Category Work in progress
I’m writing about a ghost
I don’t believe in ghosts. Well, not true. I would believe in ghosts if I’d ever seen one, but I haven’t and since I’m a scientist by training, evidence is key and my own eyes and ears are the best judge of that and so on that basis, the jury is still very much out […]
Ghostly beginnings
How to construct a ghost story. I’m thinking not so much a haunted house, though it’s always fun to have clues in the building, but simply a ghost. Ghosts are often tied to places. You don’t hear of the story where a ghost up sticks and moves house because they’re in need of a better […]
The art of conversation in text
Sometimes the dialogue I write is in the form of emails or text messages. Obviously, it’s probably down to the publisher on how they handle the formatting, but when writing, do you bother with the subject, the names, the dates? I don’t. For one reason, I’ve no specific date in mind. Does it have to […]
#amwriting, but really #amresearching
Sometimes I lock into the research side of things and lose sight of writing. Even the most seemingly trivial of facts warrants a quick check, then I’m following a trail, like breadcrumbs in reverse, seeking the origin. Are authors chronic researchers who like to write on the side? Does it give purpose to amount of […]
The Great Whin Sill – a cure for writer’s block
I’ve been stuck on the Dunstanburgh chapter of my book for some time. I love the castle, the bleakness, the scale of the ruins, the view out to sea, the harsh chill of the wind, the sense of a haunting presence. The closer something is to your heart, the harder it becomes to write it […]
What I’m writing
It’s a novel. A contemporary story with a historical perspective, but not set in the past. It’s about a photographer, not a professional one, but a keen amateur. It is set in the north of England, primarily. It is about a woman who loves to explore castles and their place in history. It is about […]
The Quiet Writer 