I've
heard it said that the difference between tax evasion and tax avoidance is
about 5 years. One is entirely legal, if
not entirely commendable, and the other is definitely illegal.
I suspect
there is a similar distinction in exams. There are some practises which are clearly
in the illegal category. Peering over your neighbours shoulder to see
their answer to question 7 (tip: make sure neighbour knows more than you).
Writing miscellaneous facts on your arm in the hope that the fact is needed and
that you can roll your sleeve up far enough to locate said fact without
attracting undue attention. Both of
these are illegal, and I've never done either. I was always far too scared of
getting found out.
I did
however indulge in the examination version of tax avoidance (the legal option)
- this was my first foray into travel writing.
Many
years ago I did an O-level in German (for those from outside the UK, or just
too young - a school exam typically taken at age 15 or 16). I enjoyed most of the course ahead of the
exam, had a reasonable vocabulary, had some clue about the grammar and could do
the direct translation bits adequately.
However, the bit of the exam that always flummoxed me was the bit when
you needed to write an essay (in German, of course) about some random topic set
by the examiner. Net result was that I only just scraped a pass, at Grade 'C',
not exactly an academic high point.
The next
year, the O-level in French loomed.
Again I knew some vocab, I knew some grammar, but this time I wasn't
going to let the essay get in the way.
Whatever the topic set by the fiendish examiner, it was going to include
a journey. Monsieur Bleu was going to get on a train (or possibly a bus), the
weather was going to be good (or possibly wet), he was going to buy a ticket
(and get some change), he'd be able to reflect on what he was seeing out of the
window, and possibly on some of his fellow passengers (which might well include
either a cat or a dog). And both he and
I would satisfactorily complete our journeys. He to the bank or supermarket or
beach, me to a significantly better grade than the previous year. Result, a
first bit of creative travel writing. And, since you ask, a Grade 'A'.
This
recollection of "travel writing" came back to me this morning, as I wandered
round the fascinating 'Writing Britain' exhibition at the British Library. The collection of items 'exploring literature and place' made me
think about how much writing is actually travel writing. Some strands of travel writing are about the
journey - and I don't just mean Monsieur Bleu's bus trip - others are about
place and experience of place. A good
writer is able to transport the reader into that other place, which is
certainly the goal of a lot of travel writing.
The travel writer tries to capture place and experience, the fiction
writer is trying to do that too, and to overlay a plot round the place and
experience too.
The
exhibition at the British Library covers almost all aspects of British life
from rural living to 'dark satanic mills', the development of the suburbs and
life at the coast. It also covers,
geographically, almost all of the British Isles, from Daphne du Maurier and
Sherlock Holmes in the south west of England, via Shakespeare in the Forest of
Arden, George Orwell at the end of Wigan Pier and Robert Burns at the Falls of
Foyers. My only disappointment was the
very limited mention of the Shetland Islands.
The only reference I spotted was 'The Gray Wolf' by George MacDonald,
which I've not read, but I gather includes Orkney, Shetland and
werewolves. And I thought the only
wildlife I needed to worry about on Shetland was the occasional territorial
bonxie.
1 comment:
Hi Ross...I come across you post when trying to determine the tax breaks possible when travel writing...especially until some revenue is realised!!
It is an interesting Blog and I will read more.
Thanks
Gary www.livefreedietravelling.com
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