Tag Archives: Penny Gotch

December 1, 2014 · 11:53 pm

“Personal is Political”: Out Now

“One of the first things we discover in these groups is that personal problems are political problems. There are no personal solutions at this time. There is only collective action for a collective solution.” ~ Carol Hanisch, 169

Here we have a collection of prose and poetry that aims to help you frame your personal ideals and problems into a global, politicised context.

Here we have three young writers who want to be taken seriously.

Here we want to start something.

Personal Is Political is an anthology collecting pieces by Liam Whear, Penny Gotch and Susan Wright, from Canterbury Christ Church University, on environmentalism, feminism, mental health, body image, identity, and more.

Artwork from Molly Penford.

Stay safe, and stay aware.

BUY IT NOW IN PAPERBACK OR ON KINDLE.

~ Penny

Related Post: “Personal is Political” Trailer

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November 26, 2014 · 5:23 pm

“Personal is Political” Trailer

You might have noticed that there was neither a Sunday Scribbling nor a Monday Musing post this week.

And I’m afraid there won’t be a Word Count Wednesday either.

I’m snowed under with university work and unfortunately, I just don’t have the time to write anything.

But I don’t want to leave you with nothing, so I’m going to share with you the trailer for my upcoming collaborative anthology, “Personal is Political”.

Stay safe, and stay aware.

~ Penny

Related Post: Monday Musing: Press Release – “Personal Is Political”

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November 19, 2014 · 5:58 pm

Word Count Wednesday: 19th November 2014

Word Count Wednesday! And how much did I write?

Base image © Docbaba (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Word_Count_h_500.svg). Edited by Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

4,680 words, or about 669 words per day!

Which is a little more than last week! Go me!

But that’s not what I want to talk to you about today. No, I’m being a little bit sneaky.

If you read my last Monday Musing, you’ll have seen that I’m publishing a new book.

I’m collaborating with Liam Whear and Susan Wright to bring you “Personal is Political”.

And you’ve probably noticed that I’ve had my poetry book “Under the Tree” on sale for a while.

Image © FlashBuddy (http://pixabay.com/en/hang-tags-for-sale-tag-sign-tags-234566/).

Well, there are new developments with “Under the Tree”!

I am publishing it on Amazon!

You can get it in paperback now and on Kindle from 24th November (although you can pre-order right now if you like).

So what does that mean for that version down there?

It means that it’s limited edition.

Yes: there will never be another print run of “Under the Tree” with this cover. Consider it Edition 0.

I have only five copies left. After that? You will never be able to buy this version of the book ever again.

It’s your last chance to pick up the original version of “Under the Tree” for just £4 with free P&P anywhere in the UK.

Image © Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

After that? It’s gone!

So if you’d like one of the original copies of “Under the Tree” in its original cover, send me an e-mail at pennygotch@gmail.com and I’ll get one sent to you.

Hurry while they last!

~ Penny

Related Post: Wednesday Word Count: 12th November 2014

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November 17, 2014 · 9:05 pm

Monday Musing: Press Release – “Personal is Political”

I’ve chosen to do Monday Musing on purpose this week.

Base image © Nemo (http://pixabay.com/en/thinking-bubble-message-idea-blank-25906/). Edited by Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

Yep: I’m deliberately doing a Monday Musing this week instead of a Sunday Scribbling.

And why’s that?

Because it’s exactly two weeks from a new book release!

Yes, on top of the continuing sale on “Under the Tree”, I’m teaming up with two other writers for a new book!

Music reviewer Liam Whear, new talent Susan Wright and I are bringing you “Personal is Political”.

Inspired by a famous 1969 essay by Carol Hanisch, the anthology is a mixture of prose and poetry by the three of us.

Its purpose? Framing personal issues in a global, politicised context.

Image © Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

“Personal is Political” covers a wide variety of topics. From environmentalism to feminism, mental health to body image, there’s something for everyone.

And through them, it shows just what the title says: how even your identity can be a political thing.

Plus it has gorgeous cover art by the talented Molly Penford.

This anthology is more than just words: it’s a work of art in itself.

The Kindle edition is due out on 1st December 2014, two weeks from today.

We haven’t settled on a price yet, but it shouldn’t be much.

And physical copies should be available shortly after, also for a low price.

Image © Icely88 (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Book_lover.jpg).

Please consider supporting a promising trio of twenty-something writers and pick up a copy when it comes out.

Stay safe, stay aware, and keep an eye out for more information from us in the weeks to come!

~ Penny

P.S. “Under the Tree” is still on sale! Read the review or e-mail me for more information at pennygotch@gmail.com.

Related Post: Monday Musing: Downtime Is Good Time

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November 12, 2014 · 4:47 pm

Word Count Wednesday: 12th November 2014

It’s Word Count Wednesday again! And how much did I write this week?

Base image © Docbaba (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Word_Count_h_500.svg). Edited by Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

4,268 words, or about 610 words per day!

More than last week! Yay!

Now let’s set aside that pesky issue of NaNoWriMo because I still haven’t written a word.

No, there was one other thing that prevented me from writing as much as I wanted to this week.

And that was altruism.

Those of you who follow my Instagram (@pennygotch) may have seen a picture I posted on Sunday of my writing pad.

And at that point, I was getting going with some writing. I thought I was going to write loads on my commute.

But that didn’t happen so much.

You see, I sat down at a table when a chair opened up so I could write. But then I noticed that the guy opposite me was struggling with a birthday present.

Image © OpenClips (http://pixabay.com/en/present-box-dole-favor-gift-150291/).

Well. I couldn’t let him struggle alone when I had a spare pair of hands, could I?

And that’s how I helped a man with a fabulous moustache wrap up a sewing machine. While on the high speed train between Canterbury and Stratford. Using sparkly purple paper.

And yes, we did both end up covered in glitter.

But you know what? I don’t mind.

I would rather do something nice for somebody in the real world and miss out a little in my writing.

Does that make me a bleeding heart softie? Maybe.

Image © Polimerek (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Teddy_Bear_front_flash.jpg).

But I wouldn’t change that for anything. I love being me.

~ Penny

P.S. “Under The Tree” is still on sale! Read Melissa Holden’s review here, or e-mail me for more details at pennygotch@gmail.com!

Related Post: Wednesday Word Count: 5th November 2014

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November 10, 2014 · 3:00 pm

Monday Musing: Downtime Is Good Time

It’s back to the Monday Musing this week!

Base image © Nemo (http://pixabay.com/en/thinking-bubble-message-idea-blank-25906/). Edited by Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

And today, I want to talk about downtime.

It doesn’t matter where you look. It could be your university course. It could be advice from a famous author. It could be an inspirational photo on Pinterest.

If you’re a writer, there is pressure to be constantly writing.

Write every day. Write 750 words. Keep writing. You need to keep writing or you won’t succeed.

Is it important to write regularly? Yes, of course it is.

Writing is a skill and you need to keep yourself in shape for it just like you would any other skill.

But there’s a difference between that and driving yourself into the ground.

Image © Anthonares (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Patterned_ground_devon_island.jpg).

Not everyone can write something every single day. And it’s unfair to expect them to.

After all, writers are people, as obvious as that sounds.

People have jobs. University courses. Homework. Social lives.

And sometimes, those things can leave us so exhausted that we don’t have the energy to write.

And then what? We feel guilty for it. We feel like we aren’t real writers because we’re not doing enough.

And it’s nonsense.

If you write, you’re a writer. End of story.

You don’t have to write a certain amount to join the official writer club. It doesn’t work like that.

Only you know what your limits are. Only you know how much you can do before you burn out.

Image © Jens Buurgaard Nielsen (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Embers_01.JPG).

And if other people can’t respect the limits you have, they don’t deserve you.

~ Penny

P.S. “Under the Tree” is still on sale, and now it has a review by the lovely Melissa Holden! Check it out here if you haven’t already!

Related Post: Sunday Scribblings: Fanfiction Is Fabulous

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November 2, 2014 · 5:29 pm

Sunday Scribblings: Fanfiction Is Fabulous

Hello and welcome back to the Sunday Scribblings!

Base image © Sembazuru (http://www.flickr.com/photos/sembazuru/6974372/). Edited by Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

Let’s talk fanfiction.

I’m an author. And I support fanfiction writers.

Why wouldn’t I? I’m one myself.

I’ve been writing fanfiction since I was twelve years old. That’s over a decade of writing stories about other people’s characters.

But surely that’s plagiarism, isn’t it?

Well yes and no.

You see, fanfiction inhabits a legal grey area.

Image © Emmanuel Huybrechts (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ensh/6204837462/).

Yes, the people who create it are using characters that belong to other people without permission.

But we’re not making money from the things we write. So we’re not technically breaking the law.

So why do we write fanfiction?

Because we love the original stories. It’s all about love.

So that’s why fanfiction isn’t bad. But I’d like to go a step further.

I think fanfiction is good for us.

When we write fanfiction, we can focus on putting together a plot. We can experiment with new formats of storytelling. And we can do things we would never dare do in an original piece.

In other words, it makes us better writers.

Painted by Leonid Pasternak; uploaded by Crisco 1492 (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leonid_Pasternak_001.jpg).

It’s practice. And not only that, but we get feedback from the community.

From kudos to comments, people tell us what we’re doing right and wrong and it helps us get better.

Fanfiction makes us better writers. And I don’t see how that could be a bad thing.

So support fanfiction writers. We are the novelists of the future.

Oh, and “Under the Tree” is still on sale! E-mail me at pennygotch@gmail.com to order!

~ Penny

Related Post: Monday Musing: Where Does the Time Go?

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October 29, 2014 · 10:50 pm

Word Count Wednesday: 29th October 2014

Don’t worry! I may have run out of time for Sunday Scribblings, but the Wednesday Word Count is right on time.

So what did I get up to this week?

Base image © Docbaba (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Word_Count_h_500.svg). Edited by Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

Well, I didn’t write as much as I did last week.

In fact, I wrote just 2,317 words. That’s about 331 words per day.

And you know what? That’s okay.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Writing every day is hard.

A lot of people will tell you that it isn’t. You just need to pull together some discipline and it’s easy.

Just set your alarm earlier and write and everything will work out, right?

But life is not that simple.

In an ideal world, I would write 750 words per day.

But sometimes, that just doesn’t happen for one reason or another.

I have a lot of university work. I’ve gone out with friends more than usual. I’ve had other things to do.

“Real life” does get in the way or writing. And that’s okay.

If you write, you’re a writer. It doesn’t matter if you do it every day or do nothing for eight days then write 8,000 words.

Painted by Leonid Pasternak; uploaded by Crisco 1492 (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leonid_Pasternak_001.jpg).

Some people are writing marathon runners. Some people are writing sprinters. You’ll either plod on a little bit each day or you’ll go in fits and bursts.

You need to find what works well for you. Just keep writing and eventually things will sort themselves out.

I believe in me. And I believe in you.

~ Penny

P.S. “Under The Tree” is still on sale! E-mail me for more details at pennygotch@gmail.com!

Related Post: Wednesday Word Count: 22nd October 2014

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October 22, 2014 · 10:18 pm

Word Count Wednesday: 22nd October 2014

Welcome back!

This week, I introduced my new Sunday Scribblings segment, and promised a new Wednesday segment too!

So what am I posting on Wednesdays?

Base image © Docbaba (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Word_Count_h_500.svg). Edited by Penny Gotch (http://www.pennygotch.co.uk | https://pennygotch.wordpress.com).

Word Count Wednesday is a little writing exercise for myself.

With all the work I do for Her Campus as well as running my wrestling blog, I write a lot more than I give myself credit for.

And the point of Word Count Wednesday is to tally up all the words I create in a single week and examine it.

So how many words did I write between Wednesday 15th October and today?

6,288 words, or about 898 words per day.

If we work on the theory that 750 words per day is about the right average, that puts me in a good place.

And what I produced was a great mix of blog posts, Her Campus opinion pieces, fiction and even fanfiction.

Actually, I wrote more fanfiction than I did anything else. Over 2,000 words of it. And I find that fascinating.

Image © icanhazcheeseburger.com.

Now I’m a big advocate of fanfiction. But that’s not why I wrote that most of all.

No, I think it’s more that the story I picked is one I’m passionate about finishing and enjoy putting it together.

It’s an experimental piece and I’m having fun playing with it.

So what I need to do is find a way to transfer that passion to my original creative pieces and finish them too.

Well. Once the fic is done. It won’t write itself!

~ Penny

P.S. “Under The Tree” is still on sale! E-mail me for more details at pennygotch@gmail.com!

Related Post: Monday Writing Goals: 18th August 2014

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