The lasting legacy of ludicrous riots:
what will that mean for me?
Not the mobs in their looted trainers,
or the YouTube vigilantes;
not the columns condemning violence
or the angry-eyed document’ries.
Maybe the broom-wielding Wombles
or the Continue reading
Can booze let loose the juices of creativity?
I admit my first reaction to hearing about singer-of-the-moment Adele writing her soaraway successful album 21 while under the influence of booze was one of disbelief: firstly, that someone so talented needs to drink (the shadow of Amy Winehouse loomed large in my mind), and secondly, that she could so coolly and publicly admit to it.
Except when I read beyond The Sun headline of ‘Booze helps Adele write songs‘, I realised there was more to it than just downing a bottle of wine and churning out indulgently booze-fuelled lyrics.
What it turns out the singer had done was bypass her inner critic – with all its angst and murderous intentions towards a newly born idea, thought or tune – with the anaesthetising effects of alcohol. Without that switch into another part of herself, the bitter-sweet unexpectedness of her number-one songs may never have Continue reading
I’m not the only writer who infuses her fiction with the shadowy elements of her psyche.
Who knows what can emerge from the shadows of the unconscious?
I’ve just read an interview with thriller writer Mo Hayder – winner of the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger in the Library 2011 award – where she says her writing helps her deal with the darkness in her mind. By fictionalising what terrifies her most, she is able to allay the intensity of her fears.
Psychoanalytic theory suggests that characters in novels are all projections of the author’s anxieties, neuroses and inner conflicts which the author him/herself may not be fully conscious of. It is this unconscious element that Continue reading
The end of a holiday evokes feelings of loss. (pic credit: Streetek)
Coming to the end of my holiday and, like any ending, it brings up feelings of loss, wistfulness; of wishing, perhaps, that I’d appreciated my time more: lived it more, felt it more, maybe. Perhaps I could have absorbed the beautiful countryside more enthusiastically, visited the sights more engagingly, and appreciated the reassuring sway and swagger of the boat more wholeheartedly.
Because this time won’t come again – and I’m not sure when I will have Continue reading
As I sail to the end of my holiday, and reflect on just how productive I’ve been with my writing, thinking, creating and planning, I discover that holidays are brilliant for boosting creativity.
Writing in the August 2011 issue of The Psychologist, Christian Jarrett’s article Wish you were here? examines the psychology of holidays. He says that creativity can emerge when ‘unshackled from the constraints of work and stress’ – in spite of all the frustration that can occur when getting ready to go on holiday.
The only challenge is that this boost to creativity is only temporary, and the effect quickly fades once we return home and are swept back into the quotidian demands on our time in what’s called the ‘fade-out’ effect. Thankfully, however, scientists are working on how to extend that post-holiday glow.
I fully intend to extend mine once I get back home.
I LOVE to hear about writers making it big by being persistent and brave, and not taking no for an answer.
So I was delighted to read in the Evening Standard about an author who self-published her novel digitally, and sold it for 95p on Kindle. Louise Voss proceeeded to promote her novel, Catch Your Death, relentlessly via social networking, propelling it to the top of the Kindle charts. Her success caught the attention of HarperFiction, which gave her and her writing partner Mark Edwards a six-figure deal.
What an inspiring story. This has turned traditional publishing on its head, and shows that a well-written, compelling book with an author driven, focused and prepared to promote it CAN achieve starry success.
Three days into my boat trip on the Broads, and I’m reflecting on how quickly I adapt to new surroundings. It takes me three days, in fact.
What began as resistance to relaxing, complaints about the crampedness on board, and a feverish need to stay connected to the outside world via mobile and dongle, has transformed into the extent of my new world. Home is forgotten – as is work and ‘normal’ life – and I’m enjoying just being in the moment, watching the world pass by.
On holiday it takes three days to adjust. In a new job it takes about three months to learn the ropes and feel less of a new girl. And it takes about three weeks to let a new (good) habit kick in. When I took up writing Morning Pages, it was about three weeks in that I started to appreciate the value of them.
So, instead of resisting in future, perhaps I’ll just trust in the power of three.
I know I don’t appreciate things until I don’t have them any more – that’s human nature. But boy have I missed a room of my own since embarking on a boat trip on the Norfolk Broads.
Boating on the Broads
Before departing, I had imagined a serene journey along the river network of Norfolk, gliding past wildlife and other friendly ‘sailors’ with their jaunty hats and jovial waves, and plenty of time and space to think and write.
I was right about the first two, but wrong about the second. Not used to ‘camping’ or managing without wi-fi broadband, hot running water, and the ability to Continue reading
It’s funny how, when you set your mind to something, all the right things appear, happen, fall into place, and show that really you’re on the right track.
They say there’s no such thing as coincidence, which is why – when I was thinking of the power of writing in its ability to heal, and how I can work with other people to tap into that power – I get included in an online group called Continue reading
Not writing is like a shadow on my shoulder, always projecting itself in front of or behind me; always making me aware of its dark, pressured presence.
Not writing feels like I’m cheating myself of something.
Not writing and pretending that life is OK without writing is being in denial about my true life force, and what sustains me.
Not writing means missing out on Continue reading
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