The Church of the Latter-day Bloggers…

...otherwise known as the Writers' Guild of Great Britain’s ‘Websites for Writers’ event at the Guild building in King’s Cross, was where I went last night. I was pleasantly subjected there to evangelical zeal from a panel of writers who blog, and want everyone else to blog too. Caught up in as much of a fervour as it is possible to generate in a group of shy British writers, I thrust my hand up amongst a forest of others in answer to the question “Will you go home and create your own blog tonight?” “Yes, YES! I have seen the light – yessir, I will!”

I didn’t, of course: I waited until the morning when I’d be a bit more coherent. It’s already reached the afternoon, and I have been avoiding any work on the spec radio play I’m supposed to be doing, and instead have been tinkering and tweaking my new toy.

Most of all, I have been reading: reading as many other blogs as I can, including those by last night’s panel: Danny Stack, a UK scriptwriter and reader, whose blog is one of the most useful resources I’ve encountered for a UK-based writer; Tom Green, who edits the magnificent Guild blog; Sophie Nicholls, a poet, who coordinates Lots of Big Ideas, a fascinating blog and wiki for asylum seekers and refugees to share their stories; and, Tom Smith of everythingability.com who helps people – and writers - build better websites.

It occurred to me even before the panel had finished that the last thing I needed, being an undisciplined sort, was another displacement activity. But it’s been amazingly useful already to read some of the insightful material that screenwriters, and others, are putting out there. And every one you read links to twenty more.

Just like all the aimless web surfing I do when trying to prepare for the slog of putting words on paper, it might just spark off a creative idea or two. Just like the day job that gives me money as I press up, unpaid, against the outer forcefield wall of the 'industry', it might sustain me for a while. Just like my wonderful nine-month old son, keeping this blog might just inspire me. So, I am going to embrace my displacement activities and write about them here. I hope you find them, and I hope you find them useful.