"Writing until the light goes out" When I was a child I was always good with numbers. Top in maths at school, that kind of thing. Gradually, as a love of literature and writing took over, my interest in numbers’ purity began to wane. I believe I can date the start of that decline to … Continue reading The year in numbers…
Category: Fiction
“The Four Books”
It is difficult to know whether Carlos Rojas' translation of Yan Lianke's The Four Books is as long as it is because of the size of the original text. Or maybe there's a tradition in Chinese literature which embraces repetition. Perhaps it's unavoidable. For my taste however, The Four Books is about 50% longer than … Continue reading “The Four Books”
“Even the Dogs”
I am a big fan of Jon McGregor's work, and even though it may take a little while to adapt to the style of Even the Dogs, the effort in doing so is rewarded. Even the Dogs offers a bleak insight into the world of drug addiction and poverty. McGregor pulls no punches here, yet … Continue reading “Even the Dogs”
“Writing to Gisella”
Writing to Gisella is one of three novellas included in my collection Losing Moby Dick. I have just published an extract from Writing to Gisella here. A second extract will be published next week.
November’s highlights…
"when you see anything of mine that you don’t like remember that I’m sincere in doing it and that I’m working toward something." - Ernest Hemingway A selection of links to recent posts from my Substack site. "Writing until the light goes out" "Writing until the light goes out" And a link to my new … Continue reading November’s highlights…
“Baumgartner”
It strikes me that, were a creative writing tutor to use Paul Auster's Baumgartner as a sample text, they might tell you that it was a good example of how not to write a novel. The reasons? Firstly, masses of 'telling' rather than 'showing'; and secondly, enormously long sentences - sometimes half a page - … Continue reading “Baumgartner”
“North Woods”
I really like Daniel Mason's work; The Winter Soldier is one of the best novels I've read in a long while. Consequently, I was looking forward to reading North Woods... But I'm afraid it wasn't in the same league. This wasn't down to the quality of the writing (far from it!) but rather the nature … Continue reading “North Woods”
A new book – and highlights from October’s posts…
"when you see anything of mine that you don’t like remember that I’m sincere in doing it and that I’m working toward something." - Ernest Hemingway A link to my new book, plus a selection of links to recent posts from my Substack site. "Writing until the light goes out" "Writing until the light goes … Continue reading A new book – and highlights from October’s posts…
New book out today!
My new book is based on decades of experience writing, running workshops, mentoring and conversations with other writers. Perhaps you don’t know if what you’re trying to write is the thing you should be writing; perhaps you’re feeling disheartened by years of competition and Agent rejections. Or maybe you’re simply struggling to finish ‘your novel’. Or even … Continue reading New book out today!
“Petersburg Tales”
I suspect that, based on prevailing theory and practice, many would regard Nikolai Gogol's Petersburg Tales (written nearly 200 years ago) as an example of how not to write short stories. And with some justification. There are four in the collection, each of them surreal and comic in equal measure, and - given modern sensibilities … Continue reading “Petersburg Tales”
Ian Gouge - Writer 