St Valentine’s Day
Tomorrow Click to Click: tales of internet dating will be free to download. Such a mix of sweet and sour and creepy and sad I’m not sure it is very suitable as a Valentine’s gift. Our experience to date suggests that these free download days do result in a lot of downloads. But I don’t think they lead to many sales. Still, it’s nice to be read! And having written that, I have to remind myself that ‘download’ is not the same as ‘read’. My own Kindle home page is full of unread downloaded books that someone has recommended to me or mentioned in the press.
I had meant to use this blog to share the wisdom from my creative writing class, but there is too much to tell. To sum it up, I’d say I am reading with a sharper and more appreciative eye and then turning to my own stuff and ripping out the clumsy, the unnecessary, and the less than sparkling bits of prose.
The effect on my embryo novel? Well, I write 500 more words and then cut another 500, so it stubbornly remains at 20 000 words. I hope it will one day reach the minimum of 80000 that they say is what’s needed, but I sometimes wonder. Meanwhile I’m fighting the occasional urge to write a short story, but I note down ideas. Couldn’t resist doing a piece of flash fiction inspired by my nephew and a spider yesterday, but am hoping to fit that into the novel somewhere. I’ll disguise the Canadian nephew as an Australian cousin – but the spider will have to remain a spider.
Today my photographer cousin Lorentz Gullachsen came to do a portrait of me for Ether Books. After two hours he announced that he had found my best side. I’m looking forward to seeing it.
Later this month: Group 2012 20 February, 7 p.m. Friends Meeting House, St Giles, Oxford We will be reading bits of our work and getting feedback. Usual dilemma: take something good to show off with or take something you need help with?
And Monday 25 February 8 pm at the Turl Street Kitchen Sharkspark, our Storytelling Club. Theme: Language. Last month’s session, on Hope, was well attended and fun. The room can accommodate more audience and more story tellers, though.