tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81640749466848171362024-03-13T02:02:19.204+01:00Under the SlushLife and Literature!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-53761661610436964832015-11-21T11:00:00.000+01:002015-11-21T11:00:03.279+01:00Interview with Wicked Young Writers' Award Finalist, Hannah Ost<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Along with other young writers in the UK, I attended the Wicked Young Writers' Awards in June. It was a fantastic afternoon which inspired me to kickstart this blog -- albeit it took me a while! Luckily, some of these talented writers agreed to let me interview them to get an insight into their motivation and aspirations. Finalist entries can be found here: </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf">http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf</a> . </span></span></i></span><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">And Sugar Scape finalists can be found <a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf" target="_blank">here: http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf</a></span></span></i></h4>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Interview with Hannah Ost</b></h2>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hannah Ost<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>When did you start?
Why? How many pieces have you written so far? Have any of these been published?
Where are you hoping your writing will take you? <br />
</b>So, I started writing stories as soon as I could write! I think my earliest
"piece" was a poem called "Bear in the Wood", which was a
poem about a very irresponsible grizzly bear with a cut on his knee! I wrote it
in purple pencil and it was a fully-illustrated mini book! But, aside from
that, I have written more - I love to write everything; fiction pieces,
fanfiction, poetry. I edited and reported for my school magazine and have
written opinionated blog articles on multiple websites. I've been published
with Young Writers a number of times and went on a workshop with Matt Whyman!
As for why I started writing, I'm not entirely sure. I've always had the
instinct to just write down my feelings, my dreams, everything - and from that
stems a story! I hope someday to see my works on the shelf, or write for the
stage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where did your
inspiration come from for your WYWA piece? What’s your favourite thing about
the piece? What did you struggle with? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My WYWA piece was a fanfiction, based on the life and times
of a young Mary Poppins. The inspiration came from watching the Disney
adaptation of Mary Poppins. I was daydreaming (as per usual) and I suddenly had
the idea of a young Mary at boarding school. I gleefully spent the next six
hours imagining all the mischief she'd get up to at the Royal Academy for
Practically Perfect Young Ladies! I fell in love with the story, the
characters, the lessons and it's a real joy to immerse myself in Mary's world.
Honestly, when submitting an extract, the hardest part was cutting it down. I
like to use a lot of descriptive language and most of that had to be sacrificed
for structure. But the whole experience was a boost to my self-confidence and
having to cut down my work so much taught me a lot of key skills, which will be
very useful in the future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you think are
the main problems you face when writing? How do you combat this? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I always get writers block and it's so annoying to sit down
to write and not be able to. To combat this, I like to go somewhere that I feel
possesses a certain vibe. A nature reserve, my garden, a park... anywhere I can
see life as it happens. Watching television gives me ideas too... I get ideas
visually usually. Through dreams and places - that's how I get rid of writers
block.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are you working
on at the moment? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Currently, I'm working on expanding my Mary Poppins
fanfiction into a 7-book series! You can track my progress on Wattpad
(writersblog is my account name!) I also have a blog which I have just begun
called The Life and Times of Hannah Ost at alittlebitbroadway.blogspot.com<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> Is writing solely a hobby, or would you like
it to lead onto something else in the future? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would love to write fiction books, write for the stage,
write for the screen. I want this to be a part of my future and am excited for
what that future will be! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-35662076489633835192015-11-14T11:00:00.000+01:002015-11-14T11:00:03.083+01:00Interview with Wicked Young Writers' Awards Finalist, Rachel Loughran<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Along with other young writers in the UK, I attended the Wicked Young Writers' Awards in June. It was a fantastic afternoon which inspired me to kickstart this blog -- albeit it took me a while! Luckily, some of these talented writers agreed to let me interview them to get an insight into their motivation and aspirations. Finalist entries can be found here: </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf">http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf</a> . </span></span></i></span><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">And Sugar Scape finalists can be found <a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf" target="_blank">here: http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf</a></span></span></i></h4>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Interview with Rachel Loughran</b></h2>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Tell me a
little about your writing journey. When did you start? Why? How many pieces
have you written so far? Have any of these been published? Where are you hoping
your writing will take you?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My journey, let's see. Well I've always been a massive
reader, to the extent that at family events my cousins used to ask my parents
what I'd done wrong, and why was I being punished and made to sit in the corner
and read the whole time. I devoured books, and my mum used to read to me when I
was little, and I never had any fear about using a big word, even if I didn't
know quite yet what it meant. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was about fourteen, I started rewatching Buffy the
Vampire Slayer, and I discovered the murky world of fanfiction, where I've been
a sometime resident ever since. I wrote my first story on <a href="http://fanfiction.net/" target="_blank">fanfiction.net</a> shortly after
that, but it wasn't until I wrote a Harry Potter piece, a little comedy story
about Fred and George called Things I'm Not Allowed to do at Hogwarts that I
really started to get a reaction. Suddenly where I'd been getting a few hundred
hits - total - on a story previously, with this one I was getting hundreds a
day. The feedback was addictive, and over a few years the story swelled to sixteen
chapters and over half a million hits. Today, I've just finished an English
Honours degree at Strathclyde and I've not written any fanfiction in a few
years - my focus has been on original fiction. In terms of fanfiction, I'm not
very prolific; I've written about sixteen stories of varying length. Original
fiction, maybe around the same number, in the last couple of years. I was
published last Christmas in the Octavius Literary Journal. It was a story I
wrote for a class, about a long distance couple in 1962. I'm still submitting
to other journals every few months, with hopes that I'll be published again! I
currently work in life insurance - hopefully not forever.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Oh wow. Half a
million hits is fantastic. Did you use some of the feedback you got to feed
into your future work?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The feedback that is useful always sticks in my head, yeah.
I remember the bits that people say struck then the most, I know from people
reading my original stuff too that it's often tiny repetitive details that
people like the best, hints of foreshadowing, a reoccurring theme here and
there. I love doing research for stories, I like to be coming from a place of
knowledge when I write, and people in my writing classes at Uni often mentioned
the detailed research. They were like 'how do you know so much about winter
blooming plants?!' <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I was just like '...Google.' But I like that
people pick up on that and appreciate it. Often my fanfic reviews are people
just saying that I'm funny or that they loved it, which is amazing to hear but
not exactly helpful! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPVYFRA_bvHi0LBcL4_Hd9kYYrOtD1cJ8dVIXijy28X3XQ3lWyugLt3tj7rpPdQ_3WJMXAgysll7uhvTEBFWL4Pf3vEP5IP77Kl-VQ4ysPvLChkb4EH4xlL1acGGWDEyvnmnmqIO4tAQ/s1600/rachelL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPVYFRA_bvHi0LBcL4_Hd9kYYrOtD1cJ8dVIXijy28X3XQ3lWyugLt3tj7rpPdQ_3WJMXAgysll7uhvTEBFWL4Pf3vEP5IP77Kl-VQ4ysPvLChkb4EH4xlL1acGGWDEyvnmnmqIO4tAQ/s400/rachelL.jpg" width="400" /></a><b>Where did your
inspiration come from for your WYWA piece? What’s your favourite thing
about the piece? What did you struggle with?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The piece I wrote for this competition came to me almost
fully formed when I did my annual reread of the Deathly Hallows. I always
reread it on the 21st of July, staying up all night to do it (if I can - it's
got a lot harder since I graduated and have to do that whole job thing) just
like I did when it first came out. After I finish, I always go back and read a
few favourite parts, and in this case, I went back to Godric's Hollow, and read
about Harry looking at his house, and the sign in front of it with the
signatures all over it. The story came from that moment. I wanted to know where
the signatures came from. In its original form, the story involves the
perspective of several people who signed the signpost, which I whittled down to
one quick scene to submit for entry - this scene was my favourite, the scene
where a muggle born wizard sees the house and the sign and realised all his
accidental magic isn't as strange as he thinks. With some stories, there's a
struggle, but this one was easy, like something I already knew and just had to
write down before it slipped away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you think are
the main problems you face when writing? How do you combat this?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My main problem with writing is time. I work long hours and
when I come home it's easier to just eat dinner and go straight to bed most
nights than sit up at my breaky old laptop and try and be creative, which, as I
took this job to keep me afloat while I pursue writing, makes me feel horribly
guilty every time I ditch the writing to watch TV or have an early night. I try
and combat it the same way I did when I had to write essays in university - I
find a block of free time to dedicate to writing, and I pour myself a whisky,
and make it last for a thousand words, at which point I'm allowed to pour
another. It sounds compulsive and perhaps isn't the most recommendable way to
do things, but it got me through four years of studying. The system
works. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Writing when you work
full time is so difficult! I always have a problem finding the time, especially
because sometimes I'm just tired and want to watch crappy TV and put my feet
up. Is your block of free time the same time every week, or does it vary? Is it
several evenings or just one?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My time varies - I finish work early on a Tuesday and
ideally I'd like to be writing every Tuesday, but my boyfriend lives about an
hour away from me and also works full time, and so he usually comes to see me
on a Tuesday, because it's my longest free night. Which I love, obviously, but
it's just another thing that gets in the way of writing, you know. The odd
couple of hours here and there usually get me inching along. It's never enough,
but it's all I can give at the moment! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are you working
on at the moment?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the moment I'm working on a novel. I'm about 40,000 words
in, roughly halfway. It's coming of age fiction, I suppose. It's about a girl.
It's not fantasy. It might be funny sometimes? It's peculiar. I'm also always
working on a thousand little stories, some just in my head, some have the bones
laid out on paper and some are fleshier than others. I'm reworking my
dissertation, I'm hopeful that it could be submittable for competitions or
journals soon. There's always a million things to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b>
<b>What's your
dissertation about?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My dissertation is a 6000 word story told in three parts,
about a music teacher and his affair with a pupil. It's all in the third
person, but the first part is told from his perspective, and focuses on their
first meeting and the genesis of their relationship, culminating in his
proposal, and it's all told in flashbacks from the point of view of someone who
already knows how doomed it all was. The second is told from her perspective
and covers their wedding and her becoming more successful than him and
eventually leaving him after leeching all his musical contacts, and is also
told in flashbacks, where she feels guilt and fear at returning to herald
school for a reunion concert. The third is told in present day and revolves
around the gossip mill of the school on the day of the reunion concert which
sees the couple reunite on stage. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It sounds really abstract and bonkers written out like that,
to be honest. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b>
<b>Is writing solely a
hobby, or would you like it to lead onto something else in the future?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Writing at this point can probably only be referred to as a hobby,
but it'll be the whole picture one day. I'll keep going with the small
successes I've been having (every six months or so it seems - shouldn't be too
long before the next one rolls around) and I'll keep writing and submitting and
one day it'll happen, and I'll be a writer, and not just an English graduate
with a job in life insurance. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b>
<b>So is the dream to be
a full-time writer one day? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That is indeed the dream. I'll keep writing, one day I'll
finish the book and send it to agents, hopefully they'll like it, and in the
meantime I'll work on the smaller stuff and send that out too. Ideally someday
soon I'll be able to afford to work part time which will let me write more. But
yeah, I have faith it'll happen. I also have all the crossed fingers and if I
thought it would help id carry around rabbits’ feet and four leaf clovers
too. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>You can read Rachel’s
other work published in Octavius magazine, here: </i><a href="http://www.octaviusmagazine.com/writing/buy"><i>http://www.octaviusmagazine.com/writing/buy</i></a><i>
<b><o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-12196630945918553002015-11-07T11:00:00.000+01:002015-11-07T11:00:01.970+01:00Interview with Wicked Young Writers Award finalist, Laura Tickle<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Along with other young writers in the UK, I attended the Wicked Young Writers' Awards in June. It was a fantastic afternoon which inspired me to kickstart this blog -- albeit it took me a while! Luckily, some of these talented writers agreed to let me interview them to get an insight into their motivation and aspirations. Finalist entries can be found here: </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf">http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf</a> . </span></span></i></span><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">And Sugar Scape finalists can be found <a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf" target="_blank">here: http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf</a></span></span></i></h4>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Interview with Laura Tickle</b></h2>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>When did you start?
Why? How many pieces have you written so far? Have any of these been published?
Where are you hoping your writing will take you? <br />
</b>I have enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember and always used to
tell my dad that when I grow up I was going to be an author. I have written a
few short children's stories in the past and have entered a few writing
competitions, (the Wicked Young Writers award was a very big deal for
me!). Currently I am writing a novel which I have taken inspiration from
my personal life to help develop and I would love for it to be published once
it is finished.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where did your
inspiration come from for your WYWA piece? What’s your favourite thing about
the piece? What did you struggle with? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The inspiration for my WYWA piece came from my personal
life. I have been through difficult and trying times in my personal life,
battling a deep depression, however, I have found that being by the ocean is an
extremely calming and cleansing experience for me, whenever I can hear the
sound of the waves or feel the sea breeze on my face I feel at home and
at peace with myself. The ocean is a very powerful place, it
allows me to release any pain or stress and be free for a moment. I therefore
wanted to get this feeling down in words so other people can experience
that wonderful feeling for themselves. Although my piece is not very long I
concentrated on the descriptive nature of the short story and I feel this is
its strongest point, I tried to paint a vivid image for the reader so that
their imagination could take them away and they could feel the sand between
their toes and picture the waves before their eyes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you think are
the main problems you face when writing? How do you combat this? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I feel that the main problem I face with writing
is my self-doubt, wondering if what I am writing is actually any good. This has
sometimes in the past stopped me from getting my work out there but I just need
to keep writing, even if it doesn't become the next best seller that does not
mean that it is not any good and that my words and creations are not worth it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are you working
on at the moment? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am currently writing on a novel exploring what it is like
to lose a loved one to cancer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b> Is writing solely a hobby, or would you like
it to lead onto something else in the future? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would love for my writing to lead onto something more in
the future but even if it doesn't I am happy with this path I have taken
and it is a fun hobby to have!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-85951068523178806932015-10-31T11:00:00.000+01:002015-10-31T11:00:05.029+01:00Interview with Wicked Young Writers Award finalist, Emma Findley-Wilson<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Along with other young writers in the UK, I attended the Wicked Young Writers' Awards in June. It was a fantastic afternoon which inspired me to kickstart this blog -- albeit it took me a while! Luckily, some of these talented writers agreed to let me interview them to get an insight into their motivation and aspirations. Finalist entries can be found here: </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf">http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf</a> . </span></span></i></span><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">And Sugar Scape finalists can be found <a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf" target="_blank">here: http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf</a></span></span></i></h4>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Interview with Emma Findley-Wilson</b></h2>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tell me a little
about your writing journey. When did you start? Why? How many pieces have you
written so far? Have any of these been published? Where are you hoping your
writing will take you?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think I've been writing for as long as I remember really -
I used to adore making up stories for Literature class at primary school, and
typed and printed out my very first story on my parents' laptop when I was
about ten. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I always tell people that I write because I need to rather
than anything else. It sounds bizarre, but writing is something as natural as
breathing to me; I will always be writing something, even if it's as mundane as
an essay for university or long emails to friends. Writing is my best way of
expressing myself, and losing myself in the worlds inside my head is my
favourite form of escapism. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So far I've written all sorts! I used to write a lot of
poetry, though I've stopped of late - possibly because I've begun to realise
that a poem is more than "deep thoughts" splashed artily across a
page... I have, however, won a couple of awards for poetry in the past. Other
than that and a couple of short stories that have either won or been runners-up
in competitions, I've never had anything published. When I was thirteen years
old I posted a 100-page story to a publishing company with a hopeful heart, but
nowadays I'm content in the knowledge that nothing I've written so far (in
terms of novels) is actually good or original enough to grace anyone's
bookshelves. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This doesn't mean, though, that I don't intend to publish
something one day! I've half-written a few novels, and also fairly recently got
into fanfiction, which led me to starting and finishing (over the course of
nearly eighteen months) a 121,200+ word monster of a story. This was a huge
breaking point for me, and proof that I can actually finish a story provided I
put my mind to it and have sufficient inspiration! At the moment I'm happy with
my blogging, fanficcing, and occasional short story writing - I have a few
ideas swirling around in my head for the next novel, but only time will tell if
they'll be useful or not. After all, I have the rest of my life to be the next
J.R.R. Tolkien......<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where did your
inspiration come from for your WYWA piece? What’s your favourite thing about
the piece? What did you struggle with?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As cheesy as it sounds, I do genuinely believe that there is
some real gold to be found in the world of fanfiction if you dig deep enough
past the badly spelt and completely unoriginal ones! Some people put so much
effort into their work and gain such large fan bases that it seems sad it's not
recognised as a genuine form of fiction. When I came across the Sugarscape
Fanfiction Award, it was like seeing the light - I thought I had to write
something for it just because I thought it was important to acknowledge
it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My inspiration was mainly that I've always thought it would
be hilarious to have two of the most unlikely characters - the villain and the
hero, for example! - end up in a ridiculous situation and discover that they
have more in common than either of them ever dreamed. I like writing pieces
with a sense of humour; it's easier to avoid sounding pretentious than if
you're writing in total seriousness and with lashings of drama! Snow White was
my favourite film when I was four years old, so I thought it was a good
candidate for being teased. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The thing I really struggled with was the word count. I'm
generally quite a wordy person, so it was frustrating in the extreme to have to
limit myself to 750 words! In the end, though, I was pleased with the piece on
the whole, and hoped people would find it as amusing as I did! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you think are
the main problems you face when writing? How do you combat this?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Honestly, my biggest issues are time and space! I'm fairly
busy, as a blogger, president of a society, and final year student; finding
time to sit down and write, especially given that it usually takes me an hour
or so to actually get anything decent out, is nearly impossible. I find that I
write best at night, around 1am, which is also very irritating because I'm not
much of a night owl and would much rather get some sleep... <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then there's the fact that during holidays, which I always
hope will be much more productive, I'm at home. There are seven of us and I
share a room with my eight-year-old sister who goes to sleep at 9pm - not
exactly conducive towards creativity! And there's nowhere else for me to sit
and type without people wanting to know what I'm doing or giving me chores to
do which are obviously far more important than whatever you're doing on
that laptop, Emma, the screen is probably hurting your eyes, get out in the
fresh air once in a while!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My best bet for getting writing done is basically to be
really inspired. If a scene or a story is really clear in my mind and just
begging to be written, I'll write it, regardless of whether I have an essay due
or I should be cleaning the bathroom! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are you working
on at the moment?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ahh... no... don't remind me of all my unfinished projects!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Currently I'm turning a lot of ideas over. I've just
finished that one big fanfic, which left a bit of a hole in my life, so I've
started some sequel-ish chapters to follow it up. I also have a bit of a
weakness for Frozen - yeah, I know... - so I may one day get round to writing
more fic for that. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In terms of original fiction, I do actually have some very,
very basic ideas... but I'm sitting on them and seeing what hatches for the
moment. Give me a couple of months, I might have something worth
writing!! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Is writing solely a
hobby, or would you like it to lead onto something else in the future?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's definitely both! Is that okay? I love to dream of
writing an instantly successful book and getting rich of the proceeds, but
realistically I know that my writing will probably take second place to a lot
of my plans for the future. Having said that, I'm really hoping to find a job
when I graduate that will revolve around publishing or editing, as I adore
working with other people's writing as well and helping them craft it into
something beautiful (and get rid of grammar mistakes!). If all goes well,
fingers crossed, I'll end up having a bit of my foot in the door when it comes
to wanting to publish something. We shall see!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-56451979250863743992015-10-24T11:00:00.000+02:002015-10-24T11:00:02.917+02:00Interview with Wicked Young Writers Award finalist, Nicol Gibbs<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Along with other young writers in the UK, I attended the Wicked Young Writers' Awards in June. It was a fantastic afternoon which inspired me to kickstart this blog -- albeit it took me a while! Luckily, some of these talented writers agreed to let me interview them to get an insight into their motivation and aspirations. Finalist entries can be found here: </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf">http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf</a> . </span></span></i></span><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">And Sugar Scape finalists can be found <a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf" target="_blank">here: http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf</a></span></span></i></h4>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Interview with Nicol Gibbs</b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tell me a little
about your writing journey. When did you start? Why? How many pieces have you
written so far? Have any of these been published? Where are you hoping your
writing will take you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am 17 years of age, and throughout that time period my
interests and passions have developed and changed immensely - and still
continue to do so - however, my love for writing is something that has
always been there. To this day, I still find notepads filled with stories and
poems, even just general recollections of my day, from when I was as young as
4. I think my love for writing initially stemmed from two things: 1) I
learnt to write when I was very young and was wont to show off my skills at any
given opportunity, and 2) I have an extremely vast and vivid imagination, and
love the idea of being able to immortalise my thoughts on paper. I have lost
count of how many pieces I have written, or at least started, at this point,
and all of them vary drastically in content, ranging from descriptive
paragraphs to scientific journalism pieces. In addition to having my WYWA piece
published, I’ve been fortunate enough to have some of my book reviews published
in The Guardian newspaper, with my ultimate goal being that I’ll one day be
able to write for National Geographic, combining my love of writing with my
love of science, helping to prove that arts and sciences are not mutually
exclusive!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>That’s fantastic. I
really like The New Scientist. Sometimes their articles inspire me, as do
documentaries. Does this ever happen for you?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Absolutely! I am the type of person who just loves to learn,
no matter the subject matter or through what medium I learn things through. As cliché
as it may sound, I do try to draw inspiration from everything I see, do and
find out more about. I am always looking for ways to improve my writing and the
scope of my understanding, thus I find that watching documentaries or reading
other articles is not only enjoyable, but also incredibly helpful. They can
really give you more of an insight into what audiences want to see and hear
too, and can provide you with fresh points of view and writing techniques!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where did your
inspiration come from for your WYWA piece? What’s your favourite thing about the
piece? What did you struggle with?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is perhaps the simplest question for me to answer,
because for the WYWA I wrote a piece of Hunger Games fan-fiction, so it was
definitely inspired by said book trilogy! I really love the Hunger Games world
and characters, and thought that they gave me a lot to build on. My piece
focused on one of the universally most-loved characters in the book, Cinna,
whom I felt still had stories to tell after his official storyline came to an
end. I loved being able to develop his character arc further, and mould Cinna
into more of the character he was in my eyes, moving away from the original
plot line, and essentially giving him the exciting story I thought he deserved.
Initially, I struggled with keeping in the spirit of the books themselves,
whilst still making the story very much my own, but this was the first
fan-fiction piece I’d ever written, so I was quite surprised when it was so
well-received! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>It’s funny that you
found writing existing characters so interesting; I always find it more
difficult to write someone else’s characters than my own. I think that’s
probably because I know for sure that I know everything about them because I
made them. Do you think you’ll write more fan fiction now that you know you
enjoy it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think fan-fiction is great because it gives you a starting
point, and as with a lot of things, starting can sometimes be the hardest part
of writing a story! Fan-fiction can also give you the opportunity to
further refine a near-perfect world or ending and make it into something
absolutely perfect according to your standards. However, I can't resist the
appeal of having the opportunity to create my own world and characters, knowing
that I'm the only one with the rights to put limits and constraints on all
aspects of a story, so whilst fan-fiction for me is a great starting point and
way to practice creative writing, I don't think it will ever really be my main
outlet. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you think are
the main problems you face when writing? How do you combat this?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the main writing-related problems that I encounter is
simply finding the time to practice and hone in on my craft. As someone who
only studies one essay-based subject, I can sometimes grow accustomed to
bullet-points and a limited vocabulary, so I’ve started to allocate myself time
to just sit and write. I find that reading extensively definitely helps as it
subconsciously refreshes my mind as to grammar rules and sentence structures as
I go along. Whilst reading is definitely my main tool in helping to develop my
writing in every sense, sometimes I find that the stories forming in my own
mind can be a bit too heavily influenced by the worlds other authors have
created, and so I make sure I read as wide a variety of texts and genres as
possible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Finding time to write
is always the difficulty! I have enough problems trying to find time to reply
to emails, never mind work on stories or novels! How long do you give yourself
to write, and how often? Do you stick to it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My writing schedule has, sadly, been a little up in the air
for the past few months due to the pressures of exams etc. but over the summer
I have tried to get myself back on to a bit more of a regular timetable. I try
to make sure I allot at least an hour or two to writing each day, although
often it is more appropriate for me to tell myself that I will try to get a
certain amount done that I'm happy with as opposed to a certain amount of
minutes, due to some of my writing commitments having deadlines. Personally, I
find my best writing comes from me in the morning when I'm feeling fresh and
alert, or late at night when I am distant and utterly sleep-depraved. I
am of the ever-optimistic opinion that if you can't find time, you should make
time, and that is exactly how I approach my writing for most of the year, as
even squeezing in 15 minutes of writing between study breaks is invaluable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are you working
on at the moment? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Currently, I am very excited to be working on my first
children’s story, which I also plan to illustrate myself. Sparked by the
realisation that there were little to no picture books, or young children’s
books, where there were examples of mixed race families or relationships, I
decided to take the task of writing one upon myself. As a mixed-race child, I
definitely would have liked to see more examples of such situations, and still
would now! I am also in the midst of writing a review of “The Boy in the
Striped Pyjamas” for The Guardian newspaper, a book I only read very recently
but one that moved me deeply. In addition, I am working on a few
creative-writing pieces for various competitions, and hope to start a literary
club for the younger students when I return to school in September.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Sounds like you have
big plans for September. I’m also mixed race and completely agree with their
not being enough books about mixed race children. It’s the same with cards –
have you noticed? I hate buying my brothers birthday cards that have white
children on, because clearly it’s not them! To be honest, there isn’t much on
any ethnic minority. How are you incorporating culture into your stories? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know exactly the problem you are talking about, and no
matter how many times I see birthday cards or book covers depicting strictly Caucasian
children it continues to shock me how few images of ethnic minorities are out
there. This is all the more surprising, because as a Londoner, I live in
arguably the most culturally and ethnically diverse city in the world. Culture
and ethnicity should by no means be something that defines you, but as a lack
of diversity in the media prevails, ethnic minorities continue to feel
alienated. This is why, in my writing, whilst culture will definitely be an
element of the story it will not be all it's based on, as I believe integrating
it into a more standard plot-line will help to "normalize" different
cultures, instead of promoting further segregation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Is writing solely a
hobby, or would you like it to lead onto something else in the future?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Writing is very much an integral part of me, so it is a lot
more than just a hobby. From a practical standpoint, being a good writer is a
very valuable skill no matter what you study or what career you go into.
Personally, I would absolutely love to have some more creative writing
published, and would love to release a book in the fantasy genre in particular.
I also hope to get involved in writing research papers upon entering
university, and would ultimately love to become a scientific journalist, but,
for now, I just plan to follow wherever the writing takes me in the hope of
even more amazing opportunities!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What is it about
fantasy writing that you enjoy? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Growing up, almost everything that I went through a "phase”
of was in some way related to something fantastical - fairies, dragons, Lord of
the Rings - thus, I'd like to think my love for fantasy was something I was
born with. I have also been fascinated with Greek myths and folklore from a
young age, and love their ethereal nature. Fantasy is what pushes our
imagination to its absolute limits, and I love writing about the most extreme
aspects of it. There is also great appeal in being able to create a world where
there are no boundaries, where you can make all the rules!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-46869703147020886372015-10-17T11:00:00.000+02:002015-10-17T11:00:01.207+02:00Interview with Wicked Young Writers Award finalist, Jessica Birch<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Along with other young writers in the UK, I attended the Wicked Young Writers' Awards in June. It was a fantastic afternoon which inspired me to kickstart this blog -- albeit it took me a while! Luckily, some of these talented writers agreed to let me interview them to get an insight into their motivation and aspirations. Finalist entries can be found here: </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf">http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf</a> . </span></span></i></span><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">And Sugar Scape finalists can be found <a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf" target="_blank">here: http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf</a></span></span></i></h4>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Interview with Jessica Birch</b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tell me a little
about your writing journey. When did you start? Why? How many pieces have you
written so far? Have any of these been published? Where are you hoping your
writing will take you?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I've been scribbling in notebooks for what seems like forever,
when we went to restaurants when I was a kid I used to bring a notebook and not
speak to whoever I was with and just write until my food came, at the time it
was just something to do. As I got older ideas would hit me, like when I was
swimming or in the shower. When I was in year 5 I got a poem published in a
children's laureate book with a poem called "our school" and then the
same thing happened a year later with a poem called "the fog" writing
creatively became my favourite kind of lessons. When I was in secondary school
I used to write instead of listening to the teachers, I swear I didn't actually
start doing work till year ten. I have so many ideas half-written, or stories
on my laptop that never got anywhere. I have some pieces published on my
Wattpad account. There's a trio about a girl who was killed by her father, a
story about a girl who was killed on the underground and most recently a story
about finding your soul mates. At the moment I just write because I enjoy doing
so.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>So do you ever plan
to finish any of the pieces that you’ve half written? Do you see it as a
problem that you don’t always finish things, or is it just a part of the
learning process?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don't plan on finishing any half done pieces, I think if I
stopped writing them then my heart wasn't in them and there is no point going
back to them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Where did your
inspiration come from for your WYWA piece? What’s your favourite thing about
the piece? What did you struggle with?<br />
</b>I went and saw wicked with my grandparents in March of this year and there
was an ad for WYWA in the programme my grandad is very supportive of my passion
for writing so told me to have a go. I kind of dismissed it, but that night I
couldn't sleep. I modified an old story, adding in subtle references to the show
and shortened it down and sent that in. I struggle with spelling so bad! I
don't think I even read over the piece before I sent it in, the final piece
that was published on the website had been severely edited. I think my
favourite thing was that it was drawn from something that I've been thinking
about and working on since I was fourteen, so I was happy that this character
was going places.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<b>Why did you decide to modify something
old instead of starting something all over again? Did you have this character
in mind when you’ve been writing other things, or did it just come up when you
wanted to write something for Wicked?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wrote lots of stuff when I was younger and so I like going
back to them so make them better as I feel as I get older I become a better
writer. The character that I used for Wicked has been with me for four years,
so I felt she was developed enough to be put in for a competition. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What do you think are
the main problems you face when writing? How do you combat this?<br />
</b>Spelling is an issue...sometimes it's so bad that spell check doesn't know
what I'm saying. I get my best friend and my mam to read over stuff and mark it
with a red pen! I also struggle with following through with my writing...like
I'll have a brilliant idea but no idea how to start, middle or end it. Most of
the time my writing ideas stay a bullet point in a notebook or a thought in my
head,<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Do you ever go
through your ideas and try to force yourself to write something? You might have
more luck if you try to make an exercise out of it.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don't often force myself to write, I have seen those 1000
ideas for wrong books in Waterstones so I may get one and use that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>What are you working
on at the moment?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was in Spain I was in the pool and was hit by a story
idea. It entails babies having their fingers pricked when they are born and
blood and sliver are formed to make a pendant. It is believed that your
soulmate is the person who has the same pendant of you. My character loses her
pendant and her family in a fire but gets it back and uncovers a truth about
these pendants and who your soulmate actually is. I wrote it up whilst on
holiday and edited it when I went to London, I'm now in the process if taking
advice and correcting spellings. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>That sounds like a
really interesting story. How long is the current piece?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story about pendants is currently around 50 pages, I
keep thinking I'm done but it's growing! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Is writing solely a
hobby, or would you like it to lead onto something else in the future?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I just finished my A-levels and didn't get into my chosen
university to do speech and language, I went through clearing and got a place
for script writing at another university, I was tempted but since then decided
to try again for the speech and language. But if it doesn't work out again I
think I will try and pursue something with writing further. But for the moment
it's just a hobby that I really enjoy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>So are you going to
retake your A-Levels to get into that university? Which university is it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm retaking Biology and English Language, it's at Newcastle
University.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Wishing Jessica Birch
the best of luck with her studies this year in the hope that she gets into
Newcastle!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-59594744584902108332015-10-10T11:00:00.000+02:002015-10-13T19:48:03.627+02:00Interview with Wicked Young Writers Award finalist, Grace Haddon<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Along with other young writers in the UK, I attended the Wicked Young Writers' Awards in June. It was a fantastic afternoon which inspired me to kickstart this blog -- albeit it took me a while! Luckily, some of these talented writers agreed to let me interview them to get an insight into their motivation and aspirations. Finalist entries can be found here: </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf">http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf</a> . </span></span></i></span><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">And Sugar Scape finalists can be found <a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf" target="_blank">here: http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf</a></span></span></i></h4>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Interview with Grace Haddon</b></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Tell me a little about your writing
journey. When did you start? Why? How many pieces have you written so far? Have
any of these been published? Where are you hoping your writing will take you?</b><br />
I am a Leicester writer of fantasy short stories. Growing up, I always loved
fantasy books the best: Chris D’Lacey’s The Fire Within series, Georgia Byng’s
Molly Moon and Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart trilogy to name just a few. However,
it wasn’t until I was twelve years old that I started to think seriously about
a writing career. In 2008 I saw Doctor Who for the first time and it completely
blew my mind. One episode a week simply wasn’t enough so I did what any writer
would do: I wrote fanfiction about it! The positive reviews I received online
prompted me to write more, and I eventually wrote a novel-length adventure
story in which the Doctor visits the dinosaurs. Nowadays I’m a creative writing
student at Nottingham University and just as big a whovian, but instead I write
fantasy short stories and I’m working on two novels. Only this year I’ve made a
serious effort at getting pieces published, and already I’ve had some success.
My first published piece was a YA horror in Growing Pains (Horrified Press). I
also won Malorie Blackman’s Project Remix competition in April this year and
was shortlisted for the Sugarscape Fanfiction Award. I’m sending out new
stories all the time, so I hope to build up some more publication credits
whilst working on my novels, which is my real love.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>That’s fantastic. How many novels are you
writing at the moment? Do you find it difficult to have more than one project
going on at once?</b><br />
Just two at the moment, though I’m working on vague plans for two or three
others. There are definitely drawbacks to working on multiple projects: it can
seem like none of the stories are coming along fast enough, and if there’s a
short story deadline approaching then I have to prioritise. On the other hand,
it’s nice to move between things so I don’t get bored very often. It means that
I don’t spend every day editing, as I would if I was only working on one novel.<br />
<br />
<b>Where did your inspiration come from for
your WYWA piece? What’s your favourite thing about the piece? What did you
struggle with?</b><br />
I entered the Sugarscape Fanfiction Award, which ran alongside the Wicked Young
Writers Award, so my first decision was to choose a book series that had
potential for a short story. I eventually settled on Jim Butcher’s Dresden
Files, which is a gritty but comedic urban fantasy series about a wizard
detective in Chicago. I wanted to write a character study for Harry Dresden,
the protagonist, so I wrote a short prequel about how he finds a cat in a
dustbin and adopts him. The books are quite dark, so I really enjoyed exploring
a lighter, softer side to Dresden’s world. The competition had a 750 word limit
which I struggled with; I have a habit of pushing towards the limit regardless
of how many words I’m allowed! It was also tricky to find a plot that was
compact enough to fit into those 750 words. A useful exercise in cutting words,
nevertheless!<br />
<br />
<b>What do you think are the main problems
you face when writing? How do you combat this?</b><br />
Funnily enough, it’s the plot that I find the hardest! Almost invariably my
story ideas begin with a character and I have to then figure out the plot that
would work best for them. It’s a real pain when working on longer projects such
as novels. My solution is to write scenes as they come to me patchwork style,
and then stitch them together at the end. Motivation is also an issue when
you’re running the writing marathon, so I like to make YouTube playlists for
each project which I can listen to when the writing gets slow.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Oh that’s interesting. What kind of things
are in your motivation playlists?</b><br />
Anything that fires up my imagination, really. I enjoy noisy drum and bass
music, so there’s plenty of stuff on there to wake me up in the morning! For
the days when it’s hard to concentrate, I have quiet background music and the
sound of crashing waves to block out noise. If I’m writing a scene that
requires some research, I might find informational videos that I can refer to
when I’m stuck. It’s a bit like creating a soundtrack for a film; if I find a
song that fits a character or a scene it can be very helpful when planning or
drafting. I was inspired by my favourite author, Sarah J. Maas, who uses a
similar technique of creating imaginary soundtrack playlists for her books.
Music can be very effective at capturing a mood or idea, and I highly recommend
it as a writing technique.<br />
<br />
<b>What are you working on at the moment?</b><br />
Quite a lot! I’m determined to make the most of my time at university, so when
I’m not busy with coursework I have my own projects. At the moment I’m working
on a science fantasy short story and planning out a few others for submission
to anthologies (in the holidays I can send out two or three per month). The
rest of the time, I’m working on my novels. One is the first in a YA trilogy,
which has become something of a headache now that the first draft is finished
and it needs a LOT of editing. The other is a comic fantasy standalone which
I’ve been having an insane amount of fun with (probably because it’s still in
the planning and drafting stage). I try to keep up with new calls for
submissions, though sometimes it’s hard to divide my time between so many
projects.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What is your YA novel about? What are the
problems you’re finding when editing, and do you have any support networks for
motivation or help with editing?</b><br />
The YA project has been very close to my heart for two years now. It’s an urban
fantasy (trilogy, hopefully) about a university student who discovers that
she’s a pyromancer, only she’s terrified of fire. It’s very much my first novel
and I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but it is slowly improving with
each edit. I do find that editing restricts my creativity. It’s not as fun as
the writing part, and I’m also a bit of a perfectionist so it’s hard to decide
when a project is truly “finished”. At university, I have a lot of supportive
friends who can sympathise with my pains and my tutors have been invaluable for
all kinds of advice, but it’s my mum who has been my ultimate beta reader.
She’s read just about everything I’ve written and I can always rely on her for
constructive criticism and support. Of course, ultimately it’s up to me to stay
motivated and to decide what changes to make, but she certainly helps me to put
things in another perspective and gives me encouragement when I’m having doubts
about my writing. My family have been nothing but supportive of my choice to
write, so I’m very grateful to them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<b>Is writing solely a hobby, or would you
like it to lead onto something else in the future?</b><br />
Writing is the core of my life. It’s what I think about on the train, in the
bath and even when I’m drifting off to sleep. Obsession might be a better word!
I’m not certain where my writing will take me – university is a means of
exploring different options and honing my skills – but I know that it will be
with me for the rest of my life. It’s something I love doing, so I will always
do it. Who knows, perhaps one day I’ll even have a few published novels of my
own...<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>You can find Grace over on her website: </i><a href="http://www.gracehaddon.com/"><i>www.gracehaddon.com</i></a><i> or on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/GraceHaddon" target="_blank">@GraceHaddon</a> <o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-32062076836530682792015-10-03T11:00:00.000+02:002015-10-13T19:46:13.950+02:00Interview with Wicked Young Writers Award finalist, Shannon Smith<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Along with other young writers in the UK, I attended the Wicked Young Writers' Awards in June. It was a fantastic afternoon which inspired me to kickstart this blog -- albeit it took me a while! Luckily, some of these talented writers agreed to let me interview them to get an insight into their motivation and aspirations. Finalist entries can be found here: </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf">http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf</a> . </span></span></i></span><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">And Sugar Scape finalists can be found <a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf" target="_blank">here: http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf</a></span></span></i></h4>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Interview with Shannon Smith</b></h2>
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<b>Tell me a little
about your writing journey. When did you start? Why? How many pieces have you
written so far? Have any of these been published? Where are you hoping your
writing will take you?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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My writing journey started when I was a child learning to
read. I used to read a series of fairy books and stories, and once I’d finish
them, I’d write my own. I remember my very first story was about half a page
about a girl finding a jewel in a fountain! I loved daydreaming and if I was
bored, I’d just imagine doing something else and having adventures that I read
about, then just put them on paper. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I haven't had a lot of publishing experience: a few poems in
analogies in primary school, and articles for my University magazine. I also
had a travel piece published in my village’s local newsletter as well as my
schools, based on my school exchange to Kenya. Nowadays, my writing is mostly
articles. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I don't really know where I want my writing to take me: I study
Tourism Management in University, and to have a job that means I could do some
travel/historical writing would be amazing. I love creative writing, but it’s
always been more of a hobby due to family commitments.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZV8R4JMiWYAv0XiiYXXsLrTYLsm9XleAQi0CfBWv13VJJU9Z54IYe5FsgWGJBFF6ksrCYS-wTYjqGBDkQthgVsLZN5GXaMpUIbbSGFRq51hROR11lIhFMV2w2UEmozzZt8akbJRtHJjU/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZV8R4JMiWYAv0XiiYXXsLrTYLsm9XleAQi0CfBWv13VJJU9Z54IYe5FsgWGJBFF6ksrCYS-wTYjqGBDkQthgVsLZN5GXaMpUIbbSGFRq51hROR11lIhFMV2w2UEmozzZt8akbJRtHJjU/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Travel writing is
something I’d really love to do, but I imagine it’s difficult to get into. What
was the travel writing piece for your local newsletter about?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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My travel piece was around my school exchange with Kenya:
mine was the last trip that would be funded by a grant we were given, and so my
teacher wanted us (there were three of us on the trip) to write a piece about
it to raise awareness of it in the school and the community. The others pretty
much told me that they weren't good at writing and asked if I'd be happy to do
it: I was!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I wrote it on the plane home and tried to make it almost
like a diary entry: I wanted people to read it and think: "I want to go
there."<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Where did your
inspiration come from for your WYWA piece? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I said above I love creative writing, and my favourite thing
to write is probably historical fiction, despite how difficult it can be. My
WYWA piece is about a gay man going in to a Nazi concentration camp, and it was
inspired by a conversation I had with a gay friend who studies history. He had
wanted to do a report on the treatment of homosexuals in WW2, but was unable to
due to the lack of primary sources. This stayed with me, as it bothered me that
there was a lack of literature on the subject, and so I wanted to challenge
that, even in a small way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Wow, that is a very
poignant thing to write about. Do you enjoy doing the research that comes with
historical writing? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I love doing research if I have the time! I love history,
and being able to imagine what life was like back then is brilliant. The best
thing is that sometimes sources don't agree or just don't know enough: so I can
almost make the history fit around my characters and plot: because there's no
proof it didn't happen!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What’s your favourite
thing about the piece? What did you struggle with?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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My favourite thing about the piece is that I wrote it!
In all seriousness, it was difficult to write, and I was so proud of it when
I’d finished.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was difficult for a number of reasons: the obvious one
being a girl writing in a man’s point of view, as I was worried I would make it
less believable if it was ‘girly.’ The second was the ‘cliché’ -
there is a lot of material around concentration camps in WW2, and I didn’t want
to make it similar to other pieces. Finally, I wanted to do it justice: I was
writing a story about a population that had been imprisoned even after the war,
and whose suffering had been ignored for years: and I wanted my story to give
them a voice, even if it was through WYWA.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What do you think are
the main problems you face when writing? How do you combat this?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The main problems I face are easy: lack of knowledge, lack
of time or lack of inspiration. I have a job, University and family, so
sometimes it’s difficult to find time for writing. Lack of inspiration
is of course, writers block: I can get it really badly, and sometimes for
a long time. If I am struggling, I do a lot of research, and reading, to
try and get ideas to form. Music plays a big part as well: I’ll set my IPod
on shuffle and try to write a story based on whatever song comes on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>What are you working
on at the moment?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I’m actually working on a crime piece, which isn't my usual
genre, but I was watching Criminal Minds and got inspired!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>What is your crime
piece about? I’ve always wanted to write crime fiction since it’s so popular,
but I don’t think I have enough knowledge about the law and criminology apart
from the obvious. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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My crime piece is a bit different as just like you, I have
no idea of criminology either: it's actually from the point of view of a
criminal’s family during the crimes, his arrest and conviction/sentencing: in a
lot of crime dramas, focus is of course on the police/FBI/CSI etc and the
criminals, so I wanted to do something a bit different. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Is writing solely a
hobby, or would you like it to lead onto something else in the future?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I would love to have a job which would allow me to write
even part time, like travel or historical writing for tourists: and if I could
one day publish my own book, it would be a dream come true. I don't even mind
if it’s a bestseller: just to hold a copy of my own book, or see it in
libraries: it would be amazing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-89670327432595119672015-09-26T11:00:00.000+02:002015-09-26T11:00:05.941+02:00Interview with Wicked Young Writers Award finalist, Amelia Roberts<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Along with other young writers in the UK, I attended the Wicked Young Writers' Awards in June. It was a fantastic afternoon which inspired me to kickstart this blog -- albeit it took me a while! Luckily, some of these talented writers agreed to let me interview them to get an insight into their motivation and aspirations. Finalist entries can be found here: </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;"><a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf">http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_YWA_2015_18-25.pdf</a> . </span></span></i></span><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">And Sugar Scape finalists can be found <a href="http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf" target="_blank">here: http://www.wickedyoungwriters.com/downloads/Wicked_Sugarscape_Award2015.pdf</a></span></span></i></h4>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Interview with Amelia Roberts</span></b></h2>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Tell me a little about your writing journey.
When did you start? Why? How many pieces have you written so far? Have any of
these been published? Where are you hoping your writing will take you?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> I started writing sometime between being able
to hold a pencil and learning how to spell – my parents have kept evidence of my earliest
written storytelling attempts, which range from the moving tale of the
"fat robn" who ate a "hol apl", to the thrilling adventure
of <i>The Green Bananass Hunt</i>. I haven't
stopped writing in one form or another since (although I like to think my
spelling has improved). In the attic, there are boxes full of notebooks
containing stories I wrote growing up, and there are over a hundred Word docs
in various folders on my laptop, which are comprised of everything from
abandoned song lyrics to example pieces of different genres for the creative
writing classes I taught to years two, five, and six pupils last year. I think
learning to read, and loving to read, from an early age played a big part in
why writing has always been such a compulsion for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I’d certainly hope that your spelling has
improved too! How did you get into teaching creative writing classes to primary
school pupils? Is that something you’d be interested in the future?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I volunteered as a creative
writing tutor in primary schools while completing my A-levels and this position
was an extension of that. It's definitely something I'd be interested in
continuing in the future; being able to witness and contribute to these
children becoming more confident in their own talents, playing around with
different writing techniques until even the most wary of them found something
they enjoyed, was just amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> <b>Could
you tell me a little more about your own published work?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My first short story published,
"Bring in the Clowns", was distributed in an anthology of young
people's work, The Write Stuff, as the result of a series of writing workshops
led by the brilliant Mal Peet, in association with Brighton's Jubilee Library.
Since then, I've published a few non-fiction articles online and was most
recently published as a finalist for the 2015 Wicked Young Writers' Award. I
write because it's a fundamental part of me. It's what I've always done, but
it's also what I love doing; anything more than just the sheer satisfaction of
it is a massive bonus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What kind of topics did you cover in your
workshops with Mal Peet? Do you think it’s had a positive impact on your work?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There was one initial workshop at
the Jubilee Library and we then continued working with him via e-mail. A lot of
what we covered was individualised around our own writing; we each wrote a
piece to send to our respective writer (Anne Cassidy and Nicky Singer also led
workshops at other locations), who would annotate it and send it back for
discussion and revision. The most positive impact it had on my work was simply
giving me the confidence to continue writing at a more serious level. Seeing my
work published for the first time at such a young age was what made me realise
that this could be more than just something I did for fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Where did your inspiration come from for your
WYWA piece? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The piece I wrote for the WYWA
was a poem called Achilles, written from the point of view of his lover,
Patroclus. It wasn't actually written for the competition, but for an
experimental writing class I took as part of my Creative and Critical Writing
MA this year. The exercise set for that particular week was inspired by Oulipo,
a group of mainly French-speaking writers from the 60s onwards, who practised
constraint-based writing. For this exercise, we experimented with picking a
name and writing a poem using only the letters in that name. Although I had
chosen the name mainly because I had recently reread Madeline Miller's
wonderful novel, The Song of Achilles, and was anticipating struggling mostly
due to the constraint on the writing process in this case, "Achilles"
turned out to be a very versatile name in terms of the letters available, and I
hope I was therefore able to convey his and Patroclus' journey and relationship
in what had to be a short, limited poem, without relying on the expected (you
can make the word "heel" out of the name "Achilles").<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">That’s a really interesting technique, and it
sounds really difficult! Do you write more poetry than prose, or is it equal?
Which do you prefer and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It was really fun! I'm usually
solely a prose writer, so it was also a great challenge. Hybrid styles that
aren't strictly one or the other have caught my interest lately too - I loved
Anne Carson's Autobiography of Red, a novel written in verse that doesn't quite
read as poetry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What’s your favourite thing about the piece? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My favourite thing about the
piece was the unexpected freedom I found in the writing process; the class
really encouraged me to try out techniques and styles I would never have
imagined even existed, let alone had the guts to try out before. This also meant
that I thought to experiment with visual style, and the aesthetically pleasing
circle the poem appears in is the result of that, and a result that I'm pretty
fond of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">So why did you decide to enter poetry to the
contest?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Entering the competition itself
was almost an accident! I was submitting a collection of stories written by the
children I taught this year and at the last moment thought there was nothing to
lose in including my own work too. Two of my pupils - Toby Bailey and Millie
Broadrib - attended the awards ceremony as finalists, and their excitement at
becoming published authors was really the most amazing part of the whole
experience for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It’s really sweet that you found seeing your
pupils so excited so rewarding. How did you come to learn about the contest in
the first place?</span></b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I've been a fan of the musical <i>Wicked</i> for a while and read the book it
was based on last year, but it was actually my mum who let me know about the
writing award! She's a teacher and one of the literacy mailing lists she's
subscribed to mentioned it; she forwarded the e-mail to me and I suggested
basing a few writing classes around stories the children could submit to it,
thinking it would be an exciting experience for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What do you think are the main problems you
face when writing? How do you combat this?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Just finding the time to sit down
and dedicate a decent chunk of the day/night to writing is the main problem I'm
facing at the moment. Between working and studying and living outside of
working and studying, time is scarce and, as I have a long-term illness called
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, it's often a toss-up between writing and sleeping!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Having something involving a
deadline to work towards really helps in combating this. Classes at university
where creative writing forms part of the coursework are fantastic for producing
short pieces that I can then continue to develop or edit outside of school, as
are competitions like the WYWC. I find actively scheduling time to write helps
too, instead of passively waiting for the ever-elusive inspiration to strike,
as does writing collaboratively, even if that collaboration is something as
casual as roleplaying your favourite characters with a partner on Tumblr.
Basically, outside pressure or commitments are massive motivators in making
time for an activity that can often be quite isolating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The
problem with waiting for inspiration to strike is that it never strikes when
you want it to. It either gets you in the middle of the night or when you don’t
have a pen and paper, then by the time you find a pen and paper, it’s gone.
Outside pressure works for me sometimes, but then sometimes it’s a case of
finding the time to fit anything in between work. How do you juggle other
commitments with writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> </span><span style="font-family: Cambria, serif;">Exactly! I don't have any
fail-proof method. It's really just a matter of prioritising school and work
deadlines - which is fantastic if writing is part of that - and then squeezing
in whatever I can around that. I'll very soon have a year off studying before
my PhD starts next year, which is a lot of spare time I'm really looking
forward to filling!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What are you working on at the moment?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My MA dissertation! Very briefly,
I've been researching different forms of male friendship and love in 19th
century Paris, and using that as a foundation when analysing the relationship
between two of the student revolutionaries in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables and
its adaptations, including the musical and the 2012 film, but also stuff like
fan fiction and fan art. I'll be continuing my work on this next year with a
PhD in English.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">For the past few years, I've also
been writing a novel called <i>Feint of
Heart</i>, the first 5000 words of which were shortlisted for Myriad Edition's
2015 First Drafts Competition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Wow,
your dissertation sounds really interesting. Have you read Les Mis in French? I
found reading it in French really difficult, but I was really interested in the
difference between my translation and official translations. It didn’t really
change the deeper meaning of the novel, but it there was a difference in the
mood of certain passages.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Thank you! I've loved working on
it. I'm far from being fluent in French but I've managed to work my way through
the sections of the novel relevant to my dissertation, and comparing the
original French with its various English translations has actually added a lot
of depth to some of my arguments. I've found that the Isabel Hapgood
translation is probably the most literal, so a pretty good substitute for the
original, but I'd love to be able to read the whole novel in French one day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">What is <i>Feint
of Heart</i> about?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Feint of Heart</span></i><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> is about a lot of things and it's tricky to
describe without giving everything away! It's focused around four characters: a
soldier and the man he meets very soon after being medically discharged from
the army, and two women, one of whom was an army medic, who are working
together in a number of different ways. It started out as an experiment in
focalisation, but I'm also really interested in morally ambiguous characters,
and in subverting and undermining prevailing narratives about marginalised
groups of people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Is writing solely a hobby, or would you like
it to lead onto something else in the future?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">A bit of both! It's what I've
always done and what I always want to do, whether that's in the same capacity
as I write now, or something more public. As long as I'm tapping away in one
form or another, I'm happy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Amelia sells handmade literary themed Morse
code bracelets on Etsy. You can find these little gems here:
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/ameliamorse">www.etsy.com/shop/ameliamorse</a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-43731758345241672362014-10-15T10:53:00.004+02:002014-10-15T10:56:19.704+02:00New Vague Review of Books <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Interstate, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-align: start;">The one where it all started. In this episode we ask: did Roald Dahl's hospitality extend to pies? Does One Day lie about burritos? Just how sexy is John Updike? Would Atlas Shrugged make good kindling? Plus much much more (but not that much more).</span></div>
<br />
<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/171811308&color=f46969&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-65818282463592911472014-10-12T21:33:00.004+02:002014-10-12T21:33:52.392+02:00Call for beta readers!I finally finished the novel I was writing with my co-writer, Toby, before he passed away. Now I'm looking for feedback so that I can start redrafting in the new year.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Fourth Element is a 86,000
word sci-fi/dystopian novel. It started as a spin-off story from a series I was planning, but
then it got out of control and turned into a novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When an earthquake destroys all civilisation in a colony
that was once known as the United Kingdom, Adrian and his husband, Jae-Sun, are
forced to hide from a corrupt government that want to recall all offspring
produced during genetic experiments. Although he appears to be nothing special,
this includes Adrian. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s not long until the pair fall into the hands of slavers.
They’re separated, and Adrian realises he’s landed right in the middle of a
conflict that’s been going on even since he was born – or created. As his
master becomes more affectionate, and the government close in, Adrian has to
make the decision whether to fight for his marriage and forever be on the run,
or whether to allow Jae-Sun his freedom. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m looking for beta-readers who are open to LGBT, sci-fi,
dystopian, and adult themes. The beta doesn’t necessarily have to have a lot of
experience in sci-fi or dystopian literature. The main thing I’m looking for is
plot consistency, character development, tension, structure etc. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I plan to
rewrite the whole thing (probably in 3<sup>rd</sup> person) which is why I want
to get to grips with the plot and characters themselves first. I don’t want
anyone to waste time telling me about specific lines and paragraphs, although a
comment on the overall style would be appreciated.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If this appeals to you, please email me at <a href="mailto:chazjosephs@gmail.com">chazjosephs@gmail.com</a> and we can
discuss terms. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
P.S, I have a full chapter-by-chapter synopsis available if you want to see.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-35802912452790022852014-06-18T20:21:00.001+02:002014-06-18T20:31:34.623+02:00Let’s teach British Values in schools! I suppose that means hypocrisy, then<div class="MsoNormal">
I meant to post about this when the issue was first
introduced, but I was busy soaking up the French sun before I return to rainy
ol’ England.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So as a result of spats between certain government
officials, children should now be taught “British values” in school… but what
values are these? Are we not a democracy, so shouldn’t we all have a say in
what these British values are? I don’t remember being asked what my values as a
British citizen are, do you?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, so we mean teaching tolerance and equality!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, I’m glad that’s cleared up, maybe if we’re teaching
tolerance we’ll have OFSTED stop running around telling qualified teachers how
to teach and pupils how to learn. But of course, that’s too much of a dream…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In all honesty, I just can’t get my head around how Gove
axes literature that teaches tolerance from the syllabus because it’s “foreign”
and students don’t study enough “British” literature, and then he says children
need to understand the British value of tolerance. This sounds a little
hypocritical to me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In all honesty, if we’re going to start looking at
tolerance, we need to look at the facts. How is it that less than 10% of hate
crimes are taken seriously by the police, if we’re such a tolerant nation? How
is it that UKIP just got majority votes in the European Election, despite their
sexist, racist, and homophobic remarks, if we’re so welcoming to anyone who isn’t
a straight white male? I do understand that only 33% of the UK voted, but that
means that 67% of Brits are complacent about such issues.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So if we really want to promote “British values” how about this:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Instead of barging into schools with high Muslim populations
and telling them not to become terrorists (yeah, come on. We all know what this
is really about. Don’t sugar coat it!), we start dealing with the REAL problem,
which is that majority of British children are geographically, culturally, and
politically unaware. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I arrived in France and started meeting other students
from all over the planet, I became aware of how ignorant I was. It’s true!
There were plenty of countries that were previous British colonies that I had
no idea about. Embarrassing. How is it that we’re so “tolerant” when we know
nothing about anyone, despite the fact that we marched into their countries,
raped their women and murdered their men, ravaged their lands and made slaves
of their children? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh! I know why! It’s because these parts of history aren’t
taught very well, and because the books that talk about this kind of thing have
been axed from the syllabus. Silly me. There I was thinking that maybe a
tolerant country would teach the mistakes of its past and hold firm links with
its ex-colonies and European partners to ensure that equality really did exist.
My mistake. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The fact of the matter is that this “British values” malarkey
is the latest in a very, very long string of BS presented by our current
government. If we want to enforce tolerance, we need to start presenting people
(not just children) with opportunities to open their minds. For example,
literature that challenges racism, sexism, homophobia. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An emphasis on languages, with the specific focus on USING
these language skills and what it means to be able to communicate with
different countries and cultures. Languages shouldn’t be a case of “should I learn
a language?” but rather “WHICH language should I learn?” with the option of
learning a range of languages (and not only European languages) and with
government funding into student exchange programmes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m sure there are plenty of excuses not to organise
something like this, but similar schemes seem to work well in Germany and
Canada… (Just sayin’.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m sure teaching children more about the actual countries
in the world, along with their cultures, would also be more useful that all
that time I spent in maths class learning all that SIN COS TAN stuff that I don’t
even remember – but you know, we use that in everyday life and that’s why we
prioritise it over subjects like Religious Education and Modern Languages.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, that’s just my opinion… I mean, I could be
completely wrong, and 67% of the population could’ve merely forgotten about the
EP elections, and 90% of hate crime reports could have just resolved themselves
magically whilst collecting dust in a deep dark corner of the police report
system, and Gove could be coming down with an early onset of Alzheimer’s and
not realise the mixed signals he’s sending, and I could be the only person in
Britain who doesn’t know our “dark history” in detail, and maybe I’m just a
dreamer. Just a dreamer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I doubt it. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-88710511342438047402014-06-17T15:24:00.000+02:002014-10-26T16:05:06.581+01:00The Hunger of Rats by Moriah Geer-Hardwick<div>
The night the rats ate my brother Yuri, I slept so soundly his screams didn’t wake me. They tore him apart an arm’s reach away, and I didn’t stir. I’d never slept like that before; without hunger, without pain, without fear. I’ll never sleep like that again.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The day before, we’d helped the Ferals steal medicine from a humanitarian aid station. The Ferals usually kept to themselves, but for bigger jobs they’d gather as many of us from the street as they could. Humanitarians were best, because they were mostly foreigners, and the locals they used for security were unlikely to shoot children in front of them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We gathered near the back of the building, and one of the Ferals cut a child-sized hole in the fence. Then we all rushed in, ran around to the front, and straight through the doors. The guards snagged a few, but most poured past them. We grabbed everything we could. There wasn’t time to pick and choose. What didn’t fit easily into our dirty little hands we threw down or knocked over. Medicine cases clattered to the floor. Gurneys, some filled with patients, were sent tumbling. Shouting. Glass shattering. Cries of pain and panic. We scrambled over everything, like rats up from the gutters in a rain storm.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Poor Yuri, he only managed to grab some bandages. I spotted a tall foreign man with a large black satchel slung over his shoulder and charged straight for him. I tucked my chin against my chest and drove the top of my head straight into his gut. With a heavy gasp he folded over and collapsed to the ground. I fell with him, grabbing for the strap as I went down. The moment we hit the floor I shot back to my feet, ripping the satchel from him. Feebly, he tried to grab it back, but I kicked him as hard as I could. He cringed away, clutching his face. I ran, ignoring everything else. Everything but Yuri. He was standing in the middle of the room, his bandages clutched awkwardly to him, eyes wide, frozen in fear. My brother was always too gentle for this life.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I snatched him by the shirt as I ran by, dragging him towards the back of the building. We ducked down a hallway, spotted a small window, and crawled through. Then, we scurried back through the fence and ran as fast as we could through the streets until we were once again in the safety of our own neighborhood.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When the Ferals returned, we opened the satchel. It was full of small, important looking glass vials. None of us could read the labels, but they paid us a thick handful of crumpled paper money anyway. They seemed excited and confident. Apparently, the raid had gone well.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I took Yuri and we spent it all on a fat summer sausage, the biggest we could find. We huddled together in the abandoned church where we slept and devoured our prize like ravenous beasts. We ate until our bellies bulged and the taste of sausage made us sick. The other boys who slept there watched us hungrily from a distance. They knew better than to ask us to share.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When it was gone, we lay back triumphantly, unable to move.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“I’m not hungry.” Yuri sounded surprised.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“When’s the last time you weren’t hungry?” I grinned. Instead of answering, he closed his eyes and rested his small hands on his stomach, contentedly. In moments his breathing drifted into a gentle rhythm. Lulled by the sound, I soon slipped into a deep sleep.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the morning, the others told me the rats had come up from the sewers through a hole in the basement.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“There were… so many of them,” one said.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“All they wanted was Yuri,” said another. “They must’ve smelled the meat in his belly. You’re too big, so they ate him instead.”</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“You should drag him into the street, before he starts to smell,” muttered the oldest. I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and threw him to the ground. He cowered at my feet, whimpering.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“I’m going to kill them.” I clenched my fists so tight my fingernails cut into my palms. “I’m going to kill them all.”</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Blind with rage, I whirled away and stormed down to the basement. I found where they had come in; a small opening in the floor where the foundation had begun to crumble, exposing the sewers below. Furiously, I tore at it, working the bricks loose until the hole was wide enough for me to claw my way through. I dropped down into a narrow channel of putrid water. The stench and darkness were almost overwhelming. I could hear a vicious chatter echoing through the gloom ahead of me. Frantically, I felt around at my feet for something I could use as a weapon. My fingers brushed across a loose brick. I snatched it up and lurched forward. In the dim light I saw them; a torrent of seething, matted hair and filth rippling towards me, covering the floors and walls.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“Monsters,” I hissed, raising the brick. They snarled and surged against me, a mass of teeth, claws, and wild eyes. I swung the brick as hard as I could, and everything descended into a blur of screaming and chaos, blood and pain. I lost my footing and the weight of their bodies crushed me down into the murky water. A great silence rushed in, and then there was nothing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Slowly, the pain and fear returned. I became aware of voices, soft and distant, murmuring away from somewhere beyond a cloud of black that refused to lift.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“He was down in the sewers. Killing rats, of all things,” whispered one.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“What would possess him…” came another. “Will he make it?”</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“Not likely. There’s a bad case of rabies in this town. And the bulk of our vaccine was stolen the other day. By children, no less.”</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“Why?”</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
“Why indeed.”</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
------------------------------</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://withinthemechanism.com/" target="_blank">Moriah Geer-Hardwick</a> is an illustrator and designer. His interests include cinema, sequential narrative art, and robots. Mostly robots. He writes things sometimes.<br />
<br />
First published by Every Day Fiction: <a href="http://www.everydayfiction.com/the-hunger-of-rats-by-moriah-geer-hardwick/">http://www.everydayfiction.com/the-hunger-of-rats-by-moriah-geer-hardwick/</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-----------------------------</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>It's got to be the ending that I love the most about this. The fact that the main character is going to die because he committed the crime of stealing, and then sold the medicine without really knowing what it was. The best thing about it is that we still have sympathy for the main character; he himself is a street rat and didn't really have a choice. To steal or die of starvation, and yet he dies anyway, only this way he dies after finding out about the death of his brother. </b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-79809316584442457822014-06-12T14:59:00.001+02:002014-06-12T15:08:58.078+02:00It's hard to be a Brit in France <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://health-insuranceinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/UK-France.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://health-insuranceinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/UK-France.png" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My time in France is coming to a close, and I wanted to
write a meaningful post about the experience… but all I could think of were
reasons WHY it’s so damn hard to be British in France!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here goes:<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Bisous</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Sorry! It’s not my fault we don’t
run around kissing everyone in Britain. Which
side first? I’m often doing the try-to-walk-around-someone-and-both-move-in-the-same-direction
thing, but with my face. At which point, French men have been known to take my
hand and give me a firm shake. Yeah, that’s right. I’m too retarded for bisous.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Politeness </h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
The French hate indecisiveness. I’m
being indecisive because I want to let you make the decision so that I’m not
causing any trouble. They also don’t understand when I wait to be offered
something rather than demanding for it outright. I mean, when I first got here,
the family opened the fridge and told me that if I’m ever hungry I can just eat
whatever I want. IT GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING I KNOW. They also don’t understand
why I apologise even when things aren’t my fault, or say thank you even if
something goes wrong. BECAUSE I’M BRITISH, AND THAT’S WHAT WE DO!! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
They think it’s weird that I offered
the builders tea</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Okay, so maybe it should’ve been
coffee, but apparently if someone is doing work on your house in this country,
you don’t offer them a drink. SHEEEEESH! So impolite!!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Tea</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
No one understands why I’m so
upset that the only milk we have is UHT milk. Tea doesn’t taste the same, but I’ve
learnt to live with it. My disappointment at the lack of rich tea biscuits is
everlasting, though.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CIghBwPEXcRJO89wbdKXOgN_XS4gAAfZ_xJGvyd9eFMvCuCuezAb6rtTj1W3kxb_yFksOqGWFxib_iJXS77Bqv1mCscg_Z0HRt3tt_0vQx0klvkKRNG7UyMiXVmtYm-uXKURCT7VSwY/s1600/angry+sherlock+gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5CIghBwPEXcRJO89wbdKXOgN_XS4gAAfZ_xJGvyd9eFMvCuCuezAb6rtTj1W3kxb_yFksOqGWFxib_iJXS77Bqv1mCscg_Z0HRt3tt_0vQx0klvkKRNG7UyMiXVmtYm-uXKURCT7VSwY/s1600/angry+sherlock+gif.gif" height="156" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Wine tastings</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
In Britain, we do not spit out
wine. Every wine festival has ended in disaster…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Please! Don’t ask me about
English grammar</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Us Brits just aren’t taught
grammar the way that the French are. Yes, I understand that I’m an English
student, but I still can’t answer your question as to why “badest” isn’t a word!
It just isn’t, okay?!?!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Cheese, cheese everywhere! And
bread! And more wine!</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
I find it hard not to laugh every
time when the family are trying to make the little boy eat healthily, and they
say “you can either have cheese or fruit.” Cracks me up. Also, every time
someone asks for the cheese, and I open the fridge and say, “Lequel?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
People who think they
speak English</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
When certain French people try to
speak English and they can’t, but I’m too British to point out that I can’t understand
what the feck they’re saying… Ugh, it’s so hard. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn2.thegloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Awkward-Donald-Glover-GIF.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn2.thegloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Awkward-Donald-Glover-GIF.gif" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Eye contact is not an invitation…</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
I have to avoid making eye
contact with men on public transport, because they seem to think it means I want
them to come over and ask if I want to go home with them. No, no that’s not
what my eyes are saying. My eyes are saying, “<span style="background: rgb(250, 250, 250); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Va te faire foutre</span>!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Giant bugs</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
And lizards. Bugs and lizards
everywhere. If the cat doesn’t keep bringing them into my room I might have to
kill it. This is not cool. Not cool Grisouille, not cool. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Tone of voice</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Sarcasm doesn’t seem to exist
here, and I can never tell if French people are angry or excited. This makes
for some very awkward conversations.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Coming to terms with the word “si”</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<span lang="FR">Oui… Non… SI! Si! </span>This word needs to exist in English. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://quizzicalllama.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/got-booze-gif.gif?w=640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://quizzicalllama.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/got-booze-gif.gif?w=640" height="217" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
Knowledge of the EU is too low to
partake in serious conversations</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
I've overcome this issue with the aid of Daily Mail archives and wikipedia. Seriously had to start
reading and looking at maps because being so geographically and politically unaware
was just embarrassing. Embarrassing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<h3 style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
I have to formulate an opinion on
the royal family</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 14.2pt;">
I’m suddenly expected to have an
opinion on monarchism, and every time I agree with something a member of the
royal family has said, I’m regarded as a complete royalist with the intension
of condemning the French’s decision to behead their king. UGH, I HONESTLY DON’T
CARE, BUT MAKE ONE MORE JOKE ABOUT THE QUEEN AND I’M COMING AT YOU!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 14.2pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-25890373553511797172014-06-07T20:15:00.001+02:002014-06-07T22:00:13.232+02:00Curiosity Killed the Pig by Jaz Raffle<div style="text-align: center;">
I love dystopian art so I just had to feature this. Imagine if eating meat were made illegal and to consider animals as sub-human was akin to racism...<br />
This 15 minute film that was made by a Hull University student as their final year project. It's great, honest!<br />
<br />
(<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7kpbGzOKHQ">use this link if video doesn't load: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7kpbGzOKHQ</a>)<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn2.blisstree.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/nomeat-640x426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/G7kpbGzOKHQ" width="480"></iframe></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn2.blisstree.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/nomeat-640x426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn2.blisstree.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/nomeat-640x426.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn2.blisstree.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/nomeat-640x426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://cdn2.blisstree.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/nomeat-640x426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://cdn2.blisstree.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/nomeat-640x426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-30634192958300396982014-06-04T17:57:00.002+02:002014-06-04T18:34:40.830+02:00The Unexpected Arrival of the Black Guy<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">When I told him I’d chosen him as the character in a
story, he chuckled and dug his fingers into his bush-like hair. I could feel
his right leg vibrating against the table, sending splashes of my tea onto the
wooden surface. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Call it the
unexpected arrival of the black guy,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The sun had painted the sky orange and pink with wisps
of white cloud when Laura’s trip back to the University of East Anglia began. The
walk to the train station wasn’t a particularly long one, but that day it
seemed to take hours. Laura’s travel case weighed a tonne, and even with the
two of us dragging it, the twenty minute walk was verging on forty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Fucking shitty
wheels. Waste of money, this case,” she cursed as we dragged it over the icy
ground. The case groaned in response; a gritty ripping sound that tore through
my ear drums and made me cringe. We were silent for a while, as the frosty wind
ripped through our coats and scratched at our skin. Pulling my scarf up over my
face, I grunted and forced myself through the wind. The case gripped the earth
as we heaved it up the curb and we heard a pop. The second wheel had broken and
my right arm was beginning to ache with the strain. By the time we reached the
station, I’d switched arms more times than I could remember.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">“I can’t believe I’m not gonna see our Gaz for six
months and he hasn’t even come to say bye,” Laura sighed as we waited on
platform one. The train left in ten minutes. “He just sent me a text asking where
we are. I told him what time my train was at yesterday. He’s at ours.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I sighed, “that’s shit” – and it was. We’re pretty
close, the three of us. We even bought each other the exact same Christmas
presents, just in different colours – you know the saying, great minds.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The sky grasped our attention as we waited. Stars were
beginning to crawl into sight as orange faded to blue. It matched my mood as
the clock counted down to the departure of my twin. Looking over to her, I saw
that she was as miserable as me. She looked up and shrugged at me in
understanding. We went back to watching the stars. The train was waiting at the
red light when we heard him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">“LAURRRAAA,” he called in his classic Tarzan
expression. His brown afro bobbed up and down as he ran, flailing his arms and
legs in the air like a clown. It was clear by the colour of his face – red,
rather than his natural caramel brown – and the heaving of his breath that he’d
ran the entire way down from our house.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">“Bet you didn’t expect to see me here.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3s2g405tCXRg-SyhWf5V2Kb8cLOTZF43EULoSilzKRq4rJck6Ok4aNbDM0eVDUexWzy8RiZukDIpy5xk6LxH0KowmuWhCc5ZG_9ojER31pUTa5VqFbDdIzkJjbkthT4FOQOZfZhnY7hY/s1600/uabg.jpg" height="340" width="400" /></div>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">___________________________________________________</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">The Unexpected Arrival of the Black Guy was published by InkTears in February, after winning an honourable mention in their annual flash fiction contest. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;">Other winning stories can be found here: </span><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/211902473/Ink-Tears">InkTears2</a> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-3090003993435580592014-06-02T19:39:00.003+02:002014-06-02T19:56:14.567+02:00Milk by P.J. Monroe<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: chaparral-pro; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 16pt; padding: 0px 0px 20px;">
This morning, I received an absolutely fantastic piece of flash fiction that's kept a smile on my face all day. The idea is so simple, yet so cunning. I love the humour and the simplicity of the language. It's one of those pieces where I think, "Damn it, why didn't I come up with that?!"<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 16pt; padding: 0px 0px 20px;">
“May I have a glass of milk, please?”<br />
“Excuse me?” I asked.<br />
“May I have a glass of milk, please?” she repeated.<br />
I was quite surprised. My cat had never before said a single word in English, let alone a complete sentence. I did the only thing I could do; I got her a glass of milk. I put the milk down in front of her. She dipped her paw in the glass and licked the milk off of it. I kept looking at her, my mouth wide open.<br />
“No opposable thumbs,” she said, after seeing I was still staring at her.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />
If you want to see where this is going, you can find the complete story by<a href="http://www.everydayfiction.com/milk-by-p-j-monroe/"> clicking here.</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-48945826602497893042014-06-01T19:44:00.000+02:002014-06-01T19:44:30.398+02:00Formatting Dialogue in FictionOkay, this seems to be one of the biggest errors I see in fiction so I thought I’d have a good at writing a guide for aspiring writers. I mean, the odd slip up is fine, isn’t it? We can forgive just the odd mistake… but what I hate is when writers just clearly don’t know how to format dialogue. It’s okay though, formatting dialogue isn’t even the hard part – writing realistic dialogue is!<br />
So, here we go, I’ll try make this as simple as possible. I’m going to try and break this down as simply as possible.<br />
<h3>
<br /><b><u>Rule 1: New speaker, new paragraph</u></b></h3>
<div>
“Hello” said Carol.</div>
<div>
“Oh, Hi Carol. How are you” replied Max.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b><u>Rule 2: All punctuation should come inside the quotation marks</u></b></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>NOT: </b></span>“Hello”, said Carol.</div>
<div>
<span style="color: lime;"><b>Correct: </b></span>“Hello,” said Carol.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b><u>Rule 3: Correct Punctuation</u></b> </h3>
<div>
A line of dialogue that’s followed by a tag such as “said Carol”, “replied Max” should <b>NEVER</b> end in a full stop. The tag should always be in lower case. If the dialogue comes to the end of the sentence, use a comma instead of a full stop so that <u>the sentence continues uninterrupted.</u></div>
<div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>NOT: </b></span>“Hello.” Said Carol.</div>
<div>
<span style="color: lime;"><b>Correct: </b></span>“Hello,” said Carol.</div>
<div>
“Oh, hi Carol. How are you?” replied Max.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b><u>Rule 4: The first letter of a dialogue line should be capitalised</u></b></h3>
<div>
<b><span style="color: red;">Not: </span></b>“hello,” said Carol. </div>
<div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>OR: </b></span>He smiled and said, “how are you?” </div>
<div>
<span style="color: lime;"><b>Correct: </b></span>“Hello,” said Carol.</div>
<div>
He smiled and said, “How are you?”<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b><u>Rule 5: If dialogue is interrupted by a tag, don’t capitalise the next part; it isn’t a new sentence</u></b></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>NOT: </b></span>“I’m fine, but lately I’ve been getting some cramps,” she said as she rubbed her stomach, “In my lower abdomen.”</div>
<div>
<b><span style="color: lime;">Correct: </span></b>“I’m fine, but lately I’ve been getting some cramps,” she said as she rubbed her stomach, “in my lower abdomen.”</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<b><u>Rule 6: However, if the sentence is broken, use a capital letter</u></b></h3>
<div>
<b><span style="color: red;">NOT: </span></b>“I’m fine,” she said. Then she put her hand to her stomach. “well, I have been getting cramps in my lower abdomen.”</div>
<div>
<span style="color: lime;"><b>Correct: </b></span>“I’m fine,” she said. Then she put her hand to her stomach. “Well, I have been getting cramps in my lower abdomen.”</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>If there are any rules you're unsure about, please feel free to leave a comment and I will put it up on this post!</u></b></h4>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-5584391347827295312014-05-29T16:05:00.000+02:002014-05-29T16:08:05.743+02:00I Know Why...Gove isn't going to like this!<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.anotherpartofme.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/maya_angelou1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.anotherpartofme.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/maya_angelou1.jpg" height="198" width="320" /></a><span style="background: white;">“My
mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some
passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.</span>”</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Now
isn’t that something for <b>motivation</b>? You’d think that the Secretary of
Education would care about fuelling passion in the classroom, but not our dear
Mr. Gove. I’d go a step forward to say that without a little help, Gove would
have no idea who said the above quote. That’s because he probably didn’t have enthusiastic
teachers to thrust a copy of <i>I Know Why
the Caged Bird Sings </i>into his hands for inspiration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Gove
would like to axe American Literature from the GCSE syllabus, but here’s <b>just
three reasons for the inclusion of Maya Angelou’s fantastic autobiography. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Reason
number one: <b>Maya Angelou</b></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b>A
black female writer with a message</b>. I’m not entirely sure how Gove likes his curriculum
authors, but I’m fairly certain she’d be one of a kind on the syllabus,
distracting attention from all the white, middle class males.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Yes,
the first reason is just because Angelou herself was pretty amazing. I can
honestly say that yesterday, when I logged onto Twitter to learn about her
passing, I genuinely felt sad. Why’s that? Because <b>the world has lost one of
its most outstanding pioneers for civil rights. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">This
woman showed us that it is possible to give a middle finger to the terrors of
life and keep going. What’s more is that she taught us the importance of
keeping that middle finger up and going to the next level – it’s not enough to
be living a better life than you were born into, you should <b>make a real
difference!</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">But
of course, we all know that pre-19<sup>th</sup> century love poetry is going to
give teenagers the same kind of push, right? Right…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Reason
number two: <b>Challenging themes</b></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Angelou’s
writing isn’t that hardest to understand, which is a really good thing because
if we can’t get past the complexity of the sentence structure, how do we have a
chance of exploring further the themes that have been included in the text? So
whilst <i>I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings </i>doesn’t
quite reach the surface complexity of Gove’s preferred texts, it is exactly the
right level for developing readers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Let’s
just go through some of the themes:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b>Racism
</b>– is this an issue of today? You bet your backside it is. Just take a look at
the European Parliament Election results for any evidence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b>Sexism
</b>– we still need feminism. Angelou teaches girls how to become strong women,
despite the injustices thrown at them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b>Identity
</b>– when is this not going to be a contemporary issue? We’ve all got one, and
14-16 year olds are just starting to develop their own. Why not encourage them
with Angelou’s words of wisdom?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b>Change
</b>– seriously, what isn’t changing when you’re an adolescent? Angelou shares her
experience of change, both mentally and physically, throughout <i>I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b>Sexuality
</b>– now now now. We’ve moved on from when sexuality was a sin, and now we need to
encourage open expression. We’re at a point where children are taught the
basics of sex education in school, but none of the emotions that come with it.
Get it together, Gove!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b>Religion
</b>– another biggie, isn’t it? Or maybe we shouldn’t… obviously too controversial,
it’s not like we want our young people to have an opinion, is it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><b>Appearance
</b>– yeah, I’ve been there. In a world where so much emphasis is put on
appearance, why not show our children that it’s possible to succeed without
being gifted with the face of an angel?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And
to be honest, these are just my favourites and probably don’t even cover half
the themes that could be discussed in the text. <b>Young people need to be
challenged by themes that they can relate to and apply to our society today. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;">Reason
number three: </span><b>A compelling story – and it’s true.</b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">How
many autobiographies are there on the national curriculum? I don’t think there
are many, but I’m pushing for <b>creative nonfiction to be included alongside
other literary forms</b>. We need a wider range of literary forms on the curriculum
rather than limiting children to novels and poetry. How about throwing in some
flash fiction, short stories, autobiographies and experimental forms? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXermXy1HqghcyI9oN5vb1hGPqa9EI0r-anC61-AJx6lSZ6G-zwbrQU4UH44Wr2_iFeVwA58Nb6Kri1VpIKRZst3CIpWhdEthKy6vdzGFTIlHckxjyi0sqUa9MaM1wXsFQqDxdIqOuZRk/s400/MayaAngelouTheMoreYouKnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXermXy1HqghcyI9oN5vb1hGPqa9EI0r-anC61-AJx6lSZ6G-zwbrQU4UH44Wr2_iFeVwA58Nb6Kri1VpIKRZst3CIpWhdEthKy6vdzGFTIlHckxjyi0sqUa9MaM1wXsFQqDxdIqOuZRk/s400/MayaAngelouTheMoreYouKnow.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’m
sure we can foster a love of reading in children; <b>we just need to find what it
is that they’d like to read.</b> Limiting the curriculum isn’t going to help us encourage
children to read more, and I imagine for a lot of them, it’s going to turn
reading into a chore. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Maybe
I’m being a bit bold here, but doesn’t Maya Angelou’s <i>I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings </i>seem like the <b>ideal GCSE text</b>?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-29857236942246628392014-05-27T16:56:00.000+02:002014-05-27T21:26:21.907+02:00Gove: Put Down the Chainsaw and Listen.<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
All this talk about Michael Gove banning “Foreign Literature”
from the GCSE syllabus has had me absolutely steaming, but after an hour of the
Insanity Workout, I don’t have the energy to be angry and irrational. In fact,
my initial views on the subject have changed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.namw.org/wp-content/uploads/Pile-of-Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.namw.org/wp-content/uploads/Pile-of-Books.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Wait – what?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
No, that doesn’t mean that I now think that Gove is right to
remove texts from the GCSE syllabus. Allow me to explain. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My initial response was, “HEY, I love To Kill a Mockingbird!
The syllabus should not have been changed!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
My current response is, “To Kill a Mockingbird was why I
went on to take English Literature at A-Level, and subsequently, as a degree.
However,<b> the syllabus needs to change.</b>”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Gove cited that 90% of GCSE students study the extremely
popular text, <i>Of Mice and Men. </i>Unfortunately,
I must have fallen into the lonely 10% who did not study this text, but I remember
being jealous of my sister because she read it and loved it. However, at the
age of 15, I was not jealous enough to seek out the book and read it for
myself. Rest assured though, with all this noise caused by Gove, the text is
most certainly going on my reading list. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now, I’ll admit that 90% of students studying the text doesn’t
suggest that the syllabus is varied. Yet, could it possibly be that this text
is actually the right level to challenge and stimulate British 14-16 year olds?
Or is a text that Gove <b>“really didn’t like”</b> unlikely to have such an effect on our
young people? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Gove argues that the literature now offered will be <b>more
challenging for pupils</b>, but I think he is mistaken in his definition of the
word “challenge.” To Gove, the challenge seems to exist only on a comprehensive
level: How difficult will it be for a child to <i>read</i> this text? How <i>complex </i>is
the language? Yes, Gove is probably correct in assuming that pre-19<sup>th</sup>
century literature will be a challenge. Why? Because before the 19<sup>th</sup>
century, writers were paid by word, so throwing in complex sentences and
excessive description earned more money, but <b>does not maintain the interest of
modern readers. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I’m sorry Mr. Gove, but the word “challenge” in terms of <i>literature </i>is incredibly multifaceted.
Classics such as <i>Of Mice and Men </i>and <i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>are not all that
challenging in terms of surface reading, that much is true. What’s challenging
about these texts is the representation of cultural and social structures. Such
texts are not meant to be complicated to read and understand; they were written
to <b>expose injustices and make a difference. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Literature movements have exposed trends and changes in
society. This is not about reading; this is about politics. <b>This is about human
rights and equality.</b> By limiting our students to texts that do not offer this
face of the word “challenge”, we are hindering the social development of our
children. If not through the arts, how are our children expected to analyse and
understand different cultures and societies? We need to talk about negative
issues like racism and sexism. We need to expose our young people to the
horrors of the world, and of our past, in a safe environment. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As a female reader and writer, my biggest question is: <b>Which
female writer will take the place of Harper Lee? </b>With a syllabus skewed towards
pre-19<sup>th</sup> century literature, I’m fairly certain that the
representation of female writers will be heavily lacking.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Gove needs to realise that literature is not the mere
subject of reading what is on the page in front of you. Literature goes much
deeper and further than that. <b>It is about developing</b> analytical and reasoning
skills, about applying criticism, and most of all, <b>about acknowledging</b> cultural
and historical similarities and differences. Children can only develop these skills if they
are stimulated and passionate, thus we need to cultivate a love of reading in
our children so that they are confident in independently <b>educating and
challenging</b> themselves. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Pre-19<sup>th</sup> century literature is not going to
capture that passion for majority of our teenagers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The thing that shocks me the most about Gove’s decision isn’t
the fact that it appears to be <b>obviously elitist </b>and biased, but actually, it’s
that in removing “foreign” literature from the syllabus, Gove is removing a
very important part of world history and culture from our education system. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As a black female with SLD, I demand that world history is
acknowledged.<b> I demand that books that examine racism and slavery are included</b>
in educating our young people. I want that awkward silence in the classroom
when students and teachers reach the word “nigger” in <i>To Kill a Mockingbird.</i> I demand that pupils examine the theme of
sexism, and <b>I want our children to understand why feminism was created </b>and
continues to exist. <b>I demand that we recognise Lennie’s learning difficulty</b> in <i>Of Mice and Men, </i>and the problems that
causes of him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Most of all, I demand that we teach texts from our former
colonies. How dare Gove call these texts “foreign” literature.<b> How dare he
suggest that British students should only read <i>British</i> texts.</b> When a country shatters another for its own personal
gain, they are forever linked – I don’t care how long it’s been. The history of
America, of our African and Indian colonies, is also the history of Britain,
and our “conquests” are not to be ignored. Such cultures deserve to be
acknowledged, just as the mistake of our past do.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So yes, I condemn Gove’s decision to axe “foreign”
literature from the syllabus. At the same time, I call on him to <b>change the
syllabus further</b>. Since Britain is not alone in the world, I urge the study of
English Literature to be changed to World Literature, so that we examine and
understand different cultures – particularly those of our past colonies. I
would go one step forward to suggest that the British curriculum include texts
translated from other languages – because we don’t only learn scientific
theories proposed by British scientists, do we? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b>So go on Gove</b>, I’m sorry to disturb you while you hack away
at our GCSE syllabus, but I’d like to request that you put down the chainsaw
and think about how to truly challenge and educate our children, rather than
making life that little bit more difficult/miserable for them. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8164074946684817136.post-43983317760000636092014-05-26T20:06:00.001+02:002014-07-09T17:15:04.654+02:00About Me The real name's Charlotte Josephs, but I've never been quiet enough to be a Charlotte. Instead, most people call me Chaz. I'm an aspiring writer on the path to becoming a publishing professional.<br />
<br />
I was born in Bradford, United Kingdom, in 1992. My father is a Jamaican immigrant and my mother was born and raised in a tiny town in the Yorkshire countryside – it’s quite a mix. I don’t remember a time in my life when I’ve not been telling stories. As a child, I used to make up bedtime stories for my sisters, and as I got older I started to write them down.<br />
<br />
I've just come home from my year abroad in Lyon, France. In September, I will return to university to finish my degree in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Hull.<br />
<br />
My first piece of writing to be published was a place holder in Ink Tears’ flash fiction competition.<br />
<br />
Intern at <a href="http://dzancbooks.org/" target="_blank">Dzanc Books</a>.<br />
Editor at <a href="http://controllitmag.com/" target="_blank">Control Literary Magazine</a>.<br />
Intern at a literary agency.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15016240950443792095noreply@blogger.com0