A quick few thoughts (writing)
A few day's ago I wrote a blog entry that was a bit of a meandering passage through some of the my thoughts entitled "Writing and politics, odd bedfellows". In it I talked a little about the new novel I had started writing and compared it in content terms to one of my favourite writers - Zoran Živković.
Well, much to my immense pleasure and great shock he obvious saw it and posted a reply to the posting. As you might imagine I've been a little in shock at it. I'd never expected him or anyone else I've blogged about to see my postings. And to reply to it, well that was incredible. I was probably a little insufferable for a while after that.
Now, a few days later, I have had a chance to fully absorb the thought and I'm still fairly shocked. If you are wondering why just go read some of the man's writing and you might well understand it.
Added to this I have to say I feel relieved. I've encountered one or two of my heroes before and it's not always gone as well as I would have liked. There is one writer I have always admired. His books have been ones I have eagerly anticipated every time I hear of a new release and quickly devour as soon as they arrive in my mailbox. I encountered him some years back and had more than one exchange with him finding he was almost my polar opposite when it came to political opinion and belief. It was a huge disappointment. I still like his books but I can't approach them with anything like the relish I had once.
Thankfully this doesn't seem to be the case this time. Posting on my blog was gracious. It gives me the feeling he is quite a gracious man (confirming some of the things I've read about him). Now all I need is a release of one of his more recent books in English - I think there are three I've not had chance to read as they are only available in Serbian. I might speak one or two languages other than English but Serbian is not one of them. And in any case if I did have a copy in either French or Italian I think the effort of translating it into English as I read would take away the enjoyment. Looking up a word or two every sentence is probably going to spoil the flow of the narrative. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed someone puts out an English edition soon.
Onto another matter. I am writing again. I've written three scenes for my new novel adding about 2K to the total bringing it up to 9K. It's the first time I've written anything since last Saturday. It might even be the first time I've switched on my PC since. I should probably explain this a little. A little while ago I slipped on a wet floor and since my back has been a little...well, wrong.
I'm managing the situation, hoping it will eventually go back to normal, so it means on work days I am not all that keen on sitting in front of my home PC and typing when I've spent all day in front of my work PC. This is cutting down on the progress of the novel but I do have to put the day job (the one that pays the mortgage) first. I'm rather happy with how its going so will be keeping this brief so I can get on with writing it.
There is of course another reason I've been absent from the keyboard. About a week ago, on a whim I downloaded the first episode of the Channel 4 black comedy Misfits. For anyone who hasn't seen it a group of young offenders are doing their community service when a mysterious storm hits, striking them all with lightning and giving them super powers. Only these aren't your normal super powers and these aren't your normal heroes. And they're not the only ones with powers. It's dark, definitely not PC and definitely not family viewing. Bad language, sex and violence abound all in a wonderfully sick comedic manner.
Well a week on and we've just watched the 2nd episode of season 4. Yeah, I'm hooked. So another thing getting in the way of writing. If you add in the Tour de France having started and its an unholy trinity of obstruction to any desire to write.
On that note I should stop this blog being a fourth. I'm headed back to the novel. A cow is about to turn up.
Well, much to my immense pleasure and great shock he obvious saw it and posted a reply to the posting. As you might imagine I've been a little in shock at it. I'd never expected him or anyone else I've blogged about to see my postings. And to reply to it, well that was incredible. I was probably a little insufferable for a while after that.
Now, a few days later, I have had a chance to fully absorb the thought and I'm still fairly shocked. If you are wondering why just go read some of the man's writing and you might well understand it.
Added to this I have to say I feel relieved. I've encountered one or two of my heroes before and it's not always gone as well as I would have liked. There is one writer I have always admired. His books have been ones I have eagerly anticipated every time I hear of a new release and quickly devour as soon as they arrive in my mailbox. I encountered him some years back and had more than one exchange with him finding he was almost my polar opposite when it came to political opinion and belief. It was a huge disappointment. I still like his books but I can't approach them with anything like the relish I had once.
Thankfully this doesn't seem to be the case this time. Posting on my blog was gracious. It gives me the feeling he is quite a gracious man (confirming some of the things I've read about him). Now all I need is a release of one of his more recent books in English - I think there are three I've not had chance to read as they are only available in Serbian. I might speak one or two languages other than English but Serbian is not one of them. And in any case if I did have a copy in either French or Italian I think the effort of translating it into English as I read would take away the enjoyment. Looking up a word or two every sentence is probably going to spoil the flow of the narrative. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed someone puts out an English edition soon.
Onto another matter. I am writing again. I've written three scenes for my new novel adding about 2K to the total bringing it up to 9K. It's the first time I've written anything since last Saturday. It might even be the first time I've switched on my PC since. I should probably explain this a little. A little while ago I slipped on a wet floor and since my back has been a little...well, wrong.
I'm managing the situation, hoping it will eventually go back to normal, so it means on work days I am not all that keen on sitting in front of my home PC and typing when I've spent all day in front of my work PC. This is cutting down on the progress of the novel but I do have to put the day job (the one that pays the mortgage) first. I'm rather happy with how its going so will be keeping this brief so I can get on with writing it.
There is of course another reason I've been absent from the keyboard. About a week ago, on a whim I downloaded the first episode of the Channel 4 black comedy Misfits. For anyone who hasn't seen it a group of young offenders are doing their community service when a mysterious storm hits, striking them all with lightning and giving them super powers. Only these aren't your normal super powers and these aren't your normal heroes. And they're not the only ones with powers. It's dark, definitely not PC and definitely not family viewing. Bad language, sex and violence abound all in a wonderfully sick comedic manner.
Well a week on and we've just watched the 2nd episode of season 4. Yeah, I'm hooked. So another thing getting in the way of writing. If you add in the Tour de France having started and its an unholy trinity of obstruction to any desire to write.
On that note I should stop this blog being a fourth. I'm headed back to the novel. A cow is about to turn up.
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