At the end of my undergrad I had seriously started writing and taking part in good writing practice. I was attending every seminar (mostly) and every reading and actually enjoying all the set texts. It's been much of the same really. Sometimes I worry my gaming centred lifestyle will leave me with regrets, and I know that one day I'll have to completely leave behind gaming, at least as a lifestyle if I want to be part of the literary world.
On the Masters I'm loving it. There isn't a class that I don't enjoy, a visiting reader I don't benefit from. When I'm around that environment it makes me want to write, to start my life again as a writer. Even if it's an abstract poetry reading I find the sound of it soothing and usually get my notebook out and start writing work of my own. It's not that I'm bored, I just work best doing my own thing: I still listen to the poetry but I end up with two pages of my novel.
I love the workshops too. A lot of my issues come from wanting to be at a professional standard and seeing some of my classmates already at that level it produces equal levels of both envy and happiness that people so down to earth can be that good without spending their lives in pursuit of becoming a novelist.
It's sort of like being in front of a pool of ice-cold water, you stand on the edge and only when you thrust yourself in do you realise how refreshing it can be. There's hope yet
So much hope, especially when there's people feeling that same mix of envy and happiness when they read your work :)
ReplyDelete