Novel

So I’ve been reviewing the plan I made for my crime novel, I’ve come to a few conclusions.

1. There are 4 chapters I can completely remove as they are not required – They are more explanatory in nature and aren’t necessary to the storyline
2. The main character should be the focus which is why removing the same 4 chapters I mentioned in point 1 (which don’t have him in) is required
3. I think they way I envisioned the story was more like a film than a novel so I put the 4 chapters in that don’t need to be there, the events in them can be replayed in a condensed form in later chapters.
4. I think I will have to add more back story to my main character to give depth and engage with the reader

Now that I have done this I think I will be able to bang out a full first draft sometime before the end of July this year.

I think I posted a full version of my novel plan on here some years ago.

Developing New Poem

So I’ve been watching a lot more “stuff” since this whole lockdown started. I watched the Michael Fassbender version of “Macbeth” a few nights ago and it has inspired some words into my mind, now I have no idea if these words are any good but heres whats come along so far…

These foul waters filled with the soulless corpses of mine enemies
Linger in my crowded mind
Restless in the moment
Stillness is illusive as light seeks the darkness
Tortures and temptations follow me in equal measure
Fables favour fortunes of great time and seeds of sour salt
Free from guilt yet stained with flesh damned forever
Deeds done and deeds undone
The gods weep for those that have fallen to the sword
Believers and nonbelievers alike
Friends put to the sword forbearers with sin and foulness
The dead rise beside me
In warm sunshine and tapered cold shadows
Whispering in the air such ignominious of thought

I’m not even sure it makes sense, guess I’ll have to press on and see what else pops into my mind.

Thought For The Day

Mortality, knowing that we each have a finite amount of time on this earth is for many a distant thought if thought at all.
As we pass through our existence events happen in our lives that bring such thoughts into mind.
The current COVID-19 health emergency is one of those “events”. For some it is the thought of losing someone close to them, for others it is their very own mortality that is brought into focus.
To know that one day you will be no more, just a distant memory in someone else’s head does give pause for thought.
It makes you think about what you have done, what you want to do. The people you know and care about, what will you leave behind.
Perhaps these questions and others like them are a “gift” made possible by the current COVID-19 health emergency. An opportunity to reflect on our lives, make decision’s otherwise left to ponder and waste away, change direction, make ourselves better and in doing so make the world around us better.
Maybe hiding away diverting ourselves with on-demand TV, the internet and the many other distractions available to us in this digital age is the wrong approach.
Perhaps instead we should take this opportunity to look into ourselves and the world around us, a good look at what we see. What can we change, what can we make better and what can we discard? After all we won’t be here forever, it’s what we leave behind for those that come next that really matters.

Writing

Well it looks like very soon I’ll have plenty of free time to write. It’s only a matter of time before my work will either close down or reduce work hours as more and more people stay at home.

The whole situation is like something out of a disaster movie, I never would have imagined I’d see panic buying of toilet roll (when they say the shits going to hit the fan they didn’t mean it literally).

Lucky for me I live out in the countryside so going out for a walk with the minimum amount of contact with other people is quite easy to achieve, unlike people living in large towns & cities. I still have to be careful though as both my brother & father are in high risk groups so I don’t want to bring this virus home with me.

I’ve still got my crime novel & a short story to finish as well as a few poems on the go and a few new novel ideas forming in my head as well.

Creativity

Recently I’ve started trying to kick-start my creativity, I’ve been in a bit of a rut for the last few months and it’s getting boring now.

Usually I’d go out and take some photos on a long walk but the weather has been so dire it’s kind of put the brakes on it for a while. The last proper walk I’ve been on was to Cissbury Ring back at the end of December. It was so peaceful (well mostly), the cold air and the view had a positive effect on me, it’s one of the reasons why I want to go up Snowdonia at the end of May this year. I can’t put my finger on it but the peace and the view has a calming effect, I actually felt really happy!

Maybe I’ll get more opportunities to go out and about when I start my Photography Masters Degree at the end of September, combining poetry and photography might lend itself to my studies.

Lines for a new poem

A couple of lines just came to me last night, I had to rush to write them down before I forgot.

Cold is the world as dawn devours night

Early light strikes the fallen mist

It’s a good starting point for a new poem I think.

Storytelling

I have a quick question that has been on my mind for a while.

Can you tell a story as a poem? I don’t mean some anecdotal tale but a proper story, a small moment in time expressed as a poem rather than using a conventional method?

I have a poem that I have been writing on and off for some time now which I think could lend itself to this kind of storytelling poem.

 

Video

New Poem

First draft of a brand new poem I have been writing

Numb

I dull my mind with endless noise

Instant video instant music what a choice

Escaping to another place

To someone else’s space

Not moving from my seated form

Headphones resting upon my ears

Apathy still reigns supreme

Despite my seated dream

To what end can I seek

Is it me?

Am I weak?

Hour after hour passes by

Daylight turns to night

Soon slumber will make its call

Then I shall fall till next I rise

The day starts anew once more

But will I fall once more?

©Anthony Da Vall 2019, All Rights Reserved

Poetry Submissions

I have been thinking about submitting some of my poems to a few publications but as I have published most of them on here already they consider them to be published work so I have to write new ones.

I have two on the go at the moment and hope to complete them soon.

I also have an idea for a new novel that I am developing as well.