07:15 - 10th May 2022 (Day 1) So what does today hold? A walk up to the station after lunch to remind myself of the genesis of 'Degrees of Separation'. A certainty if it's dry (it was damp yesterday eve and is gusty this morning - typical edge of Pennines/Cumbria weather). Options: start revision of … Continue reading Retreat – Day 1
~ a question centred on the concrete yet wrapped up to sound philosophical and therefore more meaningful. It's one of those questions where we all instinctively think we know the answer - of course! - yet I suspect consistently fail to act on that basis. The 'concrete' is the beginning of a five-day writers' retreat … Continue reading How important is tomorrow?
Please check-out the latest update on our allotment project.
Three months ago I wrote a post describing how I used a tracker to measure my artistic endeavours - and how I used the log as a way to justify that I was working hard, making progress, being productive. All the numbers looked good. Clever me. The metrics were based on the number of projects … Continue reading Whatever you measure, make sure it’s the right thing…
For as long as I can remember, when it comes to my writing I have always found myself desperate for positive endorsement - both my own and from others. In the first instance we're talking about self-esteem; in the second, about reviews, comments, feedback, sales. Actually in my case it's about more than just endorsement; … Continue reading Imposter Syndrome – the worst possible thing for a Writer?
I thought I'd take you on a brief tour of my writing space: https://videopress.com/v/Qpde066u?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true And in case you wondered where all the novels are - or some of them anyway...
I have decided to serialise episodes from my book "Shrapnel from a Writing Life" on my Walking Thru' Fire podcast. I am making the first episode available here; the remainder will be posted on my podcast over the coming weeks. Walking Thru' Fire is currently available on Amazon Music, Deezer, Spotify and - soon - … Continue reading “Shrapnel from a Writing Life” serialised
I have hurt my back. Yesterday, while stretching before going for a run, I managed to tweak it a little - and today I'm in agony. Ever since I damaged it a few years ago, my back has always been my weak spot. I suspect we all have them, somewhere that fails first and fastest … Continue reading The perils of sitting down
Does my not being a woman impact the way I respond to Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray. Love"? Surely it must. My paperback edition's cover unashamedly pitches it as a work for women: "10 million women worldwide..." etc. etc. as if it were a Bible for life. Someone said to me "You're reading that?"... It's a … Continue reading “Eat, Pray, Love”
I feel inclined towards an adventure. Having now thrown myself wholeheartedly into my writing and publishing, 2022 seems destined to be a 'big' year. Make or break. And the elements that will define the year are already queuing up: at least three 'writing retreats' either as mentor or participant;four new works of my own - … Continue reading Weighing up adventures
Ian Gouge - Writer 