Flash Fiction

I've been so proud of daughter Vikki's recent success with her creative flash fiction stories that I thought it might be good to mention these opportunities on the blog today. Sometimes, when you don't feel like settling down to a long writing session, or you want to refresh the creative muse, a short piece of fiction is the ideal length to work on. Flash fiction is very popular so look out for the markets available. Even the Bridport Prize now includes this category!

Vikki is using these as creative exercises and her two pieces are published on two different online sites where you can also read other writers' fiction and find out the submission requirements. The first, Empty Orchestra, is in The Puffin Review. This is a very atmospheric and descriptive piece - almost an observation. The second flash fiction, At the Fair, was tweeted as the editor's choice the other day on Postcard Shorts. This is a very poignant and descriptive piece with a twist ending.

I'm certainly inspired to try more of these short pieces as a means of developing my creativity, as well as encouraging observation and descriptive skills - both of which I often hurry past in the eagerness to finish a story. If anyone gets one published, let me know where and I'll tweet it for you!

Have just discovered I'm featured on Jane Riddell's blog today - quite an in-depth interview!

Rosemary

Featured Author: Myra Duffy

I’m delighted to welcome friend and fellow Scottish author, Myra Duffy, to the Reading and Writing blog today. I love Myra’s cosy crime novels which are set on the Isle of Bute, the venue of my childhood summer holidays. Although I enjoy many good crime novels, it’s the mystery element that most attracts me and Myra’s books have not disappointed in this respect. Her fans are very pleased that her new novel, Endgame at Port Bannatyne, is now available! Thanks for sharing the inspiration behind the series and this latest story, Myra.

Endgame at Port Bannatyne

Endgame at Port Bannatyne is the fourth in Myra Duffy’s series of cosy crime mysteries set on the Isle of Bute, just off the west coast of Scotland. All four books feature the same main character, Alison Cameron, a very ordinary woman who finds herself involved in crime in spite of vowing, ‘this time it will be different.’

In this latest novel, Alison is offered a job as assistant scriptwriter with Pelias Productions. The company is on the island making a film about one of the most famous sons of Bute, James Hamilton, and has based itself in the sleepy village of Port Bannatyne.

It’s not long before Alison has cause to regret her decision. Two of the cast members, Franklin Todd and Quentin Quizling, are at war; the actress playing James Hamilton’s wife has something to hide; the Director, Sol, is tetchy and secretive. Then a suspicious death and an on-set accident throw the production into disarray.

Alison’s personal life is also in turmoil: her relationship with her husband, Simon is fraught and the company of Robert, an old friend from the past, only complicates matters further.

Inspiration Behind the Series and Story

For many years we’ve had strong connections to Bute and when I wrote my first cosy crime novel it seemed an ideal setting. It’s a very peaceful island, with little crime, not at all the sort of place where you’d expect the sort of thing that happens in my novels. But the fact that it is small with a limited population of some 6000 (except in summer when visitor numbers swell the population) provides lots of writing opportunities for small town gossip and intrigue and ways in which incomers can upset the balance.

In Endgame at Port Bannatyne, the story of James Hamilton was such an interesting one, it seemed exactly the kind of basis for a film by a company like Pelias Productions.

James was an Edinburgh lawyer who bought Kames Castle but unfortunately he had a profligate wife, Harriet, who preferred the society of her friends in the capital and quickly ran through his money. Bills of sale from the castle records show he was reduced to selling the bedroom furniture to pay his debts while Harriet was having her portrait painted by Raeburn. Her picture hangs in the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh.

He is buried (alone!) in an overgrown spot on the road to Ettrick Bay and rumour has it that he’s buried standing up so that on Resurrection Day as he rises from the grave the first thing he will see is his beloved Kames Castle and Kames Bay. But no one as yet has investigated the truth of this.

Of course, this being a crime novel, nothing and no one is as they seem and Alison finds herself in danger as she stubbornly tries to find out the truth about what is happening.

Great idea, Myra - all the best with this new book!

The Isle of Bute mystery novels are available in print and e-book on Amazon UK, Amazon US and at selected bookshops. Endgame at Port Bannatyneis also available in print from FeedARead.

Although Myra is a well published author of non-fiction, she's been writing fiction for as long as she can remember (winning a national competition when she was thirteen), but has recently turned to a life of crime. A writing life, she hastens to add.

For many years she's been a frequent visitor to the Isle of Bute, just off the West coast of Scotland - a firm favourite with visitors from Glasgow. Holidays in the island inspired her to write the first Bute novel: 'The House at Ettrick Bay' (an archaeological mystery) and this was followed by 'Last Ferry to Bute' (dark deeds during a college reunion) and 'Last Dance at the Rothesay Pavilion' (past events cast a long shadow as the Pavilion is refurbished).

 

Myra has been published in various magazines such as 'My Weekly' and in the 'Ireland's Own' anthology and has also won a number of awards for short stories, poetry and non-fiction, but novel writing is what she enjoys most.

You can find out more about Myra Duffy's writing on her website, or blog and she can be found on Facebook and Twitter (@duffy_myra).

Pinterest

It must be over a year since I last mentioned Pinterest and social media has moved on as always. I tentatively joined at first, unsure if it would be just another time waster. In the past few months, however, I've been really enjoying it and hope to use it even more.

If you're a visual person, like me, you probably like looking at pictures and images, many of which can be hugely inspirational for writing ideas. I wasn't using the boards properly but I've now started a new one for each of my novels and pin anything relevant to that story on the appropriate board. I also have a board for Inspiration; Victoriana; Regency; Scottish Scenery; Scottish Historic Sites; Writing.

It's great fun, although I tend to limit my time on it at the moment and I keep learning about new ways to use Pinterest. One of my daughter's good suggestions was to begin a board for the Victorian crime novel I've yet to finish and fill it with pictures that might inspire ideas - photos of the area and any items from the period. This can be kept hidden if I don't want to share it for now. 

The idea is to follow other people's boards and for people to follow yours, then you'll see a good variety of images when you log in and you can re-pin any of them to your own boards. You can also search for subjects and re-pin anything that catches your eye.

There's a good overview of the reasons why we should use Pinterest in this blog post on Word Serve Water Cooler, if you're thinking about trying it!

If anyone wants to check out my boards, you can find me here (they're still a work in progress!): 

Enjoy if you join and don't forget to follow me so I can follow back.
Rosemary

Lovely Poetry News

I was delighted to receive an email from Holland Park Press telling me I'm one of the shortlisted poets in their recent Poetry Competition! The theme was 'What's Your Place?' and I wrote a poem about an aspect of my own locale, called Metal Giraffes on the Clyde.

I feel very honoured to be in the running for the prize and I'm just happy to have this amount of recognition. Holland Park Press is a Dutch and English publisher and there are 11 English and 6 Dutch poems shortlisted (out of over 450 entries I believe!).

I've been invited to go and read my poem at the reading/awards evening in London at the end of February - all poems will be read and then the winner announced. It sounds like a really lovely evening and I'd love to meet everyone and hear the readings. Will need to see if I can manage to get down for it!

Rosemary

BBC Writing Opportunities

Just wanted to bring your attention to the following two competitions currently being run by the BBC.

BBC National Short Story Award ( in partnership with Book Trust)

A hugely prestigious award of £15,000 goes to the winner of this annual competition. Entrants must have a record of published creative writing, so they're expecting the very best writing! Short stories should be no more than 8,000 words and the closing date is 28th February 2014. Full details here.

BBC Radio Opening Lines

This is a great opportunity for writers new to radio. They are looking for short stories of 1900 to 2000 words suitable for reading aloud on radio. The stories must be submitted by February 14th 2014. This is where a strong first line is essential! Full details here.

Don't forget, there's also the excellent BBC Writers Room where you can pick up lots of other opportunities and tips about writing for BBC radio or TV.

Good luck!
Rosemary

Featured Author: Maggie Craig

I’m delighted to welcome fellow Scottish author, Maggie Craig, to the Reading and Writing blog to tell us about the inspiration behind her new historical novel, Gathering Storm. It’s well over a year since Maggie last visited and it’s always a pleasure to hear about her latest work. Historian, short story writer and novelist, Maggie’s research is legendary, bringing great authenticity to her novels. In addition to some romance, the depth of intrigue gives Gathering Storm a thriller quality and this author does not shy away from depicting the grittier side of life, love and danger in 18th century Scotland.

Thank you for taking time to join me today, Maggie. It's always a pleasure to hear about your work.

Gathering Storm

Jacobite Intrigue and Romance in 18th Century Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Yuletide 1743, and Redcoat officer Robert Catto would rather be anywhere else on earth than Scotland. Seconded back from the wars in Europe to captain the city's Town Guard, he fears his covert mission to assess the strength of the Jacobite threat will force him to confront the past he tries so hard to forget.

Christian Rankeillor, her surgeon-apothecary father and his apprentice Jamie Buchan of Balnamoon are committed supporters of the Stuart Cause. They're hiding a Jacobite agent with a price on his head in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, a hanging offence.

Meeting as enemies, Robert and Kirsty are thrown together as allies by the mysterious death of a young prostitute and their desire to help fugitive brother and sister Geordie and Alice Smart. They're on the run from Cosmo Liddell, bored and brutal aristocrat and coal owner.

As they pick their way through a labyrinth of intrigue, Robert and Kirsty are increasingly drawn to each other. She knows their mutual attraction can go nowhere. He knows his duty demands that he must betray her.

Bringing to life another time when Scotland stood at a crossroads in her history, Gathering Storm is the first in a suite of Jacobite novels by Scottish writer and historian Maggie Craig, author of the ground-breaking and acclaimed Damn' Rebel Bitches: The Women of the '45.

Inspiration Behind the Story

Gathering Storm started with a photograph in a magazine, a quietly handsome man looking out at me. He had such sad eyes and I wondered why. I propped his picture up next to my computer and glanced at it every so often over the next few days. Then I sat down and started free-writing. I was immediately in 18th century Edinburgh, chasing after some medical students and their professor who were carrying out an illegal dissection. My hero’s name was Robert, he was wearing a red uniform coat and he was the Captain of the Edinburgh Town Guard. He was interrogating Christian Rankeillor, daughter of the professor, and sparks were flying. Robert and Kirsty took it from there!

From the outset, the story has been a political thriller as well as a romance. It’s 1743, two years before the Jacobite Rising of 1745, and Edinburgh is a tense city. Research for the book took me from finding out about Jacobite plotters to the archives of the Royal College of Surgeons and on to an Open University course on the history of European medicine. I’m now writing the sequel, Breaking Storm, and can’t wait to find out how Robert and Kirsty are going to deal with the dilemmas now facing them.

I’m sure your readers can’t wait either, Maggie!

Gathering Storm is available in print and ebook from Amazon UK and US and the Book Depository.

Maggie Craig is a Scottish writer and historian, author of the ground-breaking and acclaimed Damn’ Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45, When the Clyde Ran Red, a popular history of Red Clydeside, and several page-turning historical novels. Her Glasgow & Clydebank novels are set during the first half of the 20th century and are inspired by the joys, struggles and sense of humour of her own family, although they are also works of research and imagination. One Sweet Moment is a poignant and passionate tale of Old Edinburgh. Her latest novel, Gathering Storm, is the first in a planned suite of Jacobite novels.

Maggie is a member of the Society of Authors in Scotland and has served two terms as a committee member. She is a regular and popular speaker around Scotland’s libraries and at book festivals including the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Aye Write! & the Wigtown Book Festival.

She comes from a family where writing is considered an entirely normal thing to do and which numbers among its forebears the weaver-poet of Paisley, Robert Tannahill, who most famously wrote The Wild Mountain Thyme/Will ye go lassie, go? (“So does hauf o’ Paisley, hen.” Response of wee man in Paisley museum to the foregoing statement.)

A proud Glaswegian, she and her Welsh husband Will now live in an old blacksmith’s cottage in a tiny village in the north of Scotland. They have two grown-up children, one lovely daughter-in-law and two cats. When not writing, Maggie enjoys photography, her favourite subjects being old buildings, wildlife, dramatic skies and wild flowers.

You can find out more about Maggie Craig on her website and follow her on twitter @CraigMaggie 

TV for Research; Entangled Submissions

Old Mangle

 

I make no secret of the fact I love watching TV dramas or the occasional good series or film. Apart from enjoyment, it's my way of relaxing in the evening, before finishing the day with whatever book I'm reading. That last part is essential to make me sleepy, as the TV would keep my mind stimulated too much without a quiet period before bed.

But what a great resource it is for research, especially different periods of history. As well as the wonderful visuals of fashion, furniture and transport, many of the programmes point to the wider issues of the day. Whether through politics, women's lives, relationships, we often have the whole gamut of society paraded before us.

In just one week, I've taped or watched the following:

The Three Musketeers - I taped this last night and can't wait to watch this new version. I studied European history through several centuries and love this enjoyable escapade in 17th century France. I imagine Peter Capaldi will make a good Richelieu.

Mr Selfridge - the previous series took us from the turn of the century to the new series beginning last night at the cusp of the Great War in 1914 with news of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. What a lavish set with stunning outfits and the historical background of a real iconic store.

Father Brown - I've been taping this afternoon programme to watch while ironing. I love the nostalgia of the English country setting in the early 50s, and the clothes worn by women from servants to the local Lady. I'm also interested in old cars!

The Bletchley Circle - beside the obvious pleasure of the post-war setting and solving mysteries, I love the occasional flash-back to the secret war work at Bletchley Park. This is also good for noting the fashions ordinary women now wore, and the difference between the lives of the single females and the highly intelligent woman who was now expected to be a stay at home wife and mother.

Call the Midwife - everyone's favourite nostalgia story about late 1950s midwives in London's East End. Here we have a great variety of characters and situations from the period and last night's episode even gave us a historical context for the recognition of Cystic Fibrosis. A great combination of human stories and medical/health issues as we start to leave the 50s behind.

And these don't include Downton Abbey and The Paradise - another two programmes useful for visual research!

Submissions

If anyone is inspired by all the 1950s nostalgia, you might want to try writing and submitting a novella to Entangled who have put out a call for stories of 15,000 to 20,000 words set between 1950 and 1959. See the full details for Love me Tender submissions on the Entangled website. Closing date is 31st March 2014.

Good luck,
Rosemary

Book Shop Launches

Some of you may remember the author I featured on the blog late last year, Uuganaa Ramsay, and her debut non-fiction memoir, Mongol. Well, the book is published by Saraband and is now available in both ebook and print from Amazon or any good book shop and guarantees an emotional read, although a very uplifting and compassionate one. I'm posting the blurb again for anyone who didn't see it before.

Uuganaa is a Mongol living in Britain, far from the world she grew up in: as a nomadic herder she lived in a yurt, eating marmot meat, distilling vodka from goat's yoghurt and learning about Comrade Lenin.

When her new-born son Billy is diagnosed with Down's Syndrome, she finds herself facing bigotry and taboo as well as heartbreak. In this powerful memoir, Uuganaa skilfully interweaves the extraordinary story of her own childhood in Mongolia with the sadly short life of Billy, who becomes a symbol of union and disunion, cultures and complexity, stigma and superstition - and inspires Uuganaa to challenge prejudice.

Mongol is the touching story of one woman's transformation from outsider to fearless champion of love, respect and tolerance. It's a moving tribute by a remarkable woman to her beloved baby son, testifying to his lasting impact on a sometimes imperfect world.


The print book was launched last night at Waterstons in Glasgow and my husband, daughter and I were part of the audience hanging on to Uuganaa's every word in her charming mix of Mongolian and Scottish accent. I wasn't the only person with tears in the eyes just listening to a couple of the extracts! I'm now looking forward to getting into the book - we were warned to have some tissues nearby.

While I was sitting waiting for the event to begin, my gaze wandered and I had that warm feeling I used to get in libraries long ago when surrounded by hundreds of real books. We were right beside the classics shelves and I smiled to see all my old favourites together. I certainly wouldn't be without my kindle for reading in bed, but I do love the tangible pleasure of print books. It's one of the reasons I enjoy going to friends' book launches and I hope this may long continue - there are at least another two or three to look forward to in the coming months!

Rosemary

Diaries and Sherlock

 

I've had to wait a week into January before finally receiving my new Mslexia diary - due to postal problems - and I felt so bereft without it. I love new diaries in general and fortunately keep a separate journal-type book which, being undated, allows me to write in it whenever I want from year to year. The Mselxia diary, however, is my favourite annual Christmas present to myself (or from husband really after I've ordered it!) and January 1st didn't seem the same without it.

I love going the through the previous one, transferring all birthday dates and other essential annual details before writing a word about the new year. This particular diary also contains inspirational or motivational homilies and pages in which to record submissions and their outcome. It also contains lots of blank pages at the end and I've never really made proper use of these. But now that I have my new diary, I'm determined to fill those blank pages with some of the writing exercises mentioned at the beginning of each month. The excitement at filling its pristine pages has begun!

I don't know how many of you watch Sherlock, starring the mesmerising Benedict Cumberbatch. I love it and really enjoyed these latest three episodes, particularly the hilarious and moving wedding one from last week. Martin Freeman is excellent in any part and makes a wonderful Watson. I also love Mark Gatiss as Mycroft - as well as his many writing talents, along with writer Steven Moffat. Last night's final episode in this series also had the great addition of Lars Mikkelson, the actor I adored in the first series of The Killing, although he played an exceptionally dark character in Sherlock and was almost unrecognisable.

Hopefully, there's another series in the pipeline, especially after that last image of the supposedly dead Moriarty's face and chilling words: 'Did you miss me?' Yes!

Rosemary

Author Spotlight: Jenny Harper

I’m delighted to welcome talented and lovely writer Jenny Harper as my first guest author of 2014, particularly since she has taken the leap into self-publishing with her new contemporary novel, Face the Wind and Fly. I’m thoroughly enjoying reading it at the moment. As well as a great cast of characters, it features the controversial subject of wind farms and the varying attitudes they evoke. First, here’s a little about the story.

Face the Wind and Fly

She builds wind farms, he detests them. Can they ever generate love?

After fifteen happy years of marriage, Kate Courtenay discovers that her charismatic novelist husband is spending more and more of his time with a young fan. She throws herself into her work, a controversial wind farm that’s stirring up tempers in the local community. Sparks fly when she goes head to head against its most outspoken opponent, local gardener Ibsen Brown – a man with a past of his own. But a scheme for a local community garden brings the sparring-partners together, producing the sort of electricity that threatens to short-circuit the whole system.

 

Face the Wind and Fly is available from Amazon UKand US – grab a copy while it’s still at its introductory price of £0.95!

Welcome to the reading and writing blog, Jenny, and thanks for the interesting answers to my questions.

Tell us a little about your background as a writer

Like many other writers, I’ve been writing since I was a child. My mother thought I had such a talent she bought me one of those correspondence courses when I was about fifteen! I was put off writing creatively, however, by doing a degree in Literature – I just knew I could never write as well as the great authors I was studying. So I became an editor (at Collins, in Glasgow, then with the Scottish arm of Cassells).

When my son was born, I went freelance, and was offered the chance to write a number of books – non fiction. I also wrote a children’s novel, which was published by Hamish Hamilton and a holiday romance. The big secret about this is that I co-wrote it (under a pen name) – with now-famous author Alexander McCall Smith! Around this time, I also came runner-up in the BBC Woman’s Hour/Woman’s Weekly Romantic Novelist of the Year competition and was flown down to London for a tour round the Woman’s Hour studios and a lunch at the magazine’s offices. Heady stuff! Sadly, I didn’t make enough money to make a living at it, so I turned to journalism instead – in particular, producing magazines for big companies (which paid real money!).

What made you self-publish this novel?

I’ve been learning the craft of writing novels for around eight years, during which time the market has changed out of all recognition. I have had two agents who have worked tirelessly on my behalf, and have had many kind comments from editors – but always with a ‘but’ at the end. As I have a story coming out in February in the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s new anthology, Truly, Madly, Deeply, I felt it would be a complete waste not to have any work available should anyone who likes my story look for more from Jenny Harper. So it’s been a kick up the backside! Face the Wind and Fly was published on Boxing Day and Loving Susie will follow in mid February. I will probably publish another later in the year.

Did you have to do a lot of research for Face the Wind and Fly?

I didn’t know much about wind farms, except that they have a polarising effect. I read up a lot about them and tried to understand the arguments on both sides. I spent a day at a huge wind farm in Perthshire with someone from SSE, which was fascinating – as was the conversation with one of their community liaison officers the same day. You need a special kind of personality to do that job – diplomatic, empathetic and thick-skinned! I worked in business for many years, so I didn’t need so much help on that, though my daughter-in-law, who works in HR, gave me some advice about how a disciplinary hearing would be conducted.

How will you promote your book?

Ah. That’s the hard part. I’ll do what I can on social networks, and I’ll happily take part in and host guest authors, but to be honest, I’d much rather be writing something new. The good news is that there’s plenty advice out there that the best thing you can do to improve sales is to write another book. I’m hoping for a boost when the anthology comes out, but there are some big names in there who will get a lot more attention than I will. There’s a part of me hoping that people will like my work enough to tell lots of others about it, but I know that’s just wishful thinking!

What is the most difficult part about starting a new book?

All of it! I find the early stages of a new novel exciting, but also a form of purgatory. It takes me some time to get to know my characters, and I can’t write the book before I write the book (by detailed plotting), but at the same time, I can’t just sit down and write either. Well I can, but I know I run the risk of wasting thousands of words and countless hours. Once I get to around half way, though, it’s a different matter – I can rip through in days rather than weeks. I wrote the last 30,000 words of my latest novel in four days!

Do you have a favourite writing place?

I have chronic back, neck and shoulder problems (probably from far too many years at a computer), so I have to be really careful about how I sit. I can no longer just curl up with my laptop, as I used to love doing, I have to have everything at the right height, and sit in a good chair. I have a wee den upstairs, which is lovely and bright and if my den isn’t too untidy, I like working there. If it has silted up (I’m horribly lazy about filing), I try to colonise the dining room before my husband nabs it to spread his stuff out. It’s a lovely bright room with a door to the back garden, and it’s usually tidy. An uncluttered space seems to unclutter my brain. (I’m sure there’s a lesson there somewhere).

Do you have time for hobbies?

If I sit for too long, everything seizes up, so I do an aquafit class twice a week, and I’ve started doing FitSteps (a dance class based on Strictly, but without a partner, sadly). I love it! I also power walk most mornings, about two miles, with a friend. I love walking, and try to do a long walk with a group of friends at least once a month. I also confess to being a bit of a bridge addict, though years of play haven’t improved my quality much! For me it’s a good excuse for a chit chat with an intellectual challenge thrown in. I’m in good company – Maeve Binchy was a bridge player, and made sure it got mentioned in most of her novels.

What are your current writing plans?

I’ve had to do quite a lot of work to get my novels into shape for publishing, which has been a real distractor. I’ll start planning another novel soon. I like to tackle real issues, so I’ll look around for something current that grabs me, then start weaving it into my characters’ stories. My latest novel (which is still with my agent), deals with the fallout from a family’s grief at the death of a brother/son, and also features a character with dementia. My mother suffered from this terrible disease for years. It can be quite funny, and also heartbreaking. I’d like to make it more central to a novel sometime. I also have a friend who became paraplegic a few years ago and I’ve learnt so much about disability – there are many issues around that I’d like to look at. But in the end, I like to think I deal with these things with a light touch.

Any tips for new writers?

Develop a thick skin! Rejection and criticism is extremely hard to deal with and you have to be prepared for it. Don’t think you can just sit down and write a bestseller, most writers have to work through four or five books before they mature as a writer, so persistence is key. And find yourself a good network of other writers to give support. Writing does not have to be a lonely business these days, and most writers are happy to share their experience.

And so, thank you Rosemary, for sharing your platform with me!

You’re very welcome, Jenny – it’s been a pleasure.

I was born in Calcutta – hence my fascination with this buzzing city – but I now live in Edinburgh, Scotland. I’ve seen all sides of the publishing business, as a commissioning editor, journalist and novelist. My published books include a children’s novel and a romantic novel, as well as a number of books on Scotland and Scottish themes. My history of childbirth, With Child, Birth Through the Ages - (written as Jenny Carter), is used as a reference by many historical novelists. It’s still available on Amazon!

Jenny has received the following Awards:

Runner up in BBC Woman's Hour/Woman's Weekly 'Romantic Novelist of the Year' competition and winner of the RNA’s Elizabeth Goudge Award. Numerous awards for feature writing and magazine design.

She also designed the RNA magazine Romance Matters 2006-2012, and Fabulous at Fifty, the RNA memoir. She then oversaw the subsequent RNA rebranding.

Jenny’s new novel, Loving Susie, will be available mid-February.

You can find out more about Jenny Harper on her website and blog and as one of the authors on Novel Points of View. Twitter: @harper_jenny

 

 

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Motivational Blogs

As we head into the New Year full of resolutions, goals, determination to increase our writing output, or to improve our writing, I thought these online sites might provide some motivation.

I’m copying this first one from daughter, Vikki's blog Through the Looking Glass as it deserves as wide a readership as possible and Vikki's own blog posts are usually worth reading! I love the concept behind the Writing Our Way Home site, as it has the subtitle ‘engage with the world through mindful writing’ – the Mindful Writing Challenge for January is an excellent idea

Kirsten Lamb is well known in cyberspace as she has a very down to earth blog about the whole writing and publishing world – worth checking out her posts now and then.

I enjoy Jeff Goins motivational posts and he’s very tuned into other writers, offering inspirational and encouragement. I like his recent one on ‘why you shouldn’t bother with resolutions this year’.

Writers Helping Writers is the excellent blog that used to be know as the Bookshelf Muse – Angela and Becca brought out the superb Emotion Thesaurus and have added other titles to help writers find the write expressions or traits and such like for their characters.

Hope you find something useful in these sites to help inspire creativity this month.

Rosemary

Book Bargains

Just remembered there's a great sale on the holiday titles at Tirgearr Publishing from today (Saturday) through Monday - includes Midwinter Masquerade! If interested, you can check out the Tirgearr Website for the relevant titles - all are available on Amazon etc.

And if you fancy some romance, mystery and ghostly intrigue for Twelfth Night, Victorian novella Mischief at Mulberry Manor will transport you back to 1859! Available on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

I still like to leave all the Christmas decorations up until Twelfth Night, even though I'll be glad to see the back of them for another year!

Rosemary

 

Happy New Year!

 

 

Thank you so much for your comments throughout the year, for your online friendship, and for your encouragement and inspiration as writers and readers.

 

Wishing everyone much health, happiness and success in 2014.

 

Stretch for a sunbeam -

Reach for a star,

Go for a beautiful dream.

Pick out some wishes,

No matter how far

Or how hard to reach they may seem.

Cherish some hopes

That are dear to your heart -

And as a new year comes into view,

Treasure and keep them

And know from the start

That this year you can

Make them come true.

Anon