Juggling Balls, Spinning Plates and Other Metaphors

I feel that I am definitely into the PhD now. I keep oscillating (with a degree of panic) between the thesis and the novel. In terms of the thesis I need to read a significant number of novels; thirty five published pre-1930 and thirty six post-1930. I am hoping to read all the pre-1930 novels before Christmas and am already fourteen down. I am also busy sourcing them all as cheaply as possible (preferably free). Then there are the critical theory sources to track down and read and I am also making good progress on that. I had a wobble last week because the draft framework for the thesis just wasn’t correct. I had drafted it as part of my application but of course subsequent research has impacted on it. I have re-cast it slightly and can now sleep more soundly.
In terms of the novel, I am going through a very interesting phase. I have now drafted 21% (yes that extra 1% is important) and am therefore becoming comfortable with the tone, characters etc. The most interesting aspect is that there appear to be a plethora of accepted motifs, structures etc related to WW1 fiction. I am referring primarily to novels of the time. These novels are, in turn, closely related to memoir. I have just finished re-reading Paul Fussell’s The Great War and Modern Memory (I love it and strongly recommend it) and it would seem that I have already incorporated some of these motifs etc in my draft so far. This is presumably because I have been totally absorbed in the subject matter. I am seeing my novel in a new way. It is story supported by a detailed narrative but it can also be read in different ways depending on the reader’s knowledge of the socioeconomic, political and cultural context. Whereas I previously felt that I was creating something in a fairly linear fashion, I now feel as if I am weaving a mesh. Research for the novel regarding what my characters could and could not have done was necessary but extensive reading around the place of WW1 novels in a cultural context has been invaluable. What does this all mean to a contemporary writer attempting a WW1 novel? Well that takes me back to the thesis...

Graduation

I graduated yesterday with my MA. It was a really lovely day and it was great to have my parents there. It was strange graduating while still studying but I have to say that the various speeches and seeing the PhD students spurred me on.
At my last tutorial, we agreed a deadline of next July for a first full length draft. I have found this very helpful as I was aiming for almost twice that length of time. This week I have drafted a further 3,500 words and now feel that I am in the world of my novel.

Tutorial Three

I had another tutorial today. I was a little nervous, to be honest. It is hard to maintain confidence in your writing when you work alone for most of the time. There were two main areas of feedback. Firstly, I am still guilty of 'telling not showing'. The main reason I seem to keep doing this is that I am trying to get a first draft down and intend to go back and then start looking at it paragraph by paragraph, adding layers of detail. This is all very well but must be very frustrating for my tutor. Secondly, my protagonist is passive. Apparently this is not unusual for a new writer, particularly a woman writing about a woman. Again, I knew that I was doing this – I mentioned it in my post Journey’s End. Why, then, did I not address it before submitting it to my tutor? I had taken that chapter away with me on holiday with the phrases ‘What is her goal, what does she want?’ written in large letters across it but something was just blocking me. Anyway, the tutorial seems to have unlocked something. I came home and wrote five hundred words in half an hour, purely about her. I feel that I really met my protagonist this afternoon.
I have now reached the 10,000 words mark which is helping me psychologically. My tutor asked if would have a first draft by the end of this year. I must have looked rather stressed and we ended up agreeing on a first draft by next July. I really have to push now that the first six month ‘bedding in’ period is over, which included the bulk of the research. The only problem is that there is the small matter of the thesis. I have to keep the work on that going as well. Thankfully I am so enthused about the subject of my novel and thesis that I can put in the hours and still love it.

The Somme

I’ve just returned from a trip to the Somme. It was an incredibly moving experience. Not only was it research for the novel but also family research; my grandfather served in the RAMC. In terms of the memorials and cemeteries, it didn’t matter how much I had read and seen on the internet there was no substitution for actually being there. Particularly those cemeteries that mark advanced dressing stations where my grandfather worked. The scale of the losses is really brought home when standing at Thiepval or the Pozières Cemetery. There has been an impact on my writing in several ways. Firstly, there are some minor changes to be made in terms of the plot – visits to various museums highlighted some things that my protagonist just would not have or could not have done. Secondly, the novel has come alive for me. Although some of the villages I visited were completely destroyed, some of the towns further back still retain some buildings that my protagonist would have seen. But it’s more than that; there is something about the essence of the place. Finally, I am aware of the responsibility of writing about this period. There is a fine line between story, memory and memorial.

Talismans

In every issue of Mslexia (a writing magazine), one of the featured writers is asked to describe their writing method. I normally read this section out of curiosity rather than a need to find a method to employ; everybody is different. However, the writer featured in the latest edition – Mary Hoffman – drew my attention more than most. For the first time I came across someone who I can relate to; “you wish you could find an expert to consult for every aspect,” “...you compulsively check e-mail and Twitter, sometimes mid-sentence,” “you find blue ink disturbing,” etc. She mentions something else that applies to me and that is having a talisman that represents the book that I’m writing on. On my desk I have a WW1 postcard with a scene that represents the central scene and title of my novel. I also have a number of photos that I have collected via e-Bay which are close to hand whenever I want to be reminded of what my protagonist is likely to have looked like. Does anyone else have a talisman related to their writing project?

Journey's End

This week I went to see a production of R.C. Sheriff's Journey's End produced and directed by David Grindley. I cannot praise it enough. The staging and the acting was wonderful and I just about managed to keep it together before the lights went up. It is a very emotional exerience. I've found that going to the theatre often helps me to see my writing from a different perspective. Every one of the characters in Journey's End is very distinctive and I found myself reflecting on chapter three of my novel; the chapter that I re-worked this week. It is based on dialogue and due to research the character that my protagonist meets is well developed. However, I was writing that chapter through my protagonist rather than about my protagonist meeting this character. As a result it is unbalanced. I need to go back and make sure the balance is redressed. There is no point my novel being full of interesting characters if my protagonist becomes invisible.

It’s All Academic Really

This week I attended a Post Graduate School induction for new researchers. This is all very new to me (although I have a BA (Hons) and MA I have been in the world of work for years), so I found it very useful. A Creative Writing PhD is a bit unusual as although there is a thesis, there is also a novel to produce as well. This means that the academic element e.g. presenting papers at conferences and submitting posters is not at the forefront of my mind. To be fair, though, I have only been going at it for five months. Spurred on by the induction, I have now joined Academia.Edu which facilitates networking between researchers. I have also researched upcoming conferences but have to say that due to the subject matter of my studies I have drawn a blank. I have hopes for next year. This week has also been busy in terms of study. I have finished the further background research on chapter three and redrafted the latter. I did eight hundred words today which is a record for me. I also went to the Imperial War Museum and spent another day with the sound archives.