{"id":858,"date":"2010-10-22T18:42:50","date_gmt":"2010-10-22T18:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ink.verticalplus.co.uk\/archive\/?p=858"},"modified":"2020-12-09T16:12:12","modified_gmt":"2020-12-09T16:12:12","slug":"what-makes-writers-tick-michelle-mcgrane-answers-ists-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inksweatandtears.co.uk\/archive\/what-makes-writers-tick-michelle-mcgrane-answers-ists-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"What makes writers tick – Michelle McGrane answers IS&T's questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nine Questions<\/span>

In this series Ink Sweat & Tears talks to practicing writers about their process and craft.<\/span>

1.Where do you write?<\/span>

My study is east facing, so in the morning the sun pours through the window. On the sapele mahogany desk there's a laptop and printer and a vase filled with pens and, in one corner of the room, there's a Victorian hatstand. The walls are lined with bookcases. I work best in an uncluttered space, so I try to keep the stacks of notes and reference books to a minimum, but they sprout overnight.<\/span>

2.How do you write?<\/span>

I write drafts in longhand until I have an idea of where the poem is going and what form it's taking, then I transfer it onto my laptop where I carry on drafting and editing.<\/span>

3.Roughly how much time do you spend each week on creative writing related activities?<\/span>

It varies from week to week. If I'm working on a poem, I might spend a couple of hours a day on it. Comparatively, submissions don't take much time. I find blogging time-consuming, but reading and sharing the poetry submitted to Peony Moon (http:\/\/peonymoon.wordpress.com) is rewarding. And, most evenings, I spend three to four hours reading poetry and fiction.<\/span>

4.What time of day do you usually write?<\/span>

I work full-time, so I write in the evenings; on weekends, I write in the mornings.<\/span>

5.Do you set yourself a daily target for writing?<\/span>

No, I don't find it difficult to set aside time when I'm engaged with a poem.<\/span>

6.What does it feel like to write?<\/span>
I've very little awareness of time passing and of what is going on around me.<\/span>

7.Are there any stimuli that will usually trigger you into writing?<\/span>

Fine art. Films. Postcards. Stories. Newspaper articles. Prompts. An overheard phrase. A line from a song.<\/span>

8.Do you work in silence or have background noise?<\/span>

I work in silence, although on weekends it's punctuated by bird calls: grey loeries, hadedas, owls, robins, sparrows, weavers. We've a wide variety of birds in our environs all year round.<\/span>

9. What are you working on now?<\/span>

My manuscript, The Suitable Girl<\/span>, was finalised a couple of months ago, so I'm working on some new poems.<\/span>



* Michelle McGrane<\/span>'s collection, <\/span>The Suitable Girl<\/span>, is forthcoming in the United Kingdom towards the end of 2010. She lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, and blogs at <\/span>Peony Moon<\/a>
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