Saturday 7 May 2011

Progress Report / Disturbing Influences

Progress Report

My current poem is definitely approaching the 'end game', although it will probably be several more days before it's completed to my satisfaction. I did a full read-through of all I've done so far and it took me almost exactly 13 minutes, which is long by my standards... and I have long standards! In fact only 'Little Red Ruby's Head' is any longer (24 minutes). Perhaps this one will get close but I doubt it will be any longer.

It's never my intention to sit down and write a poem of a particular length. I just tell the story until the story is told. In fact with this one I've spent the last few days going back to insert extra stanzas because I'd passed over certain aspects of the tale a little too lightly. Equally, I don't try to pad things out either. If I've spent several hours writing half a dozen lines and those lines don't work, out they go.

I've been spending an enormous amount of time putting each word into place, perhaps because this poem is more 'literary' than anything I've written before. This is far from the light touch I've used on the 'fractured fairy tales' I've written - I've really been trying to use the power of the English language to set the tone and draw you into the story.

Work continues, so we'll see how good it is when it's done.



Disturbing Influences

Perhaps I don't really need to say much about this video. It is, however, somewhat related to the poem I'm writing, so please bear in mind I'm working from this picture when you watch (as much as you can stomach of) this video:



Music: Orplid - Auferstehung