I've only ever sung my stuff when it's a parody, like the Ofsted songs we generated here back in October. Then it doesn't matter (and everyone was so high, they'd have appreciated anything). Writing, however, (including university work, even) is different. That's me, out there. This week I've done a piece for literacy hour, heavily disguised as SF, and very derivative of Asimov, Zenna Henderson and probably others, but really about a boy who hates school so much that he has an enuresis problem. (One of the boys does, and the purpose is to flush out the problem (Urghh!) so that it becomes something less oppressively "I'm the only one this happens to".) I handed it to our year leader to have it vetted. She said that it would do. I feel put down. I worked hard at that (and revealed my secret past). I cannot imagine singing anything I'd written in that way to an audience, and watching them as I did so (reading happens somewhere else), and have the greatest admiration for those who can.

Penny S.