More than Writers

  A few weeks ago, my sister and a cousin came to stay in our holiday home. We had all been looking forward to it and kept an anxious eye on the weather forecast. As it was, we managed to avoid most of the promised rain, which was great. It was lovely to spend time with them, even though my sister mentioned selling some of the books I had read already... I managed to forgive her, just... we have very different hobbies and tastes, but I do enjoy showing people around the area. Where we live is so beautiful and there are so many interesting things to see and do, it doesn’t matter what someone’s taste is. We avoided bookshops, as my sister likes reading, a little, but not in English. We did visit every single charity shop we could spot, and we spotted a lot... I love driving, so we went to visit some of the Cotswold villages, stopping to take pictures and we even went to the seaside in Wales, via Tintern Abbey. Both my sister and I love action-packed days as there are other moment...

Image Credit:  Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. Every writer has their share of ups and downs in their writing journey. Rejections don’t stop even if published. Sometimes a story you feel, genuinely, has a good chance gets nowhere fast. The positives include acceptances, nice reviews etc.  Given the writing journey is a rollercoaster, it pays to take stock sometimes to find out where you are, where you are likely to head, and where you have come from. It also gives you chance to change direction. I did when I branched out into short story writing and then flash fiction, moves I’ve long been pleased about! Whether you have had work published or not, unless you are a new writer, you’ll see where you are doing better than when you started. Think back to that time. Think about where you are now. Think about what you have learned about improving your craft meantime.  You will have picked up tips from other writers, learned from workshops, and your work would ...

If anyone needs to hear this, it is me. I also hope that this post will speak to your inner man and bless you. Whatever mountain you face in your writing, you need a sharp axe to get to the top! 1.       Get yourself notebooks and label them. I have some booklets that I labelled according to their purpose. For instance, I have: MTW Posts, Prayer Points, Writing Skills, Reviews, Inspirations etc which are all created to get me orderly and organised in my mind.   It is a first step to getting one prepared mentally for a disciplined, orderly and whole some attitude. 2.       Next, surround yourself with the right people. The scripture talks about Likeminded people. In this case, fellow ACWers, writers and poets who are more knowledgeable and experienced in the craft of writing or marketing. God has a way of putting people around one in their careers who can serve as a challenge or an inspiration. Worth looking up to such pals. 3....

 Sometimes as I look back on my life it seems that the person I was, is hidden behind a closed door.  Who am I?  Who was I? What are these fleeting moments of memory? Why am I locked behind a closed door? How can I open it and will I dare to go through and see where the path leads me?  My memories are hazy.  People meander in and out of my focus but just too far for me to grasp.  I catch a shrill giggle; my soul shrinks from a buried shame, I taste the sweetness of a forbidden chocolate and touch the warm fur of my precious dog.  A fragrance arises, bitter and compelling and I am there again, transported back to an age that is gone. How could I rediscover these furled memories without the written word.?  Even as I write  'warm fur of my precious dog' that closed door opens and I find myself on a misty path. I suddenly remember the woods, my dog running alongside; my hasty steps, my need to escape and be safe.  Huddling into the cleft of ...

Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik Just about every writer that I know has struggled at some point with self-belief and imposter syndrome.  So, how does it make you feel when you receive negative reviews and feedback? I was asked this question during a recent interview for a popular literature Youtube channel, and this was my answer. No one likes to receive negative feedback of any kind, it can be painful and the hurt cuts deep.  You question why you bother.  These are all natural reactions but I have given this a lot of thought.  I now say that I would rather have negative feedback than no feedback at all.  When I receive nothing, it makes me feel insignificant. Another thing that I have realised about negative reviews is that not all books will be to everyone’s taste and liking, so you must expect some lower reviews.  For example, my best-selling book has many 4 and 5-star reviews, but among them is a 2-star with patronising comments. I admit that I was a l...

  When I joined the More Than Writers blogging team I was allocated the date of the 25 th of each month. I knew then that every year I would be posting a blog on two very important days. One of those, of course, is Christmas Day. That is a challenge in itself, but also a real joy. Posting something short and meaningful that may not be seen by many, but encourages those who do read it. The other important 25 th of the month is this one. April 25 th 1992 was the day I married my best friend. And 31 years later we are still best friends – and still married! God is faithful! As I came to write this blog I was struggling to find a link between my Wedding Anniversary and writing. And I did an anniversary themed blog this time last year. I nearly gave up and went to look elsewhere for inspiration  But then I hit on an idea, maybe a little bit of a daft one - hopefully it will end well…   I am in the process of having a recently finished manuscript professionally edited. I a...

  The most exciting time of my working life was the early 1980s, when my employers, Oxford University Press, decided to digitize and update the Oxford English Dictionary. It is now almost impossible for the imagination to recapture the enormity of this task, looking back from a time when an infinite amount of text (not to mention images and sounds) exists in the virtual environment, ready to be accessed instantaneously using handheld devices.  In 1983, there were no mobile phones, there was no internet or web, and so of course no websites, and there was hardly any digitized text available for searching. We were pioneers in the untrodden forest, and that in two ways: storing and editing the master version of written content in digital form, and making the publishable results available to users as a searchable online product. Where we led, the world followed, soon reaching the point where all this was normal practice for people born since the 1990s. The boss who steered us throu...

  Writing with Integrity by Rebecca Seaton   The Bible says, ‘ Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. ’ (Proverbs 10,9)   What does this mean for us as writers? Writing is often thought of as a lone occupation so we might not think there is much opportunity to demonstrate integrity – or temptation to avoid it. However, when I looked into issues around inspiration versus theft for my last blog, I realised there is more to the issue than I had originally thought. Here are some ways we can be conscious of being honest and treating others fairly.   As previously mentioned, plagiarism would demonstrate an obvious lack of integrity. The best way to avoid this is to go into writing activities with the intention of crediting others. Always have your Oscar speech in mind! ‘I’d like to thank…’   Providing feedback can be another minefield. We want to be honest but don’t want to hurt people. Luke remi...

I am currently having speech therapy (SALT). But you can talk for England , some might say. Indeed, on occasion, I probably can. But there are times when my voice becomes weak. I was given a few exercises, one of which was to sing a scale. And – the instructions oh so confidently read – ‘you’ll be able to hear where your optimum pitch is’.  I guess most SALT patients are not deaf. I valiantly-ish hummed the scales (I have heard scales, many years ago), but there was no way I could hear my optimum pitch. I grew dejected. I needed to know my optimum pitch – isn’t that what the instructions said? Next SALT appointment, I sat down opposite J. J: How’ve you got on? Me: Not too well. J: Oh? Me: I can’t find my optimum pitch. J: Let’s try some different exercises. Me: Will these help me find my Optimum Pitch? I ask this as J is handing me a straw. Me: Perhaps this straw will help me find my Optimum Pitch? ALT: My hand holding a straw in a bottle You may h...

    Take a breath. Hold it. Let it out. Remarkable thing, breathing, isn’t it? God breathed life into Adam in Genesis 2:7. On the cross, Jesus breathed a final breath. Something was finished. But something else was just beginning. I love how Jesus brings everything together. After his resurrection, Jesus breathed his Spirit over his close followers in John 20:22. Followers of Jesus have his breath in us… Breathing 24/7 usually doesn’t require paying much attention. Work, however, involves intention, focus and effort. I’ve been thinking lately about how to do my best in my work. I blame this on Colossians 3:23: When I write, I aim high. I check and recheck. I research, rewrite, edit and proof. It takes a lot of time. I want to do the best I can, and I want the best I can do to be excellent . Blame Colossians. Or my genes. Or society at large. I am getting rather good at being a failed perfectionist (although I know I’m not quite there yet). To me, this Colo...

  (Image by wayhomestudio on Freepik) Two weeks ago I received a phone call from the police. "Would I like to speak to someone from victim support?"  What? Why would I want to do that? I had never been a victim in my life.... Except that I had. One hour before the phone call, I had discovered that someone had jacked up my car, dived underneath, sawn through my exhaust and stolen the 6-month old catalytic converter before disappearing into the ether. They had done it all in a busy car park, in the middle of the day, with passers by and three CCTV cameras watching, while I was shopping with my children in Meadowhall. I'd had no idea till the recovery mechanic I called (to figure out why my car suddenly sounded like a motorbike) told me so.   These thieves had introduced me to a role I don't recall ever playing before: the role of a victim. I didn't choose it and I didn't like it.  Ever one to look for a silver lining, I sat in my car, waiting for recovery (again...

  In the beginning This blog appeared on the morethanwritersblogspot on 19 April 2023. It was written on 11 April 2023 and scheduled.   9/11/2001 Two years earlier the banker … Completion of the WIP, Submission, Editor, Publisher DEADLINES Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Book launch, promotion, marketing, sales, royalties, signings, book festivals. In real time. No time to stop and stare   Sabbath-rest Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost. BE STILL AND KNOW … Stars, sun, rain, winds.   TV programmes, binge watch, catch-up, on demand, internet, CGI, air-brush, Grey hair, wrinkled face, aching joints, lumps and bumps, walking aids, hearing aids, glasses, Medications, treadmill, exercise bike Antibiotics, vaccination, hip and knee replacements, statins, chemotherapy, radiotherapy,   Most likely cause of death in your 60’s – heart disease Most likely cause of death in your 70’s – heart disea...

  Do you like writing from a prompt? When I had been blogging about a year I began using the daily prompts issued by WordPress. I was blogging as a way of improving my writing. Sometimes I posted every day! One advantage of using an online prompt or a challenge (and linking to it) is that other bloggers using the same prompt may visit your blog to see how you have responded to the challenge. These bloggers may be of any faith or none. My response to a prompt from the beginning of 2014 seems appropriate for More than Writers. My original post gave the prompt at the end in the hope that the preview of my response might intrigue potential readers. This time I’ll begin with it. For the Daily Prompt You have been transformed into a mystical being who has the ability to do magic. Describe your new abilities in detail. How will you use your new skills? Photographers, artists, poets: show us ENCHANTMENT.   I am intrigued by magic.  However, there is only one par...