Whitby, a seaside town in Yorkshire and the Abbey ruin that sits above it, have long been associated with the writer Bram Stoker and his iconic creation, Dracula. I've been wanting to visit Whitby for a long time, and last year I was able to go there as part of a wider trip "Op North".... Continue Reading →
Anne Bronte was the younger sister of Charlotte and Emily Bronte and, like her sisters, a writer whose novels are still popular today. I stumbled across her grave accidentally whilst on a trip "Op North" last year. Anne Bronte was born on the 17 Jan 1820, the last of the children Maria and Patrick Bronte.... Continue Reading →
This might be the most beautiful library I've ever seen. Not that all libraries aren't inherently beautiful because they contain lots of lovely, lovely books - but this one is most definitely epic. This...is a library? The Grand Hall of the Austrian National library is unlike any library I've seen before and I've been to... Continue Reading →
I'm not fond of small spaces - but I do like a cave, and they don't come much bigger than Grotta Gigante (or Giant Cave), which was featured in the 1995 Guinness Book of Records as the largest show-cave in the world. It apparently doesn't hold that title any more having lost it to a... Continue Reading →
After stumbling across the world's oldest library in Verona, we then discovered the world's oldest covered theatre not far away in Trento - clearly, there's a lot of old things in Italy. The Olympic Theatre (or Teatro Olimpico) was built between 1580-1585. It's still in use, and still has in place scenery from the first... Continue Reading →
If you want people to engage emotionally with your story, you'll need to make sure your characters feel real. No matter how outlandish your plot or unusual your setting, if your characters feel real, your readers will find it easier to feel connected to your writing. There are lots of ways to do this, but... Continue Reading →
Whether you're a new writer or a more-seasoned scribbler, you've probably read a boatload of writing advice. You've also tried some of it and...found it doesn't work. No snippet of writing advice is guaranteed to work for you. You need to learn habits that allow you to write your best. It will involve some trial... Continue Reading →
With everything going on, I've not been on the ball with my shameless self-promotion. Well that stops now. During my recent writing competition blitz (or maybe spritz is more appropriate), I was fortunate to be shortlisted for the Hammond House 2024 International Literary Competition which also means I've been published in their latest short story... Continue Reading →
I'm writing this post in a rental somewhere in deepest, darkest Wiltshire. I've sold my house and crammed most of my stuff into a storage container - including my books. My most precious ones aka all my Discworld and related works, are stashed in my parents loft in case of disaster. All of which leaves... Continue Reading →
This summer we took a trip to London, making a not-so-quick detour to Kensal Green Cemetery to find Wilkie Collins' grave. The Victorian author is most well-known for his mystery novels "The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone", and was friends with Charles Dickens. Wilkie Collins was born in London in 1824. His father, William... Continue Reading →
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