A.L. Michael's Blog, page 19

How to Write More in 2014

 

So, who made a new years resolution to write more? Are you working on new projects, or you just want to get yourself back in the habit? I’ve jumped into 2014 with the realisation that I have about three months (thought I’m desperately begging my publisher otherwise!) to finish the next novel. Now, considering I had absolutely NOTHING, I almost freaked out. And then I got writing. So maybe a little pressure is a good thing!

Here’s a couple of ideas me and some friends are working on to increase our writing this year:

- Writing in a different environment. I work from home, and as much as I love it, things can get a bit samey. Some writers will tell you routine is key, and I’m not going to argue with them. But a different environment to shake it up can really get your writing going! Natalie Goldberg, in Writing Down the Bones, suggests going to a cafe to write. Make sure there’s comfy seats, it’s not crazy busy, and you’re actually hungry! Plus, if you’re taking up a table for a while, make sure you tip well! I went to Drink Shop Do in Kings Cross, which is my favourite London cafe so far. I went in knowing I wanted to write, and came out knowing my characters and rough plot! Inject some life into your writing routine! Plus, treating yourself to a decent snack never hurt the senses, did it?

-Writing Together. My friend (and writer and blogger and publisher extraordinaire) Sara Veal and I have decided to have writing dates. We take turns picking a venue, sit together, write for a while, break and have a chat, write for a while, and so on. Probably until I drink wine and end up too drunk to write! Hemmingway, I am not. 

-Talk About It… This is what I absolutely love about having friends in the same field. I can chat to my friend Louise Davidson (scriptwriter and drama genius) about what I’m up to, and she’ll get it! I got a text the other day saying she fixed a plot twist and felt like a genius. And I got it! Those little fiddly bits of writing, where you can spend hours trying to sort something really simple, can drive you mad and it’s great to have some support!

-But Also Be About It… This doesn’t mean everyone wants to hear the whole plot of your novel. In fact, I’d avoid doing that. Firstly, because if you’re taking up a whole conversation with a play by play, no-one’s going to appreciate your company, and no-one’s going to buy your book! Also, it tends to make it a bit dry when you come to write it. So, share your enthusiasm, your progress, you irritations, but this is your story. If you’re not going to write it, there’s no point talking about it. Get to it!

Stationary- I don’t know about you, but buying a new notebook for a project really gets me excited! It took me forty five minutes in Paperchase to choose the right one the other day. #writerproblems

Don’t Get Ahead of Yourself- Not to get all business-speak on you, but the problem with most excellent writers is that they don’t have a product. Talk the talk, blog, get excited, make contacts, look up publishers…but you need something to show them! Don’t make promises on what you think you can do- just do it! Lock yourself down and get going!

Read! I know a lot of writers who don’t read whilst they’re writing a book, incase it distracts them from their story. To each their own, but if you’re not reading fiction, then you should at least be looking at blogs, newspapers and just keeping engaged with the world. If we’re retreating into our own minds for sufficient periods of time, it’s good to get back into the world every now and then. Ideas come from within, but inspiration comes from the external world. The more you see, read and experience,the more you’re likely to get ideas!

Trust your process- You might not write every day. You might write when you feel like it. Some days may bring pages, others may have one great idea. If you know how and when you work best, trust that it works for you! We all work differently, and as they say, comparison is the thief of joy! Trust that you do this because you enjoy it, so make it enjoyable for you!

 

 

I wish you all a creative and inspiring 2014! Please do follow my twitter @almichael and my facebook Author Page to keep up to date with the release of my ‘snarky chick lit’ novel The Last Word being published by Carina UK in the coming months! You’ll be hearing more about it soon! 

Plus, be aware of my East London Literary Festival Words With Edge

Tagged: 2014, almichael, carina, Dizraeli, dizraeli and the small gods, drink shop do, festival, hollie mcnish, how to write, inspiration, kings cross, literary festival, london, motivated to write, natalie goldberg, publishing, red door studios, slam poetry, slambassadors, the last word, words with edge, write more, writing down the bones

Words With Edge Fest

So, as my residency at Red Door Studios draws to a close, I have one BIG project left: Words With Edge Literary Festival. (See our excellent Poster designed by Lauren Stone at the bottom.)

So, what is Words With Edge? Simply, it’s a lit fest without the pretension. You don’t have to be a writer, you don’t have to be a reader, you just have to be open to experiencing new things! And we’ve got some brilliant stuff:

Dizraeli
Hollie Mcnish (workshop AND performance!)
Slambassadors
Clare Murphy
Workshops by Steven Sparling, Louise Davidson and myself, varying from how to market as an artist, scriptwriting, and writing for wellness. Plus Steven will be using his talents as a voice specialist to show you how to SPEAK UP! What’s a writer if they can’t read it out?!
Joz Norris’ excellent Edinburgh Fringe Show ‘Awkward Prophet’
Carmina Masoliver
The Roundhouse graduated Early Doors Collective
Myths of the Near Future
4’33′ Magazine
Talks and stalls by Atlantic Books, Stairwell Books and many more!
A short play by The Woodhouse Players
A Literary Themed Red Doors Pub Quiz with Treehouse Quizzes
AND Story themed CAKE CLUB!

AND MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!

I’m really excited to  be running my first Writing for Wellness Workshop, following on from my studies in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes at the Metanoia Institute. It should be a thoroughly creative week of events, workshops, classes and talks, as well as first class performances!

 

GET EXCITED!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tagged: atlantic books, creative writing, Dizraeli, east ham, east london, festival, hollie mcnish, lapidus, literary festival, literature, metanoia, myths of the near future, newham, slam, slambassadors, spoken word, stairwell books, words with edge, writing

Stories, Festivals and Studying

Hey there,

Long time no write!  A little update on a few of the bits and pieces that I’m up to at the moment:

The new novel- it’s coming along painstakingly slowly, mainly because whilst I adore jumping back and forth through time and perspective, I hate the necessity of dates and detail in those jumps. Not that this is a time travel book. I’m just interested in nostalgia. Anyway, the book now has a title: Little Birds. I quite like it. 

This is a link to a piece of work by David Apps called No Birds Do Sing that inspired me, and I would absolutely love to use as the cover.

Birds are a theme, obviously.

In other news:

I’ve started an MsC in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes, which is at the Metanoia Institute in Ealing- It’s brilliant and you’ll be hearing a lot more from me on the therapeutic power of writing workshops as I go along in the course. Words have so much power, not only to create, but to heal. It’s honestly amazing.

Also:

I’m setting up a Lit Fest in January at Red Door Studios where I’m the writer in residence. It’s called Words With Edge and it’s about ways of telling stories, about not fearing the isolation and disconnectedness of not being a ‘reader’, when we all have a story of value to share and express. So far, we’ve got a bunch of brilliant people on the line up- including Hollie Mcnish, and Roundhouse graduates the Early Doors Collective. The festival will run from 24th – 30th January 2014  and includes performances, workshops, exhibition, interactive installations and stalls, talks, and lots more! 

If you want to get involved, you can email wordswithedgefest@gmail.com and we’ll start tweeting on @wordswithedge soon!

 

 

Tagged: al michael, david apps, early doors collective, east ham, hollie mcnish, lit fest, metanoia, newham, red door studios, red doors e6, words with edge festival, workshops, writing, writing for therapy

Why I’m not Offended by ‘Blurred Lines’ and I’m Getting Really Tired of Hearing About It.

There has been a crazy amount of backlash against Blurred Lines, mainly because the video is ‘explicit’ and ‘degrades women’. I’m not arguing about the video here, although I find the concept that people are still surprised that women are sauntering around half naked in music videos surprising. Blurred Lines in nowhere near as explicit as any 50 Cent video, or rap or hip hop videos in general.

 

There is, in fact, perhaps because the music is pop, we’re judging it more for not conforming to the norms of ‘pop videos’. The industry is about shock value. If anything, surely the response to Miley Cyrus’ dance moves and provocative clothing this week has shown that. So what are we saying here? Miley’s a slut and the girls in the video are degraded? Is there no room here for women to be half naked in a music video and for it to be their choice?

Oh, I know the response here, because Robin Thicke has clothes in the video, it sends the message that women aren’t worthy of clothes but men are. I think you’re looking into this a little too deeply. It’s a music video for a song that is a drop in the ocean, and possibly a one hit wonder. It’s not trying to set a precedent for male empowerment.

 

I’m going to get a lot of feminists on my back on this one, and I know that the song can definitely be interpreted in an aggressively forward way, but I consider myself a feminist. The only point I’m making is that if we’re spending all our time accusing average songs of ‘attacking’ women, then we’re not really focusing on the bigger issues, like women’s rights, female castration, abortion choices or hundreds of other bigger issues.

 

If you’re the type of feminist who thinks men are going to be swayed to rape just because Robin Thicke sings ‘I know you want it’ then you are severely underestimating the male population, and frankly, becoming an offensive feminist cliche.

 

The Song:

Thicke sings about ‘Blurred Lines’, the difficulty of telling if someone wants you or not. The game that everyone plays, instead of being upfront about what they want. He tells the girl ‘that man is not your maker’ suggesting her boyfriend has been in control of her, and as such, she’s not used to making decisions based on her own desires, but rather, considering what is the correct behaviour.

‘Tried to domesticate you/ But you’re an animal/Baby it’s in your nature’ reinforces this, the fact that desire is a human emotion we’re all capable of and isn’t shameful. If anything, this part of the song is actually positive, encouraging the destruction of the Madonna/Whore idea. We are allowed to own our sexuality and be proud of it. If you meet someone you want to sleep with and do so, there is no shame in that.

 

‘I know you want it’ -Ok, so this is where everyone gets on their high horse about ‘no means no.’ And no DOES mean no. Because we don’t want to set a precedent for rape.  But that certainly doesn’t mean that acting coy doesn’t exist. If anything, we are taught as young women that to take what you want is wrong or selfish. In terms of sex, if we do not act coyly we are eager sluts. If we wait it out, we are playing hard to get. I’m not surprised Robin Thicke is confused, because I certainly am. It’s not like women can’t actually relate to this issue- ‘I do want him, but I don’t want him to think I’m easy’.

So if someone is giving you all the signs that they want you (‘the way you grab me/must wanna get nasty’) but is not actually admitting it because they consider themselves ‘a good girl’ then yes, you’re gonna damn well hate those blurred lines because it’s a stupid game defined by societal norms.

 

The Rap Bit- Yes, here we get to the bit where T.I says he’ll ‘give you something big enough to tear your ass in two’. I kind of get that people get upset about this, but as with rap, everything is about self image, as opposed to the destruction of others. This isn’t ‘Oh, I really want to hurt women, I want to destroy her’, it’s about proclaiming he has a big dick. Plain and simple. Now, if you want to go into certain sexual acts as dominance over women, go ahead, I’m not going near that one at all.

Commercial rap, at it’s core is about ‘having’ things, I have money, I have cars, I have lots of things. And psychologically, what is that probably all a representation of? Yep, ‘I have a big dick.’ Or not.

 

So that’s my thoughts on this. Maybe I’m a silly little girl who can’t see the blatantly obvious anti-feminist themes in the song, but I did a feminist language and culture course, and the thing is, if we decide to hear or see something in a certain context, we will. If I wanted to write an article on how Blurred Lines was offensive to horses, I probably could.

I was just hoping that instead of a continued rant about a fairly average song, we could get back to the real issues, which are more about political agendas and equal pay. If a man raped a woman, and the excuse in court was that he’d been influenced by this song, it wouldn’t stand. So please stop thinking men are stupid. If they rape someone, it’s because they’re an arsehole, not because of a song. If you’re offended by naked women in a video, start lobbying MTV, not attacking individual artists/artistic directors for following a norm.

Actually, screw it, I’m not a feminist, I’m an egalitarian. So let the bashing commence.

Tagged: annoyed, anti-feminist, blurred lines, blurred lines not anti-feminist, consent issues with blurred lines, egalitarian, feminism, feminist language, lyrics, music, obsessive, offensive, pro-choice, pro-woman, rant, robin thicke, society

Paying for Validation: Buying Success.

 

In my post on The Thriving Creative website, I wrote that publication cannot give you validation. That’s not entirely true. What I meant, is that there is a delicate balance between self-belief and the respect of others. To have a publisher wave their magical publishing wand over you is only to tell you two things: they like what you wrote or they think you can make money. Usually, both.

I know writers who spend all their time worrying about whether or not other people like their work. These are usually in the beginning of their career, before being shot down or attacked in writing workshops beats it out of you. Some go the other way, and become so defensive of their masterpiece that they don’t think they need feedback. They know their story, and your opinion (if negative) is void. If it’s positive it just reinforces that they know better.

This is not the writer’s fault- they have responded to the pressure of their work, and unless you can find a balance, it’s hard not to become a dickhead. The problem is that validation becomes both impossible and necessary. ‘I’ve got a book deal’ can be waved in the face of anyone who ever criticised. But a book deal hardly defines quality anymore. It just defines whether something might have a chance of selling.

So what happens to that validation when we can just buy it? If we can afford to self-publish, surely we need no-one’s validation but our own. And yet, that is why self-publishing is still looked down on. If you didn’t think your work was good, you wouldn’t put it out there. If it’s affordable to ‘make’ yourself an author, then why not? Do self-published authors feel they are missing a vital element, do they feel looked down upon in literary society? Or is it the only way for them to ensure a pure vision and retain control?

I am currently working in a studio/gallery where we are considering how we put on exhibitions. Until now, artists have come to us, requested an exhibition, rented the space and done it. But is that how real galleries are run? If you are an artist, hoping to be picked for an exhibition, hoping for that validation of a confirmation, how can you get that by forking over money and just doing it yourself?

I suppose what I’m asking is ‘How do we know we’re any good, if we can buy that belief?’ Does ‘good’ always rely on other people? Or is ‘good’ more about marketing, branding, audience, timing?

To sell your validation (as a printer or a gallery space) is a dangerous thing. People enjoy throwing your name around as if you christened them a genius, and yet, all you’ve done is let them pay to have their own one-horn parade, really. So are you helping or hurting?

I haven’t got any answers here, I’m just assuming that a shortlist exists for a reason, and that rejection makes character, and that something earned instead of bought, will reap more rewards. What do you think?

 

Tagged: arrogant artists, art, being published, curating, east ham, editors, entrepreneurship, galleries, how do I self-published, is my work good enough, red door studios, self-belief, self-publishing better, shortlists, stories, stuck up writers, thriving creative, validation in the arts, writing, writing workshops

Why I Love my Kindle…And Why I Hate Myself For It.

 

I was a steadfast, never-changing, can’t-see-the-point, technology-goes-too-far defender of printed books. The ‘Original Book’ if you will. I spent a year on my MA in Creative Entrepreneurship listening to people defending the uses of e-readers, imploring me to consider changing markets and adapting writing to new ways of reading. I refused. The printed book will never be replaced, and I just wasn’t interested. However, when I needed to start editing other people’s books and stories, and my back was starting to break from dragging my laptop everywhere (which I still do, I’ve just added a kindle to the Big Bag of Doom), I decided to give them a chance.

Reasons I love it:

1. Instantaneous gratification

Ooh, I really want that book. Ooh, it’s coming out today! I can’t get to the shop today. My local bookshop doesn’t stock it. Oh, I don’t want to order it and wait for weeks, I want it NOW. Oh, BLAM, look at that! I have it. Shopping for books is one of the greatest pleasures, I may even prefer it to reading books. Seeing a book that grabs me, and instantly getting to read and enjoy it really feels good.

2. Holidays

I have always been a bookworm. When we went away on holiday, as a kid I had to think very carefully about my packing allowance. I always had three books for the plane (just in case) and five more in my case (for a two week holiday). No more using up all my packing space, weighing down my luggage, or having to make awful torn decisions about which book had to be left behind (poor little thing).

3. People can’t see what you’re reading

I think this was voted the number one favourite thing about e-readers. If I’m reading my typical maudlin YA fiction that I’ve read a hundred times before and probably has nothing to offer me, no one can judge. If I did want to read such absolute shite as Fifty Shades of Grey, or Twilight, I could do so without judgement. Which perhaps should be counted as a negative, as shaming people out of buying such things might be a good idea.

4. Supporting indie authors

It’s pretty easy to publish on Amazon for kindle, or even publish an e-book. For a minimal price, you can instantly support an author trying to make it, you can spend fifty pence and show solidarity without even really having to read the thing. It’s one click to make someone really happy. I’ve found some great stuff on twitter, downloaded it straight to my kindle, and it’s a bit like finding some hidden gems, it wasn’t what you were looking for, but you’re glad you took a chance.

 

And some things I just can’t get over:

 

- People can’t see what you’re reading

As a Londoner, I’m quite averse to unnecessary communications on public transport, BUT sometimes it’s nice to have a chat with another book nerd on a bus. When I worked as a barista, it was really easy to start up a conversation with someone about their book. Reading is an internal thing, but the externalising is the talking about it.

-You can’t lend books!

This absolutely drives me mad. I recently read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, and it was one of the best books I’d read in ages. And whilst I was recommending it to everyone, could I force it on them by physically handing them a copy? No. So e-books are cheaper, but you have to buy them. Again, internalising reading.

-On the beach

There’s something very anti-holiday reading about screens and glare and doohickeys and technology. I like the way my pages get crinkled in the sun, and sand gets between the pages. Getting sand on a kindle-fear.

-I worry about getting mugged

No-one’s ever going to stop me for my copy of Harry Potter, but for an e-reader worth a hundred quid? My reading on the tube makes me feel like I’ve got to stow everything away going to the ‘dodgier’ parts of London. And that’s not nice.

-The Smell

You know what I mean, don’t you?

 

As always, you can buy my book in physical print and on kindle. Because having the best of both is important, right?

 

Tagged: al michael, amazon, amazon books, author, best reads, book lovers, e books, e-readers, e-readers for writers, fifty shades of grey, gillian flynn, gone girl, good books, goodreads, harry potter, indie author, kindle for authors, larmertree festival, mugged for kindle, online, reading, red door studio, self-publishing, stairwell books, twilight, twitter, workshops, writer, writer workshops

It Exists! Wine Dark, Sea Blue, Hard Copy and Kindle!

So, I’ve been a good author and a bad creative entrepreneur. Because my book exists! Wine Dark, Sea Blue has it’s very own special site, and we’ve been busy making it look all pretty, so you lovely people will buy it. Check out the new website here. It’s lovely.

If you modern types would like to download a copy to your kindle, you want to go to Amazon. Please remember that authors want reviews. Pretty much more than anything. Well, preferably good reviews. But interaction is the key here.

 

Stay tuned for my upcoming blogs on How to Deal with the Post-Launch Slump, What to do When you Start to Hate Your Work, and Essential Social Media Tips for Writers.

 

Tagged: A.L. Michael, advice from writer, amazon, amazon books, author, book covers, book launch, coming of age, Debut novel, illustrations, kindle, kindle books, launch party, must read, readers, Sea Blue, social media for writers, stairwell press, tips for writers, Wine Dark, writer, YA fiction, young people

Andi Says RELAX

 

 

When people ask me what my main strength is, I don’t tend to say writing. I tend to say enthusiasm. I am like a child. Give me a task and I’ll see an adventure. On the right day, I may even jump up and down and clap my hands. I love what I do. I love writing, teaching, reading, editing and helping people learn to harness their gift. But goddamn, it’s exhausting sometimes.

Creative Entrepreneurship teaches us that, as artists, we are likely to get our wages from a variety of income streams. The more strings to your bow, the more you can make. Now, I’m not saying a 9-5 isn’t exhausting, but this whole multiple income streams business makes me look like I’m vibrating on a different frequency. You have to be able to switch between projects pretty quickly, as well as travelling, planning, executing, arranging and looking out for new opportunities whilst making sure you don’t lose the ones you already have. Plus there’s social media, which can’t be ignored. What’s the point of doing all this work if no-one knows about it?

I wasn’t this exhausted when I worked a PAYE job, and worked for myself part time. And I got up at 5am most days.

This is the question: Should we do many things, and do them well enough, or do a few and do them brilliantly?

When you split your income stream, you split your focus. If you have to teach to make more money immediately, then the novel gets put on the backburner in order to plan a lesson. Do we end up prioritising away the whole reason for this lifestyle?

When your job splits down into five or six different jobs, and then you consider the average tasks that come with being a human- paying bills, grocery shopping, socialising, doing laundry, going to the bank….how do we ever get stuff done?

I think I’ve found the answer. Or rather, I’ve known the answer all along, I’m just incapable of sticking to it:

CALM THE HELL DOWN.

Frazzled, exhausted minds do not do good work. Unless you’re Hemingway. Or Kerouac.

If we are our own boss, we need to treat ourselves nicely. We need to know when to switch off the laptop, put down the pen, turn off the phone, and STOP WORRYING. We need to sleep well, eat good food, exercise. Spend time thinking about things that aren’t work. Stop thinking that we’re not going to survive if we don’t do it ALL RIGHT NOW. Make plans with friends and stick to them, prioritise them over the chance to make a little more money.

 

I’m terrible at this. I’m an overachiever, right until I burn out and spend weeks feeling ill and depressed. And then obviously it’s so much harder to get back to work with that attitude. Balance. That is what we need, and what I’ve been searching for. We all know the basics: Eat well, exercise, work, learn, socialise, have fun, create, sleep.

I used to think the busier I LOOKED, the more successful I was. This isn’t true. You think you’re juggling balls and spinning plates like a pro, when actually you look like a run-down jittery maniac running on coffee and determination. No-one approves of that person, because their work is destroying them. That’s not smart.

So, next week I will be on holiday. Problem being I’ve already agreed to do a proofread on a client’s novel and set myself the task of polishing up one of my novels for perusal by an interested publisher. So I’ve pretty much just agreed to sit doing two weeks worth of work in 5 days. Why did I do that? Because I looked at them and thought ‘Ooh, those days are free!’ THAT IS THE WAY THEY’RE MEANT TO STAY. My holiday is usually for reading and writing, but in a non-uniformed, enjoyable and open way. No goals, just fun. And I’m not saying I won’t be sitting there with a cocktail in hand whilst I do it, but the lesson has yet to be learnt.

We need time to ourselves, to heal and reboot and relax. So I hope you can learn from my mistakes!

 

Tagged: al michael, creative business, creative entrepreneurship, holidays, how to be a writer, how to relax as a writer, how to survive as a writer, learning to relax, lists, london, mental-health, novels, planning, relaxing, summer, teaching, tutoring, Wine dark sea blue, working holidays, working on holiday, writer advice, writers

Things and Stuff this Summer

So, just incase anyone missed the first few thousand times I talked about it, you can buy my debut novel at the publisher’s website. If anyone would like to post reviews in the comments box on this post, I’d appreciate it!

In other news,

I’ll be starting my writing residency over at Red Door Studios in Newham in the next few months. I’ll be running workshops, doing a writer’s cafe and arranging a mini lit fest! So come get involved out on London’s East Edge. You can keep up with my musings at Red Door over here.

 

 

I’ll be at a bunch of festivals running creative writing classes with The DumbSaint Project. You can find us at Larmertree (where I’ll also be doing a special reading from my novel, and a chat about being entrepreneurial), Cornbury Fest (Where my amazing mum will be coming along to make some excellent Sea Stories themed crafts- AHOY!) and End of the Road Fest, with fabulous poet Joe McBride. It’s going to be a busy summer!

 

I’ll also be performing at She Grrrowls! in Kingston on the 22nd July. Run by the most excellent poet (and current writer in residence at Bang Said the Gun! -frickin’ awesome) Carmina Masoliver. This is the first time I’ll be performing excerpts from my novel since the launch, and I think that’s removed a bunch of the nerves. So come down for some excellent performances and good booze!

 

 

That’s it for now! Phew!

 

Tagged: al michael, al michael author, al michael writer, Arts, carmina masoliver, cornbury festival, creative writing, end of the road festival, joe mcbride, larmertree festival, stairwell books, Wine dark sea blue

Wine Dark Sea Blue- A Look Back at the Book Launch

So, it’s been a while since the book launch for Wine Dark, Sea Blue, and life is still getting back into it’s own little rhythm.

I have been assured by everyone it was a wonderful night. (Am I reminding anyone of Mrs Elton in Austen’s Emma? Where she flatters herself by saying how much other people enjoy her company?) To be honest, I was buzzing around like a bumblebee on crack, so I’m kind of depending on everyone else’s opinions here.

So the UEA INTO Launch started earlier in the day, with a wonderful speech from Professor Sarah Churchwell (Who you can find out more about here). It was so great to hear a writer and lecturer who didn’t know me at all really get what I was trying to achieve with this novel. To have someone who knows good writing understand my themes and narratives, and the point of my writing just made the day for me. 

Then we went down to Dirty Dicks Pub, where festivities were about to begin! Opening the show was Northern Irish writer Louise Davidson, who has also helped me with work on The DumbSaint Project. It was then followed by a ‘thrown voice’ poetry show by Joe McBride and Joe Shefer, exploring the voiceless poet. We had a spoken word/sound art collaboration with Victoria Karlsson (using Joe McBride’s work- you can listen here). Poetry from Stairwell Books’ Rose Drew. Songs from the excellent Emma Weston, accompanied by Sam Weston. And then onto partying with The Elisa Jeffery Collective!

So, my advice for a launch?

Pre-sign ALL THE BOOKS. Sure, it’s nice to write specific messages, but it’ll take time and make your life difficult.
Get someone else to deal with ALL the OTHER SHIT. You will not have the time to greet people, sign books, sell, check the state of the nibbles and make sure the band have leads etc. Get HELP
Themed cupcakes are always a winner
Provide entertainment but maybe not too much entertainment
Maybe trust that when you invite your friends, and they invite their friends, you probably will have enough people!
It’s your night! Take the time to enjoy it!
Merchandise is fun!


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Tagged: A.L. Michael, a.l. michael novel, al michael, books, creative entrepreneurship, Debut novel, dirty dicks, elisa jeffery collective, ian chance, into building middlesex street, literature, liverpool street, poetry, sarah churchwell, sound art, UEA, UEA London, victoria karlsson, Wine dark sea blue, wine dark sea blue novel