<\/p>\n
Iona\u00a0\u00a0 i<\/strong><\/p>\n The losing of faith isn\u2019t easy. So many years the case, cases, offered prayer, wisdom, when all the kind bits of yourself, admitting your faith is as clear You\u2019ll know it at your time \u2013 it\u2019ll be ordinary. only godless silence <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Iona II<\/strong><\/p>\n The finding of faith is harder. So many years there\u2019s the heady taste of the argument, the dare belly, heaving chest (tapping the mic: Admit to this lack of faith: in church (eyes averted from the altar Jesus and find your mouth moving, the body and faithlessly asked for faith many times, into the unknown. Like anyone might hear. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1.Where do you write? (do you have a place that you find yourself and your writing?)<\/strong><\/p>\n For me, nothing beats working in a library. It has to be a very quiet environment, but I don\u2019t mind having other people around \u2013 knowing people can see you is a great way to avoid procrastination! I like to nest \u2013 shoes off, in a comfy chair or surrounded by cushions, and with as few visual or auditory distractions as possible. Going out to write can look a little like a camping trip\u2026<\/p>\n 2.How do you write? (into a notebook or straight onto a computer?)<\/strong><\/p>\n I carry a notebook for rough ideas, but mostly I write on my laptop. I prefer to work on Notepad, as it looks very clean, less distracting than Word.<\/p>\n 3.Roughly how much time do you spend each week on creative writing related activities? (writing, editing, correspondence & submissions)<\/strong><\/p>\n It really varies. I\u2019m editing a little more at the moment, which can be time-consuming with long pieces, but as I enjoy it it\u2019s easier to concentrate and get it done. It does vary hugely. My dissertation involved an intense burst of writing, so I\u2019ve been enjoying making more time to read. I\u2019m a reflective learner, so I\u2019ll read something and a few months later I\u2019ll find myself coming back to it in my writing.<\/p>\n 4.What time of day do you usually write?<\/strong><\/p>\n I like the late afternoon, into the early evening. Being a night owl, I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m properly awake until early afternoon. I\u2019ve found I can work with this \u2013 if I have a whole day to work on something, I\u2019ll read and plan in the morning, and move to writing later in the day.<\/p>\n 5.What does it feel like to write?<\/strong><\/p>\n It feels like a gamble. Sometimes I know what I need to say, but not how to get there. And sometimes I think I know what I\u2019m doing and it takes me somewhere else entirely. The best feeling is when you can look at something you\u2019ve written and feel like you know something you didn\u2019t know before you wrote it.<\/p>\n 6. Are there any stimuli that will usually trigger you into writing?<\/strong><\/p>\n Being outside works for me \u2013 I\u2019ve always loved the city, but recently I\u2019ve started to discover the countryside, and even gardening. A long walk in silence helps me to think.<\/p>\n 7. What are you working on now?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m in search of a new project! Most of my writing recently has been stand-alone poems, so I definitely need something new to sink my teeth into. In a few weeks\u2019 time I will be moving to Wales to spend a year with a monastic community, which should be a great place to look for new inspiration; I wrote a collection of devotional poems for my master\u2019s dissertation, and have a particular interest in the way poetry can explore spirituality and faith.<\/p>\n 8. How has the scholarship affected your writing?<\/strong><\/p>\n There were points during the course when my confidence in my writing dipped, and I was very anxious about whether I was good enough to continue. I think this is a pretty normal state for most writers to go through at some point! Knowing I had the support of Ink, Sweat and Tears motivated me to keep going, and to believe in myself.<\/p>\n The scholarship also introduced me to some incredible people \u2013 reading alongside Jay Bernard and Jonathan Morley at Caf\u00e9 Writers was one of the highlights of the whole year for me. I\u2019m in total awe of the poetry community in Norwich and their skill and dedication. Wherever I go from here, being part of that community will stay with me, and will continue to inspire me to keep writing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nand words \u2013 times you\u2019ve sat, half-drunk
\non divinity or cider, arguing<\/p>\n
\nverses \u2013 it gathers in crooks, fills in
\nwhere bits of you are absent. After service<\/p>\n
\nare at the pub drowning
\na week\u2019s shit in ale and chips,<\/p>\n
\nas the swirling wood grains
\nat the bottom of your pint glass.<\/p>\n
\nNo thunderbolt realisation, no swirling clouds
\nor angel ladders irkfully ascending;<\/p>\n
\nwhich no-one dares to mention.<\/p>\n
\nand words \u2013 times you\u2019ve sat, half-drunk
\non divinity, talking it up \u2013 either way<\/p>\n
\nof circumspection, the sticky rush
\nof obstinacy heading into your thighs,<\/p>\n
\n\u2018hello. hello. God is dead.\u2019 Said twice
\nfor laughter)<\/p>\n
\nafter sex you found yourself thinking
\nabout how you\u2019d ease his shirt off<\/p>\n
\nand his taunt ribcage) \u2013 and come
\nback to the room mid-prayer<\/p>\n
\nfaithful, the spirit less than willing<\/p>\n
\nlike the radio-lovers who code their data
\ninto waves and broadcast out<\/p>\n
\nThis being the hardest part of faith:
\nthe asking for it. Constant doubt,
\nyes, but always constant.<\/p>\n