A Fresh Perspective

Every day the sea is different. In fact it can change within hours – one moment a mirror like calm and then a storm can blow up seemingly from nowhere and the waters are heaped into spray streaked mountains.

Sometimes it’s not so easy to spot the changes - soil creep on a hillside. Have things changed since I last climbed up here? I’m not so sure.

It’s when you go back after a time away that you start to see the differences. You spot where the winter floods have changed the course of a stream, or a rotting tree trunk that is now covered with cramp balls.

Or in this case that the cliffs have crumbled back a little further.


In the same way I’m taking a break from my WIP. I’ve promised myself that I won’t even look at it for this entire month. That way when I read it once more I’ll be coming to it fresh, and if anything isn’t right I’ll (hopefully) spot it.

And anyway, it’s fun to do something different, to dabble with new ideas, meet new characters and explore new settings.

No writing time is ever wasted time.

Writers Block

"What do you want to look at that screen for, when you can look at me!"

So what get's in the way of your writing?

The Real SeaSerpents

A long time ago people thought these strange coiling creatures were SeaSerpents, turned into stone by saints or gods. They called these rocks Serpentstones.

Of course we now know that they are ammonites, ancient cephalopods that swam in those Jurassic seas much like the Nautilus does in our oceans today.

Or are they.... ?

Tagged!

Looks like I've been tagged - twice!!

First by Jess and then by Celesta

Instead of answering two sets of questions I've mixed them all together and picked a random subset of 11. So here they are along with their answers.

1. How old were you when you started writing?
I've been writing ever since I was old enough to hold a crayon.
2. What's your favourite movie/book?
Tricky question - how do I decide this one! Okay - let's go for the book I've read the most times and in that case it is The Crysalids by John Wyndham.
3. If you were the main character of a book, what genre would it be?
Some sort of Space Opera - definitely!
4. What genre do you write in?
I write SciFi thrillers for kids.
5. If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
I would be able to take away sadness.
6. What do you like to read?
I read pretty widely. But I particularly like discovering new authors.
7. What is something unusual that you've done?
I once had a snowball fight on an ice floe in the Greenland Sea
8. How do you get names for your characters?
Phone book, and baby name lists.
9. List the top three websites you use.

Litopia
New Scientist
Will it rain today - well I do live in Blighty :-)

10. Besides reading and writing, name two other hobbies you have.
Hillwalking and growing my own.
11. Where in the world would you like to go?
I'd love to go to Japan.

In turn I will tag the following Campaigners from Rach's Platform Building Campaign. And I'm asking each of you the same set of questions.

Sher A Hart: My Best Part
Six Impossible Things
alberta's sefuty chronicles
David Powers King
Gina Carey
Katharine Gerlach
Imagine Today

A Feast of a Festival

There’s an exciting new Festival coming to Somerset – The Brympton festival which will include literature, music and art as well as fine food and lots more.

There’s an impressive lineup of authors – and an exciting programme of events. And guess what - I’m going to be one of the authors taking part.

On the evening of Friday 20th April I will be part of a panel of authors who have been successful in the Yeovil Prize. We have been asked to talk about what our success in the prize has meant for us as writers.

I have to admit I feel like a bit of a poor relative at this one – all the other authors on the panel have already got book deals for their successful novels while I am still at the Agented but not yet Published stage. I’m also the only one who writes children’s books and Sci-Fi!

Lets’ hope a bit of their success rubs off on me.

In case you are interested here are the websites of the other authors on the panel:

BA Morton
Terri Armstrong
Jackie Gingell

And you can find details of the Brympton festival here:

Grotesque

I've blogged about these things before but I couldn't resist putting up another one.


This one is on a different corner of the same church tower. Rather wonderful isn't he?

But what sort of creature? Some kind of lion with cloven hooves?

And what possessed those 12th Century builders to put him up here among the saints and apostles?

If anyone knows do comment!

The Lightning Bolt

I knew in my heart that something wasn’t right. My inner editor was whispering to me. Only I had no idea what the problem was.

So I set off over the cliffs to mull things over.


There’s nothing like a blast of salt spray air on your face, the running tide and the blustering wind to make everything clear.

And as I watched the whitecaps rush in and crash against the rocks it hit me.

Motivation.

Not my main character’s motivation. His motives have always been quite clear, but that of one of my minor characters.

And as I worked out what was driving her, the whole thing fell into place – suddenly the plot had a structure that until now it lacked.

My inner editor can sit back (for now). But my work has just begun - this WIP needs some serious editing.