‘Looking on the bright side’ or ‘Carpal Tunnel Syndrome’

• 21st May 2015
• 2

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  • writing and story telling

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•  Ali Shaw, creative writing; writing; creative writing course, fiction writing;, The Oxford Editors

Advice and sympathy are pouring – or rather, trickling – in. When I last blogged I was waiting for inspiration for my third novel while waiting for the verdict of The Oxford Editors on my second. The verdict was very encouraging and I have done a little revising and now wonder where to send it. And ideas for Novel 3 are gradually taking shape.

And now the horrible repetitive strain injury, a splint and pain when I type or use the mouse or do up buttons or chop carrots etc etc etc…

The first hint of trouble came at a most unusual workshop led by novelist Ali Shaw, author of the prize winning novel The Girl with Glass Feet. It was entertaining, thought-provoking and at times just plain provoking. We wrote with biros, pencils, marker pens and crayons on sheets of paper in landscape and portrait position, in the middle and up and down and round and round – I hope you get the idea. Using the crayons made my hand ache.

Ali’s thesis was that the writing instrument you use has an influence on your mood and what and how you write. Though he talks very persuasively Ali failed to wean me off writing directly on to my computer – for one thing, my handwriting is appalling. But it was definitely enjoyable except perhaps for the green crayon.

And now I sit miserably trying to produce my third masterpiece. Thoughts of pink cars, children who refuse to believe they will die, and of course mermaids and Cornwall and most recently a monkey puzzle tree in New York (is that possible?) flit across my mind. Must get some of them written down before they float away.