My thoughts about books, writing, life and so many other things….Judy Leigh/ Elena Collins.
Sometimes my daily word count impresses people. I don’t seek to impress anyone, but often writers find it difficult to write a large number of words in one go. Or even start writing a novel. That's normal. But for some reason, I don’t have that problem. People say, ‘How many words did you write this …
Continue reading When I Wrote Five Thousand Eight Hundred Words In One Day…
I loved writing The Silver Ladies Do Lunch, and the stand-alone follow-up, The Silver Ladies Seize the Day. I enjoy writing every novel, immersing myself in characters and plots and emotions, and I suppose there are different reasons why each novel feels just a little bit different. This one is number twenty four, but I …
Continue reading The Silver Ladies Seize the Day. (And why we should all do the same.)
Back at the end of February, I went to Poole for the LLPP launch event in Poole, Dorset. It’s a project promoting the sale and use and availability of large print books, making reading accessible to everyone. I’m a great lover of libraries. I visit them all the time. I’m so lucky to be the …
You remember a few weeks ago when I was deliberating the question of which famous personality I’d choose to go on a Valentine’s date with, and I couldn’t think of anyone at all? I ended up spending my hypothetical romantic evening with Pikachu, or someone completely inappropriate, because I couldn’t think of a suitable partner. …
Continue reading Remember the search for a Valentine’s Date? I’ve Changed my Mind.
Those of you who know me might recall the blog I used to write a few years ago, under the name of Tuppence (*) Cataldo, called Dream Catching, in which I interpreted people’s dreams. Well, here’s the one I had the other night. I’m eighteen, a student again, and it’s almost the summer. But I …
At the last writing group meeting, I was thinking about using voice to create character, and what sort of style goes with what voice. It's just a little twenty minute writing exercise I took to the group - I'm not sure where to go with it - but here it is. Have a read and …
Continue reading A little piece of scribble for the writing group…
I spend a lot of time writing novels and editing them. I write four novels a year, so that’s twelve edits too. It’s nice when they come separately and a bit scary when they come together but I enjoy what I do so much and I never worry about looming deadlines. I do have to …
Thank you for reading my blog! I’m bewildered by the miracle of blogging. I sit here in the middle of rural England at a desk writing a few random thoughts. I schedule the time for the blog to go out and whoosh! As if by magic, people across the globe stop to read it. As …
Happy New Year to you all. Kissy? I just made that up. But whenever I edit my novels, I always do my best to make them as good as I can for the reader. I hear and read lots of great writing by friends and there are a couple of universal mistakes that keep cropping …
Continue reading The “KISSY” guide to writing better novels.
Like many writers, I tend to disappear into the writing cave and become a little reclusive while I’m working on a new novel. I’m sure if the house caught fire, I wouldn’t notice, I'd be too busy writing another chapter. TC has taken my beloved Colin’s place, lying on the laptop and 'editing' with his …
That quintessence of dust 