Have you thought about compiling a family history but don’t know where to start? Writers are often advised to write what they know or are curious about. Not everyone agrees with this, but perhaps there’s some wisdom in it, or in the case of family history, start with yourself (the person in your family tree […]
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 […]
It’s been pretty wet and cold where I live – and so dark in the mornings. I’m usually a morning person, with a walk around a nearby lake almost every day, even when my walking partner cancels on me at the last minute. But even I haven’t been forcing myself out of bed the last […]
In putting together a set of Christmas-themed prompts, I acknowledge that not everybody celebrates this festive season, for a range of reasons. While I have attempted to acknowledge this in some prompts, please feel free to adapt them further, or simply choose the ones that are helpful as you develop the characters in your […]
How do you feel about Christmas? For some people, Christmas beings great joy and anticipation. They can’t wait to decorate the tree, string the lights and hit play on the Christmas music. For others, it stirs up painful memories, perhaps of family conflict, or loss and grief. And for some, Christmas is just not part […]
I was recently asked by a young writer for tips for character development, so this blog post is for her (you know who you are 🙂 ). When you meet someone, how do you get to know them? How do you learn whether you have anything in common, whether they are going to be a […]