Free Post Thursday – Painless Edits and a Visitor

I am keeping this short today as I am very tired!

We had writing group this evening and it went very well.  I took some poems for improvement and it was remarkably painless: a few lines to tidy was about it. I am planning to read Cicero at the open mic, which is a little political: I still think it needs improvement but none of us could decide what! So I will read it and see how it feels as a performed piece.

When I got home, I had a most unexpected visitor: a lizard on my doorstep.  How marvellous – it’s the first one I have seen since living here in the countryside, and I hope he made it home to a cosy corner somewhere.  I love seeing the wildlife here – from rabbits to foxes, badgers to bats, hedgehogs to bees and beyond, it’s an absolute pleasure.

I can see why so many writers make worlds for them, they positively demand a storyline!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

 

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Triumph!

I didn’t post yesterday as I was too busy resting on my laurels, as they say!

Thursday’s open mic night went brilliantly, far better than I anticipated: we had about 10 performers (most got up more than once), ran for an hour and a half, the venue was full and at the end a number of people asked when I was arranging the next one. And when I said November, they wanted one sooner!!

It was a huge relief, and a real buzz.

We had mostly poetry, a mix of self-penned originals and recitation of published works, but also some singing and storytelling.  For a small community, we have a lot of talent!

I can’t say how happy I am that our event was so well received; I only expected about 5 people to turn up (3 of them my family!) so to have a full house was way beyond my imagination!

Now I have to start thinking about next time!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

 

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A Slight Panic and A Positive Step

Let’s start with the slight panic.

The open mic event is coming along fast, the advert is out and the local community aware. Unfortunately, an emergency local meeting has been booked at the same time as our event.

Naturally, this has an impact on who can take part: some of the writing group might miss our own event!

My best plan is to move our event forward by one hour and hope this minimises the issue. However I have gone from frustrated to upset to sanguine and back round a few times over the weekend!

If all else fails I will keep in mind the immortal cover words from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Don’t Panic

Beyond that, it’s all progressing pretty nicely.  We’ve got a few performers lined up, the performance poetry is shaping up well and there is a new vigour in Creativity Corner. The writing group has been joined by a painter and we are going to open up Thursday nights for a selection of creative ventures – hopefully a dedicated space with different artistry will bring us all some new inspiration.

In the meantime I am having dragons painted on my shoes, which will keep me happy for months!

There is still no time for reading properly, although I gave myself Saturday night off anything in particular so I could watch Doctor Who. It was raining and miserable outside and I needed some escapism, so I went right back to the start of the reboot.

Sometimes you just need to switch off thinking, stop thinking about rhyme schemes, and watch a wooden box fly through space…

I am back to work now though.  From now until we go away for the family wedding I will be trying to finish my current work in progress; when I get back I have 3 days to choose my pieces.

I am amazingly confident I will have a good selection to share!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

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Free Post Thursday – Preparing

I’ve been at writing group tonight, and inevitably much of the discussion was about our open mic night.

I have written the spooky poem but I think it needs a concluding stanza, so we discussed that.  I don’t think the others were in quite the same headspace as me though; there was a push to make it funny!

I also talked about the start of my Wild Swans poem, although that isn’t one for the open mic.

I was working on it at lunchtime today, and I am happy with the way it is coming together.  The quote got me thinking about mindless drones and that has informed my approach.

I won’t say anything more yet but I hope to share the finished article with you all.

Finally, I helped another writer with their work.  I have a very different writing style and approach to them, but I can help with the editing process – identifying discrepancies in rhythm, rhyme schemes which alter unexpectedly, and so on.  It’s a really important part of the group, such as it is, to share what we have learnt in our work .

In the spirit of sharing, this is an old technique that often gets forgotten: always read your work out loud.  You can hear if a line sounds right, or a word is too hard, a syllable extra needed and so on.

This applies particularly to poetry, but other writing can also be improved by listening to it. Try it and see if it works for you!

That’s all for today.  It’s just gone midnight and my coach turned into a pumpkin…

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

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Slacking, But Working!

Firstly, sorry for the failure to post.  Internet issues, power cuts and early nights all got in the way.  I have yet to finish the book though, so you didn’t miss anything on Tuesday!

And although I have been slacking off here, I have been achieving in my writing.  Not only have I been working on a poem inspired by a significant anniversary (a poem I intend to pass on in due course) but I actually used my writing group support to improve and develop it.

I also put the pedal to the metal to get myself out and sharing by organising an open mike event.  I say organising, but really I just raised the idea with the right person and now it’s booked!

After a shaky writing time I am really pleased to get back on the right track.  In my writing group today I saw the payoff of a new approach and really feel positive about getting more poetry written.

Which is good, as I will need something to read at the open mike!

I am going to leave it there for today as I need to hit the hay pretty soon. Plus I still don’t trust my internet!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

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Hi/Bye

I have been away from the blog for a week more than intended, for a variety of reasons. Some were positive and joyful and for now I will think only about them.

We are always hearing that we should live life to its fullest – but the possibility for each of us to do so is massively different depending on circumstances. For me, on those days when perhaps I haven’t grabbed every opportunity (and instead sat watching tv and eating biscuits), it’s good to reflect on the more enriching experiences of the week.

So last week I went to a music night for my friend’s birthday, had a family party and separate meal with friends for my own, went shopping, spent time with my husband, and had writing group.  All positives!

I do have quite a bit to share with you and I will start with three books, tomorrow.  I will plan from there!

So hi, and bye, for now.  See you tomorrow,

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

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Free Post Thursday – Getting Something Done!

It was writing group today and we decided to try a new venue.  Most of us live in very close proximity and with our new pub opening recently it seemed sensible to try it out for the group arrangement.

It worked really well, with a cosy corner to sit and chat, and during our visit we also discussed regular writing sessions (rather than discussions) and an open mike event.

When I raised them with the landlord he was very positive.

So from now on, I am going to work in the pub, quietly in a corner, at least one day a week.

Going somewhere and absorbing the atmosphere – whatever that happens to be – will enable me to access different thoughts or emotions, which I can then filter into poetry.

I am really excited about it and am starting tomorrow to see how it goes.  I might sit alone or with my writing friends, but either way I will be working to fill a space in my writing process, which is always good!

So roll on tomorrow, when I can get even more done!!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

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Free Post Thursday – Input

The last week has been full of creative input. Since last Thursday I have been to a writing convention, scoped out a possible performance spot with a friend who is a great singer – getting to enjoy some live music at the same time, some of which was perfect writing music – and been to my writing group (which focussed on books with unreliable narrators today!).

None of these things were impossible before my career break, of course, but I value them more now than I could before, because they have a different impact on me.  Prior to my break I would have enjoyed them and moved on. Now, creativity stimulates my mind and inspires me to write. Even just the memory of a piece of music I heard yesterday brings a specific scene to mind.

When we are in the normal routine of going to work, looking after families, doing the housework and so on, we don’t care about the creative input. Sure, we might have the radio on when we wash the dishes but it’s just background noise.  But I learnt that the more aware I am of the world around me, the better I can express that world in words.

The more the input, the better the output.

So the next few days I will be reflecting on what I have seen and heard this week.  Not just the creative input either, but the sights and sounds of daily life which grab my attention and keep it there.

I hope some of it will feed into my series of poems but if not, it might appear in another guise, at another time.

That’s the thing about input – if you value it, it can last for years!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

 

 

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Week 94 – Listen out for inspiration

As I said on Thursday, I was off to another open mike night – and what a lovely night it was!

There was only two people reading poetry, and only me doing original poetry, so I was a little nervous at the start, but it really was a very relaxed event.

The format was round-table, so I read on three separate occasions, and in between I could listen and enjoy performances by other people.

And the outcome of listening and being surrounded by music? I began editing the poems in my folder.

Before I carry on, I have to say that these were not new pieces. The most recent was written over a year ago, and everything I edited was either entered into a competition or was a piece of coursework: to all intents and purposes they were ‘complete’. But as I reviewed them, deciding which to read, I could see improvements as though they were highlighted in neon!

With the music going around me it was almost as though the different notes emphasised the different rhythms of the words.  Things I wasn’t quite satisfied with suddenly became clear, and lines I had struggled to adjust seemed to fall into place.  It was amazing – especially as I can’t normally concentrate when listening to music.  I couldn’t do it when people were singing, but listening to the varied instruments really seemed to unblock me.  I definitely need to sit with my other poems in that circle and see where the music takes me.

It’s worth trying even if like me you need silence to write in proper poetic form – sometimes a buzz of creative energy can really help!  Suffice it to say, I will be going back, and honing my reading and my writing 🙂

It’s been great to have a couple of poetry weeks but now I need to get back to the prose – I am going to finalise my bio and my synopsis this week and I also want to re-read the second novel and work out some of the kinks before I start on a second review of that, which I’d like to get underway in July.

I’m also a little overwhelmed with the courses with another archaeology course starting tomorrow and two nutrition ones ongoing; I’d like to finish what I can of them too.  By the end of the week I should be much more organised!

In other news – I read an interview with Khaled Hosseini today which struck a chord with me for a number of reasons: his understanding that over time his writing has changed, his feelings about calling himself a writer, and the importance of family.  I’m glad to see some of the same thoughts that I have about writing are reflecting in a multi-million-selling author!

And finally – I talked about setting up a writing group some while ago, because there was nothing I wanted near me.  Well, I have finally taken the first step and advertised in my local newsletter for interested parties to join one – as I said to my friend, if it just ends up three people in the pub every month, so be it – at least we’ll have a nice night out!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

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Week 92.5 – Reading is believing

Today I went and did a poetry reading (3 poems again) at an open mike night.

I do not like doing these – my hands shake, my stomach twists and squeezes, my face flushes and heats, my heart beats as though I’ve run a mile.  I speak too fast, and sometimes my tongue trips over the words and can’t get straightened out.

And yet I do them, and I try to enjoy them, because reading out my poems to an audience – of one, or a hundred – makes me believe I’m a poet.

Reading is believing.

So I thought that today I would share what I’ve learnt so far:

1. Pick pieces to read that you are comfortable reading.  For me, that means nothing with explicit language or of an intimate nature; for others it may be pieces related to current personal trials.  Go with what feels best for you.

2. Trust your audience.  They want to hear poetry, and are there because they enjoy it; they are not trying to pick everything you say apart.  And if they do, sadly it’s a side effect of sharing your work.  Writing requires a thick skin or an incredibly quick healing time.

3. Speak slowly.  Think about the way you speak with your best friend – then slow down to half that speed.  It feels agonisingly slow, but it’s the only way the audience can hear what you say.

4. Be respectful of other artists.  Don’t talk through their performances, make unkind comments about their work or undermine their confidence.  You might not like what they do – and you can certainly talk about it afterwards – but they have the right to be heard without interruption.

5. Listen to your performance.  Do some words grate against each other?  Are some words causing you to stutter or slur?  Are some phrases repetitive?  Use the reading as a chance to improve your work.

6. Know you are a writer.  You are there because you have a voice to share, and know it is worth hearing.

So there’s a few tips for your own open mike events.  I am not good at them all, and other writers are not always to your taste, or polite, or sensitive to your feelings, but if you want to learn to enjoy sharing your work, you need to practise.  The first attempt can be honed and refined, just like your writing.

And if you’re confident and happy to read to a roomful of strangers – please tell me how!

Happy writing,

EJ

🙂

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