Hi there,


I'm going to move to stop blogging here now and move to http://www.sjluddem.com/ so if you want to come with me please do. X

First week back

We have been discussing Rings of Saturn by Sebald, this week. A strange book that I liked, then got lost in, then liked. Everything we read is useful in some way the same as any book that you read, you take out the good and the bad and can use them in some way.

We had our first workshop too and I stupidly volunteered to have my stuff workshopped soon, it gives me a week and a bit to work on it. I'm trying to insert some more tension into it now, because basically it's about a day out to the museum and a bus ride. I figure that if I get this out of the way then I can work on the next bit without worrying about tweaking for a while. Could always go down the Sebald route, just go off on tangents, write a bit about the war in the middle to confuse them into thinking it's a very intellectual and superior work. Probably not a good idea.

I think I'm getting to a better understanding of where I'm going with it now but there's a lot of filling to get to 80 000 words. Plod on plod on.

Up myself

I've gone all up myself over the holidays. I've got over excited and decided to have my own author name. It isn't just because I'm pretentious, honest... Someone is already (very rudely I might add), a successful author under my name. It's jolly bad form I'd say. So anyway, I'm working on a new site with my new twatty author name included in it. I'll tell you when I've done it. Then you can laugh at me some more.

I know, who do I think I am?

Nice to write again

Spent Christmas reading up about murderers for my research, ho ho hoh no he's got an axe!

Have just sent off my latest workshop piece. It's gone and now I can get back to writing instead of tweaking. This editing lark is harder than it looks, especially when you haven't even finished what you're writing and your characters keep changing. Glad it's gone and I can get back to my shifting river and shifting characters.

Snow Joke

We had a visit from Mulcahy and Viney, an agency, last week. Obviously, they were interested in books that they will be able to sell. This is another level that I am not even thinking about at the moment. Not only are we meant to put words on the page, they must be brilliant and they must be widely appealing.

They talked about having a small story within a big story. Something to discuss, a big issue! I've got none of this. I'm just plodding away still. I have avoided thinking this way so far. Perhaps I can crowbar something into my story, if I knew what the big issues were. Oh dear.

Trevor Byrne and Evie Wyld

We went to a reading last week with Evie Wyld and Trevor Byrne. I hadn't read their books but the extracts they read out sounded good so I will seek them out later. The following day we had a workshop with them. They were very generous in describing their experiences as writers, very open and honest. It was nice to hear that everyone has bad days, and everyone can feel daunted by the enormity of it all sometimes.

To plan or not to plan

I was feeling a bit swamped by my dreary scenery and thought about taking my characters on holiday but realised that is just another kind of story all together. I put them on the bus instead. So poor them, they are stuck in rainy Manchester still. They didn't enjoy the ride.

Not sure if I should have more of a plan to the story. It keeps going off a bit in different directions but will any of these directions arrive at a destination all just keep circling around and around? Then again I don't want to be tied to something that seems immovable. It's an interesting process.

Oh and my nine year olds story was compared to Jane Austen at parents evening the other night. Don't really know what to say about that really, as I struggle to make anything sound vaguely believable.

Is this cheating?

I have gone on the internet and used the faces of strangers for some of my characters. This might be cheating but at least I can picture them a bit more clearly. It is working as a starting point anyway. I though this was a cunning plan instead of basing them on people I know.

My villian was too obvious, he wasn't twisting his waxed moustache but it was close to that. I don't want more of a rounded character. So I've modelled him on Steven Merchant. Now I like him too much, I'm not sure he's scary at all. Oh dear. Steven Merchant why do you have to be so likeable?

Spooky

Walking through graveyards. Manchester rain. Decaying leaves. Halloween. What could be better inspiration? Children of Manchester you are beautiful.

Just started my Madame Bovary essay. Found lots of layers. I would be happy with just one good layer in my novel. Flaubert makes a good fluffy jam and cream sponge of a novel. I've got a flat sponge so far, but things are progressing.

Is it wrong?

Is it wrong to take the children for a walk by the river? No? What about when you're writing a story about a nutter dumping bodies in the river? Alright, probably. They liked the horse, and anyway, got some good pictures of sludge and slime. We even came across our very own nutter so it was an all round success! Lovely research. The nutter was averted by the way.

Last night we went to a reading with Seamus Heaney. He likes bogs and sludge too doesn't he? Should have asked him to come on my next trip out.

Week 1

We had the introductory week of the course. Met lots of nice people and felt better. It was all a bit like the scene in Good Fellas when they have the wedding and it is all a bit of a blur. One because first days are scary. Two because theres lots to take in and people to meet and three because I had a bit of a cold and was a bit spaced out.

After we found out about the course, we went to listen to Howard Jacobson talking about Kalooki Nights for the Guardian Bookclub. He was really entertaining and interesting. If you fancy listening to it apparantly there's a pod cast.

I have read Madame Bovary and I have done some writing. I didn't volunteer my work for the first critique but the other brave souls that did will be getting their work critisised on Monday by the group. Looking forward to this course now.

I've registered for my MA, had all the information now so will be officially starting in 3 weeks. I've been doing a bit of writing but need to get into the everyday habit again.

I have been watching 'tales of the unexpected', why isn't there anything like that on t.v. now? Don't say because its pants. There are loads of good short stories out there, waiting for someone to turn them into a t.v. series. Dah dah dahhhh de de de dahhhhhhh dahhhh de de dah de de de dahhhh dahhhh.

Sad news that Beryl Bainbridge has died today. I have only read 'Master Georgie', I would like to read 'Harriet Said'. I guess a lot of people will be re visiting her work now.

Our England flags were handmade by an eager bright eyed five year old. He coloured them in with his new felt tip pens and hung them lovingly in our living room. They are now scrunched up in the bin. Feel bad, feel very bad. Boooo.

Rest

It is starting to feel summery (ok so this is Tatton Park but lets pretend it is sunny Stockport). I was feeling bad because I haven't been writing a great deal, I've been reading and thinking instead. The last short story I wrote I wasn't very happy with but I think on reflection all I needed was to change one of the characters and it might save it. I feel interested in it again now, I think it just needed to rest on the hard drive for a while, it is ready to be woken up again.

Anyway as the flowers have started to bloom and the sun to shine I have taken up the pen again and started to write some things down. I have had a few more ideas lately and once you start writing them down you just seem to get more and more. I think it is about opening your mind up and seeing the world again. When I'm painting I start to look at things and see colours and shapes there. Writing is simular, once you are doing it you see things that would have passed you by before. Hopefully I will get a few more stories finished, I've got some new ideas anyway which is always exciting.

Here is some blue sky in an attempt to ward off the snow. No thanks, move along, more sun please.

I have enjoyed the sensory aspects to Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne. I noticed an appreciation of colour in her writing. I was not surprised to read that she was also a painter. The use of sensory aspects can elevate a story to a new level.

Just finished reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron. Aspects of it reminded me of Great Expectations. I wonder whether this was intentional. It reminded me how everything around us subconsciously influences us in some way.

I have got a place on the Creative Writing MA starting in September. All I can say is yeah and yikes.

Evolution

I have been actually putting words on paper, my river story is evolving slowly but surely. I have found writing on paper has helped. Sometimes when you commit to the computer it feels too final. I've found I don't mind experimenting a bit on paper. Although the downside to this is that I've got loads of bits of the story all over the place, might have to transer it to the screen next.

A bit of flash fiction 'Bumper Crop' is up at the Pygmy Giant site.

http://thepygmygiant.wordpress.com:80/

I have a short piece called 'White' that is now at Lit Up Magazine. Click on the sidebar for a look.