In 'On Writers and Writing', Margaret Atwood discusses (among other things) the notion that a writer is in fact two people. The 'writer' is an ever present twin aside the 'person'. One observes, the other writes. This duality is explored mirrored by writers themselves in many stories from 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' to 'A... Continue Reading →
Trude doesn’t expect much from life anymore. Least of all a mysterious box, a possible romance and some distinctly unusual ‘growing pains’... In case you weren't aware, 'Under this Skin', my dark, funny and downright odd e-book is now only 99p on Amazon Kindle. If you're not sure whether it's the kind of thing for... Continue Reading →
Have you ever wanted to roam around Lothlorien looking for the elves? Or test your courage in Mirkwood against the foul things that dwell there? Well pop into Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean and you can. You'll need a smidge of imagination, but not much to understand why this place is said to have... Continue Reading →
The Monte Hotel is a rather different to Gerna Manor, the derelict building I wrote about in part 1. It's a lot bigger, far more accessible and has an interesting story behind its rise and fall. Perched high above the Lagoa das Sete Cidades, you can understand the attraction of building a hotel here. It's... Continue Reading →
The Azores are a stunning set of islands in the Atlantic, formed by volcanos and colonised by the Portuguese in the 15th-century. They're perfect for walkers with lush, mountainous trails dotted with fascinating points of interest - including an abandoned building or two. This is what's left of Grena Manor, built next to Lake Furnas... Continue Reading →
Put your Words into Pictures I used to think of Pinterest as a tool people used for things like interior design, wedding planning or perhaps picking a tattoo - for creating visual things essentially. But could this online mood board maker also be good for a writer? Your book may have pictures, it may not... Continue Reading →
Read. Read books, cereal boxes, warning signs, gravestones, instructions (ignore those), menus and timetables. Listen. Listen to storytellers, tapes, records, liars, truth-tellers (maybe), gifs, voicemail messages and sports commentary. Understand. Understand that with each nugget of someone else's world you uncover you will stretch in all sides and you will understand that this is a... Continue Reading →
I think it's safe to say most of the reviews this year will be asking 'WTF?' Political and world events seemed to just be one cataclysmic event after the other. And on a personal level, I've had a couple of 'WTF' moments too. I won't miss this year one bit. But for me, there have... Continue Reading →
When Terry Pratchett died, it affected me because he shaped the person I am today. The same is true of Carrie Fisher, albeit in a different way. To women of a certain age, especially those in love with fantasy, she was an icon. There weren't a great deal of notable female characters in the genre... Continue Reading →
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