Chandler's Ford Today

Arts

Every photograph we take, every show we present, or every song and hymn that we sing, we bring inspiration, creativity and joy to the community. Our artists have taken risks. They have brought us wonder and beauty of nature.

The Light Fantastic

By 4 Comments

I love autumn, as I’ve mentioned before, but must admit I do dislike the earlier and longer nights.

I like lighter evenings. They make it easier to spot my black collie, Lady, for one thing. At the moment we have to put one of the click on lights on her collar from early evening so she lights up the world like a little fairy light! She isn’t impressed by this but it does make her easier to spot. Walking around Hiltingbury at this time of year, you get to spot a few of these lights and the full on illuminated coloured collars. There are some well lit up dogs around here! [Read more…] about The Light Fantastic

Tags: ,

Time Management and Time Travel

By 6 Comments

I don’t know about you but time management is one of those things I always seek to get better at, given there is plenty I’d like to do (especially in writing) but there are still only 24 hours in any one day!

I like my lists, my calendar has plenty of notes scribbled all over it, and by the end of the week, I’ve usually achieved a reasonable amount of what I set out to do. I’ve learned to carve up bigger tasks (like editing my novel) into smaller chunks and accept there are simply some tasks that can’t be done all at once, no matter how much I’d like to do so! [Read more…] about Time Management and Time Travel

Tags:

The Chameleons: Blackadder Goes Forth – Review by Allison Symes

By 5 Comments

IMAGE CREDIT:  A very big thank you to Stuart Wineberg and The Chameleons for kind permission to use the images in this post.

I’m delighted to review the Chameleons’ latest production – Blackadder Goes Forth. [Read more…] about The Chameleons: Blackadder Goes Forth – Review by Allison Symes

Tags: , , , , , , ,

The Chameleons: Blackadder Goes Forth – Review by Dominic Mayes

By 2 Comments

This review is written by Dominic Mayes

Blackadder Goes Forth, performed by Chameleon Theatre Company, went beyond all expectations. It truly brought back a classic comedy set during one of the greatest conflicts in history on the Western Front in 1917. [Read more…] about The Chameleons: Blackadder Goes Forth – Review by Dominic Mayes

Tags: , , , , , , ,

The Joys and Challenges of Writing Series Novels Part 3

By Leave a Comment

In this final section of my mini-series, Jennifer C Wilson, Val Penny, Anne Wan, Wendy H Jones, and Richard Hardie continue to share their thoughts on different aspects of writing the series novel. Tonight we look at how to ensure each novel can be read as a stand-alone book, specific things my guests love and loathe about writing series, and whether they know, ahead of time, how many books are going to be in their respective series. [Read more…] about The Joys and Challenges of Writing Series Novels Part 3

Tags: , , , , ,

The Joys and Challenges of Writing Series Novels – Part 2

By Leave a Comment

It was a great joy last week to introduce my fellow writers and contributors to this series which looks at the joys and challenges of series novels. Amongst tonight’s topics for Jennifer C Wilson, Val Penny, Anne Wan, Wendy H Jones, and Richard Hardie to tackle are the challenges of writing a series and what are the issues which arise in trying to promote a series. (Trust me it is challenging enough promoting a single book!).  And as ever many thanks to all of my guests for supplying the author pictures and book cover shots. [Read more…] about The Joys and Challenges of Writing Series Novels – Part 2

Tags: , , , , ,

The Joys and Challenges of Writing Series Novels – Part 1

By 2 Comments

The joy and challenge of writing flash fiction is creating a short story out of nothing, with a proper beginning, middle and end, to a tight word count.

The joy and challenge of creating a novel is conjuring up your own world out of nothing and having an enthralling story set there, which usually comes in at the 80,000 to 100,000 word mark. (So your story must be strong to literally go the distance). [Read more…] about The Joys and Challenges of Writing Series Novels – Part 1

Tags: , , , , , ,

Fantastic -v- Reality Writing

By 1 Comment

The world of literature would be much poorer without its fantastic fiction and its realistic opposite (and I am including non-fiction in what I term reality writing). Both show worlds we can identify with in some way.

For example, in The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkein’s epic fantasy work the way Saruman attempted to destroy the natural world to make his weapons and build his power is a direct reflection of how things have been on our own planet time and time again. I needn’t name the dictators and while Tolkein always denied any comparison to the build up to World War Two, you can see why people made that link. An absolute evil had to be destroyed. An unlikely hero did so. (Who would have thought Britain would win the Battle of Britain? We weren’t supposed to!). [Read more…] about Fantastic -v- Reality Writing

Tags: , , , ,

Review – The Vicar of Dibley by Bishopstoke Players

By Leave a Comment

Review by Diane Allen.

We really enjoyed Vicar of Dibley last Friday, performed by Bishopstoke Players. The production was really good. The cast (and choir) were excellent. In particular the actress playing Alice Tinker (Jennifer Pike) was superb. She had her accent and mannerisms down to a tee. [Read more…] about Review – The Vicar of Dibley by Bishopstoke Players

Tags: , , , ,

Writing Tips

By 7 Comments

Following on from last week’s post about the best and worst decisions made regarding writing, I thought I’d share here some of the most useful writing tips I’ve picked up on my writing journey to date. The great thing about making mistakes is, if sensible, you learn from them. It is true of life in general you learn what to do by getting it wrong first!
[Read more…] about Writing Tips

Tags: , , ,

The Benefits of a Good Writing Conference

By 5 Comments

Image Credit:  A very big thank you to Geoff Parkes for kind permission to use some of his photos from the recent Swanwick Writers’ Summer School.

Why should writers get to a good writing conference if they can and not just the once?

The obvious benefits are learning new skills, how to improve those you already have, or both, from a wide range of speakers. You literally tap their knowledge and experience and apply it to your own writing. If you need to know more about editing, you go and listen to top tips from an editor working widely in the industry etc. [Read more…] about The Benefits of a Good Writing Conference

Tags: ,

Books That Should Have Been Written – Allison Symes

By 2 Comments

I thought a lighthearted post would be appropriate as we head rapidly through August.

By the time this goes up, I will be on my way back from the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School, having had good opportunities to learn, meet old friends, make new ones, and come back buzzing with ideas and even more enthuasism for the projects I’ve got in mind over the next few months or so. [Read more…] about Books That Should Have Been Written – Allison Symes

Tags: , , , ,

A Bunch of Amateurs – Review by Allison Symes

By Leave a Comment

Image Credit:  As ever, a very big thank you to Lionel Elliott and The Chameleons for supplying the pictures.

There can’t be many plays which manage to be entertaining and reveal all you need to know about Shakespeare’s King Lear at the same time but A Bunch of Amateurs managed this beautifully.

Ben Williams’ review shows what a great play this is and, if you love a laugh AND Shakespeare, it is the play for you. (It was a film, starring Burt Reynolds, but for a play about a play, the stage is the best place for it).
[Read more…] about A Bunch of Amateurs – Review by Allison Symes

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Judgement Day

By 6 Comments

Don’t worry – this really is a blog post and not something to go into the CFT Events page (though I am sure if Janet could give us advance warning of Judgement Day, she would!).

It is a truth, generally NOT universally acknowledged, that all writers have to submit to some sort of judgement if they wish to be published. (Apologies to the Jane Austen Society though the good lady herself would accept my point I’m sure.) [Read more…] about Judgement Day

Tags: ,

A Look Back at the Hursley Park Book Fair

By Leave a Comment

This is my look back at the recent Hursley Park Book Fair.  Many thanks to Glenn Salter (aka author Simon Fairfax) for organising the Fair.  So much hard work (and generally unseen at that) goes on behind the scenes to make these events happen.  For an inaugural event, I thought the Fair worked well but more on that shortly… [Read more…] about A Look Back at the Hursley Park Book Fair

Tags: , , , , ,