31 Aug 2011
Post Scriptum – August 2011
True story. In 2008 Jodi Cleghorn and I were talking on Facebook about the future of the short story format, a type of writing we both love and which is increasingly under threat. We came up with an idea for short story website which would provide fresh new content to smartphones, eReaders and laptops so that commuters could read quality, new fiction on their journeys, and that people in coffee shops could... read more
30 Aug 2011
Pep Talk
By Kirsty Neary A writer’s psychology is an odd mish-mash of dualities battling each other out for survival. For every dedicated loyalty and drive to produce something awesome, there’s the niggling sensation you’re wasting your time; for every moment of pride there are hours of self-doubt; for every thrill of acceptance there are a hundred soul-destroying rejections. Self-doubt is the... read more
29 Aug 2011
The future of poetry, as I see it
It’s hard to talk about the future without some sense of history. And many, all too many, discussions about contemporary poetry are completely ahistorical. This insistence on poetry being exclusively personal, centered on individual experience: how long has that been around? Since the early twentieth century? Not that there hasn’t been personal poetry almost as long as we have written records... read more
28 Aug 2011
Spoken Sunday #30
Spoken Sunday Submission #30 for 28th August, 2011 For full details check the page. How To Play: 1. After you have submitted to [Fiction] Friday – or written a passage of around 600 words, record it. 2. On your blog, or audioboo site, post an explanation of your piece (if its a passage from a larger work) or ask readers for specific feedback about it – as well as a link to your recording. 3.... read more
27 Aug 2011
Future writing tools and tea-makers too?
I am not qualified to talk about the future. Hell, I find it hard to work out what I’m going to have for dinner, let alone what may happen to publishing, writing or even biscuits. In fact, I’m not even sure I could accurately describe what is happening in publishing right now, let alone in a year or ten from now, it’s all so messy. All I think I can say about the future, and where it... read more
26 Aug 2011
[Fiction] Friday Challenge #222
[Fiction] Friday Challenge #222 for August 26th, 2011 Use the image to the right as your inspiration. How Fiction Friday works. It’s easy to do. Check this page for this week’s theme or challenge. Prompts are published each month to give you plenty of notice. Spend at least 5 minutes composing something original based on the theme or challenge. (and keep writing…) But, remember,... read more
25 Aug 2011
Meet Simon
It was on a train over thirty years ago. I was beginning the adventure of a lifetime with three fellow students from Manchester. We were going on our year abroad (obligatory back then for all language students). The train was just pulling out of Ostende to begin its slow trek to Stuttgart. We opened our bags and out came the food and drink, Deb’s ukulele and a small transistor radio (remember... read more
24 Aug 2011
The cost of advances in publishing
With so many changes happening in the world of publishing especially in regards to eBooks and digital publishing, I am always tempted when talking about the future of the industry to indulge the geek side of me and talk about the ins and outs of the latest technology. It’s easy to drool over and get excited about. I love my Kindle, other eReading devices, easier ways to get your work out there and all... read more
