The Writer’s Desk

Australian author Tara Moss started a fantastic little blogging series where she got other writers to send in pictures of their writing desk or where ever they worked. I’m as fascinated in seeing other people’s desk, especially if they’re writers, as I am in seeing other people’s shelves. It’s great inspiration – to write and to clean up my desk.

Reading Notes on Austen

I’ve been reading Emma by Jane Austen and it struck me that the writing somehow seems a little…different to the rest of her work. I’m no Austen-ite and I haven’t read all her works but I have read Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey and most recently Persuasion. There is something that is something … I can’t quite put my finger on but it doesn’t really read distinctly like a typical Austen novel. Now, I can understand that authors have the right, and do frequently, vary and experiment with new styles but Austen has been so consistent. Has anybody else come across this idea or feeling? Or perhaps I have a dodgy copy of the novel since I picked it up cheaply at a dingy booksellers in Kuala Lumpur.

Looking at wikipedia (how academic and authoritative of me!) it says Emma was published in 1816 and was her last novel to be published before her death. Curiously, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were both published posthumously and they’re the two novels making up the bulk of my Austen experience. Perhaps I’m more familiar with her later work.

Well, something to add to the thought machine. Perhaps my impression will change once I’ve finished the book.

Writing

I have pretty much given up on Nanowrimo, unfortunately. I started off strongly but I was just completely derailed by it. I still like my story and I’ll continue to work on it over time. Who knows – perhaps I might be able to get it published a decade down the track. 🙂 I think I’m much more suited to short stories. I have a short attention span and little stamina. On the other hand, I’ve been writing some poetry lately, something I’ve never done before and it’s very fun.

There’s some good news though. My short story piece was chosen to be included by the other editors on the uni creative writing anthology. Since I’m on the editorial team, it was extremely nerve wracking and not for the faint hearted (character building, I guess…) to sit there with the others while they judged and discussed my piece. As I have never done any creative writing classes since all the way back in high school, filled with teenage angst, this piece is my first, ‘serious’ work. Although it will only be published in a student anthology, I’m still very excited because, in a way, I’ll be a ‘published’ author. 🙂 It’s very encouraging.

On other news front – I have applied for a place at another university to do a graduate diploma in Information Management, which means, if I get accepted I’ll be a librarian! I decided to apply despite thinking I’ll take next year off and do other things. But with being unemployed and global financial uncertainty, I thought I’d apply and defer if things get better. But I’m still very excited at the prospect of being a librarian. I hope I won’t be disappointed.

Nanowrimo

I must be very insane to attempt nanowrimo this year seeing that I have just finished a year long effort on my honours thesis. This will be my first nanowrimo and I’m not doing too badly so far. I signed up on the 5th November so I’m behind a few days. But so far, I have almost 7000 words – 42,000 to go! I’m writing blind and with no plan whatsoever. So far, I’m been consistently surprised at how the plot is turning out. My subconscious scares me sometimes. I’m writing things that I had never had the intention to write, nor did I have the idea. It’s actually quite fun.