Video Masterclass 4 - Setting

I am all too aware that I have been neglecting the blog for a while.  I have been working on some stories which need a revision or two before I post them here.

While I finish that work I thought it would be a good idea to visit YouTube again for the Scottish Book Trust's  fourth masterclass with Keith Gray.  This video is all about setting - Ever wondered why horror fiction and thunder storms go together? - Keith Gray will explain...

The right setting can shape your story.   The setting can be a character in your story - I have found this to be particularly so in historical fiction.  The right setting adds atmosphere and can add conflict if the need arises.

Whether you like to write what you know and use real settings for your stories, or whether you prefer to create your own settings (to give extreme examples of this; Hogwarts in Harry Potter, or Middle Earth in Lord of the Rings) is up to you.  The two do not have to be mutually exclusive - you can pull from your own knowledge of real places in an imaginary setting, or if you have set your story in New York every place does not have to exist in New York, as long as it is true to the culture of New York. An example of this is Central Perk in friends which is a film set in Los Angeles, but "feels" very New York.

Before I turn you over to Keith Gray here is a quick tip.  Don't overlook the power of Google Earth when researching your settings.

Enjoy the video.

Masterclass 4 Setting

There are similar videos on YouTube from Keith Gray and The Scottish Book Trust - but I thought I'd stream this directly from YouTube here for your delectation.  The video is not part of this site and I am not part of the Scottish Book Trust - just a fan of this series.  I hope you enjoy it too.

Video Masterclass 3 - Plot

We are long over-due for the third masterclass with Costa nominated author Keith Gray.  Here Keith gives some helpful hints on how to construct a strong and interesting plot in terms of dilema, confrontation, and resolution.  I'll let Keith explain...

Masterclass 3 Plot

There are similar videos on YouTube from Keith Gray and The Scottish Book Trust - but I thought I'd stream this directly from YouTube here for your delectation.  The video is not part of this site and I am not part of the Scottish Book Trust - just a fan of this series.  I hope you enjoy it too.

Video Masterclass 2 - Characterisation

Want to find out why Harry Potter is called Harry Potter? Time to stream the second video masterclass by Costa nominated novelist Keith Gray - direct from youTube.

Characters can make or break your story.  It is essential to have interesting and believable characters to give your story strength and depth, and to engage your reader.

Here Keith Gray gives away some of his secrets about developing his characters and making them come alive.

Take it away Keith...

Masterclass 2 Characters

There are similar videos on YouTube from Keith Gray and The Scottish Book Trust - but I thought I'd stream this directly from YouTube here for your delectation.  The video is not part of this site and I am not part of the Scottish Book Trust - just a fan of this series.  I hope you enjoy it too.

My Relationship With Poetry

I hate poetry. Or so I thought. That bratty twelve year old in me was sure of it. Poetry? Boring!!! And so it goes.

That twelve year old sat, bored, in class. Poetry was the order of the day - much to her dismay. Oh when will the bell ring to let me out of this gloomy whitewashed room? Surely you know the sun is shining outside? What a waste.

The teacher hands out pieces of paper - Banda sheets for those of us old enough to remember them from the spirit duplicator now only found in museums. The pink Banda lettering spells out the lines of a poem. Here we go. Please God - take me now.

We look at the words and the teacher reads them out loud. Then, quite unexpectedly, a voice rings out from the back of the class rudely bringing us back from our daydreams.

"Isn't that John Lennon?" Tom was always pretty smart.

"Mmmm", says the teacher coyly. Was he really in blissful ignorance that he'd just copied out the lyrics to John Lennon's Imagine? Was this a joke? Or was this guy really smart? It was the early 1980's after all and John Lennon was far from a distant memory.

John Lennon is poetry? Then the Beatles? Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, U2? Surely not? We've all been listening to poetry all this time... and liking it? Believe me it was quite a revelation as we studied those immortal words of Mr. Lennon. To be fair most of us hadn't really got far past "You and I in a little toy shop, buy a bag of balloons with the money we got" (whatever happened to Nena and her ninety nine red balloons?) - So Imagine was really something.

I've since learned this isn't a unique trick. I later saw Michelle Pfieffer perform the same trick with Bob Dylan (as opposed to Dylan Thomas), in the film Dangerous Minds. Obviously we were easily led.

Whatever you think of the relationship between song lyrics and poetry, (and I am aware this can be controversial) to a naive class of 12 year olds this was an exciting new discovery. I began listening to music on a whole new level and searching for meaning. I'm not saying that I became more discerning in my music taste over night or that I would only listen to music written by the more poetic lyricist - but there began my relationship with poetry - through music.

Music is still very important to me today - although neither my guitar playing nor my poems will ever make me a rock star, and that is a shame. Despite my "John Lennon Epiphany" at such a young age, poetry as a form of writing did not choose me as its custodian. It was other forms of writing that chose me. My relationship with poetry is no longer one of hate however - it is one of respect. If I choose to share one of my poems with you some day – please don’t expect too much!

I can't re-produce Lennon's lyrics here for you as they are copyrighted. But if you would like to see what all the fuss was about please google "imagine lyrics John Lennon" - it's easy if you try! Alternatively click here.


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Quotes

"It was a bright cold day in April and the Clocks were striking thirteen." - George Orwell

First line of the novel 1984.

Gets your attention doesn't it?

Ever had a writing experience like this?

Sorry, I couldn't resist this video...

Nostalgia How they wrote in the old days...

Video Masterclass 1 - Ideas and Inspiration

I came across this YouTube video from Costa-nominated novelist Keith Gray of the Scottish Book Trust. I like this guy - he is clear honest and to the point, and anyone who writes with a parrot and a finch at his desk gets my vote - I just hope they are house trained!  I'll add more videos from this series later on.

I hope you enjoy this video. Over to Keith Gray...

Masterclass 1 Ideas and Inspiration

There are similar videos on YouTube from Keith Gray and The Scottish Book Trust - but I thought I'd stream this directly from YouTube here for your delectation.  The video is not part of this site and I am not part of the Scottish Book Trust - just a fan of this series.  I hope you enjoy it too.

Welcome

Welcome to the Blog.

What are the aims of this blog? Well, we are not going to set ourselves any firm rules here - just a loose set of ideas. Rules constrict - we want this blog to grow, develop, and be accessible. We believe it is healthy to deviate from the "format" often to keep the blog interesting and readable.

The basic idea is to provide a forum for writing - both for writers and for readers alike.

Blog posts will include:

• The occasional fictional story, poem, observational writing, journalistic writing, travel writing and any other writing we can think of. Writing is writing after all.
• Advice and encouragement for budding writers.
• Videos which may be motivational, instructional or just fun.
• Useful web links.

We also want to hear from you!

We will always leave comment sections open, barring the occasional glitch.

We have added pages for you to interact with. For example to:

• tell us what else you would like to see on the blog;
• share work and feedback;
• share your pearls of wisdom from your own experience of writing, techniques or any useful resources you use such as websites magazines or upcoming competitions;
• share your gripes and problems so that we and our readers might be able to assist.

If you have any ideas as to how we can improve our blog please do not hesitate to email C S Wimsey @gmail.com.

You are welcome here any time and we look forward to seeing you!