Blending Biography with Psychogeography
The Genesis of my Masters Dissertation
I’m told that my genesis document, which was an important element of my Masters Degree in Creative Writing with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), is being used (with my permission) as an exemplar for current postgraduate students.
The requirements for the dissertation, which I submitted in 2020, included a 15,000-word sample of creative writing (ideally the first chapters of a draft book) and a genesis document of around 1000 words; the latter is intended to contextualise the creative work and explain the ‘how’ and the ‘why’.
Since my genesis document is ‘out’ in the academic world, I thought I’d extract a copy from my files and share it with you here on Substack. I hope you’ll find it interesting—it might be especially useful for anyone in the midst of, or thinking about, doing a Creative Writing Masters Degree.
Extract:
‘For my dissertation I have submitted the first 15,000 words of Bells, Beeswax, and Bones (a working title) which is about a 19th century furniture dealer, Edward Holmes Baldock. I first learned of his existence in 2018 after noticing the Baldock family vault in the crypt beneath London’s St Pancras Church where I had buried myself both literally and figuratively as a Writer in Residence. When I discovered that Edward had worked in interiors, and traded in furniture, I thought it a serendipitous connection to my own life as an interior designer.
In my first term with MMU Dr David Cooper asked me to draft an imaginary book proposal, one that blended biography with psychogeography. Edward’s life interested me and it fitted the brief because I regularly walked along the Euston Road past St Pancras church and on into Tottenham Court Road in search of furniture—a route Edward would have been familiar with; though separated by two centuries, his life and mine were melded geographically and professionally. There was no commitment to writing the book but the exercise generated something within me that was released in the following term.
Dr Rachel Lichtenstein invited us to think seriously about a book project—a plan for Bells, Beeswax, and Bones materialised. I experimented with structure and incorporated my contemporary story with the historical facts of Edward’s life. I hesitated at first because, as a new writer, I wondered if it was appropriate for me, the author, to have a high profile and be visible as the narrator. I was encouraged. And, after reading Stuart - A Life Backwards by journalist Alexander Masters, I wrote myself into the narrative. Masters’ book is a biography about a homeless drug addict. After tracking Stuart's life over a period of time and conducting many interviews the two men developed a mutual respect for each other. It was clear that the personal relationship between author and protagonist can be a humble affair and this gave me confidence.
The mentoring aspect to this degree has made it an enjoyable period of study. I have realised my passion for research, and my self-motivation patience and diligence are well suited to writing social history. My writing skills have developed with support from my tutors and fellow students in the workshop setting. First, my draft has transitioned from a story recording facts to a narrative with characters and plot. Second, my work has improved considerably throughout the editing process but the time required to produce something worthy has taken me by surprise—editing is tortuous. Third, I believe I am writing more naturally now; at the beginning it was difficult to find my voice and establish a style that suited the material.
In my third term Dr Paul Evans encouraged me to bring Edward’s character to life by ‘looking over his shoulder’. Despite many gaps in the evidence I believe I have uncovered sufficient material to try this and have dramatised some scenes. This raises valid questions about the presentation of fact in creative non-fiction. Is it correct or appropriate to embellish the truth with imagination? An essay by Lisa Knopp (a professor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha) proved useful:
When an author’s memories of concrete details are sketchy or absent, the technique of perhapsing not only allows her to recreate the scene effectively, it also helps establish her as a reliable narrator.
And, after reading around the subject in works such as Truth in Nonfiction: Essays edited by David Lazar and The Arvon Book of Life Writing by Cline and Angier I am convinced that my practice is sound. Even so, dramatising fact in non-fiction relies on establishing trust with the reader and I declare my intention to entertain, and not to deceive, with words like ‘perhaps’ and ‘maybe’.
In preparation for a one-to-one tutorial during my final term I submitted a chapter plan. It initiated a discussion on chapter size and I learned that publishers value chapters of similar wordcount so I reworked mine to achieve a better balance. My final draft will be in the region of 55,000 words over fifty chapters and include visuals. I will draw a family tree and a map to highlight the areas I have explored. And, at approximately fifty page intervals, I will insert groups of black and white photographs taken by me. These visual images will act as a form of reverse ekphrasis to provide another layer of interest for the reader.
Bells, Beeswax, and Bones is a synergistic mix of genres; biography (delving into the records), psychogeography (exploring the physical environment), and memoir (reflective thought and memories). It might jostle for shelf space with other London-centric titles such as London Orbital by Iain Sinclair, Mother London by Michael Moorcock, and Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd, but this will only come about after further personal development and a great deal of promotional effort. I continue to be active on social media and keep abreast of the rapidly changing world of publishing.
A distinctive marketable writing persona is crucial for success as an author. Interior design work has given me a privileged insight into the way people live and I have a good understanding of how interiorscapes affect the psyche. My USP is that my writing focuses on home, place and space—how our physical environment affects our ability to thrive, and how place resonates in our culture.
Looking to the future, I would like to investigate and contribute to the discourse on author integrity—especially truth in non-fiction—it would make a fitting subject for critical analysis as part of a Creative Writing PhD. And I hope that one day my books will sound a beat through time, and readers will be absorbed and entranced by the histories they contain.’
Credits and Links:
Photo taken by Ali Walsh.
You might be interested to read a little more about my time in the Crypt where I first ‘met’ Edward.
Brevity Mag online, essay by Lisa Knopp: “Perhapsing”: The Use of Speculation in Creative Nonfiction.
Stuart - A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters.
Truth in Nonfiction: Essays edited by David Lazar.
The Arvon Book of Life Writing by Sally Cline and Carole Angier.