What does artificial intelligence mean for the writing community? I recently asked a chatbot to write a review of Blue Tide Rising. This is what it came up with – in about seven seconds. “Blue Tide Rising by Clare Stevens … 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
Lockdown is lifting here in the UK (unless you’re in Leicester) – and with it comes a bewildering array of opinions on whether it’s the right thing or not. Some say we locked down too late, we’re opening up … Read More
I had a week off work recently and was lucky enough to go up to Whitby again. Although we only stayed for a day, it felt good to breathe the sea air and walk on the sand. There were little … Read More
Character building is essential to fiction writing and for the last few sessions at Maggie’s we’ve been creating, and developing characters. Central to any story is its cast which drives the narrative and injects life into the plot. Each story … Read More
Memoir focuses on a key aspect, theme or event in a person’s life. As with fiction, it can start anywhere and can move around in time and place. It differs from biography in that it focuses more on emotional truths … Read More
“Once in a while, someone amazing comes along, and here I am!” Tigger, Winnie the Pooh Literature is full of animals. From Black Beauty and Mr Toad to the talking animals of Narnia, animal characters have starred in many of … Read More
When you pick a novel off the shelf, do you know what genre it is? Do you care? If asked to list the last five books you read by genre, could you? If you sit down to write, do you … Read More
All the fun of the book fair With the launch of Blue Tide Rising just a week away, I have a room stacked with of boxes of books, a fridge full of Prosecco and a brain bursting with things I … Read More
As children we are naturally creative, but the disciplines we face as we progress through school, college and career often put constraints on that creativity. I get people coming to my groups who haven’t written since school and are surprised, … Read More