This evening was memorable for the kerfuffle involved before we even arrived at the theatre. Nothing to do with transport delays, either.


I don't as a rule eat out before going the theatre - having offered to review a play in return for two free tickets and a programme, it would defeat the object. However, I had two �10 Tesco vouchers exchangeable in Cafe Rouge and due to expire on September 30th.


For Tuesday I'd made a successful bid to review Roger Rees's new show on opening night so it was an good opportunity to use them. Two-course pre-theatre meals for about �12 are widely offered in the West End.


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Today I worked on a few new poems. The wind, rain, and cold combined to make it a day for indoor inspiration. The inspiration for one of the poems came just above the urinal on the Men�fs Room wall of the Bear Belly Bar. I like the poem but it still needs a lot of work. For those who think the Men�fs Room is a poor place to find inspiration I ask you to revisit the early 80��s and Tommy Tutone. If that�fs a forgotten reference for you then...Read More Here...

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It's nearly NaNoWriMo time, but every now and again, when I'm talking about the shitty first draft and other NaNo-ish concepts, someone says "I don't understand why anyone would want to write shit." Of course the idea is not that you want to, it's just that for many writers running every word through the censor before you allow it onto the page may not be the best way to get the creative imagination working at novel-scale, or at all. But there's no denying that for some people the concept isn't so helpful. So how else could you think of it?

There's Barbara Baig's Zero Draft, I was thinking. And then in my Historical Fiction Masterclass at this year's York Festival of Writing we were talking about historical voice. Voice is one of the most important but trickiest things about any writing, because voice is both medium and message. And in hist fic the historicalness needs to colour and inflect the voice of both narrative and characters, but the voice also has to convey the story and all its nuances to the reader as compellingly and clearly as possible. What words are "allowed" and what are "authentic". What "weren't used then"? Already the hand is tensing on the pen. And then there's the haunting fear of Foorsoothisms and Odds-bodikinery: the minute you "hear" something not-modern, you're at risk of "hearing" your Inner Critic (dressed up as your best friend/writing teacher) laughing at it. You're hamstrung in both legs by the need to get this narrative voice two different kinds of Right, and how's that for a powerful censor to have in your head?

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This weekend was wonderful on many fronts. We drove to St.Paul and visited our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter for a couple days. It was great to see them and actually have a reason to get down on the floor and play again. (Thanks for that, Piper!) We also attended the book release party for Every Day Poets Second Anthology. There we met face-to-face with Oonah Joslin and Kathleen Cassen Mickelson. (See previous post for links.) They talked a bit about what the folks at EDP do and then read some of their poems to the attendees. They were fantastic. At one point...Read More Here...

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Okay, tear your filthy minds from the obvious answers. This weekend we are heading to the Twin Cities area of Minnesota to meet up with Oonah Joslin and Kathleen Cassen Mickelson. (The editors at Every Day Poets) They have done the work of heroines promoting/publishing poets and making their work accessible to the wide audience on the internet. They publish one poem daily and will happily send it to your email so you don�t even have to go looking for it. They actually PAY their authors and charge nothing to their readers which is the opposite business model of many poetry journals. If you haven�t checked them out stop in at Every Day Poets. In the St.Paul area they...Read More Here...

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�What can you say?� Without intending to do so this U.S. colloquialism drives right to the heart of the matter. As writers it�s important HOW we tell the tale. We focus on the right twist, character development, plot, setting, dialogue, grammar, and a myriad of matters � all of which are important. But when everything has been written, revised, and rewritten what does our prose say? Does it make the reader sad? Happy? Thoughtful? Empathetic? Is the reader running and screaming through the woods because we told them the sky is falling? Conversely, are they running and screaming because the prose was so bad it nearly gave them cancer?

This post is the aftermath of me reading through my old journals this afternoon. I was mining for gold. Instead of nuggets I found some old fiction pieces. They were, in brief, turds. That became apparent as...Read More Here...

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Mt secind interview this week on the PANGEA BLOG TOUR is with a writer I have long admired in a 'wish I'd written that' kinda way. Sya hello to crofter, Caroline Robinson.

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This short introductory vid from the UK organization Apples and Snakes gives an overview of how poets, and artists in general, can make a living with their art. It leans toward performance poetry and workshops rather than publication. Even so it is interesting and they offer more info at their website should you wish to click through.

Last night we took friends out...Read More Here...

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My last short-term goal which lasted through the summer has been to write two (At least two!) versions of every poem I compose. One version was written in verse and the other in prose/prose poem. It has been useful in helping me look at my poetry differently. It has helped to clarify what I am trying to say to the reader even when the only reader is me. Over the last three months it has become part and parcel of my poetry process. In short it was a successful exercise and a beneficial goal. That leads me to my new short-term goal. First, some background ripped from my journals and utter exclamations regarding the writing process as it happens for me.

It�s easy to write. Vomit pen on paper, key-presses in the laptop, or pound one out on the Underwood. Yes, day to day journaling is fairly straightforward. Puke it out and forget it. There, I�ve done my duty. (Pats self on back.) I agree there is much to be said for daily journal entries but...Read More Here...


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TARA CONKLIN (tec) Interview today

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