Monthly Archives: February 2010
disclaimer
1. Don’t write what you don’t want to read, Elmore Leonard says. For me, that would include anything that wastes time establishing “motive”, fauxthenticating a “world”, or assuring the reader of the author’s ideological correctness & general decency; along with … Continue reading
Filed under things to avoid in popular fiction, writing
this is england
Just caught up with Shane Meadows’ This Is England (2006), the odd, violent, chokingly funny & very sad coming-of-age of a 13 year old skinhead in Thatcher’s Britain, filmed in Nottingham & Grimsby. It’s difficult to cheer, shout with laughter … Continue reading
Filed under lost & found
the rules
In response to the Guardian (not to say Elmore Leonard), Tim Howard has new advice for would-be writers. This Machine Kills Purists is a serial offender where the Grauniad book pages are concerned, having produced a sly piece earlier in … Continue reading
Filed under books & reviews, writing
kidults
They cherrypick your backgrounds & return them to the industry standard you were determinedly working away from; gut your structures of any difficulty & re-present them as being unwittingly “correct” (how amazing that you were almost doing it properly); & … Continue reading
Filed under fantasy
not an avatar
“This woman’s insistent contact with the audience isn’t just entertainment; it’s a visceral search for the limits on how to interact honestly with fellow human beings.” Kate Macintosh at the South Bank Centre, Thursday 4th March 2010.
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Filed under uncategorizable
what’s the story
I care so little about the content of this paragraph that, I warn you, I am just not interested in talking about it– My reading of Brown, from talking to ministers, is that he did have a period of near-meltdown … Continue reading
Filed under outright politics
the cat
The cat has grown very vocal in his old age. I’m thinking of renaming him Bagpipe. Photo: Cath Phillips
Filed under the cat
uncle zip regrets
I love to talk about writing in general. If that’s of any use to people, I’m glad. But I can’t give advice here, or privately, about individual pieces of work.
Filed under Uncategorized
anyone read the book ?
I see Martin’s latest campaign is going well. Nice of Anna to help by venting in public. I’m sure it’ll move units. But can we agree that the important thing here is to allow everyone involved one of those acting-out … Continue reading
Filed under books & reviews
stories of disappearance
This review of Paul Watkins’ The Story of My Disappearance appeared in the TLS in 1997– You wouldn’t think anyone could write, “The next great chapter of my life was about to begin,” and get away with it. Paul Watkins … Continue reading
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Filed under books & reviews, crime
