I have been searching for something to tax my brain. I looked on the Open University Website and found that there are many courses that I can do which are free. I thought this would be a good way to start. I can experiment with different subjects to see which feeds my curiosity and peeks my interest.
I have decided to begin with the Creative Writing Course. I have always enjoyed writing... so here goes.
ACTIVITY ONE
Write down a quick sentence in response to the advice ‘write what you know’. What does it immediately suggest to you?
What do I know. My first instinct is that I could write about my life, memories, family, people, my love of being creative, music, books I have read, my experience of being a mature student. In fact I think that there are many topics I could write about if I take the time to prepare and think about the things that I actually know about.
ACTIVITY TWO
How did the idea for Cowan’s second novel, Common Ground, come about?
What parts of Pigwere imagined, what parts researched and what parts autobiographical?
How does Cowan use everyday details in his novels?
I have listened to the interview in order to try and answer these questions ...
- Cowan says that he found writing his novel Pig very difficult and would do anything other than write. He accumulated lots of material during the writing of Pig as a way of avoiding it. He wrote long letters to his brother who was travelling. He wrote journals every day about his partner's pregnancy and continued for a year after their daughter was born. He also filled a scrap book with newspaper clippings that caught his attention and thought that they would come in useful in the future. One story that captured his interest more than others, was the plight of new age protest group concerned about roads being built on protected sites. He also spent hours looking out of the window on to the city streets of Glasgow where he lived.
- Beginning, middle and end were already known. Accumulated factual information about pigs. The pig is a description of his dog, a collie. Researched some aspects e.g boiling swill. Took six years to write. Procrastination important to Cowan.
- Advocate of staring out of the window as it can be very productive and gives you ideas to write. Work avoidance, all domestic chores have to be completed before writing otherwise they nag. Everyday details taken from his own life help to give his characters and stories more depth.
ACTIVITY THREE
Close your eyes for a few moments and think of the room or place around you. Think of the details that you would include in any description and make a mental note of them. Open your eyes and, without looking around, write down what you thought of.
Now look at your surroundings and write a paragraph (no more than 150 words) describing them, picking out at least three things that you haven't noticed recently – things you didn't think of when you closed your eyes.
With my eyes closed I thought of .... The TV, the window overlooking the front garden and my car in the drive, the door leading from the front door, the kitchen, the cupboard that holds all my summer clothes, photographs, papers lying on the table that need to be dealt with.
150 words .....the TV sits in the corner, it is small. I don't want a huge thing that always draws your eye as it is not the most important item in the room to me. I like to have a lot of light in any room, the window allows me to notice the weather, to see people walking with their dogs, others riding horses. The window reminds me that I live in the country and my love of all things nature.
The box that sits on the table in front of me brings back memories of my visit to London to see my daughter. We shopped at Harrods, not being able to afford much, we bought this box filled with sweets. We wanted to eat the sweets, but mainly we wanted something to remind us of our visit and something that was pleasing to look at. it is covered in animals and elf like beings, the colours are mainly blue and green.
