So here's something...

I read quite widely and in recent years have been drawn to work that is dubbed 'experimental' - new ways of telling stories. Sometimes these works eshew narrative and story completely and to be honest that does not appeal to me (I was never a fan of Andre Breton and the surrealist writers). I am interested in writing in this new way but I am also interested in telling stories. Experimental should not (I think) be hard, just new and fresh and interesting.

My novella 'Blue Postcards' is an experiment in storytelling and so, I hope, is 'With or Without Angels' - hopefully writing in a way that is new or fresh and yet still writing that is populated with characters who want to impart their stories. I am also looking to write well.

A new writer I like is Amalie Smith - a Danish writer and artist. Only two of her books have been translated into English so far, 'Marble' and 'Thread Ripper', but they are clever and interesting and they are good reads (particularly enjoyed 'Marble'). 

And recently I read a fabulous work called 'Go On' by Tania Hershman and I can't understand why there is not more fuss being made about it. It is so good, so new and so interesting. It does things that no other book does (ok the talking to the dead was also done by George Saunders in 'Lincoln in the Bardo', but the rest of what Hershman does in this book is hers - the voice, the structure and the story). I wrote a review of it on Amazon and Goodreads and expected dozens of other reviews to follow but this has not happened... why not. Go out and get a copy and see for yourself... it is so so interesting.

Here's my review which is really a call out for the book:

'OMG!!! This book is Fucking Brilliant! It is! It is brilliant and wonderful and new. Here is a voice that is quiet and loud both at the same time. A voice that gets in your head and (like the Narrator) a voice you don't want to leave behind when it is finished. This is a wonderful experiment in form and it is quite simply (and complexly) fantastic. I fell in love with the Narrator and with the Author - because I am a Falling-In-Love-Person - but here is a new and very real person and this book helps you to understand that and to accept that. This book is a triumph - for Broken Sleep Books (the publisher) and for Tania Hershman. I want to press copies into the hands of all serious readers - for they will be delighted by it too. You HAVE to read this - it is a ten star read!'

Yes, so go read this book and Amelie Smith too.

PHEW!!!!

 So, since writing the two big projects while my wife was away travelling in March/April, I haven't really been needing to write. Went to Amsterdam for my Birthday and to see the once-in-a-lifetime Vermeer exhibition - which was crazy wonderful; and did some work in the garden and just kicked back. Didn't even do any reading for the third project I have set myself to complete by the end of the year. Then...

Back from Amsterdam and I woke up in the middle of the night - as men of my age often do - and there was an idea in my head which sounded truly brilliant (all ideas sound brilliant at that time of the night!!!) and so I made a mental note to myself to write up the idea in the morning. But then I thought how ideas sometimes get lost in sleep and never can be found again, so I put the bedside light on, grabbbed for my notebook and pen and set to writing it up there and then.

Turned the light off and 'she' wouldn't leave me alone but kept talking to me, adding more and more to the idea. Had to put the light on again and again and again till 12 notebook pages had been written. I didn't knowher name then; that came later, but now I know and her name is Lieke.

Did some research reading after that - light research which is the only kind of research I really like... I am always too impatient to be writing.

Then my wife takes a trip with our daughter to Dusseldorf for a long weekend's getaway and I have four days to myself. Well, what else am I going to do? I started writing this new thing. Wrote 10,000 good words on the first day!!!! Then finished it on the second at around 20,000 in total. A wee novella. Two days to write a wee novella!!!!! That's bloody crazy. 

Took the third day off and then on the fourth I 'polished up' the project. Sent it off (toot sweet) to a publisher and now have my fingers crossed.

And is the way of these things, I woke up this morning and she is not in my head anymore and I miss Lieke now.