Update.

I have been incredibly busy recently. I have bought my next semesters reading material and I'm currently making my way through a mountain of books. I have currently about another 15-20 books to read. Although I have read:

The Gargoyle, Andrew Davidson
The Death of A Murderer, Robert Thompson
Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood
Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell

I am moving on to The Little Black Book Of Stories by A.S Byatt next and its only a short one of around two hundred pages or so which I'll plough through in a couple of days.

I have also entered the Erbacce Poetry Prize this year after being shortlisted last year. I have been shortlisted and I'm in the top fifty or nearly 4000 submissions and that list will be shortened further. I'm hopeful. When I have something more to write I will update accordingly. For now though I am off to read.

Confidence Boost.

Good morning,

I received an email from my tutor yesterday which I picked up today regarding one of my poems that I submitted for an assessment. I am pleased to say that it states I have been shortlisted to perform a reading of it at the Antony Burgess foundation near Oxford Road. Its a simple poem based on the found principle. Where a poet will choose a field at random which has a specific lexis or vocabulary. Now I question the randomness because there is always some element of selection when we look for something and it just so happens that the field I chose was Japanese Sword Smithing. Its laid on the page to resemble the gradual arc of the blade and contains a selection of words that pertain to the process. It is as follows.

Unfortunately I don't know which tools to use to utilise the space effectively here on blogspot. However I found a way to get around that using my other site. There is also a competition running at an independent press called Erbacce. The guys here are offering a free entry comp with a contract for the winner. I was shortlisted last year and am applying again this year too. Again the Hamon poem is part of that submission and a I have a few other poems that utilise the space on the page. If I can somehow attach the files I will. However for the time being the other poems are as follows.

http://poetryprose.webs.com//Erbacce%202011%20Submission.doc

I hope you find them engaging and fun to read. I was inspired by contemporary poets such as Bob Cobbing, Alan Fisher and Amyrl Johnson, their work has been an invaluable resource. Check out Fisher's book Gravity and an anthology called Other: British and Irish Poetry

Yawn... Morning Post.

We all went out yesterday to the Museum of Science and Industry, and we spent about three and a half hours, leisurely walking around. We started with a pic nic in a lovely little garden next to the museum called St Johns Gardens, a well kept and lovely little place, it was hard to think you were in the centre of Manchester. After our pic nic we met up with Tom and Grace and slothed our way through the museum. Benjamin loved all the Trains and Aeroplanes, and when we went to see the old sewer system and the other exhibits about waste and recycling, he said that it was 'Spooky' after checking out the old station house we went into the main building and looked around the bottom floor before venturing into the experiment floor.

The cafe is a little expensive but that's what you would expect from it. After walking around a little we got the train home. Tom wanted a model to build so we then drove to Bolton. Benjamin finally fell asleep on the return journey after his chips.

That was Saturday, today, I am meeting Sam again, we have been meeting every Sunday and cooking together. Today we are tackling Racks of Lamb. I'll hopefully get some pictures of the finished article later. I have been searching for a few recipes this morning although I have an idea of what I want to do I just want to see if something catches my eye. This youtube video did, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT16XNJKUXI&feature=related My god, this is what you shouldn't do with a good rack of lamb. No seasoning, bad crust mixture, no time for the meat to rest. No proper scoring... I could go on.

I'll update with pictures soon,

Take Care

Newness.

Simply, the progression of my Son's development is truly awe inspiring. I mean, just in this past week he has decided that he can now do almost anything on his own. It's incredible to see the determination on his little face as he ponders how to open the variety packet of cereal. This usually involves him biting the cardboard off and struggling for a few minutes with the plastic bag containing the 'Coco-pops monkey' as he says. But he is also learning his limitations. After a short time, he'll look up and ask for your help.

And trust me, at 5:30 in the morning, you don't want to just go ahead and open the last packet of cereal that he has his heart set on opening or at least trying to open, it is a recipe for a Tantrum.

I think it is a simple and yet remarkable step in his development.

I bought him a junior trampoline yesterday because after a couple of weeks of him asking, 'Goin out to buy my trampoline Daddy yeah!' with a suggestive nod and some repetition, I finally gave in. We have implemented a star chart at home which has been so affirming of how good he really is, but ultimately he deserves it all.


He is so good with his speech too and we have recently started regular trips to the library. It is a rewarding experience because not only is he learning the social conventions of the library, the function of the library but he it is the expansive imagination, he sits there with a book and 'reads' and when I say read, I mean that he makes up the majority of the story.

However having said this, he'll look at the picture and talk about the picture, if there is a sad face or shocked face or snow or anything, he makes the links and creates some form of story.

Benjamin has a very good friend Lý from across the street and nine times out of ten, they always eat tea or dinner together, Malan and Arni have gone back to visit home for a month and they Skyped yesterday morning. It was amazing as the first thing they did was shout 'BAAAA' at each other, it kinda like a private joke they have and every now and again throughout the video convo they just said things like 'BAAA' and 'Ga ga' I think its the fact that they know its baby talk they do it because afterwards they both laugh hysterically.

Anyway after the Skype Benjamin was incredibly Hyper, started running around and shouting about Lý and we told him they were on holiday he went through this motion 'Lý is on holiday on an aeroplane in they sky Daddy' and then said the same for Arni and Malan. And as he slowly worked himself into a even bigger Hyper mood (And yes this is possible) we took him to the Park.

He has a Thomas the Tank Engine scooter that he can now use correctly and although he can steer and push along at the same time it is still a slow process, if its a straight line then there isn't a problem but he has grasped the idea that he needs to steer and is getting to grips with it quite quickly I think.


I hope you find this update useful Nani and Grandma

Take Care

Love and Hugs.

Progress.

On Thursday I got my synopsis back. It was a strong mark quantifying in at a 1st degree standard. I know there is still some work to be done on it but I think that for a second draft it stood well. I have also met with my class tutor to discuss my final submission material a three thousand word piece of fiction or a novel section.

It is interesting that she says that all the plots she read were potentially publishable and those higher graded ones even more so. It does give me some motivation to push further and write more of the novel however I have an exam looming in May and another two big assignments.

I have already written my final submission piece and find that all I need to do is parse the language to the appropriate audience. This is by no means an easy feat as I have edited and edited to get to the point I am at now. I think this is something that will be gradually achieved. I have a print out and I'm going to substitute words here and there for some simpler ones. It can also serve as one of my drafts.

Poetry is a little more freelance. Yet it has to be focused on the techniques we have acquired throughout the module from the reading and writing exercises. The final submission is 5 poems showing a variety of techniques. Firstly the Collage technique associated with Allen Fisher. Secondly Attributive Structure and Thirdly a 'Found' poem.

I have yet to write the final two. When I have though I will upload them here.

I'm currently reading lots of historical fiction, The Gargoyle's Andrew Davidson, Boudica Dreaming the Eagle Manda Scott and The Last Kingdom Bernard Cornwell.

I will give you a succinct review next time I post.

Until next time.

Our Future.

So, if you're a student at universtiy you'll know the Summer is here and that doesn't leave very long left of the term. I have literally two months left and then were finished until September. I feel quite excited about it really because there are so many opportunities to snatch up. Even though for me its not parties and alcohol abuse (Don't get me wrong there will be alcohol but in moderate quantities) I have been blessed with a wonderful family to share it with.

Starting with a short city break planned in early/mid June for me and the wife and a whole summer full of fun activities planned for my little man. I will be regularly updating my blog with details and a few pictures of the days out etc (The majority will be on FB) and we have a fair few planned.

Firstly my only exam is on the 17th May but the wife has three in that week and three in the week prior to that, Law must be pretty hard is all I can say. Yet Benjamin is in Nursery until the 20th to make sure everything is sufficiently ready for our excursions. I have never really 'properly' blogged so everything is relatively new to me.

Currently days out that we have planned are:

Chester Zoo
Jorvic Viking Centre (In York)
A trip to Hayfield
Thomas Land in Drayton Manor
Blackpool Sealife Centre
A trip to the beach

These are the major ones but there will be bowling, swimming, cinema and picnics sprinkled in between.

But I feel like I have been swept up in the chaos of life recently. We got married in January and God know how much I love my family but I haven't really gotten to spend much 'real' time with them due to Uni classes and all the extra work and reading. I've completed an assignment today and hope to get the next one finished on monday or tuesday as I have lessons on both those days that require seminar work. So I am going to spend the Summer with my lovely wife and wonderful son enjoying our freedom as much as possible and taking lots and lots of pictures to document it all.

For that, I am buying a new Camera, a Canon 1000D one that will take sharp pictures and is easily usuable for a beginner.

I'll keep you all posted, Esp Nanni and Grandma x

Pushing Publishing Boundaries.

Greeting, Again :)

I have been looking for a Literary agent for some time now and I think they have all tightened their belts in regards to new authors. Many of them are refusing to accept new manuscripts and when you find one accepting it is rarely in the area of publishing that is suited to your style and genre. I can only offer the comments that I recieved following a talk hosted by Legend Press' managing director Tom Chalmers. See their website for more details on submission.

http://www.legendpress.co.uk/

I think his comments are really useful in regards to the publishing industry and his company remain one of the few still accepting unsolicited manuscripts. He mentioned that Literary agents are becoming more like editors as during the recession the bigger publishers are cutting back editors positions whilst keeping sales staff.

This is an eye opener as it makes one wonder why we need literary agents in the first instance, they are just a rung on the ladder into the publishing industry. They don't edit as the publishing houses have editors on hand to do this... So then why do we need editors? Yes they are useful but if we are writers and writing is a passion for us then the quality of our prose is shown in the editing process and grammar and punctuation are second nature to writers.

So I seriously began to question the need of these elements in the industry.

Literary agents do have benefits, they have contacts in the industry and experience negotiating with the publishers enabling them to haggle for a better price however there is also an opportunity to be siezed in self publishing. I am not talking of Vanity publishers who will publish anything regardless of quality but of the e-book format.

Vanity publishing is a print on demand service which is purely financed by the author which is a costly process. Whereas the E-book revolution is taking the generation by storm with Kindle sales continuing to rise at a phenominal rate and this is already being utilized by other writers. I believe it to be a fairly cost effective way of publishing your own work and the profits are entirely your own. Minus a small percentage fee on the Market place.

I have read the Writers and Artists yearbook and the information it contains about self publishing is pursuasive to this mentioning famous writers who have self published in thier careers. I have emailed some prestigious institutions and important people in the Viking field. I hope they will provide some reviews I can use when marketing my e-book.

If you want to submit to publishers a Literary Agent is needed and the yearbook has a list of these. Also industry standards need to be adhered to.

When I asked Tom about e-book publishing his comments were that a good marketing head was needed and a consistent level of editing throughout. If any other writers are considering this then please let me know how your experience goes.

Thanks for reading

Stephen