Writing to Order is an unusual module mainly because there isn’t a reading list and there is a portfolio submission rather than academic essays. My initial reaction was a positive one as I didn’t have a mountain of books to read. However this module is much more enjoyable than I thought it would be, as we have had to study and attempt various forms of literary works, such as scriptwriting, teen fiction and graphic novels. I had never attempted to write for anyone other than adults and I mainly stick to poetry as that appears to be my safety net form. I have enjoyed exploring different forms greatly and will continue to challenge myself.
Category: News
Poetry with John Siddique
John Siddique the Royal Literary Fund Fellow at York St John University gave a lecture today which I found fascinating. As a student at York St John I feel honoured to have such a prolific poet in residence and I have spoken to him at events in the university. The first time I met Siddique I remember having a debate about Palahnuik’s Fight Club and I argued that the novel was better than the film and he argued the opposite case. I immediately felt like he had a large knowledge of literature and poetry.
In today’s lecture Siddique said something that really inspired me: “Poetry is meant to be read aloud.” This statement really encouraged me to perform my poetry and to gain a voice as a poet. Therefore I am very thankful for his lecture.
Kokoro: An Afternoon of Poetry and Music Inspired by Japan
I did not know much about Japanese culture before this event and now I feel more confident reading Japanese poetry. The different themes of the event made the time fly by and helped guide me through Japanese culture. Performance poetry has interested me for many years and after seeing Henry Raby perform at my poetry event it has encouraged me to engage with performance poetry more. I found the Tsunami piece particularly moving as it evoked the drama of the wave and the silence of the aftermath.
Birdsong: York Theatre Royal
Last night I attended a performance of Birdsong at York Theatre Royal as I booked a free ticket as part of the York Literature Festival. I read Birdsong many years ago and unfortunately it did not enjoy the novel greatly. Luckily this production did engage me a little more. However I found that the characters hadn’t been developed enough for me to become emotionally attached. The set was incredible and the stage directions were innovative, therefore this made up for the lack of emotional response I experienced. Overall it was a pleasant evening and worth going to.
York St John Student Writing Showcase
Tonight I attended the York St John Student Writing Showcase and I was very impressed at the poetry and prose of students across all years. Nuala Casey spoke at this event, a woman whose works I have become very aware of in this semester. She previously took a lecture for my Writing to Order module and I found her début novel Soho, 4 A.M absolutely fascinating. When reading this novel I presumed the author was closely linked to the character Stella. Which tonight revealed this presumption to be true. I learnt that Nuala had bulimia in the past, I found this revelation highly interesting because so many authors who write about eating disorders in fiction have actual first hand experience of one. Upon hearing this I decided to write a poetry collection about my complex relationship with food.
First Words: My First Poetry Event
On Wednesday I had my first poetry event. I have been organising this event for the last three weeks and it has been a struggle. I quickly realised several problems with my organisational skills:
- Don’t organise an event for the first time alone! You will get extremely stressed and upset if you are prone to anxiety.
- Don’t attempt to carry over ten litres of alcohol! You will end up with bruises across your hips where the bottles have hit against your torso.
- Don’t expect everyone speaker to turn up! Two speakers did not attend the event and I was not prepared for this, resulting in stress.
On a whole I enjoyed the event and I was very impressed by Henry Raby’s performance poetry, as it lifted the mood of the event. I am very grateful to all the first years at York St John who performed and those who attended the event.
Finally my last piece of advice, do not drink all the left over wine!
Dom & Ink
Last week the guest speaker Dominic Evans came into our seminar and spoke about his début illustrated novel, Map My Heart. His enthusiasm and dedication appeared flawless, however I could not quite distinguish his work from Keri Smith’s works such as Wreck This Journal. Perhaps because I have only just completed my own copy of Wreck This Journal, but they seem indistinguishably similar. However Dominic’s work focuses mainly on stylised caricatures and fashion illustrations unlike Keri’s more ambiguous work that demands you fill it in. I think ideally one should read and colour in the two and compare them. Plus it means you can crack out the crayons from your childhood!
First Words
This is a York St John University poetry event I am chairing. I decided to organise this event as a response for being awarded the SPARK Arts scholarship. I have seven poets performing alongside myself, so hopefully I can muster up an audience.
Practice Poetry Collection Cover Letter
Dear…
I am writing to you as I have enjoyed much of your published contemporary poetry [insert poem titles and explanation.] I feel my style of writing and the topic of these poems would compliment the other material you represent. I have attached my recent poetry including a synopsis of this collection By Proxy to this email.
By Proxy is a collection of twenty seven poems focussing upon a father’s development of münchausen by proxy, triggered by the separation from his wife of nine years. Each poem can stand alone as a depiction of this rare mental illness. However they do compliment the next and a narrative is slowly revealed to the reader which expresses the complex nature of münchausen by proxy.
This collection works as a psychological insight into abusive relationships and as a commentary on the loneliness of possessing a wicked secret. It explores the relationship between married couples in decline and of destructive father/son relationships. I think this collection could appeal to a wide range of readers.
My poetry has been especially influenced by the works of Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Thomas Hardy and Allen Ginsberg. I believe they tackle complex disturbing matters with a sense of poise and rawness, therefore this collection aims to be both stunningly harsh yet beautifully depicted.
I am currently in my first year of a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing at York St John University. My close work with the mental health sector before university has inspired this collection and given me insight into the mind of potentially dangerous inpatients, therefore this collection has been ongoing for several months.
I am currently working on a second collection of poetry entitled Poems for the Recently Deceased which portray first person accounts of alternative afterlives. I am able to send you several poems from this collection if you would like to view them.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my work and I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Elinor Bowers
Reflection on Scriptwriting
Scriptwriting is a form of narrative I have very rarely explored, mainly due to my families overbearing passion for dramatic performances. However upon studying a scene from The Graduate I realised I already knew the basic constructs for successful scriptwriting. During college I studied The Graduate in detail for several weeks, during this time I realised the power struggles between Mrs Robinson and Benjamin. Their dialogue is much like a game of tennis, each line more forceful and skilled than the next. As they learn about one another they discover each others weaknesses, therefore they become more capable of delivering hits that the opponent cannot deflect. Therefore when we write scripts it is highly important that the characters have a sense of conflict within their lines, whether that is a internal self-conflict or a conflict with other characters.