Comments for Practice Writing

Comment on Healthy Writer, Healthy novel. by Nina

Nina — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 20:24:12 +0000

About the dodgy knees, have you tried ‘barefoot’ shoes? I don’t run, but I do get achy knees (and other bits) with a lot of walking – almost all gone since I started wearing some Vivo Barefoot trainers. My sister, father, and grandmother have gone the opposite way and have fancy supportive insoles in their shoes, but they’re all still complaining about their knees, backs, feet…

I totally agree that it’s good to practise getting off the sofa/away from the computer screen, for any reason. Apparently self-discipline burns glucose just like muscle activity, and therefore is exhaustible, but I’m sure you can build it up like a muscle.

Comment on Habit Forming: how long does it take? by Preoccupied with Time

Preoccupied with Time — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:05:51 +0000

[...] do. But seemingly in vain, because this is not the first time I’ve identified the need to schedule in time for my mental nutrition, and then gone on to ignore [...]

Comment on Conductor by Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:56:06 +0000

Oh this has an eerie familiarity for me. It gives me a frisson of dreaded recognition. Working in the financial industry in NYC, this story is all too true and happens all too often. A friend in his 30′s just joined the army, JOINED THE ARMY, after losing his job at a hedge fund. There are no jobs in the industry if you lose the one you have. It’s the stark reality now. Very scary to live like this every day, haunting you.

I think you can tell that your story hit home with me. Because it’s not a story, it’s the truth.

Comment on On the Seriousness of Reading by Lennie

Lennie — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:53:28 +0000

Happy New Year! I’m glad you feel like that – part of the reason I’m doing it is to fan the flames of me wanting to be a writer, which so often get put out by laundry etc.

I still want to learn Norwegian. Really enjoying reading the myths and wondering why they aren’t taught more in schools. Feels more relevant than Greek Myths somehow. More fires and snow, rather than sunshine and olives.

Comment on On the Seriousness of Reading by Helen

Helen — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:00:22 +0000

I love dipping into your posts here, Joanne. You really make me want to be a writer, in spite of the fact that I’m perfectly sure I have no real possibility of being one. It makes me miss teaching literature too. But it also reminds me how much I love to read. Reading Ragnarok at the moment after being reminded how much I loved my Old Norse course by our twitter exchange the other day.

Oh, and clever husband!

Happy new year! x

Comment on On Art and Money: does anyone have a spare million pounds? by Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:21:35 +0000

As an ex opera singer, I know too well what it means to sing for your supper. I have to say that I far more enjoyed singing in university than for a paying gig. The constant anxiety of “will anyone show up for this concert/opera” began to erode my love of the music. Having to monetize my passion actually killed it. I don’t sing at all these days. Not even in the shower. The technique needed to sing well at a classical music levels requires hours of practice every day to keep the “chops” up. If I’m not making money at it, I’m not spending time doing it just to hear myself sing. It’s not worth it. Am I spiting myself? I don’t know.

Recently I thought to open up an Etsy shop for my sewing projects, but when I realized that I would be putting myself in that same position of monetizing my passion again, I stopped entertaining that idea. I never want to be anxious again about whether I make any/enough money or if people like my work.

Comment on 5 Books to Kickstart your Creativity by Susanne

Susanne — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:35:26 +0000

I’m still struggling to start the whole thing because it’s the beginning of the school year, and we have an insanely lot of new students. Which is a blessing because it means we won’t be broke anymore but is a bit much right now.

I did manage to read most of the first chapter so far, but haven’t done any of the exercises yet. they always seem a bit pointless to me, until I do them that is.

As for fitting in the weekly walk, when my son was still a baby and toddler I usually took him along in the stroller. I did my exercise the same way, child in stroller, outside, and then walk for half an hour or so. He wasn’t allowed to get out or walk when it was exercise time, despite his protests.

Comment on 5 Books to Kickstart your Creativity by Lennie

Lennie — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:40:52 +0000

Ooh I have both of those. Love the Stephen King one (was a huge fan of his in my younger days) but confess to not having used the other one much, though I was perusing a couple of Magrs novels the other day in a bookshop and realised I’d read one – funny, odd, almost sci-fi/fantasy, but very British from what I remember. May well dig out the Coursebook again, thanks.

Comment on 5 Books to Kickstart your Creativity by Lennie

Lennie — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:37:47 +0000

Interesting – maybe I should check out the follow up, though obviously I worry about the idea of fitting in a weekly walk (which I assume is part of the program, although lord knows I could do with it). Let me know if you get back to it this weekend!

Comment on 5 Books to Kickstart your Creativity by Nancy, The List Writer

Nancy, The List Writer — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 15:37:34 +0000

All new to me – thank you! The ones I use over and over again are On Writing by Stephen King (LOVE this one) and The Creative Writing Coursebook by Julia Bell & Paul Magrs from the UEA course.