My thoughts about books, writing, life and so many other things….Judy Leigh/ Elena Collins.
I moved home about fifteen months ago, at the end of the summer of 2017, into a beautiful old farmhouse in the sticks. It is quirky, fairly spacious, perfectly habitable, well-loved by its previous owners; it’s in a fantastic setting of fields and trees, sheep, pigs, pheasants and buzzards, with great neighbours. Last winter was …
Continue reading Why I’ve stopped writing my new novel for at least a week…
He left fourteen months ago, about six weeks after I moved house. I kept him in for the advised few weeks and then he’d been out a few times, coming back for feeds and sleep. Majick Cat had always been a bit of a character – I’d had him for a few years, inherited from …
Imagine the scene. A woman walks into a restaurant. ‘I’m hungry,’ she says. ‘What’s for lunch?’ The waiter hands her a menu, and she peruses the list: chicken pie, omelettes, fish cakes, macaroni cheese, and several other choices. Then the waiter points to the specials board. ‘We also have beef stroganoff, tuna bake, sausage and …
Continue reading Frustrated are the vegans for they shall not eat (sometimes)…
I’ve been asked the question a couple of times in interviews: why do you write about older protagonists? My first reaction is that I don’t – I write about people, all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds. I’m comfortable doing that, as long as I know what I’m writing about. This in itself …
Continue reading Why some of my protagonists are older people..
Three years ago, I had a job that I loved; a job that I was so passionate about, that I never thought about leaving it. But it was hard work: early starts, never finishing until late into the evening. I didn't care: I gave it my heart and soul and every day was filled with …
I've just had an interesting conversation with a man who shovels poo for a living. More accurately, he has a machine which slurps waste from septic tanks and cess pits. Not the best job in the world, perhaps, but someone has to do it. On the plus side, it took him half an hour to stand …
Continue reading If a vegan diet is good for a septic tank, then it might just be good for us…
I read Damian Le Bas' book The Stopping Places in two days. It's the sort of book that should be available everywhere, on all shop bookshelves, in libraries, schools and universities, and widely read. It offers a first-hand account about the Romani people, the culture and their experiences in society, in history and in the …
Coverage of major sporting events is difficult to escape: whether it is the World Cup, the Six Nations, Wimbledon or The Tour de France, it is regularly in front of our eyes, on the television and in the newspapers. It is the main talking point in the news, perhaps more than the NHS crisis or …
I'm lucky to belong to several writers' groups, including a brilliant local one and an online advice and support group. Before that, my regular writers' group consisted of a bunch of genius poets and artists back in Devon. Before that, I belonged to an MA writers' class where everybody was superbly talented. The world is …
Continue reading Can’t get your novel started? Here are my 12 top tips
I have heard a lot about writers' block. I'm not entirely sure what it is but I think it means that writers can't write because something is holding them back - they experience a temporary lack of inspiration or fluidity. The reason I'm not clear about what it means is because I don't think I've …
That quintessence of dust 