Why I never want to hear back from the agent who has my novel.

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On Saturday I did my first proper poetry reading. It was down in Winchester at the prize-giving for the Virginia Warbey prize. I didn't win, but two of my poems were longlisted. Before that I had entered a poetry slam at a festival and taken part in a few readings at the end of courses. I also had to read after one of my short stories was shortlisted for another competition.

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Is all writing cliche? (Or just mine).

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Today we announce the winner of The Strictly Writing Award

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How the critiques you receive depend on the form you are writing and how much of the piece people are able to read.

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Have you watched the wonderful TED video of Elizabeth Gilbert talking about her experience of creativity?

I found Elizabeth’s talk deeply inspiring the first time I watched it, and again last night, when I was thinking about what to post on Strictly Writing today. It also links well with Susannah's fascinating post last Friday about proprioceptive writing. What Elizabeth says resonates with my own experience, apart from the bit about writing a best seller.



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Can you hear the difference between a circle and a square? Can you see the birdsong? Can you feel a whisper?



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Last Wednesday I heard a thud on the hall floor and for once it wasn't a rejected manuscript.

All week I've been carrying the book around like a talisman, and reading it ostentatiously on the tube.



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Christopher Little was non non-committal.
I believe A&B mostly go for TV.
The Marsh Agency was harsh as can be
and David Higham, to me, look exclusive: don’t try ‘em.
Heard Aitken Alexander is wary of slander
and Rupert Crew takes on very few.
From Susanna Lea, ‘It’s not right for me’ and
a slip by Diane Banks said, ‘Thanks, but no thanks.’


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I have a job that is unlike the profession of many of the people who contribute to Strictly Writing – can you guess what it is? Here are some clues . . .

I’m paid to invent characters and conjure up interesting settings and then write about them. I have to dream up plausible and lifelike situations into which to put the characters. It’s important that there should be tension and conflict in what I write and that the people who read it should not be able to guess what happens to the characters or what their true motivations are from the start. Often the characters are eventually played by professional actors and the whole drama is filmed.


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