Tag: Andy Murray

Where stories emerge these days... Image via Pixabay

TOP 10 TRAITS FOR FAIRY GODMOTHERS

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FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

I list my Top 10 Traits for Fairy Godmothers tonight.  At least they’re the traits you would want  your fairy godmother to have if you were fortunate enough to have one turn up on your doorstep announcing they’re there to help you!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Revealing Opening Lines gives some examples of opening lines that give a lot of information in a few words.  Two of them I’ve invented for this post.  One is the start of a flash fiction piece, George ChangesMind Mind, which will appear in my flash fiction collection, From Light to Dark and Back Again (Chapeltown Books – (UK)).

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I discuss Argentina’s winning of the Davis Cup (am so pleased for Del Potro) and share one of my favourite memories relating to my late mum and Andy Murray’s first Wimbledon win.

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Where stories used to start... image via Pixabay.

Where stories used to start… image via Pixabay.

 

 

Beautiful books. Image via Pixabay.

QUESTIONING YOUR CHARACTERS

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FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Top 10 Questions to Put to Your Characters lists some basic questions you could consider when thinking about drawing up your characters.  I don’t write full character biographies (though I can understand those writers that do.  My worry here is this process could be so much fun, there would be a danger I feel of not actually getting on and telling the story!).  There are, of course, many other questions you could use but my list tonight could prove to be a useful place to start.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Getting Things Done discusses the approach  your characters might take to…er… getting things done (!).  Are they go-getters?  Are they slow but steady plodders who get there in the end?  Do they learn from their mistakes?  Do they aggravate other chracters?

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I discuss Andy Murray’s latest win, my  next Chandler’s Ford Today post and blatantly go for the sympathy vote for my poor border collie, Mabel, who was ill over the weekend.  Glad to report she is on the mend but none of us were impressed with the weekend we had, Mabel especially.  Two trips to the vet, temperature taken each time (she loathes that) but she did get her own back on the vet on the second trip.  While he was listening to her chest with the old stethoscope, Mabel heard another dog in the kennels bark and of course Miss Mighty Mouth has to have the last bark so she let rip.  Right down the vet’s earhole of course. Made a lot worse by him still using the stethoscope!  (Had she known what she was doing here, I wouldn’t have put it past her to do it on purpose regardless of whether she heard another dog or not!  Our sympathies to the vet – Mabel couldn’t possibly comment!).

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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.

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.

 

 

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

ATTRACTIVE CHARACTER TRAITS

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FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Attractive Character Traits discusses what I think are the most attractive traits any character can have.  Top of the list is persistence – and Andy Murray’s wonderful achievement in becoming world # 1 in men’s tennis (especially in this era) put me in mind of this.  See what you think about my list.  Can you add anything?

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Escaping discusses how characters escape – from literal danger (escapes must be credible) to leaving behind daily work cares etc.  How do they do the latter?  What hobbies and interests do they have to help them achieve that sense of escape?

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Being a tennis fan, I couldn’t let Andy Murray’s achievement today pass without comment but I also link it to hard work and persistence also being of vital importance to writers.

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CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

Just a quick thanks to all who have commented so far on my Top 10 Classical Greats post from yesterday.  Some pieces of music listed I know, others I don’t (but will look up and play!).

Hard at work. Image via Pixabay. Music (playing and listening) can be a great form of escapism, which is one topic I look at tonight.

Hard at work. Image via Pixabay. Music (playing and listening) can be a great form of escapism, which is one topic I look at tonight.

 

One of my favourite book images. They really are magical. Transportation into other worlds and around this one in a few hundred pages. Brilliant! Image via Pixabay.

WHEN A CHARACTER KNOWS THEY’RE IN TROUBLE

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FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

When a Character knows they’re in trouble is another of my “sum it all up in the title” posts! A short, sharp list of points for a character to ponder – do you agree with what I’ve come up with?  Can you add to the list?

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Reviewing Characters is another sum it up title!  I appear to be on a roll with these tonight!  But it occurred to me it would be no bad thing for writers to review their characters every so often.  Are the characters still coming across the way you want them to do so?  If not is this because they’ve developed and do you need to change your story to handle that development correctly?  Characters should change and develop of course, it’s the classic sign they “live” (and as a result so does the story), but a check to see the character is still “up to the job” is no bad thing I feel.

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I was really pleased Andy Murray won in Vienna.  I discuss my thoughts on that and the creative arts in my FB page tonight.  A strange mix?  I don’t think so.  Sports people can be creative in how they play after all (AM is a great example of that.  Some of his shots take my breath away in a “how the hell did he do that” kind of way).  I also love the fact that there are so many forms of creative arts, so much so there is bound to be at least one to suit most people!

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When I'm not at my desk, I'm likely to be in the swimming pool or walking the dog (never both at the same time!). Image via Pixabay.

When I’m not at my desk, I’m likely to be in the swimming pool or walking the dog (never both at the same time!). Image via Pixabay.