I’m late with a new blog this week and my head’s all scratchy with guilt. I’m following an 8-week course with the UnthankSchool.com on writing the short story. As well as a crit from the tutor, the students read everyone’s writing each week, post comments and ‘chat’ online on Sunday mornings. Whilst I’m flattered by … Continue reading Writing Help You Must Have
Copenhagen gave birth to one of the most famous writers of fairy tales. Not children’s fairy tales you note, although it is children who generally read them. Or it used to be. Recently a newspaper article expressed the opinion that today’s children are less aware of harmful elements of growing up than the previous generation … Continue reading Two Danish Writers II: Hans Christian Anderson
The writer who gave us the book and the film of Out of Africa, Karen Blixen, lived in Kenya from 1914 until she returned to Denmark in 1931 to live in Rungstedlund, north of Copenhagen. When Karen Blixen (1885-1962) wrote Out of Africa in 1937, she had already completed her short story masterpiece Seven Gothic … Continue reading Two Danish Writers I: Karen Blixen
Before I became a child who watched television, I was familiar with lines of speech. Both my parents were keen am-drams. I was holding a script, hearing them say their lines, as soon as I could read. As an adult, I’m a great film goer. I love the instant action, the drama which can be … Continue reading To Tag or not
I have a completed manuscript which I am trying to place. It began as the diary of a certain two years of my life which soon became a complete history. I amended a chapter of the manscript to read as a complete piece and submitted it for the Fish Short Memoir Prize. It was shortlisted. … Continue reading Memoir…or not?
One of the delights of returning to the same house each summer is finding books which are old favourites. Looking for a book to read I found Jane Gardam’s A Long Way to Verona. Great! Because the novel is told by a child narrator and the next draft novel I have to consider and re-write … Continue reading Child Narrators (2)
Holidays are odd, aren’t they? When I was a child we had an annual holiday of a week by the sea. To begin with we stayed with my maternal grandmother – making accommodation free – three of us sleeping in the same double bed, swimming in the grey waters of the English Channel, sitting on … Continue reading Holidays
Within the writer's life, there's a different kind of taking a break. My online course with the UnthankSchool has finished. I'll miss it, the weekly challenges, reading the other students' work, getting advice from them and my tutor. I'm making progress on working with a professional editor on my memoir - only now, I'm told, … Continue reading The Working Pattern
We all know taking a break is a 'good thing'. We've been hearing about the benefits of a sabbatical in the news this week as the government considers sabbaticals for teachers. Apparently they refresh your attitude and energize you to put more into your day, in short, work miracles. I've never had a sabbatical, only … Continue reading Taking a Break
For years I avoided this. For years I've been trying to publish the traditional way. I've had some successes but small ones. Seven draft novels sit in the cupboard and I keep typing. But, in the end, the internet is irresistable and I have been seduced once before. This week, I have a short story, … Continue reading On line publishing
