We love a good bank holiday in the UK - New Year, Good Friday, Easter Monday, a couple in May, August, Christmas and Boxing Day. Today, I'm going to be writing because I've got a self-imposed deadline coming up, and spent the weekend reading. Fun, but not particularly useful for the competition submission I haven't … Continue reading August Bank Holiday!
Category: Random Thoughts
High Five for Bookshops
It's that time of year, month, day again when I encourage you to use your local shops! Regular readers, Facebook followers, random strangers I grab in the street, will know I love local shops. I know I'm incredibly lucky. In my town, we have a greengrocer, several fantastic gift shops which are supplied by local … Continue reading High Five for Bookshops
The bigger picture
2020 isn't being kind, is it? Do you remember the wildfires in Australia, and those terrible scenes of rescued koalas? Or that Brexit actually happened at the end of January? Harvey Weinstein's trial; Trump's impeachment and acquittal; tensions with Iran? Covid-19 has taken over every part of our lives - whether we're locked down or … Continue reading The bigger picture
The nature of short stories
Some bloggers excel at sharing with guests who bring their extensive knowledge with them, while others dive into the deep and meaningful, with carefully researched quotes to back up their argument. When I decided to start a blog, I had no contacts, no author friends at all - I was a complete writing loner - … Continue reading The nature of short stories
#JaneAusten200
Today is the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death - a writer who found so much more fame, and critical acclaim, after she died than during her lifetime. I wonder what it would be like to pop back and see how your legacy is holding up... I love Jane Austen because she wrote my favourite … Continue reading #JaneAusten200
What’s the point?
I'm a writer. I know, I'm stating the obvious here, but bear with me. Sometimes, like today, when I wake up to news of another senseless attack on innocent people - this time in Manchester - I wonder if there's any point. People are suffering, daily - terrorist attacks, poverty, living in war zones. In … Continue reading What’s the point?
Fake News or Chocolate Hob Nobs?
I've been sitting on this post, this idea, for a long time. I wasn't sure if I'd ever post it, but the concept isn't going away. One of my concerns is that I'm going to delve into politics... But this isn't a political post, it's a grammatical one, a linguistic one. I hate the term Fake … Continue reading Fake News or Chocolate Hob Nobs?
Cliffhangers
Or, Making the audience wait for closure Or, oh Sherlock, what did you do? (in my best Mrs Hudson voice) Before I start this post properly, I should offer a warning: I will probably include the phrase 'in my day...', but I'll try to put it off for as long as possible. I've watched Sherlock since … Continue reading Cliffhangers