Blogs

In this episode of the Dublin City Libraries and Archives podcast Lia Mills talks to Sinéad Gleeson, Alan Hayes, Rob Doyle and Eimear Ryan about all things anthology.

We are living in strange and uncertain times, and we are all doing our best to keep ourselves, our loved ones and everyone else safe and well by staying indoors.Maybe you have time now to try your hand at that novel or screenplay you’ve always dreamt about writing?If so, welcome to your one-stop shop for great online writing supports including courses, magazines, books and reference tools, all FREE and all available with your Dublin City Libraries card. Universal Class provides access to over 500+ online courses including 55 courses on writing. Take your pick from the following:Novel Writing 101Romance WritingWriting Women’s FictionCreative Writing 101Creative Writing for BeginnersCreative Writing WorkshopHow to Write a Short StoryHow to Write Short Stories for ChildrenHistorical Fiction WritingMystery WritingScreen Writing 101Poetry WritingOr if you want to hone your non-fiction writing skills, some of these may be of interest:Journalism 101Nonfiction Writing 101Freelance Writing 101Essay Wrting 101Travel Writing 101Journaling and Memoir WritingUniversal Class courses include tutorials, lessons, assignments, discussion boards, and feedback on work you’ve submitted. All the courses are completely online, self-paced, available 24/7, and you have 6 months to complete each one.To access online, register with your library card number and email address at http://LGMA.universalclass.com/register.htm Or would you prefer not to have to do ‘homework’? Then The Great Courses Library Collection may be more to your liking. The Great Courses Library Collection Is a series of thought-provoking half-hour video lectures. You can play, pause, and review information as often as you like. Each course is taught by experts in their field, and includes a supplementary guide book. You can access as many courses as you want to for 7 days. After 7 days, simply log in again and get another 7 day’s access. Check out some of the following topics and see if you can find something to suit your writing needs.How to Publish Your BookScreen Writing 101: Master the Art of the StoryWriting Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and TechniquesWriting Great Essays: Becoming a Great EssayistThe Secrets of Great Mystery and Suspense Fiction Register for the Great Courses Library Collection at https://dublincity.rbdigitalglobal.com/ or via the RBdigital app: Google Play - Android | iTunes - iOS | Kindle Fire  We also have a selection of great eMagazines for writers:The Writer : Each issue provides motivation, expert tips, and compelling author insights that turn good writing into great writing. It’ll help you become a better writer, to find markets for your work and to understand the business of writing,.Poets & Writers Magazine : Within its pages, readers  will find practical guidance for getting published and pursuing writing careers, as well as in-depth profiles of poets, fiction writers, and writers of creative nonfiction.Writer’s Digest : Each issue provides advice and insider tips on writing and selling fiction, nonfiction, poetry and scripts.Back issues of these titles are also available for you to browse.Register for RB Digital magazines at https://lgma.rbdigitalglobal.com/  or via the Rbdigital app:  Google Play - Android | iTunes - iOS | Kindle Fire  You can also check out out some of the following titles on BorrowBox for help in finding an agent and getting published. and for writing hints, tips and insights.Writer’s Market 2020Writers’ & Artists’ Guide to How to Hook an AgentWriters’ & Artists’ Guidebook to Self-PublishingWriters’ & Artists’ Year Books 2017 and 2018Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Year Books 2017 and 2018Letters to a Young WriterWriting for Well-being100 Ways to Improve your WritingImprove your WritingBrave the PageHow to Write an Autobiographical NovelThe Right to WriteThe Book You Were Born to WriteSemicolonWord SmartMore Word SmartTo access BorrowBox, register with your library card at http://library.bolindadigital.com/dublin  And last but not least, are you having trouble finding the right word or the perfect turn of phrase?Then delve into a selection of Oxford University Press’s dictionaries, thesauri, and companions at http://www.oxfordreference.com/.Look to the left of the Oxford Reference screen for the prompt to ‘Sign in with your Library card’, then select 'Dublin City Libraries’ For a full listing of all our great online resources, go to http://www.dublincity.ie/library-eresourcesStay safe, stay well, and keep writing! 

 The first I heard of Dermot Healy was in June 2014. A friend of mine was asked to read through poems to be considered for selection in the Dermot Healy International Poetry Competition. The next day, it was reported on the national news that he had passed away. It had been remarked by another one of my of friends that his work never got the recognition and success it deserved, that he was a much more “interesting” writer than his peers. Interesting can sometimes mean, “you’re not going to understand this…. You thickie!”. I began reading Long Time, No See. Immediately, I got a jolt: the words on the page were formatted like poetry and none of the dialogue was in inverted commas.  I was reluctant to continue as my eyes and brain were in for a different exercise regime. However, my desire to be a know-it-all won through and I’m so glad I persevered.  This is one of the best books I have ever read. Set in an Irish coastal rural community,it starts slowly with a young man visiting his grand uncle. Nothing happens for about six pages but I was enjoying the unusual format and the peculiar habits of the locals. Then something small happens and the story has you gripped. His descriptions of the landscape are beautifully minute and familiar. The language of the characters is real and humorous. The main character is a young man dealing with a tragedy that is intermittently revealed.  It is about life, death and relationships’, each is given its weight from the cosmic to the banal and leaves you not wanting to leave these people or the place they live. Ten out of ten for Dermot Healy. I’m really sorry he is gone. I would have liked to have written to him to tell him how much I enjoyed his book. His earlier books are out of print but Dublin City Public Libraries do have copies to lend.