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Hello everyone - how's tricks? It's the usual juggling act here - I'm attempting to do a Blue Peter and stick leaves on a shoebox to make the three year old's box of goodies for tomorrow's Harvest Festival, while editing the first 'bare bones' draft of the memoir. For any of you also writing memoirs at the moment, I've just read a great book - Natalie Goldberg's 'Old Friend From Far Away'. Just like 'Writing Down the Bones' Goldberg is very good at making you come at your writing, and memories, sideways. There are some excellent prompts in there and I really recommend the book (it's also a lot more fun than most of the memoir text books).
I'm about 30,000 words in to the new book 'Backalong at Dimpsy'. Recalling the events of over thirty years ago is curious - a bit like dancing with yourself just as in today's clip. It's funny that when the book opens I'm younger than my daughter, and I'm finding it refreshing writing through a child's eyes. Everything is a first - the wild, beautiful place I found myself in felt like a fairytale. I don't think it's being sentimental or nostalgic to say it was a more innocent time. We had a freedom I can't imagine being able to give my children - off freewheeling along the lanes all day, swimming in rivers, riding across the moors on muddy little ponies. What do you think? Have things changed all that much in thirty years?
They had the first heat of the People's Author the other day - here's a link to the story samples. ('Billy Brown I'll tell your Mum' won the first round). The competition is pretty stiff - they all were good writers, and very confident and composed on the show (I keep having nightmares about tripping up and falling at Alan Titchmarsh's feet:) The next show is on ITV Monday at 3pm.
Meanwhile, Evie - the character from the new novel, won't be quiet. Maybe you find when you finish a book that your characters go quiet (no more of the chattering/snatches of scenes coming to you)? Not this one. I've just outlined the next novel ... but she's going to have to wait a month or two.
TODAY'S PROMPT: Goldberg's book has some terrific ideas - she writes about how memoir is really a desire to understand living. It's making sense of love, pain, who you were and who you are. Some of the simple but effective prompts you could try today are ten minute sprints. Why not try writing about:
- 'I remember ...'
- 'I am thinking of ...'
- 'I am looking at ...'
I also loved her idea about recalling ten smells from your childhood. Me: wood shavings, Mum's 'Paris' perfume, roast dinner, geraniums, tomatoes on the vine in the greenhouse, wood smoke, wet earth on the forest floor, saddle soap and leather, rosewater, rice pudding and cinnamon. How about you?
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12 comments:
The smell of rain on hot pavement reminds me more than anything of my childhood also Pickled Onion Monster Munch, also what the heck are they called? Those totally artificial crisp type thingies, shaped a bit like a flying saucer made of melt in mouth airy E additive product, sweet n sour flavour...it'll come back to me!
Skips? Or were they prawn cocktail :)
Hi Kate ; -) Did not know you started a memoir. I love when you share about your growing up years, so am very excited about your project.
I wish I could juggle and make room for writing like you do. I started a memoir project this summer, but have not been at i in weeks. We have been goig through some very difficult times with our teen son and I can barely manage work and being his mother.
Maybe I'll get the book you recommend to get me back up on the horse.
And I think kids should be given more freedom these days. That wandering and independence I think is necessary for growing up.
I remember my mother's perfume, Shalimar, sitting next to her in church and snuggling into her mink coat (strange that I think of the smell of that now, when I wouldn't contemplate wearing fur myself), my mother helping with my homework.
SKIPS! of course. And (husbands) say blogging is pointless?! Now you've starting a craving for those heavenly chemical snacks.
Weird how smells seem to related to memories....
Kate C
That's a lovely photo from Devon. Gorgeous colours! Kate, I think things have changed dramatically in child rearing. Some things for the better and others for the worst. It is true children are over protected these days but at the same time I really do have to be with my daughter. We live in the middle of a big city that's not a totally safe area and it is worlds away from my New Guinean childhood and midlands of Tasmania upbringing. I love Writing Down the Bones - such a great book. When I think of smells from childhood I remember toast cooked in front of the fire, the heat of the tropics and then the smell of snow in Tasmania, home baked biscuits. I think I remember food a lot! And I am juggling as well. It's preschool holidays in Sydney and I'm spending wonderful moments at the beach and playing fairies with my daughter. Not much writing done but at least it's good exercise running around madly wand in hand and turning each other into frogs! xx
Hi Pseudo - hope things are beginning to work out for you at home x (and yes, recommend the Goldberg book as a treat for yourself)
Hello Debs - I now have a gloriously exotic image of your Mum (Guerlain/church/mink) fabulous!
Hi Kate - nothing like it. Scent is the most evocative thing.
Hi Josephine - yes I love those really saturated old photos. And beach fairies sounds wonderful :)
Emma - if you want a packet drop me an email with your address (they may get to you squashed to smithereens ...)
When my grandfather came to stay, he smoked delicious smelling cigars....when he went home again, my mother would close all our windows to keep the smell in our house...even in mid January!
It took me yrs to realise she shut windows because she missed him so much when he left...
I only have to get the faintest whiff of Johnson's baby powder and I am flung black to my parents' flat in the mid 70s. Apparently one Christmas morning me and my toddler brother snuck out of our beds and covered the living room in the stuff for a white Christmas. Don't know if my parents were misty eyed or not....
Of course I don't remember doing any of this but the smell is like a time machine.
Lovely photo. The book sounds interesting. I'm awaiting 'Solutions for Writers' by Sol Stein which was recommended to me.
No I didn't see the programme you mentioned but when my agent took me on she said:
'Let's move quickly before Jordan does something.' So it goes.
Hello Jan - I love that story! Some smells can be as comforting as a warm blanket can't they?
Hello Misssy - baby talc, you and me both! Sunday night baths, drying in front of the fire, dreading the theme tune to 'Last of the Summer Wine' because it meant bedtime :)
Hello Pat - that pesky Jordan eh?! I don't know Sol Stein's work but will look it up.
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