Every 4 Years or 'David Tries Taking Stock'

And World Cup fever grips the nation.

I love the World Cup. The wall chart is at the ready. The excitement held in the minds of millions is palpable. We've even got some nice Brazillian weather to accompany it. Of all its accomplishments, so far the tournement has made me think. Taking place every 4 years, World Cups are far apart but close together. If you look back to last World Cup, South Africa 2010 and consider where you were, what you were doing and who you were with, I bet you'll be surprised at what you've done in a short space of time.

I for one was standing in Hyde Park with my mum. We were watching England play Germany on the big screen put up to entertain concert goers before Paul McCartney took to the stage with 38 hits loved by millions. Unfortunately, England entertained fans a great deal more than Elvis Costello who came on, played 4 songs and then (understandably) left as the oohs and aahs were directed at England's efforts to topple the European giants. We didn't even get 'Oliver's Army' or 'She'.

The setting is important as, for me, that day marked a turning point in my life. I like to call Summer 2010 the summer of gigs. I saw Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and Green Day in a very quick succession. This summer also marked the run up to me starting my degree in English at St Mary's University. It's strange looking back. At that day, in the sweltering sun, pulling up the grass-turned-hay, I was on a gap year, I had no job, I was single. I'm not afraid or ashamed to admit that I didn't have a great gap year. I wasn't productive enough or proactive enough to get myself moving.

Now, looking back, I can happily say that me and Charlotte: the missus, partner, girlfriend, will be moving in together in a couple of months and we celebrate our 2 year anniversary very soon. I am coming to the end of my Master's degree in Children's Literature after proudly graduating with a 2.1 and honours from that English BA. On top of this I have two jobs. One at my university library gaining a backbone of experience that will hopefully carry me into a career. The other as an intern at the Wimbledon BookFest. Also today I attend a meeting as a judge of the BookFest's Young Writer's Competition; a position awarded to me on account of my writing, my MA and my knowledge of literature. I'm proud to have been a film journalist for 11 months with The Hollywood News, interviewing the likes of Jason Statham, Dara O'Briain, Helen Mirren and Steve Coogan. I also had my first ever published work there. I've made great friends, I've lived in halls, I've lived in a house. I've explored London and found a list of favourite places that have become part of me. I was even longlisted for a short story anthology. I've read books, I've written, I got a tattoo, I've started projects, completed a few and generally had the best four years of my life. I have a feeling I've done more than that, but off the top of my head that's pretty damn great.

And all this in the space of 4 years. It makes me excited for the future, to know that by the time the next World Cup grips the nation, I may have a new list of accomplishments to be proud of.

So I'd urge you to do the same. Have a real think and consider where you've come from and where you're going. And if this proves anything, as television and advert breaks seem to be telling us: the World Cup really does relate to everything.

Mr Barthes can Suck It or 'David Tries Credulousness'

There are moments in your life where you really have to decide what you want to do with your years on the earth. It sounds scary, but at the age of 23, having a million ambitions really wasn't sensible. It's all very well saying 'I want to write, I want to be a literary agent, and I want to be a lecturer' but lets be realistic, who has the time for all that after you take eating, breathing and browsing Waterstones into account. I certainly don't.

Unfortunately, this stark, scary moment of realisation meant a cutting of one of my three dreams. Needless to say, writing always has and always will be here to stay. I can't bear giving up the simple thing of putting black marks on a piece of paper and imagining a million others reading it.

Lecturers inspire me, I think they always have and they always will too. I'm going to hit you with a bit of theory. Last week, in a lecture on my MA course, we discussed an idea known as the Credulous Reader. I have varying opinions on the subject. The idea behind the title is that authors (supposedly) sometimes write a type of fiction where they dictate and shape the reader they want, a reader who can only immerse himself in the world of the book. Critics take a very poncy view on this kind of reader, naturally thinking readers should only think critically, and always have an echo of neo-modernism or similar, reverberating through their skulls whenever they open a book. This side of criticism annoys me, I wholly disagree with Roland Barthes' 'the author is dead' baloney. I would say that there are more ways to read books than ever before, and more can be gleaned from the reading of anything than ever before, but never would I say the author as a concept is dead. The authorial meaning is always important, even if it's not concentrated on. Personally I think ignoring author intention can lead you to dangerous over-reading of texts but that's a whole other blog/essay. Basically Mr Barthes, respectfully shhh.

The point of my foray into scholarly bits is that I consider myself both credulous and critical in my readings of books/poems/songs/most of everything. I read Jane Eyre from every possible critical perspective in my second year, and though I can tell you what the text means, I could never really say what it's about. I think the high extent of critical reading I performed (though necessary for the exercise of the module) means I was left with something missing at the end. I now plan on re-reading Ms Bronte's novel in a credulous manner, and Mr Barthes can suck it.

In this way, I think I can easily combine writing novels with lecturing. These are the two things that I cannot possibly leave behind, and despite what some people may think, there is not a yawning gap between scholars and pleasure-readers, there are ways where the two can be brought together. Sometimes there is beauty in a line which means something to you and you alone, rather than meaing something to Marxism, Modernism or anything else.

As a one day author, I naturally hope that my work is picked to pieces for whatever meaning scholars can squeeze from it. On the whole I'll feel clever and this, ultimately leads to happiness. However, if I write and someone writes to me and tells me that they absorbed what I'd written in a day and I'd helped them in someway due to their credulous reading and immersion in my world, then in many ways that's better.

This, however means that I will have to say goodbye to my dreams of literary-agentdom. A recent failed interview told me that I just don't have the passion for the career, and it's true, I have a passion for writing, be it for pleasure, for publication, for blog, for article, for scholar or for all of the above, and that is a life I can lead happily and with all the passion I've carried around with me since my single digits.

Project Distinction or 'David Tries Being A Postgraduate'

A quick updatey blog today!

Well, it's been a while Blogger, but I'm here to stay, and I'm going to launch straight into this. I now know that to be a writer, you have to write, so write I shall. Seeing my work up for everyone who's interested to read for The Hollywood News has been a dream come true for me, and now I want more, so to do that you need practise. So I've organised myself, I currently have 2 novels in the works and I shall conduct an experiment; it shall go thus:

• Book number 1 will be written as though I'm aiming for the final draft, writing as well as I can the first time so as to minimise editing time at the end.
• Book number 2 will be written following the likes of Veronica Roth and John Green. I'm going to get the plot down on paper, in say 40 pages single line spaced, and then work at adding scenes and rewriting the parts I want to be the best. 

In this way I'll have two novels to send off to agents. I also have ideas I'm very excited about for a 4-part series in the future. To do this I've downloaded the 'A Novel Idea' app for my assorted IOS devices. I advise doing so, it organises your writers brain.

I am also very pleased to announce that two days ago, I graduated with a 2:1 in English from St Mary's University College. I am also even more pleased to announce that I have an unconditional place to begin studying an MA in Children's Literature at Roehampton University from September. And so I launch 'Project Distinction'. I think 2:1 was fair for my 3 year's work, but achieving that has pushed me to do one better, and be the best I can be. I love writing in any way shape or form, and that includes essays. And I know I can be better.

I think graduating with all my friends at Westminster Cathedral (posh, I know) and then enjoying the sun and drinks with them afterwards was one of the top highlights of my life so far. It's something I discover about myself, I experience, I like, I want more. Walking out with my mortarboard and gown and degree trailing behind the Doctors and the Master's students I know I want to do that again, I look forward to writing a blog November next year having graduated with a Master's, and aiming for a PhD. I am excited for life, and I'm doing what I've always dreamed of doing.

I will be a writer, I am a writer.

Hello, I'm the Doctor or 'David Tries Being Productive'

This will turn into a mini-biography, I apologise for this!

My post uni life has always been a source of great concern for me. I've never really been sure about what I want to do with this life of mine! Since I was very little I've wanted to write books for a living. I used to go round my granddad's house and he'd staple pieces of drawing paper together for me so I could write stories. I remember writing a few pages of a book called 'The Secret Island' happily cross-legged in his front room. (I also remember him telling me there was a secret trapdoor under a creaky floorboard which I now realise was actually just a creaky floorboard but still.) I maintain after many years Lost stole my idea and promptly screwed it up in it's last season!

Anyway, writing stories has always been far and away my favourite past-time, I'm sure if I'd been more into playing football or music I'd have had a few more girlfriends in my life, but I've always jumped at any opportunity to write a story. I used to love creative writing in primary school, and loved reading stories out at the front of the class. They were probably all the same now I look back; some kind of James Bond meets the Famous Five extravaganza with car chases and lost treasure. 

I am very pleased to inform any reader therefore (with a certain amount of trepidation, knowing the harshness of the industry I so desperately want to be a part of) that my novel; 78,000 words which took me my entire childhood to get perfect, is currently being read by a literary agency and a publisher! A privilege not many people get. 

It's taken me a long time and many lonely hours to realise however, that you don't get published sitting in your bedroom tapping away at your computer. For so many years I was fed up with education and I took a gap year because I just adamantly refused to go to uni. An extremely lonely year which left me pale, skinny and ill-looking later I realised I did want to. One lecture in I found my love of learning rekindled, something I think I lost halfway through my GCSEs when I really started hating school for reasons nothing to do with what I was learning.

I think I could read as soon as I could walk (small exaggeration perhaps). I always remember my mum telling me that I wanted to learn things even before school, to read and write etc, and I carried that through primary school achieving many gold stars in Mrs Weatherley's year 5 class. And earning a trip to Eurodisney for getting commendations in Year 7! Nerd I hear you cry, but I feel now at the age of 21 I can be proud of this. And proud of being a nerd, and a geek, and all things associated. It's quite sad this was sapped from me in my latter secondary school years, but I'm very much glad that it's 100% back at the most important time.

I'm a firm believer that meeting people and a good group of friends can get you anywhere in life. I happened to take Irish Literature at uni, which I love so much I'm now looking into an MA which includes it as a module. Not only that but sitting in on my Irish lectures was a literary agent, the same literary agent who is now hopefully reading my book laughing and remaining attached to the edge of her seat.

The only way to get published in this world I firmly believe is through meeting the right people, and university has given me just this. The best friends in the world and the very best most inspiring group of lecturers and just general people I have ever come across. Where do I start? Do I tell you about the husband and wife linguistics expert lecturing team who should have their own sitcom? Do I tell you about the dry, intelligent dandy with the Hugh Grant haircut? The creative writing lecturer, the published author with the look of the mad scientist? The jack of all trades bouncy irishman/Beatles expert/general happiest man in the universe? Or my personal favourite, the jolly father christmas lookalike who proclaimed in a tragedy lecture that the Cenci by Percy Shelley was a 'fucking awful play!' I kid you not, he literally walked in and proclaimed it before greeting us with a cheerful 'morning gang!' And a fucking awful play it really is.

It's because of these people that I now want to learn everything I possibly can about the subject I love so much. It's only really occurred to me in the last hour or so that I want to be like them. I want to be the person at the front of the lecture hall inspiring people. I don't know why but that just sits right with me. I'm even excited about dissertations! I totted it up and between now and the end of the PHD I'll have to do, I'll have to write round about 150,000 words! Do I mind? Of course not! I'll be studying (hopefully) in London, the greatest most diverse city in the world, becoming an expert in things which appeal to me. All the while trying to get my own personal work published. Imagine the thought of having a dissertation or a PHD paper published! This is my dream and I will come out of this university with a first. 

And when I finish my PHD I'll say (rightfully) 'Hello I'm the Doctor' in my very best David Tennant impression and I'll be a happy man.

Go on, leave a comment, you know you want to.