"The more books we read, the clearer it becomes that the true function of a writer is to produce a masterpiece and that no other task is of consequence." Cyril Connolly This was posted in the Thresholds Facebook page... and it got me thinking. Is the only true function of a writer to create a… Continue reading A conundrum
Tag: creative writing
Boxing day and big brown bears
It is strange when you realise just how young you were when you started to expand your vocabulary. Twas Boxing day yesterday and my sister and her tiny son (less than a year old) were round for Christmas leftovers. Well after eating she was playing with Bill and suddenly he takes off for the kitchen,… Continue reading Boxing day and big brown bears
It’s Christmas!
Well almost. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I am sitting in front of the Christmas tree and trying to ignore the Christmas special on the telly. Enough 'Christmas's'? I think so. Don't get me wrong I'm not a bar-humbug type of person but I do hate the commercialism of it all. My gifts this year… Continue reading It’s Christmas!
How do you write a two-way radio dialogue?
So I am working on a story and I need my character - a mountain rescuer - to talk to his boss on the two-way in his back pocket. I've already got dialogue in the story so the use of "-" doesn't make it different enough. So do I bold it or CAPITALISE it or… Continue reading How do you write a two-way radio dialogue?
Christmas and mince pies
12th December 2012 Well that was the last lecture of this year and I must admit I was lulled into a false sense of security... There were mince pies and cheesy biscuits and all sorts of goodies including jilebies (an indian sweet that I'm particularly addicted to). So there we all were quietly eating and drinking pomegranate juice -… Continue reading Christmas and mince pies
Essays
5th December 2012 "Essays?" I asked, "really? Like factual... well... essays?" Shockingly the answer was - yes. Now I'm confused. I have an archaeology degree and essays where the pattern of life... How can you use the present to analyse the past? And so on. But I never anticipated anything would be like it in… Continue reading Essays
Translation and… creative writing
28th November 2012 (yes I know this is very late - in my defence though I've been up to my eyeballs in toys as my actual job is a toymaker! Feeling very much like a christmas elf right at the moment. An overworked underpaid elf, but an elf none the less.) Yep you heard right… Continue reading Translation and… creative writing
How I get new ideas…
Lately I've been asked how I get ideas for stories, so I actually sat down and thought about it... I drew a blank. I don't know - they just happen. So I thought instead of trying to explain I'd just tell you how I got one idea. I saw an ant. Just the one but… Continue reading How I get new ideas…
Radio…
Wednesday 21st November 2012 Radio... Who knew. I know I didn't... Before the lesson I actually listened to one whole play - yah I know I'm a philistine not to have listened more. But it's just creative writing was never even on my radar as something I could do, or even enjoy in any other… Continue reading Radio…
Theatre…
Wednesday 14th November 2012 It was an odd day and I felt slightly off kilter. I'd planned on working on toys for the morning but, due to a computer glitch, ended up gazing at a screen till it was time to rush off to my lecture. So by the time I got there I was… Continue reading Theatre…
Kate Murray - Cleaver 