I decided to start this blog to journal my experience of having my first novel published. I hope to encourage other debut writers and receive advice from those who know the process. Reaching this point has been both exciting and hard work. I’ve discovered there is no blue print though I’ve masses of books and have attended many courses in an effort to find one.
In addition to developing the stamina to write, research and keep going, I’ve made friends with a variety of people I wouldn’t otherwise have met. That may well be the best bit.
Review of 70% Water by Jeanette Sheppard
Review of Seventy Percent Water by Jeanette Sheppard This debut collection of 31 flash fiction stories is beautifully bound by publisher EllipsisZine, its cover designed by Jeanette herself. It well illustrates the water of the title story, that human beings are...
Light in the darkness
In this darkest of winters, one of the pleasures has been discovering local walks. One of my favourites has been to Ashow, along the lanes to Chesterton Grange, and through the woods below Hill Wootton. It takes a long time for all the leaves to fall, and the woods...
Marram: memories of sea and spider silk – Leonie Charlton
Marram Grass, Ammophilia arenaia Marram describes the journey on Highland ponies through the Outer Isles, by Leonie Charlton and her friend. They ride from the tip of Barra up South and North Uist, the islands of Harris and Lewis, to the ancient stone circle of...
Lockdown – The beginning
The impact of the coronavirus on my life was sudden. I remember worrying about it during January and February because of news of deaths in Wuhan, China. In March the virus was clearly moving through Europe and my anxiety increased. It became personal on 4th...
Poetry Book Review
Book Review: John Alcock futura ventura ISBN 978-0-9538900-2-6 While neither art nor science finds A limit to our human minds. So ends, futura ventura, the title poem of this collection, by the late John Alcock. This impressive Pushkin...
Thirteen Trees, Thirteen Moons
In December 2018, I began an online course, Tongues in Trees, provided by Roselle Angwin. I was looking to re-acquaint myself with the names and nature of trees I had thought little about since childhood. The course followed the Celtic moon calendar and 13 specific...
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The material on this website is copyright to the credited writer/poet or me. Please ask my permission to use my poems or short stories. I am happy for you to quote from the blog posts but please credit me and provide a link to this site.
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