history versus story

As I approach the end of my MA, I start to wonder about what it will be like when I have the time and energy to write fiction again.

I've been writing history for so long now that I suspect it has completely changed the way I approach creative writing. Maybe in some ways for the better. I've had to learn to be more concise. But I definitely think my writing will be a lot more ... dry at first. I try to write history in an attractive way, but I definitely have an academic style, and it will be strange to start breaking rules again. I just hope I can overcome what has been drummed into me by academics for the past six years.

But something that I will be fascinated to find out is whether doing a MA will have helped me overcome my aversion to writing an extended piece of work. I've planned, and planned, and planned. I've researched. I've rewritten. I've learned the value of simply trying to get an idea down, without worrying too much about the prose at first. And I will come out at the end of it all with a piece of writing that is over 50,000 words long - longer than any original writing I've ever done before.

Is it different, though? A thesis has the benefit of being based around facts, and so all your material is there to work with. It has the difficulty that if something isn't working in the way you structure it, you still need to base it around those facts. Writing a novel, on the other hand, has the benefit that you are the Boss. If things aren't working - you make something up. Its difficulty, however, is that everything in it is supposed to magically appear from your imagination. And what if I find that all my hard work has been completely useless when it comes to sitting down and trying to write a novel?

Maybe the elusive answer is this: to write a historical novel.

wordling

Forgive me - I know this is nothing exciting - I'm just quite amused by the number of times I apparently said "metal-thingy" on this blog! I'm evidently a literary genius.

plugging...

I am on the staff for literature magazine Halfway Down the Stairs, so this post will be a shameless use of this space for HDtS-promotion!

1. You should visit it. I really think it's worth reading.

2. You should submit your own work, if you are a writing type of person. See our submissions page for guidelines. Our next issue is "Haunted" - plenty of scope for creativity! - and it comes out on March 1. Deadline for submissions is February 15.

3. If you are a poet, a fan of poetry, or know someone who is - we are looking for a new poetry editor!
This is a volunteer position which requires processing of poetry submissions, and contribution to the 'zine at least twice a year in any genre. It will also probably involve critiquing within the editorial team of personal work. Applications should be sent to inquiries at halfwaydownthestairs dot net, containing at least three examples of your work (at least two of which must be poetry). Previous publication is not necessary (though a bonus).

his family ... and other animals

I have just finished reading Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals. It's one of those books that I'm delighted to discover now, but really should have come across earlier. Has anyone else coming across this blog read it?

Gerald Durrell was an English (though Indian-born) naturalist and conservationist who also wrote books about his exploits. I've never even considered reading books about animals before, but that was before I realised how much fruit for story-telling they provided him. This particular book is about the five years he spent with his slightly unconventional family on the Greek island of Corfu in the 1930s, from the age of ten.

It feels like cheating to be able to write a book about your childhood years in Corfu, in a way. Durrell has so much to work with, simply by virtue of living in an absolutely beautiful location, with fascinating wildlife, and interesting people. It also feels like cheating to have such a wonderfully eclectic family, and to have such serendipity in encountering the most unusual variety of people outside the family. But at the same time I get the distinctive idea that Durrell is one of those people who could find interesting things anywhere, and, even if they happen to be swamp-delling reptiles or generous wife-killers, endear them to all his readers.

I laughed out loud for a high percentage of this book. It's full of hilarious moments, brought to the page either by Durrell's family/friends or by animals or by Durrell's family's encounters with his animals. When I wasn't giggling, I was fascinated by the wildlife a teenaged Durrell dug up in various swamps or stumps or seas. Or I was bowled over by his descriptions of Corfu. One particular image stands out: swimming in the sea, at night, with porpoises - the sea so full of phosphoresence that the porpoises shone as they swum underneath or beside him, and the water they splashed sparkling like little diamonds.

I did get bogged down a bit in the descriptive passages at times. But as a whole this book is something lovely to read. A slice of chocolate cake, as books go. I give it three and a half stars.

bookmark the second

I've already done what I threatened. This is how I made a pretty bookmark!

Materials:
1 metre beading wire
1 particularly pretty Venetian glass bead
1 tube of other beads in complementary colours

Also some tiny metal bead-thingys (I'm sure there's a name for them but I can't remember it). You will need four for this bookmark.
Some pliers to squash them with, to hold the beads in place:

Cut the piece of wire to your desired specifications. It should be roughly long enough to sit in place in a book with beaded sections hanging out on either side.

Scrutinise your beads.
Think hard.
Start creating!
Once you have a short chain of beads that you are happy with, squeeze in place another metal-thingy to stop the beads from slithering up and down the wire.
Place the bookmark in a normally-sized book. At the other end of the wire, squeeze on another metal-thingy (I really need a better name for this) for the next little chain of beads.
Then start threading again! I made the second chain slightly shorter and used slightly smaller beads than the other one, but it's completely up to you.

When finished, squeeze on the last metal-thingy, and cut the wire off at the ends.
Ta-dah!


I christen thee, o bookmark .... any ideas???? 'Helga' is running through my head and blanking out any other possible names, so I'm going to need some help.

** I bought the beads and other materials at Beadz Unlimited, an awesome beads shop at the Christchurch Arts Centre (awesome even though they have, for some reason, decided it was a good idea to sell an earthquake-ravaged house as a charm bracelet bead). If you're ever in town you should definitely have a look. **

catching up with modernity

For the last few years, I have slightly disapproved of the rise of the e-book.

I had a list of reasons for this:
i. Books are pretty. On a shelf, they add colour to a room.
ii. Books last. There's something nice about this. You can get an author to sign your book, you can sell first editions at ridiculously huge prices further down the line, you can write your own messages in the cover, you can buy secondhand books.
iii. There's something about the feeling of a book in your hand that I would be sad to lose.
iv. Books aren't hard on your eyes like screens can be.
v. I am secretly quite reactionary.

This week, however, I've been in the process of swapping rooms with one of my flatmates. I was at the west end of the house, now I am at the east. The process is still not over. And the process has shown me that I have a ridiculously huge bookshelf.


It's quite light for its size but, once turned on its side, it's extremely difficult to manoeuvre, and you start to notice how BIG it is. It is also full of books. They are currently cluttering up our lounge AND an empty bedroom, along with all the books I don't have room for in my bookcase so have stored in cardboard boxes. It wasn't until I had to physically carry them around with me that I realised how many books I do have.

Kindles, iPads, etc. - looking much more attractive right now!

merry Christmas to me

For Christmas, my flatmate gave me this little bookmark, which she bought at a craft fair. It's made of brightly-coloured, large beads, threaded (and held in place) on an elastic which hooks around the book holding your place.

At first I was a little doubtful because I don't use bookmarks usually. Instead, I just throw in an old receipt or something, because, when I lose it, it won't matter. But now I am sold! I love bookmarks! They're pretty! Especially bookmarks like this, which are practical and don't mess up the book or get squashed or lost easily, et cetera.

It actually looks pretty simple to make, and so I started wondering if there were equally pretty bookmark ideas out there? Internet search engine, here I come. Of course, I had to wade through a whole bunch of "easy bookmark for kids" websites, but here are a couple of pages that have some gorgeous ideas, some of which I plan to try:

This was the best of the webpages - it links to 38 different bookmark ideas, with photos, and they all look very pretty and very polished but also achievable:
http://tipnut.com/make-bookmarks/

If you can do tatting (I have no idea what it is but assume it's something like crochet, which I can't do!), this is quite a pretty bookmark:
http://www.craftown.com/tat/pat17.htm

And I quite liked this idea for a beaded bookmark. Don't be put off by the phrase "teen crafts":
http://parentingteens.about.com/od/schoolcrafts/ss/bookmark1.htm

The best of British luck to you! I will keep you posted on my own attempts at bookmark creation.