The blurry finish line

In two short months I'll have finished my degree. My dissertation would have been handed in, and my final class taken. Sadly it's a three hour film class through which the lecture seems to be trying to kill us all of with endless amounts of Youtube clips - perhaps that is the universities plan, see which students are strong enough to survive, and if they do, give them a degree.

It's been a whirlwind three years, both my grandmothers were alive when I started, I had never been to America until my exchange at LSU where I met people who would inspire and change me in ways I would have scarcely imagined. Here, if teachers saw potential they encouraged it, they challenged you to do better than what you thought you could, in England it's not the same really and I miss having those inspirational teachers who deserve the wage that Les Miles gets and more.

April 25th I'll be on a plane once again landing in New Orleans for a short two week vacation. It's not nearly long enough but just enough days to once again revel in the amazing-ness of the state. Well, hopefully, once I've finally sorted out the niggly things like accommodation and how to get from the airport to downtown New Orleans. Hitchhike? Cab? Bus? Wing and a Prayer? The latter seems to have gotten me through the last three years so it should work for the next couple of months!

A little thing called voice

When I started writing years a go a certain word kept cropping up in all of the advice books that I read and that was 'voice'. I wasn't sure what they meant back then, I was a teenager and teaching myself the writing process so had no one to ask. Over the years though I realise it simply means your writing style. I've found that mine has changed over the years, lately it's been influenced slightly be Terry Pratchett but also generally just how I talk. For instance instead of just saying "The sun rose" my version seems to be "The sun pulled itself up over the horizon, with a silent groan." it's a little wordy but it shows personality and seems to work in YA books or fantasy works in particular. (I wouldn't use this in any literary work as it takes something away from the seriousness of literary work).

I recently tried writing poetry over the summer holiday, even submitted a few for publication but I realise I can't write traditional 'literary' poetry very well, mostly because I don't read it (with the exception of Emily Dickinson and Anne Bradstreet), however, I've recently noticed that nearly all of the children's books that are aimed at the 0-5 age range are basically all short story rhymes. I've been working on a couple and using my doodling skills (I fail miserably as a fine art painter) and am coming up with a few ideas. Which is good, because right now I don't have the time or inspiration to work on anything longer.

So I guess your 'voice' can transfer to other things as well, it's just a matter of working out what it is.

Just another February

Dry hands tap on the keyboard, ignoring the words that need to be written, procrastinating from the to-do list that lurks in dark corners and in the shadows. There it remains until those brief sparks of imagination are found.

Books to take back to Leeds get packed up, thoughts on which books to bring back dance on the mind, a personal library finally paying off as a goal by December 31st is to be met.

Cyclones batter the place known as home, shortly after a dramatic and sad flooding of a former home. Life is changing, the direction no longer known. London? Vancouver? Auckland? Where to rest the weary suitcase for the next part of life's adventure is what consumes the mind of late.

That and the essays that are crying out to be written...onwards!