It seems counter-productive displaying examples of my bad writing. But such is the nature of editing. Every young piece of writing has been through a badly written phase at one time or another. How else would they grow up?

Below is a first-draft excerpt of a recently written novel, and its tightened up second-draft. I find my first-drafts tend to be very overwritten, and the second-draft requires a great deal of rethinking and rewriting.

Before & After

BEFORE

AFTER

This is the opening of a recent chapter in first-draft form. It takes the point of view of one of my main characters who is experiencing extreme loneliness and isolation.

Although some edits have since been made to it in the second-draft stage, it has remained relatively intact. I like to think of this as an example of creative flow taking you in the right direction. Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts!

And yes, I have a thing for typewriters.

Happy Accidents

This is a poem I wrote in a single day after being inspired by some lyrics. It covers themes of inevitable loss, cyclical suffering, needless violence, and the destructive force of modern power systems.

The poem took inspiration from traditional ballads, such as the dark themes and metre of Down in the Willow Garden, and the chant-like rhythm of In the Pines.

Sudden Inspiration