While browsing the Daily Telegraph site, I realise that their My Telegraph platform is still up and running. That makes them the last major newspaper to host a blogging platform. I actually registered on it over a year ago as a back door – MySpace blogs are increasingly dysfunctional and the runes suggest they will be turned off. An accountant might as the question: why the heck did Murdoch buy it? Back to My Telegraph – it has a number of groups including a Creative Writing Group, which at present is leaderless. Not sure about protocol so I’ve tossed something into the mix for feedback.
Blizzard is set in Antarctica and explores the idea of a pop idol who fakes his own death to get away from it all. He meets up with one of his mates do one last gig –somewhere unique where they can chill out – no fans. Others have already made this out of the way place their home. Words 926.
01 Dec 10
My Telegraph
My second attempt at empire concerns a lesser known relative of the well travelled Mungo Park, Aengus Park, who sets out with intentions of discovering – well discovering new things. They say that it’s not always about results; sometimes it’s about putting the effort in. This is the opportunity for a slightly tongue-in-cheek take on the process of exploration.
19 Oct 10
Empire again
Quite difficult trying to energise eldest daughter, she’s quite happy mucking about with her mates. Adolescence means hormones means irrational behaviour. Something to do with our breeding and the dismal guidance provided in state comprehensives (knock the state at your peril).
My first attempt at empire. The British Empire – or one tiny facet of it to be precise. At writing group (Hasiwriters) we were asked to consider a box and what it could contain. I, manfully, attempt another non-SF narrative. This amounts to 1,318 words and concerns the title of the piece The India Box, a carry over from Empire. Be careful of boxes as you never know what they contain.
06 Oct 10
British Empire
At the end of last season, Burnley were relegated from the Premier League back to the Championship. It was a close run thing but the points on the leader board don’t lie, we weren’t good enough. On the plus side, we paid off pretty much all our outstanding debt. I want to watch them in the Championship but it’s no longer a practical proposition. When I’m on more money perhaps.
I join Irwell Writers – not long after I joined Hasiwriters to be honest – they meet every Tuesday, 10 am at The Mosses in Bury. Also they meet the first Wednesday of each month, 7:30 to 9:30, also at The Mosses. 4th August 2010 the theme is Dreams.
Who remembers dreams? Often they fade to nothing before you wake, sometimes they linger. As a child I had repeating dreams – different kinds of repeating dreams. Write them down some say. Why would I do that? To write is to crystallize and in so doing, to block off all other realisations. If they’re worth anything, dreams stick around. Holding off their payload until some later day. Many of mine were apocalyptic but the thing is they were set in and around places I knew and was very familiar with. One involved a flying saucer landing not far from where I lived. This wasn’t a gee-whiz dream, it was terrifying – mayhem and destruction meant that the opposite row of terraced houses was completely obliterated. The cause: a flying saucer less than half a mile off. It was settled in a field towards the gas works in Barden, a district of Burnley. This stayed in memory forty years to become The Landing, 433 words. The interesting thing is how many of my dreams are of places that have since been demolished. Most of those dreams stay unwritten. When I run short of ideas, I will prey on them. (I want to be an SF author and I'm writing up dreams?)
Who Remembers Dreams?
05 Aug 10
Coyle did leave Burnley for Bolton back in January and in doing this he took most of the Turf Moor backroom staff which has all but ripped the heart out of the club. It’s going to be difficult to stay up. Fans on the Clarets Mad message board are bitterly disappointed in him and I doubt they will welcome him back soon.
I join Hasiwriters, a writing group based in Haslingden Library. They meet there on the first Tuesday and the third Tuesday of each month. Meeting time 5:30 to 7:00. This group is run jointly between Joan Malvern and Joan Atkinson. I still haven’t got my head round self-editing – it’s an uncomfortable process and I can hardly bring these concerns to the writing group – for a start, Science Fiction isn’t their thing – I’m reading them stuff but it’s plain to me that what I’ve written doesn’t work well. If I ever earn a bob or two, self-editing is the first thing I’ll ditch. It’s a drag. On the other hand, what pulls me to writing is the opportunity to write down my inspirations. One day I’ll get to a point where it reads better but for that I need feedback.
On the subject of my first novel, it has gone through another name change: I dumped The Xenocotrix in favour of Mandat Culturel. Those who know their history will recall that France and Britain had mandates over particular areas in the Middle East, falling out the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. Mandat Culturel translates directly to Cultural Mandate – a point of great significance which plays on the post first-contact future of humanity. Picking your way through sketchy sections is dangerous – I ended up with a longer narrative. Mandat Culturel now comes the 83,101 words in total.
Hasiwriters
20 Apr 10
