Ways With Words

The Devil is in the Detail

Don’t you feel annoyed if someone short-changes you on details when they give you some information. “The bride looked lovely”, they say or, “We had a delicious meal.”

It’s quite useless. “Not enough information!” you shriek. You want to know about the satin pumps, lily of the valley posy, cream roses in the hair. Or the touch of tarragon in the wine sauce. People need to be taught to observe and tell the details.

This is particularly true of writing. At Words by the Water William Fiennes was complimented on the detail in his descriptive writing. He replied, “The world is composed of details. Good writing is never vague or general. The life of a book is in the detail”. This is the best advice I’ve heard for would be writers. No need to do an M.A. in creative writing. Just remember this advice.

Words by the Water at Theatre by the Lake in Cumbria continues until 14 March.

Can Creative Reading Be Taught?

Next Friday, 12 March, at the Words by the Water literature festival, writers and tutors will be discussing whether creative writing can be taught. I think it can because I am a great believer in people’s capacity to learn and develop new skills. I run literature festivals because I believe creative reading can be taught also. I don’t mean we are here to teach reading. Not de-coding print, Look and Say, phonetics, Peter and Jane stuff. Rather I think literature festivals teach a passion for books, a curious mind and a capacity to read thoughtfully and to interact with what has been read.

Recently I have read 2 books which made me think about my own creative reading.  Susan Hill decided to spend a year reading and re-reading books from her bookshelves. The process was so illuminating she wrote a book about it called, “Howards End is on the Landing”. The title intrigued me but the process more so.
I inspected my own bookshelves to answer the question, “Who am I, as defined by my books?”

In his book, "Outside of a Dog", Rick Gekoski says that his reading has been an integral part of his development. “Every reading experience vibrates subtly across the jelly of being. We are made and continually transformed by what and how we read.” His book has a wacky title that comes from Groucho Marx: “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” He takes us on a tour of 25 books that have been special to him and made the man.  Doesn’t this make you ask which books have made you? I’m eager to get titles, and reasons for those choices. At Words by the Water we shall have an on-going display of people’s bibliomemoirs.  If you aren’t going to be at the festival email me a few lines for the display about a book that shaped you. ([email protected])

Words by the Water starts today – Friday 5 March – at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, Cumbria.
Rick Gekoski will speak on Thursday 11 March at 10.30am on ‘A Bibliomemoir’.