This is the time of year when many traditions are upheld, of course, but I think the best involve getting together with friends to celebrate something you have in common.
For me, this winning combination works so well with the Bridge House Celebration Event held this year at St. John’s Church, Waterloo, in London on Saturday, 7th December 2019.
I love the train. I think it is one of the best inventions and I’ve throughly enjoyed trips on them and connected to them.
My Oxford Compact dictionary defines progress as forward movement, advance, development, improvement and almost everyone seeks it in many areas of life. Despite the straightforward definition, it can be hard to define if you’ve achieved progress. Not everything can be measured… Even when it can be, progress can genuinely be slow. What matters overall is that there is some!
As for success, the dictionary defines it as accomplishment of aim, favourable outcome, attainment of wealth/fame etc.
[Read more…] about Progress and Success and How to Judge Them
I set a word count for my CFT posts. For this one it was vital. Why? Because I can go on at length about this topic!
Many an author loves history because history IS a story (of a nation, of individuals who changed a nation’s fate etc) and it can come into their stories too.
I also believe there is truth in the phrase if a nation forgets its history, it is destined to re-live it. I can think of several episodes in British history which are best kept to the pages of a history book!
And, of course, it is why we have Remembrance/Armistice Day. It is important to remember. We should learn the lessons of history. Sadly we so often don’t. But that’s not history’s fault. It is ours.
Author events are fun but they all have one thing in common – the writer always wonders if anyone will show up! The relief when people do is enormous.
So if you know writers and they are putting on events, do go along. Never underestimate the value of much appreciated morale boosting support here. (The other simple way of supporting writers is to review their books on the usual sites. The nice thing with this is the review doesn’t have to be a long one).
Do you like advertising? I don’t mind adverts that entertain me. I accept their purpose is to try to make me part with my money but unless it really is for a product I’m interested in, there’s nothing doing!
Richard Hardie has shared the following details for a local author event at The Hiltonbury Farmhouse on Tuesday, 12th November. All are welcome!
[Read more…] about Richard Hardie/Antony M Brown – Hiltonbury Farmhouse – Author Event
The play’s title indicated there would be play on words (in every sense) running through the latest production from The Chameleon Theatre Group. With a title like this, it can hardly be avoided! Still it does tie in with my post last week on Meanings!
[Read more…] about The Chameleon Theatre Group: My Husband’s Nuts – Review
By the time this post goes live, Janet and I will have seen The Chameleon Theatre Group’s latest production, My Husband’s Nuts. Review to follow next week.
The use and meaning of language adapts and evolves all the time of course. I can think of a few different meanings for the word nuts, as I’m sure you can… The word husband cames from the old Norse phrase house and owner (and it is thought such men were more attractive partners and over time the word husband came to mean married man, but it is not how it begun). [Read more…] about Meanings
Thank you to my guests in this series, especially for answering my first question. I can’t think of any writer who would willingly just save one book!
I conclude with contributions from Bridge House Publishing/Cafelit colleagues, discover what two fine Scottish crime writers would save if push came to shove (that’s an apt expression given what they write!), and will finally answer the questions myself. [Read more…] about What Books Mean To Me – Part 3
It was a great pleasure last week to start this series on What Books Mean to Me. Now I write, I have realised how important reading well is for developing my imagination. [Read more…] about What Books Mean to Me – Part 2
Any writer will say to write well, you must read well (and widely). Every writer I know is as happy to talk about the latest great book they’ve read as well as what they’re working on. Why would you write if you didn’t love books and stories in the first place? There are two sides to this coin.
Image Credit: A big thanks to my guests for supplying photos. Unless otherwise stated, the book and library pictures come, as always, from those magnificent people at Pixabay.
Following on from The Power of Language last week, I thought I would look at how it doesn’t take many words to have an impact on readers. This is something I think about a lot for my flash fiction writing. You get better over time at maximising impact while still minimising word count. It is literally a trick of the trade.
I calculate it takes three words, yes, that’s all, to conjure up unforgettable images for a reader. [Read more…] about Put Three Words Together And…
There is no doubting the power of language. Used wisely, it can inspire people to wonderful endeavours they may not have previously considered. Used unwisely or, to my mind, stupidly, you can whip up hatred and intolerance and unleash their horrors.
The gift of oratory is a wonderful one but should never be misused. History sadly is full of examples where it was and the one thing you can guarantee is the innocent suffer for it. [Read more…] about The Power of Language
I know we can all be fed up with petty rules which seem to serve no purpose other than to irritate us but there are rules which need to exist. [Read more…] about Rules That Need to Exist
Well, is it? The simple answer is not on everything. It’s never a good idea to have favourite children, for example. [Read more…] about Is It A Good Idea to Have Favourites?
Do you feel sad as the summer ends? The answer to that will depend a lot, I think, on whether or not you have school age children about to go back to school after the summer break!
I was always annoyed as a kid and later as a parent, to see the Back to School signs appear in the shops just before the children had even broken up for the holidays. As a kid, I hated being reminded. As a parent, I hated being nagged. (Still do, in fact! That approach has never worked on me!). [Read more…] about As One Season Ends…
Image Credit: Unless stated otherwise, all photos were taken by Allison Symes
I’ve recently returned from my annual trip to the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School, which is based at The Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire. I had a fantastic time learning from the courses and workshops, meeting up with old friends and making new ones. [Read more…] about Swanwick Writers’ Summer School
I was looking last week at the importance of making space. This week I’ll look at this topic specifically from a writing perspective and share a few tips I’ve found helpful.
[Read more…] about Making Space – Part 2 – The Writing View
If ever there was a city that knew how to make the most of its space, I would say it was London. I was there just over a week ago for a committee meeting and, afterwards, visited the Sky Gardens, which are the highest roof gardens in the capital. [Read more…] about Making Space – Part 1
