A Round Of Words - Check-in 19

Again, after switching back to study mode I'm still trying to clamber back on to the wagon. I was hoping to finish the assignment yesterday but I've hit a bit of a block for the last two poems I need to write. It will be done and emailed off today. The delay has also put me behind on my rewrites for assignment 1.

Since the last check in, I've evaluated poems 3 and 4.
Friday night, I finally hit delete on the original prologue of Shroud and added about 120 words to the new prologue to get it back on course.

Areas I really need to focus on:
Rewrites from Assignment 1 (about 4 left)
Read and critique more poetry from Staying Alive
Pace myself better.

See how the rest of the participants are doing:

The Friday 56 - The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

It's that simple.


My selection this week is from The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James


It was a pity that, somehow, to settle this once for all, I had equally to re-enumerate the signs of subtlety that, in the afternoon, by the lake had made a miracle of my show of self-possession.

A Round Of Words - Check-in 18

Thanks to everyone for commenting on my last check-in. I appreciate the writing community and support from you guys, much of writing is about working blind in a cave sometimes and I'm loathe to leave things hanging.

My new revised goals are to study 5 out of 7 days and work on Shroud one night, giving myself a night off. The current schedule can be read here. I'll be revising it all again on Sunday in preparation for section 3 of my course module. I'm hoping to use Thursday night to start getting some exercise back into my life as well.

I also spent some time today fleshing out the plot for novella 6 (which could be my most hardcore horror one yet) and getting to grips with my antagonists outfit for novella 2.

It's time to start crossing the finish line with everybody.

New Game plan

Ok switching back to full time study mode before I get any more bogged down and to incorporate those essential extra curriculum activities that will test and improve my learning.

This will take me up to Sunday when I'll plan for the following week. I am also extremely reluctant to leave Shroud sitting at the halfway mark, I hate the in progress folder on my hard drive. I'll be studying five days a week, working on Shroud one day a week and give myself one night off.

I'll replace my current To Do page over the weekend.

Day by Day activities:

Tuesday - Evaluate last two poems written for assignment

Read and critique one poem from staying alive

Wednesday

write and evaluate poem for assignment

Thursday - night off but will probably do some general reading

Friday - Work on new prologue for Shroud to fix boo-boo

Saturday - Last poem to write and evaluate for assignment. Submit assignment

Sunday - rewrite sound incorporating feed back and title

Evaluate rewritten version of sound

Read and evaluate one poem from staying alive

Begin section 3 coursework

Plan following weeks activities

Listen to poetry please

A Round Of Words - Check-in 17

I'm loathe to drop out of ROW80 but working on a novella and studying in my spare time is not letting me really focus on what I need to be doing. I fell of the wagon this last week after trying to switch back over to studying. Got stumped on the assignment and missed my deadline.

There are huge amounts of reading, analysing and rewriting to do for my course and with Shroud in the way I can't devote my energies. So I'm switching back over to studying and only studying, I just hope Shroud will survive the desertion.

Guidelines are that I should be putting in at least 8 hours a week for my studying and this time allotment doubles for the higher level modules.

I'm going to clear the current module out the way which will take around 4 months and hopefully finish Shroud before starting the next module which covers poetic forms in more detail.

Hope everyones doing well

Website Updates

Monthly round up of website updates and other tidbits:

You can now follow me on Good Reads
Horror Poets updated
Writing Reflections updated
Heart Of Darkness review added
Issue 2 of Dark Metre now online
Teasers updated
Writing prompts updated

Recent blog posts you may have missed:
Review - We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Friday 56 - We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson
A Round Of Words - Check in 16
My horror poem Sand Man

Have a great weekend all

Review - We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson

Synopsis: 2 sisters live alone in the family home with their sick uncle. The equilibrium of their lives is upset when their cousin comes to visit.

Review: We Have Always Lived in the Castle feels like a gothic fairytale. The 1st person narration tells the story from the eyes of an outsider feared by the local villagers. The narrator Mary Katherine is extremely likeable despite her kookiness and flights of fancy, the books opening lines drag us right into her mind.

Much of the sisters lives are steeped in upholding family traditions and customs and sticking rigidly to routine. The fear and suspicion of the villagers builds throughout the story to its hysterical climax changing the sisters lives forever.

This can be read as a simple story or you can unpick its many complexities. I was gripped by the book and sympathising with the two sisters despite the wrongs they were accused of.

Rating: 4/5

The Friday 56 - We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

It's that simple.


I'm reading this one at the moment and loving it so far.I expect I'll have the review up in the next few days.


It's We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson


I had been sent to bed without any supper, I had not been allowed in the courtroom, no one had taken my picture.