So, with "Crash" and a selection of my sonnets as of yesterday now in the hands of Carcanet, another log sits on the fire of anticipation. (Perhaps that's too fanciful, but then fires do burn to ash..!) I can't help but feel all I need is a break, a slice of luck...but then perhaps everyone … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 4th January
Category: Life
Yesterday & Today: 3rd January
I think sometimes at poetry reading groups we fall into the trap of preferring to talk about 'meaning' rather than explore and critique the craft on display. Most often we do this because it is an easy way for readers to make a contribution; occasionally it's an authorial necessity because a poem isn't working. Indeed, … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 3rd January
Yesterday & Today: 2nd January
I used to berate myself if I didn't do any writing-related work during a day, but things have moved on: I now feel unsettled if I haven't done enough. I keep a log of where I spend my creative time; perhaps this is a little sad, but it keeps me honest! My target is four … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 2nd January
Yesterday & Today: 1st January
Hopefully it will be a common theme, but yesterday went pretty much as I had expected it would: revision work on "Tilt" and some more notes on what "C" might look like. One area where I did spend more time than anticipated was in working on draft courses / workshops for the writers' retreats at … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 1st January
Yesterday & Today: 31st December
As with many days recently, some of yesterday was spent going through and validating my 2023 plan of writing and publishing activities. It will flex over time of course, but is pretty much there. In addition to some ongoing revision of the draft of a new novel - "Tilt" - I also managed to break … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 31st December
It’s all about 2023…
Already - and so soon - it's all about 2023. It's about building on the foundations laid during this year. Kicking-on again. And maybe for the first time a new year won't be about production (that age old dilemma of what to write - and then struggling to do so!) but about recognition; of taking … Continue reading It’s all about 2023…
A new definition of ‘vintage’
Apparently the laptop on which I write this post is 'vintage'. Perhaps I should explain. The machine in question is a MacBook Air with an eleven-inch screen purchased in Singapore in 2014. So eight years ago. It has served me faithfully and reliably all that time, in the process surviving numerous operating system and software … Continue reading A new definition of ‘vintage’
In the Library
The library is one large first floor open-plan space. At this end of it, in the reference section, six tables: four uniquely shaped allow pairing to make two octagonals; the other two - rectangles - form a square). Purple chairs surround all three arrangements. Purple is the theme here: chairs (soft and hard), shelf signs, … Continue reading In the Library
Sometimes someone says something…
In the last week I have been struck by two almost throw-away comments made to me by friends. The first, in discussing the role of a writer - particularly when it comes to things like readings and Open Mics - was the statement that "our job is to entertain". I confess I've always struggled a … Continue reading Sometimes someone says something…
Does our writing need a regular service?
Driving home the other day, unbeknownst to me the front passenger-side suspension spring broke on my car. I only realised the extent of the damage once I'd got home, when I saw the virtual zero clearance between tyre and wheel arch. Without doubt something nasty could have happened during those last few miles home... The … Continue reading Does our writing need a regular service?
Ian Gouge - Writer 