More than Writers

Once upon a time, a long time ago (I was at university), in a land far away (Manchester, in fact) I wanted to become a career historian.  Oh, so very tentatively, I suggested to my tutor, an authority on the Catholic resistance to the Reformation in Lancashire, that I might stay on and do a Masters degree and he replied, “Mm.”  I didn’t want it that much, because I didn’t pursue the matter.  Eventually, I took the secretarial course my father had already planned for me and from there, by stages, I became an IT teacher. Move forward several decades and I’m asked by the ACW Committee to write up the Association’s history for our website.   I supposed finding the relevant information would be easy, seeing as I would be looking back no further than 1971.   After all I'd researched the Polish Solidarity trade union for my novel, but then many journalists and activists have written contemporary accounts of those heady days in the early 1980s and Solidarity itself ha...

  Being an evening person, the Spring time jump has definite advantages in the evening. Until my alarm clock goes in the morning, telling me that maybe I should go by what the clocks say in the evening, rather than explain to my head that it’s only ten thirty, so plenty of time to start reading a new book... My children only seem to need a day to adjust to the new time, rather than the week or so I need to accept the new times. Waking up early or lack of good sleep gives me a migraine. Making it hard to eat, leading to another migraine later that day... Going on holiday in different time zones has the same effect. We stayed in Crete as a family for the second time and we vaguely remembered the clocks moving one hour forward, instead of two... We only found out after a week, because we missed an outing we hoped to go on! I wonder how often that happens? Judging by the poor woman’s reaction, we were definitely not the first tourists to get it wrong that season... Time is a fu...

Image Credit:  Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. I associate spring with new life, a world reborn, light overcoming dark winter, and energy as I see growth around me. How can this apply to our writing? It can apply to the mood of our writing. Spring is generally upbeat. So our writing can be upbeat. Some of the most positive stories are about characters who overcome darkness and come into the light.      There is no room for twee writing, ever. Something has to happen so your story is a story. A tale where Character A overcomes the situation they’re in will keep a reader hooked and you too as you write it. It is always a good sign when you want to find out what happens!  I say that as someone who plans their characters and what I must know about them. I don’t plan out every detail. I give myself manoeuvre room, space for creativity to kick in, and a “live” character will take you on their journey with them. You’re the first who wants to see wha...

  ‘Everything we learn and experience has a purpose; it affects our perspectives and understanding. ’ This is the last sentence from Ruth Johnson’s post –Sun, Sand, Sangria for the March 21 st blog post.   That spoke to me and I decided to share how my life experiences in Nigeria in the 80s and 90s have blessed my writing according to God’s purpose. On 4th February, I had a zoom interview with Brandan Conboy for his Dog in the Pod show.   [I’m mesmerised by that ‘Dog’ title and forgot to ask the meaning!] I mentioned what my life in Nigeria was like when the government owed teachers their salaries for months. Imagine if both parents are teachers!! It was like living the hopeless life of the Jews in Egypt.   I had remained devoted to God.   When a mass of believers are together in their pain, their faith gives a divine strength to hope until God provides a way out. I had continued writing and continued my job as a teacher even when unpaid. Like God hea...

Why blog? Blogging is a way of setting oneself writing targets. It can also be a way of promoting books or services, such as editing or any other business. Writing a blog post is no use at all (except for writing practice and perhaps learning the technicalities of formatting and publishing a blog) if no-one reads it. How to promote your blog It is important to let people know about your blog. They may find it from Facebook, Twitter or other social media platforms, where you share the link to your posts. Many authors have a regular newsletter, which gives their subscribers news in addition to their blog’s content. A post I wote for Sue’s Trifles  is now out of date – Google+ was withdrawn some time ago and the post40bloggers’ submission scheme also ended. One important thing to do if you blog (particularly on WordPress) is to set up a Gravatar, which will appear whenever you like or comment on another blog. The Gravatar should be connected to your blog, so that others can find it. (...

 This month marks the one year anniversary of the arrival in the world of my first book. On 19 th March 2021 The Healing was released to the world   and we celebrated with a wonderful Zoom Book Launch Party. It was amazing! Was that really a year ago? In some ways the last year has sped by, in other ways it feels like my book has been out there forever. Those first few days, weeks and months were so exciting. Holding my book in my hands, seeing other people reading it and enjoying it. It was a dream come true. And it made me an author -   something I had never expected. This month also celebrates ten years of Instant Apostle. I for one can rejoice in their existence. If it wasn’t for Instant Apostle, I would not be here now. I would not be writing this blog, and I would not be calling myself a writer at all. Wind back to September 2020. I had written a book and I really didn’t have any idea what to do with it. Other than to leave it in a folder on the laptop, perhaps...

  I’ve just reread the first three Harry Potter books. I had forgotten how good they are, though there’s a confrontation scene just before the denouement in no. 3, The Prisoner of Azkaban , that consists of involved arguments about who betrayed who. It’s far too long drawn out, especially with Ron Weasly having to endure it with a broken leg. This is possibly an omen of things to come in the series. Am I going to reread any more? I don’t know. If you look at the Potter series on the shelf it’s immediately noticeable that the fourth in the series (as well as its successors) is twice as fat as any of the first three. A check on the word count confirms this: over 600 pages in The Goblet of Fire — over 750 in Order of the Phoenix — compared with only just over 300 in Azkaban . I can’t remember the last four books very well, but have a dim memory that they involve incredibly complicated and long winded unravelling at the end, however exciting the main parts are. I also remember that G...

  The Seven Deadly (Writers’) Sins by Rebecca Seaton Pride There’s nothing wrong in enjoying our achievements. But when we focus on them too much we can forget that it’s God who has given us our gifts. This can affect our relationship with Him as it gradually becomes easier and easier to attribute success to ourselves and not need anyone else. Greed Focusing on ourselves can lead to us amassing things for ourselves. The greedy writer sees every event as an opportunity to gain things (book sales, followers, likes) they want with little thought for ways to bless others. Lust It’s not wrong to have dreams. But when the desire for a thing takes over, it’s time to check ourselves and ask, why do I want this so much? The motivation behind the desire is often where things have gone wrong. Gluttony And when we get what we want? We need to know when it’s enough. Envy When we don’t get what we want, it’s easy to envy other writers. ‘I wish I had their agent/publisher/book...

Last month, I blogged about my annual MRI scan ( here ). Last week found me getting the results of said scan, and so experiencing once again the patience of my surgeon. He answers my endless questions, never rushes me, explains my scan results to me. He has the scans waiting on his computer screen when I arrive and, at some point, will tilt the screen towards me; “Now, let’s look at your scans, shall we?” Let’s. Even though I only recently - after years of asking him which side of the scan showed which side of my body – graduated to not needing to ask, he still says let’s. Together. His patience is exemplary! At one point during last week’s consultation, he commented, “Looking at these scans, I’m surprised you have any movement/function at all.” And yet I do. Perhaps sometimes we look at the ‘scans’ of our lives, and think the evidence we see doesn’t amount to much. A verse I return to, time and again, is in Daniel 2, 27-28a: Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchan...

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him."                                         James 1:12 When you read this, I will have just returned from a fortnight enjoying a holiday in Spain recuperating from last month!   The rebooking of the cancelled December holiday was perfectly timed as our friends who couldn’t come then, were able join us.   This song I have found powerful, an encouragement and inspiration to believe what God has done before He can do again.   Ytube link if you want to listen: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=you+cam+do+it+again+song   Walking around these walls I thought by now they’d fall But You have never failed me yet Waiting for change to come Knowing t...