Just a quick one from me because, right now, I’m spinning about a thousand plates and, despite not dashing for trains early and getting home late as I did most days in some weird previous life, I’m about as busy as I’ve ever been.
I recorded a couple of videos for Streetcake (I’m one of their judges for their experimental writing prize this year – go here to their Twitter to see more if what they’re up to – and what the other judges, Astra, Jarred, and Sascha have to say), where I talk (as best as I can) about experimental writing. For me, it can be anything – playing with form, language, code, chronology, the space on the paper or how the words fall on it. It can be doing something from an unusual point of view or even being experimental with themes. For what it’s worth, I think we experiment every time we write and whenever I sit down to write, what’s paramount in my mine is trying to do something different. Because different is interesting, and interesting is exciting. You have freedom when you write – use it.
So, here’s a story from my second book, I wrote a long time ago. (18+)
For slightly younger people, I’m running an online competition writing workshop for Sheffield Libraries (I’m Writer in Residence for their Year of Reading, as I’ve mentioned many, many times before). 14-19 year olds can sign up here (I think there are still places left but I won’t know for sure until after the Bank Holiday) and they can enter one of two competitions here (if they’re in Sheffield) or here, if they’re in the rest of Yorkshire/NW Lincs, and Derbyshire).