Rae of Light

Several years ago now, due to a serious lack of money round about the festive season, I decided I was no longer going to dole out Christmas gifts. Little did I know this announcement would make some of my friends and family view me as a scrooge . I forgot that people are not privy to my inner thoughts and didn't understand my internal processes. So I think it's time I set the record straight. Christmas, for me, has always been a truly joyous time of year. My childhood was full to the brim with wonderful Christmas experiences. My favourite thing of all was the never ending visiting of friends and family we got to do. And believe you me, there were lots of those. My parents had an extensive social circle and more cousins than you could shake a stick at . I've never really known what that expression means but I'm using it anyway. You see, it was never about the presents. Birthdays, in my view, are when the presents count the most...

For all you Sharp Dark Things [ SDT ] devotees, Sarah has once again been working her artistic magic. The two of us always meet in a little cafe called Gaby 's on Leicester Square. I interrupted the peace and quiet of the place with my exclamations of delight at the sight of Sarah's latest offering. Customers dropped bits of salt beef sandwich and spilled their drinks at my exuberance. But when you see her drawing you'll agree that I was totally justified. While Sarah has been working her favourite HB pencil down to a nub, I continue to edit SDT . At the moment I have it resting, like a good wine or whisky. I often find that if I'm a little stuck with a project (e.g. I know it needs drastic measures but am not entirely sure what those measures are) then setting it aside for a time always means I can see it with fresh eyes when I come back to it. In the case of SDT , this setting aside has happened 3 times. This suggests to me it's going to be o...

                     Caroline Natzler Caroline Natzler is a poet and creative writing teacher. Her first book was a collection of autobiographically based short stories, Water Wings , published by Onlywomen Press. Her poetry collections are Speaking the Wetlands (Pikestaff Press), Design Fault (Flambard Press), Smart Dust (Grenadine Press) and Fold (Hearing Eye). She teaches at the City Lit in London and also runs small private classes.   At Last                                       I slip along the organised, brimming canals                         ...

While on a writing holiday in Skyros (2005), I made the conscious decision to leave teaching and become a full time writer. During this time I've attended a plethora of writing courses and have had the privilege to meet several fabulous poets. One of these , Caroline Natzler , has graciously agreed to be interviewed for my blog. I met Caroline about two years after my decision to take my writing more seriously when I joined a writing class at City Lit . The large group environment didn't suit me. So I signed up for Caroline's privately run small group sessions. Cover photograph: Nathan Vidler It is mainly due to the critique and support I found in these sessions that I completed my first novel, Six Dead Men and began sending it off to agents. I had little joy in this department but as many of you know I subsequently published it as an e-novel through Autharium . Now the sales of my book have not made me millions. But the sense of pride an...

It always fascinates me that while I'm almost OCD about my filing and work area. I can be a total mess in some parts of my home. I'm fastidious about the kitchen and bathroom.   But a sort of clutter can accumulate in other areas, namely the living room, kitchen counter and my bedroom.   I sort of just forget to put away clean laundry or hang things over the chair by my dressing table instead of putting them back in drawers and wardrobes. I also seem to sort of forget to hoover as regularly as I should. Do I have some sort of split personality?  This summer I've done more writing than ever. I have completed the first draft of a new novel in a month and a half.  Yes, completed! Thank you. The applause and fireworks are much appreciated. And I put this down to the OCD side of my nature and reading stuff . I read several things in June and July which may have prompted this side of me to...

  To me it is obvious that programmes like Inkhead are clearly an experience children need. I wasn't even aware of how much I needed it till I started working with Louise. My need to write is on a par with my need to teach. I think it's built into my dna as both my maternal grandfather and mother were teachers. I love the buzz I get when I see that certain something click in a student's mind, the hunched shoulders relax and a smile of relief appears. And more than anything, I love that I was able to give that opportunity. There is no doubt in my mind that children relish the clubs and courses. I've watched shy youngsters become more confident in a matter of days. I've seen reluctant writers produce and complete a story in no more than 9 hours. And I've seen children's writing progress in giant leaps. But I'm not going to wax on. Their testimonials speak for themselves. The Inkhead facebook page also has countless photos of...

September is all about back to school.  So I'm running a special feature on Inkhead .  If you don't know what it is, read on and find out more. Louise Pearce is the founder of Inkhead which runs creative writing workshops for children aged 7 – 14. The main aim of these workshops is to inspire and encourage children to write fiction. Inkhead runs after school clubs during term time and workshops in half terms and the Summer holidays. Louise and I met because I picked up one of her flyers at Carnegie Library and thought, “This is the perfect job for me. I wonder if they need tutors?.” At the time I was unemployed and keeping several wolf packs at bay at my door. A few emails later and an interview was arranged. It took place in a coffee shop at the bottom of Herne Hill. I've never been so camomile tea relaxed and caffeine nervous all at the same time. I needn't have worried. It transpired that Louise and I have a great ...