I Write Anywhere

It's Christmas and what better way to celebrate than by murdering a much-loved poem? So, with profuse apologies to Eleanor Farjeon, here goes. You may want to look away now...

Training Wreck

I have a chip on my shoulder about creative writing training. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if it's actually a phobia. I've always been suspicious of the "right way" to go about writing a book and have often taken a deliberately wilful route through the maze. I guess this is called "making my own mistakes", although sometimes it feels like winding up the window and not asking for directions, even though my wife is shouting at me and threatening divorce.

Metaphorically Speaking

I've found myself thinking a lot this week about what I enjoy about writing, often followed by an excess of sighing and "Oh why do I do it?" type statements to anyone in range. I spent hours and hours doing re-plotting yesterday and I think that is one of those things I do enjoy, the moment that the plot suddenly snaps into place. But more than that, the thing I find really satisfying is crafting the perfect metaphor. I've noticed them creeping into my blog posts recently and I hope that hasn't been distracting - I started off blogging with a deliberately plain voice and it has interested me how I've begun to develop a style over the last few months. Having a "blog voice" wasn't something I even considered, but I guess it is a process of writing to an audience like anything else. Oh, and just like fiction, I guess I'm still writing primarily for me!

Revisionism

So, I met with an agent last week. Note the lack of fanfare, although I did my best to work myself up about it beforehand. We sat down for an hour and a half, discussed Back from the Dead in detail and she thoroughly resisted the urge to sign me up until she's seen another draft. Which is fair comment, because let me tell you kids, I have a lot of work to do.

My Brain Hurts!

And let me tell you, when all you are is a brain in a jar, that's a major problem!

Who Wants to Read About Me?

Why be a blogging writer? Is it all a time-wasting exercise in navel-gazing?

Proof of the Pudding

The proofs of Undiscovered Voices dropped into my inbox yesterday. Yay! Not just for the fact that this must mean I'm being published, or something, but I get to proofread too! I spotted two mistakes in the introduction and I wasn't even supposed to be checking that bit...