Monday 26 September 2011

Bang!

...And I find myself off the poetry trail, enthralled in making very preliminary research enquiries for my novel.

The idea's been in my head for at least 3 years. It's only in the last few months that I've started thinking more seriously about the themes and primary research that will have to be done (a lot of reading, basically), but I'm now convinced - or as far as I will be at 2.00 am - that I can and need to write this story...

Watch this crazy, crazy space.

Wednesday 7 September 2011

Flat out

I feel like I've left this blog in the boot lately. I do have my reasons. I'm sure no one minds.

I'm doing some comissioned work at the minute (details soon) which is very exciting and has forced me to write in new, productive ways.

The deadline for the Eric Gregory Awards is coming up soon. So I'm polishing the manuscript and getting it to the society of authors before the end of October.

I haven't submitted to any jornals in a while, so that's on the ever-expanding to-do list as well. I'm starting to appreciate all of the anecdotal advice I've ever read or been told about getting a book of poetry into print: you have to jump through hoops and spend a long time submitting to magazines, accepting rejections, re-re-re-fining your work, proving you have the willingness to build and improve upon a book-length manuscript towards publication. Developments in my proffessional life (on the back of the Northern Writers' Award) have definitely solidified my view that I am, principally, a writer, but the lack of publications is, I suppose, bizzarely contadictory to that. Still, I must remember that the journey is usually more exciting than the destination.

More clarity and less self-indulgent moaning soon, aye?