More than Writers

Some of last Saturday, as per usual, was spent perusing the papers, and I came across one of those “What I’ve learned” columns. (It may have been called that, I wasn’t paying that much attention, but you get the idea.) Anyway, in these columns, random celebrities pretend that they are desperate to give you various details about their lives just to be sociable, and then, at the end, they always have a name of whoever has sponsored their writing, which is in no way connected to the interview they have just given the newspaper. (I am certainly not criticising - there are certainly worse ways to make a living.) Anyway, the interviewee was talking about her weight loss diary and how she had eschewed the use of weight loss drugs (forever known in this house as Kilimanjaro since seeing someone on the telly call them that). This lady had instead preferred to do it the old-fashioned way, gradually, bit by bit and with consistency. This is great, I thought. Then I read that it had taken her five...

Life is bonkers busy at the moment. And when it's bonkers busy, the things that usually get pushed out are my writing and my really long sofa chats with God. The two things I enjoy the most but that don't contribute in many ways to the family coffers. Yet, those two things are also what I consider my coffee filter. Writing, because it's the way I process the world around me, and long sofa chats, because they're the way I process my writing. Let me explain. Writing (for me at least) is a bit like using a coffee machine. Coffee machine stage 1: shove raw ingredients in – coffee beans, or ground coffee, and water (perhaps milk too if you have a posh, frothing machine.) Coffee machine stage 2: push button and, after a few minutes, coffee comes out the other side. Photo by Chevanon Photography from Pexels When we're writing, we shovel things into the machine too: our own ideas, experiences and passions, genre tropes, research and education, purposes for doing what we...

We recently visited Mont St Michel , a UNESCO World Heritage site in northwest France. Famous for its medieval abbey, this small, rocky island rises majestically from the sands, about 1km off the coast of Normandy. Mont St Michel T oday, Mont St Michel is one of the busiest tourist sites in France, welcoming over 3 million visitors in 2024. Only 290 metres in diameter, it is surrounded by vast mudflats and the location of some of Europe’s highest tides. At low tide the water withdraws up to 10 miles from the mainland, before rapidly sweeping back in when the tide turns. The speed of the incoming tide, combined with the presence of quicksands, make crossing the bay treacherous.   Construction of the first church on the island began in 708AD . The story goes that Aubert, Bishop of Avranches , was visited in a dream by the archangel, Michael, and instructed to establish a place of worship on the rocky outcrop. Building on such unforgiving ground must have appeared like the ultimate ac...

As a child I was tall, taller than most of my friends, so I developed the habit of stooping a little. If I’d been born in a different generation, I might have been made to walk around balancing a book on my head to improve my posture, thankfully I wasn't. These days I don’t feel so tall – I have 2 sons, both over 6ft so that puts a different perspective on things. I’ve been thinking about leaning in another sense. In our culture independence is encouraged, often fought for. We like to go it alone, we often hear people speak of their achievements as if it was all down to them. I, like many, don’t find it easy to ask for help.   I understand as I see the elderly clinging on to their independence when it is no longer safe to go it alone.   As writers it is all too easy to be in our own little ‘writers world’. We dream of writing that breakthrough piece, and we don’t always touch the world of other writers. This can so easily diminish our achievements. Since joining ACW, I have...

  I don’t know what you’re doing this fine (I hope) summer Saturday, but I am on the east side of South Africa, in Kwa Zulu Natal, celebrating the marriage of my only son (child #4) to his beautiful Xhosa/Zulu fiancée.   There will be no writing done today; just an adjusting of outfits and collective squeals of excitement, together with a spectrum of appropriate ‘Ooohs’ and ‘Ahhs’ as we express our delight in a day of unbridled rejoicing. However, as we’ve approached this auspicious occasion, it’s got me wondering about the people who write up the wedding columns in local papers.   You know the kind of thing: Colonel and Mrs Hugo Parsley-Corrigan of Little Uppington-on-the-Wold hosted the elegant nuptials of their daughter Harriet Griselda to Rupert Archibald Lexington-Smythe of Chalfont-cum-Tifflywink on Saturday 14th June at St Thistlewaites’ church.   The bride wore a Fiona Twang silk-lace-chiffon dress with copious ruffles and a sweetheart neck line.   Her t...

I am into recycling and have become somewhat of a fan of charity shops. There are many treasures to be found there and it is impossible to make a mistake with anything bought because the main point is that a charity is being supported. My searches have given me some favourite clothes and interesting quirky items. I once found some palazzo pants which were beautiful - excellent for when playing the cello while remaining modest yet still looking elegant afterwards. For anyone not familiar with these, the legs are so wide that when walking around they resemble a full flowing long skirt. They became a firm favourite for many years before finally beginning to disintegrate. Then there are a pair of M&S brand new soft green shoes, which comfortably match so many items already in my wardrobe. And, just before Christmas, I found 4 small sherry glasses for £1. One of the charity shops in our nearby town has furniture as well as virtually everything else you’d expect to find. Lovely polished ...

We are all told that we should not judge a book by its cover, yet I firmly believe we all do it, whether we are using the phrase metaphorically or literally, the outward appearance of an item, is important. I am particularly thinking of book covers when I say this, but it applies just as easily to clothes, cake, cats and even people. However, let me return to books, and their covers. When I was first published one of my editors told me that the job of the cover art is to get the customer to pick up the book. The job of the back cover blurb is to get them to open it. Your job, as the author, is to write a gripping first page that makes the reader turn to the next one. If that happens, you've sold a book. I mentioned this in a lecture at Dundee University Student's Association about cover art, and the delegates agreed that they had never bought a book with a cover they considered to be ugly. One publisher even told me that they found in their research that covers do even more hea...

  Courtesy of  https://micahhayns.com/ Every blog I have written is a miracle because, sitting in front of a new page I have no idea what is going to flow from my fingers beyond the first word. But God has been faithful in answering my prayers and month by month has helped me find things to share even when I felt empty.  Which reminds me of the miracle story in 2 Kings 4, when Elisha instructed a desperate widow to gather her friends’ empty jars and fill them with oil when she had no resources of her own and her circumstances were dire. She did not know what would happen next, she had only her hope and desperation and the words of a wise man.  So often I have sat in front of this computer, blog required, feeling empty. Wanting to write, but in a feeling common to most writers, not knowing what to write about. From the start, the proposition of 24 blogs seemed overwhelming, but each month, one by one the words have flowed, and each page has been filled. Friends ha...

  Publishing a new blog post can be an exciting moment. I craft my words with care, hit ‘publish’, and naturally hope for engagement from readers. Yet, it’s not uncommon for a freshly published blog post to be met with silence. The absence of prompt feedback can be discouraging at first. After all, engaging directly with readers is one of the most rewarding aspects of blogging, and comments serve as a clear sign that the writing has resonated. ...it’s not uncommon for a freshly published blog post to be met with silence.  However, my perspective has changed over time. The value of blogging extends well beyond the presence or absence of comments. My real motivation is to inform, inspire, and, hopefully, make a positive impact on whoever stumbles upon my words, even when interactions are quiet or delayed. Each post offers an opportunity to share insights, offer support, or challenge conventional thinking, regardless of how much immediate feedback I receive. That said, I trul...