Highly Irregular Newsletter #9
Hello!
I hope you’re well and not too damp or too hot, depending on where you are in the world. I’m writing first to say that I’m delighted to be one of the “support acts” this Thurs July 27th 7.30pm UK time, for the online launch of NJ Hynes absolutely stunning, astronomy-inspired poetry pamphlet, Tracking Light, Stacking Time, published by Live Canon! Tickets are free, do come and join us, not just for Nancy’s amazing poetry but for a look at the astrophotography that inspired her work: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-launch-nj-hynes-tracking-light-stacking-time-tickets-678985252167
Permission Corner
I ran a workshop at the Flash Fiction Festival two weeks ago on the subject of permission, and I thought I’d share a few highlights. I asked the participants to think about what gives them permission – and we had some wonderful responses, different rituals people go through when they write, various TV programmes and films they watch which inspire them and even cooking!
Then I asked them to think about the opposite: what might they tell themselves they should or shouldn’t do; what do they always or never do in their writing? For example, you might think about whether you “always” write pieces under 300 words, whether you think of yourself as someone who “never” writes genre fiction, “never” writes in the first person, “always” writes funny stuff. What are your own personal taboos, things you might not even be letting yourself write just for you, no matter whether you send it out into the world or not?
I asked everyone to make a list they wouldn’t have to share with anyone, thinking about not just the content of what they might write, but how they write (mornings, at home, standing up?), as well as other possible taboos (“I can’t do that because it’s too personal, too fictional, too short, too long”) etc… Then we did a writing exercise where I asked them to break at least two of the taboos, the shoulds/shouldn’ts, on their list, with interesting results!
Our brains love habits, because it takes less energy to do the same thing we’ve done before, so I try and break all sorts of habits whenever I can, from using the other hand to switch on the kettle to writing in the morning, as I mentioned last time. It can be really interesting to break habits, but in order to do that, you need to spend a little time identifying what habits you might have gotten yourself into. Try it! You might then find you don’t get on with the new way, but maybe you’ll learn something. I said at the end of the workshop – once I’d asked everyone to do a writing exercise breaking – to keep an eye out that you’re not flipping an always into a never, a shouldn’t into a should. If you have a writing buddy or a writing group, maybe try this with them!
Competitions
18 September Flash Fiction Competition: A little reminder that I’m judging Mslexia flash fiction competition – please send me your wonderful, odd flash stories of 300 words or shorter, surprise & delight me, I'm open to all forms, shapes, styles, weirdnesses! Send me the odd & tiny stories you think no-one else will love! Details here, deadline 18th September: https://mslexia.co.uk/competitions/flash-fiction/womens-fiction-competition-flash-fiction/
Courses and workshops
*NEW* ONLINE Sat Oct 14 4pm-6pm UK Time: I am teaching a fairy-tales-meet-crime-fiction flash fiction workshop for Retreat West, all welcome, tickets £10! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fairy-tales-meet-crime-fiction-tickets-671476272607?aff=oddtdtcreator
Coming soon: Flash fiction for poets online masterclass & in-person science-inspired writing workshops…!
For new subscribers, a reminder of your subscriber discount – you can use the coupon code “tinyletter10” in the shop on my website to get 10% off signed copies of my new books and a few others I still have some copies of. You can also pick up a copy of the FUEL anthology but that won’t be discounted because it’s raising money for fuel poverty charities.
Happy reading and writing!
Tania x