Fiction or not, books are the gateways to other worlds. Image via Pixabay.

SIGNS YOUR DAY IS ABOUT TO WORSEN…

January 11, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Signs your Day is about to Worsen shares five such signs and includes discovering talking bears as you go for a pleasant forest walk. Then there’s narrowly avoiding being hit by a falling farmhouse (and you realise you must be in a world where falling masonry is simply not good enough, it has to be the whole building). Oh, and spotting your first dragon can make you realise you should’ve taken up speed running when you were younger. Still, you can always start now…

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Grumpy Characters, as well as playing tribute to a certain star of Snow White, looks at reasons why your characters (or at least some of them) would have good cause to be on the grumpy side. I list frustration (of all sorts!) to resentment (doesn’t have to be justified) to experiencing injustice. So what would make your characters grumpy and do they ever get out of this state? If so, how and why?

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I share my thoughts on what makes a good story, wonder why younger relatives can accept the existence of The Tudors yet oddly not the fact there was life before the smart phone, to my memories of typewriters and other machines I’ve worked on in my time. (Nearly all of these will have been consigned to a museum by now!).

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Where stories used to start… image via Pixabay.

Imagine the wealth of fairytales and other stories in here. Image via Pixabay.

CHARACTER CRITERIA

January 10, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Character Criteria lists five attributes I like to see in a character and many can apply to villains, as well as heroes/heroines. Do you agree with my list? What would you add? I include, amongst others, reliability, empathy and courage.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

It’s a night for lists. In Asking the Awkward Questions I list five questions (also a big night for the number five for me!), which I think it pays authors to ask every now and then. For example, why am I writing about this world? You need to convey what is special about this setting that made you have to write about it. Get that through to your reader and they’ll run with the vision with you.

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I share some news of what this week’s Chandler’s Ford Today post will be about and am pleased to say, as part of it, there will be some stunning artwork, which I’m looking forward to sharing. The CFT post will go up on Friday.

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Books really are the gatekeepers. Image via Pixabay.

And a great thing about books is their wide variety of genres and formats, including stunning comic books. Image via Pixabay.

Books help you wind down. Was glad of them after a stressful weekend. Pity this option is not available to my border collie. Still lots of cuddles did the trick there! Image via Pixabay.

TEN THINGS NEVER TO TELL A FAIRY GODMOTHER

January 9, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

I’m back to my lists again with Ten Things Never to Tell a Fairy Godmother (well, I’m assuming you like living). From the “you’re not as good as you used to be” to the “there’s not much difference between you and a good witch”, there is plenty to insult the average fairy godmother should you wish to do so. As ever, can you add to the list?

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Spotting the Difference highlights three ways of showing differences between two characters during dialogue in a story without the need to say Character A said this, Character B said that continually. There are more ways than this but the three ways I list here are the ones that struck me as being the most useful.

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I discuss my favourite things about reading and writing tonight. Do you agree with my verdicts? If not, what would you choices be?

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sg-part-2-books-whether-poetry-or-prose-can-be-magical-image-via-pixabay

Books and stories are wonderful but what would be your favourite things about reading and writing?

One of the best ways to escape is with a good book. Image via Pixabay.

FAVOURITE CHARACTER TYPES

January 8, 2017January 8, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Favourite Character Types lists my three favourites. These are the reluctant hero, the misunderstood character who isn’t the evil so-and-so everyone thought, and the heroine who is as good as the hero and often better. I give some examples and say what I would have liked to have seen happen with regard to Severus Snape (who comes in the second one on my list). See what you think.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Anniversaries shares some questions which could lead to interesting stories, such as which anniversaries are banned by the authorities of your ficitonal world and what happens to anyone defying that ban. Also if Character A thinks a certain anniversary is important but Character B does not, how does that affect their relationship?

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I’ve found a way of catching up with my magazine reading – get on the exercise bike and pedal away as I read. I also share up to date news about Mabel, my border collie, and wonder if inconsiderate swimmers who don’t look where they’re going also happen to be Audi drivers. So a nice mixed bag here!

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Shakespeare had his quill, modern writers have their laptops. Image via Pixabay.

Such a familiar look. Image via Pixabay.

FAIRYTALE WORLD BUILDING… AND STEAM TRAINS

January 7, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALE WORLD BUILDING

As ever, a title that says it all! I share some tips I have found useful when it comes to world building. In Fairytale World Building, I discuss how reading widely (including non-fiction) is so useful for sparking ideas and helping you to make your created world more realistic. It is the great irony in fiction that our stories have to “seem real” even though they are completely made up, but to have any resonance with readers, they have got to seem plausible if say the world is magical or what have you. The reader has got to feel “yes, it could be like that”. Anyway, I hope the tips here are of help, they have been to me.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

What Drives Characters follows on from a recent post on motivations. Tonight’s post looks at what would make a character behave differently from the way they would usually. In a crisis, is their inner cowardice or courage let loose? When stubbornness drives them to finish something when they are not usually stubborn? What brought this trait out? Commitment to an idea? An extreme situation? Food for thought here I hope.

CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

I look at The Watercress Line, a Hampshire based steam railway, in tonight’s post. There are lots of pictures including one of a totally politically incorrect sign, which always makes me laugh when I see it as I can’t imagine who would buy the product with the name it was given. See the post, you’ll easily spot the picture in question and well, would you buy it?! I also recommend Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett in this post as he spent a day on the Watercress Line researching this novel. Strongly suspect this was a real labour of love!

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Again I discuss my CFT post here.

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My feature image for tonight’s Chandler’s Ford Today post. All images in this post were taken by me.

Lovely Hampshire countryside, image taken by me from a local stream train

VISITING OTHER WORLDS…

January 6, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Visiting Other Worlds looks at whether your main setting encourages visiting other worlds or not and if so can anyone go? Are disguises encouraged or is it expected visitors will be treated in the right way? Equally, how does your main setting encourage visitors to it?

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Awkward Characters should appear in every story. Character A wants something, Character B doesn’t want them to have it. Each character will think the other is the awkward one. I look at why I like awkward characters and what their purpose(s) can be.

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I discuss tomorrow’s Chandler’s Ford Today post which will be about a local steam railway and a totally non-PC sign, which always makes me laugh when I see it. More tomorrow!

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Getting up steam on the local line. Image by me.

Notebooks - ancient and modern. Where characters start to take shape. Image via Pixabay.

ALTERNATIVE WORK POSSIBILITIES

January 5, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

In Alternative Work Possibilities, I follow on from yesterday’s post about what well-known characters could do now their main roles are over. Tonight, I look at what Dracula, Frankenstein and the wise men, to name a few, could now be doing instead.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

I continue with the theme of work in tonight’s post, Employment. I ask about what your fictional society is based on – agriculture, technology or both – and how your characters provide for themselves. Even in a magical world, some characters will have to work because not all will have impressive magical skills and will need to find alternative ways of (a) providing for themselves and (b) proving useful to their society so they are not eliminated by those who are magically powerful.

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There are times aspects of the world are so mad it is beyond satire. Tonight’s post is a bit of a rant on not being able to get through on the phone when I should have been able to do so. I would be surprised if you couldn’t identify with this though.

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Says it all really. Image via Pixabay.

RESUMING WORK

January 4, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

It always takes me a few days after a break like Christmas to get fully back into my writing again. Resuming Work looks at what fairytale characters might do in the way of employment either after a break from what they usually do or if their work there has come to an end. I hope to put up some more on this topic tomorrow. I love writing fun posts like these. See what you think!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

There are certain qualities my heroes/heroines must have if they’re going to make it into my stories. I look at these in What My Heroes/Heroines Must Have post. I suspect you’d be able to add to my list. Comments welcome.

FACEBOOK PAGE/CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

I talk about what irritates me in characters and how I like my heroines to be active and not passive (which influenced what I wrote about in This World and Others). I also share a link to a wonderful poem by a friend of mine, Sandra Lyn Gordon, which appeared tonight on Chandler’s Ford Today. Fantastic review of the year!

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Poetry conjures up images so beautifully. Image via Pixabay. See Sandra Lyn Gordon’s wonderful poem on Chandler’s Ford Today for another example of great imagery.

The wonderful world of stories... Image via Pixabay.

WHAT FAIRYTALE CHARACTERS COULD DO WITHOUT

January 3, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

What Fairytale Characters could do Without lists 5 things all such characters wish did not happen. One of these things is magic going wrong and I share why evil witches/wizards and the like never have this problem.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Motives are a crucial building block for successful characterisation. The two big questions, after all, are what does a character want and what are they prepared to do to get what they want. I can’t think of any crime story without these elements being answered. I look at how motives have got to be right for the character you’re portraying (and strong enough to be convincing). Also if hiding motives (especially if writing crime), you should play fair with your readers and give clues as to what the motives could be. Okay readers may guess wrong (I actually love that when it happens to me. I love coming across an author outwitting my intelligent guesses. Why? Because that author has written something so powerful and gripping, I am wanting to find out whether I am right or wrong in my guesses long before I do discover the truth. This, for me, is the very definition of a page turner).

CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

My post will appear later in the week but I will say there is going to be a very special review of 2016 appearing tomorrow, written by a good friend of mine. Will share more details tomorrow.

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Got to see a beautiful crescent Moon and Venus in the sky tonight when walking the dog. Stunning sight. I also discuss what I’m reading – and what I’m hoping to catch up on, there is always something to catch up on!

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Do your characters know in which direction they're going? (Border collie is optional!). Image via Pixabay.

Mabel. Image taken by me.

CHARACTERS WHO DEFINITELY NEED A FRESH START

January 2, 2017Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Well, I start the New Year as I mean to go on with a blog post with a title that says it all! Characters who definitely need a fresh start looks at five characters (fairytale and otherwise) who need a new beginning and why. In one case, Dracula, I give a practical pointer to Terry Pratchett’s Black Ribboner programme as the way forward. Course the big problem is the characters have got to want to change… hmm, that probably rules Dracula out then. Still, I hope this lighthearted post raises a smile or two…

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

The theme for the New Year period kind of sets itself. New Beginnings is the title of tonight’s post and I look at why characters would feel the need to have them. A classic reason is the character’s need for redemption and the reasons why have been the basis for many a wonderful story.

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I discuss my love of classical music tonight and how it affects my writing. I never used to be able to write with music on at all (I found it affected my mood and therefore what I wrote) but have found classical to be relaxing so I end up writing more. (I think that’s a good thing anyway!).

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Classical Music score – image via Pixabay