Posted by on Sep 28, 2006 in Uncategorised | 3 Comments

I’ll tell you something surprising. Three years ago I didn’t know a single novelist – now I reckon I know about thirty. And only a couple of those are people I’ve met at readings and other events, most of them are real-life, down-to-earth, working writers, whom I’ve come into contact with at workshops or through […]

Posted by on Sep 27, 2006 in Uncategorised | No Comments

Normal service will be resumed when: I’ve written the 7,500 words of copy that a very nice client asked for on Monday and wants by Friday! I’ve got over an absolutely stinking cold that some kind soul in Kendal must have given to me (and no, I didn’t kiss anybody, so I didn’t even have […]

Posted by on Sep 26, 2006 in Uncategorised | No Comments

Kendal part 2 You remember a few days ago I was saying how performance made me so nervous that I would hardly sleep the night before? Well, this is the outcome of that nerve-wracking period. Tell Tales performed on Friday, to an audience of venue promoters, managers and live literature bookers. Quite a tough crowd […]

Posted by on Sep 25, 2006 in Uncategorised | No Comments

Lit Up (part one) This is the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, where I spent Thursday and Friday exploring issues relating to performance poetry, literature and spoken word. This showcase was devoted to promoting live literature to arts professionals and on Thursday evening I was part of a panel that explored what live literature meant to […]

Posted by on Sep 21, 2006 in Uncategorised | 2 Comments

The art of the illustrator I’ve worked with quite a few illustrators now, and always been fascinated by the process that turns my words into a picture – possibly because I’ve spent the past two years working with an artist and a large part of that time has been looking at her paintings and waiting […]

Posted by on Sep 20, 2006 in Uncategorised | One Comment

Funny – or not? Humour is a difficult thing. We’ve all sat through the cringingly embarrassing Best Man’s speech; the long, complicated joke recounted by our boss, that isn’t funny when we get to the punchline; the borderline offensive story told by our elderly uncle … ouch! And yet, humour done well is an absolute […]

Posted by on Sep 19, 2006 in Uncategorised | 5 Comments

Writing, Editing and Submitting Fiction I’ve come to some, by no means final, conclusions about why this debate stirs so much passion in me – and in some others! To me, although these three areas of the writing life require separate and separated skills, they knit together to make up a holistic practice for the […]

Posted by on Sep 18, 2006 in Uncategorised | No Comments

Season of Mists and Mellow Fruitfulness Has emerged in my garden as a sudden outbreak of Tigridia – and my new digital camera has done a pretty good job of capturing the unlikely beauty of this particular flower. Working with a camera, as a fiction writer, is an odd process. People look at you strangely […]

Posted by on Sep 15, 2006 in Uncategorised | No Comments

One for the kids …(… as long as they’re Canadian or American!) 2007 Burack Award A writing contest for full-time college students. The award is made in memory of Sylvia K. Burack, longtime editor-in-chief and publisher of The Writer, who was known for her dedication to helping writers and editors. To enter you must be […]

Posted by on Sep 14, 2006 in Uncategorised | 3 Comments

Still thinking … And fascinated and informed by people’s responses. My own instincts on this are becoming clearer and I’ll post again once I’ve thought a little longer. Thank you to all contributors for helping explore a fascinating topic Meantime I am focused on Kendal, where I shall be performing on 22 September. I’ve been […]