My thoughts about books, writing, life and so many other things….Judy Leigh/ Elena Collins.
When we were kids, we’d have a very clear idea of what we wanted for Christmas. In some way or other, it was based on something we thought would make our young lives better: a toy, a book. Something we could own, keep, enjoy. My mother told me she’d always get an orange or an …
I was inspired by a photo a friend sent to me of a Ferrari, in all its glorious red sporty shininess, parked outside a shop somewhere in Surrey. It struck me as a sleek bit of unnecessary luxury, and it was open-topped and unoccupied. I’m no thief, but anyone could have jumped in it and …
It’s November now and hopefully everyone’s starting to settle into the cold months and feel the benefits of the nicer things that come with it; baked potatoes and hot drinks and fireside evenings. Am I the only person who’s had a tough October? I don’t think so. Lots of people find the decrease in sunlight …
A few weeks ago I blogged the first part of ‘How To Get Published’ and the response was overwhelmingly nice, so here’s part two. Of course, this is a guide. There are no guarantees. I know lots of people –six I could name without pause – who are brilliantly gifted writers and why they aren’t …
Here are two poems I wrote for the writers' group. I promised I'd put them on my blog, so here they are. Thie first one is in response to some discussion we had at a recent meeting about people using curses, so it's about a curse. I heard one once. That was enough. The second …
I love Greek theatre. And it really helps me when I'm writing novels. It helps me create character, action, contrast, tension. It’s a really big deal for me in all my books, whatever the genre. So here we go for some cool elements of Greek Theatre for you to incorporate into your next novel. Or …
I’ve just finished two edits and a novel recently. Book number thirty, maybe - I'm not good at counting them. But this means it’s time to do a few things I’ve missed out on recently. Think. Read. Chat. Blog. Hang out. I haven’t been away in ages, and it would be lovely to do a …
I’ve been in the writing cave recently. I’ve had two edits back to back – one for Golden Girls on the Run, which is out in December and I can’t wait for you to read it – and one for the new Elena Collins novel, published early next year. I’m really excited about that one. …
Here's a short story I wrote for my writers' group. It was inspired by photos from a book a friend gave me, called Wild Folk by Jackie Morris and Tamsin Abbott. It's a bit of a folk tale. I have no title for it yet. Any ideas? .................................................................................................................................................. That night I couldn’t sleep, because I …
The other day on my dawn walk, I thought I could smell autumn in the air. It’s a unique smell, sharp, tangy, new, a scent that tells me the seasons are changing. Of course I could be completely wrong, but I think I’ve always been able to smell it. It’s a sign that summer is …
That quintessence of dust 