When I heard the news that Bristol City Council is to raise cattle on a tract of land adjacent to the M32 motorway I did check the date, but April 1st it was not, and I think it shows remarkable initiative for a council not exactly famous for emlightened approaches to anything. There are sure to be … Continue reading All Cows Eat Grass
Writers are always being urged to provide dramatic and memorable openings, but a post on Random Distractions sent me on a tour of my own bookshelves to discover that amongst even the worthiest of contemporary novels, great first sentences are hard to find. Determined to find something better, I resorted to Google which reminded me … Continue reading First impressions
I’m a bit frustrated that the Winchester Writers’ Conference still hasn’t published its programme for July. With Ailsa almost ready to go out to ‘critical friends’ I am determined to take her along this year. Even if I don’t get any interest, I can at least achieve my lifelong ambition of seeing an agent (any agent!) … Continue reading Waiting game
I’m always disappointed when my garden does no more than reflect my own sporadic efforts , but it’s all the more gratifying when something turns out right, especially today when I am nursing a minor writing bruise in the form of a rejection (complimentary but still a rejection) from a well-known writing project. But hard … Continue reading Lose some, win some
As ever, having got to the end of the W.I.P. (cunning plan abandonned!) the begining doesn’t feel right, and so I am rolling up my sleeves and wrestling with another draft. This one feels like much more like hard slog than a voyage of discovery, but more often than not, that’s the name of the … Continue reading The Historical One
