Evie Wyld is Booktrust's third online writer in residence.

  • A writer of no fixed format

    Posted Friday September 18th 2009
    by Nii Ayikwei Parkes

    I have to start by saying that this is an odd residency for me – no fixed location, no need to leave home, yet I’m linked to an organisation. I have tried to think of what I can compare it to, and the best I could come up with is – it’s a bit like being the object of someone’s affections: you know that you’re present in the web of their imagination, you get occasional signs – a letter here, a kiss on the cheek, a phone call there – but you never quite KNOW what the impact of that affection is. In this case, I guess I may get blog comments instead of kisses…

    Anyway, introductions first: my name is Nii Ayikwei Parkes and I am a writer of no fixed format. I write mainly poetry, but I have also written non-fiction scripts for radio, a play, several short stories, reviews and a very recent novel. I have always said that expression comes first and form is secondary so I suppose my work reflects that. Having said that, poetry is my first love because I am much less talkative on a page than I am in person – it…

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  • Until we meet again

    Posted Wednesday September 16th 2009
    by Patrick Ness

    And so my period as writer in residence here at Booktrust have come to an end. And what a time. In the past six months, I’ve:

    Run a marathon

    Written 20 blogs

    10 sets of writers’ tips

    And a short story.

    Was interviewed but some extremely clever students.

    Did a couple interviews, including with Australian radio.

    And even had a lesson plan written for me. Which is oddly nice.

    And in that time, I’ve also finished writing my own book, which was the hardest thing of all, but the reason (I hope) that you all read this. 

    Because all along, this residency was meant first and foremost to de-mystify the writing process. All those nervous questions I constantly get asked here and at Festivals and on my own website seem to me to be rooted in the same anxiety:

    The fallacy that there’s one right way to write a book.

    There isn’t. There just isn’t. If you finish writing your book, you’ve done it right. I do it one day, others do it other ways, and you will find your own path. 

    The best (and final) advice I can ever give about writing is to know yourself. Write to…

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