Monthly Archives: August 2010
The Wilderness Downtown
This is rather cool, and not just because it involves one of my favourite bands, Arcade Fire: The Wilderness Downtown This site is host to an innovative music video for Arcade Fire’s “We Used To Wait” track, which uses the … Continue reading
Filed under music, Technology
Pace
I have noble writing intentions, but right at the moment they’re getting overshadowed by the practical reality of continuing to polish my novel until it gleams. Whenever I think I’ve finished I really haven’t, and whenever I go back to … Continue reading
Filed under Writing
Congrats
Massive congratulations to my good friend Ben, whose lovely wife Beth today delivered their first child: Ettie (Harriet) Anne Jeanette Bladon. Awww. And by awww, I mean awwwesome. And also congratulations to Wells’s finest, Edgar Wright, whose latest film Scott … Continue reading
Cleesh Ey
Clichés! I’ve been trying to get rid of a number of them in my manuscript today. They’re very easily done – you hear something you like the sound of, it somehow finds its way into your writing, and then there’s … Continue reading
Filed under Writing
Rather Novel
So it’s the end of yet another week, and it’s been pretty incident-packed in terms of writing. My first full manuscript rejection (boo!) was followed by another full manuscript request (yay!), a glowing review of my novel from an author … Continue reading
Filed under Writing
Network
I’m a brilliantly terrible networker. I simply don’t do it. My stammer makes me massively self-conscious when speaking to new people, and so the idea of me voluntarily inflicting myself upon others is a silly one. On the other hand, … Continue reading
Filed under Writing
Feedback
Waiting for feedback about anything is always nerve-wracking for me, whether it relates to a report I’ve written for a client, a letter, or the latest draft of my magnificent octopus. Whenever I see an email in my inbox that … Continue reading
Filed under Writing
Irrational Hatreds: Bristolianisms
Irrational Hatreds was going to become a regular series on this blog once upon a time. Whoops, sorry. But here’s a special one, all about Bristolianisms. (AKA the most middle-class thing you’ll read on WordPress all year.) I live in … Continue reading
Filed under Irrational hatreds
Cat And Mouse
I have two cats – a tabby one called Hobo and a white one called Lassie. My wife and I first met Hobo when she came round to our old house one afternoon and interrupted Jo decorating. She miaowed, then … Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
He Said, She Said
As I’ve said previously on this blog, finishing the first draft of anything is when the writing process really starts in earnest. The analogy I use is of making a sculpture – redrafting is all about chiselling out the finer … Continue reading
Filed under Writing
