The Shining

Do I ever do anything except photograph my children? Well, yes, mostly I work. But that's too excruciatingly dull to talk about. And I cook. But I've been bored with that too ...

So I did something I've been wanting to do for years and signed up for a writing course. Yes yes yes, I write for a living, but that's horrid commercial writing. I mean 'creative' (choke) writing. I'm doing it online - a) because I hate people (and I don't want to sit in a circle reading things out and being embarrassed); and b) because I can do it any time it suits me. I have finished the first week. I'm not sure what I think of it. There is some good writing being posted; and some utter shite, I am sad to report. We get feedback a couple of times a week from our 'tutor', and we also have to write two lots of feedback on other people's work for every piece we post ourselves. My question is - because I'm a horrible cynic - if we have to say nice things (even when we may not be thinking them) - why should we believe anything our tutor says about our writing? Surely HE'S just being nice too ...

Oh yeah, I called this post The Shining because I have been re-reading it. As Stephen King himself has said, it has its flaws, but geez it's scary. The other night I had to get Andrew to escort me to the loo because I was too damn scared to go by myself. Imagine being able to scare someone that much with your writing. Cool.