More than Writers

  If only we looked for inspiration like Goldie looks for things to chase or eat... Time flies, as they say, and my children are convinced something tagged along with the Covid virus that has caused time to speed up, and I think they might be on to something. How can it be a month since my mother died? How can it be December tomorrow? This month has been all sorts of weird and (not so) wonderful. I have done NaNoWriMo several years in a row (National Novel Writing Month, a challenge which I loved doing!) and this year it wasn’t till the middle of November that I even remembered about writing nearly 2,000 words every day! Having written a poem for our local ACW group, Cotswold Scribblers, I realized how healing writing is, and even the challenge of doing loads of words a day sounds like fun again. This year has been trying, which is a lovely English way of describing this year politely, and writing has been utterly neglected. Will you believe it when I tell you I started chapter...

Image Credits:  Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. At this time of year, it is easy to focus on the darkness and to forget the light (of spring) will return. In stories, every character will have their “darkest hour”. I see it as when all seems doomed to failure. Then something happens, the light begins to come through, help comes in some way, and the story pivots towards a positive ending. At least there will be the hope of a positive ending. Ideally, something in your character will help them strive towards that positive ending or make it more likely they will get this. If  a character is prepared to, say, work hard, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect their positive ending will be where they get the reward for this or are about to do so.  There should be no coincidences. Readers don’t believe in them. We, as Christian writers, don’t believe in them either, but we need to show something about our character which means it is likely  they are going ...

Photo by Pixabay There’s a parallel world bidding me, enticing me to step through its portal. Often, the invitation comes first thing in the morning on awakening. Unless I accept that invitation on getting out of bed, I will soon be engulfed by domestic concerns and priorities.  I struggle to let go of the logical, rational part of me that needs to put some order into my surroundings.  I wonder if I’m inhabiting my left-brained world too much? I would like to spend more time in the other place that has been whispering to me my whole life.  A true, deep part of me knew my predilection for writing from the age of eleven, but my logical brain, always in the ascendant, decided upon a career in accountancy. Double-entry bookkeeping is a beautiful system which applies logic and order to record complex financial matters. A friend of mine is a writer who also loves numbers. She compared her memory of algebra on a Friday afternoon to the feeling of sinking into a warm bath, the lo...

  Ecclesiastes 11:1   NKJV Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days. A week or so ago I woke up with this verse in my mind. And was quite surprised to discover where it came from in the Bible (shame on me). It is part of a passage that encourages generosity and bold action in a world that is unpredictable and full of uncertainty. We could certainly do with some of that. How long is many days though??  And here I have another instance of my brain ferreting things away for when I might need them, even when I don’t know that I need them. And thank you Mr Google for making things so much easier to find when said brain just won’t reveal the whole picture.  In this instance God had a message for me about sending forth my words. Not to be shy of doing so. And a perfect subject for a blog post. We are in the market of casting our words out, not necessarily knowing the reception they will find. Not always ever knowing what seeds ...

In three days, I will be exhibiting at the first-ever creative writing festival organised by the University of Gloucestershire. I am nervous to say the least. Even the word ‘exhibiting’ is enough to make me feel petrified, after all, I’m just flogging books (hopefully). There will be various workshops and panels with some of the top authors in the business. This makes me even more nervous, and the little voice of self-doubt increases in decibels daily. I try to convince myself that this is a classic case of imposter syndrome, to no avail. I reach the stage of searching for an excuse so that I don’t have to go. The fact is, I don’t ‘HAVE’ to go, I WANT to go, despite the pain and anguish. Still, I question in my head, ‘Am I worthy?’ I am sure you can all relate, because what writer has never felt like this? We all have, right? I heard a story recently that has helped me immensely with these thoughts and feelings. You may have heard it before, but I’ll share it with you now. A lady...

 My first job was as a trainee reporter on my local newspaper. Little did I realise how useful that would be when, many years later, I find myself writing and publishing crime novels and having to do the publicity and marketing myself. Knowing that local papers survive on tiny staffs and shoestring budgets means that your story about your new book and how it came to be written is exactly what they want! Local news about local people is what sells papers - so don't be bashful! You're helping them. And if your books are in local bookshops, then you're supporting them by making sure local people know where to go to buy them rather than online. But you do need to do some work. Don't just ring up the paper, tell them you've got a new book out and expect a reporter and press photographer to turn up at your door. The way to their hearts is via do-it-yourself. You need to give them what they can use. First, collect print copies of all your local media: is there a local week...

I don't watch the news very often, and I don't even listen to it on the radio as much as I once did. It makes me too angry. I struggle with the way events are interpreted or misinterpreted to support an argument or pre-existing idea and I find it hard to know who to believe or trust. In Jeremiah, God talks about the false prophets and ‘the lying pen of the scribes’ who falsely handle his word.   Very few people today are saying, ‘peace, peace’, where there is no peace. Quite the opposite. It seems to me a lot of people are saying, ‘fight, fight’ or ‘fear, fear’ or ‘hate, hate’. But is there any good reason to fight or fear or hate? I don’t want to make a political point (at least, not party political). I want to explore how we represent our faith and our God in a world where it seems that only the loudest, most negative or extreme voices are heard. Extreme opinions get reactions, good or bad. They get followers. Violence and negativity makes the news. Loving voices don’t...

  Coffee & Cake    Where do you enjoy writing most ? Are you someone who must have absolute quiet and solitude or do you find inspiration in a place where you are one of many? I am fortunate to have a small box room in my home where I can write. In times gone by I have made do with the sofa and the kitchen table; other places writers can be found scribbling away are in the garden shed or a corner of their local library. I have heard of one who wrote their first book in the car because it was the only place where they could get peace and quiet. My alternative go-to-hangout in recent times is my local cafe. With its cozy cottage feel, display of artwork, handmade crafts, and vintage clothing, it is a great place to get those creative juices flowing. Fueled by the homemade food and filtered coffee in a relaxed atmosphere, writing becomes a sociable rather than solitary occupation. It seems I am not alone in this view – Samuel Pepys and other noted artisans met in cof...

I did a double take when I saw the sign pictured below. I was shopping in Dunelm and there, in the middle of the shop, was a sign that read ‘Jesus’. I was quite excited!  Then I realised what it actually said. Keys (!). The Jesus/Key sign brought to mind Revelation: This is the message from the one who is holy and true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open Revelation 3:7 I googled the definition of ‘key’ -  KEY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary Here are a few definitions from the link, you may like to consider more. Key: ‘a set of musical notes based on one particular note’ Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our writing were played/written in ‘Jesus Key’? A set of words based on Jesus. Key: ‘a list of the symbols used in a map or book with explanations of what they mean’ Those of us who write devotionally seek to illuminate the Bible. Writing in Jesus Key means seeing Him in verses...

  By Lesley Hargreaves I was doing a bit of doom scrolling this week - as is my wont. Well done if it's something you never do. It's a bad habit, but there are worse. Mainly, I find myself reading instructions on how to reinvent myself in 5 easy steps or cooking instructions for chicken stuffing balls or watching Victoria Wood be a genius. However, this week I came across a clip of Emma Thompson being interviewed. She was explaining how irritating she found it as a writer when the Internet kept offering to check and correct her work. She also explained that she writes using a pen and paper because she feels that there is a connection between the brain and the hand. Without pretending to have any sort of scientific light to shed on this theory, I would say that she may well be right. For one thing, when you are writing with a pen, it slows you down. That may well make the act more thoughtful and add depth. Certainly, if I want to memorise something, I find that writing it down h...

I have a confession: I forget things. Important things like picking up my kids (more on that later). Brilliant story ideas that come to me at 3am (why is it always 3am?) The perfect turn of phrase that would have made that paragraph sing. But worse than that, I forget spiritual truths. I forget who God is. I forget to be loyal when it's inconvenient and faithful when it's hard. Apparently, I'm not alone in this struggle. The Verse Before the Famous One Everyone knows Proverbs 3:5-6: 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding...' It's a go-to verse for many and was the basis for the ACW autumn competition that I'm sure you all entered (ahem). But have you noticed what comes right before it? 'Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart...'  Proverbs 3:3, CSB This is a command, not a suggestion. Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave us. These ar...

  Photo  by   Taylor Heery   on   Unsplash I took delivery of a very exciting parcel the other day. My favourite online stationery shop was offering Black Friday ‘mystery boxes,’ containing a range of surprise items, from art materials to pens. I do love a fountain pen, and the box contained not one, but two. I also got a beautiful bottle of blue ink, with a slight golden shimmer, which will join the little collection on my desk. I even got a pair of socks with a fountain pen pattern! I suspect I’m not alone amongst ACW members and writers in general, having a quiet love for stationery. I’m pretty sure it’s also a genetic trait. My 8-year-old can spot a shop selling her beloved Legami pens a mile off and, if we are in a hurry, I have to make sure we avoid passing WHSmith.  Writing with lovely tools can be a joy, elevating even mundane tasks. When I was a junior doctor, back in the days when patient notes were paper-based, I always carried a couple of i...

  Do you remember the magic eye pictures so popular in the 90’s? The idea was to stare at a the pattern in a particular way until you are looking through. It’s not always easy and some find it impossible, but when you hit that spot of viewing there is that aha moment when suddenly a 3d image pops out of the chaos of the pattern. This morning was a day off, it didn’t start well, I wasn’t feeling great about my writing. My week had been interrupted by unexpected but important things. Times I’d set aside to prepare a preach had been eaten into. I could feel my stress levels rising.   I decided to get my housework out of the way. I often get through my least favourite tasks by listening to an audio book. It was while I was listening that I was reminded of magic eye pictures. The author was talking about perspective. The way that when we look at magic eye pictures, we need to change the way we look at the pattern in order to see what is within. He reminded me that what ever my ci...

For this month’s blog, on behalf of my group Green Pastures Christian Writers, I thought I’d tell you about a recent workshop I ran, not too far from where I live. Some of you may know that I lead residential writing retreats, and a friend suggested a couple of years ago that I put on something called Writing for Recovery. It was all the encouragement I needed, and this year’s workshop was the third of its kind that I’ve led. I realise I’m probably preaching to the converted here, but writing really does help our mental health and general well-being. The tagline for my event is ‘getting it out of your head and onto the page’ and, of course, that’s literally what it does. When you google the topic, you’ll discover there’s some science behind the connection of our pen to the page. It does something good in our brains, as well as getting those all-consuming thoughts untangled. Any of us who have kept a journal, or done Julia Cameron’s inspired ‘Morning Pages’ will attest to the benefits o...

  Back in July I wrote about Finding Your 'White Whale’ in connection with a Facebook video I’d seen of a lady searching her local USA thrift shops for her ultimate treasure: what she called her, ‘white whale’. It so happens that I was in the USA back in May and, feeling somewhat inspired by a slew of such videos, I determined to trawl the shelves of the American version of charity shops for myself.   Armed with a firm resolve and an acute awareness of the space or otherwise in my suitcase for hauling bargains back across the pond, I entered my first thrift shop. The place was vast.   Think Superstore size.   Crammed with clothes, shoes, hats, accessories etc arranged over two-thirds of the space.   The rest included furniture, homeware and a glorious mish-mash of stationery, home decor items, art works, children’s toys and who-knows-what else. Surprisingly, I didn’t see any books in the store but maybe I just ran out of time.   I spent a very happy couple...