' Writing Process' Meme

Just recently I have found a couple of new creative friends on SciTalk forum viz Elliot North - a GP and poet (you can see Eliot's post here), and Pippa Roberts.  Pippa Roberts is a playwright, an author and a publisher.  She has worked/is working with scientists from Hull and Birmingham Universities to produce plays for schools that involve experimentation and science.  She is also studying for a degree in science.  Pippa's blog is here.

A month or so ago I agreed with them both to participate in a meme about 'My Writing Process' and so Pippa duly passed on the baton to me - whereupon I immediately forgot about it.  Now, having been very politely reminded about it I am belatedly posting the said meme here... apologies Pippa.


What am I working on?

I am working on a couple of projects at the moment: I have been commissioned to write a piece of 'psychogeography' which is part of series.  Psychgeography is a little difficult to define, and I expect different writers approach it in different ways, but my way is to research the history and geography of a place and then experience as much of it as I can.  I then combine all this with interviews that further serve to evoke the place...then start the writing.  I think writing is most interesting when it takes ideas and information from places as far apart as possible and combines them.

I am also tinkering around with the very long novel I have been writing for the last four years - shortening it, mainly.

How does my work differ others of its genre?

I am aiming to emulate other books in the series which have been written by other writers e.g. Peter Finch, Niall Griffiths and Grahame Davies.  All are excellent writers, so if I can keep up the series standard then I shall be very well pleased indeed!

Why do I write what I do?

This one is a commission - so it inspired by other works and the general philosophy of the series.

In my past work I have sought to combine poetry and science or reveal the poetry of science because I think that's the best way to bring out the beauty of new ideas.

In the last novel I had published I wanted to convey a lot of things: but my main idea was that the best sort of leadership comes through love.  A point I made rather too subtly, I fear.

 The novel I'm just finishing is different again - it includes science but is also an exploration on how different people tell - or have told - stories.

I suppose I like to experiment with styles and ways to communicate - and it is this more than anything else which causes me to write the way I do.

What is the main challenge I have?

Not enjoying my research so much that I don't actually get down to doing any writing.


Many thanks to Pippa for the loan of the baton and I shall be passing the baton on in the next few days...