I have to say these are a joy to me. Even the ones who don’t always show up or who don’t always submit work. It is the quality of what they do and the care they show in feeding back to each other.
We have a system where students email work to each other and their personal tutor about three days before we meet. Everybody looks at the work and then gives verbal and written feedback on what they’ve read. It’s a serious critique group really.
I find I learn a lot myself from reading students’ work. They also learn from each other. They become quite severe critiques of their own work in the end. It is amazing then what happens to the work. It really comes on, setting a challenge for us lecturers. Our students get to become really good writers.
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Overwriting
By this I mean putting more words into a sentence that we actually need. Look at that sentence I’ve just written. Why not say “This is putting more words than we need into a sentence” or “overwriting is using too many words in a sentence.” It’s actually not so bad in a blog because a blog is more like speaking and you are writing on the hoof. You do want a more conversational tone.
An academic paper given at a conference would be considerably tighter and one written for a journal would be even tighter still.
When we are speaking, we do need to add in extra words. It gives the speaker thinking time and it gives the listener interpreting time. When we write, we have the chance to draft and redraft and get it right. The reader can pause to reflect on what they have read. As we read more quickly than we listen or speak, we can become very irritated by words and phrases that prevent us from getting to the content of the message.
I’ve been marking undergraduate essay assignments recently. So many of the students overwrite. I’m sure it’s because they’re thinking as they go along. Which is what I’m doing now. Which is why I’m overwriting. Still, I’ll edit this three times before I post it. And I’ll try not to take out the overwriting.
An academic paper given at a conference would be considerably tighter and one written for a journal would be even tighter still.
When we are speaking, we do need to add in extra words. It gives the speaker thinking time and it gives the listener interpreting time. When we write, we have the chance to draft and redraft and get it right. The reader can pause to reflect on what they have read. As we read more quickly than we listen or speak, we can become very irritated by words and phrases that prevent us from getting to the content of the message.
I’ve been marking undergraduate essay assignments recently. So many of the students overwrite. I’m sure it’s because they’re thinking as they go along. Which is what I’m doing now. Which is why I’m overwriting. Still, I’ll edit this three times before I post it. And I’ll try not to take out the overwriting.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Tone in Writing
How do we define tone? We tend to recognise when it has changed. It’s more difficult to pinpoint when it is even and when it is working well. Is it to do with voice? What do we mean by voice, anyway? Is it to do with style? Are these not also equally difficult to define?
There is something about tone that changes according to who is writing for whom and who is speaking to whom. There are so many parallels between speaking and writing. They are both active communication skills – as opposed to the two passive ones – reading and listening. There is also talking which uses an active and a passive skill together. You can argue that listening can be active. Reading can also be proactive and in fact for a writer is it possible to switch off the jabbering editing voice which tells you what you can learn from the writer whose work you are reading? And of course, identifying the tone and how the writer has achieved that tone.
There are so many unknowns. Is it the words that are used, the complexity of the sentences, even the paragraphing that determines tone in writing? Are we talking about an atmosphere created? Is there something to do with rhythms and sounds?
Tone, style, voice, all important. Are they different? Are they the same? Are they related?
There is something about tone that changes according to who is writing for whom and who is speaking to whom. There are so many parallels between speaking and writing. They are both active communication skills – as opposed to the two passive ones – reading and listening. There is also talking which uses an active and a passive skill together. You can argue that listening can be active. Reading can also be proactive and in fact for a writer is it possible to switch off the jabbering editing voice which tells you what you can learn from the writer whose work you are reading? And of course, identifying the tone and how the writer has achieved that tone.
There are so many unknowns. Is it the words that are used, the complexity of the sentences, even the paragraphing that determines tone in writing? Are we talking about an atmosphere created? Is there something to do with rhythms and sounds?
Tone, style, voice, all important. Are they different? Are they the same? Are they related?
Monday, 30 November 2009
Workshop with SCBWI Scotland
This happened in Glasgow on Saturday and was immensely satisfying. It was pleasing for starters to put faces to names I’ve known for some time, not least of all two of our own Bridge House writers.
We had been planning to meet at Borders, but since that has gone into receivership they cancelled our booking. A little short-sighted, I thought, as they could do with footfall through the shop so that as much stock is sold as possible. However, we ended up at the Kog Café project and to me delight this would be a great candidate also for the Creative Café project. It reminded my somewhat of the Nexus Arts Café in Manchester, and I guess the Merchants Quarter Glasgow is similar enough to the Northern Quarter Manchester. It was a good space, if a little cold for the first part of the day, and the food was home made and appetising.
I talked a little about Bridge House and the Red Telephone. I hope we’ll get lots of submissions. There is some distrust of us as a little publisher. Hopefully that will disappear in time. We’ll make good.
I also did sessions on voice, characterisation, plot structure, characteristics of the Young Adult novel, what young adults are like and editing.
SCBWI Scotland members are an advanced bunch. You can always be afraid that you’re talking down to them. I hope I didn’t. They did take plenty of notes. They did ask questions and a couple of them thanked me for what I’d taught them.
And I’ve decided I like Glasgow.
We had been planning to meet at Borders, but since that has gone into receivership they cancelled our booking. A little short-sighted, I thought, as they could do with footfall through the shop so that as much stock is sold as possible. However, we ended up at the Kog Café project and to me delight this would be a great candidate also for the Creative Café project. It reminded my somewhat of the Nexus Arts Café in Manchester, and I guess the Merchants Quarter Glasgow is similar enough to the Northern Quarter Manchester. It was a good space, if a little cold for the first part of the day, and the food was home made and appetising.
I talked a little about Bridge House and the Red Telephone. I hope we’ll get lots of submissions. There is some distrust of us as a little publisher. Hopefully that will disappear in time. We’ll make good.
I also did sessions on voice, characterisation, plot structure, characteristics of the Young Adult novel, what young adults are like and editing.
SCBWI Scotland members are an advanced bunch. You can always be afraid that you’re talking down to them. I hope I didn’t. They did take plenty of notes. They did ask questions and a couple of them thanked me for what I’d taught them.
And I’ve decided I like Glasgow.
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Publisher’s Progress.
Aha. We are getting somewhere. (See yesterday’s post.)
The main publishing house is also not happy with what the designers / copy editors have done. Meanwhile, we’ve had a little go at doing it ourselves. And we can do it better. It just goes to show.
But I’m glad some of us are talking the same language.
Question is, do I go ahead and finish the proof read? I think I might. The main editors are keen to see what I disagree with.
Progress?
The main publishing house is also not happy with what the designers / copy editors have done. Meanwhile, we’ve had a little go at doing it ourselves. And we can do it better. It just goes to show.
But I’m glad some of us are talking the same language.
Question is, do I go ahead and finish the proof read? I think I might. The main editors are keen to see what I disagree with.
Progress?
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Aren't publishers great?
I’ll not name names. I’m just about to pay in a cheque they’ve sent me for development of the book. So, I’m hoping we can settle it amicably. The money will melt into my overdraft the minute it hits my account. Anyway in fee-per-hour terms, I’ve still done a lot of work for my £400.
The book in question is a teaching resource with photocopiable sheets for the students. I’ve created tons of resources like this for another publisher. A lot of consideration is about words fitting the page and what it looks like.
They requested an unformatted version. This is not unreasonable. As I also work as a publisher I know why this is. However, as they did not provide a full formatting language and what they did supply was not like formatting language I’d used before, I also provided a visual copy of the text. Which they have ignored twice, having requested it the second time. Many of the student pages look terrible and don’t make any sense.
They requested a lot of supplementary material. I duly put this in. Of course, it has now made some of the pages too big. I told them it would. Some of it is because I’m a victim of my own success. I introduced a couple of good ideas. They have latched on to these and extended them.
They have now produced pages in tiny squashed up writing which give you a headache to read. Some important aspects of layout have been ignored. What do you do?
Well, I’ve emailed back and expressed my concerns. Fingers crossed they’re decent people and will respond positively. Watch this space.
The book in question is a teaching resource with photocopiable sheets for the students. I’ve created tons of resources like this for another publisher. A lot of consideration is about words fitting the page and what it looks like.
They requested an unformatted version. This is not unreasonable. As I also work as a publisher I know why this is. However, as they did not provide a full formatting language and what they did supply was not like formatting language I’d used before, I also provided a visual copy of the text. Which they have ignored twice, having requested it the second time. Many of the student pages look terrible and don’t make any sense.
They requested a lot of supplementary material. I duly put this in. Of course, it has now made some of the pages too big. I told them it would. Some of it is because I’m a victim of my own success. I introduced a couple of good ideas. They have latched on to these and extended them.
They have now produced pages in tiny squashed up writing which give you a headache to read. Some important aspects of layout have been ignored. What do you do?
Well, I’ve emailed back and expressed my concerns. Fingers crossed they’re decent people and will respond positively. Watch this space.
Monday, 23 November 2009
Free Author Visit to Wetherby High School
This was a very enjoyable visit. I worked with mainly year 8s. There were more boys and they were remarkably engaged. And they say boys are not interested in reading… Still, I do have to confess that rumour had it that the alternative was their usual French lesson. How ironic! I used to be a language teacher. And today I had the proofs of a French resource I’ve written. If only they knew!
Nevertheless, the students- the majority boys –listened well and responded well to my questions. Many admitted to liking fantasy and science fiction. Only a few girls liked science fiction. Could The Prophecy change that? Who knows?
It was good that they understood, much of what was going on in the snippets of The Prophecy that I read out. Am I allowed to say I wrote it right?
They listened well and asked some very shrewd questions. Extremely pleasing for their age again – especially from the boys. I told them quite a lot about my editing processes, and they seemed to understand quite easily.
I also met a teacher and a Y13 student very committed to writing. It is good to meet people like that.
I arrived at about break-time. I realise the staff room is something I miss from my days as a secondary school teacher. There is a certain camaraderie not found in Higher Education. A large chocolate cake dominated. Someone had reached their thirtieth birthday at the weekend. At the university, you are lucky if somebody comes out of their box -aka office- at the same time as you let alone meets your for a coffee or lunch. But I guess we also have compensations. Like the fact that I’m working from home for the rest of the day.
Nevertheless, the students- the majority boys –listened well and responded well to my questions. Many admitted to liking fantasy and science fiction. Only a few girls liked science fiction. Could The Prophecy change that? Who knows?
It was good that they understood, much of what was going on in the snippets of The Prophecy that I read out. Am I allowed to say I wrote it right?
They listened well and asked some very shrewd questions. Extremely pleasing for their age again – especially from the boys. I told them quite a lot about my editing processes, and they seemed to understand quite easily.
I also met a teacher and a Y13 student very committed to writing. It is good to meet people like that.
I arrived at about break-time. I realise the staff room is something I miss from my days as a secondary school teacher. There is a certain camaraderie not found in Higher Education. A large chocolate cake dominated. Someone had reached their thirtieth birthday at the weekend. At the university, you are lucky if somebody comes out of their box -aka office- at the same time as you let alone meets your for a coffee or lunch. But I guess we also have compensations. Like the fact that I’m working from home for the rest of the day.
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