LIKES AND DISLIKES

December 24, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

As well as sharing the link to tonight’s Chandler’s Ford Today post, in Likes and Dislikes I look at how these can be used to create a good back story for your characters. Why a character likes or dislikes something can also be revealing.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

In Expectations, I look at how even relatively minor expectations can again show a lot about your characters, especially when expectations are disappointed. Just how does your character react and why?

CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

I write a piece annually looking at various aspects of Christmas. What I Like (and Dislike) about Christmas is this year’s offering. And one thing I really dislike is tinny music being played in my local shopping centre, let’s have something decent, please!

FACEBOOK PAGE

As well as sharing the link to my CFT post tonight, I discuss one of my favourite things about Christmas Day.

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

FAIRYTALE WISH LISTS

December 22, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

In Fairytale Wish Lists I discuss how creating a wish list for your characters can be a great way of discovering what they are really like. What do they want most in life? What does this say about them?

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

One thing I love about the Christmas carols is many of them are stories in song. I’ve always been fond of these. On your fictional world, would music be used to convey a story? If so, who would write these? What songs would everyone know and what would these commemorate? I look into this in Stories in Song.

CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

Coming up will be my look into what I like and dislike about Christmas.

FACEBOOK PAGE

More on Mabel’s progress and I share some Christmas cracker jokes!

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Books make wonderful gifts. Image via Pixabay.

Stories can be told in song as well on the pages of a book. Image via Pixabay.

Images from the magical world... Image via Pixabay

ONE LINE FAIRYTALES

December 21, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

One Line Fairytales is my variant on the Ernest Hemingway six words short story exercise. I share three ideas, all of which could be written up as flash fiction or standard length short stories. May well give them a go myself at some point!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

What a Good Book Can Do lists ten benefits of reading a good book (and that doesn’t include the sheer pleasure gained from a marvellous read). Can you add to my list?

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I discuss some of what I’ve been listening to, my favourite “in the run up to Christmas” reads and continue to update on Mabel’s progress. I also talk about my writing (a brief look back at progress over the year and hopes for the future) and my reading (what I have done, what I would like to do etc).

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A truly beautiful library but do the books in it meet my criteria for what makes a good story. I would hope so! Image via Pixabay.

This statue reminds me of myself when I was a lot younger. Okay I wasn't made of stone (I'm still not!) but I did always have my head in a book. (And do so as often as I can now!). Image via Pixabay.

HOW TO TELL YOU’VE BECOME ADDICTED TO WRITING

December 20, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Further Fairytale Classified Adverts gives some For Sale and Wanted adverts that might be found in a fairy realm newspaper.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

How To Tell You’ve Become Addicted to Writing gives ten warning symptoms! Which are you guilty of or is it a case of all ten? I have listed some of my vices…

FACEBOOK PAGE

This is mainly a follow-up thank you post to all who wrote much appreciated words of support and encouragement regarding my Mabel’s illness. I’m glad to say my border collie, while still weak, is making good progress at home.

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The lovely Mabel. Image taken by me! So much happier when there are no fireworks about - and that goes for Mabel too.

The lovely Mabel. Image taken by me! Making good progress after being really ill at the weekend…

THE ROLE OF ANIMALS IN FAIRYTALES

December 19, 2016Leave a comment

Both of tonight’s posts on my websites are inspired by a dramatic weekend with my border collie, Mabel, which I write about in more detail on my Facebook page.

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

The Role of Animals in Fairytales looks at how I like the way animals are generally depicted in fiction, especially fairytales. For example, Puss in Boots is a fully rounded character in his own right and is clearly far more intelligent than his human master. Watership Down, for me, is the classic example of wonderfully drawn animal characters. And I like non-human characters in my stories, as long as they are not twee, are shown with motivations and reasons for those motivations, the same way human characters would be portrayed.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

What Your Characters Care About the Most came about as I reflected on what (and whom!) I care about most. Naturally, what I care about (and whom!) makes me the person I am and this should be true for our fictional creations as well.

FACEBOOK PAGE

Tonight’s post is all about my border collie, Mabel, after a dramatic weekend with her. And I end it with a plea not to buy puppies from puppy farms EVER (just look at all the reports on the cruelty involved to the breeding mothers for one thing) and equally not to buy puppies at Christmas at all. A dog needs your time and commitment and Christmas is not the right time to make that kind of decision. So definitely a post for the animal lovers tonight.

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This picture was taken by me as I was walking my border collie, the lovely (but sometimes noisy) Mabel. I used the image in a Hidden Hampshire piece for Chandler's Ford Today. Probably my best photo ever of a sunset.

This picture was taken by me as I was walking my border collie, the lovely (but sometimes noisy) Mabel. Mabel has not been at all well this weekend but has shown great determination and grit and is slowly recovering. Keep fighting, Mabel.

SMASHING STORY STARTS

December 18, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Smashing Story Starts shares what I look for at the start of a story. This includes intriguing opening lines to what I like to know by the end of the first paragraph. I must admit I like to hit the ground running with my stories and get directly into the characters’ heads. I like to flesh out more details later in the story.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

My Top 5 Reading Tips is a follow-on from yesterday’s post when I shared my top 5 writing tips. I look at reading here from a writer’s viewpoint and discuss, amongst other things, the need to read widely and well.

CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

Great to see good Facebook feedback on my article with Richard Hardie on his YA publication news. Many thanks, all.

FACEBOOK PAGE

I discuss Christmas literature – the Nativity, the carols, the films, the spoofs…!

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And there was I thinking my milkman had a big round…! Image via Pixabay

There's still a place for writing directly to paper. Image via Pixabay

WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

December 17, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

When Enough is Enough shares my thoughts on working out when a piece of work is actually finished! I’ve learned how to be more concise over time (which is why I can now write flash fiction!). And working out what to say and then stopping at the point without tipping over into waffling and repetition takes some time to get right. Well, it did for me anyway!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

My Top 5 Writing Tips does exactly what the title suggests. I look at editing on paper and share a useful tip for writing competitions amongst other ideas. Hope you find this useful.

CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

My post this week is Local Author News: Richard Hardie. Richard writes excellent YA fantasy novels in the Temporal Detective Agency series. Richard shares his latest publication news including the great coup P&G Wells of Winchester, a renowned independent bookshop, are now stocking Leap of Faith and Trouble With Swords. It is nice to write a post which shares what a local author is up to and promotes an independent bookshop. Just a shame there’s so few of them left now.

FACEBOOK PAGE

Again I share news of my CFT post.

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Leap of Faith, Richard’s first novel. Image kindly supplied by Richard Hardie.

AWKWARD QUESTIONS AND WRITING GOALS

December 16, 2016Leave a comment

Again many apologies for the no-show last night. The bug that got me last week decided to put in a repeat appearance much to my annoyance! Still, hopefully all gone now.

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Awkward Questions can be fun to ask of yourself and your characters. In the case of the latter having someone ask them the questions that they didn’t want to be asked can be a great way of raising tension and guarantees conflict! But the questions must be significant enough to have a real impact, the kind of impact that will turn your story on its head. It also pays to ask yourself as a writer from time to time things like why am I writing this, is my meaning as clear as I think it is and so on.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Writing Goals discusses why I review my writing performance in the post-Christmas run-up to the New Year. I also set some goals, some I know I won’t achieve in 12 months but I want to be well on my way to doing so in that time frame, which is the point of setting these! Others I will achieve. Other things happen that are unexpected bonuses. But writing goals down is, I’ve found, a good way to ensure I’m in with a reasonable chance of achieving said goals. I don’t really know why writing them down makes a difference. All I know is it does and that’s enough for me.

CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

My post this week shares the news of local YA author, Richard Hardie, whose books, Leap of Faith and Trouble with Swords, are being stocked by local independent bookshop, P&G Wells of Winchester. It’s a real pleasure to promote a local writer and a local bookshop!

FACEBOOK PAGE

I discuss my upcoming Chandler’s Ford Today post and share a link to Southampton Writers’ Circle’s You Tube channel as they have kindly shared the Baubles trailer on this. Thanks, everyone, and hopefully see you again in 2017.

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you-really-do-enter-another-world-when-reading-image-via-pixabay

You really do enter another world when you read. Image via Pixabay

Escape with a good book - and Roald Dahl's were amongst the best. Image via Pixabay

FAMOUS LAST WORDS

December 14, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

I love writing posts like tonight’s Famous Last Words one. I share five suggestions as to what could be your famous last words if you were foolish enough to utter these while visiting a magical world. For example What Dragon? I can’t see… well you can see what could go horribly wrong there. Can you add suggestions?

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Tonight’s post is Be Open to Possibilities and is based on a marketing tip I shared at the recent Bridge House Publishing/Cafelit joint book launch. I became a flash fiction writer by accident but am so glad I ended up on this particular writing road. I discuss our characters being open to possibilities in our stories as well.

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I share a link to Gill James’s A Publisher’s Perspective where she shares more of the marketing tips gathered at the London launch. I also share how I look at marketing.

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My Chandler’s Ford Today post for this week looks at where I am at currently on my writing journey, Image via Pixabay.

One way through to the magical world but is it all sunshine and flowers? I doubt it! Image via Pixabay

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS?

December 13, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

What Happened Afterwards discusses what happened to certain characters after The End had been written? I find a really good story does make you wonder what would happen to characters after the official ending. See what you think!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Christmas Customs discusses what customs are followed at this time of year in your fictional world. Does everyone join in with these customs? What happens to those who don’t conform? I ask a series of questions connected with customs which should inspire some story ideas.

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I discuss the joys of writing, reading and books in tonight’s FB post. I also share one of the things I love about Christmas Day.

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Images from the magical world… Image via Pixabay