Xander Michael

Oh gosh, that would be interesting / traumatic!! It would be a really revealing exploration of memory though, and how much detail we still retain beneath the conscious ‘main’ memory. Much like hypnosis is supposed to draw out those deeper memories, i wonder whether this could do similar.

Yeah I write down snippets in my notebook as I hear them. Pretending to be staring thoughtfully into space. Child is horrified at me and says I am ‘Infringing people’s right to privacy’!

And thank you. I adored my grandad. He moved to the UK as an old man and never stopped missing India – his stories were a very treasured part of my childhood,…[Read more]

@kazg yep will do that. I get home from hol tmrw so won’t be till then (and will have to wait till snakey is fed and cats are apologised to!).

All the I remembers so far seem to have been a release of sorts. What happens when you focus on one and break it down further?

So sad, Hil, and so tender. I remember my dad’s smile, too.

Oh my darling, that is so sad and beautiful, and I can almost see him in my mind’s eye. What a tender elegy, difficult to read, yes, but also utterly lovely.
I hope the eavesdropping and the time with the grandson have both been cheering. If nothing else, noting down the way small children talk is always a blast, I think.

Feel like I’ve got here when everyone else is leaving…
It’s been a funny couple of days, hasn’t it? What with Ath’s comp and these ‘I remembers’ some unexpected emotions have floated to the surface.

This served as a reminder of the things we go through as children. It’s quite harrowing, in a way, although thank goodness for Glenn’s mum!

Aw @hilary that’s lovely! Sending you lots of hugs and tea!! I think the idea of being given prompts and free writing is such a liberating feeling, especially if other writing is proving a struggle. And being able to do so in a group makes the whole writing thing feel less lonely, I find. I know I have been really struggling with the urge to just…[Read more]

I never found out, he ran off yelling something in Gaelic!

These are gorgeous, Sea. I love the image of the pineapple seller, and picking the car lock with your fingernail! So many different childhood emotions encapsulated here with deceptively simple phrases, really nice.

This is so evocative and sweet! I totally agree re bananas in custard – ugh. But isn’t Glenn’s mum a gem! Like @squidge says – interesting to see it worked into a kind of story, it gives it almost a prose poetry feel to it.

Good luck!!

Love the authenticity of the dialogue. And I really, really want to know what Jonny has 68 of!

Thank you! I have to admit I developed a bit of a soft spot for wee Jonny!

I’ve only ever used the I Remember exercise for finding a character’s voice before so it felt quite different doing it for myself. I still think doing it for a character is more useful for any actual piece of writing. But I guess this is good for simply getting yourself…[Read more]