Ramble: And now for something completely different…

I recently took a trip to a Small Breeds Farm and Owl Centre. Now, I’ve always had a pretty big fascination with owls – I feel that they’re incredibly valuable to the way in which our ecosystem works and, quite frankly, amazing creatures.

Admittedly, the farm itself is aimed at children. So it was only natural that myself and three other adults would take a day trip there. What I most liked about the farm was the amount of information available; a few of the birds had recently hatched, and so whilst letting people see and hold the chicks the staff are also constantly feeding you information and facts.

I think it’s important to educate people – children and adults alike – about some of the wildlife and domestic animals we share our world with (as much as it pains me to see them in cages, but you have to remember that these birds are born and bred in captivity).

Here are some of the owls that can be found at the Centre:

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Happy new year!

It’s been a while, but it’s a new year and I plan on updating this blog far more often than I actually do at the moment (my other project, Unsigned Cardiff, has come to an end uni work wise so there isn’t as much pressure to put all my energy into it).

Anyway, I thought I’d kick off the new year by saying how excited I am that (big news) WALK THE MOON will be supporting You Me at Six and All Time Low on their UK co-headliner. Seriously, now’s the time to get excited (if, like me, you are lucky enough to have tickets).

Next week, I’m going to have a delayed look at my favourite albums of 2014!

Ramble: Writing is hard

I’ve just completed a degree in English with Creative Writing, which involved a lot of writing (it also explains why I’m so behind on posting. These last few weeks have been busier than I’d anticipated). I’ve always loved to write – it’s something I really enjoy and for me offers a release (that’s why I have a blog). But sometimes when I tell people what I study, some people seem to think it’s a ‘doss’ subject. Not true. I’ve worked so hard these past three years because writing is hard.

Everyone can write. Just like everyone can sing, or everyone can dance, just some are better than others. The most difficult thing about creative writing for me is that I don’t think it’s something you can learn – there’s no one way to write, and it’s purely subjective as to what is considered ‘good’, and what is considered ‘bad’. All you can do is read a lot and write a lot to improve; I’ve experimented with a lot of different techniques to find what suites me and I think that’s all you can do.

The worst thing about doing a creative writing dissertation was knowing I had to write something, but being unable to. I find I have to write to suit my mood, which is hard when you’re suffering from intense writer’s block. The second hurdle is coming up with an idea. For my course, it can’t just be basic – you have to know your entire plot, even though you’re only writing a chapter. It’s incredibly hard if, like me, you prefer a basic direction then write and see what happens. There is always a fear of accidental plagiarism, which luckily I have yet to do, but hearing someone in your group pretty much state the plot of The Time Traveler’s Wife only with the woman time travelling instead of the man begins to make you doubt yourself.

So when people tell me I took an easy course, they couldn’t be more wrong. The amount of thought and work I’ve put in is immense. Writing is really difficult; you have to think about making believable characters, an entertaining original plot appropriate for your audience, and writing well. On top of all the other literature essays and exams. I love writing, and the work is worth it to be able to do what I enjoy.