Tales Of The Gurrier

Well, that was the year that was 2008. It flew by for me, each month passing in a blur of work commitments and snatched breaks here and there. It was a good year for business, but a poor one for writing. The blog suffered from a deal of neglect and some time around April I endured a long dark tea-time of the soul and considered packing it all in. I dislike using this space for maudlin’, self regarding rubbish, but 2008 was a year I ducked my responsibilities to my creative self.

The rot started in November 2007 with Nanowrimo, where, after months of planning, I produced a hideous abortive story fit only to be hauled out behind the shed and beaten to death with shovels. Failing to achieve the goals I had set out knocked me on my arse and I spent the last year wondering what I was up to. Always the reach exceeds the grasp, but so it is for everyone.

“Language is a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, while all the time we long to move the stars to pity.” Gustave Flaubert

Janey Mack, there are some words to live by.

My motto for this year will be ‘Must Try Harder. Must Be Braver.’ I will try to fail a little more often on the blog here and ‘endeavour to persevere’.

Some notable creative output was achieved in ‘08. It would be remiss of me not to express my deep gratitude to my good friend Elimare who spent many an hour in 2008 reading, correcting and no doubt cursing over my efforts to revise my half finished novel from 2006. Revising the story and receiving unvarnished criticism was a bracing, healthy and at times exhilarating experience. I recommend it to anyone who wishes to improve their writing. It has given me a deeper respect for those talented people who do it for a living (Tadmack how do you do it!?).

But enough about me, what have you been up to? In the months since this blog went dark I missed some notable moments.

Not content with maintaining multiple blogs and online enterprises too numerous to mention here, the extraordinarily prolific Tadmack had a book out. Her second, Mare’s War, is arriving in June this year sporting an awesome cover illustration by Jody Hewgill. Congratulations Tanita, I am in awe of your productivity and creativity!

Not only did Chris write a book this year, in Welsh no less, he also produced some fine, fine work on his blog. Following his personal journey over the past three years has been a rare pleasure. Chris’ skill is in the easy way he engages the reader, drawing you into the story before you realise it. Good writing has an effortlessness to it,  borne from hard graft and labour.

The joy in following a skilled writer on a life changing odyssey such as his, is in observing the slow emergence of those tricky larger themes. Chris pursues the hazy outlines of his emergent great themes with an honesty and tenacity in equal parts disarming and refreshing. Keep it up my friend.

With his multi-disciplined approach to creativity the fiendishly talented Mr. Struthers continues to cause me great personal pain. This man writes, illustrates, dreams and Twitters of the coming Apocalypse, all with a bubbling vat of brain juice far superior to my own. If this were the 18th Century I would be obliged to challenge him to a duel, as it is I fear he will be dead of the brain worms clearly gnawing on his cerebellum before the year is out.

Brian wrote and directed a play with the Limelight Theatre Company. Like me, Brian also had a light year on the blogging front, but he was ‘Our Man on the Ground,’ on election night, right where the action was in Grant Park. He also brought us several thoughtful and interesting pieces on the election and it’s lead up. How about posting up an excerpt or two from some of those plays this year Brian?

Other friends launched new web enterprises – In September Niall launched his new website The Daily Stuff. A daily repository of breaking news and oddments from the web with an Irish slant.

As previously covered, and with a singular prescience, Karl launched his pub price checking website Pint of Plain. Coverage included a piece in the Sunday Times, well done that man!

Another blogger of distinction in the Irish sphere that deserves a mention is Annie Rhiannon.

Are you reading Annie? You should be you know. Curiously, both Chris and Brian urged me to read her blog, which I duly noted and promptly forgot, more fool me.  Annie has a gift, a real ‘writer’s voice,’ one that skips along leaving you a little breathless and with a wink turns and tumbles you on your arse, leaving you a little overawed. Her three month odyssey across the USA was one of the highlights of the year. She also takes some amazing photos too.

That’s it, my round up of the year that was 2008, a little late to the party, but there nonetheless.

So tell me, what are we going to make this year?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 at 1:50 am and is filed under Bloggery. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.