Spinning the Yarn ©
By
Michael Casey
As I just said I was wondering what to talk about today, when I found an old piece and I’ve loaded it up so you can all read it while I write something else. Then I was trying to find the right word, the right title, and I looked back at my back list, 1300 to 1700 individual stories or so now, and I spotted a few things, as I don’t want to repeat myself too much. So then I thought of Spinning the Yarn which is a phrase my dad used, I’m remembering it from 30 years ago, everything is filed away in my head and events unlock the sea of words, wrapped in Love.
I am very Lucky as I had parents who believed in Total Love, I am a poor reflection of them, but it means I have a treasure trove of memories and ideas that lead to stories. Being part of a large family with lodgers too, means we were a “family” of 13 plus a dog and a cat. Alcoholics galore leaning on the back door, as they puffed away on a fag as they paid their weekly rent, holding the lintel for support. Sometimes late for the rent, and spinning a tale as for the reason why. These memories go back 55 years maybe, including a struck off female doctor living with us, my dad carrying down the piss pot to empty it in the outside toilet. I can remember her and her hair held high like a German barmaid.
As I remember this or that it is my turn to spin the yarn, I’ve heard many a tale, and I did read all the Fairy Tales and James Bond when I was 10 or 11. I even put a paper bag cover on the James Bond to hide the silhouette of a naked woman on its cover. I was still in Primary School after all and a precocious reader. The sexy bits were boring to an 11 year old, maybe that’s why nowadays I write metaphors instead.
And on life goes you read all 17 or so of the Alistair McClain novels, you have a bookcase by your bed with 100 paperbacks in, this is in your teenage years. Then you listen to Radio 4 and plays galore constantly, not to mention watching at least 5 films a week. So looking back it’s inevitable that I’d end up a writer. But you don’t know that at the time, you just like reading.
So this is background, you erupt onto the Front of House never working in Hotels before so that is 3 years more practice talking,talking, talking. Though in my case my first 3 books had already been written. Then the irony/joy is that because you have 3 years talking experience this gives you confidence to later become an Esol teacher. Excellent, excellent, exemplary was what the assessor said.
Now the choice of words is probably the only delay in what I say, shall I choose this or that word, or is this cheap rhyming too absurd. The choice of word does help spin the tale just as a spider spins a web a writer a tale teller uses words to help the tell tale. Now here’s the thing, if I was just sat here talking to you without the filter of writing down these words then it may not be as interesting. Because the filter of brain through fingers to keyboard and onto the screen for you all to read does have an effect on what I say. I think its better.
In my opinion when writers speak about their words on radio shows on in the Press then they are diluting the force of their words. They are like magicians explaining the magic tricks, they are like the big brother telling their little sister that Santa does not exist. And yes I can clearly remember my brother sitting on the stairs and sacrificing Santa before our little sister’s eyes. I can even still hear our mum telling him off. So I believe a writer should just write or talk as I call it, and never explain anything. He should read from his book, assuming he is a good reader, or get a professional reader instead, and that is all he should do.
So if you expect me to do book tours, if Rupert Murdoch ever discovers me, then that won’t happen. Radio is the best medium,and besides the idea of sitting in a drafty book store signing books, with my bad handwriting does not appeal. Nor does making vacuous appearances on chat shows. Let the Words out, let the Voice out, and for me Radio would be that way.
I’ve just reread what I’ve put so far and it seem too technical when really how I write is not. I stumbled over a way of describing my writing yesterday, its writing with hidden SatNav. Because I have a general idea where I want to go and at the end when I read back what I’ve written or talked to you about I always seem to have got to where I wanted to be. It’s like being a homing pigeon in reverse, who always finds a way to it’s destination.
Our drunken lodgers always found a way home, even if sometimes they locked themselves out and we had to let them back in the lodging house. They had SatNav back to their bedsit with us. So I hope when you all read these stories you like the trip and like the destination. The good thing is that there’s always another one the next day or so, depending on my aches and pains, so that you can hope it’s a funny one or a more serious one, but each one is always different.
Life should be full of variety, and there should be no paper covers on books, we should all should just enjoy uncovering the delights inside. Life should be fun, and if it isn’t you should try another library. And as you all remember in It’s A Wonderful Life Jimmy Stewart married the Librarian, and don’t forget every time a bell rings an Angel gets its Wings.
