My thoughts about books, writing, life and so many other things….Judy Leigh/ Elena Collins.
This is a blog post I may return to again and again: there are lots of books I wish I had written and today I will discuss three of them. By 'books I wish I had written,' I don't mean simply that I enjoyed the book or even that I admire the narrative style and the …
I am fascinated by etymology and I enjoy juggling with words but, as a writer, I try not to create blatant stereotypes in my characters. The word stereotype comes from the 1798 French adjective, stéréotype, which is a "method of printing from a plate." It has come to mean a set idea that people have about what someone or something …
Continue reading Three authors, three ‘Russians’ and my own novel
Most writers read a lot. I remember one of my brilliant tutors on my Master's course telling me I have an 'ear' for writing and I replied that I read all the time. She suggested the two weren't always connected, but I believe that good writers inspire good writers. To that end, I have just finished …
Continue reading Iain Banks, Petina Gappah, Saul Bellow and me: a writing lesson
"O, that that earth, which kept the world in awe, Should patch a wall to expel the winter flaw!" Patrick Gale's novel epitomises everything a good writer wants to do in their own writing. I began reading 'A Place Called Winter' a few days ago and, at first, I thought it was a slow-burner. The …
That quintessence of dust 