Keep the Faith

Writing can be an isolating experience. We throw ourselves into the worlds of our imagination. We lock horns with the intangible. We love and lose, talk of guile and greed. We engage with our internal inquisitor. It can seem a very narcissistic occupation. 

The truth is that the sheer effort of writing well tends to weed out the self important and the showboater. It leaves a honed core of truly dedicated observers. We watch the world. Does that make our opinions more important than those of anyone else? More important? No. Better informed? Perhaps.

Writers are no more important than anyone else in the world. Writers are also no less important than anyone else in the world. We are its voice. So keep ploughing through that draft. Keep papering the wall with your rejections. Keep learning to use the subjunctive. Keep editing. Keep growing.

This is who you are

and it’s good.

 

 

Literary Events 2 April 2013

Chipping Norton Litfest
18-21 April
http://www.chiplitfest.com

The Brympton literary Festival
19-21 April
http://www.brymptonfestival.co.uk

Verulam writer’s circle
20 April
http://www.verulamwriterscircle.org.uk

Stratford-upon-avon literary Festival
21 April – 5 May
http://www.stratfordliteraryfestival.co.UK

Hexham Book Festival
22 April – 2 May
http://www.hexambookfestival.co.uk

Put your fiction characters to work

Prospect’s career planner

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/myprospects_planner_login.htm

A fun way to build a character profile. Just answer the questionnaire the way your character would and be presented with a list of suitable occupations.
Does require you to register

Literary Events April 2013

Scarborough literature festival
11-14 April
http://www.scarboroughliteraturefestival.co.uk

Cambridge Wordfest
12-14 April
http://www.cambridgewordfest.co.uk

Aye Write! Glasgow Book festival
12-20 April
http://www.ayewrite.com

London Book Fair
15-17 April
http://www.londonbookfair.co.UK

The rules of the road

Grammar.

It’s a funny old word. One that makes some people smile and other people cry.
Literary marmite (vegemite).

I often get told that

“It’s okay for you but I can’t get my head around it.”

Well the bad thing about grammar is that there are a lot of rules. The good thing about grammar is that there are a lot of rules.
If you come across a rule that you don’t understand does it occur to you that you have come across a teacher who doesn’t know how to explain it to you?
Or do you give up?

Heck lady/Mister…buy a different book! Go to a different class. Look at a different tutorial online. You do realise that teachers aren’t one size fits all?
Every person works differently, thinks differently, reasons differently and breaks down their understanding of grammar differently.
Oh yes, the rules stay the same but the teaching?
Not so much.

Don’t be so quick to let that rattler go.
You can understand it.
Approach it from another direction.