Life can be crappy. Not only does it throw curveballs, sometimes it throws cricket balls right at your face. Bang! When you're not even looking. What I like about the idea of resilience is that you don't have to be born with it. It's not like my inability to ever be tall. I will never … Continue reading Creative Resilience
Category: Writing Fix
The Power of Stories
Humans tell stories. We are all natural storytellers even if we never write a book or call ourselves writers or directors. We even see patterns and create stories even when none exists. Watch this film. https://youtu.be/VTNmLt7QX8E Do you see a story? This film was used in the 1944 experiment of "Apparent Behavior" by Fritz Heider … Continue reading The Power of Stories
The Cover Story
People do judge a book by its cover. The cover makes the first promise to the reader. The promise of fantasy, romance or horror. You can usually tell by the cover. What makes a good cover is a science I don't have time to learn. I am therefore grateful to have a publisher Odyssey Books … Continue reading The Cover Story
Winning at Writing Routines
I am a busy woman. I could list all the things that keep me busy but I am too busy. I will cut to the chase. How do I fit writing my next book into my busyness? Well, sometimes I don't. The thing is that I am only answerable to myself. In other parts of … Continue reading Winning at Writing Routines
Kismet and optimism
I screwed this piece of paper up. Then I unscrewed it because it was such a colourful piece of story editing, and though I didn't know it at the time, successful. From scribble and screwed up to looking lovely in print. This story, Turning the Corner was published in Unsettling Wonder late last year. I wrote this story … Continue reading Kismet and optimism
Why So Scared? It’s just neuroscience
Don't expect hard science here. I do not have a good relationship with science. Mostly because of a science teacher who mumbled. Old Ernie was not the most exciting of educators. At GenreCon, back in November last year, I attended a workshop run by Charlotte Nash entitled "The Neuroscience of Reading and How it Makes … Continue reading Why So Scared? It’s just neuroscience
Books have birthdays too
I feel remiss that I have not wished my book a happy first birthday this month! Of course, Cassandra received the best birthday gift in the form of a shortlisting in the Aurealis Best Fantasy Novel category but having given birth to Cassandra I should also officially say Happy Birthday. It's been a whole year since … Continue reading Books have birthdays too
Keeping the Faith – Writing Life
Today is a good day. I found out Cassandra is on the shortlist for the Best Fantasy Novel in the Aurealis Awards. This is a big deal for me. Equal in excitement to the first time I was published and when Odysessy Books agreed to publish Cassandra. I will celebrate this moderate success because it … Continue reading Keeping the Faith – Writing Life
What a writer must do
I haven't been blogging because I have been writing. Since Cassandra was released (and for a while before that) my next big story has been knocking around in my head and very occasionally becoming actual written or typed words. I have written a few short stories and some flash fiction this year but on the … Continue reading What a writer must do
Insecure, jealous, obsessive and bitchy 13-year old
I've been reading my old diaries from 1982. I was an insecure, jealous, obsessive and bitchy 13-year old. I am not reading them for nostalgia. They are too painful and embarrassing to revisit for fun. I am trying to draw some inspiration for a Red Riding Hood story I am writing. So, I apologise to … Continue reading Insecure, jealous, obsessive and bitchy 13-year old