June 29, 2024
In his book The Novel Project, Graeme Simsion mentions the questionnaires we can find and fill out to get to know our characters – but he doesn’t use them. He says, “There are real people I’ve known for years whose star sign and preferred drink I wouldn’t be able to tell you. If a character […]
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June 4, 2024
The seasons can refer to the weather and the physical changes of our natural world, but we often use the word metaphorically to describe and explore various stages, moments and turning points of our lives. Katherine May, author of Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times says: Below are a number of […]
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June 3, 2024
After what has been a long dry summer in my part of the world, and a seemingly short warm autumn, we have been inundated with a deluge of rain as if Winter wanted us to sit up and take notice of her arrival. It has certainly made me think about the changing seasons, both physically […]
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June 1, 2024
Welcome back to 6 Degrees of Separation, where book lovers start with the same book and link it to six other titles in any random way the mind chooses to find connections. This month’s starting book, courtesy of Kate from booksaremyfavouriteandbest, is Butter by Asako Yukuki, a novel set in Japan, about food and murder […]
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April 6, 2024
Welcome back Six Degrees of Separation, the fun way to recommend books by starting with a title suggested by Kate from booksaremyfavouriteandbest, and then linking it to six others in any way your brain makes connections. This week, Kate has challenged us to start with a travel guide. One I have on my shelf is […]
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April 1, 2024
Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change has famously stated that “most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply”. “When we listen with the intent to understand others, rather than with the intent to reply,” Covey […]
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March 30, 2024
I recently listened to a conversation between Krista Tippett and Rachel Naomi Remen (and which Tippett expands on in her book Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Loiving) in which they discuss the idea of ‘generous listening’, which is ‘powered by curiosity’ and ‘involves a kind of vulnerability’. I think this is […]
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March 4, 2024
Sometimes, it’s easy to leap into the next scene we’re creating with little prompting. We know what needs to happen next and all that’s needed is to sit down and begin. Other times, a little more motivation is required. This month, I’ve created a number of creative writing prompts that I hope will be useful […]
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