Saturday 20 December 2008

Thinking About Writing Stories - Ladytron - And Poets

Note: Listen to Ladytron

My friend at work taught me some Japanese.

Poets I've been reading: Anne Sexton, Peter Manson

I'm going to have to do my writing on paper again, because I just can't think in front of a blank screen unlike when I stare at a blank piece of paper. I keep writing poems but I don't want to because I don't really like them. I'll just end up reading something different and then my writing will become something different. Which is annoying.
Back in uni I wrote 5 great short stories that went into 2 portfolios. I got a First Class honour for them, (although my degree came to a 2:1). If you read my short stories you'd probably say "What's all that about?" And I'd say: "I dunno. What do you think?" I manage to take one set theme and work in in through dialogue and other stuff, and was complimented for stylising a genre at uni, but the one inspiration (or main one) for story writing was Hemingway's 'Hills Like White Elephants.' It's the only story I think of when I write.
But with poetry, I don't know what the hell I'm trying to say. The best poem I've written is 'Transition,' I think.

I can't think of anything to write,and then I struggle, and then it becomes like a chore. Then writing isn't something I want to do. It's not wrtiter's block, sometimes I can think of stuff, but I don't want to write it down. I just need to leave, go travel the world. But I can never do that, because I always seem to tie myself down to this place.

2 comments:

addy owl said...

I know what you mean about writing being a chore sometimes. It's like, here's your pen and paper - now write something grand.

I listen to a lot of music when I have writer's block. Try to hear the subtle stories inside them, and write them out. Sometimes it works.

Hope that helps!

x
Addy

Katie M said...

Natalie Goldberg on the practice of writing:

"Like running, the more you do it, the better you get at it. Some days you don't want to run and you resist every step of the three miles, but you do it anyway. You practice whether you want to or not. You don't wait around for inspiration and a deep desire to run. It'll never happen, especially if you are out of shape and have been avoiding it. But if you run regularly, you train your mind to cut through or ignore your resistance. You just do it. And in the middle of the run, you love it. When you come to the end, you never want to stop. And you stop, hungry for the next time."

Also: "Sit down with the least expectation of yourself; say, 'I'm going to write the worst junk in the world.' You have to give yourself the space to write a lot without destination."