Writers' Narrative June 2024

EDITORIALTEAM

WendyH.Jones-EditorinChief-isalsoourExecutiveCommissioningandFeaturesEditor.Sheisthe multi-award-winning,best-sellingauthorofadult crimethrillersandcozymysteries,children’spicturebooksandnon-fictionbooksforwriters.Inaddition,sheisawritingcoach,partnerin Auscot Publishing and Retreats andhoststheWritingandMarketingShowpodcast.

SheenaMacleodisourDeputytotheEditorinChief. Sheoverseestheday-to-dayproductionanddesign. Sheis authorofthehistoricalfictionnovels,ReignoftheMarionettesandTearsofStrathnaver,andco-authorofthenonfictionbookSo,YouSayICan’tVote!FrancesConnelly.

PaulineTaitisoureditorialmanager.Paulineisaprolific novelist,children’sauthorandwritingmentor.She writesbothsuspensefulromanceandchildren’s picturebooksfor3to7years.

AllisonSymesisourCopyEditor.Sheisanawardwinning,publishedflashfictionandshortstorywriter. Shealsowritesaweeklycolumnontopicsofinterest forwritersforonlinemagazine, Chandler's Ford Today.

Susan McVeyisourContentEditor.Susanwrites dystopianfictionandfantasynarratives,tailoredfor theyoungadultandteenageaudience.ShepublishesunderMartiM.McNair.Herworksinclude Island of Ruin (RuinorRedemptionBook1).

MaressaMortimeroverseesourmarketingandoursocial mediaengagement.MaressaisauthoroftheElabi Chronicles, Burrowed and Sapphire Beach.

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Writers’ Narrative is published monthly by Scott and Lawson Publishing. Graphic Design by Sheena Macleod. All contents Copyright © the individual authors and used with their permission. All rights reserved. Featured Interview with Scotland’sMakar KathleenJamie PoetryWriting Poetryfromthetouchlines Andmuchmore...

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TheRabbitHole byGillianPoucher

YaleUniversityBeineckeRareBookandManuscript LibraryNewHaven,Connecticut,USA.

A Poetry Handbook: A Prose Guide to Understanding and Writing Poetry byMaryOliver

WhoisYourPadawan? byPeterThomasandSophie

ThismonthwefocusonPoetry.Ihaveto admit,IaminaweofpoetsasitissomethingthatIseeasbeingwayoutofmy grasp.However,asawriterIamalwayskeento learnandthismonth’sissueiscertainlygoingto helpmemovethisaspectofmycareerforward. Witharticlescoveringmanyaspectsofpoetry, therereallyissomethingforallwriters.Sophie, theOfficeDog,bringsustheintriguinglytitled, WhoisYourPadawan?,asshelooksathelping thoselessexperienced.

Theusualfeaturessuchaslibraryofthemonth andbookshopofthemontharethere,showing usthatliteratureandaloveofreadingisvery muchaliveandinfactgrowing.

Forpersonalreasons,wehavedecidedtotake timeoutfromthemagazineandbringitbackin February2025.Thisismerelyahiatusduringan extremelystressfultimeformeandwillgiveme timetotakestockandbreathe.WewillbestartingagainwithrenewedvigourinFebruary.

Sometimes,wejustneedtotakeastepbackto renewourenergy,andIwouldexhortyoutodo thesameifyoufeelitisnecessary.

Ihopeyouenjoythemagazineandwewillsee youbackhereinFebruary,wherewewillbetakingadetailedlookatnon-fiction.

Wendy H. Jones

Editor in Chief

Wendy H. Jones Author, Publisher, Writing Coach

Letterofthe Month

DearEditor,

I have edited several memoirs, and it’s always a privilege to be invited to be involved in these intensely personal projects. The material can be shocking and upsetting, but is none the worse for that. Indeed, at the risk of sounding like a creepy voyeur, some of these stories are the most fascinating. I have only turned down one such project, where the stream-ofconsciousness outpouring was more writing as therapy than writing to be read. Others are heartwarming and uplifting, and equally valuable because they stir our own memories.

There is much useful advice in the May issue of Writer’s Narrative. I particularly liked John Greeves’ table of questions, which focuses the mind. Everyone has a history and a story to tell, but translating memory into readable memoir is as challenging as any other writing task.

Julia Thorley

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Tonominateyourwritinggroup,locallibrary orbookshoptobefeaturedinfutureissues emailwritersnarrative@gmail.com subjectheadedfortheattentionoftheEditor inChief.

Every month, a £10 book token will be awarded to the selected letter of the month. Congratulations to this month’s winner.

Please email letters to the editor to writersnarrative@gmail.com

FeaturedInterview:Scotland sMakar,KathleenJamie

InterviewedbyWendyH.Jones

Wendy H. Jones interviews Scotland’s Makar (National Poet of Scotland) Kathleen Jamie

Whatinspiredyoutopursuepoetryasaform ofexpression?

Well,IwasateenagerwhenIstartedwriting, andpoetrywassilentandsecret.Andintriguing. Ilikedthesoundofwordsandthefunyoucould havewiththem.Idon’tknowifone‘pursues’ poetry.Rather,poetryfindsyou andno-one knewIwasdoingit.Itwasagoodfitforanaturallysecretivepersonlikemyself.Unlike,forexample,adrum-kit.

Howdoyoutypicallyapproachtheprocessof writingapoem?

Ipretendit’snothappening.Idon’tkeepfancy notebooksoranything,butifsomethinghappens,orIseeorhearorremembersomething thathasaweeinvisibleflagattachedsaying ‘writeaboutthis’thenIfindanoldenvelopeand writedownasmuchasIcaninafirstsplurge. Whysomethingswantwrittenabout,ortoward, andothersdon’t,Icouldn’tsay.Theimpulseto writecanleavemeforlongperiodstoo.

So Idon’tsitdownformallyandsaytomyself‘I amnowgoingtowriteapoem’–thatnever works.Forme,asIsay,ithastobeabitsecretiveandsemi-fugitive,eventomyself.

KathleenJamie

Howdoyounavigatethebalancebetween personalexpressionandconnectingwithyour audiencethroughyourpoetry?

Ineverconsiderareaderoraudiencewhileactuallywriting.Therelationshipisentirelywiththe poem;I’minatetchyloveaffairwiththepoem thatwantstobewritten.I’mlisteningtowhatthe poemwantstobecome,neverthinking‘what wouldareadermakeofthis?’.HowshouldI know?Whenthepoemisrightandgooditwill finditsownway,andfinditsownreaders.

Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the wordoutabouttheirbooks.

Arethereanyparticularthemesorsubjects thatyoufindyourselfdrawntoinyourpoetry?

WhenIwasabout40IbegantoaskmyselfwhyI didn’twritemoreaboutthenaturalworld.Ibegandeliberatelytodoso.Oratleastkeepmyself

opentoit,whichnowadays,unfortunately,inevitablymeansbeingalerttotheenvironmental crisis.Thatsaid,Iamnota‘naturepoet’.Some yearsagosomeonewroteofmyworkthatit‘sits attheconfluenceoftravel,natureandculture’ andIthoughtI’lltakethat!

Couldyoushareabitaboutyourcreativeinfluencesorfavouritepoetswhohaveinspired yourwork?

Youusetheword‘inspire’quitealot–Ihaveto sayIdon’tbelievein‘inspiration’,I’mnoteven surewhatitmeans.Writingisthought,attention, graft.Followingathreadthroughamazethat suddenlyopensintoacourtyard.AsIchildIwas awareofnopoetsexceptBurns.Andafewwe encounteredatschool.WalterdelaMare.

InmylateteensIbecameawareofthegenerationofScottishpoetsstillalive:NormanMcCaig, GeorgeMacKayBrown,EdwinMorganandof courseLizLochhead,whowaspartofasomewhatyoungergeneration.Theideathatone couldbeapoetwasarealeye-opener.Inthe40 yearssinceIhavereadIdon’tknowhowmuch poetry.Butnotnecessarilywell.I’mstillteaching myselfhowtoreadwithpatienceandgenerosity.

Whatadvicewouldyouoffertoaspiringpoets whoarejuststartingtheirownpoetryjourney?

TherehavebeensuchchangessinceIbegan, I don’tknowifIcouldadvise.Inmydaywebegan publishingwithsmallmagazines,sendingacouplepoemsoffwithastampedaddressedenvelopefortheir(inevitable)return. IthinkI’mglad Imissedtheinternetespeciallysocialmedia. Howtonavigatethat?Withitsemphasisonbeingloudlyseenandheard,whenayoungpoet mightdowelltospendyearsquietlydeveloping. Maybe,findacommunity.Theinternetmight helpwiththat.Butthecommunityyouneed mightnotbeonedictatedbyyour‘identity’.

Slowdown.Don’thopetomakemoney,thereis none.Read,butnotsomuchitparalysesyou. Perhapsmentorsareagoodidea.Butyourmentorsmightbefromthe14th Century!

Howdoyouseetheroleofpoetryevolvingin contemporarysociety,andwhatimpactdo youhopeyourworkwillhaveonreaders?

Thereisahugecorrectivegoingonatthemoment,withpeopleswhobelievedthemselvesto havebeenmarginalisedcomingforthandtaking space(astheyoungonessay).It’snecessaryand refreshing.Itbeganwithwomen,ofcourse,of mygeneration,gaypeople,andsincethenall mannerofcommunitieshavefoundtheirway intopoetryintheUK,especiallypoetsofColour. That’swhat’shappeningandanyonewhosaid thirtyoffortyyearsagothatpoetrywasdead hasbeenprovedresoundinglywrong.Astaggeringnumberofpeopleareinvolved,insomeway, inpoetry.

Astomyown‘impact’.Impactisthelastthing I’dwant!Impactiswhenthetrainhitsthebuffers.(Dostationsstillhavebuffers?AmIshowing myage?)I’djustwantfolktowalkwithmea mile,isall.

KathleenJamie Selected Poems–June2024

Cairn byKathleenJamie

Cairn:Amarkeronopenland,amemorial,aviewpointsharedby strangers.

ForthelastfiveyearspoetandauthorKathleenJamiehasbeen turningherattentiontoanewformofwriting:micro-essays, prosepoems,notesandfragments.Placedtogether,likethe stonesofawaysidecairn,theymarkachangingpsychicand physical landscape.

Thevirtuosityoftheseshortpiecesisbothsubtleanddeceptive. Jamie'sintent'noticing'ofthenaturalworldissuffusedwitha clear-eyedawarenessofallweendanger.Sheconsidersthefutureherchildrenface,whilerecallingherownchildhoodand notesthelostinnocenceinthewaywerespondtothedramasof nature.Withmeticulouscareshemarksthepointshehas reached,inlifeandwithinthecascadingcrisesofourtimes.

Cairn resonateswithabeautyandwisdomthatonlyanartistof Jamie'scalibrecouldachieve.

The Keelie Hawk by Kathleen Jamie

Blurb

The Keelie Hawk isalandmarkcollectionfrom KathleenJamie,thecurrentMakar(NationalPoet)ofScotland.Forthefirsttime,KathleenJamie hasbroughtherastonishinglyrictalenttothe languageofherhomeland,withoutstandingresults. The Keelie Hawk isadeeplyresonantcollectionwritteninScots,witheachpoemaccompaniedbyatranslationintoEnglish.ItspublicationisasignificanteventinScottishliterature, notonlyareclaimingbyoneofourfinestpoetsof themouth-musicofliteraryScots,butafurtheringofthatlanguage:‘bymakingpoems,alanguagedevelops’,Jamieobservesinafascinating afterword.

A Tide Should Be Able To Rise Despite Its Moon by Jessica Bell (Poems)

ReviewedbyWendyH.Jones

Review

ASIN: BOBMM3Q2L8

Publisher:VineLeavesPress(January2023)

Inspiredbythespecialbondbetweenmotherand child,Bell'spoemssearchformeaninginaworld ofmisconception.Theybeginwithsmalleveryday momentsandendwithashiftinunderstanding thatnotonlyenlightens,butleavesyouwondering.

Fromquietnightsreflectingonthesoundofher child'ssmile,toviewingtheworldfromtheperspectiveofapottedtreedreamingofbeingrooted intotruemotherearth, A Tide Should Be Able to Rise Despite Its Moon isacollectionofraw,honest, modern-dayfablesthatremindreaderstolook deeper,feelmore,andlettheworldspeakforitself.

Iamnotamother,butIwaslookingforwardtoreadingthisshortvolumeofpoemswhichpromisedto giveaninsightintothebondbetweenmotherandchild.TosayIlovedthepoemsinthisbookwouldbe understatingtheireffectonme.Fromthefirstpoemtothelastthesepoemsarebothmovingandinsightful.Theypromisetoberawandhonest,andtheyare.Icouldfeeltheemotionshiningfromeverycarefully craftedwordandline.YetagainJessicaBelldemonstratestherangeofhercreativetalents,andIwould encourageeveryonetoreadthisbook.Itwouldmakeafabulousgiftforanymotherwhowillseethemselvesineveryverse.

Editor in chief, Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

WritingBetweenTheTouchlines

Stephen Watt discusses poetry and football and shares how having a football Poet In Residence isn’t new.

Punk poet John Cooper Clarkeremarked in his book I Wanna Be Yours (Published 2020) that football terraces were the last vestigeoffolkmusic.

While the organic ripple of singing disseminated round football stadiums were capable of stirring contemporary versionsfromold tunes, the poetry and people associated with the matchday experience is something which can be seen on a weekly basis by the media teams filming for BBC1’s Football Focus and its Scottish counterpart, A View From The Terrace.

Human interest stories. Something which has been around for centuries, is often depicted in myownpoems.Thegroundsmanwhostillmows the pitch, three heart attacks later. The blind ballboywhowantedtobecloseenoughtosmell the touchline paint. The turnstile operator who splits her job with training to become a marine biologist. Story-telling within poetry often grabs readers’ imaginations, and football remains a home to an abundance of micro-narratives all happeningatonce.

Over aquarter-century ago, another punk poet –Attila the Stockbroker – was one of the main activists behind a non-violent direct action against theownersofBrightonandHoveAlbionafterthe team were forced to play their ‘home’ games

Photo credit- Zenspirations Photography

seventy miles away in Gillingham. Attila’s protest poetry stirred fervent support and subsequently led to a Top 20 hit with the band, Seagulls Ska. Thereafter, his poetry could be found on the wall of the supporters’ bar inside the stadium and next to the staircase in the concourse of the North Stand, proving quite how vital havingaClubPoetinResidencecouldbe.

While a few years ago, Scotland boasted three Poets in Residence at Selkirk, St Johnstone and Dumbarton, the concept ofa scribe commenting on the beautiful game could be documented as far back as June 1868 when Scotland’s first football club, Queens Park,played Hamilton Gymnasium, and inspired a 21-verse poem by member – and latterly, President – H N Smith. The power of the pen was recognised long before journalistsgottheircynicalteethintothepie.

The novelty of having a Club Poet was not quite

StephenWatt

as neoteric as many would be led to believe. Even at the turn of the century, Alistair Findlay was responsible for publishing 100 Favourite Scottish Football Poems, wherein one interview he enthused Poems cover many universal themes like death, love, loss and religion, and everyone is represented, from the players to the spectators and even the referee. Football is a central part of both human and Scottish popular culture.

This universal appeal which Findlay cited would engage unlikely crowds, liberated from the often masculine stigma which the sport was associated with. The women’s game came sharply into focus and subsequently, so did its poets. Makar for the UK Carol Ann Duffy successfully penned generous poems about David Beckham’s ankle and the Christmas truce of 1914, while the first Scottish female Poet in Residence, Julie McNeill, was appointed only a couple of years ago by St Mirren FC Charitable Trust. However, the lack of diversity in the Scottishgame stillhasalongway togobeforeitcanbragaboutblazingtrails.

InmyroleasPoetryEditorfor Nutmeg Magazine, I’m fortunate enough to read some exquisite poems which challenge backward-looking aspects ofthe game;fromthedark socialnarrative ofdomestic violence in Heather Meldrum’s Waiting For Daddy and racist behaviour from fans in ShaniCadwallander’s We Don’t Care What Team You Play For, to the joyous and observant humour such as Dave Martin’s There Are No Ref Stickers Published by Panini. There is no blueprint for what makes a good football poem, but oftenheartandtruthmakethebestpoemsstand out.

“There is no blueprint for what makes a good football poem.”

On that note, I will conclude with this. At my father’s funeral in March, I read arguably my favourite football poem which I have written –Dad’s Not A Football Fan.Itisapoemaboutthe sacrifices parents make for their children and,

even though not a lover of the sport, the 300mile round trip to watch Aberdeen play was something he did for me on several occasions. It is a truth poem. It does not bluster about how wonderful the games were or even the euphoric joyofseeingyourteamliftatrophy.

The poem was an opportunity for me to say thank you and show appreciation to a loving father. And the significance ofthe final line, “Alove for this time together”, was not lost on me. The written word could salute, commemorate and haunt all at once – and so often is the case that footballisthekernelelementstirringinsideme.

This article was written with segments from “Poets F.C” included – first Published in Nutmeg Magazine, March 2020.

StephenWattistheauthoroffivepoetrycollectionsandthePoetryEditorforNutmegFootball Magazine.StephenwasalsothePoetinResidenceforDumbartonFCforsevenyears.

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TheLinksBetweenPoetryAndFlashFictionWriting

Allison Symes explores the links between poetry writing and flash fiction and shares her poem, Finding My Way.

Handsup,I’mnotapoet,buthavewritten flashfictioninpoeticform.Thingspoets andflashfictionwritersneedtoconsiderinclude:-

Impact. Wearealwaysthinkingabouttheimpactofourwritingonourreaders.

Details. Whatarethespecificdetailsweneedto sharewithreaders?Specificshelpwithword count.Forpoetstheycanhelpwithrhymeand syllablecount.Inbothcases,specificsencouragereaderfocusandalsomakeimagerystronger.

Format.Forflash,Ineedtoconsiderword count.Somestoriesworkbetterat500words thanat100(andviceversa).Poetsneedtothink aboutwhichpoeticformwouldbestgetacross whattheywanttosay.

Ineedtothinkaboutwhetherafirstpersonor thirdpersonstorywouldworkbestformylatest character.

Ialsoneedtothinkaboutwhetheranalldialogueflashstorywouldworkbetterforacharacterthantheusualmixtureofdialogueandnarrative.Sometimesitdoesworkoutbetterthis way.Poetsneedtothinkaboutwhetherrhyme wouldbeaptfortheirpieceornot.

Allison Symes

Natural Results. Whetheritisapoemoraflash piece,thefinishedpiecemustseemtoareader asifnotanotherwordcouldbeadded,oranythingremoved,withoutspoilingthepiece.That takestimetocraft.Poemsandflashstoriesmust neverseemforced.Thatgoesforthelongerwritingformstoo.

Word Count. Forflashthetoplimitis1000 words.Poetsmaynotneedtoworryaboutthis butdohavetomakeeveryoneoftheirwords countintheirworktoproducetheimpactthey want,thesameasanyflashfictionwriterdoes.

Iwasatawritingschoolyearsagowhereina sessiononflashfiction,someoneaskedifastory inapoeticform,cominginat1000wordsorfewer,countedaspoetryorflashfiction.Theanswer wasbothaslongasitwasclearthere was astory inthepoem.Balladscrossthelinenicelygiven theytellstoriesinverses.

Lisa Turley is from West Virginia. She is on numerous ARC street teams and reads in multiple genres. She is passionate about helping authors get the wordoutabouttheirbooks.

Sothereareplentyoflinksbetweenpoetryand flashfiction.Thewritersofbothformsmustbe precise.Anythingnotmovingthepoemorflash taleoninsomewayiscut.

Finding My Way by Allison Symes

Stan, they said, our old mate, let’s get together. We’ll have a grand day out, starting with lunch. We veterans are like birds of a feather But, as for you, well, we all have this hunch. You won’t find your way to where we will all meet. You’ve been known to get lost in your own street!

This is what we’ll do - we’ll plumb in a Sat Nav . Your car has the space - we’ll soon have it done. I said, okay, that’s fine, it will help me have A great time with you guys, go for it, son. Thanks for helping me out, I do have such luck. Where do we meet? At the old Dog and Duck?

They fix my car to my relief, I admit. The day arrives, I’m wearing a good suit. I set off early because I won’t permit Me to be late - it would be an acute Embarrassment to all my old service pals. In front of our dear wives, our lovely gals.

I find the place right away, I was amazed. This car park was well lit with lots of room. But as time passed, I felt my eyes become glazed. No sign of my pals, I was sensing doom. Had I got it wrong again? Somehow got lost? And with a Sat Nav, how much had that cost?

It turned out all right in the end, I’m pleased to say.

I got the right time, the right place, just the wrong day!

Hopeyouenjoyedthat.Istartedbyworkingout whatthestorywasfirst.Iknewmycharacter wouldberenownedforgettinglost.IthenknewI wouldhavetogetmycharactertosomewhere they’dwanttogoandtohavefriendstohelphim out.

Ialsohadideasfortheending.Onewastoget himtoberightandhispalstobelate.Iwentwith

whatIthoughtwasthestrongerideaandwhat wasincharacterforStan.Havinggoteverything elsespoton,acharacterlikehim would get somethingelsewrong-inthiscase,thedayof themeeting.

Wordcountforthepoem,excludingthetitle,is 266words,perfectflashfictionterritory.

Ithenwonderedabouthowtosetthisstoryout. IwentforthepatternofABAB(11syllables,10 syllables)rhymeschemewithtwoclosinglines CC(12syllables).Ifind,havingwrittenstories likethisbefore,thestanzasandwhitespaceencouragethestoryprogression.

Asyoureaditonscreen,youwillbereadingfor whathappensnext,whichofcourseistheidea.I alsowantedthetwoCClinestogiveaniceconclusion,sotomeitmadesensetohavethese twolineshavetheirownrhyme.

Itwasvitaltoworkoutthestoryfirst,thenfigure outhowIwoulduseapoeticformforit.Ialso findthiskindofwritingworksbestwhenkept relativelyshort.

Writingflashfictioninthiswayis(a)different,(b) fun,and(c)hasgivenmeagreaterappreciation ofthehardworkpoetsputinwithregardtoselectingtheirformatandthenmakingeveryword countinsaidformat.

Flashfictionwritersdothesamethinghere-we alsomustmakeeverywordcount.Maybeflash fictionandpoetryarenotsuchstrangecompanionsafterall.

Allison Symes is a flash fiction/short story writer, blogger and editor based in Hampshire. She runs writing workshops, judges competitions, and writes weekly for writers for Chandler’s Ford Today. She has two flash fiction collections published (Chapeltown Books) with a third in the pipeline.

TheRabbitHoleBookshopbyGillianPoucher

Our bookshop of the month for June is The Rabbit Hole in Brigg, North Lincolnshire

TheRabbitHoleinBrigg,NorthLincolnshire, openedin2017. It’safriendlycommunity bookshopwithaparticularfocusonbooks forchildren. There’sagrowingYAsectionanda widerangeofadultfictioninthequirkyhiggledypiggledybuilding. Playtablesandtoysinthefront oftheshopofferawarmwelcometotheyoungest ofvisitors,whilstolderchildrenandgrown-ups canbrowseaneclecticmixoftitles.

Non-fictionandpre-lovedbooks,vinylandCDs canbefoundupstairs. Therearemonthlyspoken wordandpoetryevents,togetherwithregularauthortalksandbooksignings.Closelinkswithlocal schoolshaveledtocollaborativeevents,sometimesinvolvingauthors. Anewoutlet,‘TheRabbit Hutch’,openedmorerecentlyatFreemanStreet Market,Grimsby.

Overthelasttwoyears,TheRabbitHolehasliaisedwithNorthLincolnshireCounciltocreatean

intergenerationalfestivalcelebratingallthings creative,theNoLimitsFestival. Authors,artists, poetsandmusiciansgatheratthescenicNormanbyHallCountryPark. Withfreeentryall weekend,it’sagreateventwhichhashelpedto putthislessknownareaofthecountryonthe map.

TheRabbitHolewasawardedwell-deservedstatusasRegionalWinnerinTheBritishBook AwardsIndependentBookshopoftheYear. The websiteaddressis:https:// www.therabbitholebrigg.com/

GillianPoucheristheauthorofpsychologicalsuspensenovelsAfterTheFuneralandAQuestionofLoyalty,andsupernaturalthrillerVisionofLight. Visit Gillian’swebsite:https:// gillianpoucherauthor.co.uk/

And I Will Make Of You A Vowel Sound byMoragAnderson

Reviewedby LouiseCannon

Review

Title:

And I Will Make Of You A Vowel Sound byMoragAnderson

ASIN: B0CZ5BKJ9C

Publisher: FlyontheWallPress(May2024)

Blurb

Winnerofthe2023AryamatiPamphletCompetition.Inhersecondchapbook, And I Will Make of You a Vowel Sound, MoragAndersonplacescentrestageanunlikelycastofneglected,exploited,andunsungcharacters.Thesepoemsuncovermanyofthecontradictionsoflifelivedinthe femalebodyandbearwitnesstolargelyforgottenyethighly-personal stories,womanbywoman,girlbygirl.Confidentandassuredofvoice, shenavigateswomanhoodanditsattendantdesiresandabuses,permittingthereadertoembracethepowerandvulnerabilityencasedin thefemaleform.Anderson'sdelicatechoiceofwords'unlacerestraint' andtakeustothelimitsofthefemalebody'spotential.

Searingsadnessofsomewomen’ssituationsandwhattheyhavetodoforthemandtheirfamiliestosurvive,iswhatinitiallyhitsyouinthisempatheticpoetrycollection.Surprisingly,tangledwithintheharshnessoflifeisthetendernessandcalmnessofnature,softeningthetone,suchasawren,alilacetc.

Thepoemscontrastandcontradict,showingthatlifeisn’talwaysastraightline.Showingadeepvulnerabilityonmanylevels,reflectedinwordsanddifferingtempos,youcanfeelthemoodofthewritingof thepoetryjumpingoffthepageandintoheartsandminds.Astheworldmoveson,lifestoriesbecome increasinglyburiedandforgotten.Thesepoemsgiveanewleaseoflife,fromwaybackinhistorytopresenttimes.

Attheendareacoupleofpagesofnotesaboutcertainpoemssoyouknowwhatisbeingreferredto. SomearereferringtocertaingroupsofpeopleinScotlandandothercountries,someareinresponsetoa personorsomethingthat’shappened,suchaswarandothersareintributeofsomeone,suchasRobert Burns.

Louise Michelle Cannon lives in Central Scotland with family and a cute but wily cat. She writes a blog – Bookmarks and Stages, reviewing books, theatre, festivals and conducts the occasional Q&A sessions.

WritingASestina

The Focus of this month’s poetic form is a Sestina. Lis McDermott discusses this verse form in relation to her poem Rise and Swell.

ThisverseformwasusedinmedievalProvencalandItaly,andoccasionallybymodernpoets.Initsoriginalform,ithassix stanzasofblankverseeachofsixlines,hence thename.Afterthefirststanza,thefinalwords ofeachlineappearinavariedorder,intheother five.Followingthesixthstanzaisastanzaof threelines,inwhichthesixendwordsofthefirst stanza,arerepeatedinthemiddleandatthe endofthelines.Thereisnosetwayfortheorder ofthesixwordsinthelastthreelinesofthepoem. Thislaststanzaeithersummarizesthepoemordedicatesittosomeone.

Theorderforfinalwords:

ABCDEF

FAEBDC

CFDABE

ECBFAD

DEACFB

BDFECA

Line1:BE;line2:DC;line3:FA

OtherexamplesofSestina’sare:

‘AMiracleforBreakfast’byElizabethBishop

‘PaysageMoralisé’byW.H.Auden.

ThehardestthingaboutwritingaSestinaisfindingwordsthatcanbereusedineachstanza.

LisMcDermott

Ichosetheseaasmyfocus.ButthenasIstarted towrite,tomatchthefocusofthismonth’smagazine,Ichoseformypoemtomovethroughall fourseasons,thenbacktoautumn,winterand spring–stoppingshortofsummer. Also,thereis ahintofalostlove;thefirststanzasreferto‘we’, untilautumnreturnsanditis‘I’.

RiseandSwell

Earlymorninglisteningtothewavesriseand swell

Mybreathslowsaswatergentlytricklesover shingle.

Cloudsmoveacrosscrispautumnalskies,reflectedbelowinwetsand.

Handinhandwestandatwater’sedge,ourhair blownbythebreeze.

Dogwalkersnodinpassing,collectingdriftwood broughtinonthetide.

Wearemesmerizedbythechanginghuesofthe sea.

Thewinterskiesdarkenthewatersofthebrimmingsea,

Asthecold,greyseascrashingwavesriseand swellabandoningtheunwantedontheshore,caught onthetide.

Werunalongthebeach,dartinginandout acrosstheshingle, aswavescrashandcollide;sprayspreadsafar hangingontothewinterbreeze,

Andweshieldoureyesasthewindstirsupthe waitingsand

Impressionsofman,dogsandbirdclawsleave decorationonthevirginsand.

Birdshoveronthewing,searchingforfoodinthe depthsofthesea;

Childrenrun,eyesskywardstowardstheirkites blownaloftonthespringbreeze;

Barkingdogszoomtoandfro,leapingthegentle wavesriseandswell,

Waterrunsintotidalruts,flowingtowardsthe sea,overtheglisteningshingle,

Anddaytrippensionersholdingupskirts,paddle catchingthelastoftheebbingtide.

Disappointedfamilieshuddleastheirsandcastle isdemolishedbythetide;

Coupleswritetheirprotestationsofloveinheartshapedsand, andjoyfulchildrenrunalongthebeach,skipping lightlyacrosstheshingle.

Thesun’srayscapturetheemerald,turquoise andbluesofaglisteningsummersea;

Wistfully,Iwatchseabirdsappearthenvanishin thesea-swell;

Thewhistleofatourist-packedtrainisheardin thedistance,carriedonthebreeze.

Walking,wrappedupwarmtokeepoutautumn’scoolbreeze

Thelastdaysofsummeraresweptawaywith thetide,

Thereissolitudeinthesoundofthewavesrise andswell.

Lateholidaymakers,missingthesun,wander aimlesslyonthesand.

Icatchmybreath,holdontomysadnessand turntothesea,

feelingmytearsmatchthetricklingwaterrunningovertheshingle.

Onagloomywinter’sday,thewatertrickles, coolblackovertheshingle;

Andthereisabitingcoldnessinthebreeze.

Kittiwakesdivefromclifftops,swoopingintothe sea

silhouettedagainstthedarkwintertide.

Solitarybirdspaddleatthewater’sedge,amidst thegustsofgritty,swirlingsand

andthecold,greyseascrashingwavesriseand swell.

MytoessinkdeepintotheshingleasIpaddlein theflowoftherecedingtide,

Thespringbreezesendsachillthroughmy bonesandIturntowardsthecoolsand.

Alone,awaitingthesummer’swarmth,Igazeout tosea,listeningtotheearlymorningwavesrise andswell.

Lis McDermott is a multi-genre author, poet and writing mentor. Visit Lis’ website: https://lismcdermottauthor.co.uk

RaynorWinn:MeetTheAuthorBehindTheVoice

InterviewedbyJohnGreeves

John Greeves interviews best selling memoir author Raynor Winn and shares an insight into her books.

Life’s crises can suddenly strike, but facing adversity issomethingRaynorand her husband Moth know all too well. They have sought answers and new possibilities through the natural world and walked hundreds of miles inrecenttimes.

Raynor Winn has written about these individual journeys in three penetrative and self-revealing books: The Salt Path (2018), The Wild Silence (2020)and Landlines (2022).

In her bestselling debut memoir, The Salt Path, Raynor records, how she and her husband (who suffers from corticobasal degeneration CBD, a brain disease for which there is neither cure nor treatment) walked 630 miles round England’s

SouthWest Coast Path, sleepingwild and virtuallypennilessaftertheylosttheirhometobailiffs.

The Wild Silence, thesequelto The Salt Path, continues the story Raynor Winn began in her acclaimed 2019 memoir. This is essentially an emotional rather than a physical journey, a love story between Raynor and her husband Moth. It explores the difficulties to readjusting to life after homelessness but also regaining self-belief and trust after experience a number of painful events in the opening half of the book. It then traces the journey of Raynor and Moth across the Southern Highlands of Iceland, “in the hope that [Moth] could kick all the fear and pain aside and push hisbodyashehadbefore.”

Landlines, the third book of Raynor’s extraordinary journeys, recounts how the pair set out to tackle the 200-plus miles of the Cape Wrath Trail in North West Scotland but end up walking 1,000 milesbacktotheirhomeinCornwall.

Formanywriters,theinspirationandwritingprocess can be quite different for memoir, so I am

JohnGreeves

RaynorWinn

keen to learn more about Raynor’s insight into herbooks:

Why was it so important to write about your life after you became homeless, what inspired you?

When we became homeless and walked the South West Coast Path there couldn’t have been anything further from my thoughts than writing about the experience. But later, when we stopped walking and Moth began to study for a degree, the illness Moth suffers from – corticobasal degeneration – began to take hold and he was losing his memory of our time on the path. It had been such a transformative, powerful moment in our lives, I couldn’t imagine him not remembering. So I wrote The Salt Path for him, so that when he read it he would feel as if he was backthere,besidemeonthepath.

Did the coastline become a place of inspiration,freedomandhealingforyouandMoth?

We began the walk in a state of anxiety and bitterness about losing our home and fear for what the future would hold for us as Moth’s lifelimiting illness progressed. But as we walked, very slowly the anxiety slipped away and we begantofeelthefreedomofnotworryingaboutthe past that couldn’t be changed, or a future that we couldn’t know. Then, two hundred miles into thewalk,Moth’shealthbegantoimproveinways we had been told were impossible and suddenly being on the coast was allowing hope back into ourlives.

What underlying truth or message do you try toconveytoyourreaders?

We began walkingwithnohope, we had losteverything and Moth’s illness was progressing. But somewhere, out on those weather-beaten headlands, we learnt to live in a space between the past and the future, a way of embracing every

moment focusing only on the next headland, the next step, the next cup of tea. There’s a wild freedom in that, in letting go of things we can’t control. As life’s taken me forward I’ve tried to hang onto that sense of being completely present in the moment, it’s not always easy, but it canchangeeverything.

Can you briefly outline how you go about yourwritingprocess?

I’m an early morning writer – when it’s just getting light, the house is quiet and even the dog is asleep. That’s the time of day when writing can feel like a meditation. When it’s possible to slip into the scene I want to write about, to inhabit it,thenpaintthescenewithwordssothathopefully,later,thereadercaninhabititwithme.

Howdidthesevariousjourneyswhichyoudescribe so elegantly in your books, change the wayinwhichyouviewtheworld?

The publication of the books has probably changed my view of the world more than the journeys I describe. Since their publication I’ve done a huge amount of PR, shared my stories with thousands of people and in return they’ve shared theirs. It’sbeenahuge honour tohear so many intimate stories of life and struggle, of painandhope.

Through those stories I’ve come to realise that as humans we’re all so similar. We share so many hopes and fears for ourselves and our families. In these difficult times, as we face the climate crisis, wars and migrations, I think it’s only by embracing that shared humanity that we’llfindawaythrough.

How powerful has the natural environment servedinmouldingyouasanindividual?

I grew up on a farm, playing in the fields and the

woods. Then as a teenager I met Moth and together we explored the wild, remote corners of our country, before moving to the hillsof Wales. The natural environment has been my life, it hasn’tmouldedme,itsimplyiswhoIam.

How difficult has it been adapting to conventionallife?

When we finished walking the South West Coast Path and found accommodation I thought it would be easy, that I would slip back into life underaroof,backintonormallife.Butitwasfar fromeasy.

I was restless, agitated, I found myself walking out onto the coast path in the middle of the night, unable to settle or sleep. Until, on one such night, I put the tent up in the bedroom, crawled inside and fell instantly to sleep. Safe inside two sheets of slightly mouldy nylon that still held the salt of the headlands, I was home and could finally rest. It’s taken a while, but I don’t need to put the tent up in the house any more.

If you could give me three pieces of advice aboutwritingmemoir,whatwouldtheybe?

Memoir is much harder than many people realise. In writing about your own life you need to look in the mirror and be completely honest with yourself. You might not share all of the details you see with your readers, but you need to acknowledge them for yourself. That’s not alwaysacomfortableexperience.

Then don’t think you need to write your whole life,memoircanjustbeamoment.

The most overlooked character in memoir is place. Where your characters are, how they interact with and interpret their landscape is fundamental to the reader’s understanding of them.

Anycluestoyournextbook?

The next book isin the very early stages, soat the moment all Icandoisfollowmy instincts and see wheretheytakeme!

Thank you, Raynor, for your time and penetrating insight into your writing, especially on memoir which is as you say often far more difficult to write than people imagine. The challenges you andMothcontinuetoovercomearequiteadmirable and remarkable. I think in our souls many of us crave ‘the wild freedom,’ and living in the moment, but lack the courage to step away from the secular modernity of our lives. I’m sure all our readers will look forward to reading your new book.

John Greeves originally hails from Lincolnshire. He believes in the power of poetry and writing to change people’s lives and the need for language to move and connect people to the modern world. Since retiring from Cardiff University, Greeves works as a freelance journalist who's interested in an eclectic range of topics.

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A Poetry Handbook: A Prose Guide To Understanding And Writing

Poetry byMary

Oliver

AboutTheAuthor

A Poetry Handbook: A Prose Guide To Understanding And Writing Poetry byMaryOliver

ASIN: 0156724006

Publisher: Ecco;FirstEdition(April2024)

Fromthebelovedandacclaimedpoet,anultimateguidetowritingandunderstandingpoetry. Withpassionandwit,MaryOliverskillfullyimpartsexpertisefromherlong,celebratedcareer asadisguisedpoet.Shewalksreadersthrough exactlyhowapoemisbuilt,frommeterand rhyme,toformanddiction,tosoundandsense, drawingonpoemsbyRobertFrost,Elizabeth Bishop,andothers.

ThishandbookisaninvaluableglimpseintoOliver’sprolificmind-amust-haveforallpoetrylovers.

MaryOliver(1935–2019),oneofthemostpopularandwidelyhonouredpoetsintheU.S.,wastheauthor ofmorethanthirtybooksofpoetryandprose.Overthecourseofherlongandillustriouscareer,shereceivednumerousawards,includingthePulitzerPrizeforPoetryfor AmericanPrimitivein1984.OliveralsoreceivedtheShelleyMemorialAward;aGuggenheimFellowship;anAmericanAcademyandInstitute ofArtsandLettersAchievementAward;theChristopherAwardandtheL.L.Winship/PENNewEngland AwardforHouseofLight;theNationalBookAwardforNewandSelectedPoems;aLannanFoundation LiteraryAward;andtheNewEnglandBooksellersAssociationAwardforLiteraryExcellence.Shelived mostofherlifeinProvincetown,Massachusetts.

MonthlyWritingPrompts

Wendy H. Jones and Tami C. Brown set this month’s writing prompts. Inspired by a theme of poetry they provide a range of prompts. Why not give them a try?

Words:

Sunriseoverapalmfilledbeach

Amotherholdinghernewbornbaby

Anurseattheendofabusyshift

Music:

Life’s Like Poetry byDollyParton

Poetry in The Streets byNecro(FeaturingIllBill)

Eight Line Poem byDavidBowie

WritingPrompts

(Photographic images by Tami C. Brown)

Images:

Image1:Shadows

WendyH.Jones

TamiC.Brown

butyoufindyourway

Editor in chief, Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award -winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

Tami C. Brown loves to have her camera ready to snap beauty wherever she goes. Her family and friends, affectionately known as the Queenies, are well prepared for random stops along the journey to have a photo op. She’s grateful for all photography opportunities and the adventures that come along with it.

Image2:Randomroadandlonelyhouse

Image3: Thepathisneverclear

WritingPoetry(Occasionally)

Lexie Conyngham discusses the poets who have inspired her and her own award-winning poems.

Ihaveabitofahotandcoldrelationshipwith poetry,andit’sbeenthatwayallmylife.

Irememberreadingyearsagoofawoman heldinsolitaryconfinementbytheJapanese duringtheSecondWorldWar.Shekeptherself sanebyrecitingallthethingsshehadbeen madetolearnbyheartatschool.Mostofit,of course,waspoetry.

Itmademethink,becauseItoohadlearned screedsofpoetryatschool–Shakespeare,SeamusHeaney,Kipling,warpoets,allsorts,and mostofitisstilltheretakingupspace,toberevisitedonlongsolitarywalksoronsleepless nights.It’sthecomfortablefurnitureofmy memory,evenifsometimesthesubjectmatteris farfromcomfortable.Itstillmakesmelaughor cry,evenafterdecadesoffamiliarity.

Ihaven’tfounditaseasytolearnpoetrysince, andI’vealsofoundithardertofindpoetrythat speakstome.I’velearnedoneortwoIsawon theLondonUnderground–JohnHeath’s The Unpredicted,thedepictionofanunaccustomedlyhappymantryingtoconvincehimselfofhis happiness,andCarolAnnDuffy’sfamousand deeplyevocative Prayer.

ThetwopoetsI’vemostconnectedwithinthe lastfewyearshavebeenKathleenJamie (thoughIpreferherprose)andayoungmanI accidentlyheardtalkatAberdeen’sMayfesta coupleofyearsago–hisnameisRaymondAntrobus,adeafLondonerofEnglish-Jamaican

me,butsomethingabouthimjustclickedinmy

Inmyteenageyears,IwasconvincedIwouldbe apoet,anddelightedlyexperimentedwiththe game,sonnets,iambicpentameters,freeform, allsorts.Teenageangststimulatesmuchawful poetry,andIcontributedmyownterriblecanon, awildgardenoftraumatisedverse–thoughI canstillconvincemyselfthereareoneortwo rosesthere,theywillneverseethelightofdayin publishedform!

“Teenage angst stimulates much awful poetry.”

AsIgrewolder,andconcentratedmoreonnovel -lengthprose,Iputasideallthoughtsofpoetry apartfromcomicdoggerelfortheamusementof

friends(thepeakherewasafifty-versepoem condensingthetraumasofuniversityadministration,withanin-jokeabouteverytwolines, intoaversionoftheTwelveDaysofChristmas).I haveneverbeenverygoodatshortformsofanything:Idon’thavethatenviableknackofcapturinganideainaveryfew,carefullyprunedwords, eitherinpoetryorinprose.

Nothingmuchmorehappenedinthepoetryline, then,untilmydaughterwasborn.Iplayedwith makingupfolksongsthatfeaturedinmynovels, buttheywerelittlemorethanthecomicverses forfriends.

Butitseemsthatbecomingamotherhasmuch thesameemotionalimpactasteenageangst, andthoughIwasable,inwhatIliketothinkof asmymatureryears,tokeepthequantityin check,Ididpenafewversesaboutmydaughter. Shewassosmall,butpackedsomuchmeaning tomewithinthatsmallframe,thatpoetryhadto betheanswer.Itfeltliketheonlywaytowrite abouther,andofcourse,forawriter,writingis theessentialreactiontoanythingthathappens tous.

“Becoming a mother has much the same emo-

Thereseemtometobehigherexpectationsfrom goodpoetrythanfromprose,shortorlong.A novelorashortstorycanentertain,educate,inform–theplotcanholdtogether,thecharacters canbesympathetic,thesettingentrancing.We’ll oftensettlefortwooutofthree,tobehonest.Ifa booktouchesouremotions,that’salmostabonus.Butweexpectapoemtopunchourhearts snothing.

WithoneofthosepoemsIwasfortunateenough towintheJamesMuirprizeintheScottishAssociationofWriters andIthenwentonacoupleofyearslatertowin anotherlocalpoetrycompetitionwithashort poemaboutachurch.

Thereseemtometobehigherexpectations fromgoodpoetrythanfromprose,shortor

Perhaps,aswegrowolder,mostofuslearnto concealouremotionsmore,tokeephiddenaway veallowedoneortwotofallintogoodearthand mnotsureIcouldmanageawhole

sappreciategoodpoets,whonourishand tendtheplantsoftheirpoetry,andtheharvest

Lexie Conyngham is a historian living in the shadow of the Highlands. Her Murray of Letho and Hippolyta Napier novels are born of a life amidst s old cities, ancient universities and hidaway aristocratic estates, but she has written since the day she found out that people were allowed to do such a thing. Beyond teaching and research, her days are spent with wool, wild allot-

LisMcDermott

InterviewedbyPaulineTait

Pauline Tait interviews Writers’ Narrative Resident Poet Lis McDermott

WelcometoWriter’sNarrative,Lis.Canyou tellusalittleaboutyourself?

I’mLis(shortforLisbethakaGirlwiththeDragon Tattoo)! IwasborninLeicestershire,butafter goingawaytocollege,Ididn’treturn.I’velived intheSouthWestforthelast37years,inRoyal WoottonBassettforthelast21,whichiswhereI callhome.

For34years,IworkedinMusicEducation,latterlyasMusicAdviserforWiltshireschools.After resigning,duetotheartssubjectsbeingpushed outofthecurriculum,Iworkedasaprofessional photographerfor12years,beforefullyembracingthe‘writingme’in2020.

Alongsidemyownwriting,Iwritebusinessblogs forafriend’sbusiness,andmentorotherwriters. Ifeelveryluckytohaveworkedinthreecareers thathaveallbeencreative.

Haveyoualwayswantedtobeapoet?

No,notreally,butasanonlychildwitholder parents,Iwasusedtokeepingmyselfoccupied, andI’vealwayshadavividimagination.

IhadanexcellentteacherwhenIwasinthelowersecondaryschool,whoenthusedusallto write.However,whenImovedtotheupper

school,andstartedtostudy‘A’level,myteacher wasanincrediblysarcasticman,whoatthat time,Icouldn’tcopewith.Iwasquiteshy,and heregularlymademefeelsmall,soIgaveupthe subject.SomethingthatInowregret,butheensuredIwasneversarcastictoanyofmypupils. IwrotepoemswhenIwasatcollege,andinfact putsomeofthebetteronesinmyfirstpoetry anthology.

Pleasetellusaboutthepoetrybooksyou havehadpublished.

I’vepublishedfourpoetrybooks.Myfirstwas A Tilted View –ananthologyofpoemsbasedon myviewoftheworld–hencethetitle.Thesecondwas Blossom Falls -inasimilarveintothe firstbook-exploringthemesaboutbeinganonlychild,thelossofmydadwhenIwas19,poemsaboutracialprejudice,andamixedbagof funnyandseriousideas.

DuringlockdownIpublishedananthologyof Micropoems, A Multitude of Stars –thoughtsinvadingmymindduringthistime.

LisMcDermott

I’vealsoeditedtwoanthologiesofpoemswrittenbymyonlinepoetrygroup, A Year of Poetry 1 and 2.

Wheredoyoufindyourinspirationforyour poems?

Forpoetry,thingspopintomyhead.Anissue resonateswithme–particularlyrace,orageism –butitcanliterallybeanythingI’veseenor heard.Ioftenwriteshortpoemsformysocial mediaandI’vebeenaskedtowritepoemsfor otherpeople’sevents,whichIalsoenjoy.

Therearealotofpoetrypromptson Instagram, andifyousearchonline,youcanalsofindsuggestions,ifyoucan’tthinkofasubjectyourself.

Whatisitthatdrawsyoutowritingpoetry?

Ilovethesoundofwords.Howyoucanuse wordstopaintpictures;howtherhythmand rhymeislikemusic.Ialsolovethechallengeof writingdifferentpoeticforms–havingtokeep withintherhymingpattern,oralimitednumber ofsyllables.Sometimesbecauseyouhavestick toashortnumberofwordsorsyllables,you havetolearntobeconcise.

Forme,poetryisallaboutplayingwithwords.

Arethereanyaspectsthatyoupreferordislikewhenreadingpoetry?

Manypeopleseepoetryasavery ‘intellectual’ artform.Ithinkthereissomesnobberyaboutit. But,forme,poetryisaboutexpressingyourself throughwords,rhythmandrhyme,justinthe samewaythatmusichasshapeandform.

IdislikepoetrywhereIreaditandwhenIgetto theend,Idon’thaveanideaaboutwhatthepoetistryingtosay.Themeaningistooelusive.

Ilovepoetrythatmakesmecry,thatmakesme laugh,andthatIthinkisclever,bythewordplay.

Canyousharewithussomeofyourfavourite poetsorpoems?

TherearecertainindividualpoemsthatIlove: Stop all the Clocks byW.H.Auden; Death of a Son byJonSilkin; Still I Rise byMayaAngelou; The Cloths of Heaven byWBYates–justafew.

However,thereareseveralpoetswhereIown severalbooksoftheirpoems,becauseIloveso manyoftheirpoems. RogerMcGough,BenjaminZephaniah,BrianPatten,LemnSissay,and WilfredOwenareparticularfavourites.

I’verecentlyfoundseveralyoungerpoetsandI lovelisteningtothemperformtheirpoetry:Inua Ellams;CalebFemi,DanezSmith,HollieMcNish.

Whatarethethreemainpiecesofadviceyou wouldgivetoanyoneembarkingonwriting poetry?

Ifitissomethingyouarepassionateabout,just goforit.Don’tputitoff,orbedissuadedbyotherpeople–life’stooshorttohaveregrets.

Makeastart–beginwritingyourthoughtsand feelings,soyouatleasthavesomewordsto movearound.Initially,don’tworryaboutrhyme –unlessitcomesnaturally.

Onceyou’vegotyourbasicideas–gothroughit again,andstarttolookattheideasfroma differentangle.Thinkaboutusingmetaphors, alliteration,usethedifferentsenses,userepetition.

Movelinesaround,explorethevariousideasuntilyouendupwithapoemthatworks.

Haveyouwritteninothergenres?

Apartfrompoetry,Ihavealsopublishedanautobiography,abookofshortstories,andanovel,andmysecondnovelisintheeditstage.

Interview with Lis McDermott by Pauline Tait

Continued on page 32

TheWonderfulWorldofPoetry

Jenny Sanders shares her experience of studying and reading poetry.

‘A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.’

- W H Auden

Iwasalwaystoldthattherearesixelementsin poetry:form,message,imagery,mood, rhythmandrhyme. Likeagoodcake,these ingredientsshouldappearingreaterorlesser quantitiesdependingonthetypeofresultyouare hopingfor. Mixthemtogetheraccordingtothe appropriaterecipeand, voilá:you’renowapoet. Orareyou?

InthosefaroffdayswhenIstudiedpoetryat school,ratherthanlearnreamsofTennysonor Longfellowbyroteasmygrandmotherdid,we spentlongafternoonsunpickingwhatthepoet wasdrivingataswediscussedsimiles,metaphors,personificationandthebenefitsorotherwiseofintoxicatingsubstancesonthecreative mind(SamuelTaylorColeridgewasonoursyllabus). Wedissectednarrativepoems,sonnets, pastoralgenres,elegies,odes,freeverseand wrestledwiththepeculiarpunctuationofe.e. cummings.

Unlikethenovelsandplayswestudied,thedoor waswideopenforsubjectiveinterpretationofthe texts,andIrevelledinit. Inthiscontext,myvoice wasjustasvalidasthenext. Thatwasveryliberatingforaschoolgirlintheearly1980s.

WenowhaveaNationalPoetryMonthintheUK, whichisagreatboonforschoolsaswellasof interesttomesinceIvisitprimaryschoolsfor creativewritingsessionsbasedonthestoriesin myowncollections. OurcurrentUKchildren’s laureate,JosephCoelho,ishimselfanotedpoet whodoesfantasticworkusinghiswriting promptstohelpchildrenexpressthemselves throughthemedium.

LastyearIvisitedaschoolwhereweweregoing towritepoemsbasedonthefinaltaleinmy book The Magnificent Moustache and other stories. Iwasquiteexcitedbytheprospectof spendingthewholedayimaginingdragonsinall theirfearsomenessorfriendliness,unfetteredby nothingbuttheimaginationanddispositionof thechildren. Everyonelovedthestory, The Red Dragon of Wales, buttheystumbledonthat‘P' word:poetry.

Inthemindsofeightyear-olds,poetrywasno moreaccessiblethanthemoon. Theirperceptionwasthatitwashard;itwasforcleverpeople;itwasoutofreachandirrelevant.Theysaid theydidn’tknowanypoemsatall.

JennySanders

WecouldhavehitawalluntilIstartedtoquietly recite: Humpty-Dumpty sat on the wall…

Acrosstheassemblyhall,realisationdawned. Thediscoverythattheyknewastackofnursery rhymes–thesimplestandearliestpoetryencounteredbyouroffspring–gavethemtheimpetustoengage. Likewise,allthesongsthey’d beenlisteningtoathomeandinthecaronthe waytoschoolcouldfallintothecategoryofpoetry. Suddenly,theywere bright-eyed,interestedandalert.

Historically,poetryhasnotalwaysbeenintroducedtotheschoolcurriculumwell,asmy grandmotherwouldconfirmwereshestill around. WehavethelikesofBrianPatten,EdwardLearandDrSeusstothankforproviding humorousversetoeasestudentsintotheworld ofpoetry.

Thereareteenagerswhostillattempttounpack theconfusionofadolescenceinclumsy,angstfilledpoems,orsteamofconsciousnesssemiproseinpersonaldiaries. Iwasn’toneofthem, butIapplaudanyefforttomakesenseoflife throughliteracy. Findingwordsforbigfeelings representsapersonalvictory;acomingtoterms withthepassingoftime,theparadoxesanddilemmasoflifeinanover-populatedworldthat oftenseemsintentonit’sowndestruction.This isasgoodanentryintotheworldofpoetryas any.

“I applaud any effort to make sense of life through literacy.”

Theideaandexperienceofrhymeispleasing butcanleaddowntheclutteredandperilous pathofexcruciatingbirthdaycarddoggerel. Yet, thediscoveryofdeviceslikeassonance,consonance,cacophony,internalrhymeandeyerhymeservetoenhanceandenrichtheexperienceofanypoem. Beingintroducedtothesein myfinaltwoyearsatschoolgaveadepthofenjoymenttopoetrythatIhadseldomexperiencedbefore.

Myteenagebreakthroughtowardsembracing poetrymorethoroughlycamewithwinninga smallradioinacompetition. Suddenly,Idiscoveredapanoplyofmusicbeyondtheclassical symphoniesthatfilledmychildhoodhome. Beyondmybedroomawholedimensiondrewme intoamuch,muchbiggerworld.Iheardlyrics thatexpressedemotionswhichnooneelse aroundmewasputtingintowordsandwhich connectedwithmepersonally. Itwasasthough thelyricistsinsidethatsmallblackboxhadseen intomysoulandcreatedclearerrepresentationsofthemaelstromofthoughts,challenges andfrustrationsthattookupsomanyofmy wakingmoments.Couldthisbesomekindof telepathic,darkartsong-writing?

Myradiohelpedmeunderstandthatpoetry oftenhasmoreincommonwithimpressionist paintingsthanthosefocusedontherealistic representationoffacts. Popular,contemporary musiccapturedmyinterestinafreshandexcitingway. Insteadofalogical,chronologicalnarrative,heresingersandbandsusedbroadbrush strokesofexpression;giantsplurgesofemotionsvividlyconvertedintostanzasthatconnectedonacompletelydifferentlevelfromthe prosewehadspentsomuchtimeoninschool uptothispoint. Wordsthatwereknittedtogetherintomelodicstanzasstayedwithme,allowingmetodipintothemrepeatedlyasI hummedtheminthebath,onthebusorwhile waitinginthelunchline.

Musicallowsustointerpretandownthetexts/ lyricsinourownway. Onceagain,theopportunityforequallyvalidsubjectiveresponses opensthedoortoconnectingwithboththe song-writer/poetandsomethingdeepinside ourselves.Poetrycomesalive.

Tohearapopularsongfromaspecificeracan transportusbacktothatexactmomentinan instant. Inthespaceofafewchordswecanbe transportedtotimes,places,friendsandexperiencesthathavelaindormantinourmemories foryears. Poetryispowerful.

Poemsarefullofnuanceandhintsatthemes thatdemandunpacking,examiningandappreciating. Withtheprobableexceptionoflimericks,theyhaveneverbeenthefast-foodequivalentoftheliteraryworld,encapsulatingasthey dopowerfulpassions,dreams,aspirations, flightsoffantasyandbrutalreality. Theyclamourforreflectionandrespect. Toomanyat onceandthereadermissessomuch. Thereal connoisseurwillwanttonotonlyreadapoem, butreaditoutloudtorelisheachcarefullychosenwordwhiletakingamomenttosalutethe poetwhocraftedit.

Ilookforwardtotheopportunitytoreadmore ofit.

“Poems require the time and space to savour them.”

Lifeisfull;lifeisbusy,andpoemsrequirethe timeandspacetosavourthem. Havingsaid that,Idon’twanttowaituntilretirementoroldagetoimmersemyselfinthewonderofthepoetrywearefortunateenoughtohaveatourfingertips.

‘Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings; it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.’

- William Wordsworth

Continued from page 33-Interview with Lis McDermott by Pauline Tait

Howdoyouswitchbetweengenreswhen writing?

Generally,Idon’thaveaproblemswitchingbetweengenres.Ican’timaginenotwritingdaily. I’mnotalwaysworkingonmyfictionwriting,but Imovebetweenwritingblogsforotherpeople, writingpoetryandworkingonmylatestbook.

Spiritual Feasting is Jenny’s faith-based exploration of authentic living in tough times. She has two collections of humorous children’s stories: The Magnificent Moustache and other stories and Charlie Peach’s Pumpkins and other stories. She is available for author visits for creative writing sessions with Key Stage 2 children in the UK.

Website and social media details:

www.LisMcDermottAuthor.co.uk

Facebook:www.facebook.com/ lismcdermottauthor

LinkedIn:www.LinkedIn.com/lismcdermott

Instagram:www.instagram.com/lismcdermott

Pauline Tait is an award-winning children’s author, novelist, and writing mentor based in Perthshire, Scotland. She enjoys writing both romantic suspense and children’s picture books as well as mentoring children’s authors. More information on Pauline’s writing, mentoring and books can be found at www.paulinetait.com

DeathAtAShetlandFestivalbyMarsaliTaylor

Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones

Blurb

Crowds are gathered for a concert at Shetland's renowned folk music festival when there's a shocking discovery - international folk legend Fintan Foley has been stabbed backstage.

Sailing sleuth Cass Lynch and her partner DI Gavin Macrae are in the audience and must untangle a complicated case where nothing is quite what it seems. Cass soon discovers that Foley's smiling stage persona concealed links with Shetland. He'd worked here in the 80s, the days when oil brought wealth to the islands.

Hasalong-buried secretrisen tothe surface- and will it make Cass a target for a cold-blooded killer?

Review

YoualwaysknowwhenyoustartaMarsaliTaylorBookyouareinforafabulousread.Thisonedidnotlet medown.Itstartsoffgently,describingthefestivalandreallysettingthescene;thisisimportantforthe plot.Whentheactionstartsitisnon-stop.Settingisextremelyimportanttothisbookanditisdescribed beautifully.Icouldimaginemyselfatthefestivalandfoundmytoestappingasthesongsweredescribed.I lovethewaytheShetlandfolksongsareusedaschaptertitles.Thisaddstotheoverallatmosphereand atmospherethereisinmorewaysthanone.Theplotheldmyinterestasdidthecharacters,allofwhom areintegraltothestoryline.Theyareweavedinperfectlyandallcomeacrossasrealpeople.Ifoundmyselfreadingthiswaypastthesensibletimetoputitdownandfirstthingonwakingup.Thesignofagood book.Despitethefactitispartofaseries,itcanbereadasastand-alone.

Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition, she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

RecentReleases—Poetry

Title: A Life of One’s Own: Nine Women Writers Start Again byJoanna Biggs

ISBN-10: 1474621244

ISBN-13: 978-1474621243

Publisher:W&N(May2024)

Blurb

Inthisintricate,intimateanddazzlinglyoriginalgroupbiography,JoannaBiggslookstoeightrevolutionarywomenwriterswhoeachsought freedomandintellectualfulfilmentintheirlifetimesandasks:whyisit soimportantforwomentoreadoneanother?

Byilluminatingthemotivations,desiresanddisappointmentsofMaryWollstonecraft,GeorgeEliot,Zora NealeHurston,VirginiaWoolf,SimonedeBeauvoir,SylviaPlath,ToniMorrisonandElenaFerrante,Biggs lightsawaypastthetraditionalgoalsandexpectationsoffemininityandtowardsalifelivedgenerously andjoyfullyforoneself.

Title: Plant Your Poetry byLouiseGoodfield

ASIN: B0CW1NQ4GT

Publisher: CottonFieldPublishing(April2024)

Blurb

Plant Your Poetry: 365PoemsandPromptstoGrowYourWritingHabitis jam-packedwithdailypoetrypromptsdedicatedtohelpingyoutransformyourwritinglife.Guidingyoueverydayforayear,thegoalissimple:writeonthepromptprovidedfortenminutes,withoutediting. FilledwithlivedexperienceandoriginalpoemsbyauthorandawardwinningpoetLouiseGoodfield,watchyourwordsblossomasyoulearn howtobegin,keepgoing,andfindyourwhyforwritingthatwillcarry youthroughanychallengessenttotestyou.

Whenyoupurchaseacopyof Plant Your Poetry (KindleorPaperback),headoverto@plantyourpoetryon Facebookandwritealongsidetheauthor,andthecommunityofwritersplantingtheirpoetryfrom acrosstheglobeonedayatatime.

Shareyourdailypoemsonlineusingthe#plantyourpoetryhashtag.

RecentReleases

Arrangements in Blue: Notes on Love and Making a Life byAmyKey

ISBN-10: 1529919967

ISBN-13: 978-1529919967

Publisher:Vintage(March2024)

Blurb

WhenpoetAmyKeywasgrowingup,shelookedforwardtoalife shapedbyromance,fuelledbydesire,longingandtheconventional markersofsuccessthatcomewhenyousharealifewithanother person.Butthatdidn'thappenforher.Nowinherforties,shesets outtoexploretherealitiesofalifelivedintheabsenceofromantic love.

UsingJoniMitchell'sseminalalbumBlue-whichshapedKey'sexpectationsoflove-asananchor,ArrangementsinBlueelegantly honoursalifelivedcompletelyby,andfor,oneself.Buildinga home,travellingalone,choosingwhethertobeamother,recognisingherownmilestones,learningthelimitsofself-careandtheexpansivepotentialofself-friendship,Keyuncoversthemanyformsof connectionandcarethatoftengounnoticed.

Withprofoundcandourandintimacy, Arrangements in Blue exploresthepainfulfeelingsweareusuallytoo ashamedtodiscuss:loneliness,envy,griefandfailure.

Downstream (TheElabiChroniclesBook3)byMaressaMortimer

ASIN : B0D3BVD1GV

Publisher: GoodHopePublishing(May2024)

Blurb

RadiosignalshavebeenpickedupthatmightrevealthelocationofDownstream.Macialongstofindhermotherthereand triestopersuadeherfriendsGaxandCeciliatojoinherinthe search.ButisitadangerousmistakeoramissionfromGod? ManydifficultiesawaitthemandtheywillneedtotrustGodas theyencounterdarknessanddanger,reachingoutwiththe Light.

ToWrite,OrNotToWrite,Poetry

Wendy H. Jones shares her experiences of writing and reading poetry and discusses some of the poets who inspired her.

Ihaveneverconsideredmyselfapoetandif askedwouldsayIneverreadpoetry;recently Ihavebeenconsideringifthatistrueorjust mymindplayingtricks.

Iamagreatbelieverinthemaxim–yourbrain willbelievewhateveryouwantittobelieve. Whatgotmethinkingthisway?Attherecent ScottishAssociationofWritersConference,we wereencouragedtoputcoloureddotsonour badgescorrespondingtothegenresinwhichwe write.IhadaveritablerainbowofdotsasIwrite inmanydifferentgenres.ScienceFictionand Fantasyweremissing–aswaspoetry.Oneofthe delegateschallengedmeaskingwhyIdidnot havethepoetrydot.Iimmediatelysaid, “BecauseIdon’twritepoetry.”

“Yes,youdo,whataboutyourBertietheBuffalo books?”wasthequickresponse.Thatwaswhen itstruckme,Iwriterhymingchildren’sstories whichisconsideredpoetry.PerhapsIwasapoet afterall.Thisledtomeexploringmoreintheway ofpoetry.

Mystartingpointwasre-readingabookIborrowedfromthelibrary What Is Poetry?: The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems by MichaelRosen.Yes,thisisforchildren,butitis extremelywellwrittenandaccessibletoevery-

one,evenanaccidentalpoetlikeme.Aswellas beingabookonhowtowritepoetry,italsocontainspoemswithinitspages.Ifoundittobean insightfulandinterestingbook –oneIcouldunderstand.

Ithinkpartofmyissuewithpoetrywastheway itwasaddressedintheschoolcurriculum.For anyteachers,Iattendedschoolinthesixtiesand seventies,somanyyearsago.Somepoets,such asthewarpoets,movedmebutmanyleftme puzzled.

ThisconfusedstatecontinueduntilIheardperformancepoetry.Wow.Justwow.Performance, orspokenwordpoets,suchasChristineTait, movemeinwaysinwhichIneverfeltwerepossible.Theybringtheirpoetrytolifewithaskilful useofwordswhichnotonlyleapoffthepage but,whenread,wearamagicalcloak.Theseallowedmetoappreciatepoetryinanewand beautifulway.Ittookthemysticismoutofpoetry.

TheyalsoallowedmetofeelthatperhapsI couldtrywritingpoetry,oratleastexplorethe possibility.IthinkoneoftheissuesIhadwas thatIwassoworriedaboutformthatmycreativitywasstifled Whatotherswouldthinkofmy poetryparalysedme.

IdecidedtostartbytryingaformwhichIcould getmyheadaround–Haiku.Experimentingwith thismademefeelbraverandtryotherforms; stillnothingwhichwouldseethelightofdayor beseenbyothers,butIfoundmyselfenjoying whatIwasdoing.Ifoundmyselfbecomingmore creativeinmyuseofpoeticform.Itstretchedme asapersonandstretchedmeasawriter.

AsaDundonian,onepoetIhadheardaboutbut neverreadwasWilliamMcGonagall.Hewas knownastheworld’sworstpoetbutdidnotactuallycare.Hehadnoregardforothers’opinion ofhisworkandwrotehispoetryanyway.

PerhapsweshouldbemorelikeMcGonagalland writeourpoetrywithoutworryingaboutwhat othersmightthink.IknowIwillcontinuetoexploreitandtotrymyhandatdifferentpoetic forms.

“I found myself becoming more creative in my use of poetic form. It stretched me as a person and stretched me as a writer.”

Ifyouhavebeenreadingthismagazineonaregularbasisyouwillknowthereisamonthlypoetryarticle.Agoodstartingpointwouldbetoread theseinthebackissuesandtryyourhandat each.Iintendto.Iencourageyoutotryyour handatpoetryand,please,letusknowhowyou getonbywritingalettertotheeditor.Iwould lovetocheeryouon.Then,youtoocanaddthe coloureddotsayingpoettoyourbadge.Metaphoricallyofcourseandpoetsloveagoodmetaphor.

Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, bestselling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and nonfiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, editor in chief of Writers’ Narrative, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

WilliamMcGonagall

WhoisyourPadawan?

Sophie, the office dog, ably assisted by Peter Thomas, discusses how apprenticeships happen in writing too as all authors learn from those who influence them.

Theword“padawan”soundslikeithas beenaroundforever.Actuallythattitle wasonlyinventedaquarterofacentury agobyGeorgeLucasforhisStarWarsfilm,The PhantomMenace,todenotethelearnerorapprenticeofaJediMaster.

FromthedayofmybirthIwaspadawantomy truemumPoppy.IwastaughteverythingIneededtoknowbyhermarvellousexample.Indue courseIwenttothoseclasseswhereyoungdogs traintheirhumanshowtolookafterthemand givethemtreatsandplaytheirfavouritegames. ButbythenIhadalreadylearnedhowtoplay comeandsitandfetch,howtoskateboardand howtousescenttofindmytrainingelephant hiddenunderplantpots.

IcometothistopicbecausethisweekIhavetakenonapuppypadawanofmyowncalledTessa. Shefollowsmearoundeverywhereandimitates everythingIdo.Todaytocelebrateher8weeks5 daysbirthdayIhelpedherdiscoverhowtobark properlyforthefirsttime.Ourhumanswereobviouslydelighted.IamgoingtoteachTessaabsolutelyeverythingIknow.MyauntieJunesays thatwon’ttakeverylongatall.

Therearemanyfieldswhereitiscommonforapprenticestolearntheirprofession,tradeorcraft byworkingunderaskilledpractitioner.Theidea ofteachersinstructingtheirdisciplesgoesback morethantwomillennia,atleastasfarasthe GreekphilosophersandtheJewishRabbis,and thepracticehasbeenequallyimportantinthe

creativearts.Forcenturies,landmarkcomposers andvirtuosoinstrumentalistshavebeenguided intheirearlyyearsbytheirmaestros.Thegreatestpaintersandsculptorslearnedfirstbycopyingtheworkoftheirmentors.Actorsofstage andscreenhappilypaytributetothewiseadvice theyhavereceivedfromtheirrolemodelsandco -stars.Inthesameway,authorsrightlyrecognise thehelpandinspirationtheyhavebeengiven–notonlyfromthenovelistsandessayists,playwrightsandpoetstheyhavereadbutalsofrom commissioningeditors,proofreaders,betareadersandwriters’circles.IssacNewton’smaximis astrueintheartsasitisinthesciences:“IfIhave seenfurtheritisbystandingontheshouldersof Giants”.

WilliamShakespeareinfluencedmanymajor novelistssuchasHermanMelville,ThomasHardyandCharlesDickens.InturnEdgarAllanPoe, WilliamFaulknerandFlanneryO'ConnorallrecognisedDickens’impactontheirworks.Mydaddy’sfavouritebookisIsaacAsimov’s1950collectionofshortstories“I, Robot”,whichintroduced hisfamousthreelawsofrobotics.ButAsimov remarkedthathewasinfluencedbya1939short

SophiewithTessa

storywiththesametitlebyEando(EarlandOtto)Binder,andbeforethatbythe1920playby theCzechwriterKarelČapek:"R.U.R.",inEnglish

“Rossum’s Universal Workers (robots)”.

Whenhestartedteachingscience,mydaddy neverthoughtaboutwritinganything.Buthis bosswastheauthorofthebest-sellingchemistry textbookandheopeneddoorsforhim.Mydaddyactedasasubjectconsultantforvariouseducationalpublishersuntilonedayhewasinvited tosubmithisownprojectwhichinayeargeneratedenoughroyaltiestobuyhisfirstwordprocessor.

Adecadelaterhehadbecomeaclergymanand hewasproducingregulararticlesforthelocal newspaperandformagazines.Aneditorsaw someofhisshortcoursesandsuggestedturning themintoabook,whichwasalsofavourablyreceived.Noneofthosepublicationswouldhave beencreatedwithouttheencouragementof wisementors,supportiveeditorsandcritical friends.Asformyself,onlyatrulycourageous andvisionaryeditor-in-chiefwouldentrusta monthlymagazinecolumntoarookiespaniel!

ThelateJaschaHeifetzwasachildprodigy.He studiedunderMalkin,NalbandianandthenAuer andalwaysacknowledgedhisdebttohisteacherseventhoughhewasthehighestpaidvirtuoso violinistintheworldbytheageof18,andbecamewidelyregardedasthegreatestinthe twentiethcentury.Whenheretiredfromperforminghebecameaprofessorofmusic.Heifetz explainedhischangeofcareerlikethis:

“Violinplayingisaperishableart.”“Itmustbe passedonasapersonalskill;otherwiseitis lost.”Soalsotheperishableartwhichiswriting.

Inhisfirstbookofteachingmaterials,mydaddy inventedtheslogan,“dialogueteachestheparts monologuecan’tteach.”Authorsbenefitenormouslyfromtheencouragementandthewisdomofothers.Whopropelledyouonyourwritingjourneyandwhoareyounowhelping?Who wereyourteachers?

Whoisyourpadawan?

Rev Peter Thomas has published three non-fiction books and is delighted now to assist Sophie in her creative writing projects. Originally a teacher and author in the fields of chemistry and computing, Peter retired in 2023 after 36 years as a Minister of local Baptist Churches. He continues to add to his blog and videos of more than a thousand sermons and reflections found at www.pbthomas.com.

SubscriberNews

Tonominateyourwritinggroup,locallibrary orbookshoptobefeaturedinfutureissues emailwritersnarrative@gmail.com subjectheadedfortheattentionoftheEditor inChief.

PeterThomasandSophie

HereComesSummer-NatureWriting

Linda Brown shares the joys of nature writing during the summer months.

Temperatureshaverisen,thesunisblazing fromearlymorning,nojacketsorhatsare required–summerhasarrived.Well,Ican buthope,because,hereintheWestofScotland, summercaninvariablybeeverybitasdreich (dullandgloomy)andwetaswinter.

However,don’tletsoggysummerdaysputyou offexploringthegreatoutdoorsandfindingthe wondersofMotherNaturetophotographand writeabout.

Whatdowehavetowriteaboutoverthenext fewmonths?

Lookoutforthereturnofswallows,swifts,and alltheotherbirdswhichmigratedtowarmer climesoverthewinter.Checkoutourindispensablepollinators–bees,butterflies,beetles,moths and,despitetheirbadreputation,industrious wasps–atworkonwildflowers,thistlesand brambles.Keepaneyeopenforfluffyorscruffy fledglingsleavingnestsandbird-boxes.

Dragonfliesandbluedamselfliesfrequentponds andwigglytadpolestransformintotinyfrogsand toads.Bats,hedgehogs,lizards,stoats,haresourfields,hedgerows,woodland,andgardens havelotsofinterestingvisitors.Thereisplentyof scopeand,fingerscrossed,goodlighttotakeexcellentphotographstocomplimentengagingnaturearticles.

Exploringnewterritory?

Thesummermonthsarewhenmostofuswill takeourannualholiday. Holidays,whetherata

locationinourowncountryoratadestination abroad,offerkeennaturewritersthechanceto explorenewterritoryandexperienceunfamiliar landscapes,floraandfauna.

Spiceupyournaturewritingbylookingfornew challenges–hillwalking,coastalwalks,rock pooling,snorkelling(whatwillyouseeunderwater?).

Doyourhomeworkbeforeyoutravel–research wildlifecentres,naturereservesandareasofnaturalbeauty.Familiariseyourselfwithwhatwildlifeyoushouldexpecttoseethere.

Forinstance,I’vefoundwonderfulmaterialto writeabout,investigatingospreyandredsquirrelsintheScottishHighlands,puffinsandgannetsontheEastYorkshirecliffs,redkitesin Shropshire’sskies,anddolphinwatchingonthe Aberdeenshirecoast.

Midsummermadness

Takeadvantageofourearlydawnsandlonglight evenings -youcouldspotdeer,orotters,orowls thatmightnotbesovisibleoractiveinthemiddleoftheday.

Manymidsummertraditionsfocusonreconnectingwithnature,sowhynotusesolsticefolklore

LindaBrown

oroldwives’talesasthebasisforapieceofnaturewriting?Examples:-

TheoaktreeissaidtobetheKingoftheforest andisthedoorwaytomysticalrealmswhereas itsconsort,Queenoftheforest,thesacred beechtreesymboliseswisdomandknowledge; willitrainforfortydaysifSt.Swithin’sDay(July 15th )israinyandwhatimpactwouldthathave onyourenvironment?

Writingtips

Bringyourpiecetolifebyincludingthefive senses–yourreaderwantstosmellmeadowsweetandcowslips,heartheherringgullsskirlingaboveyourheadandthewavescrashing againsttherocks,tastewildraspberriesandfeel thestingingnettlesandjaggythistlesyouwill inevitablyencounter.

Givecolourtoyourworkbyusingvibrantimagerytodescribelandscapes,treesandplants. Don’trelyontiredoldcliches–createyourown uniquesimilesandmetaphors.Forinstance,in herbook Secrets of a Devon Wood – My Nature Journal (whichIthoroughlyrecommend),writer JoBrown(norelation!)describesaleafhopper nymphaslooking“likealittleSteampunkrocketship.” Whatabrilliantsimile–youcanalmost visualisetheinsectwithouthavingseenheraccompanyingsketch.

Thisbringsmetomylasttip–ifyouarehandy withcolouredpencilsanddrawingpaper,why notdosomesketchestoillustrateyourwritten work?

Sadly,Istruggletodrawastraightlinewitha ruler–soI’llstickwithmycamera!

T.S.Eliot 1888 1965

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. “

(T.S.Eliot inaprefacetoTransitofVenus, a1931bookofpoemsbyHarryCrosby)

ThomasStearnsEliot T.S.Eliot wasanAmerican-Englishpoetandplaywright Hewasbornin StLouis,Missouriin1888andmovedtoLondon in1914. He studiedphilosophyattheUniversity ofParis,HarvardandattheUniversityofOxford.

In1915,T.S.EliotmarriedVivienneHaigh-Wood, aCambridgegoverness.Shediedin1947.Their lifeisdepictedinthe1984play Tom and Viv by theEnglishplaywright,MichaelHastings.The playwasadaptedasafilmofthesamenameand releasedin1994.

In1957,T.S.EliotmarriedEsméValerie Fletcher. Hehadnochildren.

T.S.EliotdiedinLondonin1965attheageof76 fromrespiratorycomplications.

SelectedPoems

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock 1915

The Waste Land 1922

The Hollow Men 1925

Ash-Wednesday 1935

SelectedVerseDrama–Plays

Murder in the Cathedral 1935

The Family Reunion 1939

The Cocktail Party 1949

Linda Brown is a writer, with a passion for nature, from a small town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. She writes fiction and non-fiction and presently has articles, including nature pieces, published in Ayrshire Magazine.

SelectedPublications

The Sacred Wood acollectionof20criticalessaysbyT.S.Eliotpublishedin1920

YaleUniversity

Beinecke

RareBookandManuscriptLibrary

NewHaven,Connecticut,USA

TheYaleUniversityBeineckeRareBook andManuscriptLibraryisthelargest buildingintheworldwiththeexpress purposeofpreservingrarebooksandmanuscripts makingitoneofthebestlibrariesin theworld.

LocatedinYaleUniversityinNewHaven,Connecticut,thelibraryopenedinOctober1963.Its holdingsincludessignificantauthorslike RudyardKipling,D.H.Lawrence,SinclairLewis, andJosephConradthroughitsspecialcollections.Thelibrary’scentralshelvingareaincludesglasswallsandsoftlightingtoprotect theworksfromdirectlight.

Ifyouwanttovisit,thelibraryisopentothe public.The exhibitionhalldisplaysmanyrare works,includingoneofonlyforty-eightcopiesin existenceoftheGutenbergBible.

Captain Kit ByKathrynHolme

ReviewedbySheenaMacleod

Captain Kit byKathrynHolme

Publisher: Untitled64Publisher(May2024)

ISBN-10 : 1738456900

ISBN-13: 978-1738456901

Blurb

CaptainKitlovessnacking.ShipmatesJoyand Pedrohidethefood,withasurprisingoutcome.

Arhythmically-toldpicturebooksuitablefor3to 5yearolds,featuringpirateadventuresand cakes.

Review

Agreatpiratebooktoldinrhymeandsuitableforchildren aged3to5years.Mygrandsonlovespiratessothiswas theperfectbookforus.Ithoroughlyenjoyedreadingthis storytohim.Therhymingofthestoryworkedwell.

There’samessageheretoo whilecakesandbunsarefun toeat,toomanyaren'thealthy.

ThestoryisbeautifullyillustratedbyMaggieBolton.

ThisisthefirstChildren’sbookbyKathrynHolme.Ilook forwardtoreadingmoreofthesewithmygrandchildren.

Sheena Macleod lectured at the University of Dundee, where she gained her PhD. She now lives in a seaside town in Scotland. Sheis authorofthehistoricalfictionnovels,Reignofthe MarionettesandTearsofStrathnaver,andco-authorofthenon-fictionbookSo,YouSayICan’tVote! FrancesConnelly.

InternationalAmyMacRaeAwardForMemoir

TheInternationalAmyMacRaeAwardisanannualmemoirwritingcontest. Thewinnerreceivesacashprizeof$1000.

WWW.AMYAWARD.COM

The2024contestisopenforsubmissionfromApril15toJune30.

ContestGuidelines:The International Amy MacRae Award for Memoir isgiventoanexceptionalworkof memoirwriting.Submissionsmustbenolongerthan2000words.Thereisnominimumwordcountrequirement.

AboutAmy

Inthesummerof2019,asmallgroupofwriters joinedauthorAlisonWearingatawritingretreat inthesouthofFrance.AmongthemwasasparklingyoungwomannamedAmy.

Thewritingshepresentedduringtheretreatwas spectacularandovertheensuingmonths,Amy workedhardrevisingandpolishingoneofthe piecesshehadwritteninFrance.Eventually,she submittedittoacontest.

OnJune1,2020,attheageof35,Amydiedof ovariancancer.

Afewweekslater,theCBCLiteraryAwardscontactedthewriterswhosestorieshadbeenselectedasfinalists.AmyMacRaewasoneof5writers shortlistedfortheCBCNonfictionPrize,oneof themostprestigiousprizesinthecountry.

Whatismemoirwriting?

Memoirwriting,orpersonalessay,isdefinedasa workofcreativenonfictionthatillustratesapersonalexperienceusingliterarytechniquesand narrativedevices.

Ratherthansimplyrecountingpastevents,successfulmemoirtendstoofferahigherperspectiveonthatpast,usepersonalexperienceasan illustrationofuniversalthemesand/orendeavourtoderivemeaning,understandingorwisdom fromthestoryitsketches.

Thequalityofthewritingisasimportantasthe contentofthestory.

Submissions:The2024AmyAwardcontestisopenforsubmissions.ThedeadlinetosubmitisJune30, 2024.

TheAmyAwardisgiventoanexceptionalworkofmemoirwritingof2000wordsorless.Thewinnerreceivesacashprizeof$1000.Writersanywhereintheworldareinvitedtoenter.ThedeadlineforsubmissionsisJune30,2024.Entriesmustbeoriginal,unpublishedworksofmemoir.

US$25persubmission,payableinthewriter’shomecurrency.ProceedsfromthecontestandtheanthologyaredonatedtoAmy’sLivingLegacyforovariancancerresearch.

Findinformationaboutthe2024contestat:https://amyaward.com/

Alison Wearing is the bestselling author of three memoirs. She is also the creator of Memoir Writing Ink, an online program dedicated to helping people transform their personal stories into memoir. For interviews, please contact: ajw@alisonwearing.com

www.alisonwearing.com

NovelLondonLiteraryCompetition2024

Theyhavesupportedbothemergingandestablishednovelistssinceitsinceptionin2015.Thecompetitionisagreatopportunityforwriterswhohavecompletedtheirnovels,whethernewlypublished,unpublished,orself-published,togainrecognitionandvaluablefeedback.

Thereisastellarlineofprizeswhichinclude:

£500,theTrophy,andlunchwithliteraryagent,EliseDillsworth

AchancetobefeaturedinWriter’sNarrativemagazine

Mentoring/coachingsessionswithprize-winningauthorandteacher,MelissaAddey

Nationalandinternationalentriesarewelcome!

EntryFee:£11

Deadline:30thJune2024

https://www.novellondon.co.uk

Judges

WendyHJones-amulti-award-winningScottish authorofcrimethrillers,cosymysteries,young adultmysteries,children’spicturebooksandnonfictionbooksforwriters.ShehostsTheWritingand MarketingShowpodcast,isanacclaimedinternationalpublicspeakerandisawritingandmarketing coach.Inaddition,sherunsScottandLawsonPublishingandisapartnerinAuscotPublishingandRetreats.ShealsoisthefounderoftheWomenWriters, Editors,Agents,andPublishersgroup.

SheisrepresentedbyAmyCollinsofTalcottNotch AgencyintheUSA.

StellaOni-theauthorof"DeadlySacrifice,"featuringToksAde,thefirstBlackfemalepolicedetective inUKfiction.ThenovelwasshortlistedfortheSI LeedsLiteraryPrizeandwasanAudibleCrimeand Thrillerpick.OnihaswontheITWscholarshipand wasarunner-upfortheCrimeFestbursary.Shewas anITWjudgeandalsoajudgefortheJhalakPrize.

SheiscurrentlyworkingonthesecondToksAde bookandanewseries,TheLondonHouseMystery.

SUBMISSIONGUIDELINES

Writers’NarrativeeMagazine

We are interested in submissions on any aspect of writing and publishing and will accept simultaneous submissions.AllinterviewsmustbepitchedtotheEditorinChieffirstbeforedoingtheinterview.

We accept varying lengths of submissions depending on the topic - 500, 1000, 1,500. Book reviews can be shorter but should include a substantial review in addition to the book blurb. Only submit previously unpublishedwork(eitheronlineorinprint).

MonthlythemeswillbepromulgatedinboththemagazineandintheFacebookGroup.

Please use Hart’s Rules: The Oxford Style Guide. Light editing will be undertaken. If major editing is required, the article will be returned with general advice on what is required to bring it up to publication standard.

All submissions are to be in Times New Roman or Times, size 12 font, single spaced, with no formatting. Allformattingwillbecarriedoutbytheeditorialteam.

Theonlyimageswhichshouldbesubmittedwithyour articlesareyourauthorphotograph andbookcoversifdoingabookreview.Includeabriefbioandauthorphotographalongwithyourfirstsubmission.

Pleasestatethemonthforwhichyouaresubmittingyourarticle.However,thismaybechangedifitisfelt itbettersuitsadifferentissue.

Writers’Narrativeispublishedmonthly.Submissioncutoffdates:

January–7th November

February–7th December

March–7th January

April-7th February

May–7th March

June–7th April

July–7th May

August–7th June

September–7th July

October–7th August

November–7th September

December–7th October

Submissionsviaemailto writersnarrative@gmail.com

Tonominate yourwritinggroup, locallibrary orbookshop tobefeatured in futureissues and for anyqueries including advertising with us email writersnarrative@gmail.com subject headed for the attention of EditorinChief

Whilethereisamonthlythemeandfocus,thiswillnotbetheonlytopicforthemagazine.General articlescanalsobesubmittedforpublication.

Themesfor2025

Month

January/ February Non-Fiction

March HistoricalFictionandNon-Fiction

Theme

April ScienceFictionandFantasy(It’sNationalScienceFictionMonth)

May Worldbuilding

June CozyMysteries

July WritingHabits

August CoverDesign

September Publishing

October ShortFormFiction

November NarrativeNon-Fiction

December ResearchingasWriters

Comingin….February2025

Theme—Non-Fiction

FeaturedAuthor Articles

BookReviews

Newreleases

Andmore….

February2025