Summer is festival season – not just for music, for the literary world too! After two years of restrictions, book fairs are back with a vengeance, and I’m attending a packed programme of events throughout the summer along with other … Read More
Last month Whitby in north Yorkshire set a new world record for the number of vampires gathered in one place. The event – planned for the 125th anniversary of Bram Stoker’s Dracula being published – saw 1,369 caped, fanged, ghoulish … Read More
Writing a novel is like running a marathon. It’s a hard slog. There are times when you fly, and times when you limp along. There are times when you think you won’t make it and feel like giving up. Then … Read More
You’ve written a novel. It has a beginning, middle and end. What should you do now? You’ve toiled over your manuscript and – doubtless – paid the price in sleepless nights and missed social engagements. Perhaps you locked yourself in … Read More
Studies show that writing helps process emotions. Troubling thoughts can circle round the mind, taking on a magnitude all their own, and leave us feeling exhausted, and helpless. Those thoughts, if they stay in the brain and don’t find an … Read More
Ever fancied writing a novel but don’t know where to start? Are you a novice writer with an idea for a story but struggle to get your ideas on paper? This blog is a whistle-stop tour of all the elements … Read More
Today we are going to look at three short poetry forms – Haiku, Tanka and Limericks, and have a go at writing one of each! All of these poetry forms have historical origins and a distinct structure and form. Each … Read More
In the UK we have a roadmap for returning to normality, the hope being that this lockdown will be the last. On Monday, the ‘stay at home’ edict will lift, allowing travel and some outdoor socialising. Soon we’ll be able … Read More
It may not feel like it, but we’re now (as of 1 March) in meteorological spring. Ironically, it felt a lot more spring-like at the end of February when UK temperatures reached 18C. Warm enough to sit out! For many, … Read More
There are two things that keep writers awake. One is the fear monster that rears its head in the small hours of the night, the other is the creative brain going into overdrive. Both are sleep-slayers. For both, there’s an … Read More