Facebook – General and Chandler’s Ford Today
My Chandler’s Ford Today post this week is another one in my Hidden Hampshire series and looks at a lovely, local woodland walk. Let’s just say Mabel and now Lady were and are huge fans of it!
On a more serious note, I also put out a plea for dog owners here to be more responsible where this applies. There are no dog bins on this walk and the Council do NOT come and collect dumped poo bags (which I do see here) so please, please bag it and bin it at home! Then the walk remains nice for everyone, dogs included.

General woodland shot but typical of the Jermyns Lane walk I enjoy. Image via Pixabay

My late dog, Mabel, used to love walking at Jermyns Lane. Image by Allison Symes

Lady, my new dog, also loves Jermyns Lane. Image by Allison Symes

Typical of the track at Jermyns Lane. Image by Allison Symes
Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again
Is flash fiction a flash in the pan? I don’t think so. After years of everyone saying the short story as a form was dying, I think the advent of flash fiction has breathed new life into that too. Technology isn’t going to go away so there will always be room for a story format that is easy to read on a mobile or tablet.
I love flash fiction for its flexibility. For everyone who loves the 100-word form, there are those who prefer 75 or 50 or 500 and there is room for all. Long may that continue!
Fairytales with Bite – Getting Away From It All
I often use walking the dog as a chance to get away from it all for a bit and my latest Chandler’s Ford Today post is another in my Hidden Hampshire series, which looks at a local, lovely woodland walk.
How do your characters get away from it all? What drives the need for them to do so? How successful or otherwise are they at this? Does whatever is “bugging” them catch them up and overwhelm them or does the break away give them the respite needed to find a solution to their problems?
How often can your characters get away from it all? Are regular mini breaks enough or do they have to get right away for a week or more? How easy, or otherwise, is it for them to do this and what obstacles might get in their way? Some good stories to be found in answering those questions I think!
Have a wonderful writing year in 2018. I plan to!
This World and Others – Walking and Writing
This topic came about as a result of this week’s Chandler’s Ford Today post, which is another in my Hidden Hampshire series, and looks at a lovely, local woodland walk.
The big problem with writing, of course, is it is a sedentary activity (though very good for the brain!), so I walk the dog (a) because she needs it and (b) because I do too! The break from the desk can and does inspire creative thought, which is another excellent reason to walk.
What kind of exercise do your characters do to keep themselves fit, assuming they do? What are their walks? What hazards would they face in their world that simply wouldn’t happen on Earth? What are the similarities? Going to meet someone of course can be a pivotal point in many a story but where would your characters go if they needed secrecy and can they guarantee this?
Does your created government restrict where people can go? What are the laws on land ownership, rights of way and trespass, if any? These sort of details can help flesh out a realistic picture of the world you’re conveying to us as we can appreciate the equivalent of these that we have so it is easier to identify with this.