Well, that's the term finished, just two 4000 word assignments to do now together with 1500 word critiques. It is time to put the tools I learned to the test and see if I can produce a decent story. I've made a start on the first one, and it is taking a real effort to shape it into something I like. The more I do the more it seems to get out of shape, but hopefully my creativity will get a little help from the Christmas spirit.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Wednesday, 15 December 2010
Friday, 26 November 2010
What a difference a month makes
I'm not feeling half as positive as my last post. I have come home for some time with my family and friends because I feel so stressed I need some time out. I'm sure it is temporary and will soon be back to finish this part of the course.
I got very stressed over a group project to produce an internet drama, you can see the finished project on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCqoReKPVMY so let me know if my stress was worth it, although my main contribution was sausage butties for the morning break and part of a sponsorship deal from a local gym. It's one to mark down to experience, I think, that when you work in a group it's no good letting someone else run the show if you don't agree
I feel I have put a lot of work in to get this far and I am sure that just around the corner could be a lot of useful stuff. Hopefully a bit of distance will put everything in perspective. Just now, I am not sure.
I got very stressed over a group project to produce an internet drama, you can see the finished project on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCqoReKPVMY so let me know if my stress was worth it, although my main contribution was sausage butties for the morning break and part of a sponsorship deal from a local gym. It's one to mark down to experience, I think, that when you work in a group it's no good letting someone else run the show if you don't agree
I feel I have put a lot of work in to get this far and I am sure that just around the corner could be a lot of useful stuff. Hopefully a bit of distance will put everything in perspective. Just now, I am not sure.
Saturday, 23 October 2010
episode 2
Hello again,
Here I am, a week on and I am already starting to wonder if I have what it takes. Even more so now that we have had a rather steep learning curve about the publishing industry. They did warn us that it would be in January when we would start to question our abilities, I always did like to be ahead of the pack! Although I am sure I'm not the only one having doubts, the talk around the table is usually about how we can fit everything in. It feels rather like we have been thrown in the deep end and told to swim to the other end, but as one lecturer has already said, "It is an MA course and it could be a lot harder.' I think it is just a case of getting used to it.
It is interesting stuff though, and it is good to be challenged in a supportive environment, the feedback so far has been encouraging. The hardest thing to accommodate really is writing different forms that are not particularly my preferred format. Our first week was straight into radio plays - never on my radar and never likely to be so that was a bit difficult but it was a fun exercise and it was brilliant for breaking the ice.
This week we were lucky to have a guest speaker who has the inside story on Apps - the new format that is taking the world over. He also explained how ebooks were a simple, accessible format for all authors to get their work out to a wide, world wide, audience, very interesting and a lot of food for thought.
So I'm Ok, feeling good about what I've done so far, and optimistic about being able to get into print, whether electronic or hard copy. Next is how to make some money from it.
That's all for now.
Suze
Here I am, a week on and I am already starting to wonder if I have what it takes. Even more so now that we have had a rather steep learning curve about the publishing industry. They did warn us that it would be in January when we would start to question our abilities, I always did like to be ahead of the pack! Although I am sure I'm not the only one having doubts, the talk around the table is usually about how we can fit everything in. It feels rather like we have been thrown in the deep end and told to swim to the other end, but as one lecturer has already said, "It is an MA course and it could be a lot harder.' I think it is just a case of getting used to it.
It is interesting stuff though, and it is good to be challenged in a supportive environment, the feedback so far has been encouraging. The hardest thing to accommodate really is writing different forms that are not particularly my preferred format. Our first week was straight into radio plays - never on my radar and never likely to be so that was a bit difficult but it was a fun exercise and it was brilliant for breaking the ice.
This week we were lucky to have a guest speaker who has the inside story on Apps - the new format that is taking the world over. He also explained how ebooks were a simple, accessible format for all authors to get their work out to a wide, world wide, audience, very interesting and a lot of food for thought.
So I'm Ok, feeling good about what I've done so far, and optimistic about being able to get into print, whether electronic or hard copy. Next is how to make some money from it.
That's all for now.
Suze
Friday, 15 October 2010
A fresh start has to start somewhere
So, lesson one of my new course to develop any talents I may have as a writer, and here I am with my own, brand new blog.
Welcome to everyone who comes by this page, I hope you enjoy your visit.
I will also be working on producing my own website (watch this space for future notifications).
To everyone who knew me in my previous life, hello again and nice to talk to you. I did uproot myself rather suddenly after all the goodbyes. It still feels very strange to be here, in someone else's house, in a small village, miles from my family and all the friends I left behind. I'm missing you all and I hope you will be able to follow my progress on here as I am trying to keep up with my emails but it is difficult to keep up with everyone.
To those of you who haven't met me before here's some background. I am currently 57 years old, have been married and now divorced, have two wonderful children and two gorgeous grandchildren who are all back in Manchester along with my parents and my sister and her family. I had a well paid job, lived in a cosy little flat in a nice suburbs of Stockport and was the first president of The Heatons Womens' Institute. This last brought me a group of fantastic women for friends who dined out together regularly - I'm certainly missing that in my new life as a student! However, I always felt something was missing, mainly at work so when, earlier this year I was offered a place on an MA in Professional Writing at Falmouth, I decided to quit and take a chance on me.
When I was 40, shortly after leaving my ex-husband I developed epilepsy, with no warning, no previous history, no good reason why, really. The doctor said it was my safety valve so I suppose it could have been worse. At the time I was going through a bitter divorce, working full time, studying for a BA degree part time and having some financial worries, so I certainly ticked enough stress boxes.
OK, so I got a handle on that, then when I was 48 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Again no real reason, just out of the blue, it just felt like a wake up call. But being on my own I need to work and earn my own money to pay the bills, so I had to chase that for a while. It was only when I was ill earlier this year that I knew it was too much for me and I needed to make a real change, so here I am in Cornwall, wondering if I've gone too far?
If any of the issues I have mentioned are familiar to you too, please add your posts here, I would be only too glad to hear from you.
More soon
Suze
xx
Welcome to everyone who comes by this page, I hope you enjoy your visit.
I will also be working on producing my own website (watch this space for future notifications).
To everyone who knew me in my previous life, hello again and nice to talk to you. I did uproot myself rather suddenly after all the goodbyes. It still feels very strange to be here, in someone else's house, in a small village, miles from my family and all the friends I left behind. I'm missing you all and I hope you will be able to follow my progress on here as I am trying to keep up with my emails but it is difficult to keep up with everyone.
To those of you who haven't met me before here's some background. I am currently 57 years old, have been married and now divorced, have two wonderful children and two gorgeous grandchildren who are all back in Manchester along with my parents and my sister and her family. I had a well paid job, lived in a cosy little flat in a nice suburbs of Stockport and was the first president of The Heatons Womens' Institute. This last brought me a group of fantastic women for friends who dined out together regularly - I'm certainly missing that in my new life as a student! However, I always felt something was missing, mainly at work so when, earlier this year I was offered a place on an MA in Professional Writing at Falmouth, I decided to quit and take a chance on me.
When I was 40, shortly after leaving my ex-husband I developed epilepsy, with no warning, no previous history, no good reason why, really. The doctor said it was my safety valve so I suppose it could have been worse. At the time I was going through a bitter divorce, working full time, studying for a BA degree part time and having some financial worries, so I certainly ticked enough stress boxes.
OK, so I got a handle on that, then when I was 48 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Again no real reason, just out of the blue, it just felt like a wake up call. But being on my own I need to work and earn my own money to pay the bills, so I had to chase that for a while. It was only when I was ill earlier this year that I knew it was too much for me and I needed to make a real change, so here I am in Cornwall, wondering if I've gone too far?
If any of the issues I have mentioned are familiar to you too, please add your posts here, I would be only too glad to hear from you.
More soon
Suze
xx
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