Saturday, February 05, 2005
A Writer's Troubles
I am a touch embarrassed about my ridiculous antics from last night. Gail told me not to worry about it - apparently because everyone knows she is married to a pillock. I laughed it all off and just put it down to "one of those things that happens from time to time". Not that I am anti-anything, but there is a certain freedom to prancing about in a - oh never mind. The whole thing is best forgotten.
Today was pretty low on excitement. I think it may be down to the fact last night was such a raucous affair and the resulting sheepiness. Nevertheless, here's what transpired.
In the morning I did some work on my articles, outlines and sketches for the travel and music columns mostly. I need to establish an angle for each of them and I seem unable to make any solid decisions regarding them.
I took Laura out for the afternoon so as to give my brain time away from the computer and to give Gail some time to herself. We walked into Leith and visited a couple of shops but I couldn't get the things I needed for the house. So we hopped on a bus into Edinburgh and I took her into Waterstone's at the East End of Prince Street.
I checked out a few sections I normally look at when I am in; crime, travel, Auster etc. and something hit me. There is no section for books on poetry. I checked the sign - nothing. I was amazed because I thought they would have formed part the staple set-up of a bookstore. Although I wasn't specifically in to buy anything, I would possibly have been tempted to buy a couple of books on poetry - but since there wasn't one - no sale!
Laura did choose something - after what seemed like hours of endless mind-changes later. In a 3 for 2 offer, she picked from the Angelina series of children's books by Katherine Holabird and Helen Craig.
We popped into Fopp but there was nothing worth parting with my £20 vouchers I got at Christmas for. Next week sees my Mother's birthday and in four weeks it will be Laura's followed by Gail's two days after that. Then near the end of March it is my sister's birthday as well - and of course Valentines Day comes in ten days so I bought all my cards for all these occasions in advance. For me, this is unusual.
Back at the ranch we all settled down for some family time. Jurassic Park 3 was on (I never knew it existed) which we watched with a Pizza Hut delivery for dinner.
I got lots of feedback from my writing pals in the States concerning the problems with Heart of a Child. There are several common things that each person highlighted and a few others that I would have never have thought of.
The whole thing raises an interesting issue. At what point, after working on a piece for a long time getting it just the way I want it, should I give over to the request from a publisher to change it purely to suit their audience, over the intentions the piece of work in its description and dialogue?
The story is set in Scotland and some of the terms are understandable in UK English only. That is to say, an American audience may interpret a sentence differently simply because of the dual meanings of a single word.
Obviously, there is the author's intentions when writing it. And of course you always have to consider whether it is suitable for the intended audience. But where is the line you cross from artistic interpretation to degrading a piece of work simply to get it published.
Wild Child Publishing would be a great place to be published, but I am in split minds now. I will set some time aside tomorrow to reflect on this and make changes to Heart of a Child on a case by case basis. Then I will re-read it and make a decision.
The troubles faced by us writers eh?
Today was pretty low on excitement. I think it may be down to the fact last night was such a raucous affair and the resulting sheepiness. Nevertheless, here's what transpired.
In the morning I did some work on my articles, outlines and sketches for the travel and music columns mostly. I need to establish an angle for each of them and I seem unable to make any solid decisions regarding them.
I took Laura out for the afternoon so as to give my brain time away from the computer and to give Gail some time to herself. We walked into Leith and visited a couple of shops but I couldn't get the things I needed for the house. So we hopped on a bus into Edinburgh and I took her into Waterstone's at the East End of Prince Street.
I checked out a few sections I normally look at when I am in; crime, travel, Auster etc. and something hit me. There is no section for books on poetry. I checked the sign - nothing. I was amazed because I thought they would have formed part the staple set-up of a bookstore. Although I wasn't specifically in to buy anything, I would possibly have been tempted to buy a couple of books on poetry - but since there wasn't one - no sale!
Laura did choose something - after what seemed like hours of endless mind-changes later. In a 3 for 2 offer, she picked from the Angelina series of children's books by Katherine Holabird and Helen Craig.
We popped into Fopp but there was nothing worth parting with my £20 vouchers I got at Christmas for. Next week sees my Mother's birthday and in four weeks it will be Laura's followed by Gail's two days after that. Then near the end of March it is my sister's birthday as well - and of course Valentines Day comes in ten days so I bought all my cards for all these occasions in advance. For me, this is unusual.
Back at the ranch we all settled down for some family time. Jurassic Park 3 was on (I never knew it existed) which we watched with a Pizza Hut delivery for dinner.
I got lots of feedback from my writing pals in the States concerning the problems with Heart of a Child. There are several common things that each person highlighted and a few others that I would have never have thought of.
The whole thing raises an interesting issue. At what point, after working on a piece for a long time getting it just the way I want it, should I give over to the request from a publisher to change it purely to suit their audience, over the intentions the piece of work in its description and dialogue?
The story is set in Scotland and some of the terms are understandable in UK English only. That is to say, an American audience may interpret a sentence differently simply because of the dual meanings of a single word.
Obviously, there is the author's intentions when writing it. And of course you always have to consider whether it is suitable for the intended audience. But where is the line you cross from artistic interpretation to degrading a piece of work simply to get it published.
Wild Child Publishing would be a great place to be published, but I am in split minds now. I will set some time aside tomorrow to reflect on this and make changes to Heart of a Child on a case by case basis. Then I will re-read it and make a decision.
The troubles faced by us writers eh?
Colin 4:42 pm
1 Comments:
Colin - two books I use on poetry - The Poets Dictionary by William Packard and The Art and Craft of Poetry by Michael J. Bugeja.
Brenda
Brenda
