March 19, 2012

Fish

I was shortlisted for the Fish Short Story Prize and even though I didn’t win I’m pleased. I got down to one of the last 145 out of 1900 so that’s positive. I’m going to tidy my story out and send it off somewhere else now and try not to feel any animosity towards David Mitchel the judge. I liked Black Swan Green too much to hold a grudge anyway. Things are moving in the right direction so that’s good.

I’m trying to enter a few competitions again. I’ve entered Myslexia and I might send my short listed story off to the Nottingham Short Story Competition next and see what they make of it – after an edit or two.  

I need some more short stories though. Must do some new ones…

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March 14, 2012

Still a bit drafty

 

I’m still at the river. Still working on my draft. It now reads consecutively, but I’ve got a way to go yet. Today I’ve printed out the latest draft onto hard-copy and I’m retyping it from scratch. The idea is that I won’t keep anything that is dreadful and I’ll be able to see it with fresh eyes – (that’s the idea anyway). I’m at 60,000 words so I’m happy with that. There are a lot of tweaks to go yet, but I’m getting there. I won’t give up!

Last week I went to a literature event with Rupert Thomson and Patrick McGuinness in Manchester. It was an inspiring reading. I loved Rupert Thomson’s writing and he’s on my list now as a ‘need to read’. Afterwards I was told that nine drafts is a normal amount for a novel, so I’m happy that I’m on the right track. Each one is a step closer. Just got to keep walking.

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October 28, 2011

Draft 1

Did I tell you I finished my first draft? My head full of river sludge. Who am I? Where am I here? What’s my name again?

Well I have and I’ve gone back to the beginning to edit. The protagonist has changed slightly – just in age and personality – still the same sex though (small mercies). Some characters have been murdered with the delete button and all of them have morphed (one of them from a middle aged man into a teenage boy). At the moment I’m back at the start trying to make a coherant sounding story out of my jumbled mess of words and it’s really interesting (the process that is).

Reading back the beginning chapters now it feels like an exploration of characterisation. I’ve got a better idea of where I’m heading now so I can start to flesh it out better, but I’m reluctant to get rid of earlier scenes. I might be in danger of holding onto words that aren’t doing what they should just because they’re there. We’ll see – but then Mr. Amis said that you should just make it work  and not to give up on it – time will tell.   

What I’ve done as an exercise is write a few shorter pieces using the characters when they are younger just to see how they react and to get a better understanding of them. It’s been helpful. I think I know my protagonist pretty well now, but this week has been about how she’s viewed by the others. I’ve realised that you can’t leave anyone incomplete, because the reader can spot it a mile off… arse.

I’ve been workshopping it again too and that’s been great, especially when you’re blinded by what’s in your head and need to know what’s actually on the page. I’ve got a long way to go, but it’s going in the right direction. Who knew writing a books took so long? You have to think…and write…and then delete…and write it all again… and think….and delete……..and…….on and on…..  

In other news I’ve painted my nails black and it’s nearly Halloween.

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October 2, 2011

Common Wealth Short Story Competition

I won something! I got a highly commended in the 2011 Common Wealth Short Story Competition for my story ‘Turnip Gratin’. Click here to read it. It’s really nice to win something and even better is that they have put it onto a CD that is being sent out to radio stations. My story is being read out by Adjoa Andoh, who does a great job. It’s quite surreal hearing your words being read out by someone else. They gave me some money too, which was nice. If you click on the link then don’t laugh at the picture, it’s pretty dire.

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September 20, 2011

Ending

I have spent the week being in a bad mood and waiting for words to appear on this computer screen. The last few days I haven’t done much, perhaps you can call it ‘thinking time’. My lap top has been on my lap. There hasn’t been much typing action.

Last night something great happened - I stumbled on an ending. My protagonist went for a walk to clear her head and an ending came to mind. I have been trying to work out how to tie a few things up and now I have. It felt good. I love an organic writing epiphany. Now I just need to write it. Things are getting clearer. Maybe I’ll even start being nicer to people now…

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September 2, 2011

This is the end, beautiful friend.

I’ve done it! I’ve handed in my dissertation. Edited until I almost went blind and it’s probably still full of mistakes. I don’t care though it’s gone now which means that officially I do not have to write another word for this course ever again. Yey! It’s a good feeling. It’s also a strange feeling. I’m on my own now. My novel is a bit like a half built castle. I’ve got a lot of building to do, but the foundations are there. I just need to put in the hard work now.

The good thing about finishing the course is that I don’t have to write for anybody else apart from me now. I can just solider on with it and fix the mistakes when it’s all completed. The bad thing is that I haven’t got that support and advice anymore - well, apart from the poor unfortunate souls from my course who I force my writing on.

Last night I thought I’d celebrate by having a well deserved rest and watching the television. There was nothing on – it was rubbish. So I suppose that after a few days to get my thoughts in order I’ll be back writing again. I will be finishing this book if it kills me!

Am I allowed to be proud of myself? It’s a bit self satisfied, but I am. I think I’ve got everything I wanted to out of this year and hopefully I’m a better writer because of it. So, some of my essays could have been better, but who cares? For me it was all about self improvement and getting the confidence to finish a novel. Completing a novel doesn’t seem impossible anymore.

Every time you write you get better so that’s all I’ve got to do – keep writing. Tap tap tap – one sentence at a time. One scene at a time…. Oh yes, and I will be getting drunk to celebrate this weekend, because it would be rude not to. Wouldn’t it?

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August 10, 2011

I got those 1,2,3,4…Dissertation Blues…yeah…

I’m doing my dissertation. I’m culling characters and words…. the only problem is that now I haven’t got any words or characters left. Hmmmm.

After a break from writing I can now see some rather large errors. This would be fine if I didn’t have two weeks to fix them and it was school holiday time. I’m not one to complain though – beer will save me. Glug, glug, glug…

In other news, we don’t like looters in Manchester. Be nice. Look after each other. It takes strength to be gentle and kind. Oh dear, now I’m quoting The Smiths so I’d better go…

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July 22, 2011

Last tutorial

This week was my final workshop. I’ve come out feeling inspired and ready to get on with things.

Things have been progressing with the novel, I’ve been messing with the voice, which has been challenging. My tutor wants me to have a go at writing it from an older perspective looking back. She’s advised me to have a go at rewriting some parts from scratch if I don’t feel that they’re working properly. Apparently anything good will remain and I’ll loose anything that I don’t need. It’s something I’m going to try. I’m going to have a go at writing one of the chapters with a few different perspectives to see what difference it makes. A lot of the things I’ve written already have changed so much now that this feels like a different character from the one that I started off writing anyway.

I’ve also had a character cull. I dragged them out of their houses while they were sleeping and lined up against the wall. It was cruel, but it had to be done. The idea was to finish them off quickly and painlessly, but in the end I couldn’t do it. I turned away and told them to run for their lives. They escaped into the woods and I’m going to let them live out there until I call them back for a short story. I hope they behave themselves.  

Things feel like they’re back on track to the way that I wanted it to be. All the advice I’ve had this year has been great. I’ve realised how much adding in layers and editing is so vital in really lifting a piece and making it work. It’s going to be hard not to have that feedback from experts, but it also gives me the chance to go ahead and follow my instinct. The next plan is to be organised and make sure I get back into good writing habits. I know I’ve got a long way to go but I’m not going to let that bother me, one step at a time. 

In some ways it has been a bit of an abrupt end to the course,  but I’m ready now to get on with this novel now. I hope I don’t break my neck, but I’m going to try to fly. Pick me up if you see me mangled on the floor will you?

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June 20, 2011

The Manchester Anthology

The anthology has been launched. We have all got shiny new books and everything. It was a really nice night, listening to people read out their pieces and seeing everyone there. I want to completely change the thing that is in there now, but that’s fine. It’s all progress – if I want to edit it then that means I’m thinking the right way.

There is a nice piece about the anthology here at The Manchester Lit List. Alec did it brilliant job and all his hard work paid off. You can read all about the making of it at The Manchester Anthology. It was a good night.

Things are progressing with my novel – slowly – I’m concentrating on the voice now. It’s going to retrospective with less childlike observation… we’ll see how that goes next week. At least I think I’ve finally grasped what I’m meant to be doing – whether I’m able to do it is another matter….

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June 7, 2011

‘Write like nobody else.’

That was the advice I got last week from my mentor. I’ve got it whirring around my head now. She read through one of my paragraphs and said, ‘That’s ok, but anyone can do that. You need to write like nobody else can.’

This has made me read what I’m writing in a whole new way. You’ve got to love a challenge right?

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