Dissertation Disaster?

I guess you could say it’s all gone to pot a little. Work on my dissertation is moving along ever so slowly and I really should be picking up the pace. I went from wrestling with a creative non-fiction book to turning it into a historical novel. What a switch!

 

It’s not that I don’t want to write the non-fiction book, and I like to think that I will actually write it. It’s just the deadline for my dissertation is in May and I need to get words on paper. It seems writing fiction comes more naturally to me. This could be down to the fact I read so little non-fiction and maybe I should change this if I am going to write a non-fiction book.

 

Can ya guess what it is yet?

These are a few of the books I am submerging myself in at the moment which may give you a clue as to what I am writing about. I like to keep the mystery a little so I won’t divulge my idea completely but I am sure some of my readers might be able to guess (or if you know me, you probably know the subject area anyway).

 

 

So as well as writing this dissertation I am also getting involved in other creative projects too. I have recently been appointed the Secretary for York Writers which is a local writing group who meet up once/twice a month and share their work, enjoy listening to guest speakers and sometimes engage in workshops. I have also just co-edited the poetry for Indigo Rising UK and that was fun. I enjoyed reading such a mix of poetry, a lot of which was excellent. Issue three will be released very soon so I will keep you posted.

 

So all in all it’s been a busy start to the year. I haven’t written half as much as I would have liked but I plan to make sure I set aside time in the week to get things down on paper or to work on this novel. The kids can fend for themselves…right?

The English Chicago Review

I am extremely honoured to have my poem, School Run, appear in the first ever edition of The English Chicago Review alongside some amazing poets like Amy Audebert, Ian Parks, Antony Dunn and Jem Jem Henderson!

If you would like to pre-order a copy you can do so via this link: http://englishchicagoreview.blogspot.co.uk/p/current-issue.html

Many thanks to Ashley Fisher (editor) for his kind support.

You can also check out his other publication, Turbulence, via this link: http://www.turbulencepoetry.blogspot.co.uk/

 

 

 

Indigo Rising UK

I have the pleasure of working with some great people co-editing the poetry submissions for Indigo Rising UK Magazine

http://indigorisinguk.com/

Please do send any poetry, prose, flash fiction or art to us at the following addresses:

Prose:

Submissions can be up to 2500 words. We will make exceptions based on the quality of the piece. We are looking for high quality, literary pieces as long as they are creative and original.

Email: prose@indigorisinguk.com

Flash Fiction;

Submission no longer than 750 words. We are looking for inspiring, original pieces of fiction.

Email: flash@indigorisinguk.com

Poetry:

Submit up to six poems at a time, no longer than forty lines each. Any forms are fine. Subject matter can be anything. Originality is important.

Email: poems@indigorisinguk.com

Art:

We are looking for abstract, authentic and surreal art and photography. Pieces that have a personal touch and generate deeper understandings.

Email: jem@indigorisinguk.com

Look forward to hearing from you! 🙂

Interview With Author, NEDavid – 16/7/12

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with a fellow writer and friend of mine, N E David, about his experiences in writing and publishing.

As he indicated in his recent Blog (Eyes Wide Shut), he talked about how being a writer isn’t all about writing. He states, “it’s also about promoting yourself and your work – there’s no point in spending your life locked away in a draughty garret if the fruits of your labour never get to see the light of day.”

Here’s what he said when I grilled him about his recent work.

 

Me : Nick, you’ve just launched one of your novellas as an ebook. What prompted you to do that?

NED : Feria has been available in paperback for a while now and I thought it was time to offer it to a wider range of readers through the internet.

Me : Feria is a strange title. What exactly does it mean?

NED : Strictly speaking it’s the Latin word for ‘free day’ so it’s come to signify a holiday. More recently it’s been associated with festivals and fairs, the best known of which is probably the Feria de abril de Sevilla – the Seville April Fair.

Me : So how did you come across it?

NED : My wife and spent a week’s holiday in a small town in Andalusia in Spain in September 2006. Purely by accident it was the week of their annual Feria and we got caught up in it. I was so taken in by it all that I sketched out the plot on the plane on the way home.

Me : So some of the events you describe actually happened?

NED : Yes indeed. There was a Spanish Marching Band and free paella – I remember that we ate ours standing up in a telephone box as it was the only space we could find. But the rest is pure fiction.

Me : And what about the characters? Are any of them real?

NED : I guess not – although I do recall seeing an otherwise good-looking woman with a broken nose and I did wonder how she’d acquired it. In the end she became Carmen, the flamenco dancer, and I made up her story.

Me : Is there any other truth in the tale?

NED : Well, everyone there seems to own a dog and the keeping of goats is common.  And one of the most important problems for the area is the distribution of water. Walking the countryside, you become aware of just how many concrete channels and gulleys there are that transport it from one place to another.

Me : It’s not a long book, only 20000 words. When did you write it and how long did it take you?

NED : I started on it as soon as I got back from the holiday and I suppose it must have taken me about six weeks to complete. The great thing was, it was all so fresh in the mind that I didn’t need to do much revision.

Me : You seem to like this format. Why is that?

NED : I found the conventional short story length too constricting but the plot wasn’t enough for a novel and I didn’t want to string it out . This seemed about right.

Me : And are you intending to release more of your ‘entertainments’ as ebooks?

NED : Yes, I’m planning to do a couple more of the same length in the foreseeable future. But the content will be totally different!

 

To buy FERIA in the UK visit http://amzn.to/Lk280v

To buy FERIA in the US visit http://amzn.to/NpUiAZ

 

For more information about N E David you can follow him on twitter here: https://twitter.com/NEDavidAuthor and visit his website here: http://www.nedavid.com/

Call For Submissions

Pastiche Magazine are looking for poetry and prose submissions for their 1st print edition to be released shortly. Any writers out there who wish to submit should read the following:

 

Pastiche is currently accepting submissions from writers, artists and musicians.

Poetry – very few restrictions, but we have a limit on the amount of  Iambic tetrameter and/or rhyming couplets we will accept. Audio files must be under 10 minutes.

Prose – under 5000 words. For submissions over 2000 words please send a sample page.

Art – can be any form (photography, traditional, performance)

 

Formats:

Documents – .doc / .docx / .pdf – For all ‘traditional’ pieces please use 1.5 spacing.

Art (including photographs) – .jpg

 

Email all submissions to pastichemag@hotmail.co.uk. Do not include your written work in the body of the email – refer to the acceptable formats above.

 

Once submitted, work may not subsequently be published elsewhere (including self-publishing, e.g. on a blog) for a period of one month (creative) and 2 months (other). Please do not submit your work if it is already published elsewhere. Rejected work may be resubmitted after a period of 1 month. The same piece of work may not be submitted more than 3 times, however an individual is welcome to submit as many different pieces of work as they like.

 

So what are you waiting for…get emailing!!!

 

 

Publications are occuring…oh yes!

Well, I am uber excited!

I have just had my poem ‘Cot’ published by a great magazine called Pastiche. It’s a really great publication and I have the pleasure of appearing alongside some great writers, namely Steve Toase whose prose is amazing!

I have also discovered that a short story I wrote a while back called ‘Poison’ will be making an appearance in Issue 6 of Beautiful Scruffiness. This is another great magazine that is filled with really cool artwork, as well as some crackin’ poetry and prose.

Alongside all this I am currently putting together a small collection of three short stories for a Creative Writing portfolio assigned as part of my degree and I am also working on some exciting publications and events with Stairwell Books, including a York800 anthology, a Ghost anthology and the Ryedale Literature Festival (and that’s just to name a few!)

Yep, it’s all go here. I will post more details about the anthologies and events nearer the time.

Watch this space!

Exciting News

I have been given the amazing opportunity to work along side a small publishing press called Stairwell Books.

Stairwell Books are based in York and publish some great poetry anthologies and are now branching out in to novels. I have the honour of helping with the growth of this great publishing company and would urge you to check out their website and purchase a book or two…or three…or more! They are great value for money and exhibit work from popular local writers.

I have been lucky enough to have appeared in Along The Iron Veins – a collection of railway/train themed poems and short stories. I also highly recommend Frisson – for those who like their poetry a little more tantalising and erotic. They also publish the fabulous Dream Catcher magazine and you can order your copy through their website as well.

You can find details of Stairwell Books  and their publications at their website http://www.stairwellbooks.co.uk/

 

Exciting New Ventures

Lots going on at the moment including the possibility of writing for a new women’s magazine and a cool rock magazine as well as organising a literature festival for Autumn this year.

More details to follow once things are in place.

It’s a very exciting time.