This Thursday instead of our usual classroom environment, we are going on a field trip.  We meet at 10:30 (within walking distance of where I live – how cool is that?) and then all disperse not to meet again until 15:30.  In a bar.  We are the epitome of civilised writers and I shall drink gin for the occasion. We are going on a psychogeography trip, again for me a new concept and a chance to learn something.  There is a really useful review of Merlin Coverley’s ‘Psychogeography – by Stuart Kelly naturally. I really love the concept of drawing … Continue reading Creative Writing: Week Six Psychogeography

I am not deliberately ignoring the Theory and Innovation module from this record.  It’s just that it is so new to me and although I understand it perfectly when Sam is talking,  I haven’t yet consolidated it for myself so that I can turn round and talk about it to someone else.  I need to make more time to do a lot more background reading.   I have also been a little taken aback by my utter lack of knowledge in this area.  It’s not that I don’t understand it or don’t agree with it, it just hasn’t reached my … Continue reading Theory and Innovation

My only problem with our class exercises is that I never take the time outside of class to either finish them or to flesh out some new ideas.  I was going to change that to ‘find the time’, but you never find time – that is an excuse we tell ourselves when we reach the end of another week and haven’t been to the gym/saw family/tackled the mountain of ironing under which that book you have been looking high and low for three months lives.  Something is either important enough to you and so you do it, or you don’t.  So … Continue reading Class Writing Exercise Week Five: Seven Deadly Sins

As part of our course we have one to one mentoring with either David or Sam.   This is another difference from other creative writing courses and after only one session I can see the value of such a provision.  We are even allowed to send up to 5,000 words at a time prior to a session if we want more robust and in-depth editing/mentoring. Obviously at this early stage there is not much for me to say about my mentoring, however I can tell you that Sam’s office on the ground floor is lovely and bright with two big windows, … Continue reading Mentoring and Nurturing

Yesterdays life writing class exercise was unsettling to say the least.  We are still looking at memoirs, autobiographies et al, and I was quite intrigued when David Bishop produced a sheet of ‘fringed’ paper.  You know these home made adverts that have tear off phone number strips at the bottom?  Well like that.  He then proceeded to go round the room and hand us one each.  This is what mine said: Christina S    5.7.88    ‘I owe you nothing’ by Bros Yep turns out Bros were number 1 on my 18th birthday!  I cannot describe  just how immediately I was transported … Continue reading 18 ’til I die? Do me a favour Bryan!!!