The Hayes Conference Centre, Derbyshire.

THE DANGERS OF REVIEWING MAGICAL BOOKS

October 7, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

There are some jobs that the sensible would avoid at all costs. One of these is being a magical book reviewer. Tonight’s FWB post looks how a magical book reviewer might set about their task – and yes, carefully is one answer!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Spreading the Word discusses (briefly) the need that all authors have to do what they can in this regard. I do take my own advice (!) and share news of the latest anthology my work appears in on my News page. (The Best of Cafelit 5 published by Chapeltown Books and available in print and electronically. There! I’ve taken my own advice again – links on my website!).

From a fictional viewpoint, this post discusses how your characters might spread the word. The post asks how technology has developed in your story worlds and, if it hasn’t, asks why not? Is the media controlled in your settings? Are stories still told in the oral tradition? Answering these questions could trigger some really good stories. (Orwell’s 1984 being the ultimate re the media control one I think).

CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

I discuss what makes a good writing conference in tonight’s CFT post and share my thoughts based on my experience of attending the Winchester and Swanwick conferences. I share some of my photos taken at Swanwick. The conference there is held at The Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire. The grounds are lovely and the accommodation very comfortable. Only trouble? I ate far too much when I was away there! Still it is a nice trouble to have…and I certainly wasn’t the only one!

FACEBOOK PAGE

My FB author page tonight shares the link with my Chandler’s Ford Today post where I discuss good writing conferences. I share what I have learned about what to look out for, based on my experience of the Winchester Writers’ Festival and, for the first time this year, the Swanwick Summer Writers’ School. Hope the post helps those who are considering going to a conference for the first time.

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One of the lakes at The Hayes Conference Centre, Derbyshire, which is home to the Swanwick Summer Writers’ School. Image taken by me this year. Lovely place to walk around.

Come sunrise the fairies must vanish. Image via Pixabay.

IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA BUT…

October 6, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

My post Fairytale Hints and Tips shares advice on not judging others by their species or their size. It also stresses the importance of knowing where your fruit comes from and what exactly has gone into your food and drink. In a magical world, you really cannot be too careful!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

My post Ideas that seemed good at the time but… lives up to its title and shares examples from well known fairytales. Why Little Red Riding Hood never thought to question the whole idea of a wolf talking to her remains a mystery…

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A little bit of advance notice for this week’s Chandler’s Ford Today post which will be about what I look for in a good writing conference. I also look forward to what will hopefully be a great day at the Association of Christian Writers Day in London on Saturday.

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The way into the magical realm perhaps? Image via Pixabay.

Hard at work. While writing should always be fun, the work of getting it fit for publication shouldn't be underestimated. Image via Pixabay.

FAVOURITE STORIES

October 5, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

A character’s favourite stories can tell you a great deal about the character so this can be useful in helping to portray them as fully rounded beings. What makes the favourite stories so well loved by your characters? What legends are they brought up on and which would be their sacred texts? I ask these questions and others in tonight’s post. There are stories to be had writing the story behind the story!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

What every character wants is the theme here tonight. Are you giving your characters what they want?! My short check list may be a useful place to start!

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I talk about my methods of writing a short story, sending it off to a competition (usually) and then immediately starting another one. Sometimes I write a story and later a suitable competition comes up so I send the piece off. But this method of working means by the end of a year, I have written a reasonable number of stories. I tend to write flash fiction in small batches. I don’t know why but it seems to work for me.

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Where stories used to start – P.G. Wodehouse and Agatha Christie, two of my favourite authors, must have produced billions of words between them on typewriters. Image via Pixabay.

Where stories emerge. Image via Pixabay.

TASKS AND CHORES

October 4, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Tonight’s post takes a fun look at what daily magical tasks an apprentice in a fairytale world is likely to have to carry out.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Tasks and Chores looks at those day to day things we all have to do and asks what do our characters have as their favourites/absolutely loathe and why. Are our characters planners or do they everything “on the fly”? What happens on those occasions when they must act contrary to the way they usually would?

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I discuss what I am up to writing wise at the moment and moan about the fact I’m not having much time for reading right now (though I hope to rectify that later this week, God willing. Things have not entirely gone to plan so far this week so I’m not taking anything for granted. I usually make time for a good read of writing related things as part of my writing session. I read fiction at bedtime. These things I see as crucial to helping me improve my own writing so it has been a bit frustrating not being able to read as much this week).

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The Kindle. I read from it at bedtime and have a wide variety of non-fiction and fiction books on it. Image via Pixabay.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

October 4, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly are all found in classic fairytales, probably the best example is Beauty and the Beast. The good is Beauty, the bad is the witch who cursed the prince and Beast is the ugly one, though I’ve always loved this tale for its message that what you look like should not be the be all and end all. (A side message is be careful when offending someone who looks harmless as they might not be and turning someone else into a monstrous being is one of their specialities!). How can you use these elements? I have a look at that in this post.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

I look at rituals and habits in At the End of the Day and ask what do your characters do at the end of their day? Do they follow their own habits or is everyone expected to follow a set routine? (If the latter, you know the world you’ve created is run by a control freak!). How your characters wind down for the night (or day as appropriate) can reveal much about them and how they differ from others in stories.

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Today saw one of those lovely moments in the life of a writer: that moment when you open a parcel of books you’ve ordered but your story is in them! My flash fiction piece, Telling the Time, is in The Best of Cafelit 5 (available in print and electronically). The link takes you to the Amazon page. My story is one of my 100 word stories but there’s a lovely mix of very short stories like that and longer ones so there should be something to suit all tastes in short story length!

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The old way of writing a story! Image via Pixabay

WHAT NOT TO DO AT A SOCIAL GATHERING IN A MAGICAL WORLD

October 1, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

I look at what not to do at a social gathering in a magical world in tonight’s post. This kind of advice is always useful I feel!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Having had a family event today where lots of wonderful conversations took place (always a sign of a good event that!), I thought I would write about this topic for tonight’s post. What kind of events are celebrated in your fictional world, especially if you write fantasy and/or science fiction? Are there groups in/on/under your world who are forbidden to talk to one another and does anyone break that taboo? You can see where the Romeo and Juliet plot could come from here but there are other stories to be had from this. Over to you!

FACEBOOK PAGE

I discuss the joys of being interviewed on my author page tonight! I am currently working my way through some wonderful questions put to me by fellow scribe, Jacci Gooding, and am really enjoying doing this. I love reading and indeed conducting writer interviews. (See Chandler’s Ford Today for some posts where I’ve interviewed local writers, writers known to me through local conferences which is where I met Jacci, and other writers who have become small publishers). Why do I love writer interviews regardless of what side of the fence I am on? I always learn something that either encourages me with my own writing or I pick up tips to help me improve said writing. And that can only be a good thing.

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Working out ideas. Image via Pixabay.

Part of the Reception Area at the Roman Baths, Bath. Image taken by me. Easily the most beautiful place I've ever queued!

AWAY DAYS AND TECHNICAL ISSUES

October 1, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

In Away Days, I link to my latest Chandler’s Ford Today post (more below), but also ask what magical beings would do and where would they go when they fancied a jolly outing. This post was particularly fun to write and I hope you like it.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Aptly, as I have had technical issues tonight sharing my website posts on Facebook (Weebly are looking into it), tonight’s post is on Technical Issues. I focus on what these are for writers – spelling, grammar, presentation of work and so on – and give one or two tips. I like the technical side of writing. While the creative side, that imaginative spark that gets you going with a story or whatever, is obviously more fun, I love having a piece to work with that I know a good edit will improve. (I’ve yet to come across any work of mine that isn’t vastly improved by a darned good edit!).

ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN WRITERS – MORE THAN WRITERS

I write a post for ACW once a month now. For my fellow Christians who are part of this, my latest post (which appeared yesterday) is on The Joy of Hymns and I share some thoughts about my favourites and why I love them. It is generally down to the imagery the words create (much the same would go for poetry in general I should imagine).

CHANDLER’S FORD TODAY

My latest post is another in my Away Day series and looks at lovely Bath, once home to Jane Austen, one of my favourite writers. I focus on the Roman Baths here. Those Romans were amazing engineers. The connection with Chandler’s Ford? Chandler’s Ford has good train links and you can get to a wide range of destinations by rail in a day from the local station, hence my Away Days series.

Beautiful Bath. Image taken by me.

Escape with a good book. Image via Pixabay

THINGS NO WRITER WANTS…

September 30, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

I look at aspects of life in a magical world that no fairy godmother, worth her training, would want to come across.

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

Things a Writer could Well do Without is a lighthearted look at some of the irritations writers come across.

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I’ve shared news of my More than Writers blog post for the Association of Christian Writers. I talk about some of my favourite hymns and their imagery. I also share news of my forthcoming Chandler’s Ford Today post which will be another in my Away Days series. More on that tomorrow hopefully.

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The Roman Baths at Bath, the subject of my Chandler’s Ford Today post for this week. More to follow tomorrow. Image taken by me.

The scribe's tent at the Medieval Weekend held in Hampshire earlier this summer. Image taken by me.

ON BEING A FAIRYTALE WITCH

September 29, 2016September 29, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

Continuing with my Ideal Candidate series, tonight I look at the role of the witch in the fairytales. Advantages you include never having to moisturise and knowing you can curse as much as you like because the latter is precisely what is expected of you!

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

I share which fictional characters I would interview if it were possible to do so. Who would you choose and why?

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I was delighted to discover on reading the most recent Road to Agincourt Project newsletter that Chandler’s Ford Today and I are in it! My Facebook author page shares the link on this. And thanks again to the Road to Agincourt Project for this.

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The scribe’s tools of the trade in medieval times. Image taken by me.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

September 27, 2016September 27, 2016Leave a comment

FAIRYTALES WITH BITE

The above title is not a reference to the US elections, honest! Instead, my post, The Ideal Candidate for being a Talking Animal in a Fairytale, gives some thoughts as to what a talking animal in a fairytale should be like. It definitely has to be more intelligent than your average human….

THIS WORLD AND OTHERS

This post, What a Good Character Will Do For You, outlines some of the things I’ve found to be true about a really good character. Though I say “good character”, this post also refers to the well portrayed villains too, without whom there is no story.

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I discuss my tendency (in the past) to over edit a story or an article. It is a form of procrastination and the only way to make progress in writing is to send your stories out there and see what happens. Learn from the comments you may attract. What I do now is write the piece, edit it, put it aside for a few days, then look at it again and then get the piece out there. If there is one thing I have learned as a writer, it is that nobody ever writes the perfect piece of work. They can’t. Neither can I so you aim for as near perfection as you can get.

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The classic beginning for all stories… Image via Pixabay