The Cusp Of Something

What is a writer? Someone who puts pen to paper of course (or fingers to plastic) and produces work. Since moving to London I’ve done very little writing. Does that mean I am no longer a writer? Change of environment, need to find new job etc have all affected my creative juices as they say. Also I just hadn’t felt that pressing need. That’s not to say I didn’t have ideas – but not the pressing need to explore them as I once did. Plus I am working (or trying to find work) more than I used to and that eats into my writing time. Plus other life like things happening that again didn’t happen before. Now I think finally I can’t ignore the gnaw inside anymore. The question is what do I turn my attention to.

Writing a novel is much like pushing a  rock up hill –  it starts slowly and slowly but gradually momentum is built up and the rock rolls itself mostly. but when you know you have one day a week to push that rock and then have to wait another week to push the rock again you know momentum is never going to come. And yet you still have to do it. The last novel I wrote was runner up in the Starcherone Books unpubbed novel award. I haven’t sent it anywhere in the UK as frankly I can’t imagine anyone publishing it. It’s experimental, rude, brusque, unsympathetic. I did have another novel idea in mind but that would be even more uncommercial. Sometime ago I started a thriller novel to see if anyone bit. No one did so I didn’t finish it. I wonder now should I start it again, rewrite the idea the opening chapters? Would that be ok in terms of pushing that rock up hill?

Today I have opened a new Word document. Typed my title. Maybe I will begin copying and editing from the old chapters. Watch this space.

We had a great time. The launch at Waterstones in Truro recently was more formal and I had to talk about myself which I hated but I sold some books and didn’t bore anyone too much. It was a  dreadful journey down to Cornwall in gales and rain and lots of Easter tourist traffic but it was great to see old friends including Anne Marie Jackson and DM Thomas and Victoria Field.  Do have some mobile pix of that event taken by my partner.  Enjoy these.  yes that’s me sitting there looking a  bit lost! And yes they did a lovely board in the window

• The Launch in November
•  Steve Kane, Chris Morrow and Me 

  

  The book! held by Mary McCluskey
           
  me and Nyall
  
  Wendy Vaizey!
   

These came into my inbox - thought I’d pass them on.

SPLIT THE LARK POETRY FESTIVALDEAL AND DOVER POETRY COMPETITION JUNE 2008

First Prize £250, Second Prize £150, Third £75.At least four runner-up Prizes.

ADJUDICATOR: JOHN WHITWORTHNO ENTRY FORM REQUIRED.

Previously unpublished poems up to a maximum of 40 lines each to be typed on a single side of A4 paper. A separate sheet of A4 should contain the titles of poems, name, address and phone number of entrant.

Entry fees: £3 One poem, £5 for Two, £10 for Five. Cheques payable to “Split the Lark Poets”.Liz Turner, 1 King Edward Road, Deal, Kent, CT14 6QL Enquiries: Tel: 01304 380866 E-mail: june.english@btinternet.com

CLOSING DATE 30th June 2008

•  

Visit our website http://www.splitthelarkpoets.co.uk 5th Annual Momaya Short Story Competition – Deadline 30 April

www.momayapress.cominfouk@momayapress.com
As the director of Momaya Press, I am extending an invitation to any writers you think may be interested in publishing a short story.Momaya Press sponsors a Short Story Competition to bring fresh writing to the attention of qualified judges. Submit your short story (2,500 word limit) by 30 April 2008 in order to compete for prize money and publication in the Momaya Annual Review 2008. The judges are Claire Nozières, Literary Agent at Andrew Nurnberg Associates, and Rosalind Porter, Editor at Random House. All submitting writers will be invited to the Momaya Awards Ceremony, taking place on 25th November at the London Review Bookshop.
Submission details at: www.momayapress.com.

Maybe I am. For those of you who remember I used to have a lit blog of this title that tried to see the world of publishing  from the little fella’s pov - that is those now marginalized by the conglomerate world of publishing we now find ourselves in - the world where publisher (mainstream) are like sheep and want to publish what has came before but oh yes only “ORIGINAL” what came before. Publishers (mainstream) don’t know originality if it came and bit them in the bum. They rely instead on  rehashing old old and jumping on bandwagons when the public by word of mouth push a book. Nothing’s changed there then. I wasn’t going to close my blog down but one day it had disappeared. I had some of it backed up but not all. Tis a mystery to this day why it vanished.  And as I was trying to do my Phd I let it vanish. 

Now things have changed and no I still haven’t finished the phd but personal life changed. I moved from Cornwall and a life there to a new life with a new partner in London and have been trying to readjust to new job etc. but the good news is (aside from the obvious in the above of course) is that I finally got a book out. You may see it plastered about here a bit every now and again. SO PLEASE BUY! or review or make a song and dance about somewhere. I used to do enough for other people on the old site - well it’s time a few favours were reciprocated and you out there know who you are. I have a long memory.  

meanwhile I am happy to do the odd review here and recip in whatever way necessary but please note I favour unclassifiable fiction or work hard to publish in the mainstream.  I can’t guarantee how often I can be here or with the passion of before but I will try.  Please be welcome - comment - make suggestion, hackle even and if you want me to link to you let me know! 

Steve Kane that is - the blog is back. Content coming soon for those strange creatures who stumble here accidentally. meanwhile here’s a plug