MacNovel on Twitter- macnovel: @FemalePTSD being a living artwork - falling on to that mat. It was surprisingly interesting - you do feel momentarily out of control. May 24, 2013
- macnovel: @chilternrailway big queue for toilet just after departure on the 2018. If you need it get in there straightaway, I say. May 24, 2013
- macnovel: @chilternrailway have you warned your passengers that tomorrow's trains will be FULL OF GERMANS! Wouldn't want to traumatise any Tory MPs. May 24, 2013
- Isabel Costello Literary Sofa
- This Itch of Writing
- Plain and perfect, rich and rare: what is "lyrical" writing? May 20, 2013
- This Happy Fellow: my year at Goldsmiths May 14, 2013
- Tomorrow to fresh finds and problems new May 9, 2013
- Guardian Book Blog
- Reader reviews roundup May 24, 2013 Claire Armitstead
- A brief survey of the short story part 49: Guy de Maupassant May 24, 2013 Chris Power
- The best books on Vietnam: start your reading here | Pushpinder Khaneka May 23, 2013 Pushpinder Khaneka
- The Forest for the Trees — Betsy Lerner
- So I TUrned Myself To Face Me May 23, 2013
- Sooner or Later It All Gets Real** May 16, 2013
- I Thought That I Heard You Sing May 2, 2013
- Kathy Greethurst’s Blog
- Untitled January 10, 2013 Kathy Greethurst
- Bloody Flies by Andrew J Keir - Review by Helena Frith Powell June 7, 2012 Kathy Greethurst
- A wonderful afternoon in Avebury February 22, 2012 Kathy Greethurst
- How Publishing Really Works
- Does The Self-Publishing Review Fall For Robert Duperre? March 29, 2012
- The Self-Publishing Review Goes In Search Of The Menopause Ranch March 22, 2012
- Travelling To The Self-Published Review March 15, 2012
- Female PTSD — A Blog By A Brave Female Victim of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Help I Need A Publisher
- I'm still here... December 31, 2012
- My work here is done - after a free book giveaway September 5, 2012
- All my advice about publishing and writing September 4, 2012
- The Elephant in the Writing Room
- Balance May 17, 2013
- Now is the Month of Maying... May 7, 2013
- The Paris Winter: author Imogen Robertson visits The Elephant April 24, 2013
- Bren Gosling’s Blog (ex-City Novel coursemate)
- Short listed for the Harry Bowling Prize ! January 30, 2012 Bren Gosling
- About - Sweeping up the Village- by Bren Gosling January 16, 2012 Bren Gosling
- A taster... December 22, 2011 Bren Gosling
- Charlotte Haigh MacNeil’s Blog (ex-City Novel Coursemate and Journalist)
- The myth of delayed motherhood May 18, 2013
- The extreme female brain February 21, 2013
- Kevin MacNeil and Willie Campbell Are Visible From Space October 24, 2012
- Michael Braga Writes (ex-City Novel coursemate)
- THE SIGNS -A short story by Michael Braga Oct 2010 October 10, 2010
- Friday thoughts on a Monday afternoon September 6, 2010
- The pursuit of sadness August 25, 2010
- Sometimes I Lie A Little
- Some Things That
- Moira Garland’s Blog
- Partisan writing April 11, 2013
- Brain error? April 7, 2013
- Longing April 4, 2013
- Talli Roland
- Love, Cupid, and Gosling May 20, 2013
- London-versary! May 13, 2013
- Books, Bank Holiday, and Baby! May 6, 2013
- Charlie Mackle
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Tag Archives: readings
Strictly No Sex Please in the British Literary Novel?
After the Facebook campaign that led Tony Blair’s ‘A Journey’ to be involuntarily moved within bookshops to the war or crime sections, there’s much excitement that a passage from the book has been urged for short-listing in the Literary Review’s … Continue reading
Posted in character, Influences, Writing Process
Tagged 'On Chesil Beach', Andrew Motion, Auberon Waugh, character, dancing, eroticism, experience of reading, Hilary Mantel, Ian McEwan, language, Man Booker Prize, Martin Amis, point of view, psychology, readings, sex, Strictly Come Dancing, subconscious, Susanna Rustin, tango
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Poetry Reading Today
Don’t forget, anyone who happens to be near High Wycombe this lunchtime, that I’m going to be reading six poems (of my own) at the Metroland Poets reading at the Oak Room in the Swan Theatre at 1pm. Free entry … Continue reading
‘A Beginning, A Muddle and An End’?
Interesting blog on the Guardian Books website today by Robert McCrum. He talks about Ford Madox Ford’s advice that the literary quality or narrative power of a novel should never be judged by the opening alone but by reading a … Continue reading
Posted in Publishing
Tagged agents, book promotion, consistency, e-books, Ford Madox Ford, marketing, motivation, opening chapters, Page 99 test, Philip Larkin, Publishing, readings, Robert McCrum, Structure, theme
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Was It Worth It?
Just on the way back from our group’s reading event which was at a lovely venue — the Art Workers’ Guild in Bloomsbury. I enjoyed the night as a social event but it feels rather like work for me as … Continue reading
A Great Scene for My Novel Happens in 45 Minutes?
I wonder whether today might be an occasion I could use in my novel — pubs should be doing well out of this great weather and the World Cup. 45 minutes to go until England play Germany — that would … Continue reading
Posted in General Life
Tagged agents, busy, course website, football, Germany, Kim, Penny Rudge, readings, World Cup
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Word of the Week…
…from Monday’s workshop and Wednesday’s reading run through is ‘rippling’. I used it right at the end of my reading and it was used to great effect by Rick in his workshopped chapter and by Charlotte in her reading. I’m … Continue reading
Everything But The Bar Sink…
…but I did get the dishwasher in! Bearing in mind Judith Murray’s comment that ‘in some sense all novels are historical’, I decided to load my last reading with as many contemporary cultural references as I could think of. ‘Decided’ … Continue reading
Posted in General Life, Writing Process
Tagged 'The Flood', Britain's Got Talent, character, cultural references, deadlines, emotional involvement, energy, intensity, Katie Melua, Plot, readings, setting, sex, sex scene, style
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My Reading Problem Solved
We had a run through of our readings in Wednesday evening’s class. I’m currently second on the bill so was one of the first to get up and read. I chose what I think will be the eventual opening of … Continue reading
Posted in Writing Process
Tagged Britain's Got Talent, Emma Sweeney, June 30th, Mark James, readings, sex
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Visit from Judith Murray
One of London’s leading literary agents, Judith Murray from Greene and Heaton paid our group a visit on Wednesday night. She has a number notable authors on her list, perhaps the best known being Sarah Waters. Judith mentioned at one point … Continue reading
Posted in Publishing
Tagged agents, Certificate in Novel Writing course, Greene and Heaton, Judith Murray, literary agents, readings
9 Comments
‘Mad’ Frankie Fraser, Jack ‘The Hat’ McVitie and the Bulgarian Carrot
For various reasons I’ve been incredibly pushed for time over the last week — principally related to a suspected outbreak of an unpleasant type of virus in the household. While it didn’t affect me directly, it had quite a knock … Continue reading
Prologue?
Rick from the course had a look at some of the first chapters of The Angel. He made quite an interesting suggestion regarding the selection for the reading event that’s had me thinking. At the moment I have an opening … Continue reading
Revising Chapter Three
I’ve spent quite considerable time over the past week revising the chapter three that I read at last Monday’s workshop. As previously I’ve had lots of really useful comments written on my manuscripts by the other students. It’s also quite … Continue reading
Posted in The Angel, Writing Process
Tagged adverbs, continuity, election, feedback, German food, Germany, Plot, readings, redrafting, workshops
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Oxytocin
There’s another story on the BBC website about the benefits of the ‘cuddle hormone’ – oxytocin. I referred to James’ view that human attraction was based on a whole mix of chemicals in the reading I did before Easter — … Continue reading
My Penultimate Workshop Reading
I read out my Chapter Three at our first evening workshop last night. I’d actually forgotten many of my misgivings about the piece and now I wish I’d ploughed ahead more over Easter and been able to submit the next … Continue reading
Sneaker Pimps
More odd musical/novelistic connections: one song I belatedly discovered is by a little known band called The Sneaker Pimps. Even though I only heard it properly on a compilation last year it dates back to 1996. Given my recurring themes … Continue reading
Posted in Writing Process
Tagged character, Plot, pop music, readings, sneaker pimps, Village Underground
2 Comments
End of a (Mini) Era
We had our last Saturday workshop of the course at the weekend — forever! We’d even got into a little routine — the people who weren’t having lunchtime tutorials would go to Ayla’s Cafe (pictured) in trendy Exmouth Market (though … Continue reading
Posted in Writing Process
Tagged Exmouth Market, lunchtimes, readings, time passing, tutorials, workshops
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A Less Fraught Workshop?
Yesterday was the fourth of our five Saturday ‘workshops’ (I rather agree with Alexei Sayle’s famous quotation about the word — that anyone who uses it ‘without referring to light engineering is a tw*t’). As things worked out it was … Continue reading
Posted in Writing Process
Tagged feedback, readings, Return of the Native, sex, sex scenes, Thomas Hardy, tutorials, workshops
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Tony Beckton — ‘Beyond Reason’
I’ve been involved in quite a few reading sessions where people (including me) have read out loud pieces of writing. They can be quite intense and draining experiences so I found it hilarious to watch a series of piss takes … Continue reading
First Extract Sent Off
I was hoping to write something brand new for the reading in the class on Saturday but got a bit bogged down. I’m still hoping to write something on the new novel, even if it is a collection of fragments, … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Chapter One, dialogue, Gravediggers, readings, tutorials
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