It makes me think

A couple of days ago I mentioned that I’ve been reading ‘Undercurrent’, by the Cornish writer, Natasha Carthew and I commented that her book is “offering a masterclass in how to write, and makes me think I am too complacent and easily satisfied in what I write. I comment here that my writing is often inspired by observation, but maybe I’m observing through a writing telescope and perhaps should learn to use a writing microscope from time to time.”

I have only a couple more chapters to read, and I am even more in awe of her writing – the content is fascinating, it’s autobiographical, political, makes social commentary, but also vividly descriptive of place – land, littoral and sea,  and of the natural world too. However, it’s not just the subject which has made such an impact on me, it’s not just her brilliant and vivid use and choice of language, it’s the perceptive and accurate observation which she has stored – in the notes, poems, writings from being a small child, and the memories which she recalls,, replays, relays to us in her work.

I don’t want to write in imitation of Natasha, or emulate her, I want to work harder on my own writing and try and stretch myself and not be complacent. If I say writing is easy for me, I’m not being boastful, it just is – writing is easy for me, I’m very practised at it, and that’s not to say all of what I write is of great worth (although I hope some of it has some merit) However, maybe I focus too much on story, the action, even the characters, and not enough on the way  I have written it. This will need a lot of thinking about, and doubtless a lot of practice, and I will probably continue to write my stories as usual, but I hope that I will be able to write other pieces as well, and write them differently.