Are the male protagonists in romance novels too good to be true? Or is it possible to take them into our hearts?
Category: Arts
On the importance of writing groups – and a short story.
My blog post is in praise of local writing groups. I can't recommend mine highly enough. And a short story. that I wrote for my last group...
The treasure inside the nutshell: talent that goes unnoticed.
It’s interesting to think about talented people and to stop for a moment and really take in just how good they are, in terms of their skills being so much more than what we know as average. I often use myself as the average against which to compare others, but in many ways, I don’t …
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The immersion technique – it’s one way to write your next novel…
I have a friend who claims to have completely cured her arthritis by swimming in the sea, whatever the weather. Her pains completely disappeared, and she swore that it was because she immersed herself regularly in freezing water. I recently saw British athlete Mo Farah and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo do something similar on TV, …
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On Writing: the importance of setting
Once a week, on a Wednesday, I appear on a community radio show, 'CakEhole with Julie Mullen,' and we talk about all things to do with novels and writing for fifteen minutes. It is one of the highlights of my week as Julie is so much fun to chat with. Based on our conversations, I …
The excitement of writing for a competition…
I enjoy writing for specific events or audiences, as there is a kind of precision and framework to be considered. It's quite an interesting mental exercise when you have a word limit, or when you have to create something for a specific genre. I like writing newspaper or magazine articles, poems, speeches, plays, all of …
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Lockdown, languages and me. (Warning: much failure, a little success…)
As a writer, I’m blessed with being able to work from home and I’m so lucky to have a job I enjoy, that I return to each day with energy and enthusiasm. Lockdown is a difficult time for everyone in their own way, but some people have real problems in managing to get by in …
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Imagine Five French Hens as a Hollywood film with this huge cast…!!
I love the way films and live theatre give us as an audience the opportunity to immerse ourselves in a story through the eyes of the characters we meet. It's fascinating how a few lines on a page, a book or a script, can be turned into something visual and vibrant in front of our …
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Short story
It's rare that I write about myself. In my novels, characters and situations are imaginary. I rarely bring myself into what I write, although I include what I know and if I don't, my ideas will be inspired by other people or based on research. Many of my older characters have something of the inspirational …
My top five living-life-and-loving-it feel-good films
My novels have often been described as uplifting or feel-good, and I like this epithet very much. While I enjoy a good gothic tale or a thriller as much as anyone else, the idea that my stories entertain and make people feel positive about life is a great compliment. Recently, I was sent a message …
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That quintessence of dust 