Reading and being pampered

I am in the middle of reading Tiger by Geoffrey Malone, as part of my MA in Writing for Children. After our reading week, this week, I am supposed to give a presentation on the book and author.

So far, I am quite enjoying the read, although the subject of tigers does not particularly interest me. However, I cannot for the life of me find any detailed information about the author who has not responded to my email. Perhaps he did and it got lost in cyberspace or perhaps my email to him went down a deep, dark, black hole in the vastness of the internet- something like this:


I may approach his editor whose email I also have. In any case I am considering how best to give my presentation and what to include. As part of my studies, I am also reading Junk by Melvin Burgess and am due to read Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins. I am glad I have this two week half term to do all of this. Otherwise I would be seriously falling behind. I need to also complete a 1000 word writing assignment for the MA and re-read Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde as I will be teaching this to my fast track GCSE students when I go back to work.

It is comforting then to be visiting my Dad and his wife; I do not have to worry about having to cook and clean and I can be pampered for once. Unfortunately I may get too used to all of this and may even have to resort to employing a housekeeper ... when I make my millions of course?!!!

The Return of the Muse

Okay, yesterday, at my MA class, I was seriously inspired. Perhaps it was the exercise. Perhaps it was the timing.

Whatever it was, I have a new idea for a novel which I am going to work with. I have to say that sadly once again I'm going for gritty realism. I wish I could do magic or something surreal, but it seems that magic and fantasy just aren't up my alley, at the moment.

Maybe they will come to me at a later date. My adult novel is on hold currently but with my half term coming up I am really looking forward to getting some reading and writing done. I think I have found my muse once more.

MA in Writing for Children

Following requests to post about my MA in Writing For Children, here I am posting about it.

As I am doing the course part time over two years, I attend one weekly session at the Winchester site for three hours. So far I have attended two sessions. My first was an introduction to the course and to my current module Creativity led by Judy Waite.

So far, the sessions have been a mixture of discussion and writing. Last week we discussed Roald Dahl's BFG and did a little bit of linked creative writing. Previous to this, we took part in a writing exercise stimulated by some secret objects.

This week we'll be discussing The Bad Beginning and following up on some creative writing homework. Yes, we get homework! And this week, having had a cough and cold to contend with, getting the homework sorted has been a challenge!

Other students following the course on a full time basis cover another module but as far as my experience of the course so far...so far so good!