It's been a year of silence from me on this blog, and I am sorry that has happened! My reasons for the lack of posts are the usual mix of being scared of posting something on here that I would later realise that I wanted for my OU coursework, feeling inadequate: that my work isn't worthy of publication.. you know, the usual!
I am now starting out my studies on my next module. You will be pleased to hear that I passed A215, and am now embarking on A230 - Reading and studying Literature. Now this is a scary prospect for me, analysing writings and coming up with plausible musings on meanings and so on.. The scariest part for me is the fact that there is an exam at the end of it! 3 hours of writing without a keyboard!! Good job I bought all those pens last year, at least I have a chance to get my writing in gear before it is too late!
Well folks, I have officially dusted off this blog again. I am not too sure how often I shall post, muse or ponder but I hope that I manage to keep a toe in the water. I am hopeful that next year I shall move onto Advanced creative writing, so watch this space!
© Neil I Fletcher - 2012
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Friday, 28 October 2011
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
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
Thursday, 20 October 2011
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!
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!
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