#mywritingprocess – Blog Tour

I was asked to participate in this blog tour by wonderful wordsmith Steph Pike

Its purpose is to share current activities, link writers to their wider community and to spend a little time considering our latest projects - which could be either to tantalize readers or to give me the opportunity to chew over what exactly I'm doing. Either way, we get four questions to structure the post around:

1) What am I working on?

I grew up thinking there was something wrong with me, not helped by being surrounded by folk who encouraged that belief. There were many reasons, but here's the relevant one: I've always worked on more than one creative project at a time. Singing, poetry, fiction, painting my hall with a frieze of Egyptian goddesses... Do I bore easily? Am I a creativity junkie? Answers on a postcard.

After worrying myself stupid that it's 'wrong' to be like this, I've accepted it's how I am (and naysayers can bugger off). Poetry nourishes fiction, fiction nurtures song writing, and all of it feeds the soul. Plus, if I was only working on one thing, it'd be easy to, well, do nothing...

Right now I'm writing poetry using prompts from Jo Bell's inspirational 52 blog

  I'm gearing up for The March Violets tour dates in UK / Europe / USA.

I'm also doing the final edits for my second novel, Vixen, which is out June 17th. I'm lurching from fear (that it's absolute rubbish) to excitement (It's finished! I've really done it!).

Click to visit HarperCollins 'Vixen' page

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I don't know if it does differ, or if it needs to. What is different, anyway?

Philosophical meanderings aside, one of the 'rules' I picked up in novel-writing workshops was never to use first person when writing weird or unusual characters, because the reader won't be able to identify with them.

But I'm fed up with marginalized voices being further marginalized via the semantic distancing of third-person. So, in my debut novel 'The Palace of Curiosities', I created Eve, a woman completely covered in hair. I was determined she should speak for herself rather than have her story filtered through 'normal' eyes. One of the most striking features of the wonderful feedback I've received is how much readers have identified with Eve. Rules are there to be bent into the shape we desire.

3) Why do I write what I do?

My mother used to ask, 'why can't you write nice stories?'

I don't explore dark themes as some kind of pose, or to be difficult, or challenging for the sake of it. I write what I write because that's what comes knocking. I write what interests me about the world.

Sure, I can produce something that doesn't fire me up (I've tried), but my heart's not in it. There's the rub: I write where my passions reside. I've chased myself in circles trying to second-guess what a publisher 'might' want and it was a disaster. There's no point twisting yourself into shapes trying to please. That way lies madness, and not the interesting, creative sort. Maybe it's one of the reasons it took me so long for my novels to get published. But that's a different blog

4) How does your writing process work?

I am inspired and moved by the wealth of creative strategies we use to get ourselves writing. I reckon there are as many processes as there are writers. I don't think it matters one iota whether you're a morning / afternoon / nocturnal writer, whether you prefer a pencil, an iPad or grind your own ink from freshly-roasted acorns. It's more important to find the process that works for you. Then use it.

Let's face it, every day I'm plagued with a million reasons to avoid writing - shopping, housework, TV, social networking, let alone my inner critic screaming how useless I am. Click to read my 'dealing with the inner critic' blog

If I have a routine it's easier to get the hell over myself and write. My writing process gives me an anchor, a lifebelt to hang onto and weather those storms.

Next week the blog tour adventure features three wonderful writers – Susan Elliott Wright, Cathy Bryant and Anne Caldwell.

Susan Elliot Wright is a London-born novelist who now lives in Sheffield, where she teaches creative writing and tries hard to take her own advice. Click for Susan's website / Click for Susan's blog

Cathy Bryant's poems and short stories have been published on five continents (just Antarctica holding out), and she is a former blogger for the Huffington Post. She has won nine literary awards including the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Prize, and co-edited the anthologies Best of Manchester Poets vols. 1, 2 and 3. Her second poetry collection, Look at All the Women, will be launched later in 2014. See more at Cathy's website

Anne Caldwell is a poet and literature consultant. She works for NAWE, The University of Bolton, The Open University and runs workshops in schools and community settings. Contact Tel. 07818 052108 email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Her latest collection is Talking with the Dead, Cinnamon Press 2011.

Click to visit Anne's website

great weather for MEDIA

When: Thursday 29th January 2015, 7.30pm
Where: The Castle Hotel,
66 Oldham Street,
M4 1LE Manchester, United Kingdom
Tickets: Free event

Info: Click for FB event page

Featuring BigCharlie Poet, Cathy Bryant, Maya Chowdhry, Rosie Garland, Jackie Hagan, Kieren King, Sarah Miller, Jane Ormerod, Steph Pike, Gerry Potter, and Rebecca Audra Smith

Join great weather for MEDIA for a crazy-good evening of poetry and spoken word from the UK and New York City.

great weather for MEDIA is an independent small press focusing on the unpredictable, the fearless, the bright, the dark, and the innovative. We are based in New York City and showcase national and international poets and writers. Submissions for our print anthology open October 15 to January 15 every year.
www.greatweatherformedia.com

To submit to our next anthology, send work by January 15 Click to submit your work

Although a relative newcomer to Spoken Word, BIGCHARLIE POET's work ranges from the odd through the observational to the very personal. His notebook is his constant companion.

Fifty percent Spike Milligan and fifty percent Sylvia Plath (but not necessarily the talented halves), CATHY BRYANT has won thirteen literary awards and had two well-received books published.

MAYA CHOWDHRY found her voice on CND marches; sewed it into poetry and queer politics. She has inTer-aCted, partiCipated, narRated to make still, moving and interactive words and imagery for page, stage, web and waves.

ROSIE GARLAND has always been a cuckoo in the nest. She is an eclectic writer and performer and sings in post-punk band The March Violets. Her latest solo collection is "Everything Must Go" (Holland Park Press). Her debut novel "The Palace of Curiosities" was published by HarperCollins UK in 2013 and her second novel, Vixen released in June 2014. Find her poetry in great weather for MEDIA's latest anthology "I Let Go of the Stars in My Hand". http://www.rosiegarland.com/

JACKIE HAGAN was brought up on broken biscuits by hecklers. www.jackiehagan.weebly.com

Multiple slam winning host of Evidently and the Word War Slam series KIEREN KING grew up in the "posh end" of Salford writing bad love poetry in the back of his English book. A heathen and an anarchist, he must be approached with caution at all times. Tickling him behind the ear has been proven to soothe him.

SARAH MILLER is a poet, theatre deviser and playwright with poems published in anthologies and over twenty plays produced. She's passionate about Jane Austen, vegan cake, tea sets and all things gothic and is also partial to big frocks and hats. She is currently working on a joint poetry collection with Melanie Rees, which is being published in 2015.

JANE ORMEROD was born on the south coast of England and now lives in New York City. She is a founding editor at great weather for MEDIA. Jane performs across the United States and beyond. Her books include "Welcome to the Museum of Cattle" and "Recreational Vehicles on Fire" (both from Three Rooms Press). http://www.janeormerod.com/

STEPH PIKE is an activist and performance poet. Her poetry is urgent, topical and eloquent. She has performed extensively across the country and has been published in several anthologies. Her first collection, "Full of the Deep Bits was published in 2010. She is passionate about the transformative power of poetry, both personal and political.

Ex-grande dame of British poetry and literary King Dong of the contemporary scene, GERRY POTTER's "The Chronicles of Folly Butler" is out now with Flapjack Press. https://www.facebook.com/gerry.potterpoet

REBECCA AUDRA SMITH drags words up from the ocean's floor. They are strange rusty things which she attempts to shine.

Join multi-award winning poet Cathy Bryant and her guests Angela Topping, Rosie Garland and Sarah Miller for an evening of poetry and laughter as Cathy launches her new book, 'Look at All the Women'.

Thursday 28th August
The Eighth Day
111 Oxford Rd,
Manchester M1 7DU

At 19:00–21:30
Free event
Full disabled access and all welcome!