Thursday 4 March 2010

One Hundred Posts and Still Counting

I started this blog just about a year ago because I was relishing the thought of my DSCN0316 forthcoming two month stay in the Languedoc and thought it might be a good idea to document that and to go on and write a hundred posts that somehow documented my pre-occupations in what I thought would be an interesting year. I didn’t know whether I would last out but here we are and this is the hundredth post.
The outcome is a book-length text that somehow does document the year – including that endless and too short time in France. Every day there made me reflect on my life and the work I was doing there – posts like sounds not of silence. So now I invite you to join me as I revisiting my posts on a writer's mindset on the house in France and the cafe where I watched and wrote and the joy of beginning and working on the novel that has become STARR BRIGHT and the amazement there in the Maison d’Estella of the first sight of the newly published Woman Who Drew Buildings (now out in paperback) I could not keep off the subject The Miracle of The Woman Who Drew Buildings. Then back to Starr as she climbs a wall. And thinking about Starr again in research leading down strange pathways.
My posts reflect the inspirations of great people – in the flesh and on the page - Mary Davies who inspired The Woman Who Drew Buildings; Sylvia Hurst whose life was more extraordinary than any novel ; the late Julia Darling, indeed a darling of the Northern writing world, my own Angus who is always an inspiration, and John Fowles; and Jane Yolen; Alan and Nira Chidgey. And the sparky and dynamic Easington writers whose book Shrugging Off The Wind will be launched with balloons and rip roaring readings just this Saturday coming (Obviously that will be worth its own special post) .
And more…
And threaded through all this are posts that reflect elements of my own life from my occasionally troubled childhood onwards. There are also also many posts on my sometimes idiosyncratic and obsessive views on writers , the process of writing and aspects of syntax and language - both from a practitioner and mentor’s point of view.
It being World Book Day today I have the thought that I might make a book of all this – a ‘How To Write’ book with a difference. What do you think?
One unexpected joy of the blog has been that need for images to support the prose and to give the reader some colour. So I had to teach myself to take (not very expert) photographs. I have to admit I see these as writer’s notes rather than works of art. But they have been a joyous bonus of writing the blog . So I offer here – in no particular order – some of the hundreds of photos this bloWednesday Agde 047g has taught me to value for their own strange selves. .
A Glass of Wine on the Roof Terrace
Wednesday Agde 059
009
the woman who drew buildings[1]
083


020
P1160135 Boody boody 002River PathDSCN0286

077

Mary Davies 014m17 P1140777 DSCN0144

books Etc 028P1150840P1010046DSCN0317


DSCN0189 (2) DSCN0310 Family Ties 003Autumn 011 Obsolete 121b&w with D





8 comments:

  1. I think blogging is so addictive once you get into it... and as a writer, I bet it is a wonderful outlet. I wonder if you enjoy this format of getting instant reader reaction more than the "solitary" form of writing a book!! I think the interaction is what keeps me going!!

    And I love your photos too!

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  2. - Thank you Miss Jenners for dropping by. What you say is very true but also it is a buzz taking the trouble to write something and see it 'published' at the touch of a button. A book might take the best part of a year before it's out there on the bookshop's shelves. Not so instant. Come again, won't you? wx

    - Please you like the new format, Avril. They do say a change is as good as a (much needed...) rest.wx

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  3. Wendy, I've been visiting your blog off and on for awhile. I enjoyed today's post very much, and the photos are fabulous! You say that they are "not very expert," but I think you have the "eye" for the visual snippets of life; I am the mother of a photographer who is based in Berlin right now, and he took the photo that is my blog header on Reflections...and some of my other blog headers, as well (the ones that I have given photo credit to him), and I think if you studied his website, you would notice similarities between what you have captured here and his work.

    Just me rambling...but I like what you've done. You could even choose one of your photos as a blog header!

    There...tell me to mind my own business! LOL

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  4. Beautiful photos! I'm looking forward to checking out the rest of your site.

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  5. Congratulations, Wendy, on the words, the photos and on completing your first year in the blogosphere. Here's to the next year and to reading many more posts and exchanging many more comments. Bootsx

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  6. Thank you Alyce - what a lovely way to spell the name - please drop by again,x
    Thank you Laurel - you are kind about the photos all down to an idiot proof camera and a writer's eye. I'll look up your son's pics. Could learn a lot!XX
    Hi Boots - lovely to see you here. Your blog's on good form just now. Always makes me think! Here's to the next year(s)...wxXX
    w

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  7. Hi Wendy,
    Congratulations on 100 posts!
    I enjoy all your posts and I love your piccies.
    Yes the camera may be idiot proof, but you have have an eye to get a decent snap.

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