the short season

I was just looking over my attempt at a two-year plan last week and I realised how far behind I am on my life - already 3 months off-schedule! One of the things I'm supposed to have finished is a short story collection and I think there are only 3 I'm completely happy with; my target is 15!! So, I've decided to motivate myself by entering as many competitions as I can in the next month and submitting to magazines - even if it means they'll reject me and stomp on my ego. I thus officially name the next two months "the short season".

The real problem of course is that I take on too much. Today, I'm up early but I have to leave home in like 15 minutes so that I can make it to central London and pick up some books. Then, this evening, I'm hosting an event I love - aromapoetry (www.x-bout.com/aroma) - with an open mike that always throws up beautiful surprises. Sometimes the talent is so good that I don't want it to end. However, from now on - especially today - I'll be leaving as soon as the clock strikes over. Oh, then I'm off to Courttia Newland's book launch so I guess I'll get to write 'round midnight (the Miles Davis curse!) Regardless, Courttia's Music for the Off Key is a seriously good collection of short stories; pick it up if you can! After all it's the short season...

what i'm reading/listening to

listening:
Musicology by Prince

reading:
Communion by Jacob Sam-La Rose

Molara Wood: nii ayikwei parkes...fiction extract

A blogger to look up to - up-to-date, smart, relevant - put an extract from my first novel (still doing the rounds) up on her page. Molara Wood: nii ayikwei parkes...fiction extract The blog is well worth checking out if you're into Writing from the African continent. She finds information it would take me months to get in a matter of days!

the thought movement

I'm starting this blog because I need to move traffic in my mind. There's congestion and I need a clear path to refocus so this is where the junk goes. Well, not junk, but writing is a great shovel; it can move the stacks of unconnected experiences and learnings in your head and make nice mounds that you can manoeuvre round with a brand new idea bike. I'll be putting up random links, reviews, views, maybe pictures if I ever pick my camera up again etc. etc. Who am I? My father's second son; a hand that writes, a hand that builds, feet that walk, and a mouth that knows not its own limits. I am a writer. I always say form is secondary, but many call me a poet - recently, I'm getting editor a lot too; I guess you could say I've had practice moving traffic! Thanks for being here. Comment away if you wish...