Some more published work

Introducing: Rock in Your Pocket

The Re-Emergence of Riot Grrrl and Politics? - I'm pretty pleased with this one, would love to know what you all think.

Merry Christmas!

This year's Nanowrimo

I haven't posted yet about what happened with this years nanowrimo
well it started off pretty well, I worked on the same principle as last year, to write the target amount each day of 1667 words. I used the twitter word sprints again and also discovered a neat little tool called written kitten which brings up pictures of cats when you write a set amount of words. I started writing a story which kept going in different directions (as it tends to do) I thought it was going to be about a girl discovering feminism and riot grrrl, but then it kind of changed to a fantasy story. It kind of turned into some sort of story about a girl with depression who then meets all sorts of magical creatures that try to help her overcome it. There is other stuff in it but it's a bit all over the place.
Then one day I just didn't know what to write next and I felt like I had really just been kind of writing about myself in a kind of metaphorical sense. But I was about half way by this point so I didn't want to give up, so the other half of the month I just wrote a kind of stream of conciousness thing writing what ever I felt like writing about, whether it was about my emotions or certain memories.
So I did do the 50,000 words this year for the 2nd time but I kind of felt like I cheated as it wasn't one whole story and I don't even know if I want to edit the story bit. I'm still editing the one from 2010! Maybe next year's will be better...

Letters

There's nothing like the feeling you get when you heard the daily sound of letters falling through your letterbox. You think it's probably just the usual bills and/or junk mail from credit card companies or charities asking for donations. Instead, as you yawn and drearily trudge your way to the front door, you look down at the pile on the floor and notice the address on the envelope is handwritten. A feeling of curiosity and intrigue replaces the tired and bored one. Instead of going straight to the kettle for the usual morning kick up the arse in caffeine form, you start ripping the envelope open, eager to see what lurks inside. Your heart lifts as you see the handwritten words, dated only yesterday as it's been posted first class. Obviously someone really wanted to write to you. You smile as you finish reading it's from your best friend just to say hello.

The River

The water flows past the rocks making a fast paced journey to the other side. So may obstacles to get past. The rocks, the biggest challenge of them all. They're hard and tough but the fast flowing water manages to overcome the problems to get where it wants to go. Nothing ever stops the water moving on. Nothing is too huge to get in it's way. It doesn't think "oh no a rock! I'll never get past it!" It doesn't stop and think at all. It just carries straight on, not letting anything hinder its journey.

I need to become at one one with the river. We all need to become more like the river. We need to go with the flow of life. Every person is on a journey. Some of us dream of having a satisfying career, others want to create loving family. All of these dreams have their obstacles. The artists of the world get blocked, a woman may find herself infertile. It may seem that our dreams will never come to fruition so we repress them and just carry on with a meaningless job or simply give up trying.

But dreams can come true. The flowing river knows this. To be like the river, we must push through the 'rocks'. Instead of repressing ourselves, do little things to help you achieve that dream. One little thing a day could bring you so close in a short period of time. No one says you have to give up your job (unless you can afford to)! Perhaps start looking for the right job on your days off, or do some research on the internet or the library. If you're having trouble finding a relationship, take some time out for yourself- love YOU!!! Nothing is more attractive than someone who believes in themselves.

You can push through those rocks just like the river. A little at a time can lead you a long way. You never know when the universe might just decide to make your wish come true!
29/4/05

Keys

The keys lie on the table
Shiny and silver
cold to the touch
opening new experiences
going through unknown doors
seeing the world like you've never seen it before
feeling at one with yourself and all around you
when I pick them up they jangle
the smell of freshly fallen rain
as I walk through the door
my keys turn the lock
and then I place them back on the table
where they sit
reflecting my image
reflecting my self

27/10/11

I Miss You

Sadness tears up apart
Every day I feel the sorrow grow deeper in my heart
somehow it eclipses all the good times we've had
at first it seemed like just a fad
but then it just got worse and worse
like some sort of curse
this beautiful person who cares, and who dares
came into my life and made everything right
now it seems all you have is strife
and just to see you at all is a fight
I felt like our friendship was true
but lately the more I try, the more I feel blue.

24/10/11

Feminist Reclaimed

I stand up for my right to choose
I am a feminist
I stand up for equal pay
I am a feminist
I stand up against discrimination
I am a feminist
I stand up against sexual violence

I am a feminist and proud
I'll shout it loud
No, I don't hate men
I'll politicize adverts with my pen
No, I've never burned a bra
I'll spread the message far
It's time to reclaim 'feminist'
and dispel the myth

26/10/11

This is an entry for the Mookychick FEMINIST FLASH FICTION competition. Enter now.

More reviews!

UT gig Review on The F Word

Amanda Palmer gig review on JoyZine

New Articles

My article about the lack of female fronted bands at festivals

Fight Like Apes album review

PJ Harvey album review

Dancing Barefoot

Hi

Sorry I haven't updated this blog for quite some time, but I haven't had much to post to be honest. I've got some reviews etc in the pipeline so will link them when they're ready- I've also been slowly editing my novel.

I have however started a zine- 'Dancing Barefoot' which is a personal zine and costs £1.75- it's A4 in size and I've published two issues so far. The first talks about growing up and friendship, and the second talks about being a loner and organising a ladyfest.

If you haven't already bought a copy and would like one, just drop me an email to moonlight.phoenix@gmail.com

Stereotype and other things

I am not your stereotype
I refuse pink and flowers
Yes I am a girl
I don't have to be pretty
I don't have to be a mother
if I choose not to be

I am not your stereotype
I refuse make up and pedicures
Yes I am a girl
I don't have to be obessed with my appearence
I don't have to spend my money
on clothes and lipstick if I choose not to

I am not your stereotype
I refuse to conform to what you expect of me
It's all the brainwashing media you see
I can be who I want to be
I am a grrrl.

9/5/11

another review on the girls are

Essex Poetry Festival is running a competition and I'm wondering whether to enter. There are money prizes and the chance to read the poems at the festival (which I would find very difficult) I can enter one poem or 4 poems. What do you think- should I enter even though I'm really shy- and if I enter what poem/poems should I enter?

Introducing piece

Lilies on Mars

and more reviews!

Since I last posted, I've finally joined The Girls Are and have had two reviews up
Lulu and the Lampshades
Carol Bui

I'm working on some more for them as we speak as well as Joyzine, waiting to hear about possible press passes for a few gigs too.

creative writing wise apart from editing my novel and going to a writers workshop a few weeks ago I haven't done too much. I've had a few lines randomly appear in my head but never any further at the moment.

Time

Where does the time go?
A day, a month, a year what I thought was yesterday
was more like last year
one minute it's Monday
and in a blink of an eye it's Sunday again

where does the time go?
does it disappear into my head?
or I am just dreaming
a future I haven't had

you say
what have you been up to?
I say
oh not that much
But it must have been something
for it to be this late
time has made the great escape
away from my grasp
slipping through my fingertips
like sand
I hope you understand
I never want to be too late
to hold your hand
I just don't know where the time goes
I can't touch time
but I don't know how to make it mine.

More reviews

I've had a few more up on Wears The Trousers
Religious To Damn and The Mummers


I'm happy to say I've just been accepted on another site as well now- Joy Zine doing reviews and maybe some features as well. They don't have a specific style policy so hopefully they won't be edited so much (like sadly the WTT one's are) and I'm already awaiting two potential press passes for gigs, so I'll keep you posted!

Since I last wrote..

The F Word printed my review about the Cookie Party gig I went to last November:
http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2011/01/cookie_party_de

I've wrote a mock review for the girls are website, awaiting feedback, but I have wrote some 'professional' gig reviews on my music blog http://djmoonlightmusic.blogspot.com

I'm now a music reviewer for Wears The Trousers, I have one review up so far:
http://www.wearsthetrousers.com/2011/01/callers-life-of-love/
there's one awaiting publication, and I'm working on another. The bonus about this is I get to listen to new albums for free!

2011 Writing Goals and Things

Happy new year to readers of this blog!

These are currently the things going on in my writing-
One of my resolutions was to make a zine- and I have made one! It's called Dancing Barefoot and is quite personal, it talks about friendship and growing up. I will post a link to buy it etc, once I get copies made!

I'm doing writing prompts and journal prompts everyday, or at least trying to. There's a website for each with these with loads of them, so I'm going through them all and hoping I will get some good writing from it or maybe even be inspired to write something else.

I should have another review up on The F Word blog soon- one about an amazing riot grrrl(and boy)! gig I went to in Chelmsford last year.

I haven't started yet but am planning to start my first edit of the novel I wrote in Novel Writing Month soon- I've had feedback from two of my readers- which was quite positive and also will be very helpful in helping me edit it.

I've been in touch with the website The Girls Are about doing live reviews for them. I'm not quite up to their level of talent yet (most of them have degrees in journalism) bur rather than disregard me completely, they offered to help me improve, and see how I am in a bit and go from there. Their editor also said some lovely things about my show and hopefully I'll be doing a podcast/mixtape thing for them soon!

I've been in touch with Wears The Trousers website to write for them. I've sent them a few links, so we'll see what happens!

When I was looking for some links I could send Wears The Trousers to see my writing, I found some pieces I had published on Mookychick a few years ago, and it made me think- where did my music opinion writing mojo go? I need it back!


Here are those old posts:

http://www.mookychick.co.uk/opinion/music_minx/music_controversy.php

http://www.mookychick.co.uk/opinion/music_minx/support_the_support_act

http://www.mookychick.co.uk/opinion/riotgrrl/evolution_of_girl_power.php

http://www.mookychick.co.uk/careers/rock_girl_dj