Time for an update

Hello there

I figured that it's time to post a new blog just to let everyone know what I have been up to since my last post.  I handed in my assignment, nice and early - and had it marked, remarkably fast from my tutor, which is wonderful.  It has some nice advice on how to improve, and some compliments on certain aspects that I did well on.  One of those aspects was my freewrite which she claimed was really good and got near full marks on that portion of my TMA.. pity I didn't do so well on the rest of it!

I might post the Assignment for everyone to read and critique, depending on what the tutor says about publishing TMA work after it has been marked.  I am unsure right now as to whether it's allowed or not.

Another thing of note, is that I have bought myself an nice shiny copy of the 'Chamber's Dictionary, 12th Edition, with Thumb Index' - awesome doorstop and word finder!  1900 odd pages crammed full of words and descriptions of said words and their usage.  Fantastic for any budding writer who needs inspiration or clarification methinks.

Finally on this blog, I have to announce that I bought myself a fountain pen.  Doesn't sound too exciting, I grant you - yet it's a left handed version.  The nib is claimed to be for left handers, and basically I believe the ball of the nib is at an oblique angle and a nice medium size.  The pen is by a German maker called Lamy - from their 'safari' range and I bought their black ink cartridges to go with it.  (The pen is a matt black colour, so figured to get inks that more or less match.)  So far, I have been pleasantly surprised.  Not a single smudge, scratch or tear in the paper, no ink on my hand as I write either. (Lefties push the pen nib left to right so the hand naturally can come in contact with what has just been written)

I am so pleased with this pen, that I am thinking of getting a second pen for a different colour ink.  The next pen that I am looking at is a Lamy Nexx M - which I believe has a rubberised grip.  Until I get hold of one, I won't know for sure, but it has a nice look about it and if it's anything like the safari then it will be worth getting.

Before taking the risk of buying my cartridge/fountain pen, I didn't think that I would ever like to write by hand again, much preferring the keyboard and my improving touch typing.  Now however, I find that I am spending an hour or so a day writing by hand - trying to improve my chicken scratching handwriting and enjoying the tactile feel of writing by hand.  I hope that once I have written something that I deem worth putting up here, I shall type it up, or scan it onto the computer if my handwriting is sufficiently improved!

I haven't put links for the lamy pens on this blog, but if someone from Lamy reads this blog (by some miracle) and fancies getting in touch regarding sending me a Lamy Nexx M, then I will gladly change it to show links.  Heck, you never know ;-)

All the best to those who read this blog, feel free to comment and discuss any and all issues from the blog.  Until next time, best wishes

Neil

Nervous times ahead!

So, it's getting close to Assignment 01 deadline.  Well, one week until it's due in.  I am fighting the urge to 'tinker' with my work today, after spending a copious amount of time on it already.  I feel that I need to try and distance myself from my work a little bit before one final sweep through.

To say that I am nervous would be an understatement!  Blind panic might be more accurate.  The trouble is, in previous modules, the work is set around a specific subject of text.  From this, it is normal to read through material, and regurgitate it on paper in a unique way.  This isn't true for creative writing.  In this case, the work comes from within, and the only real influence, (apart from favourite author's) on the work is the techniques that we are taught in the Workbook, to name a few: Clusters, Freewrite, Haiku, morning pages and memory association.  From these techniques the aim is to create a totally unique story, which is then to be judged and remarked upon - then returned.  It's so scary to think that my work is to be judged and returned to me - will I be deemed foolish, idiotic, naive, pathetic, obvious?  Or will, by some miracle, my work be given merit and praise?

Right now, all I can do is quietly panic and resist the urge to mess about with my writing any more.. And of course to share my thoughts with anyone who wants to read this! (thanks if you do!) Am I alone in these feelings? Feel free to answer in the comments below!

An interview with Sir Terry Pratchett.

Hello all.

I saw a post today by Karen Cairns which I really wanted to repost on my blog.  It's a piece from the guardian and is an interview with a hero of mine, Sir Terry Pratchett.  The article is from the Guardian, Friday 14th October 2011.

If by any miracle, he were to read this, I would just like to say 'thank you' for the wonderful Discworld and every other book that he had a hand in also!  I really hope that he is able to continue to write for many years to come!

(Thanks also to Karen for pointing out my atrocious spelling! Concrete evidence there that proof reading is handy!)

Sense of smell

The course book tells me to sit quietly and listen and write about three things that you can feel, taste, hear, see, smell..  Well I figured I would just blog one example 'live' and see how it turns out!

I smell the delicate aroma of lemons coming from the mug to my left hand side.  I know what is in the mug: Green tea with lemon, and it has me wondering whether I can smell the lemons, or just imagine that I can smell the lemons, which makes my brain notice a lemon scent?  Now that is a brain teaser.  In either case the smell is boldly delicate, enticing me to take a sip.

Hmm, not exactly world class descriptive text there..  Although I do like the idea that has arisen from it regarding whether the smell is physical or a mental supposition arrived at by the pre existing knowledge of what is there already.  To be fair I think that I picked the hardest sense to write about.  Will have to pick a different one next time!

Day school

I went to my tutor groups A215 day school today.  It was well worth the discomfort of sitting in strange chairs as I met some wonderful people who are all really talented.  These tutorial schools are very handy for meeting up with other people who are in the same predicament as you, and spending some time chatting helps to get the creative 'juices' flowing.
It was also nice that there were four tutor groups together.  I got to meet people who aren't in my tutor group but who are on the same course so we all got to help each other a bit in mixed up groups for the morning session which was a nice idea.  Lunch time too was a great time for mingling and chatting - to be fair another hour of that would have been welcome as it was pleasant getting other writer's views on different genre's.
I think that the most important lesson learned today though was that we are not alone.  Also that every action, occurrence and passing scene can be written about in a way that involves the reader by using the senses in the writing.  Whether its the sound of a scratching pen, the feeling of a woolly jumper or the smell of freshly mown grass, they can all be appreciated by someone reading them as it's more than likely that they will have had these sensations at some point in their lives and can relate.

Enough blathering by me for now.  It's been a long day so time for a break.  I will hopefully be putting up some more writing of some form soon!

Using Blogspot

Hello readers!

I have been told that I have helped a few people to get to grips with creating their blog, and was asked if I could blog about it to help others.  So here it is!  I don't expect to put the 'difinitive' guide to blogging on here and you shouldn't expect it either, but I do hope to help with a few basics.

OK, so you have made your blogspot account and you want it all set up and ready to go. There are a few relatively easy steps to take for this to occur. (NB. All of the following are done in the traditional style interface, so if the website looks all minimalist orange and grey click the option on the top right to change back to the normal view!):

1. Pick a template design, or design your own using the various options and menus - just remember to click the 'Apply to blog ' button!
2. Choose your layout - this is a personal choice so go with whatever you fancy, there are many to choose from. Again don't forget to 'Apply to blog'
3. When you have finished with styling your page, you will want to make sure that you have visible all the elements of the page that you want, whether they are groups for you posts (called labels here) or a page counter, whatever you fancy.  To add a 'gadget' as they are called in blogspot, simply click on a blue 'add a gadget' wherever you want it to go.  Then from the drop down menu that pops up, scroll down until you find what you want and click the blue + on the right of the item.  You can repeat this as often as you like, but bear in mind the more you add, the slower the page will load to people with slow internet speeds. 
4. You can also move these added 'gadgets' once you have added them.  Whilst in the 'page elements' page - where you added them in the first place, you can grab a gadget and hold the left mouse button down, then drag up up or down the list it's in or even move it to another location where there is an 'add a gadget' option.  Don't be afraid to have a play with it, it's your page and you should be proactive in it's design! I would like to point out one gadget however, and that is the 'labels' gadget.  This one is brilliant for storing your posts into groups.  In you are wondering what I am talking about, look to the left of my page and you will see 'clickable' words like 'A215', and 'Random'.. that is the labels gadget in action.. Nice isn't it!
5. Click on the 'Settings tab' this is where you can update the title and description but also do much more advanced settings like changing who can comment on your blog.  Your best off having a look through all of these settings yourself, and setting them up as you want them, but I would suggest you click on 'comment's and change it to allow 'anyone' to comment.  It's a personal choice though so have a play with it.
6. Posting on your blog. OK, the time has come to post on your blog.  Once you have given it a title, written all the words and checked it over, make sure that you take note of the 'labels' box.  This is where you can let the post know where you want it to appear.  You can add as many labels as you like, just serparate each one with a comma.. eg.  A215, Random, Stuff..  you get the idea.  As I mentioned in point 4, it's worth doing in my opinion.  They will only show up though if you have the 'label' gadget on your page - you will if you have followed this guide correctly. 
7. Following others.  If you would like other people to view your blog, then it's a good idea to follow other people yourself, and don't forget to put thoughtful and constructive comments! In order to follow someone else there are a multitude of different options available to you to add them to your 'following' list.  Either go to their blog, and click follow, click on their picture in your follower list and then click on their 'link', or you can go to your dashboard - which you should think of as your hub for all blog action, you can easily get to your dashboard via the top right of the screen, either click dashboard, or if it isn't there, then click design and then dashboard! When on the dashboard screen, scroll down until you see the word ADD which is under your 'reading list'.  Click the 'add' button and add the required link into the 'url' box.  This is the best way that I know for adding 'wordpress' blogs to your reading list!  So once you have added the url to the box, eg.. http://trying-to-write-right.blogspot.com click next and follow the instructions.  You will note the 'manage' box next to 'add'. Manage is where you can unfollow any blogs that are no longer wanted. To do that you have to click the 'manage' button, then 'settings' to the right of the correct blog, and then 'stop following this site' which is on the right hand side of the pop up box.

OK, I think that is it for now.  Please feel free to comment if you have anything to add or query! I will try and help out with whatever I can.

Thanks for reading, and I hope that it helps you!

Neil

A truth.

Okay so that is a weird title.  But I wasn't really sure what to call this - although I guess musing would be better.  I am not going to change it though as that would go against everything that this posting is about.  I was reading a link that was put up on Facebook, entitled '25 Insights into becoming a better writer.' In fact, here is the link and I urge all aspiring writer's to just have a read as it shows that all writer's have the same issues when it comes to writing!

One overlying rule that I took from this early on is this: Don't be afraid to write badly.  Find a way to turn off your inner editor, and just write.  Only turn the inner editor back on once all of the words are on the page.  The process of writing isn't a problem, it's the fact that we are our own worst critics when it comes to writing.  The number of times in the past that I have written a good deal of words, then deleted the whole lot 'in a huff' at myself for writing such rubbish.. well if I had £5 for every time I did that, I would be rich!

So in summation, my advice is to read through that list of snippets that other writers have given, and thank you! (Just in case by some miracle one of those writers ever reads this!)
My advice to myself and to anyone who wants it is:

1. Just write, and don't be afraid of writing nonsense.
2. 'Don't be afraid to write rubbish' - Pretty much the same as point 1, but so important it's worth mentioning twice!
3. Never throw any writing away, keep it for a rainy day - you never know when it might come in handy!
4. Leave the editing for when you are finished with putting the words on the page.  Only when the first draft is done should the editor in you come out and see the words.
5. Don't finish the first draft and immediately start editing.  Leave the words to 'simmer' for a day or more.  (It's amazing what happens to them whilst they are left alone.  If you immediately edit, you will undoubtedly break it!)
6. Keep calm and carry on.
7. Make time to write, even if you don't really want to do it, try and get something down on the page.
8. Give yourself a word limit and try to keep to it every day (this is a good one for a single story, but also good for multiple 'activities'.
9. Don't ever stop or give up permanently. (this one is wishful thinking!)

I think that will do, I have pontificated enough and so shall finish this blog here.  Thank you all for reading and as always, if you have anything to comment or criticise or add, please leave a comment below! 

Best Wishes

Neil

A 'proper' Freewrite

Here is my freewrite that I put on my tutor forums earlier today - it's the fifth attempt at getting a freewrite right.  I am posting the whole post cut and paste:

After finally getting a freewrite under my belt, I got inspired to try again.  The first effort fell flat due to a crazy itchy hand which stopped me dead in my tracks. This is the second effort which had a residue of that itchy hand but I tried to plod on regardless. Please, let me know what  you think, freewrite or freewrong?

The truth is i never left but hid under the stairs behind a panel. they searched the house and couldnt’ find me but I found a wonderful thing, a crown of spiderwebs floating about my head as I climbed a ladder against a wall to fall would hurt or possibly kill, but the thrill is the climb. A climber can hang by one finger over a thousand foot drop. must be mad to try that stunt, I can barely carry myself about the house. A house in the woods would be nice and quiet, teh river running by full of fish and a ship on the waves seeing a light house go dark just as the storm hits, oh shit! trouble looks like its about the hit like a hammer to the teeth I bet that would hurt.. nevermind evermind to mind a fid an died at the hands of a goat. a goat or a ghost, misspelled and alone in the hall of mirrows i saw myself reflected to infinity which opende a door to another universe of possibly existances. damn an itchy finger put paid to this freewrite if that is what it was and i hope that it is - wow that is a lot of nonsense that I like so much.. ah

So that is what I posted, and my tutor gave a response giving it confirmation that indeed this is a freewrite.  It's not meant to look pretty, it's not meant to make sense, or be joined or even be accurate in any constrained way.  It is just what comes out of the pen or the keyboard when given the freedom that the conscious mind denies it most of the time!

I hope that this helps whoever reads this if they are confused or not sure whether their efforts are necessarily free or not!  I must confess that I have redacted a small portion so that I don't cause any offence to certain viewers of my blog - this has in no way affected the 'freeness' of the freewrite, as the portion removed is not integral to the rest of the writing.

Freewriting - Not as easy as it sounds!

Hi!

Today I thought I would give my thoughts on freewriting.  Over the last two to three weeks, I had thought that I was making some good progress in freewriting, and was relatively happy with my efforts.  Then I posted an example on my tutor group forum.  I am SO glad that I did this as it helped make me aware that my 'freewrites' are more 'freewrongs'!
The troubles that I was having with them can be summed up thus:

1. Although I was trying to not think about what I was writing, I was still trying to keep to the initial prompt.  This is not the done thing.  The idea of a focused freewrite is that you use a prompt (the focus) to start the ball rolling, and then let your subconscious lead you wherever it may take you!
2. When I wasn't trying to keep to the key phrase, I wrote for five minutes on a theme so that I basically wrote a story.  This isn't freewriting either, even if I was trying to let my subconscious tell it to my hand without my brain getting in the way.  Even then, it's still basically writing a story not a freewrite.

So whilst neither of these techniques that I was using is wrong in the grand scheme of writing, in the pursuit of freewriting, they most definitely are a no-no.

My tutor had given me pointers about where I am going wrong, and that led me to try again, so with some frustration I hammered out whatever came unbidden to my fingers, writing words on the keyboard as fast as I could for five minutes without pause and without thought.  It looked and felt like the crazed ramblings of a delirious simpleton when I read it back, and with some trepidation I posted this latest pile of drivel onto my tutor group forum.  Lo and behold, it was freewriting!  The mad leaps and angry grumbling that I had produced was my best attempt to date!  

I think that my, and I am sure other peoples greatest problem when it comes to freewriting is that my/their internal editor is deeply embedded in the brain and it hates to see inconsistencies or crazy leaps, spelling and grammar mistakes, amongst other things.  This editor whilst great, has to be switched off for freewriting, whether by frustration or sleepiness, anger or subtlety, determination or subterfuge the gate keeper must be swamped so that he can't correct or change anything!

In summation then, a focused freewrite just means that you have in mind a key word or phrase when you begin, and then you just let whatever wants to come out of the 'end of the pen' do so without interruption or editing!

Thanks for reading this - it helped me to get this out, and I hope that it helps you in your freewriting efforts.  Please feel free to comment and let me know if I have left anything out that could be useful - or if you have any hints tips or tricks to master freewriting that you would like to share!

Today's Haiku - A bit of Zen perhaps?

Falling petals;
Life cycles continuously -
Harmonious dream.

Another Haiku

This one is inspired by the weather we are currently experiencing where I live.

World on its head -
Summer sun during autumn;
Nature will rectify.

My First (Very) Short Story

Here is my very first blog of a very short story.  It involves a (mostly) fictional version of myself as I try to write.  I hope that you like it, but even if you don't, I would appreciate any and all constructive comments and criticism's. Cheers.

Hell and high writing

I feel a nervous energy flowing about me when I am not writing, yet when I sit to put pen to paper I feel that I am stifled - that the words are there, hiding just out of sight mocking my ineffectual musings and procrastinations. If I could, I would just mind dump the whole lot onto the paper in one continuous stream, turning the tap of my brain on and emptying it down this drain of paper. I heard that there is a technique called 'freewriting' which does exactly that: throwing words at the paper in a relentless onslaught, an unending barrage of verbs and nouns, consonants and vowels – the ultimate game of 'countdown' all in one round.

Sadly this hasn't worked for me as of yet. The words have put up barricades in my head, dug trenches and set up traps in my mind. I feel like I am a soldier in the trenches fighting these words to the death, or at least a wrestling match where I am not allowed to use my hands yet they can fight me in packs with bats. It's a sad sorry state that I find myself in, all tongue tied and useless. They say that this is called 'writers block', well I think it's more like a brick wall covering the doors and windows of my creative soul. I am not sure if I have been evicted or just boarded over and forgotten about but that is how it stands.

Another option that I heard works is something called 'clustering'. Apparently this is where you pick a word or phrase to start with, and then spider off one word or phrase at a time that you can associate with your starter or 'key' word or phrase. Hmpf! Trying to think of a starter word is hard enough, let alone word association! I managed to write one word the other day! Then I crossed it out, then blocked it out with permanent marker, and then I went looking for some correction fluid to remove it from the page entirely. After that, I made a cup of tea, had a biscuit and went back to the page, scrunched it up, threw it at the bin, then spent ten minutes playing 'bin basketball'.

I repeated this sad sorry state for a week solid! My God it's awful this block, this worrying nagging energy buzzing about with no outlet. I feel like the words that I want to write are a swarm of angry bees buzzing about inside my head. If they don't get a release soon, they are going to sting my brain to pieces. This way, madness lies! OK, lets try again...

Sensory perception

Writing about what the senses tell us isn't as easy as it sounds.  Here is my first attempt at writing about the sounds that I hear.  As always, constructive comments are most welcome!  Also feel free to click one of the buttons under the posts, even if you don't wish to comment.  All feedback is helpful to me!

Sounds that you can hear

I sit here quietly, listening to my surroundings. I hear next door's children shouting and playing with the other kids in the street, arguing over nothings and kicking footballs with the abandon of youth. I also hear my laptop whirring, its constant hum adding to the background noise in the room, the sounds that are taken for granted – yet when listened for, roar with life, unexpected noise, the silence shouts.

The final sound that I hear are the other rooms in the house 'settling'. Pipes and floorboards grumbling under their own weight. The old house wheezes with a life of it's own, keeping the ghosts entertained in their eternity.

'First' Cluster

Here is an image of an attempt at a cluster for the word 'first'.  I figured for my first blogged cluster I should use the word first just like I did with the freewriting!  As you can see the cluster was made using VYM which I find a very handy tool indeed for making clusters.  As always, I welcome any constructive criticism but please appreciate that a cluster is unique to the creator so try to be gentle! 

Orchid Haiku, 3 for 2.

Another day, another Haiku but as it's the weekend and the official start of my OU course, I have written two on a theme, and one of those has two derivations.  I hope that makes sense, and more importantly, I hope that you like them:

Beautiful Orchid;
Ever striving towards the sun -
Failure spells death.


Beautiful Orchid;
Ever striving towards the sun -
Failure means death.


And the other one:


Orchid Flowering;
Reaching out to taste the sun -
Engorged it thrives.