My friend Liz asked me, and a few other bloggers, to consider four questions about writing and then publish the answers on my blog. So here goes:
What are you working on?
For this blog I’m working on a piece about Norman Cohen’s 1968 film ‘The London Nobody Knows’ and after that there will be a piece on Archie Hill’s memoir ‘The Second Meadow’. Elsewhere I’m working on a magazine piece about the films of Terence Davies, the usual bits and pieces of commercial copywriting and a commission to write the company history of a very traditional family firm. Oh, and I try to knock out the odd poem too.
How does your work differ from others of this genre?
There are lots of ‘psychogeographic’ blogs out there. Mine differs in that it focuses on the creative human response to landscape; ‘the art of psychogeography’, as I put it in my strapline. Initially I concentrated on literary responses to landscape, because that’s what I know about. But, since then, I’ve branched out into reviews of film and music and I’d like to start looking at the visual arts too.
Why do you write what you do?
Because on the days I don’t manage to write anything I feel miserable and useless.
How does your writing process work?
I’m a great believer in morning pages: three sides of rapid, stream-of-consciousness writing in my journal every morning to get the creative processes flowing. For my psychogeographic writing I find that walking is essential; not just by way of making a field trip to the place I want to write about, but because I find the very act of walking provokes a kind of meditative state which, in turn, stimulates my creative urges.
I work from home, which is great – it means I always get to hear ‘Woman’s Hour’ when I take my morning tea break! But it also means I’m not as productive in the school holidays when I become the family’s chief cook, chauffeur and social secretary.
Here are links to some of the other bloggers who have answered the crucial four questions:
Bobby
Of the three blog tours in this sequence currently out there yours is the blog that I’ve followed for the longest. Yours caught my attention at roughly the same time as Tina Richardson’s Particulations. As you say your take on psychogeography is very different from the others online.
I know that when your next blog post ‘arrives’ in my Inbox that I’ll feel considerably better informed. Your blogposts on Rock Park led to me exchanging a few emails with the Nathaniel Hawthorne Society who are interested in a piece of work on Hawthorne’s ‘psychogeography’!
It was good to hear what you ‘feel’ about the writing process. Great stuff!
Very kind words, thank you. I enjoy following all your different projects – what I admire is that your work is constantly evolving and endlessly fascinating.
Really interesting to read about your approach and the way you set about writing. I was interested to read your views on walking. I agree there is something quite different when you walk through a place. I am interested in place and only recently began to read blogs about psychogeography. I do enjoy reading yours.
Thanks Christine. Of course, you’re very welcome to try the ‘four questions about writing’ for yourself on your own blog!