Now I've read pretty much all of what she says elsewhere but it does bear reading again, reminders. Knowing something and putting it into practise are two different things.
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Fiction Online Workshop
Now I've read pretty much all of what she says elsewhere but it does bear reading again, reminders. Knowing something and putting it into practise are two different things.
Friday, 11 June 2010
Puffin Links for Sharing
Happy Birthday Puffin! 70 years of Puffin. I was in the Puffin Club with their lovely magazine, the Puffin Post. I had a poem in there once too. Puffin started with Worzel Gummidge, the scarecrow.
Vote for your favourite Puffin from each decade - a tough choice. I love them all. By 16th June.
You can dress your own Puffin here - silly but fun.
A Nuffin Like a Puffin video here.
Also
The world's most beautiful libraries. Stunning. If I was (When I am) a 52-year-old Internet entrepreneur, I would have a library like Jay Walker's. Absolutely glorious.
Friday, 4 June 2010
Interesting Links - at least to me
Hot Guys Reading Books - dispelling the myth that no good looking men read. Is there an equivalent for women?
The Poetry Bus on Facebook with the ineffable TFE (actually he does eff from time to time)
Super post from guest blogger Mary DeMuth on Rachelle Gardner's blog. Three words: Tenacious, Talkative, and Teachable. How true.
The truth about submitting to the Booker and costs from FictionBitch.
And this year the Guardian First Book Prize costs too. So say goodbye to poetry. From Emma Lee's blog.
And Neil Astley complained very publicly on facebook. Perhaps they're listening.
One of my favourite superstar poets, Simon Armitage is walking the tough Pennine way in July, cap in hand. Here's his website if you're anywhere near and want to join in.
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
More Links
How to Write a Movie from Frank Cottrell in the Guardian. Good tips, some quirky but applicable to much writing.
30 famous authors who were rejected, some repeatedly, some rudely. The problem with these type of articles is they're supposed to make you feel better if you've been rejected (see recent tweets) but all I can think is how many thousands and thousands of writers have been rejected repeatedly and rudely because they're rubbish at writing. Although who in their right mind would reject The Princess Diaries? I love them.
World's 5 richest authors in terms of money.
Writing a short stories, sections by numbers from The View from the Blue House
Extreme face down
Dermot Bolger suggests here that the recession can be good for the arts.
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Interesting Links
I've tried sonnets (they always come out a bit too silly) and pantoums (you need a really strong topic for the repetition to work well) villanelle (Failed dismally on this one) a specular (aka mirror poem. This one worked for me. I should try another)
The full program is up for Listowel Writers' Week is up: http://www.writersweek.ie/2010/programme.html Jam-packed line up clashing with the Dublin Writers' Festival.
Premiership and various division of (mainly) US magazines from The Faster Times
Longlist for the Edge Hill Short Story collection competition has some great sounding books. If someone gives me them, I'll review them. Except for Nuala's. I've read that one.
Frank O'Connor Short Story collection (very) longlist here.
Many congratulations to Nuala for getting onto both lists. A recommended book.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Interesting Links
If you haven't read it, the controversial piece by Marie Johnston in Poetry Ireland Review 100 about sub-standard poems (and apparently therefore poets) published in old copies of the magazine. I do agree with some of what she is saying. There are many poems published that I don't get. Either they are just an interesting observiation (so what?) or poetry as therapy or too convoluted/up their own bum or just plain boring. However, the way the article is written leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Emerging poets haven't had time to develop a thick skin and naming and slagging off poets seems unnecessarily cruel. Plus most of the poets she does single out as good are real old school.
Interesting post from A Newbie's Guide to Publishing about e-publishing/self-publishing and the like.
The Thought Fox is a blog from Faber and Faber. Worth a look.
And here's the Faber and Faber podcasts.
Fabulous photos from I Could Read the Sky from Stephen Pyke.
I'm in the Meath Chronicle.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Interesting Links
Alien versus Pooh (as in Winnie the)
Ten Commandments for the Happy Writer from Nathan Bransford
Fablus post on spell-chequer from Strictly Writing
Poem on th reality of Poetry Readings on Michael Farry's blog.
Words not to use in poems from Bill Posters. Ever used any of these? Shard, seep, pellucid, myriad, woe, curlicue, soul, mind, pent, hence, yonder.
15 words contemporary poets overused from World Class Poetry Blog
I'd add: Alas, burgeon, breast (really, do we need so many?) anything relating to masturbation (boring), fuck (boring and lazy), heart (overused) also fragile, fragment, tears, soul, ripe, soar, I, my, mine, the (check, you can often leave it out) and (can often use a comma) pare.
What words would you add?
Friday, 19 March 2010
Pride!
The Cartdriver
Isn't he fabulous? Spread the word to all anime obsessives. (I taught him all he knows...)
Extra Links for your elucidation
What's IN and what's OUT from The unmissable Intern
Is this your query? from Paperback Writer
Masterclass in editing your story down from Essential Writers.
How to choose a book title from Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent
Sometimes you have to die to get famous
Do you knit?Why not clothe Limerick, an urban knit project.
Hilarious article on submissions.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Languages of the readers of my blog
Per my stats, after English (UK and US (hello my lovely American readers) what do Canadians set their English to? What about Aussies and Kiwis? Do you have your own settings or it is down to how yo uspell colour/color?) The next language settings of my readers are:
German : Guten Tag und Gruss Gott! Did you see my poem in the Bremen magazine Newleaf? I did a lovely residency in Oberpflatzler Kunstlerhaus a couple of summers ago. Such lovely people.
Spanish: Buenos Dias mi amigos. Half as many as the Germans. Spread the word. I'd love to do a residency in Spain. I read about one in Catalonia but it seemed a bit remote. I like countryside but I like people too.
France. Bonjour mes amis. J'aime la France beaucoup. I'd love to drop in on the Paris Irish centre but I'm probably not quite Irish enough.
Italy. Ciao! Any chance of an invitation? What's not to love about Italy?
pl I'm guessing is Poland. Dzien dobry! Did you know that when Tesco started translating their signs in Irish stores to bi-lingual signs, i.e. English and Irish, they translated Polish where the interesting Polish foodstuffs are to Snasán, the Irish word for polish, like Mr Sheen!
Netherlands. Dag, jonges! Ik woonde eens in Nijmegen, erg lang geleden.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Monday, 15 March 2010
Interesting Links
Irish Writers' Centre announce this month's Lonely Voices, reading their short stories, 31st March.
Also this:
Máighréad Medbh and Paula Meehan
Tuesday 16 March @ 7pm
Poetry Ireland in association with The Blue Leaf Gallery and to celebrate the art exhibition 'Wildly Different Things' (New York and Dublin) presents a reading by Máighréad Medbh and Paula Meehan with Theo Dorgan, Seamus Cashman and many others.
The Observatory, 7-11 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2
And this:
Ciaran Carson and Sinéad Morrissey
Tuesday 16 March @ 8pm
The Market Place Theatre celebrates the 10th Anniversary of its opening, and in association with the John Hewitt Society presents a reading with Northern poets Ciaran Carson and Sinéad Morrissey.
Admission: £6/£5 [conc.]
The Market Place Theatre (Studio), Armagh, Co Armagh
Also:
O'Shaughnessy Award for Poetry
The 14th O'Shaughnessy Award for Poetry has been awarded to Theo Dorgan, former director of Poetry Ireland/Éigse Éireann.
The $5,000 O'Shaughnessy Award for Poetry, established in 1997, honours Irish poets. The award is named for Lawrence O'Shaughnessy, who taught English at St. Thomas from 1948 to 1950, formerly served on the university's board of trustees and is the retired head of the I A O'Shaughnessy Foundation.
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Links for poems
A couple of good poems by Geraldine Mills from her new collection An Urgency of Stars posted by Susan at The Alchemist's Kitchen
Lightweights by Jeff Hardin on VerseDaily.org
What the Mountain Saw by Philip Gross, TS Eliot winner, analysed by Carol Rumens in the Guardian.
Simon Armitage in online mag Blackbox manifold.
Friday, 12 March 2010
Why am I Blogging?
Why does any individual blog?
Promote their product - if you only promote your product, it's really, really boring, especially if done in a pushy way. I do promote my readings and poetry Pamphlet (buy now, please - link on the sidebar) but the ROI seems minimal. How many sold from the blog? Guess. How many people come to a reading because it's been on my blog? If there are any, they don't comment or come and tell me. Other people's puff pieces - boring. Especially if they only blog the puff, not the failures.
Share the pain - if I ever do a post on failure, I get comments. If I do a post on success, I may get some too. I find it hard to write puff pieces on myself and feel like I'm courting for comfort with the failure ones. Maybe whinging online gets it off my chest. Though I do like to read about other people's failures (more than their successes, my guilty secret)
Write about writing - Chatacters, dialogue, plotting, etc. These posts rarely get any feedback. Are they interesting at all? Useful?
Other links - really I post these for myself. So I can find them again.
Events - There are more events than I can keep a handle on. I tend to post ones that I'm interested in, that I would go to if I could or that I will go to. I don't mind spreading the word, pushing PR for these. The odd time I've been thanked. I've even got a ticket or two. I'm totally jealous of blogs like English Mum who gets free stuff all the time to write about. Positively showered, she is.
Workshops - No thanks at all for posting about workshops run by other people. I only post ones I'd be interested in. Don't know why I bother. I can't afford to go on any.
Grants/Bursaries - This is a maze of in fighting, mutual back scratching, brown paper envelopes, spinning and closed-shopness. I write about these to try and light a fire or two. No idea if it makes any difference. Full disclosure: I received bursaries from South Dublin Co Co and the Arts Council. Small but helpful. Did this blog help? I do mention it in grant applications.
Competitions - again, I only mention competitions I'd recommend and enter if I had the right piece and the money. I never get anything from the organisers. Do they even know I exist. I personally find posting these useful as I can find them with the deadlines. Does anyone else? When I remember, and when I hear, I post the results.
Inspiration - these are rare. Just things that spark my interest. Youtube, photos, whatever. Why bother?
Writing - Occasionally I post some writing. Particularly TFE's Poetry Bus, a fabulous institution/vehicle. The problem Is that once on the the web, it's published. So either it's unpublishable in print (in which case, why read it?) or I take it down later.
Markets - Magazines, publishers etc. For my use again.
Other stuff - what other stuff is there? Book reviews? Contentious stuff about writing and writers and the whole industry? I don't want to blog about ex-boyfriends, bad dates, cooking, funny things my kids said, overheard on bus, celebrity gossip/speciulation or how I will fix Ireland when they make me the benevolent dictator.
So comments, opinions, fluff pieces, freebies, begging. Why should I continue?
This post triggered by not being shortlisted for the bloggers awards. (And some other frankly boring, puffy, whingey, infrequent, badly written and not thought out blogs being on the list.) I'll get over it.
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Guest Post from Nollaig Rowan - Dublin Book Festival
Despite great intentions I only got to Sunday's sessions at the Dublin Book Festival. But that was good. An injection of creativity into my sluggish brain. So, which injection gave me the highest high?
I'd have to say it was Pol O'Muiri ... and he's not someone I'd have rushed into town to see. But there you go. That's what's great about festivals. What I liked about O'Muire was his poems about language and him reading in both English and Irish with a smidgin of German.
Now what a pity that the only 'foreigner' on the podium - Enrique Juncosa - did not read in Spanish. I was looking forward to hearing his poems in his native
language (then spoken in English by himself or another) but no, he chose to write and read in English. That did nothing for me.
Nessa O'Mahony read from her verse novel about emigration, written from the point of view of three women. Interesting, lovely sounds "sags and zig-zags ..." I'd like to hear / read more.
Ciaran Carson was perhaps the most unusal reader of the afternoon. Well, he was more than a 'reader'. He played the tin whistle to introduce the idea of "aisling" as in dream and muse. And he sang part of his novel called "The Penfriend" - a love story. It sounded just right for a love story to be partly sung, partly read. If I bought the book would I sing myself to sleep with it at night?
7th March 2010
Saturday, 6 March 2010
Links for your elucidation
Every day for 365 days @blondergan gives $100 to causes + people that are making the world a better place. See the blog at What Gives.
Top 10 Query mistakes from Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent. Don't screw up at the first hurdle.
Ten confessions of an aspiring writer .... includes a definition of the difference between an aspiring and an emerging writer... from Overland.
Carry a Poem in Edinburgh. Great idea. We should do it here.
Good Idea/Bad Idea from Pimp My Novel
What they ate at the Theatre in Shakespeare's time.
Book Swap at Wimbledon Station. We should get this at our major commuter stations.
Rather wonderful rant from Julian Gough, an Irish Writer in Berlin about the State of Irish Literature. Some things ring true, some clank like a broken bell.
Monday, 1 February 2010
Have a read of these
Really sound advice on creating a book trailer for use on youtube, blogs, whatever from a guest post from Myrlin A. Hermes on Nathan Bransford's blog
Bloggers, how to get comments on your blog posts
An extensive list of magazines in the UK and Ireland who publish short stories from Tania, absolute Labour of Love
Bloggers, how to get comments on your blog posts
An extensive list of magazines in the UK and Ireland who publish short stories from Tania, absolute Labour of Love
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
More to Peruse
2010: a year of kissing people. I think he should photo each one. The person, not the kiss.
The lovely lyrics to Glow Little Glow Worm Go from George Szirtes.
Lovely photos of 20th century ship launches in Delaware.
Good poetry advice from the Plough Prize via Michael Farry
Shedblog - a blog about sheds.
No Pants Subway Day from Improv Everywhere, New York. Shall we do this on the Dart?
Cats4Gold - LOL
What makes a good Poetry Collection Title. Poll at Polyolbion
Top Ten Questions Dutton Editors Ask before taking on a book/author
Query/acceptance statistics from Janet Reid. Literary Agent
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Blog Awards
The Irish Blog Awards for 2010 are open for nominations, you can pick your favourite blogs on their website now. The Irish Blog Awards are a great initiative, in that they’re open to votes from the public. It’s a good opportunity to nominate some of your favourite Irish blogs.
I was nominated in my first year but not last year. Gutted, I was. Gutted.
Saturday, 9 January 2010
Things worth reading
Winners of a competition to create publishing myths at Editorial anonymous. Worryingly plausible.
Smallest library - in a phonebox.
Wonderful collection of inspirational quotes collected by Marian Keyes who is sadly suffering from depression. They include Hamlet, Eeyore, Leonard Cohen, Dorothy Parker and Churchill.
How to Write Badly Well blog from Joel Stickley - tongue in cheek what NOT to do's.
Tiny Poems is lovely but unfortunately seems to be dormant.
Paperback Writer is imagining Inventions for Writers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
