Tag: writing

Happy New Year 2026!

As 2025 draws to a close, cold winter months provide the perfect setting for those moments of reflection. It’s crisp and cold out there, but look closer and you will find nature’s treasures, offering a sturdy base for sure footing.

And so I’m listening to the Japanese paper bush with its bare branches and snow white winter blooms; and the climbing jasmine, flowering its yellow stars; to the growing hebes, sporting purples and silvers all year round; and the star magnolia tipped with soft furry buds; to the sleeping hydrangeas and cherry blossom, restful and brown; and the honeysuckle giant, splaying and pluming with bulging red berries, welcoming birds far and wide; to the hellebores, tipped with white bells that might just faintly chime; and the visiting birds, filling their bellies and gathering for nests; while the hedgehog sleeps sound.

And by the water, time to reflect, at riversides and seasides where flocking geese arrive for warmer climes.

As a writer, I journey alongside a number of creative pathways, including the unfolding world of Blood Gift Chronicles. It has been a year of creative output, of journeying, of sharing, and there are some wonderful highlights. I’m hugely grateful for all those I’ve met along the way; fellow writers, readers, and those who create space and platforms to share and be inspired.

From Belfast to Brighton, conventions continue to be busy, bustling, happily tiring, inspiring places to network, discuss, meet and share. Every time someone new is inspired to pick up my books is a gift, and in the pages I hope they discover the gift there for the taking. We write to reflect, to find words for the pathways, to shine a light on the injustices, to problem solve the solutions, to have fun, to create worlds, to entertain, to inspire, to support, to empower, to bring colour, so much colour.

And as writers, in turn we are inspired by the stories of others. Visiting Belfast and the wider surrounds of Northern Ireland is storybook country in itself, with Game of Thrones now embedded into the fabric, a hugely inspiring ground from which to navigate the SFF worlds on offer at this year’s convention. Not forgetting the real life history of a complex place, as well as the story of the Titanic, a bold statement on Belfast’s waterfront.

Brighton too was a special trip, not least for the storms battering the sea front, which added atmosphere to a swelling community of SFF lovers, including wise words from Joanne Harris: ‘Fantasy is the secret language of the sub-conscious.’

Locally, South Hams Lit Festival was wonderful to be a part of, as well as Return of the Mantra featured on Plymouth’s Ferndale Radio show as book club read of the month. Huge thanks to Mimi, the radio host, for welcoming me into the studio to discuss the breadth of inspiration behind the novel, and for sharing readers’ reviews as well as her own thoughts. Of course I have what inspired the writing, the places, the worlds, the characters, but it’s always fascinating to hear what the stories mean to readers, what visions it conjures up in their minds. For Mimi the visions were reminiscent of places she has known from her mixed cultural heritage, which she shared in generous depth. I aim to be a visual writer, and hearing her enthusiasm for all the story had conjured for her, felt to be an honour and a privilege. Now I’m looking forward to returning to the studio in the New Year, when The Warder will feature as book club of the month.

Throughout the year I have shared many titles I have enjoyed reading. Meanwhile my to-read pile grows. Here are just a few titles waiting patiently on the shelf.

And Book 3 of Blood Gift Chronicles draws near, with an extra special surprise in store too, so stay tuned.

This is my journey as one year closes and another year opens, and I’m filled with gentle optimism, inspiration, and colour.

Wishing you a gift-filled, peaceful and joyous New Year.

Happy New Year 2026!

For the Love of Books #35

It’s been a bookish kind of day in more ways than one, with a trip to Plymouth and Ferndale radio for a show celebrating books, books, and more books. Alongside two other authors, conversation illumed and inspired, and for my part, it was wonderful to bring a slice of fantasy, talking Blood Gift Chronicles, inspiration, and the craft of writing, as well as much-loved reads that inspire.

And on the theme of fantasy, and in particular the creatures that inhabit our fantasy worlds, I bring reviews of two wonderfully colourful reads.

In the Vanishers’ Palace

By Aliette de Bodard

‘In the Vanishers’ Palace’ is a dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It is set in a post-colonial dystopia where brutal rulers, the vanishers, wrought ruin and devastation on the land. The earth is poisoned with roaming nightmares and a deadly virus.

The story follows Yen, a woman betrayed and sold into the vanisher’s palace to pay her village’s debts, a spirited, magical and carvernous place where every door can lead to death. She is in servitude to the shape-shifting water dragon, Vu Con, a creature among the last of her kind. Vu Con is mystical, aloof and cold, but not what Yen imagined. Instead of torture and death at the hands of a dragon, Yen is expected to teach Vu Con’s two unruly children, Thong and Lien.

The story is beautifully written, with description of magic and place told with tantalising effect that draws you into what feels like a labyrinth world. Vu Con’s character is layered, unique and interesting, with an intriguing and magical appearance that left a vivid imprint in my mind. Her presence immediately challenges gender expectation. Femininity is described in both dragon and human form. As human she appears as a woman small in stature, but holding herself decisively, displaying authoritative power that is magical and dangerous. Her sexuality is explored in a merging of human and dragon form, in beautiful scenes of sapphic romance between Vu Con and Yen, exploring tenderness and the excitement of love. But again expectation is challenged, as Vu Con feels cheated that it was Yenn who came to the palace, good only for keeping Vu Con’s bed warm. Vu Con’s request had been for Yen’s mother, a wise older woman. These kind of contrasts keep the narrative sharp and the reader guessing in what is ultimately a dangerous attraction, with more twists and turns yet to come.

Binaries are challenged in a variety of ways. Motivations, intentions and actions that blend what might be deemed good and bad, are layered into complex and intriguing characters. There is diversity among the cast beyond the gender binary, with non-binary characters using they/them pronouns. And ultimately this is sapphic love between a dragon and a woman, impactful in its creation, beautiful in its descriptions that explore the intimate scenes. The author appears to deal effortlessly with what might seem impossible, shifting into dragon perspective with ease, bringing the landscape of the dragon’s mind into full view, in an entirely believable way.

An enjoyable, edgy, and beautiful tale very well told.

Fatholmfolk

By Eliza Chan

In the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, fatholmfolk and humans live side by side. The city is revered as a perfect place, providing safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest, but beneath the veneer, revolution is brewing.

This is an ambitious and inventive story, told through characters who embody a number of fantastical creatures, including kelpies and selkies, water dragons and kappas. Narrative explores the experiences of a multi-cultural diaspora community, considering xenophobia and the way in which immigrants are defined by othering, exposing hard truths and layered complexities of individual experiences. Together with the fact that humans have polluted the oceans, forcing fatholmfolk to flee to the cities above water, a refugee crisis looms, and tension between species becomes increasingly strained.

The story is told from the perspective of main characters attempting to navigate a world that is set up against them. Mira is half-siren, the first fatholmfolk to reach the military, appointed captain of the border guard. Her partner, Kai, is a sea dragon. Cordelia is a half-octopus/half-human sea witch, who Mira has an account with. Mira has a personal interest in the welfare of fatholmfolk refugees, wanting to keep them safe in Tiankaiwan waters. Cordelia can arrange this, in return for Mira’s help with making logistical paperwork disappear, to help Cordelia’s small business to thrive. And Nami is Mira’s daughter, with a latent sea dragon side. The story begins with Nami heading out to retrieve an unhatched dragon egg that has been claimed by humans. She is an interesting character, revealing shades of grey and complexity, turning political activist, willing to cross lines in the law, while learning to own her prejudices and mistakes. Courageous to some, reckless to others, still her actions reveal startling truths about history, and the lies that followed to maintain the status quo, one that would treat fatholmfolk as livestock, while serving human kind.

I enjoyed the vibrancy and colour in this story. Worldbuilding felt to have been lovingly crafted with intriguing and insightful attention to detail, perhaps meandering between real-life reflections and the fantastical, with sea grass meadows and red pillar corals, algae-covered tables adorned with wild rice and sea grapes, vinegared fish, lotus root, cuttle fish stew, candied seaweed, taro crisps and fried water spinach. It felt like a cultural exchange, a transportive experience where I can hear the clatter of tea rooms, and the chatter of vendors in narrow canoes. For me the layered and textured tapestry of vibrancy and colour in the story was a real highlight, offering an immersive experience among an inventive cast, charged with some of the biggest social issues of our times. A highly enjoyable read.

What are you reading?

All the Shades

Pause to share, reflect and look ahead, and I hope this finds you well.

Summer is upon us, a season of sunshine, wind, rain and heatwaves that dry the grass to crisp colours of straw. But with a little nurturing, colours can be discovered and encouraged to bloom. And they have been blooming, a personal dedication to my much missed writing pal and feline friend, Mia.

More colour is found while out and about exploring, including, but not limited to, sights of bullfinch and goldfinch, hollyhocks the colour of rainbows, straw hats and sunglasses, weathered boats painted all the shades, heart-shaped lime tree leaves, barn swallows ducking and diving, and a lone puffin bobbing on gentle waves, watched and watching.

Surrounded by so much colour has been the perfect place to work on my next instalment of Blood Gift Chronicles, where the darkest places spawn the brightest shades. It is currently sitting with the publisher for the all-important edits, and here is the face of a slightly sleep-deprived writer after just hitting ‘send’.

If colour brings a feast for the senses, shades and tones of grey bring depth and life to the inner and outer landscapes of our characters. Exploring these darker shades themed heavily in my discussion panels at this year’s Eastercon in Belfast, conversation that continues to inspire.

For those already familiar with my fantasy series Blood Gift Chronicles, in amongst the colour of wildlife and the natural world, animism, magic, and dragons, you will know the reflections of the world as we know it, stories of marginalisation and social justice, themes ultimately bound with empowerment and hope. Darkness resides in decimation of the natural world, corruption and wealth inequalities, gender-based violence, and child exploitation. Hope comes in challenging the power structures to work towards environmental and social justice, and more.

In a previous blog post, Channelling Rage in SFF, I explore the landscape of anger as a character motivator. It is a well-used tool in creating powerful villains and antagonists, like Serse Lanister in Game of Thrones, a powerful woman in many ways, and powerless in others, since she is a woman in a misogynistic world, a survivor, willing to do anything to protect herself and her children. Her motivations might be understandable, even relatable, and so she garners empathy. Considering the potential to empathise with a villain, perhaps poses the question of whether it can ever be right to go bad, and where the line is drawn between villain and antagonist.

It brings to mind a well-loved read of mine: Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor. There has been widespread speculation over the identity of the main character, Onye, and where she sits on the good/bad scale. While some consider that she moves to darker realms, my thoughts are that she moves from being a flawed hero to an anti-hero. SPOILER ALERT and to recap: the novel is set in post-apocalyptic Sudan following a brutal civil war. Onye is a child born of violence following the rape of her mother. She’s got powerful magic, which she gets from her father, is haunted by her father and ends up going in search of him. It leads to a violent confrontation with devasting consequences that results in Onye’s boyfriend, Mwita, being killed. Grief stricken, Onye then acts in a godlike way, maneouvring things inside her own body to conceive Mwita’s child in a kind of miraculous conception. Her actions lead to powerful consequences that result in all fertile men in the area being instantly killed, and all fertile women in the area being instantly impregnated. Onye didn’t set out to do these things, and couldn’t have foreseen these consequences, but she knowingly overreached with her powers, knowingly crossed a point of no return, and therefore turned anti-hero (to my mind). I find her character to be extraordinary, deeply endearing for the most part, with a story arc that reveals strong contrasts as well as the subtle colour and textured tapestry of her desert home, all the shades, from the lightest, to the dark.

All the shades are what I venture to write in Blood Gift Chronicles, light and dark woven through each instalment of the series, culminating into the work in progress, and the colours of the origin… It’s a world I look forward to returning to, and to ultimately releasing this third instalment into the world.

For now back to the colours of the real world.

And wishing you a wonderful and colour-filled week.

News, Updates, and Eastercon 2025, Belfast Style

Summer is on its way and I can barely believe it’s the end of May, and so for an overdue catch up on a wonderful trip to Northern Ireland, where Eastercon 76 was being held, Belfast style.

 

It was a privilege to take part in a fantastic programme of panels, workshops and readings. The stars aligned to theme me on the dark side this year, those big emotions that can drive our characters, as well as create opportunity for reflecting in a different way, one that might just interrupt the fear and lend itself to peace. Determined rage can be a powerful motivator, especially when fuelled by a sense of injustice. And perhaps hope as determined rage in a state of resilience and unwavering belief, a deep persistent hope, can be as powerful and forceful in driving action and change. My characters are no stranger to the dark side. They’re also no stranger to fighting back, working together, supporting a world to move towards greater environmental and social justice, and so there are messages of hope and empowerment. And we need those, right?

I look forward to sharing more thoughts of these intriguing topics, but for now simple gratitude to all the inspiring and inventive writers out there, and readers who share a love of the genres.

Belfast ICC was an impressive host, and further afield beneath big skies it was great to explore memorials and street art and an impressive city hall. Not to mention the Titanic museum, and a t-shirt that read: ‘It was fine when it left Belfast, so it was.’

Nearby Game of Thrones studios was a real highlight, a feast of visuals, sets and insights bringing this epic saga to life.

And it was great to see more sights of this country, with beautiful coastline and stunning interior carpeted with yellow gorse, and meeting locals who were extraordinarily gracious, welcoming and friendly.

Giants Causeway was magic, a place of myth and legend.

Carrick a Rede rope bridge was appropriately scary, hanging 60ft over choppy seas, though tame in comparison to fishermen’s tales of traversing a single rope carrying their catch of the day!

And more exploring Game of Thrones territory with Dunlace Castle (in exceptional wind and rain!!), not to mention, Ballintoy Harbour.

Dark Hedges was truly evocative.

And Cushendun Caves, nestled on the wild tip of the quaint village of Cushendun, was closed for the season, or perhaps because the red woman was cooking up magic.

Finally home and a chance to rest and restore before change. Because change comes whether we want it or not.

And now for some truly sad news. I have had to say goodbye to my beloved Mia, cat companion and writing buddy for all her fifteen years. She has had her bed on my desk ever since she was a kitten, and been with me through the ups and days of writing, editing, rejection and publishing. Until illness came and transformed lovely Mia into magic, leaving my desk all too bare.

Though she was also a wonderful gardener, and outside the colours bloom.

If you ever wondered where inspiration for the mountain lions of Shendi came from in Return of the Mantra, look no further than this gorgeous girl, who used to sport a mane in her younger days.

Rest easy sweet girl…

And after she had slipped away, a flower sprung where she had a lain, forget-me-not, the petals say, in Mia’s grounds, the perfect place.

💙

 

 

 

Wintry Reflections

As winter draws to a close, February has been living up to its old English name this year, as ‘Mud Month’, with wind and rain abound here in the UK. The month has also flown by, soon to march into March, and work has been a flurry. My work in progress novel, Book 3 of Blood Gift Chronicles, is a constantly inspiring feature of my days. We venture to new realms, uncover the mystery of dragons, explore the source of power, and discover the truth at the core of the protagonists. Faced with catastrophe, will they survive, or will they thrive? Plus, I’m reminded of the sweetness of a true homecoming, as well as time to pause and reflect on the true nature of dragons, the diversity of dragons, what they reflect, and how far our inventions can take us. I’m enjoying focusing in on all that dragons can reveal, about our personal landscapes, and the wider world, as well as wider themes of nature, our connection to the environment, and self-exploration as characters seek pathways to peace, and dare to live true to themselves.The genres repeatedly show us the world as we know it, reflected with added colour and dimension.

As well as my novel, there’s short fiction on the horizon too. And my reading list continues to expand faster than I can read. Fortunately, the sight of crammed bookshelves is a joy. As we move out of February’s LGBTQ+ history month, and into International Women’s week in March, here are just a few titles that have joined my recent reads.

The Magic Fish, by Trung Le Nguyen; Birthday of the World, by Ursula Le Guin; Fire Logic, by Laurie Marks; The Jasmine Throne, by Tasha Suri; In The Vanisher’s Palace, by Aliette de Bodard; Different For Boys, by Patrick Ness; The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula Le Guin; The Four Profound Weaves, by R.B. Lemberg; The Unbroken, by C.L.Clarke; Empress of Salt and Fortune, by Nghi Vo. And my own, Blood Gift Chronicles.

A trip coming soon approaches with great anticipation. This year’s Eastercon will be celebrated Belfast style, and so I look forward to venturing to Northern Ireland in April, immersed in convention life with all the latest in the world of SFF. Of course it would be remiss not to take the time to venture into Game of Thrones territory, as well as visit some renowned sights of a beautiful country. And so an extended trip awaits.

In the meantime, time for a spot of R&R closer to home, and sheltering from the stormy weather at Saltram house, where ornate faces watch from labyrinth walls, and blooming snowdrops and hellebores hold their own despite the battering wind and rain.

For now the sun is peeking out, and so time for a breath of fresh air, before returning to the next writing instalment. Wishing everyone a great day.

Happy New Year 2025!!

January 1st 2025: the sky is grey, and outside sways in blustering winds. Inside, time to ponder days gone by and look ahead to footsteps new. And somewhere between the ruminating and the planning, time to pause.

New Year’s Eve was spent painting, while outside, intermittent fireworks dotted the skies. More on my current work-in-progress painting another time, but several other artworks came to fruition in 2024, inspired by visited waterscapes, lily ponds in particular. The first is from The Lost Gardens of Heligan, with a touch of magic added, a place where bush and tree crowd busy pools and giant pads weave sturdy, watery webs.

The second is a woven piece, part landscape, part imagination, and with a nod to the many heron sightings the year blessed me with.

And the third place, a lily pond mosaic, pools of interconnectedness with thanks to the communities that feel like home.

In the world of writing, it’s been wonderful to meet new readers at various events, as well as catch up with fellow writers who offer so much to inspire. WorldCon in Glasgow, the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention, was a highlight, taking part in panel discussions, and seeing the live interview of Nnedi Okorafor, an author who brings Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism into the hearts of our home.

 

Publishing news for 2024 included an article in FOCUS, The British Science Fiction Association Magazine for Writers, and it was great to grab my copy at WorldCon.

Next stop, and I’m looking forward to doing it all over again in April for Eastercon, Belfast style.

And while the edits continue for my next novel, Book 3 of Blood Gift Chronicles…

Time to pause for a breath of fresh air, and the magic of Dartmoor, among ancient oaks, mossy boulders, misty woods and granite tops.

Wishing everyone and happy and peaceful New Year 2025!

xxx

The Art of Visual Narrative

A break in the rain sees a burst of crisp autumn sun and the promise of colder times to come, perfect for getting lost in my WIP, Book 3 of Blood Gift Chronicles, adding layers to an expanding world, and (currently) spending time with a character who’s a true survivor and an inspiration – it feels like weaving magic.

But for now, following a breath of fresh air, time to ponder the subject of visual writing, as promised in my last blog. It’s a subject that came up in a panel topic I took part in in August, at Worldcon 2024 in Glasgow, and was of particular interest for me to consider alongside also being an artist: visual imagery and colour are important to me, as well as the process of telling stories through various mediums including narrative, art and poetry.

But to start, what do we mean by visual writing?

Put simply, visual writing brings narrative to life in a way that forges connections with the reader, evoking an emotional and visual response that triggers a mental image in the mind of the reader. There are various aspects to consider, including characterisation.

Believable characters are the heart of the story, through which readers connect with both the story and the author. We need characters that readers can connect to, characters that inspire, intrigue, excite or frighten, or that we can empathise with and relate to. We need them to leap off the page, and so as writers we need to know them, their history and backstory, their strengths and flaws, what motivates them, what challenges them, how they express themselves. Social context and power structures inform how characters move through the world and what freedoms they have. Someone in a high ranking position might have freedom to speak up, someone in a low ranking position might have to stay silent. In my novels I have a character who’s impulsive and overconfident to the point of being reckless; a character who is misunderstood, powerful, burdened, and courageous; a character filled with self-doubt who evolves into a steady leader; a character whose inner struggles go unnoticed and it almost costs him his life.

I reveal the internal worlds and emotional landscapes, highlighting what is at stake within the drama. The psychological dimension is a hook for the reader, while taking care to describe just enough to maintain pace. At the beginning of The Warder (Blood Gift Chronicles Book 2), an early scene involves a girl who sees a dragon in the mountains, and consequently sees and feels herself burning in its fire. And then she realises that there is no dragon. Another character sees her appearing crazed. I allow the reader space to reflect on the girl’s traumatic confusion, and what the consequences might be, rather than attempting to over-describe and explain, which would have unnecessarily slowed the pace.

And lastly, the environment. Within my fantasy series, I move through mystical deserts, rugged mountains, lush forests, and I’m careful to describe just enough to support the scene from the viewpoint of the character in the scene. I have a character who is intimately connected with animals, and so sees the world around him through his connection with wildlife. I have characters who see things in shadows, and so their perspective has another dimension to focus on, and a whole different mood. I have a character who’s very connected to her ancestors, and so looks for experiences they may have had. And a character in book 3 that I’m still working on, and we’re moving into the realms of shapeshifting, which completely alters the perspective. Each environment, scene, and character have their own mood, colour palette and tone, (maybe it’s the artist in me). It’s interesting to switch between contrasting scenes, switching colour and mood in a way that livens up the narrative, bringing it to life for the reader. Overall, as readers, what we find visually and emotionally evocative will differ, and what is mentally thought-provoking will be dependent on our interests.

And so, I will leave you with just a few recommendations that I found visually and emotionally evocative, memorable stories that left that all important lasting impact.

What are you reading?

Octavia Butler & the Freedom of SFF

It is just over a week ago that I returned from the International Science Fiction Convention, Worldcon 2024 in Glasgow, and what a magnificent few days it was. I have lots to catch up on and share, the sights and inspirations, but first I want to begin with a few thoughts on my latest read, a woman who kept me company for the convention, whose words have been ringing in my ears for many years, the wise and deeply human, Octavia Butler, whose ‘The Last Interview’ was a joy to read.

Octavia Butler was a survivor, a dreamer and a loner. She was painfully shy as an adolescent, dyslexic, and ‘probably’ gay was her literal answer to a direct question. Bloodchild was about male pregnancy. She enjoys working in SF for the freedom it offers, the ability to go into any technological or sociological problem and extrapolate from there. Her work is underpinned by concepts of power, told in worlds of different races, sexes and cultures, with interest in powerless people gaining power. A theme I very much identify with as a context for my own work.

I first read Octavia Butler when I was a young teen, starting with Kindred. Dana Frankin, a Black woman from an interracial marriage in LA in 1976, is mysteriously and repeatedly plucked back in time to 1824 Maryland and to a moral dilemma involving her white ancestor. The author describes how it was purposeful to give Dana a white husband, to complicate her life, and it was purposeful to make her lose her arm, to demonstrate that she could not come back whole from those experiences. The perspective is told from the viewpoint of not what it might have been like for her ancestors, but rather what it might be like for her, how slavery might reshape her emotionally, whether the compromises and capitulations she would have to make might destroy her, and if not, why not?

Octavia Butler speaks of striving to tell a good story, to take the reader to a world they haven’t seen before, one she has enjoyed creating. She subverts expectations about race, gender, and power, incorporating strong women, multiracial societies and aliens who challenge humanity’s penchant for destruction. In Bloodchild, she wanted to subvert expectation of the invasion story, often represented as humans colonising other planets and either facing aliens who resist, or who submit and become good servants. The author created another possibility in the Oankali, a centipede-like creature that you’re not supposed to regard as evil. It is a species that do not force or rush humans into mating but rather try to bring them in gradually. And in Adulthood Rites, the Oankali become convinced that they cannot destroy the humans who participate, and that humans deserve an untouched world of their own, even if it is Mars.

Octavia Butler advocated for write what you care about, rather than write what you know, (or what you think you know, which is often just regurgitating ideas you have been told, ideas you might tell yourself you believe, when in fact you don’t). Writing can push back against human laziness that is prone to stereotyping as a form of shorthand, that might be a way to deal more with the things we care about and less with the other, but it is reductive and can prevent us from discovering things we could want to know.

Last word:

“Feminism is freedom. It’s the freedom to be who you are and not who someone else wants you to be. And science fiction? Science fiction is wide open. You can go anywhere your imagination can go.”

xxx

Stories, Writing and Comic Fun

A busy weekend gone by at Comic Con, surrounded by stories old and new that have inspired through the ages, demonstrated by those who fully embrace the characters they love, with impressive cosplay and fun encounters. The craftmanship and animatronics is always awe inspiring, from clockwork owls, giant centaurs, a transformer or two, many more, and of course, Darth Vadar and his army of storm troopers. The Star Wars franchise is always a favourite of mine, not least because the time span of the series demonstrates the progress made for equality. The evolution of female characters is a subject in its own right, but oh, I do love Rey – maybe one day I will see her make an appearance there… In the meantime…

It was of course also great to discover new readers, and to chat with those who have read or are reading my own Blood Gift Chronicles. Accompanied by my artwork, and self-made props, it was great to be able to offer more immersion into my world, from the crystal mines of Shendi and the lost mountain lions, through the changing landscapes and the faces of those who carry us through, to tales of dragons, and real-life colonies of flying lizards. The geography and wildlife that inhabits the various land and waterscapes is as real in my mind’s eye as a blackbird’s song, and it’s lovely to share that vision with others. This is what stories are made of.

And of course some readers are writers, and with a fair few years under my belt, with various ups and downs along the way, I’m always happy share, to inspire, and of course in turn be inspired. And so for any budding writers out there, a few points that came up in conversation amid comic fun:

Find your routine, your groove, your working motivators whether that’s allocated time or word counts, and Just Write. Procrastination is the enemy. Talking about writing is not writing. Wanting to be a writer is not writing. Just write. Don’t get caught in edits, just get the story down. Beware of rabbit holes, maintain perspective, you’re the writer not a player, so Just Write. Writing is rewriting is rewriting… that’s how you build, that’s how you discover, that’s how you finish… And then you start all over again. Just Write. If you’re looking for an easy way through, you’ll be disappointed: there is no easy way, there’s just you. Are you a writer? Then Just Write.

Have a wonderful week…

Reach of Fantasy

Starting the day with thoughts of turbulence. Mid-August and it’s blustery out there, grey, drizzly, a far cry from summer, and a world away from the heat wave of last year. It feels like a bizarre contradiction to the devasting heat and wildfires that have ravaged so many places around the world with an ever-continuing climate crisis. Plus the thought that life is unpredictable, and so we move, alter course, expand, hopefully – themes shared in recent poetry, and in art. And they are themes that are blossoming, mushrooming, expanding in my current work-in-progress novel, Blood Gift Chronicles Book 3. Since Book 2 I have allowed myself the time to pause, to take a breath, to see the way for characters old and new, and they spoke back. I’m listening, allowing them their rightful space, their authenticity, their power and potential. Spanning both time and space, their journeys are huge, but human.

Fantasy takes us on a flight,

Fantasy allows us to ground,

Fantasy gives us space to grow,

Fantasy reveals colour tone.

As the writer I was waiting for that deeper shade, that revealing essence. Once found, the words flow. Until the unpredictability of life calls for a pause. This week the garden was calling, or more specifically a bench, and so I’ve been elbow deep in DIY. Monday is just around the corner, and a woman called Ze awaits, for me to write her through the next phase. (Smile.) Her journey is complex, universal. But the higher the mountain we climb, the further we can see. Or at least it’s true for Ze, since she has lived, loved, and lost. And when everything is lost, there is everything to gain…

On a personal note, an ability to expand can involve changing your mind. And I recently changed my mind about a thought I was holding onto, the thought that a book is best read direct from pages held in your hands. And while I still think this is true, especially for a writer who works on screen, there are definite benefits to ebooks and so I relented. Now I’m excited to think that if ever I’m away, I will have a library with me, and for titles only published as ebooks, they will no longer be out of my reach.

My current read is The Book of Yokai: Mysterious creatures of Japanese Folklore. Mysterious sounds… something watching in the dark… creatures from the in between… – stuff that might keep you up at night, or in Mia’s case, lull you to sleep…

Have a great weekend!