Have you any idea how difficult it is to start working on your children’s book when you’ve just been reading The Kite Runner? It’s got to be at least 11 out of 10, if not harder.
Continue reading “She Is Too Fond Of Books”
Yesterday’s post has been rendered slightly redundant by the fact that the writing classes I was looking at are all full. That’s what happens when you haver… However, I’ll be more on the ball for the next round. Thanks to everyone who left me advice, you’re all stars!
In the meantime, can you access Glasgow with ease? Do you like listening to stories? Well then you should head along to The Old Hairdressers tomorrow (Thursday 13th) at 7pm to hear the recording of Outside Thoughts, a short story podcast. The very first story, Je Ne Regrette Rien, was written by me and is being performed by ‘a great young actress’ according to the people behind the project, which I’m sure you will agree is excitingly cryptic.
Unfortunately I have a prior engagement (seeing A Dream on a Midsummer’s Night as performed by the wondrous Wee Stories in Portobello) so I will have to listen online later, and of course I will stick up a link when it goes live – but if you want to soak up the ambience as it happens then you should very much do so. It’s only £2!
Find Outside Thoughts on Twitter @ShortFictionPod and on Facebook here.
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Although I’ve written stories since I was a kid, I’ve never felt the need to take a course in writing.
I studied English until second year of university, and there were elements of creative writing throughout school, but the main focus was always on work by other people.
This was never really an issue for me because I’ve always maintained that you learn by doing, so I spend a lot of my time reading, writing and then reading and writing a bit more. Then watching fifteen episodes of 30 Rock back to back with a pot of tea.
Continue reading “Should I Take A Writing Class?”
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Happy first birthday to the Rogue Verbumancer’s Pictonaut Challenge! Over this year I haven’t always posted mine by the end of the month (or at all, last month), but it ain’t midnight till the fat lady sings so WHOOMP, here it is. (NB Since knocking this out on Write or Die about an hour ago, I have read that the picture was intended to inspire something beautiful and literary. Sorry, Glempy… My bad.)
Continue reading “A Man Drinks Tea – August’s Pictonaut Challenge”
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Freelance writer and commissioning editor of Pen and Sword books Jen Newby answers a few questions about publishing, social history, and blogging.
Continue reading “Interview: Jen Newby, Commissioning Editor”
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Since posting that interview with Jane Bradley, I have mostly: started a new job on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival doing considerably longer hours than I’ve ever done before (72 last week – but I love it), written an entry for the Pictonaut challenge that I failed to actually post, neglected to write my August column for the Broughton Spurtle, failed to write any blog posts for Ten Tracks, kept a pinkie finger grip on Homespun stuff (we got a five star review from Fest magazine, woo hoo!), had a short story accepted for a podcast, and turned 27. It’s been a busy couple of weeks.
However, this post is really to tell you that the new job combined with further Homespun stuff essentially means things continue in this vein till the end of August. I had originally planned to do lots of posts about the Edinburgh International Book Festival, but I’m now unsure how much stuff I’ll actually be able to go to. However, I will do my very best to pop along when I can and those of you who follow me on Twitter will be the first to know if I actually manage it!
In the meantime, I will be posting an interview with Jen Newby (who wrote a guest post for me a few weeks back) tomorrow, and I’ll post July’s Pictonaut at the end of the week (the build up doesn’t really match the content, but nevermind). You can also read a post by me on Dorky Mum’s blog about the joys of putting together a Fringe show across a 400 mile distance, if you like.
Oh, and kindle owners – Beyond the Horizon, a book of short stories (one of which is mine) is now available electronically for the princely sum of £4.11. If you buy it, I get actual royalties – about 70p last quarter. So much for those stories about penniless authors, eh!
12 Books in 12 Months 