Have you ever thought of writing short stories or trying your hand at a novel? A174 is a 12-week online course offering a practical introduction to writing fiction and equipping you with basic narrative strategies. You'll cover genre and subject-matter; plot, narrative, and time; point of view and beginnings. Here you can talk about how you're finding the course,share some of your short stories, ask for feedback on work in progress or just put some of your ideas out there.
OU graduate has debut collection of short stories published
Carys is no stranger to hard work – she’s an OU graduate after all, and achieved her degree while raising a family. She’s continued her passion for education and creative writing and earlier this year won The Scott Prize, an international fiction award, which means her short story collection Sweet Home is now on the bookshelves.
“It’s really hard to get a short story collection published, particularly if you are a first time author. I knew that Salt Publishing had something called the Scott Prize which they award annually for a debut collection of short stories by a writer from the UK, Ireland, USA or Australasia, and I decided to enter. I was over the moon to be shortlisted and I couldn’t believe it when I had a phone call to say I’d won.
“My book is called Sweet Home and it’s a collection of stories about families. Some of the stories are funny, some are sad and there are a couple of modern fairy tales, too.
“The book includes a stories about an old woman who builds a gingerbread house at the edge of an English village, a father who is reminded of his son as he watches the rescue of a group of Chilean miners, a mother who buys special-offer babies at the supermarket and a little boy who tries to engineer a happily ever after following the death of his sister.
The last time Platform spoke to Carys, she was working towards an MA in Creative Writing at Edge Hill University and had just won a short story competition. She says her OU studies prepared her well for postgraduate study.
“My MA went really well. I concentrated on short stories and I was lucky because one of the staff at Edge Hill is a brilliant short story specialist. My OU studies definitely prepared me for postgrad study. I think OU students have to be especially self-disciplined because they often need to study in what’s supposed to be their ‘free’ time. I developed some good study habits while I studied with the OU and I kept them up during my MA.”
Ambitious – both in terms of her writing career and her continued education, Carys is penning a novel as well as working towards a PhD.
“I’m hoping to get the first draft of the novel finished before Christmas and I’m in the second year of the PhD,” she says.
But OU study prepared her well and she’s become a master of finding time to get her work done.
“I’ve got four children and it can sometimes be hard to find the time to write, but it was also hard to find the time to study - I think if you really want to do something, you’ll do your best to make the time.
“I write in the same way that I used to study; I squeeze it into the gaps. At the moment I’m teaching on Edge Hill’s Creative Writing BA. That leaves me with two days a week when the house is quiet and I can get on with writing (although sometimes I’m interrupted by need to buy food or hoover up the detritus from four pairs of football boots).”
And her advice for current creative writing students is…
“Read lots. If you’re writing short stories ask your tutor to recommend some really good collections. My tutor was happy to do that and he actually introduced me to the work of Carol Shields who is now one of my favourite authors.
“The other thing I would say is, don’t worry if you don’t lead a very exciting life! I used to worry that I didn’t have anything interesting to offer because I’d been at home with my children for so long. Then I realised that everyone has some sort of family; I felt that I knew a lot about family, so I did have something to write about, after all.”
And what would she say to someone thinking of studying with the OU?
“Go for it! I had brilliant, supportive tutors and I enjoyed everything about the experience.”
Find out more:
Literature and creative writing courses at the OU
Creative writing with the OU
More about Carys Bray
Platform's first interview with Carys
Carys Bray graduated from the OU with a degree in Literature after three years of study and while raising four children. After winning an award for her work while doing an MA in Creative Writing with Edge Hill University, she went on to win an international fiction prize and her debut collection of short stories has just been published… Carys is no stranger to hard work ...
Science student finds balance writing a magical children's book
Writing a magical children’s book has provided much-needed life balance for Kate Spencer, who is studying for an OU Natural Sciences degree. “I was really struggling with that left brain/right brain thing,” says the mum of two (pictured), who works as an accountant. “I felt whatever side it is that is creative, was shrivelling.” Kate, a ...
Associate Lecturer wins Scotsman Fringe Award
The production was developed with Edinburgh's Nutshell Theatre and will tour Fife in October as part of the Luminate Festival on creative ageing.
It's the second Fringe First for Jules and Nutshell - 2011's site-specific play Allotment began life at Inverleith Allotments and has toured nearly 50 venues between Lewis and Cornwall over the past year.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has brought success for A363 creative writing tutor Jules Horne, with a coveted Scotsman Fringe First Award for her play, Thread. The production was developed with Edinburgh's Nutshell Theatre and will tour Fife in October as part of the Luminate Festival on creative ageing. It's the second Fringe First for Jules and Nutshell - 2011's ...
May/June 2012 Book Club - Cuckoo by Julia Crouch
Julia owes her success as a writer to her studies with the OU and encouragement from tutors. Cuckoo is her debut novel although her second, Every Vow You Break, has just hit the shelves and she's currently working on her third.
This is the Amazon blurb on Cuckoo...
A dark, juicy, deliciously unsettling, read-it-in-one-sitting psychological drama.Rose has it all - the gorgeous children, the husband, the beautiful home. But then her best friend Polly comes to stay. Very soon, Rose's cosy world starts to fall apart at the seams - her baby falls dangerously ill, her husband is distracted - is Polly behind it all? It appears that once you invite Polly into your home, it's very difficult to get her out again...
So, you have until the end of June 2012 to grab/buy/borrow/download a copy, read the book and post your review here on this forum. Whether you loved it, hated it or only skimmed the first few chapters before giving up, we want to hear from you.
The review we like best scoops £20 in book vouchers. So get reading!
And don't forget to add your suggestions for future book club reads in this forum thread.
The May/June 2012 Platform Book Club Review choice is.... Cuckoo by former OU creative writing student Julia Crouch. Julia owes her success as a writer to her studies with the OU and encouragement from tutors. Cuckoo is her debut novel although her second, Every Vow You Break, has just hit the shelves and she's currently working on her third. This is the Amazon blurb on ...
OU 'completely changed my life' says author Julia Crouch
Julia Crouch started her career as director and playwright, retrained as a graphic designer to work from home and raise children and, after two creative writing courses with The Open University and support from her tutors, is now working full time as a writer and published author. Would she recommend OU study? “Absolutely,” she says, “the courses have completely changed my life.” Here, she talks to Platform and offers some tips to budding writers...
Little did Julia realise that when she stumbled on a magazine flyer advertising short courses with The Open University that it would lead to a professional writing career. With her third and youngest child at school, Julia had found herself at a crossroads.
“Having not written any fiction (apart from my picture books and plays) since I was a child, I had no idea where to start, or whether I was going to be any good at it. So I thought the A174 presented an ideal opportunity to find out.
"The commitment in terms of time and money was at just the right level for putting my toe in the water.
After a drama degree at Bristol University, Julia’s professional life started as a theatre director and playwright, but children changed that and she needed to work from home. She retrained at a local FE College and spent 10 years as a graphic/website designer but it was during an MA in Sequential Illustration at the University of Brighton that Julia realised she preferred writing over drawing.
'I think the major thing I took away with me was the ability to treat my writing seriously and to carve out time to do it'
“A174 was an ideal introduction and A215 taught me so much about the technical side of writing, as well as firing off all sorts of creative possibilities and opening up my reading and my critical thinking. I think the major thing I took away with me was the ability to treat my writing seriously and to carve out time to do it. The tutors were marvellous, and particularly good at giving me the confidence I so badly needed.
“The courses have completely changed my life - two years after completing A215, I had finished my second novel and got an agent and a three book deal with a major publisher, as well as a whole host of foreign sales. I was able to give up my other work and now I write full time, in between talking, reading and lecturing at festivals and courses.”
Julia says encouragement from her tutors played a key role in boosting her confidence and it was the suggestion to enter National Novel Writing Month – a scheme to write a whole novel in one month, without looking back at what you’ve written - that really set her going.
'The courses have completely changed my life - two years after completing A215, I had finished my second novel and got an agent and a three book deal with a major publisher'
“My A215 tutor John O'Donoghue suggested it to me, and I realised that, like A174, it presented a great, low-commitment way of finding out if I could write long fiction - just one month of heavy duty sprint – 1,700 words every day for the whole month of November.
“The idea is you never go back and read what you've written and you never edit - you just put your head down and write until, 50,000 words later, you have reached the very quick and dirty end of your story. After my second NaNoWriMo sprint, I spent a year editing what I had produced, and that formed the basis of my first published novel, Cuckoo.”
Julia’s second book, Every Vow You Break, is about to hit the shelves and she’s currently working hard on her third, mostly from a shed in the bottom of her Brighton garden.
"I now also have a much more varied life, with many more outings both on book business and for research and what I call 'feeding my beast' - living a life that nourishes my writing.
"I hope I'll get another book deal after this one (I'm shortly due to deliver the third out of the three) and that I can carry on writing books well into my dotage.”
Would Julia recommend OU study to others?
“Of course! Absolutely and unreservedly. Whether to get professional qualifications or to follow or develop an interest, it's a fantastic way of fitting study around a life. Particularly if that life involves a lot of evenings in on your own while your children sleep!”
Here, Julia offers her tips to other writers:
- It's contradictory really - you have to have self-belief and a thick skin, but you also have to be able to accept and respond to criticism without getting defensive.
- You'll never have anything to edit until you have written it. So write first, THEN go back and edit. Never, ever let anyone see your work until you are happy with it. Then be prepared to change it again and again.
- I suppose the nutshell of that is be serious about your work, but don't be precious about it.
- Write every day. Read widely. Read fiction, read books about writing.
- Make sure you get enough exercise. Make sure you get out and see the world.
- The other thing to bear in mind is that EVERYONE I have met in publishing has been lovely. They are there to nurture and encourage good work. When you're on the outside looking in, it's easy to demonise those you see as the gatekeepers between you and publication. But they are there for a good reason. Listen to what they say.
You can find out more about Julia and her work at: juliacrouch.co.uk
Julia Crouch started her career as director and playwright, retrained as a graphic designer to work from home and raise children and, after two creative writing courses with The Open University and support from her tutors, is now working full time as a writer and published author. Would she recommend OU study? “Absolutely,” she says, “the courses have completely changed my ...
Stranger than fiction: birthplace of the Bronte sisters creates two nude calendars
A Yorkshire town noted for its literary heritage has created two nude calendars for 2012, in a bid to raise sufficient funds to finance the restoration of its parish church.
Fears that parishioners in Haworth – the birthplace of the Brontë sisters – might deem the idea as being in bad taste were soon overcome when the Vicar, the Revd. Peter Mayo-Smith, demonstrated the tasteful way the photographer planned to capture the naked ambitions of local volunteers. The pictures are great fun, especially the three councillors in the stocks by the side of the church.
So many people came forward in Haworth that it was eventually decided to produce two calendars, one featuring men and the other featuring women. A little friendly rivalry has been introduced to see which version sells in greater quantities.
The calendars include a local councillor, a former Lord Mayor, a senior district councillor, some of the Haworth traders, a host of interesting characters from the wider Worth Valley, a bell ringer, a minister and his wife, a plumber, a mechanic, a busker, and a retired Haworth bobby and oompah band leader.
You can see some of the photos for yourselves and place your orders online at the calendar website. The Brontë sisters must be turning in their graves.
Dick Skellington 24 February 2012
Cartoon by Catherine Pain.
Further information
Brontë landscape's battle for survival
A Yorkshire town noted for its literary heritage has created two nude calendars for 2012, in a bid to raise sufficient funds to finance the restoration of its parish church. Fears that parishioners in Haworth – the birthplace of the Brontë sisters – might deem the idea as being in bad taste were soon overcome when the Vicar, the Revd. Peter Mayo-Smith, ...
- Yvonne Cook's blog
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From travelling family to OU graduate to bestselling author...
Roxy Freeman grew up in a travelling family and learned to milk goats, ride horses, dance and forage for food. And then she stumbled on academia, which opened up a whole new world. Now an OU graduate and journalist with a bestselling memoir, Roxy talks to Platform about her journey...
“I grew up on the road, my family was always on the move and education was not a priority. I learned a lot of things growing up in a traveling family. But my skills were practical not academic. I could cook, milk goats, ride horses, look after babies and children, dance and forage for food.
“I value the lessons I learned as a child and they have helped me get on in life, but I craved more. I started my formal education at the age of 22. The first year was a struggle but learning for the first time was a revelation. It felt like someone had switched my brain on for the first time.
Roxy tried traditional university before she found the OU but couldn’t get along with the inflexible hours, the travel to campus and the inability to fit work around a rigid study plan.
“The timetable made it impossible for me to work at all. I had no financial support what so ever and lived a 40 minute drive away from the campus. I realised that there was no way I could support myself if I continued with the course. I couldn’t fulfill my study dreams, but I wasn’t ready to throw them away either, so started looking for an alternative option, something that would work around a part time job and was a bit more flexible. The OU sounded ideal. I found a course online and within just a few weeks received my first bundle of study material.”
Roxy studied for a BA in European Studies but confesses to not having a career plan when she started out. Little did she realise that her OU degree would help discover a passion for writing and open the door to a career in journalism.
'I found that changing my scenery often gave my studies an extra boost. None of my friends attending traditional universities had that freedom, and none of them graduated debt free like I did!'
“I wanted to know more about the continent I called home and the modules sounded interesting. I studied history, economics, governance and politics and did a diploma in Spanish language. By the time I graduated I knew I loved writing and research so I went on to do an NCTJ (National Council for Training of Journalists) certificate in journalism at a local college.”
But her OU journey wasn’t all plain sailing – it’s no mean feat studying in isolation and spending summers revising when your friends are enjoying holidays. But it was worth it, says Roxy.
“My OU study had its highs and its lows. It takes a hell of a lot of determination and dedication to complete a degree, especially when you’re doing most of it on your own. Sometimes it felt like an uphill battle, but I was lucky to have some excellent tutors that I could call or email when things got tough.
“My exams always seemed to fall at the end of summer, so when my friends were all enjoying their holidays and going to festivals I was locked away with a pile of books. But it also offered a lot of freedom. I spent a few months of every year abroad, I’d do some extra shifts at work and then pile all my books into my car and go to Ireland, France or Spain and stay with family or friends. I found that changing my scenery often gave my studies an extra boost. None of my friends attending traditional universities had that freedom, and none of them graduated debt free like I did!”
'Getting a degree gave me confidence in my writing and confidence in myself, without those things I would never have written my book'
Roxy gained new contacts following the article including an editor from Simon and Schuster who spotted the potential in both her writing and her personal story.
“A year later I completed my book, Little Gypsy: A Life of Freedom, a Time of Secrets. It went straight into the bestseller’s charts and has had some great reviews. Getting a degree gave me confidence in my writing and confidence in myself, without those things I would never have written my book.”
Roxy has also written on issues that travelers and gypsies face and hopes to help dispel some of the negative stereotypes.
“But I don’t want to only write about my life and experiences,” she says. “I love to write and I think a good writer can write about anything. One of my main passions is cooking and I love to write about food. I recently started a food blog, I love documenting my foodie exploits and sharing some of my foraging experiences.
What’s next for Roxy? She’s busy with journalism and writing and aspired to be a food writer one day, but for now she’s content to simply see what happens next.
“Little Gypsy caused quite a whirlwind, and six months after its release my life is only just settling down again. I’m not sure about embarking on another book just yet but when the inspiration takes me I’ll get to work.”
Find out more
Roxy Freeman grew up in a travelling family and learned to milk goats, ride horses, dance and forage for food. And then she stumbled on academia, which opened up a whole new world. Now an OU graduate and journalist with a bestselling memoir, Roxy talks to Platform about her journey... “I grew up on the road, my family was always on the move and education was not a priority. I learned a ...
Psychology degree to published author with a little help from the OU
Why I chose to study with The Open University (OU)
I always regretted not being able to stay on for higher education after school, instead I ended up getting a job in a bank. It was years later when I was a house wife with two young children that The Open University adverts that I had seen in local media attracted me to send off for a prospectus.
I chose the OU as I am registered disabled, and I wanted to work at my own pace, fairly flexibly and to fit my studies in with my own personal circumstances. I also thought that the fees were reasonable, and the way the prospectus described the different levels and paths of subjects you could take to eventually achieve your goal, was easy and accessible.
Getting advice and support to study
The one thing that worried me was whether the demands the studying needed outweigh my own personal limits. I looked at the higher levels to see if it was a necessity to attend a residential school, as I knew that it would be inappropriate for my personal circumstances, although when I read the reviews I regretted that I would not be able to attend. My worries were not necessary as there was alternative learning experience (ALE) program in place, and I also read with interest the support that the OU was able to give to disabled students.
I was taken back with the friendly response, motivation and eagerness of the disability department to come out and visit me to talk about my personal requirements. I was very apprehensive, but was soon put at ease by the gentleman who visited me, and his advice was so valuable, I was also fortunate to receive financial help as well as an adaptation in my learning and studies to help suit my needs.
Successful studying
Initially I studied Understanding Health and Social Care (K100) as I was always interested in helping others and at one stage had wanted to work with the elderly or children. I realised that if I was to commit myself to study I wanted to achieve a significant goal such as a degree. I was able to work out that in my first course in Health and Social Care I could gain a Certificate after the first level which would be an achievement in itself, and if I wanted to continue I could count the level towards a degree.
As I could not attend tutorials the OU arranged telephone contact, from my tutors, and I was even told that I was eligible for a home exam. The Invigilator was a very kind and professional lady who I nicknamed in my head ‘The Sergeant Major” as we had to synchronise watches after her first visit. I should not have worried as in my very first course I managed to achieve a distinction, and was so proud of my achievement. This also spurred me on to enroll in the next course towards a degree.
A degree in psychology to focus on long-term writing ambitions
I decided to pursue psychology, as my son had dyslexia, and I had suffered from mental health problems and wanted to learn more about them. I was also trying to work hard on my book that was a true account of my past called ‘A Fine Line A Balance to Survive by Lisa WB'. I had suffered from extreme child abuse and was interested in learning more about psychology to not only improve my expertise but to also help with my writing.
As I studied with the OU my confidence increased, and each time I had to study a new course, I initially worried about whether the new tutor would understand that I couldn’t attend tutorials and be empathetic towards my needs as my illness is unpredictable. At some stages I would be unable to study for a few days or even weeks. I tried to combat this by working as hard as I could when able to keep ahead in case I was ill.
Once again I am still astonished at the response by the Open University staff, all my tutors were very friendly, understanding and supported my needs. At the ALE they even let me promote my book in one of the forums at the end of the course.
It was in December 2011 that I received my results and I was fortunate to have achieved a 1.1 First Class (Honours) Degree in Psychology.
I will always be grateful to the Open University, as I believe it was because of the University’s willingness to support my disability and the way they helped me manage my studies I was able to achieve what I did. One of the tutors even endorsed my book when it was published.
I was so sad when I took my final exam as I felt I was leaving a friend behind, although, through the Open University I have made many new friends.
Becoming a published author
The University helped me with my confidence to finish my book: A fine line, which has been praised by The British Psychology Society, and the ebook has been a best seller in many categories for over a year.
I am now writing a sequel called The Survival, and am hoping to include some of the expertise learnt from my psychology degree.
I hope if other people are thinking about studying, they give the Open University a chance, as it has been one of the best experiences in my life.
Find out more:
Lisa Whenham-Bossy chose to study with the Open University as she is registered disabled. She believes the support she received from the OU during her time as a student, enabled her to ‘spread her wings’ and achieve not only a First Class (Honours) Degree in Psychology, but go on to become a published author. Why I chose to study with The Open University (OU) I ...
New Year's resolution to write a novel? Help is at hand...
Is your New Year's resolution to write a novel? Then you'll find some useful articles and information on OpenLearn here to steer you in the right direction.
Is your New Year's resolution to write a novel? Then you'll find some useful articles and information on OpenLearn here to steer you in the right direction. 2.4 Average: 2.4 (5 votes)
Feb Starters
Hi
Is any one starting this course in Feb? I'm quite looking forward to it, as it is very different to what i usually study.
Jodie
Hi Is any one starting this course in Feb? I'm quite looking forward to it, as it is very different to what i usually study. Jodie
Crime author Ian Rankin answers your questions
For those who submitted a question there was also a chance to win a signed copy of The Impossible Dead. Thank you to everyone who posted a question,. The winner is: David McIlveen
Here are Ian's responses to your questions:
The local colour of the various locations in Scotland shine through in your books and make it all so real, living in Aberdeen I have often walked near places you've written about and half expected to see your characters pass me in the street. Where do you start if you're needing that sort of local flavour in a location that is new to you? Beth Scott
Well, it certainly helps to spend time in a place if you intend writing about it. Even a day spent tramping the streets will give you a sense of the place. For the Aberdeen scenes in 'Black and Blue' I checked into a hotel just of Union Street for three or four days. I did a lot of walking, and asked a lot of questions.
I have just come back from a weekend break in Edinburgh and loved it! Which other major city would you set your books in and why? Maz Loton
I'm not sure which other city I would set my books in. I like Vancouver and Ottawa and Halifax (in Canada), and see some similarities between them and Edinburgh. Writing about them would be a good excuse to go stay there for a while....
Do you envisage more Malcolm Fox adventures coming along, or is he just making "guest appearance books" with his team from time to time? Debbie Pitt
I don't really know. When I begin planning a new book, I get the theme and story first, then decide which main characters would help me explore both. In real life, cops only join internal affairs for a short time (between 2 and 5 years), so Malcolm will eventually go back to 'normal duties'.
How do you find your continual inspiration and do you write in a good old fashioned book for ideas and research or do you write direct onto a word processor? Ray Packham
Inspiration comes from anywhere. Maybe a news story that makes me think 'what if...?' Or someone might tell me an anecdote. Or an idea might just pop into my head fully-formed. I then do some thinking/mulling, and scribble down ideas and such like. Then I type these up. When I start the actual book, I type all of it on my coal-fired laptop.
How much of yourself went into Rebus? Were you a dark and moody heavy drinker? Ian Simmins Was I dark and moody? I suppose I was. I spent a lot of time on my own and was never terribly gregarious. I had no direction in my life. I lost my mother when I was nineteen and I was maybe listening to too much 'dark' music (Joy Division, Throbbing Gristle, The Cure). But that's not to say Rebus is 'me'. It's just that he is imbued with some of that darkness from the man in his early twenties who invented him.
I have read nearly all the Rebus books, and some short stories too. I wonder where he is now? He had no life outside the job. Has he really retired? Is he sitting in the corner of the Oxford all day, doing the crossword and downing pints? Does Siobhan drop in now and again? Has he been beaten up by some lowlife as he staggered home, now he hasn't a badge? I can't believe I care so much, but I do! David McIlveen
As was hinted at in the 'final' Rebus book, Rebus himself is almost certainly working for the Cold Case unit of the Edinburgh police. They have also changed the retirement age, so it is possible he has asked to re-enlist. He certainly has not gone 'gentle into that good night'. And he still sees Siobhan.
Will you bring back Rebus? Anthony Blacker
I think so, yes. We have some unfinished business, Rebus and I....
How would you get away with murder? Phillip Tennant
I've been told by fire officers that one good way to get away with murder is to get someone blind drunk, then simply turn the heat up under a chip-pan and leave them in the kitchen. Another tip is to murder someone who won't be missed - a vagrant or similar. You're welcome...
Which was your favourite OU course and why? Christine Carrot
'Listening to Music' was interesting. I discovered that for over 40 years I had been hearing music passively rather than actively listening to it. The elder of my two sons also did the arts foundation year and I enjoyed sneaking a read of some of his course materials, and my wife has been an OU student for about ten years.
Are there OU courses currently, or possible ones in the future, that Rebus could deliver & Fox could take? (Not sure how you'd get Rebus into the teaching role but it would be fascinating to see the results) THEN you could work in the import of libraries & librarians LOL Lana Kamennof-Sine
I dread to think what OU courses Rebus could teach! I don't think I would trust him to impart the correct twenty-first century views to the students. He's too much of a throwback. But I can envisage Malcolm Fox doing all sorts of courses and modules. He is not set in his ways and is willing to learn - unlike Rebus!
Find out more
In celebration of the release of his new book The Impossible Dead, author Ian Rankin answers questions submitted by The Open University community via Platform. Ian is the UK’s number one bestselling crime author and an OU honorary graduate. For those who submitted a question there was also a chance to win a signed copy of The Impossible Dead. Thank you to ...
Careers forum for arts and humanities students
The forum is on the Careers Workspace (use your OU username and password) to log in and you can post a question, provide help to other students or just come in and browse. There will be three careers advisers moderating the forum and information from a number of Arts and Humanities-related organisations will be posted.
The forum will be open for four weeks and then read-only for a further 12 months. Questions raised previously have included:
- What career options are available with an Arts & Humanities qualification?
- How do I get into teaching?
- How can I get work experience?
- What are the benefits and financial implications of further study?
- Is age a problem for career changers?
.
The OU Careers Advisory Service is running an online forum for OU Arts and Humanities students wanting to plan their next career steps. It started on Monday 14 November and will run until Friday 9 December. The forum is on the Careers Workspace (use your OU username and password) to log in and you can post a question, provide help to other students or just come in and browse. ...
Ask author Ian Rankin a question and you could win a signed copy of his latest book
Platform will be interviewing Ian - who is also an OU honorary graduate - to help celebrate the release of his new book The Impossible Dead - and we'd like you to submit your questions.
For those familiar with Ian Rankin novels, this latest in the series sees the return of Malcolm Fox and his team from Internal Affairs. They've been sent to Fife to investigate whether fellow cops covered up for a corrupt colleague, Detective Paul Carter. But what should be a simple job is soon complicated by intimations of conspiracy, cover-up - and a brutal murder, a murder committed with a weapon that should not even exist. The spiralling investigation takes Fox back in time to 1985, a year of turmoil in British political life.
Ian was born in Cardenden, Fife, in 1960, and completed an MA in English Language and Literature at the University of Edinburgh. His first crime novel, Knots and Crosses, was published in 1987. The hero of that book, Detective Inspector John Rebus, has gone on to appear in another 14 novels.
As well as receiving an Honorary Degree, he and his wife have studied with the OU and his mother-in-law was a tutor.
If you are interested in winning a signed copy of his latest book, please post your question in the comments box below by Monday 7 November. Please note that you'll need to be logged in to Platform with your OU username and password (or guest account) in order to post comments. Alternatively you post via Facebook (below) or email us at platformeditor@open.ac.uk
A winning question will be selected and put to Ian Rankin and the interview will be published on Platform at the end of November.
Find out more about OU modules:
Other Platform groups you may be interested in joining:
Photo by: Rankin
Platform is offering you the chance to put a question to the UK’s number one bestselling crime author Ian Rankin. Platform will be interviewing Ian - who is also an OU honorary graduate - to help celebrate the release of his new book The Impossible Dead - and we'd like you to submit your questions. For those familiar with Ian Rankin novels, this latest in the series ...
Open University Associate Lecturer to author study of former Poet Laureate
Associate lecturer Dr Edward Hadley has secured a contract to write the first book-length critical study of the works of Andrew Motion, the former Poet Laureate.
Due to be published in 2013 by Liverpool University Press, Andrew Motion: A Critical Study will draw upon both published and unpublished works, together with manuscripts and correspondence.
Edward, who teaches a number of OU English literature courses in the London and East of England regions, says the book will aim to offer a 'fair and comprehensive appreciation of the works of an often divisive poet'.
Edward has previously published The Elegies of Ted Hughes (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010) and is the founding editor of The Ted Hughes Society Journal.
Associate lecturer Dr Edward Hadley has secured a contract to write the first book-length critical study of the works of Andrew Motion, the former Poet Laureate. Due to be published in 2013 by Liverpool University Press, Andrew Motion: A Critical Study will draw upon both published and unpublished works, together with manuscripts and correspondence. Edward, who teaches a ...
OU tutor and student wins literary prize
OU student and tutor Emily Bullock has won the 2011 Bristol Short Story Prize with her brilliant story 'My Girl'.
BristolPrize interviewed Emily shortly after winning the award. To see the full interview, visit the BristolPrize website.
Emily is currently tutoring for the Open University in Literature and Creative Writing, she is also working on a Creative Writing PhD with the Open University.
OU student and tutor Emily Bullock has won the 2011 Bristol Short Story Prize with her brilliant story 'My Girl'. BristolPrize interviewed Emily shortly after winning the award. To see the full interview, visit the BristolPrize website. Emily is currently tutoring for the Open University in Literature and Creative Writing, she is also working on a Creative Writing PhD ...
October starts
Hiya folks,
I've just recently signed up for the Start Writing Fiction course in Oct 2011. Thought I'd see who else is starting next month and get to know everyone before the hard work starts! I'm 21, working in a library, and I've been at a couple of local writing groups before but had to stop when my work pattern made it difficult. I'm hoping we can get a good group on this, so feel free to add me on facebook if you like. =)
Just looking forward to the course materials now!
Rosie
Hiya folks, I've just recently signed up for the Start Writing Fiction course in Oct 2011. Thought I'd see who else is starting next month and get to know everyone before the hard work starts! I'm 21, working in a library, and I've been at a couple of local writing groups before but had to stop when my work pattern made it difficult. I'm hoping we can get a good group on ...
Creative Writing in Contemporary Ireland (Belfast)
The Open University in Ireland present Past Imperfect, Present Tense: Creative Writing in Contemporary Ireland from 10am to 4.30pm on Saturday 15 October 2011 at The Open University in Ireland, 110 Victoria Street, Belfast, BT1 3GN.
The cost is £25 for delegates and places need to be booked by 15 September. See here for more information and the booking form.
The Open University in Ireland present Past Imperfect, Present Tense: Creative Writing in Contemporary Ireland from 10am to 4.30pm on Saturday 15 October 2011 at The Open University in Ireland, 110 Victoria Street, Belfast, BT1 3GN. The cost is £25 for delegates and places need to be booked by 15 September. See here for more information and the booking form. start ...
new member
hi there
have just joined this course - any advice on how to proceed
when/how do i access the 12 week course
keen to get started !
hi there have just joined this course - any advice on how to proceed when/how do i access the 12 week course keen to get started !
OU saved my sanity says engineer turned playwright Walter
No one in the audience for the opening night of The Living End watched more intently than Open University student, and now graduate, Walter Smith.
The OU took a leading part in getting 73-year old Walter’s black comedy about coping with retirement onto the stage and launching his new career as a playwright.
Years earlier aged 66 and a retiree from the engineering industry his new life of leisure was, in his own words, “sending him mad”.
“I was in a vacuum,” said Walter, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
“You can’t play golf five times a day and I am no gardener,” he said.
So he turned to the OU to keep his mind active and it was a toss-up between the arts and sciences.
Walter had always been interested in the arts despite having a fulfilling career in Project Engineering.
“At grammar school I was asked by the careers teacher what I was interested in and I said drawing – so he sent me to Raleigh Cycles where I became a draughtsman!” he said
He started writing in 1976 while off duty from working on an oil and gas plant in Orkney.
“There was not a lot else to do up there.
“It was mostly short stories and about my own life,” he said.
He began several OU short courses in writing.
“I was enrolling for a new one and someone said why don’t you do a degree?”
This year he finished an Open Degree in English Literature and it was the creative writing elements which encouraged him to write plays.
He entered The Living End in a local competition. It did not win but it was picked up by Brightside Productions in Mansfield and staged by them last September.
Set in the near future it sees a government solving the problem of rising pensions costs by launching a lottery with one lucky couple winning a blissful retirement – and the rest getting the bullet!
With widows exempt and some children keen to offload their parents it raises all kinds of questions about old age.
Walter, who writes under the name Harry Osbourne, says he was not influenced by his own experience of retirement but a story from 17th century France where a Duke tries to impose euthanasia on the peasants.
“Seeing your words come to life on stage is quite a memorable thing,” said Walter, “and the OU played its part.”
He would “absolutely recommend” studying with the OU to other retirees and his experience of the course and the support he got was positive.
“It is fulfilling and there is a point to it. It saved my sanity,” he said.
Walter is planning to take his degree to Honours with the Advanced Creative Writing Module A363.
No one in the audience for the opening night of The Living End watched more intently than Open University student, and now graduate, Walter Smith. The OU took a leading part in getting 73-year old Walter’s black comedy about coping with retirement onto the stage and launching his new career as a playwright. Years earlier aged 66 and a retiree from the engineering ...
Publishing a novel? Dedication's what you need
There’s an old saying I’ve heard many times before: “Everyone has at least one good book in them”. Well, that was the last thing on my mind the day I signed on the dotted line, and was shipped off for army basic training at Bassingbourn with 3 Troop Royal Engineers, ready for a career in the Corps of Army Music as a military band trombone player.
When I was settled, and realised that my army career would be over before I was 45, I wondered what I could do afterwards. After many enquiries, I enrolled with the Open University – one of the defining moments of my life. I’ve had quite a few of those – joining the army, marrying my childhood sweetheart, the birth of my twins William and Molly, graduating with the Open University at Brighton Dome, and more recently having my first fantasy novel published. Here’s how it happened…
Ten years ago, sitting in a ski lodge out of season in South Korea while on tour with the Royal Engineers band, the idea for a series of five fantasy novels came to me, while revising for my third-year university exams. I was studying a level three music course at the time; I loved every minute, but it was tough. The idea sprang into my head, and came as a welcome distraction from studying.
But there was a problem. If I spent my time planning the novels rather than revising, I risked failing my exams. The army had funded some of my course fees, and I didn’t want to let them, or myself, down. So I put the ideas on the back-burner, and carried on studying. Every now and then, I would jot down ideas and plans when they came to me, but nothing substantial; that would have to wait.
One of the proudest moments...
So I waited. And waited. I studied, took exams, wrote essays, and waited. A lot of my end of course exams were sat in foreign countries, as the band was constantly on tour. But the army’s OU co-ordinators had made sure I could still study and sit exams wherever I was. But then, in 2006 after six years of hard study, I graduated; my free time was finally my own. I walked across the stage at Brighton Dome, in my OU gown, with my wife and my parents watching – one of the proudest moments of my life. I will always be grateful to the OU and the army for allowing me to take a degree while travelling the world.
But I had never once forgotten about my desire to pen my first novel. By then, computers had caught up with my desire to write, and I planned the series of five novels over four years, curbing my desire to write the first novel before the planning was done; the OU taught me the value of careful planning. I would plan whenever I could: on bus journeys to various engagements, on evenings off when touring various countries, during leave, weekends, whenever there was free time and a computer. Eventually, I was ready to actually write.
The first novel was harder to put to paper than I thought, but it was so much fun. I never dreamed that the creation process would make me feel the way I do about the characters, forming bonds with them that will last a lifetime. But the last line of the last chapter, with it’s eye-widening twist that surprised even me, came all-too-soon, and the first novel was finished. Now came the real hard work: finding a publisher.
I learnt fast that the cut-throat world of publishing was not what it was a decade ago. I submitted my novel to all of the big publishing houses and got the same response. But I persevered. I sent hundreds of email attachments, hundreds of pages of the manuscript in jiffy-bags, and made hundreds of phone calls. And like every publisher in today’s market, I received rejection after rejection; hundreds of them. And that was from those that bothered to reply.
Who wouldn't accept a chance like that?
But then came the response I had been waiting for – of a sort. The company Authorhouse offered to publish my book on a partnership basis; there would be a small fee, but my book would hit the shelves, and the world-wide-web, in both the UK and US. And then the deal clincher – my book would become part of the Hollywood scriptwriters’ database: my book would actually be available for Hollywood producers, looking for their next project, to see. Who wouldn’t accept a chance like that?
So the process began, and I didn’t look back. I worked closely with an editor, who smoothed out the edges of my manuscript and corrected my good, but not perfect, English. I worked closely with a very talented artist, who read the manuscript and crafted a brilliant canvas that made up the front cover. And after months of agonising waiting, the proof copy of my book arrived in the post. The experience of holding my own book in my hands is something I will never forget.
Unfortunately, one of the first things I learnt during the whole publishing process, is also the one that surprises people the most; you don’t go into publishing for the money – there is none. I have had an amazing time publishing my novel, and I will do everything in my power to see that the remaining four instalments hit the shelves before my last breath leaves me, but this will not make me rich. Far from it. Any modern publisher of novels who manages to simply break even, is considered successful in today’s market. Despite the fun I have had, I’m not there yet – but fingers crossed!
I firmly believe the Open University has been instrumental in opening up my mind, and contributing enormously to my self-confidence, without which I’m sure my book would never have existed. I’m sure many other OU students have noticed that they suddenly had ‘more room in their heads’ as I heard someone say once, and if anyone else is thinking of starting an OU course, don’t even hesitate. Writing my book has also been a turning point in my life, and even though nothing will physically change for me, a part of me will always belong to the world of literature, even if that is literally just paper and ink. Remember my opening quote – “Everyone has at least one good book in them” – thanks to the OU and the army, I’m trying for five. Wish me luck!
Open University graduate Lee J. H. Fomes talks to Platform about his career in the army, studying while on tour with a military band and the patience and dedication needed to publish his debut fantasy novel, The L-Shaped Village. Will he ever get rich? Not likely, but he’s pleased to have made a paper and ink mark on the literary world and thanks the OU and the army for ...
