EDP: Friday in Islington

I'm in Every Day Poets today with Friday in Islington, which I wrote when I was back in the UK last February. Seeing London again with an outsider's eyes was a strange experience: fashion is so much more important there than where I live now and rich and poor share the same space without being nearly so neatly tucked away.

Happy November!

Happy November everyone! I have a poem called November Gift up at EDP to celebrate the darkest, rainiest, most huddle-inside month... perfect for writing!




This month I am taking part in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month for anyone sane enough not to be taking part). The aim is to write 50,000 words by the end of November. I'm not doing it totally properly as I am using it to finish the first draft of my novel (now at 75k words) rather than writing a new one, so I probably won't be doing the full 50k but enjoying the camaraderie for that final push. So although I'll have technically failed, it won't feel like a fail to me! I'll let you know how I got on.

Surgery Slugs

My poem, Surgery Slugs is up at Every Day poets today. It is rather silly but holds a lot of meaning for me; I wrote it in remembrance of my Grandfather, a surgeon and passionate wildlife photographer. He was the circuit doctor at Silverstone racetrack, England, throughout the 1950's and 60's. He had a great sense of humour and I hope he would have liked it. I always remember him being a big man, but maybe that's because I was very small.

For Sale: Every Day Poets

My Poem 'For Sale' about a couple splitting up and selling their house is now up at Every Day Poets. Be warned: it is thoroughly depressing.




Image courtesy of CompareNow.com

'Watching the Pool' at EDP and my WIP

Having left the world of government with a vow never to use another acronym as long as I live, here I am doing it again. *Sigh*

For non-writer folk (that is, people who don't have dialogue-testing conversations with plants, have more blood in their system than tea and who don't check ICanHasCheezburger every fifteen minutes) EDP is the webzine (web-based magazine) Every Day Poets and WIP is my Work In Progress.





Today EDP have put up my poem 'Summer Holiday: Watching the Pool' on their site. EDP is fun because people can rate your poem and leave feedback and it is always good to hear what other people think, especially people who don't know you. Even if it isn't always 100% positive it is always a good lesson for the future.

Now, on to my WIP, the dystopian novel 'Maynard Hill'. I put up a post last summer about the feedback I had had from my novel. While it wasn't all bad (they liked my writing style and opening) they felt 'disappointed' with the story. Everything they said I could see where they were coming from but I just didn't have the energy to start all over again.

However, when I was researching my article about dystopian films, since published in MediaMagazine, I got excited about the genre again. I can do this! I said to the plant.

So I opened that file I hadn't touched in months and went to work. The WIP is now down from just over 100,000 words to 50,000 words. Talk about killing your darlings. I have basically pruned out the dull bits and I'm going to plot out a whole new subplot which will weave into the story and then take it onwards to an more explosive ending set later in the future. Ka-pow!

I have learned such a lot writing flash fiction and short stories and I hope these lessons will translate across. I have thought so much recently about what makes a story; flash fiction can be likened to one of those sketches that only comprises a few well-placed pencil marks but shows character, movement and theme within that.

Wish me luck.

Brenda's Knickers at Every Day Poets

I have a very silly poem, Brenda's Knickers, up at Every Day Poets today.

Enjoy!




Photo courtesy of opheliafancy.com, purveyors of some rather wonderful vintage lingerie.

Every Day Poets Celebrates St Andrew's Day with 'Arthur's Seat'

Happy St. Andrew's Day!

I am chuffed that my poem, 'Arthur's Seat', is the Scottish-themed poem celebrating St. Andrew's Day on Every Day Poets today.

I went to university in Edinburgh and used to climb up Arthur's Seat, a hill just outside of the city, when I was feeling contemplative. It is one of the best views of Edinburgh.
There was a tradition during Freshers' Week that you climbed up to watch the sunrise. I remember staggering up in some very impractical shoes at 3am having just left a club. By 4am we were very cold and very sober. It had also struck us that sunrise in Scotland in October might not be till around 7.30am and we could really do with some better coats. Still, that's what education is all about.

The sharp-eyed amongst you will notice this picture is of St Andrews cathedral. It was taken last Spring when I was up there for a wedding. Unfortunately, all my university pictures were taken before the days of digital cameras and are in storage so I can't show you the Arthur's Seat view; you'll have to read the poem to get a sense of that. Or look it up in Google images.

Have a great St. Andrew's Day, wherever you are. My thoughts will be in Scotland today.