Writing
In 2009 I’m going to up a gear (and find reverse…)
Monday, December 29th, 2008 | Writing | 1 Comment
Just back from Bournemouth, visiting my multitalented friend Tom, who’s branching out from animation, journalism and game reviews and next year has resolved to tackle a book. It made me think, I really need to get my own creative arse in gear, starting with this site. Must update more, which means I must write more in order to have anything to talk about… I must also pin Tom down for an interview in the near future.
Whilst I was away, I also spent a couple of nights in the company of two good friends who I’ll call Frasier and Niles. They’re two of the people I enjoy spending time with the most, as we while away the hours drinking wine, talking politics and putting the world to rights.
Their apartment is pristine and the kind of home I aspire to, but unfortunately creative people aren’t always the best at keeping things tidy. The disorganised genius of our brains occasionally spills out into the real world and causes chaos… (At least, that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it.)
At first, this made me flutter around like the character of Elizabeth in Keeping up Appearances, so jumpy and anxious of doing something that causes mess or offence that it ends up making things worse. But then it got me thinking; that should be another new year’s resolution. Try to master the chaos and work in a neater environment. It may even help up my creativity and productivity, in which case, I’ll know who to doff my hat to.
My third resolution is all about going backwards. I’ve recently started driving again, and while generally I’m getting on quite happily going in a forwards direction, when it comes to reversing, I often get myself in a pickle.
For some reason, when reversing, I often forget which way I’ve been turning the wheel, so that when I stop I can’t remember where to turn it next. This results in me ending up in the same or a worse position than when I started. Being watched only makes matters worse, because I can’t perform even basic human functions when anyone is watching, even if their watching is essential. This caused great amusement yesterday for my friend, attempting to watch me into a space. At one point I thought I’d run him over, but in fact he was just rolling around on the floor with laughter.
On the other hand, this afternoon I executed a perfect three point turn, while nobody was there to see it! So, while most of my resolutions are about going forwards, this one will be about getting better at going backwards.
That way, I hope that by the next time I see Frasier and Niles, I’ll be thinner, tidier, more productive, and going in the right direction (even if that direction is reverse.)
Pink eye strikes again!
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 | Writing | 2 Comments
Sorry for my somewhat lack of activity on the site of late. I’m suffering from possibly the worst afliction a writer can imagine (even worse than writer’s block).
I’ve got some form of conjunctivitis, otherwise known as ’pink eye’ (or ‘poo eye’, to my other half) and it’s a particularly resiliant strain, by all accounts. It developed from a humble cold, from all accounts, and I’m going into my third week of it, stuck behind spectacles and looking rather demonic. Which might be the look some horror writers are aiming for, but somehow I don’t think it suits me. And it certainly doesn’t fit in well with my day job, on CrossStitcher magazine.
Not only am I unable to look at a computer screen for long periods without my left eyeball feeling as if it’s been pressed in a lemon squeezer, I’m also unable to read books or magazines for more than a few minutes at a time. I can’t swim, which has thrown my fitness routine out of the window - there’s no way I’m going to be lovely for the Christmas party in two weeks time now.
I’m now on my third course of eyedrops, which will last ten- ten - days. I’ve got two stories to write in my Stories about Shane series (the first of which can be seen as part of an illustration challenge on www.imaginefx.com), both destined for competitions that are due in in just over a week, while Jim Suttcliffe, the protagonist of Handsome Devils, Bastard Angels is calling me to write about him. There’s nothing for it, I’m going to have to buy a new notebook or two (for some reason, I need a new notebook for every writing project) and resort to the old-fashioned pen and paper.
Write here. Write. Now.
Monday, November 24th, 2008 | Resources, Writing | 2 Comments
Hello, and welcome to my new blog, on the website set up by my good friend (and very talented writer) Judy Darley.
My name’s Kathleen - Kay to my friends - and I’m a writer, editor and proof reader based in Bristol, England. I’m also known as Bad Bunny on various online forums.
I have to confess, despite being addicted to several blogs and forums, I’ve never been much good at maintaining my own blog. Trying to balance the time between creative writing, a full-time editing job, proofing other people’s work and being involved in writing sites such as YouWriteOn means that my blogging has been somewhat neglected. Here, I aim to change that…
I write horror tinged with fantasy, but with a firm realistic grounding. A lot of my characters have turned out to be gay, I’m not sure why: I write what they tell me about themselves. So… gay horror soap operas? Hey, it could work…
I’m currently finalising a novel packed with ghosts, demons, devils and angels, and enter as many short story competitions as I can. I’ve had some success in the past year, with two poems, Tom and Gloucester Road Girl published in anthologies, and just today I received a copy of The Cat magazine, featuring my winning story in the ‘Comical Cats’ category of the 2008 Cats Protection League short story competition. The thrill of seeing Catulence in print was massive.
I also write scripts and have collaborated with talented writer and animator Tom Rudderham on our own animated series. I’m still sulking with the BBC and Channel 4 for turning us down.
Just yesterday, I was rejected from the Red Planet script writing competition. It’s often said, but rejections are one of the major parts of any writer’s life. That doesn’t, of course, make it any easier when you receive one. To me, it’s akin to being told your children are ugly.
The important thing is to dust yourself down, accept your feelings of disappointment, and see if there is anything you can learn from the experience. Unfortunately, you very rarely receive feedback as to why your piece was turned down. But if you do, take it on board and move on: don’t dwell too long.
Most importantly of all, keep writing!