Following stories on social media, I have discovered how desperate so many women and men are to trace their birth mothers, and how women, who ‘gave away’ their baby in adoption, long to contact their child now they are adult. Reading their words, has made me re-consider the whole practice of, what was, if not … Continue reading Adoption Matters
In 1942 Winston Churchill said, ‘Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end…’ Which is just a flashy way to say that today is the beginning of the end of our Masterclass on the Short Story at Unthank School. This coming week will be our last. It has … Continue reading Reading Short Stories
I am over half-way through a writing course on the short story with @UnthankSchool. I'm enjoying it and facing new challenges. Which is good. Later, I intend to make a list of all the new things I have learned or read, the advice the tutor has given us and his recommendations for improving our writing. … Continue reading Writing Short Stories
Last week a teacher tweeted asking any writers for co-operation with a project she was leading on Notebooking. The idea that schools teach creative writing is a joy to me. We had the subject Essay Writing, which could have been interpreted as creative writing, although the words sound formal, discouraging to children. Creative Writing speaks … Continue reading Notebooking
Apologies for cribbing the contents of this post but my right hand is in a splint and typing is tricky. We have just enjoyed the Small Wonder Festival at Charleston, so-called because it is dedicated to short prose and fiction. This year, the sixth recipient of the only award to recognise long-standing creativity and achievement … Continue reading Small Wonder Festival at Charleston
A tweet asking about the books of Angela Carter gave me the answer to 'what do I blog about today?' I was a long time coming to the writings of Angela Carter. She was name tucked at the back of my mind. I had no idea where it had come from. My bookshelves host nine … Continue reading Angela Carter
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
