Category: Uncategorized

I watched with interest the furore about the recent article from Claudia Connell at The Daily Mail. She stereotyped all romance writers as old ladies with blue rinses, twin-sets, pearls and support stockings. Kate Johnson aka Cat Marsters urged romance writers to post photos on Twitter, Facebook and our blogs! To begin with, I thought… Continue reading Romantic Novelist Protest Blog

Its official, I’m normal. Well at least my MRI scan says my brain is healthy and quite young for my age! Seriously, it was quite a relief as I had only gone to the doctors with ringing in my ears. They wanted to rule out anything abnormal, hence the scan, but it doesn’t stop your mind… Continue reading I’m Normal!

I debated about putting my alternative first paragraphs on my blog, but it has proved useful and not as scary as I first thought. There has been a record number of hits on my last post. Pity all of the viewers didn’t comment or follow my blog, but maybe they will if they come back… Continue reading The Value of an Opinion

As part of the ‘May – You Write Your Novel’ #mywyn 80,000 words in 80 day writing challenge, I am re-writing and finishing a novel I started for the M&B New Voices competition way back last September. I have re-written the opening paragraphs and my good friend Ellie Swoop is very clear about which version… Continue reading Help please – Which book would you rather read?

I have signed up for Sally Quillford’s 80,000 words in 80 days challenge, details here. Having enjoyed Nanowrimo’s 50,000 word challenge in November last year, I am hoping to recapture the writing discipline I found then. It was only when I looked at the calendar and realised how much is happening during the 80 days… Continue reading I Must be Mad

So you’ve reached that point in your book where you start to think it isn’t good enough. You feel like ripping it up or pushing the delete button. You’ve hit the confidence wall most writers seem to find at some point in their WIP. How do you get through it? Action Plan I’d like to… Continue reading Falling in Love Again

A friend and I (@EllieSwoop) watched the film Eat, Pray, Love, based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir, for the second time on Wednesday evening. We were reflecting on how you see different things in a film depending on your mood and state of mind. When we first saw this film I was worried that it would… Continue reading Eating Praying and Loving

I was pondering some of the courses I have done over the years and how these might impact my writing. Scarf tying – I took along a triangular silver mesh scarf and was told it would be best used in the bedroom with nothing else on!!! Maybe this will appear in an erotic scene at… Continue reading Training my Mind

I have just spent a week in Cumbria with hubbie and little son. The holiday house was a 17th century farmhouse in Grasmere with wonderful views from every window and the sounds of rushing water from the stream and birdsong in the garden. Hubbie has a special birthday coming up and requested an early birthday… Continue reading Climb Every Mountain

Yes, I’ve done it! I’ve finished it! For the past age, well 14 months, I have been struggling with a module of my distance learning creative writing course. I’ve at last completed it. I had begun to think that I never would. I am still not sure why I have struggled so much. Having completed… Continue reading Freedom!