To Travel Safely is Better than to Arrive

Like many parts of the country, Huddersfield had snow this morning. Not that unusual, you may say, although for the past few years we've become more used to torrential rain in the winter rather than snow and ice.

You'd think by now we'd have mastered simple things like how to get our car out of the drive and onto the main road, but there was still a sense of danger as I struggled to drive my car down the hill out of my cul-de-sac in first gear, stopping every few yards, just to make sure I could.

When I eventually made it to the Springwood Car Park, a large long-stay car park at the top of a hill on the outer edge of the Ring Road, new hazards awaited me. For a start, the car park hadn't been gritted and so driving along looking for an empty slot became a perilous experience. Even driving extremely slowly and carefully, I was still skidding, much to the consternation of a group of students who were merrily walking down the middle of the car park, apparently unaware of just how much danger they were putting themselves in.

Trying to manoeuvre the car ninety degrees to position it in an empty slot was an act of faith in itself, but I made it. But new, unforeseen problems awaited me. I got my handbag out of the boot and was fastening my anorak, ready for my expedition to the ticket machine, when it suddenly dawned on me that my car appeared to be moving. I got back in, drove a little bit further forward and engaged first gear as well as using my handbrake, which seemed to do the trick.

There I was standing next to my car, making sure it was safe and stationary, when I felt something big and solid and heavy press against my bottom. It was the car next to mine, which was sliding backwards into me! Once I'd got myself out of its way, I studied it and it became apparent that this innocent-looking vehicle was on the run! Slowly, but surely, the driverless car was making its way out of the slot and down the hill. I stood by, aghast but helpless.

In the end, I decided my only option was to report it to the police, so I dialled 999 and reported it, giving them the registration number of the car and its location. Then I went off to college, hoping that when I returned to my car, I wouldn't be faced with a scene of carnage and twisted metal.

By lunchtime, when I revisited my car, the runaway had gone and the cars opposite it didn't have any visible dents, but the nifty little sports car on the other side was halfway out of its slot. But at least it didn't seem to be moving any further as by then the snow had thawed. Looking along the car park, I could see a zig-zag line of cars which had tried to make a break for it and were poking out of their slots. It was most bizarre and a phenomenon I had never come across before.

It just goes to show that when you think you've seen everything, there's still something new for you to see. And arriving safely at your destination isn't the only difficulty that you face when you're driving in wintry weather. Staying put is quite a challenge too!

Making Time to Write

If you've been checking this blog and wondering why it suddenly came to an end, I can finally tell you.

There's no big secret. I didn't win the lottery and jack it all in for a life of luxury in the Bahamas. I didn't meet a sugar daddy who whisked me off to Monte Carlo for some retail therapy. (I expect my husband's quite glad about that - though he might have been happy for me to win the lottery!) I didn't see the light and decide to spend the rest of my life meditating in a cave in the Himalayas.

No, I'm afraid my excuse for not writing is probably fairly similar to yours. I've just been too busy! Too many classes to prepare, too much work to mark, too many books to read for my PGCE. Throw in a touch of flu, give it all a good stir, and you end up with the perfect mix for sabotaging writing.

I must admit, I didn't realise I'd neglected my blogs for quite so long. I was shocked to log on today and realise that my last blog was posted on 7th October. I certainly didn't realise I'd been away for so long, and I'm suitably chastened by this discovery. I need to take myself in hand. Not so much a matter of 'Physician, heal thyself!' as 'Creative writing teacher - set a better example!'

So what have been the highlights of the last couple of months, writing-wise? I'd have to say the best thing about this time has been getting to know my new students and being very pleasantly surprised at the progress they've made in such a short time. I've been amazed at the fantastic work I have seen, even from students who claim they've never done any writing before. It's quite a humbling experience to come face to face with so much talent, and quite a privilege to be asked to nurture it.

The University of Huddersfield has been running a competition called 'Grist', and several of my students have entered it, from all three of my classes. It's been very exciting to see them polishing up their short stories, presenting them so beautifully, then sending them off - a bit like seeing your child go off to school for the first time, I expect. Good luck to everyone who has entered. All I can say is that I'm glad I don't have to judge the competition, as it will be a tough job to have to choose from so many excellent entries.

If you've missed the deadline for this one, don't worry - there will be plenty more competitions to enter in the New Year.

Research on the Internet - D.H. Lawrence

I spent a very pleasant morning at the University of Huddersfield having my library induction. Not only are the newly refurbished facilities top-notch, but it's also amazing how much we can use the library's wonderful resources without even setting foot in the place!

Today I'm going to share with you one of the resources that the librarian told us about - one that you too can use on the internet without having to be a member of the university library. It's Intute.

When you search for something on Google, you may end up with lots of references which aren't what you're looking for. For example, if you were to type in 'hairdressing', you wouldn't just get articles about how to do hairdressing - you'd get hundreds of adverts as well for hairdressing salons and products.

Intute is a site that has been put together by university librarians and academics, so if you use it to search for something, you know that somebody reliable from the world of education has already filtered the sites it leads to and checked that what you find should be useful.

I decided to use Intute when I got home to find some more information on D.H. Lawrence, whose short story, A Sick Collier, my Thursday night class had been studying. Intute directed me to a website run by Nottingham University, which has a famous archive of works by and about D.H. Lawrence.

Particularly interesting was the D.H. Lawrence Portal which you can access by typing in www.dh-lawrence.org.uk/ This provides a wealth of information about the author, his works, and his links with the East Midlands. It's a great place to look if you want to find out about his life or to see some of the collieries that provide the backdrop to his writings.

Another useful site which I found was www.mantex.co.uk/ou/a319/dhl-00.htm.

It's possible to read lots of DH Lawrence's works straight from the internet, including A Sick Collier, which was originally published in The Prussian Officer and Other Stories (1914). If you type the name of the collection into Google, you should eventually find the text of the stories.

Finally, if you'd like to read about some of the greatest short story writers, there is a very informative article on the mantex site: www.mantex.co.uk/ou/resource/story-00.htm.

Happy browsing!

Be Specific!

When we're writing, it's easy to grab at the first word that comes into our head. Take, for example, the sentence:

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in a cloth.

How about being more specific about what type of fabric the cloth was made of?

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in a square of silk.

Or:

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in her damask cloth.

You could also give a fuller description of the cloth, by naming the colour, but again, a little attention to detail goes a long way. Compare this sentence:

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in a red silk cloth.

with this one:

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in a crimson silk cloth.

You can also play with the word order to add greater emphasis:

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in a cloth of crimson silk.

Doesn't that sound more poetic?

Try making simple changes like these to your writing and see how they bring it to life.

My Fiction Feast This Weekend

This weekend, I felt like taking things easy after a very busy week and so I decided to catch up with some fiction from TV, a DVD, and a novel - consuming them, that is, not writing them!

The TV was tonight's instalment, the final one, of the BBC adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbervilles. I did find it very moving, but all the way through the adaptation, I wasn't sure whether I found the girl tragic or just plain stupid. I don't know whether the book would be more convincing and whether some of the mentality of the central character is lost in the transfer to the small screen.

Then again, I suppose as a liberated, educated, 21st century woman, it's hard for me to really get inside the mind of a character from such a different society. I suppose we were meant to admire her idealism and her loyalty to Angel Clare, but some of the time I did feel she was making life needlessly difficult for herself.

The DVD I watched was one I had been given for my birthday back in February but not got round to watching. It was still sitting on the shelf in its sellophane, so I thought it would be a good idea to have a look at it last night, especially as I'm making a point of watching French films regularly these days.

It was La Vie en Rose, the acclaimed film about the life of Edith Piaf. It was a fantastic film and the actress who played Piaf did an incredible job. I must admit I managed to soak with my tears all the mansized tissues I had in my pocket and I didn't want to break the spell by getting up to look for some more, so watching it was rather a soggy experience. In fact, I can't remember when I cried so much at a film. If you haven't seen it, I can thoroughly recommend it.

The novel I carved out time to read was a Medieval romance, A Knight's Vow, by my friend and fellow creative writing tutor, Lindsay Townsend. Again, it had been sitting on my shelf since last term and it was only when our mutual friend, Kimm, told us last week that she was in the middle of reading it that I thought I'd better get on and read my copy too.

I wasn't sure at the very beginning whether I was going to like it, but by the second or third chapter I was really caught up in the feelings of the central characters and then I found it very hard to put down - I began reading it on Friday and finished it on Saturday. Lindsay certainly knows her history (she studied medieval history at university), and the details she includes are fascinating. If you would like to read an extract, log on to Lindsay's website, which I designed. It's at www.lindsaytownsend.co.uk.

If you don't normally read fiction, why not make it your goal for the month to read a novel. You'll find it makes a refreshing change from sitting in front of the telly all evening.

'Christmas Comes But Once a Year!'

When I was young, the run-up to the Christmas season used to last about a month. Santa would arrive in the big shops, and we children would get excited about our annual visit to see him. The silver Christmas trees would appear on the canopy of McGills, the department store opposite my flat, just as they had the year before and the year before that - in those thrifty days it didn't seem necessary to change the Christmas decorations annually.

But over the years, shops have gradually extended their Christmas shopping season. When my son was small, I used to think it began at half term, in the last week of October. That was when the shops were beginning to stock up with Christmas cards and gifts.

But this year, I was rather shocked to discover that my favourite local garden centre was already setting up its Christmas displays before the kids had even gone back to school after their summer holidays! Lots of other shops seem to be getting in on the act, too - even Lidl!

It seems a bit of a shame to me, as it's hard to stay excited about Christmas when you're thinking about it for a third of the year, instead of just a month. But on the other hand, what about those people for whom Christmas doesn't come just once a year? People who may be having their Christmas celebration at an unseasonal time?

It might be because the family can't get together at Christmas, so they're rescheduling it to fit in with them. Perhaps someone isn't sure that they'll still be alive and well enough to celebrate Christmas in December, so they're making the most of the time they have left. I have even heard of someone who is so mad about Christmas that they celebrate it every day of the year! I don't think I could cope with that much Christmas pudding though!

Why not use this as a trigger for your writing? You could write an opinion piece about how we've lost the spirit of Christmas by having the shops full of Christmas tat for months on end.

Or maybe you'd prefer a short story about someone who is celebrating Christmas in an unusual setting or at an unusual time of year. You might have a central character who is obsessed with Christmas or one who hates it and can't wait till it's over for another year. What would happen if they were thrown together?

One thing is sure - if you want to submit your Christmas story to a magazine, you'd better get a move on. Magazines really do start planning early for Christmas.

'You Shall Go to the Class!'

One of the most frustrating aspects of teaching in adult education is that for part-timers like me, who are paid by the hour for the classes we actually teach, our teaching hours and our income depend on getting enough students to enrol for our courses.

One of my courses had particularly low numbers this year, and we spent the last fortnight fearing that we might not be able to continue as the powers that be had told us our course would be cancelled unless we got more students. It was very frustrating both for me and for the students not knowing whether we would only last two lessons instead of twelve.

Fortunately, we have been given a reprieve and allowed to continue until the end of term, which is a great relief. We'll now be able to settle down and get on with the work we want to do without worrying about numbers and fretting over people who've not turned up to the class.

It's a bitter-sweet victory as we know that our survival probably means that another course will have been cancelled instead of ours and one of the other tutors will have lost some of her income. But we're glad the decision went our way.

Apparently, one of the factors which swayed the powers that be was the fact that the students were prepared to put an advert in the local paper at their own expense to try to attract more class members. It was regarded as proof of their commitment.

As far as I'm concerned, it's an indication that you should never say never - miracles do happen! Sometimes it does pay to take the initiative, even though you may feel like a small cog in a big wheel.