus Art Cafe in Manchester City Centre. This week we will be holding a workshop on non-linear fiction to complement our new collection of hand made chap books which will soon be created (although it is only Joe's story which will be non-linear but we thought it an appropraite topic).
I've spent this fine, cold Sunday looking for pretty paper and trying to find practical ways to make my own chap book; called Peppermint Tea. The piece is a short story based on a soldier who is tired of walking and spends the duration of the fiction trying not to think. The one thing that haunts him is the fact that he cannot remember his deceased mother's face, although he can vividly remember the smell of the peppermint tea he used to begrudgingly make her in the morning, even though it made him gag.
To complement the title I wanted the front cover of the A5 chap book to present a pop out teacup holding a real bag of peppermint tea. I spent hours in Paperchase this morning with my partner and fellow Bad Language-er harrasing all the pretty paper to see what would make a good front cover, tea cup template and inner page. I want the inside front and back page to be a layer of quaint pretty paper to match the teacup on the front cover. I found a delicate white tissue paper made with holes in it that could represent the snow which is falling throughout the story. However, I'm still considering this idea as the paper was £4.50 per sheet and would make each chap book quite expensive to make.
After arguing with my partner for half an hour over who had the neatest hand writing, we concluded that the title should not be hand written nor printed on as the card is proving too thick to make it through my elderly printer! We concluded that the front cover shall present only the tea cup, holding a tea bag and the title name shall be printed on small pieces of card which will be attached to the end of the teabag like a draw string. Although this will be quite fiddly I hope it will look good and save money on ink and extra materials. I also want to hand stitch the whole book together, although I may change my mind on this after the first attempt depending on how many pricked fingers I can take!
We've decided to make around 15 copies of each of our chapbooks; mine, Dan's and Joe's. We also have big ideas of publishing a forth chapbook full of submissions from our Bad Language writers group, but that depends how many submissions we get.
Anyway, it's been a frustrating and exciting afternoon making a trial chap book and I look forward to making the REAL copies with REAL paper! Hehe! Now to work on the workshop for Tuesday, if anyone fancies coming along:)
www.badlanguagemcr.co.uk
I've spent this fine, cold Sunday looking for pretty paper and trying to find practical ways to make my own chap book; called Peppermint Tea. The piece is a short story based on a soldier who is tired of walking and spends the duration of the fiction trying not to think. The one thing that haunts him is the fact that he cannot remember his deceased mother's face, although he can vividly remember the smell of the peppermint tea he used to begrudgingly make her in the morning, even though it made him gag.
To complement the title I wanted the front cover of the A5 chap book to present a pop out teacup holding a real bag of peppermint tea. I spent hours in Paperchase this morning with my partner and fellow Bad Language-er harrasing all the pretty paper to see what would make a good front cover, tea cup template and inner page. I want the inside front and back page to be a layer of quaint pretty paper to match the teacup on the front cover. I found a delicate white tissue paper made with holes in it that could represent the snow which is falling throughout the story. However, I'm still considering this idea as the paper was £4.50 per sheet and would make each chap book quite expensive to make.
After arguing with my partner for half an hour over who had the neatest hand writing, we concluded that the title should not be hand written nor printed on as the card is proving too thick to make it through my elderly printer! We concluded that the front cover shall present only the tea cup, holding a tea bag and the title name shall be printed on small pieces of card which will be attached to the end of the teabag like a draw string. Although this will be quite fiddly I hope it will look good and save money on ink and extra materials. I also want to hand stitch the whole book together, although I may change my mind on this after the first attempt depending on how many pricked fingers I can take!
We've decided to make around 15 copies of each of our chapbooks; mine, Dan's and Joe's. We also have big ideas of publishing a forth chapbook full of submissions from our Bad Language writers group, but that depends how many submissions we get.
Anyway, it's been a frustrating and exciting afternoon making a trial chap book and I look forward to making the REAL copies with REAL paper! Hehe! Now to work on the workshop for Tuesday, if anyone fancies coming along:)
www.badlanguagemcr.co.uk
Monday, 8 February 2010
Book Review - The Wind Up Bird Chronicle
The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami has been part of my life for a while now; I've spent months savouring every moment in the hope that the story will last longer if you read slower.
The story at the heart of The Wind Up Bird is a simple one; a man who loses his wife and will do anything to get her back.A classic tale of love. The novel is spun into a series of intertwining stories set off by one seemingly meaningless event; the disappearance of a cat. My favourite thing about this book is the fact that it is enriched with stories within stories within stories.
A downfall of the book is a 2-D character called May based on a 14 year old girl who's dropped out of school. Although I believed in the character's persona at first, the novel never seemed to break through the '14 year old girl profile' and develop into a deeper person. This is emphasised later in the novel when May continues to write letters to the lead character, revealing pivotol information; which is withdrawn at the end when you realise the letters were never read.
The Wind Up Bird is full of Murakami's usual queer reasoning; where he never answers a question but always find a resolution; which is a quality in Murakami which you either love or hate. I enjoyed the journey of query after query after query until the final two chapters, when I feel Murakami uncharacteristically tried to find a satisfying resolution. It's not the resolutions that I disapproved of but the characters' actions which seemed against their personality in the final moments.
I have enjoyed having this book as being a part of my life and as a result will always sleep with a baseball bat beside my bed from now on....
The story at the heart of The Wind Up Bird is a simple one; a man who loses his wife and will do anything to get her back.A classic tale of love. The novel is spun into a series of intertwining stories set off by one seemingly meaningless event; the disappearance of a cat. My favourite thing about this book is the fact that it is enriched with stories within stories within stories.
A downfall of the book is a 2-D character called May based on a 14 year old girl who's dropped out of school. Although I believed in the character's persona at first, the novel never seemed to break through the '14 year old girl profile' and develop into a deeper person. This is emphasised later in the novel when May continues to write letters to the lead character, revealing pivotol information; which is withdrawn at the end when you realise the letters were never read.
The Wind Up Bird is full of Murakami's usual queer reasoning; where he never answers a question but always find a resolution; which is a quality in Murakami which you either love or hate. I enjoyed the journey of query after query after query until the final two chapters, when I feel Murakami uncharacteristically tried to find a satisfying resolution. It's not the resolutions that I disapproved of but the characters' actions which seemed against their personality in the final moments.
I have enjoyed having this book as being a part of my life and as a result will always sleep with a baseball bat beside my bed from now on....
Friday, 22 January 2010
Coffee is an unwelcome distraction...
...when you're trying to write. This week has been my first experience of writing full time and I think I may have developed a coffee addiction. I inherited a nice new cafetiere from the landlord which I'm sure by the end of this year will be the death of me.
In between brewing coffee, drinking coffee, reheating coffee and pouring more coffee, I have been trying to structure a nice shiny submission for the free agency one-to-one for the Writing Industries Conference: http://writingindustries.com/1-2-1-guidelines/. To submit you need the first three chapters of a novel, a synopsis and a letter explaining your achievements and future goals as a writer. I'm sure my printer is feeling the end of the week blues as I decided the best way to edit my novel would be to print it off and scribble obscene and belittleing notes to myself. What I'm finding hardest is to define my achievements and my future aims. I know where I'm pointing for but I want to be realistic about where my arrow will land. Doesn't it sound corny to say to 'I want to be published'. Isn't that what everyone wants?
Anyway, I guess at the end of this week it's made me realise that I could write full time; in the sense of having the motivation, getting the work done (between coffee) and not driving myself crazy with my own company. But how does one going about achieving this goal between paying the rent? Despite the rest of the world being under water (I've developed an ear infection :( ) I have been for a few job interviews this week and have managed to find some disillusioned employer that wants me to start Monday. Which is great. But what about my writing?! Being a dedicated, serious writer along a full time job is so tiring! Of course I'm not complaining, that's what it's all about isn't it - having the drive to keep going when others would give up? But at what point does writing stop being a second hobby and start being a realistic goal? At what point do you find the balance to stop worrying about the rent and give yourself the time and space to write. Isn't that what it's all about too? Isn't that what we're all missing? Time and Space. To do the things we always really wanted to do, but never got round to.
On a more important note, I've decided from my watery brain, to stop drinking coffee for a week, before I lose any more sleep!
In between brewing coffee, drinking coffee, reheating coffee and pouring more coffee, I have been trying to structure a nice shiny submission for the free agency one-to-one for the Writing Industries Conference: http://writingindustries.com/1-2-1-guidelines/. To submit you need the first three chapters of a novel, a synopsis and a letter explaining your achievements and future goals as a writer. I'm sure my printer is feeling the end of the week blues as I decided the best way to edit my novel would be to print it off and scribble obscene and belittleing notes to myself. What I'm finding hardest is to define my achievements and my future aims. I know where I'm pointing for but I want to be realistic about where my arrow will land. Doesn't it sound corny to say to 'I want to be published'. Isn't that what everyone wants?
Anyway, I guess at the end of this week it's made me realise that I could write full time; in the sense of having the motivation, getting the work done (between coffee) and not driving myself crazy with my own company. But how does one going about achieving this goal between paying the rent? Despite the rest of the world being under water (I've developed an ear infection :( ) I have been for a few job interviews this week and have managed to find some disillusioned employer that wants me to start Monday. Which is great. But what about my writing?! Being a dedicated, serious writer along a full time job is so tiring! Of course I'm not complaining, that's what it's all about isn't it - having the drive to keep going when others would give up? But at what point does writing stop being a second hobby and start being a realistic goal? At what point do you find the balance to stop worrying about the rent and give yourself the time and space to write. Isn't that what it's all about too? Isn't that what we're all missing? Time and Space. To do the things we always really wanted to do, but never got round to.
On a more important note, I've decided from my watery brain, to stop drinking coffee for a week, before I lose any more sleep!
Monday, 18 January 2010
How to get lost in the city
I spent an hour walking around the city this morning, after attending an appointment, trying to remember which direct I lived in! At what point does a home become your home? I have signed up to everything I need now; doctors, dentist, library, registered myself to live here, bills, everything you need to declare that you now, officially, live in this place. But how long does it take until the place becomes part of you?
Due to losing my job on Friday, which I guess is a blessing in disguise because it was the most mind-numbingly boring job (also I was covering a woman who was sick which means she is better, which I guess is something) I have been spending the morning job hunting. It is my first time alone in the new flat and despite it being city centre, it is SO SILENT! Except, of course, for the monotonous hum of the fan which I am told has to be on constantly. One thing that I can't help but think is; Where have all the creative jobs gone?! It makes sense for there to be a decline in creative jobs due to the recession, creative arts is always the first thing to go as it is deemed as less important as say, academic jobs, but where does that leave creatives? Either I apply for a underchallenging office job where I am forced to have the following daily routine repeating itself in my mind; staple, print, staple, print, staple, photo copy, photo copy, staple, scan, print, print in colour, scan; and if you're lucky you get to re-arrange a filing system and have a whole cabinet as 'your responsibility' (and yes I am talking from experience), or you figure out a way to work for yourself. I assume there are other options out there but right down they aren't making themselves prominent to me. One other option, of course, would be to study, but in a climate where higher education is now so accesible and is often little about the academic gain and more about the journey of going, where will that get me? I already have a degree which is proving less of an asset then I thought it would be; where could furhter education take me from here?
In a climate where funding for creative jobs is being restricted more and more, where does that leave creatives?
Due to losing my job on Friday, which I guess is a blessing in disguise because it was the most mind-numbingly boring job (also I was covering a woman who was sick which means she is better, which I guess is something) I have been spending the morning job hunting. It is my first time alone in the new flat and despite it being city centre, it is SO SILENT! Except, of course, for the monotonous hum of the fan which I am told has to be on constantly. One thing that I can't help but think is; Where have all the creative jobs gone?! It makes sense for there to be a decline in creative jobs due to the recession, creative arts is always the first thing to go as it is deemed as less important as say, academic jobs, but where does that leave creatives? Either I apply for a underchallenging office job where I am forced to have the following daily routine repeating itself in my mind; staple, print, staple, print, staple, photo copy, photo copy, staple, scan, print, print in colour, scan; and if you're lucky you get to re-arrange a filing system and have a whole cabinet as 'your responsibility' (and yes I am talking from experience), or you figure out a way to work for yourself. I assume there are other options out there but right down they aren't making themselves prominent to me. One other option, of course, would be to study, but in a climate where higher education is now so accesible and is often little about the academic gain and more about the journey of going, where will that get me? I already have a degree which is proving less of an asset then I thought it would be; where could furhter education take me from here?
In a climate where funding for creative jobs is being restricted more and more, where does that leave creatives?
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Next Bad Language Event!!
The next Bad Language event will be held at Nexus Art Cafe Manchester just opposite vinyl exhange, Tuesday 19th January! Starting from 6pm they will run a small workshop then hold a reading and feedback session.
Come along with a completed piece of work you wish to test on an audience or a work in progress and recieve feedback and an honest opinion. Alternatively just sit back and listen to other wonderful work!
If you're in Manchester I hope to see you there:)
For more information visit: http://www.badlanguagemcr.co.uk/
Come along with a completed piece of work you wish to test on an audience or a work in progress and recieve feedback and an honest opinion. Alternatively just sit back and listen to other wonderful work!
If you're in Manchester I hope to see you there:)
For more information visit: http://www.badlanguagemcr.co.uk/
Monday, 11 January 2010
A Warm Welcome to the City
The streets are full of ice!Manchester welcomes me with dragons breath and glass. My first few hesitant steps into life in Manchester and already I am excited about what's to come; readings readings readings! Will join the library tommorrow and get my nose stuck in.
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