Playing with Words

Today, two long awaited packages arrived from Amazon (always the best kind of delivery). Inside were the remainder of my set books for the OU course in Children's Literature starting in October. I have been devouring these books, rereading everything from Harry Potter to Little Women. To be honest, I have enjoyed them much more this time around. Of course, there is also new literature to be enjoyed, much of which arrived this morning.

One of the books in my parcel was 100 Best Poems for Children, put together by Puffin, 2001, 2002. Inside I found lots of old favourites and back came memories of school recitals and certain musicals about cats. One poem struck out at me, as I am the sort of person who likes playing with lists of words, especially when I am finding writing tough.. I write lists of words I love or hate or share sounds: I could go on. Anyway, I share it with you below.

The Word Party

Loving words clutch crimson roses,

Rude words sniff and pick their noses,

Sly words come dressed up as foxes,

Short words stand on cardboard boxes,

Common words tell jokes and gabble,

Complicated words play scrabble,

Swear words stamp around and shout,

Hard words stare each other out,

Foreign words look lost and shrug,

Careless words trip on the rug,

Long words slouch with stooping shoulders,

Code words carry secret folders,

Silly words flick rubber bands,

Hyphenated words hold hands,

Strong words show off, bending metal,

Sweet words call each other 'petal',

Small words yawn and suck their thumbs,

Till at last the morning comes,

Kind words give out farewell posies...

Snap! The dictionary closes.

Richard Edwards

Results Day

The results for my OU Creative writing course came in yesterday after days of compulsively refreshing the student homepage. This is a bad habit I am obviously not alone in as collectively we managed to crash the OU's online Student services for a day (delaying our results?). I was extremely relieved to see I had achieved a Grade 2 Pass, which, assuming I can maintain the standard next year, puts me on track for a 2:1 degree.

Things have been very busy for the last few weeks. I have moved house unexpectedly (half of my belongings are still in limbo). This resulted in some very forced 'bad' writing for a couple of weeks but I am happy to say I have managed to write something everyday. I finally came out of my funk last week when a whole short story poured out of a free write. Who knew Chicken Soup could be so inspiring.

So Quiet

Apologies for this being my first post in almost a month. I've been using the time since my course has finished to catch up on my reading and start work on editing some of my short stories and poems ready for submission. I think it's finally time to start 'getting out there' a bit. I'm mentally preparing myself for lots of slim rejection letters, but you never know and they won't get anywhere languishing on my Hard Drive.

Reading at the moment is extremely fun as I am working my way through the set books for the OU's Children's Literature course, (Any excuse to re-read Harry Potter). It has suprised me that children's books today deal with so many painful subjects such as child abuse, slavery and drugs. Having spoken to the local bookshop owner, it appears that at the other end of the spectrum, she is no longer able to stock Charlotte's Webb or many other farm yard tales due to the threat of death of animals causing complaints from parents. I'm sure this is the kind of debate the course will address.

Anyway, here's to filling some more blank pages.

Powerful Places

I've had a bit of a weird writing/reading coincidence recently. As I mentioned in my last blogpost, I visited Jamaica Inn a couple of times on holiday and bought the book of the same name. I didn't let myself begin to read it until I had completed my last assignment and also I have not read a Daphne Du Maurier before. However, when I started reading the book, I realised how similar the mood and themes were in her book and the short story I had just written. I have to wonder, do some places have specific moods and influences?

It would be easy to say that as it was the same place we were searching for inspiration, that's the reason for the similarities, but the inn has changed so much that it is now completely commercial complete with a gift shop (yes I did get a mug as well). Also, the weather was beautiful on both occasions. It would certainly have been much more rugged when Du Maurier stayed there.

I'm also having a quick panic that whoever marks my writing is going to think it is very old fashioned and (heaven forbid) cliched. Thank God I didn't mention smugglers (or moors come to think of it).

By the way, I absolutely loved the novel and didn't see the twist ending even though I now see it was hinted at from half way through. It was one of those books you read until your eyes have to be held open by your finger tips in bed. I will definately be reading more by her. Any suggestions for another good one?

It's all Over

The last assignment has been entrusted to the Royal Mail (I won't hold my breath for it making the deadline but I have Proof of Posting). It is the story that I feel most attachment to out of everything I have written this year, but I am also aware that it is quite dark and may not be to everyone's tastes. I will have to wait and see until August to find out how it was received.

It feels very strange that the OU Creative Writing course is over. I now have a huge gap until October to fill. Then I wil be starting Advanced Creative Writing and also Children's Literature. I have a whole stack of children's book to re-read before the course starts ranging from Harry Potter to Swallows and Amazons. I am very much looking forward to it as you can imagine.

For the moment I am reading Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier. I ate at the pub twice whilst on holiday and couldn't think of a better souvenier to buy than a copy of the book (and a bookmark). I don't normally read classics. I don't dislike them, I just seem to stay on the more modern side of literature, (and sometimes on the Chicklit side of that). I am, however making a real effort to read much more widely. So far I have just got through 3 chapters of Jamaica Inn but I am gripped. I will update you when I have finished the story.

So now it's on to three month of unashamed reading and writing. Maybe I might even try to sell some of the stories I have written during the course.

On Cornwall and Other things

I've actually been back home for a week, but due to various distractions have not updated the Blog. Cornwall was fantastic and I am more and more convinced that I eventually want to move there (In my dream world where I am writing all day). We found a lovely village called Boscastle which is just about the most idylic place I have ever seen. There are two streets littered with little shops and museums on either side of a stream leading down to the harbour. It looks like it has never changed although it flooded dramatically fairly recently so it must have been substantially rebuilt.

The weather was great and we sat outside for all the traditional cream teas, icecream and Scrumpy. I had promised myself I would get loads of writing done but I was so exhausted at the end of each day I only managed a few freewrites. The walking was fantastic too. Loads of coastal paths to explore and canals to stroll along. On the last day we finally managed to relax on the beach and watch the surfers.

This week I have my examinable piece of work to complete for the OU. It's going to be a fairly intensive week of short story writing before 3 months of being under my own steam. I'm wondoring how many projects I will actually complete in this time as I love starting things but often jump around project wise.

Otherwise, I am loving the sunshine and enjoying the new picnic bench I have built this week. Perfect for writing outside on the laptop.

And it's Off! And I'm Off!

My final assessment for my Creative Writing Course has just been sent off into cyberspace. Just the Examinable piece of work now (which I've been itching to start for about two months now) and it's all over. I'm really quite sad about this, but on the other hand I will have a whole Summer to catch up on my reading and taking my writing life at a much slower pace. Of course the novel will get a lot of attention too, rather than just keeping me awake at night. My characters are very intrusive you know, stepping into my dreams or waking me up when I'm dosing off.

I won't be around next week to compulsively check for returned assignments though as I am off to Bude tomorrow morning for the week. It is most likely going to rain on us but I'm really looking forward to the break. My boyfriend doesn't realise I have snuck a notepad and pen into the luggage yet. I've seen his fishing gear in the back of the car though so I think we are even.

Photos next week!

Help Chris Find Love

This is not usually what I blog about but a friend of mine has started an interesting blog about Match.com. He has described himself as unloveable and antisocial (which I'm sure isn't true) and is testing out whether as someone not likely to find love on a site like this, it is actually possible to get your money back if you don't find someone special after six months. How can Match.com define love?

At the moment he is still struggling with his profile, which sounds like the most difficult writing project ever set. (1000 words on your interests anybody?) Eventually, he will be relinquishing control of his dating decisions to those reading his blog and on his facebook group. A very brave man. Take a look and Help Chris Find Love.

Lots of Work Today

There is loads of writing to be done today. The little one is in Speech Therapy for two hours this morning so there will be plenty of time for lots of freewriting and ideas generation.

The novel is on the backburner for the next few weeks as I have a big assignment due at the end of next week, closely followed by the BIGGEST assignment two weeks later. I'm going to Bude at the end of next week so I'm hoping some new landscape will prove inspirational.

It's funny how you go through different phases in writing, sometimes doing nothing but generating ideas and freewriting, and sometimes doing nothing but working on projects for weeks on end. My aim is to mix it up a little more as it always amazes me how quickly a full length piece of work can grow from a five minute freewrite.

My blisters from walking the Orme have almost gone, although nine hours of waitressing on Monday was quite stressful to the feet. I have now invested in a pair of proper women's hiking socks. so we'll see if they work. The sunburn has morphed into a tan so I am no longer looking like a tomato.

Great Orme

I went on the first of many hikes in training for the 25 mile long H.A.C.K in September today. Starting from just outside Llandudno we set off round the Great Orme. I can't pretend it's the most challenging of walks, only around 6 miles the way we do it, but on a sunny day the views are amazing. We also saw porpoises off the rocks and plenty of nesting sea birds, which is always fantastic.

To my surprise and relief, my muscles didn't ache and I didn't get out of breath. My feet are another story. By the time I got back to the car, I was walking on hot coals. I wore proper hiking boots and thick socks (albeit cheap ones nicked off my boyfriend), so I don't know what went wrong. Any advice would be gratefully received as obviously this is something that needs to be sorted out before the big day.

I will also NEVER, EVER, forget to put sunscreen on again. I am red with two white stripes where my rucksack straps rested on my shoulders. Ouch.

How Far I've Come.

At the weekend I was looking through old DVD'S of data, rootling about for baby photos and other gems, when I came across a file containing the first couple of chapters of a novel I had completely forgotton I had started. Apparantly it is possible to forget things like this. I opened the file named, rather originally 'A Novel Idea' with interest and it all gradually came back to me.

What I read was full of stereotypical characters, contrived dialogue and cliches. Worst of all, what I'm fairly sure was meant to be the introduction to a surreal fantasy horror (definately not my genre anymore (although I love to read them)), read like a Mills and Boon romance (Maybe I should try one of those).

Overall I was satisfied. Either this is an extreme case of time (five years) making you a better editor or maybe, just maybe I'm better at writing than I was then. Either way, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

After the Storm

Golden light shines bright
Piercing through slate grey darkness
Flickers under cloud.