The bank holiday weekend has proved productive in that I now have a fairly satisfactory draft ready for my next short story submission to the OU course. It is such hard work to do this well, this story writing I mean, the more I learn about techniques and style and the difference between telling and showing, the more clumsy I view my own writing to be. Nevertheless, there’s the challenge.
This week, some time, I will write a review of my first book in the Neustadt Challenge, Max Frisch Homo Faber, which I found a real page turner and I am pleased I took him as first on my list to read. I am glad have got a list of non-English authors to read through – they provide a different perspective that keeps you on board with the rest of the world.
And now I must start the next assignment, which is going to be a rewrite of the first chapter of that novel that I started last year. In fact, I have realised I need to rewrite every single chapter, all in the light of my newfound knowledge (wisdom?) of what good writing consists of… A job and a half, in other words.
51stories 
A holiday is always nice. Good luck on re-writing the first chapter of the novel. It’s been inevitable to revise, re-write and sometimes erase what I have started. It happened a lot during the early stage of my dissertation.
By: Matthew on May 6, 2008
at 8:03 pm
Perhaps you feel clumsy, Seachanges, because your freedom is coerced by writing patterns established by alien persons.
To write properly – and I remember Joyce – you should decide yourself how to express your feelings without any outer influence, that’s what makes a writer a genius.
My opinion as always.
By: Jose on May 7, 2008
at 6:55 pm
Matt: yes I remember those trials as well! So I go plodding on and hopefully my writing will eventually be as successful as your thesis was :). Good to see you back.
Jose: and you are right as always. I do think I can learn a bit here and there though: Joyce of course knew how to write in his own way and although few read him from beginning to end he is still considered a genius. That’s clever!
By: seachanges on May 7, 2008
at 8:42 pm
I’m so envious of your writing course. I really need to undertake something similar if I’m ever going to do any serious creative writing.
By: Andi on May 8, 2008
at 6:14 pm
Andi: it’s hard work!
By: seachanges on May 9, 2008
at 7:40 pm