So its not officially my first day at university but I wanted to create a blog to mark this time of "back to school" for me (it was either a blog or a tattoo and between you and me I'm not into pain). It wasn't an easy decision you know and I don't believe that all wanna-be writers need to do an MA in Creative Writing in order to be a writer. Heck, they can just - WRITE! Or cheaper yet - publish a blog! For me, it was all about wanting the structure and externally-imposed reason to discipline myself into writing. But most of all, I wanted to be surrounded by other writers and 'those creative types' that I don't have in my family or among my friends at all. How's that going you ask?
It's been a month and a bit so far. My first module of the four I will be taking over the next two years (think you'll be watching this space for that long?) - yes I'm a part-timer - is a writer's workshop. For those of you not into the lingo - that's a self-chosen torture chamber where I have officially paid to have not only 8 of my peers listen to me read out a piece of work that I will hone and prune into a publishable sort of shape by the end of the module (insert the bit about crossed fingers here), but also ask them to comment on it in a not-so-nice way thanks-very-much! Oh yes, 8 peers and one published writer. A Whitbread First Novel winning, Orange Prize short-listed sorta published writer.
The truth is I LOVE IT! I'm a big believer of pruning and honing so bring it on baby! I went into the library the other day and just walked around in a daze in the English Literature section, feeling like I had landed on my mothership - back where I belonged. Know that feeling?
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