Writers and the world of work , or that’s not a job!
A friend once introduced me to some people at a party as a poet, and straight away someone loudly responded with that’s not a job!
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Skip NavigationA friend once introduced me to some people at a party as a poet, and straight away someone loudly responded with that’s not a job!
Read MoreWhat does a poem stand for? What is a poem? What is a poem for? What should a poem be? What should it feel like? What should a poem do? How should it do that? How does a poem relate to the world? Why do you want to write it? What is writing like? Is poetry political? Is all poetry political? How can poetry change the world? How will your poetry change poetry?
Read MoreThis post, in a lot of ways, relates to my previous writing about how to get your poetry out there, because it’s yet another way of sharing your work as a fledgling writer, and something of a rite of passage for many writers of various genres.
Read MoreHow do you know when to turn something deeply personal into something that another person might read, and even understand and enjoy, and maybe even want to publish? And how do you know when to keep it to yourself?
Read MoreAfter Christmassy indulgences and as the new year approaches, many of us will be thinking of ways we could better ourselves in the new year – whether it’s a charity donation or a gym membership, or something a bit more unusual. The writing resolution is nothing new – whether it’s to spend more hours per […]
Read MoreI never fail to be amazed at how much a single poem can sometimes contain. It might contain ideas, images, ambiguities and multiple interpretations. It can be full of sound and music, and give the reader a powerful narrative. There is so much a poem can do.
Read MoreWe human beings love to try and predict the future, from the football scores to the next world conflict. Authors including Margaret Atwood, George Orwell and Kurt Vonnegut are amongst those who have famously done so. Futuristic, speculative fiction is big business, especially at a time when even the news can sound dystopian.
Read MoreI hope you’ve all been getting your work out into the world following my short blog series on ‘Getting Your Poetry Out There’ but it seems only fair to come back with some tips for dealing with the one inevitability of a writer’s life: rejection.
Read MoreMaps, like poems, can mean different things to different people.
Read MoreIf I am ever worried about showing vs telling in my own work, I tend to look at the situation from the perspective of the reader. A reader told something will go away knowing it. A reader shown something will go away having interpreted it and worked it out for themselves.
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