The art of books and language

I don’t think it’s a huge surprise that I love reading. It could be, of course, but then I doubt you’ve really been reading my blog and have probably just been mocking me from afar. Don’t worry, I get mocked a lot in life but usually because I have my nose buried in a book and refuse to communicate with the outside world. Books have always been a source of pleasure and I think I picked up my first book before I could talk (exaggeration!).

I was discussing this with friends at the weekend and we came up with an impromptu ‘challenge’ of sorts about which of us started reading first and which of us started on the most complicated books before the others. This is something we discuss a lot; the four of us are avid readers and writers and I would definitely recommend surrounding yourselves with like minded people. I love my friends dearly but there is nothing better than a little spirited book competition to get your pulse racing!

The first ‘difficult’ book I read was the Hobbit when I was seven. I was miles ahead of the other students in my class and it was hard for my teachers to find me something challenging to read. I devoured the books in the library within months and I spent most of my pocket money buying 10p books from the charity shops. This meant that I unknowingly devoured more romance novels than my little mind could cope with and probably goes some way to explaining my hatred of the genre now that I am rapidly approaching my thirties.

Something about the Hobbit must have stuck because the fantasy genre has remained a favourite, branching out into sci-fi and dystopian novels. My bookshelves are lined with many a title from these specifically, although I have lately become enamoured with the Young Adult genre. It’s surprising how many really good books are coming from that quarter. When you’re used to reading the classics and devouring literature for an English course, the last thing that makes you feel like a proper critic of books is walking into Waterstones or Foyles and picking up a book entitled Percy Jackson and the Olympians. However, I can safely say that this series will surprise you. It surprised me. The series is incredibly well written and alluring and the characters are very well rounded and appealing. Most young adult books follow this same pattern – with the exception of Twilight. If there’s one thing I won’t tolerate it’s someone telling me the books are decent. They’re really not. (Again, this is merely a personal opinion, and does not reflect the opinion of the University ;))

{my actual bookshelf – well one of them!}

Speaking of decency....

In short story class this week, we had to give collective feedback on other people’s work. Collective feedback is a taboo term in this class apparently, because it seems to be comprised of people who don’t like talking out loud. I can forgive them because I know it’s very difficult for some people. However, when you’ve taken the time to read something aloud and you’re not exactly happy with your work, the last thing you need is someone saying to you that they, “don’t know how you can improve.”

I understand that it can be difficult to think of something constructive on the spot but I’m sure there is something you can say with that will help with the story. Part of being able to write your own story is having the ability to critique them. If you can’t find errors in your own writing, then it’s the opinion of this writer that perhaps this isn’t the career path for you. People are going to find fault with your writing; people are going to reject your writing and if you can’t deal with or accept that, then you’re in for a tough ride with editors and publishers. For every one acceptance letter, you’re bound to get ten rejections. This is just the way it works.

           

I’m currently writing a novel and I’m only on the first draft. I’m aware it’s going to need at least two before it’s any shape to send to a publisher. Granted, University is a lot different but the sentiment behind it remains the same; people want to improve. They want to be in a position where they are satisfied enough with their own writing that it can be sent to someone professional in the business and have it good enough to be printed and put on a bookshelf somewhere.

This is what I strive for. This is for what some of my fellow classmates strive for and, one day, I am going to have that book on that shelf and the pride I feel will come from the knowledge that receiving good feedback in class came a long way towards helping me get there. 

Resolutions

So one of my new year’s resolutions was to actually get my University work done and dusted and out of the way before I got too stressed over it. That worked, right up until last weekend. By Wednesday I had 63/3000 words and my essay was due on the Thursday. That was not productive. That was insane and it had never happened to me before. I didn’t actually know what I was doing, to be honest. It is one of those modules where you think you’ve made the right choice but the more the work comes, the less sure you are about your place in the class.

Not to say that I don’t enjoy parts of the lessons or that the tutors are less than stellar at holding my attention because that’s not true. I love most of the lessons and the tutors are really good at holding my interest and making me enjoy the work but I’m just not taking the knowledge on board. I’m really not used to this happening to me. I’m pretty good at learning in general and as someone who has been in education the majority of their life, I should be. I’m just not sure if this class is for me, despite being one of the modules that I was sure would help me on the step to becoming a teacher, as was the back-up decision life choice.

What a mess I’m making of this, huh?

I guess it can’t really be helped. I tackled the essay through Wednesday and Thursday and I did a damn good job to make it worthy of a grade. I hope it was adequate enough for me to scrape a pass. At the point where I had an introduction and an essay plan that I had no idea where to start with, I would pretty much take a scraped pass as proof that I’m not completely useless at this module.

However, I’m not going to let it get me down. The harder I work and the more I try to make this module as interesting as it can be for me and for my work standards, the better off I’ll be. Sometimes you just need to put a lot of effort in to get the payoff. Hopefully I can be better at this resolution than I was at the last!

In slightly less depressing news, I am going home this weekend to spend time with my best friend and my family so hopefully that will be cheery enough. Well. Considering the weather doesn’t get too bad before then. The last thing I need is to get snowed in and be unable to get back to London.

Here’s to hoping everything works out okay J

Of Kindles and Medals and America, oh my!

We have reached 2012!

I had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, spent with the best friends and sometimes the family, and I received some wonderful gifts, not least my brand new Kindle. I can’t put it down, even though I am still reading all the wonderful books on my six bookcases. Seriously. I think my bedroom is really just a library with a bed and a computer stuck inside of it. It’s wonderful except now I am torn between uploading books to my Kindle or actually buying them. Nothing can beat the wonder of reading a book in your hands, the small of new pages and the fact that it’s something you can keep through the years, even when the book is worn and some of the pages are coming away from the spine. That said, I adore my Kindle and will definitely use it for those long journeys to and from Uni, Work and when I am travelling overseas for whatever reason. A wonderful holiday device!

So. 2012! There is such a wealth of happenings this year that I am simultaneously sceptical, excited and terrified all at once. I suppose the first thing I should mention is the Olympics. I know, I know, nobody really wants to talk about that because I think everyone I have spoken to so far carries a certain amount of scepticism about how well we can actually pull this off. I think the first advert I saw on New Year’s Day was the one showing many, many people running down the beach in celebration of the Olympics. I myself carry a lot of scepticism. I honestly don’t know how London will cope under the onslaught of people, tension and pressure that the Olympics will bring. I will hold out hope, especially because I want to stand in Greenwich Park amongst the equestrian lovers like myself, and enjoy the entire experience. 

Moving swiftly onwards to the excited category! There are so many good and exciting things happening to me this year! Such a wealth of movies to interest my cinema-loving heart. The Hunger Games, the Spiderman Reboot, The Hobbit, The Avengers and War Horse to mention but a few. Tying in with my movie adoration is the news that, providing all goes well with ticket purchasing, I will be making a trip across the pond to San Diego for their major comic con in the summer. I’ve wanted to go for years and it warms my snow-cold heart to think that I may well be joining the ranks of geeks all amassing for a week of entertainment catered to our very interests! That all sounds very poetic but really, the excitement is definitely there. 

 

Lastly to the terrifying part. It’s the conclusion of year two and the beginning of the end: third year. Obviously that isn’t until September and I have the wonderful world of clearing before then (yay!) but there’s still a little bit of terror threatening to overwhelm me. I don’t think I’m quite ready for my University experience to be over. I have loved this part of my life and the prospect of  moving onwards and outwards just doesn’t appeal to me quite yet. I’ve been in education since the age of four and for the past twenty-three years it’s been my life. I’ve had jobs alongside it, the longest of which I still miss with my heart, but I’m still not quite ready for this chapter to be over.

Not least because that novel I have been writing, the one that is going to get me fame, infamy and cash (according to my family and best friends!) has been sitting on my hard drive waiting for me to actually get around to finishing.

I wonder if 2014 is too late to take it back out...

IT’S CHRISTMAAAAAAAAAAAAS

As Slade would say! So. We’re finally at the Christmas break but can I rest and have a good time? Well, yes I can but I also have an assignment due on the day I come back which means that University is never far away from me! I will just have to find the time to finish off my short story while I am gallivanting across England visiting the best friend, the family, the friends and the Devon family. The Devon family is just my father’s side, who all reside in farming country!

Tiverton - Devon

That’s right. This awkward city girl is awkward because she’s not from the city! Believe me, trying to acclimatise to life in London – the big city! – when you've come from a farm background it is so far from easy. It’s been an experience and one I relish but I will be so happy to run back to my home town, you have no idea. Not to say that living here hasn't been an experience because it has. London has so much to offer and Greenwich in particular is a lovely place to spend my time. It has enough greenery – the park is huge and wonderful and let’s not forget, it is the sight of HORSES come the Olympic Games! – and the people are friendly. Plus, it has that biggest added benefit of being the place where I spend a good portion of my time.

It might be a challenge to find my place here, I’m still searching and knowing me, I’ll find it just before I leave, but it’s a challenge that I take head on. As we swing by into Christmas and in all the festivities and love that I know awaits me, there will still be that part of me that misses my University, my classes and Greenwich.

Dreadnought Library in the snow

There will always be a part of me that will be happy to come back in January. Until then, I will definitely make sure to enjoy myself and immerse myself in the Christmas Spirit and the love of family and friends, and will see you on the other side!

 Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I have my first grade back.

It’s obviously time to knuckle down and actually start doing my work instead of putting it off and working so much. It was a bit disappointing but I found last year was the same – my first grade was disappointing so I worked that much harder in making them better and actually trying to achieve something. It wasn’t terrible, but it was bad enough that I was trying not to be overly disappointed in front of classmates and friends. I’m not sure I fooled anybody but lucky enough I could run to the toilets just after and hyperventilate for about ten minutes.

As you can tell, I don’t take disappointment well at all. Now I’m actually working hard at making something of my writing – I have another assignment due in a week and I’m positive I’m actually going to make this work! It will be the most amazing short story I have ever written and it will get me a good grade. I hope.

I can’t even think about Christmas or my birthday because right now, everything is UNI, UNI, UNI. I’m determined to get my grades and get through this year with at least a 2:1. I know I can do it, I just have to work at pushing myself.

That birthday I spoke about? Seemed to pass in a blur.  I never ask for anything and always feel bad about expensive presents because I feel like I have to reciprocate in a better way – just because I feel guilty about getting nice things! My best friend once took me to Ireland to see my favourite band play at the O2 in Dublin. I won’t mention who they are because it’s a little embarrassing. To return to my point because she did that for me, I decided I had to gift her something just as amazing; and therefore, decided a trip to Rome for a week was in order. It’s now at the point where we try and outdo each other – not for competition, simply because we feel guilty about the expense.

The obvious solution would be to draw a line underneath and start again. I think we've come to some agreement that as we’re both poor, struggling students we’re just going to have to go small! This year her idea of small was to buy me tickets to the Michael McIntyre Christmas Special at the Hammersmith Apollo. I am ridiculously excited but I am under orders to make sure ALL of my assignments are complete before I do so. It’s nice that she has her priorities in order!

That means I need to actually knuckle down and get things sorted because this weekend I’m being taken out for my birthday! It’s definitely going to be a packed week for me from now!

Birthdays are awesome – but they should never come before Uni work!