Are you bullying – yourself?

Are you bullying yourself?

How kind are you?

How kind are you to strangers?

How kind are you to yourself?

Most people tend to be kinder to friends, colleagues, and associates than themselves.

I don’t pretend to have an answer to the reason for this, but it does seem to be difficult to differentiate between selfishness and self-care.

At this time of year, I keep hearing about people feeling down, exhausted, and burned out. This isn’t a new phenomenon. It has happened every year in my memory. It has been recorded throughout history. Some people live in far less comfortable situations than I do (UK). But isn’t the way we treat ourselves akin to bullying? Are you ignoring the small voice that says, ‘I need to rest’?

The expectations we place on ourselves do not always equate to the way we treat other people.  The expectations we place on our own children are not the same as what we expect from other people’s children, even those related to us. Why are we harder on ourselves?

Whether you are performing physical or mental labour, it is around this time of the year, post mid-winter, post-Christmas, when all the parties and joyous activities are done, that many people find themselves taking a dip in energy and feeling unhappy, or miserable, or worse.

There are many things to be grateful for – but thinking this doesn’t always help lift us out of the ‘Blues’. People are leaving the professions that they once loved. People are on a variety of medications. We are told that we are more stressed than previous generations.

When we are exhausted, we experience an energy deficit. There is a temptation to do less, doing less can turn into doing nothing quite quickly. Doing nothing does not re-energise us.

What you need to do is self-care, which can take many forms. You may have heard of the Scandinavian concept of Hygge (rhymes with cougar) – real fires, candles, and snuggly jumpers probably spring to mind, but the idea is about protecting oneself from the outside world.

How to recharge? Recognise the signs of weariness, exhaustion or burnout – preferably before it happens, and then simply TAKE TIME OUT FOR YOURSELF. What sorts of activities give you joy? Do that. Find yourself a new hobby, and do a little every week. You have to bring the joy back into your life. Everyone needs respite and peace sometimes.

There are a couple of English words for what I often do – pottering and pootling. To recharge relax and escape the stresses of work, your new activity must be carried out in a semi-engaged, casual and pleasant way.

I’ve put together an alphabet of hobbies to (maybe) start you off: I tried to make them reasonably inexpensive and accessible (Ice-hockey isn’t available to everyone for example!)

Oh, and you do not have to be any good at your new activity – as long as you ENJOY IT.

Art

Bookbinding

Cooking

Decoupage

Embroidery

Fishing

Gardening

Home Brewing

Interior Design

Journalling

Knitting

Lego

Music (learn an instrument)

Nail Art

Origami

Pen Pals

Quilting

Role Playing Games (TTRPG)

Scrapbooking

Tye-dye

Upholstering

Video games

Writing

Xiangqi (Chinese Chess)

Yoga

Zumba

So, be kind to yourself. Take a moment to think how well you treat yourself day to day. Learn to treat yourself.

By the way, from the above list, there are only 2 activities that I have not tried over my lifetime, maybe you will find your new relaxation passion for 2024!

Take care.

And remember…

How We Had the Perfect Christmas – Stress-Free Holidays aka Pyjama Christmas

We Three Things – Pyjama Christmas

I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas, I’m sure there’s still plenty of food in the fridge! The days following Christmas day can be a bit odd, feel empty to some, a come down for others, and a relief that it’s over for a few. It was agreed by all, in our household, that we had the perfect Christmas. Here’s how…

Firstly, we are a family of three. Now, this is evidently going to be easier than dealing with a family of 5 plus, as there are already less personalities in the mix.

Second, our daughter is 25, all grown up and living with her boyfriend, so no tantrums (or are there?)

Finally, we have few ‘rules’ for Christmas, the main one being, relax.

What to wear?

Never mind Father Christmas – try Pyjama Christmas!

So, everyone likes to get dressed up for this holiday season, don’t they? Or do they? In my limited and brief personal research, I have discovered that although people do get dressed up in their best togs and like to flash new clothes and a bit of bling — that’s just all talk. Most people roll their eyes when they talk of wearing a new outfit. Most people cannot wait to get out of these items of clothing when dinner (or the King’s Christmas speech, if you’re that way inclined) is over.

How did we resolve this issue? I shall tell you our secret.

Every Christmas, I buy a new set of pyjamas for the three of us. Nothing fancy, sometimes silly, but always comfortable. After a shower on Christmas morning, we don our new pyjamas, and spend the whole day in them! It’s comfortable, we’re physically relaxed, and there’s room for the waistline to expand! We love it, and sit there having a good old laugh at everyone we have heard complain about getting ‘dressed up like a stuffed turkey’.

Smoked salmon with dill, lemon and soft cheese on toasted baquette slices

Eating

Preparation starts on Christmas Eve. What shall we prepare in advance? Whatever will reheat easily, and we can be bothered doing. We all chip in — with a drink to hand. On the day itself, we all chip in again — with a drink nearby. It’s not an orderly operation by any means. We don’t have a set time to eat. When it’s ready, is our motto. And that can be anything from 13:00 to 17:00, depending on how long something needs to cook for. This year, I made a semifredo on Christmas Eve – as me and daughter don’t like Christmas cake, or pudding, or mince pies.

Of course, there are plenty of nibbles to pass the time, so no one is desperately hungry.

Nice and easy does it.

Guests

No.

Simple as. This is our family time. We don’t get to see each other too often and we are, all three of us, averse to outsiders. Even other family members. In the past, we have had family for dinners, both sets of parents and a sibling, making it 8 at the table, but we never have enjoyed it as much as when it’s just us three.

Guests can come before and after Christmas, but the day is for us, to do whatever we want, whenever we want.

So many of us feel obliged to invite people over, because that’s what you do, isn’t it? Who says so? Why do we have to stuff our homes with people? Why the stress of entertaining people with disparate tastes (TV and music as well as food). We work with people all year long, so privacy and isolation at Christmas is our joy.

Timings

Now, I well remember that early rising on Christmas Day morn with a small child. Little kids like to open their presents at some ungodly hour, and mum and dad better be there to supervise, otherwise, everyone’s gifts get opened and no one knows who bought what for whom!

But, once the teen years are passed (Hallelujah), there’s a lovely, cosy lie-in. In fact, our offspring hates being disturbed before midday when she is off work. Twenty-something ‘tantrums’ can be fearsome. So, avoid them, does it really matter what time everyone gets up, as long as they don’t miss dinner? A gentle awakening with a cuppa by the bedside, some gentle rustling about the house, reading in bed, doing the crossword, breakfast in bed. We didn’t have to be anywhere. We weren’t expecting anyone. So it didn’t matter.

As it was, we were all opening our presents by 11:30. That’s civilized in our book.

Pyjamas on. Bucks Fizz in hand. Peruse the vegetables and meat.

Entertainment

What does everyone want to do? Do it ALL! Why not? A bit of this and a bit of that isn’t going to harm anyone. Christmas quiz of the Year, board games, silly novelty toys, music in the background — everyone gets to choose something at some point throughout the day. TV. If one or two people aren’t that bothered, then go with the rest. Daughter wanted to watch something, I didn’t mind, hubby didn’t care. so we watched her choice. It all fell apart later when we got drunk and ended up watching some old 80s tat. It didn’t matter. It was funny because we all knew it was terrible. We were united in our hilarity and smugness.

In Conclusion

I cannot recommend highly enough, the wearing of pyjamas on Christmas Day. It’s freeing, it’s relaxing, and it’s funny (to us).

You may think about those in need (we do). But being grateful for what we have and where we live makes everything warmer and enjoyable.

Don’t do it if you don’t want to. This is the one day of the year when you aren’t answerable to anyone (unless you’re under 18). Let it go. Stop organising. Chillax. Have a drink (or a smoke!) Sit back. Enjoy being by yourself or with a limited number. No one should be obliged to feed every aunt and uncle and cousin in sight – unless you want to.

Keep it simple. It’s not about the money. It’s not about showing off. It’s about enjoying yourself.

Did I mention pyjamas?!

Ten Days to Go! NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month

Not to scare you or anything, but – There’s Ten Days to Go!

There are ten, yes 10, days left in the NaNoWriMo event. For those who have ploughed ahead with great focus and commitment, and have met the target, well done!

Fifty thousand words isn’t a huge amount in the scheme of things, the average novel is between 80,000-100,000 words. It’s not simply the amount that can be intimidating, but the time in which you produce it. One month, thirty days. Not long at all, especially if you work, have family commitments, or attend a weekly club. It all eats into those ‘precious’ minutes.

Ten Days to Go!

We had a visit one day from a couple of relatives. Like most sane individuals, they work ‘regular’ jobs with regular hours. They have weekends to do whatever they want, so they do not understand that, even though I have had a full morning to write, I desperately need the afternoon too.

You see, I can’t type fast. In fact, I’m not trained, so I tend to use only the first two fingers of both hands – occasionally dipping into the ring finger for the letter ‘A’. Even if I could type faster, I can’t do it continuously all day long. I have been known to slam out thousands of words in a day, when I am deeply involved — in the zone, as sports people say. But I can’t keep this up day after day and often sit staring at the screen internally screaming ‘Get on with it!’

Ten Days to Go!

Studies have shown that attention spans vary according to age, with younger people (this surprised me) having the longest. There has been some surprise in education quarters when told that information cannot be processed after a certain period and that talking to students should last no longer than 10 to 15 minutes. Attention depletes after this period and so nothing is going in.

I imagine that authors who have been writing for many years, like all creative types, have learned to focus attention and have therefore been able to expand this span over longer and longer periods. The average human attention span is now said to be… 8.25 seconds, (some of you have become bored already and stopped reading).

The average attention span for 16 years plus, is said to be 32 to 48 minutes. Let’s say one needs a break from it every half hour, perhaps, make that 10 minutes, that removes 1 hour and 20 minutes, in an 8-hour day you could write for 6.66 hours. If you can write nonstop, without loo breaks, tea breaks, or lunch, that’s a lot of words. But unless you’re a machine, that ain’t going to happen.

Ten Days to Go!

 Which is why aiming for 50k in this month-long event is a challenge. One does not rewrite, one does not edit, and one does not do research in the middle of writing. Nothing else is meant to happen except a great outpouring of words. Sometimes, the way you have arranged those words will not make sense. Sometimes you will write a scene that will never make it to the final cut. Often, and most commonly, you will have a horrible sensation of incompleteness or rigidity as each day dawns and another one and a half k words need to be unloaded into your machine or book.

At the stage I am at, if I can write 1.5k a day until the end, I can make it. If I can overcome the two sticking points in my story, I can make it. If I can make sense in my head of what I have written so far and add to it, I can make it. If I knuckle down on those days when I don’t work and slam out more than the daily requirement, I can make it.

Ten days.

The clock is ticking.

You can make it too!

Good luck!

https://www.thetreetop.com/statistics/average-human-attention-span#:~:text=Average%20Human%20Attention%20Span%20Statistics,than%20goldfish%20(9%20seconds).

An Evening With Richard Armitage – Geneva Book Review

Genre: Crime, Thriller

Pub Date: 12 Oct. 2023

Publisher: Pegasus Crime

Length: 288 pages (HB edition)

Hardback Edition: £24.86

Geneva is a debut novel described as ‘A bold and unpredictable debut thriller set in the biotech world (and deceptive beauty) of Switzerland, by acclaimed actor Richard Armitage.’ 

Synopsis:

Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sarah Collier has taken a step back from work to spend more time with her family. Movie nights with her husband Daniel and their daughter Maddie are a welcome respite from the scrutiny of the world’s press. As much as it hurts, it’s good to be able to see her father more too. He’s suffering from Alzheimer’s and needs special care. Sarah has started to show tell-tale signs of the disease too. She’s been experiencing blackouts and memory loss. It’s early days but she must face the possibility that she won’t be there to see her daughter grow up. Daniel, a neuroscientist himself, is doing his best to be supportive but she already knows that she will have to be the strong one. For all of them.

So when Sarah is invited to be the guest of honour at a prestigious biotech conference in Geneva she declines, wanting to stay out of the public eye–that is until Daniel shows her the kind of work that the enigmatic Mauritz Schiller has been developing.

This was a ticketed event run by Linghams Bookseller of Heswall, and took place at the Birkenhead School in Oxton (Wirral). The hall was pretty much filled to capacity with a surprising mix of ages – twenty-somethings to seventy-plus, at a guess. Clare Mackintosh; a successful crime writer herself, was our host and interviewer for the evening.

Armitage is known for his film and TV work, but I was unaware that he was also a narrator. He told us that he had been narrating since before Audible was a thing. He enjoys reading, and reads aloud even when reading by himself, it is to do with hearing the sound of words, he told us. Now, this is the amazing thing – especially if you are a struggling writer of novels (like I am), and one might get a bit envious, jealous, even cynical, about how this book came to be written.

Amazon approached Armitage and asked if he would like to write a thriller. He said yes, because he didn’t think it would actually happen. Had he ever written before? Not books, but he has a habit of writing out character profiles and backgrounds for those he plays. Amazon offered him a ghostwriter, which he refused. They asked for samples of his writing, which he duly sent them. So, how does this happen? Armitage himself laughed and said he thought there was some weird algorithm that Amazon uses – probably checks how many people downloaded his narrated works.

So, anyway, he completed the book; on flights, train journeys, travelling between filming. He planned it the way moving image producers plan filming – with a sort of ‘Call Sheet’ – everything in each scene of each chapter in a sentence.

The book – what was I expecting? Not a lot to be honest. When someone is asked to create something in a craft that isn’t their own, I have my doubts. Let’s be honest, would Amazon have asked if they didn’t think his name would draw the punters? I think not.

However,

I was pleasantly surprised. This is a fairly solid debut novel. All the references to Harlan Coben, and his (Coben’s) endorsement, did put me off. (I have read Coben’s work and it’s okay, and I have not enjoyed any of the TV adaptations of his work.) Fear not, Armitage has come up with an intriguing set-up. World-class professor, Sarah Collier, is suffering from Alzheimer’s. She is to attend an important event in Geneva to endorse new technology that will forever change how illnesses of the brain are treated. But Sarah is slowly losing confidence in her abilities. She cannot be sure of what is real anymore and who she can trust.

It’s not brilliant. It’s not going to be a classic, in the true sense of the word, but it is good writing. I finished it in two days, it’s not long, and the story kept me engaged throughout. I wasn’t sure how believable some of the plot twists were, but by the time I questioned them, I’d moved on. I did want to find out what happened to everyone in the story, and I was taken by surprise as it neatly rounded to the opening scene.

It’s a fun and engaging read. I’m  giving Geneva 4 stars.

An Evening With Colin Walsh – Kala Book Review

Genre: Literary Fiction, Thriller
Pub Date: 6 July 2023
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Length: 432 pages (HB edition)
Hardback Edition: £14.39

This event took place in July – I am waaaay behind with this post.

The West Kirby Bookshop is a new(ish), independent bookshop in the heart of West Kirby on the Wirral. Indi bookshops need the same love and attention as indie authors, and with that in mind, I made my first visit in July this year. The staff are very friendly, and knowledgeable about books. I bought two and was convinced to buy a ticket – which included the book, for a reading by Colin Walsh, who I had not heard of before.

Kala is a debut novel described as ‘A gritty heartbreaker of a thriller… Part heartfelt coming-of-age tale, part brutal Irish noir, this is a spectacular read for Donna Tartt and Tana French fans’ – Kirkus

Synopsis:

Three old friends are thrown together in the seaside town of Kinlough, on Ireland’s west coast for the first time in years. They – Helen, Joe and Mush – were part of an original group of six inseparable teenagers in the summer of 2003, with motherless, reckless Kala Lanann as their group’s centre. Soon after that summer’s peak, Kala disappeared without a trace.

Now – fifteen years later: Helen has reluctantly returned to Ireland for her father’s wedding; Joe is a world-famous musician, newly back in town; and Mush has never left, too scared to venture beyond the counter of his mother’s café. But human remains have been discovered in the woods. Two more girls have gone missing. And as past and present begin to collide, the estranged friends are forced to confront their own complicity in the events that led to Kala’s disappearance, and to try to stop Kinlough’s violent patterns repeating themselves once again…

At this moment of writing (far from the actual event! Apologies) I cannot recall the name of the woman who ran the question-and-answer session. Walsh came across as a lovely, one might say shy, individual. He had an air of quiet self-assuredness, which I found pleasantly startling and refreshing in a man who I thought quite young. (I have no idea how old Walsh is, but to my ageing eyes he looked like a very young chap). He read extracts, answered questions about the process and then questions from the floor. I asked if he thought the Ireland he portrayed might offend some, as emigrants often view the old country with green-tinted spectacles, a romantic Ireland of days gone by. Walsh agreed that this was a view many held about Ireland and that he was unperturbed by potential nay-sayers. He came across as thoughtful, his answers considered, respectful and frighteningly mature. He spoke of the psychology of the Irish and young people and those who have been damaged by an experience (as Mush is, both psychologically and physically).

For a debut novel, this is excellent writing. Walsh honed his skills through short story writing, for which he has won awards.

The book – It is set against the backdrop of a town suffocating on its own secrets. Kinlough is one of those places where visitors come for the view, for the craic, for a scent of typical Irishness; a festival, put on by Joe; the returning musician, draws the locals and visitors alike. We get a wonderful portrait of each of the prime actors in the tale, not just physically, but their ongoing mental states; the disappearance of their childhood friend has left deep scars. There isn’t any out-and-out action, there aren’t any scare jumps or sudden astonishing reveals, but it is written so well, that one is pulled along and into this world of damaged young adults that you are there with them when they succeed and fail.  The story builds slowly, begins to simmer and boils to a climax.

I think Kala examines the cost of belonging, to a country, a town, a clique. Some people move on regardless of what occurred in their past, but most of us carry that baggage in some form or other, and we might feel betrayed, hurt or vindicated through our own response.

I really enjoyed this novel. I like Walsh’s style of writing. I enjoyed the suggestion of danger, the way people disguise themselves as something else, the smattering of humour.

I’m giving Kala 5 stars

New Book – Saint Peter’s Knickers

From the author of Rottnest, comes a novella about an eight-year-old navigating school, friendships and neglect.

Although Saint Peter’s Knickers deals with some pretty depressing themes, it is not presented in a dark manner, primarily due to the protagonist, Piety Scroggins.

Piety is delightfully naive. She does not always understand the rules of the classroom or the playground, she struggles with relationships and has awful parents.

Set in northern England in the 1970s, older readers will recognise the school system – the lack of knowledge, understanding or compassion shown to children at this time. The words ‘special needs’, SEND, and diagnosis of learning difficulties simply did not exist at this time. One was either a clever/good child, or a ignorant/naughty child.

Corporal punishment was commonplace. Detention routine. Children were bullied mercilessly if they showed any signs of weakness or ‘difference’. Schools in England had Remedial classes for those kids who fell behind in subjects – and this was all the excuse some needed to launch a tirade of unpleasant namecalling against them. There was no attempt to integrate children who had different ways of learning. School staff rarely, if ever, displayed signs of affection, or caring – even in Primary schools – children looked to dinner ladies for sympathy quite often.

Despite what people think about the seventies – being the end of the hippie era, of ‘cool’ clothes and freedom, it has been called ‘Britain’s gloomiest period since the second world war…’ There was class war in industry, a rise in public and domestic violence, a turndown in the economy, a rise in the unemployment rate, strikes, bread queues, power cuts; the rate of decline in places like Liverpool was sharp – previously traditional manufacturing industries and the shipbuilding had employed thousands of blue collar workers ceased to exist.

Into this atmosphere of despair and despondency comes a ray of sunshine. Piety, at the opening of the tale, is eight years old. She lives with her mother and father and younger brother in a scabby terraced house and as her name suggests, she believes in goodness and is unquestionably accepting with a reverence for knowledge, nature and an unconventional reverence for paintings of saints – particualrly Saint Peter by El Greco. She has unspecified learning difficulties which no one seems capable or equipped to deal with. Most of the peripheral characters either don’t care or are actively abusive.

However, there are four adults who go against the prevailing grain of the period – and there were, at the time, rare individuals who stood out from the rest because of their compassion. Sometimes this compassion was disguised as practicality, as displayed by Mr Wright the art teacher, sometimes it revealed itself in more visible ways – but rarely.

Saint Peter’s Knickers is for any age over 12. Some of the language might be unsuitable for younger readers and it has been classed as YA. However, beta readers – who were all over 40 years of age, gave very positive reports on the story.

Although Piety is the butt of jokes, she maintains her beautiful belief that – ‘The world was an amazing place!’

Get your copy of Saint Peter’s Knickers here

Exploring the Dark Side of AI-Powered Writing: Unraveling the Negatives

Introduction:

The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have brought about numerous transformative changes across various industries, including writing. AI-powered writing tools have made content creation more efficient and accessible than ever before. However, like any technology, AI writing comes with its fair share of drawbacks and concerns. In this blog, we delve into the negatives of writing with AI, shedding light on some of the challenges and ethical considerations that come with this technology.

Loss of Authenticity:

One of the primary concerns with AI-powered writing is the potential loss of authentic human voice and creativity. While AI can generate text that is coherent and grammatically correct, it may lack the genuine emotional depth, unique perspectives, and nuances that human writers bring to their work. As a result, content produced by AI might feel sterile and formulaic, failing to resonate with readers on a personal level.

Cookie-Cutter Content:

AI writing tools often rely on patterns and templates, which can lead to a saturation of generic and formulaic content across the internet. This flood of similar articles and blog posts can dilute the quality of information available to readers and hinder the exploration of diverse viewpoints. It also raises concerns about originality and plagiarism, as AI-generated content may inadvertently replicate existing works.

Unintended Bias and Misinformation:

AI systems learn from vast amounts of data, which may contain biases and inaccuracies present in society. This can result in AI-generated content that inadvertently perpetuates stereotypes, spreads misinformation, or reflects the biases of the data it was trained on. Writers using AI tools must be vigilant in fact-checking and ensuring the accuracy and fairness of the content they produce.

Threat to Human Jobs:

The rise of AI writing tools has sparked concerns about the potential displacement of human writers. While AI can expedite certain aspects of content creation, it is unlikely to fully replicate the creativity, emotional intelligence, and adaptability that human writers bring to their craft. The widespread adoption of AI-powered writing tools could have negative implications for job opportunities and the livelihoods of professional writers.

Ethical Dilemmas:

The use of AI in writing raises a host of ethical questions. Should AI-generated content be labeled as such to inform readers? Who holds responsibility for the accuracy and credibility of AI-generated content? These ethical dilemmas extend to issues of transparency, accountability, and the potential manipulation of information.

Conclusion:

AI-powered writing undoubtedly offers numerous benefits in terms of efficiency and accessibility, but it is essential to recognize and address the negatives that come with it. As writers and consumers of content, we must remain vigilant in navigating the challenges posed by AI-generated writing, while also harnessing the technology responsibly to ensure that it complements, rather than replaces, the unique qualities that human writers bring to the table. By striking a balance between the advantages and disadvantages, we can leverage AI as a valuable tool while upholding the integrity and authenticity of the written word.

Not quite finished…

Smashing computer

The bit I removed!

‘like the one you’re using now’ from the first paragraph – ‘AI-powered writing tools [the extracted piece] have made content creation more efficient and accessible…’ Yep. All that stuff you just read was by chat.openai. Did you twig?!

The reason I did this was because (you’re a sneaky biatch, Alexandra?!) to determine whether it made a difference to a person’s reading experience, if unaware that it was written, not by a human, but by a ‘robot’.

I assume regulars would notice a discrepancy in style, word choice, and so forth. Really astute followers would have realised when they read the title. In case you are unaware, I’m British and that spelling of the word ‘unraveling/unravelling’ is American English, not real English. i.e. Not right 😉

Anyway, the point of this was not to con you dear reader – well maybe just a teensy bit, but to allow you to make up your own mind about this AI stuff. There are conversations piling up by the shedload about loss of humanity, loss of jobs, THE END IS NIGH. A division is beginning to take shape – those for and those against.

This is where one could possibly pull in another question so often asked on places like Twitter – are you a writer or an author? Writer or Author? I reckon the label writer, represents those who produce reports, content, journalism, listicles, in short anything non-fiction, and these folk might use AI for certain tasks. Authors; those who create stories, poetry, fiction, would not. And by authors, I mean real authors, people who actually give a shit about the writing process, the creativity, the craft. Not those disgusting excuses for human beings that steal other’s work and print under their own name, or who submit stories not written by themselves but generated by a feckin’ electronic database! Authors create (Brave) new worlds, and I would even go so far as to suggest it was an author who ‘invented’ AI, not a sciency boffin person. The notion of machines with human-like intelligence dates back to Samuel Butler’s 1872 novel, Erewhon.

AI just regurgitates very well.

Author in Search of Inspiration: Where to Find It and How to Use It

Dressing as a milkmaid and writing with a quill

Tips and tricks for finding inspiration as an author and learn how to use them to fuel your writing.

The thing about being an author is that you never know when inspiration will strike. It can happen at any time, in any place. And so it was with me. As I was sitting at my desk one day, pondering what I would make for lunch when the idea for a novel came to me. As Tommy Cooper would say, just like that. It sometimes happens. We’ve all experienced that tingly moment – or Bam! to the system when you know you just have to get this down.
However, there are times when the muse – if you believe in such a creature, seems to have rolled over, pulled the duvet higher, and continued to slumber. Or has taken herself off to another writer. Tarts, that’s what muses are.
Being a writer can be both incredibly rewarding and frustrating. The opportunity to do what you want for a while. To not feel bored. To have something that you are engaged in outside of the workplace (if, like me, you also hold down a regular job). To contribute to the creativity and culture in the society you live in. To explore the world around you, the people and creatures in it – including yourself. Few people get to experience that outside non-secular institution.
Not everyone has a message to get across, or a passion to ‘spread the word’ via storytelling. Those writers who do will mostly focus their productivity on a theme or similar themes throughout their books. These writers are, in many ways, very lucky. They are starting their craft with a reason to do it. For the rest of us, who want to be creative storytellers without a message, or who want to try our hand at variety, we must put a little more effort in.
I came to writing via the visual arts. I studied Graphic Design before the advent of computers. I specialised in Fine Art, sculpture at university. I taught myself to paint when we lived somewhere small, so sculpting was out of the question. I started writing late in life. I was almost 50 years old when I began. I’ve never been stuck for an idea. Here, I’m going to give you some suggestions, tips etc for finding and using inspiration. With all these ideas, it doesn’t mean that each thing you encounter will immediately set you running for the laptop or book, but they will provide food for thought for future projects.

1. Always carry a notebook. You’re a passenger on public transport or in a car. Someone is always talking or there is stuff to look at. Learn how to observe. Take notes. Keep them. People having conversations around you. Even one sentence can inspire a tale. When you’re spending the evening with friends, quite often one of them comes up with an anecdote – turn it into something.
2. Most people today carry a mobile phone. If you do – use that camera! I have files on my Google Drive filled with photographs that the majority of people would think are rubbish. So what? A weed in a paving crack, a tiny attic window, a hollow tree, a flaky front door. They may not start an actual story, they may simply spark a scene or chapter. If you don’t have a mobile phone, make a little sketch in your notebook! Yes, that notebook from tip 1.
3. Collect images. Collect them from the internet – they’re free. Keep a folder on Google Drive and fill it with stuff that piques your interest. Cut pictures from magazines, newspapers, and journals. Pull bits of old billboard poster off – yes I have done this and used it to inspire description of old layers. Visit charity and junk shops and find old postcards and photographs. Heck – take photographs inside the junk shop – there may be a magic mirror or poison chalice lurking at the back!
4. Newspaper cuttings. I have a plastic wallet-like folder which contains snippets of headlines, news stories, adverts, and phrases. On a day when you want to try writing a short story, do your own lucky dip. The first one you pull out, that’s what you write about.
5. Ask a friend. When you want to write a short piece of fiction for the sake of practice, ask a family member or friend to suggest a topic. It’s likely they will come up with something you would never have thought of, and perhaps don’t like the sound of – go with it.
6. Online prompts. These are my least favourites. To me, they seem somehow contrived. But, if you are a fan of the internet, then grab something from one of the many ideas/prompt generators.
7. Using pen/pencil and book. Once a week you must pick up the pen and book, and open a fresh page. Set a timer for 3 minutes. Write. The first thing that pops into your head. Whatever it is, run with it. Keep writing until the time is up. It does not matter what you have written, the act of putting pen to paper is far more useful than people give it credit for. A lot of writers say they break into poetry this way – using pen and paper slows you down, and you enjoy the physical process and the pace of development. After a couple of these exercises, increase the time to 5 minutes, then 10. Do this for as long as you feel ‘stuck’.
8. Competitions. Short story competitions are a great way to encourage one to come up with something and draft, write and edit within a limited timeframe. When you have completed your story, you don’t necessarily have to submit it if you don’t feel confident in the results. But why not give it a try? You never know!
9. Change your preferred genre. Most authors have a single genre or set of sub-genres that they write in. Getting out of this comfort zone can trigger a different thought process. For instance, if you write fantasy romance; knights and damsels in distress, the schlock horror sub-genre is probably not your cup of tea. However, a little writing exercise in that genre could well trigger something for future use.
10. Daydreaming. Remember when you got told off at school for staring out the classroom window? What were you looking at? Nothing, in all probability. You were daydreaming. You probably couldn’t recall what you were imagining even an hour after the fact. But as we mature, we’re encouraged to focus, to stop wasting time. How sad that we have no time for letting the imagination ‘wander lonely as a cloud’, to misquote Mr Wordsworth. The human brain needs rest the same way our body does. Let it recoup. When you are not expected anywhere, or at work, or have chores, stop. Just sit down, and look out of the window. Stop thinking. Relax. Feel yourself settle into the furniture. Dare to dream.
11. Read. Every successful author tells you this. Read. Read books by old authors, new authors, up and coming authors. Books that are not of your writing genre. It doesn’t matter. Your vocabulary won’t expand unless you read. If you have a favourite author, ask yourself why they are. What is it about this book that so appeals to you? What has the author done to engage you? Reading allows you to take in fuel. Like your body won’t work if it’s empty, neither will your imagination – there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
12. Rewrite exercise. Take a short scene from that favourite book we just mentioned in tip 11. Now turn it on it’s head. Rewrite it so that there is a different outcome. The characters may reverse roles, genders, sex, attire, or function. What you come up with isn’t the point, it’s a way of thinking a little differently than you do usually when you write. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut because we feel like we’re writing the same thing. Zhuzh it up a little.

Creative types are magpies. We pick up a little trinket here, a shiny bauble there. But magpies are always on the lookout. If inspiration does not come easily, you should be too! I hope you have found something of use here.

Everyone knows the Shakespeare quote about achieving greatness, but not many recall the following line, which I will leave as a parting ‘gift’.

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves. I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.”

Sticks & Stones

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me

Alexander William Kinglake in his Eothen, circa 1830

As an author, one is always being bombarded with ‘How to’ stuff. How to write a short story, how to write flash fiction, how to write a query letter, how to promote your book, how to string a dozen facetious words together and make a million bucks!

Seems to me that the only people making money in the literature industry isn’t the makers, its the people selling stuff TO the makers.

As an indie author – self-published, who doesn’t have spare dosh lying around, not only writes the stuff, but has to edit (before sending to an actual editor), create and make the book cover design, format each book, launch it into the market (like throwing a pea into a field of peas), market myself on social media (very poor at this), and start work on my next book.

Some folk love all that. Some folk relish the edit and the media marketing madness. Not me. I just want to be left alone to write stories and for people to enjoy them.

This has been my attempt to get you to buy my books.

Follow the link below for some loveliness. I thank you.

Get thee along to https://www.sticksandstonesbooks.com

All titles available on Amazon.

AP: Was that okay?

EVF: Seemed a bit critical of the publishing industry.

AP: You don’t think it was too needy? Too pleading?

EVF: Were you kneeling when you wrote it?

Vote for Rottnest

First, a belated Happy New Year, to those who follow the Gregorian calendar, (other New Year dates are available). I hope this brief update finds you well, at least health wise if not financially, and that 2023 will be better than the previous three!

So, to the point of this limited post.

Rottnest, by E.V Faulkner, was published by Sticks & Stones in May 2022.

It is featured on allauthor.com and is currently in the Cover of the Month competition. The cover was designed by myself, using Adobe Photoshop and postermywall.com

You can show your love here: https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/14727/

                    <p>They say not to judge a book by its cover but I need you to do just that. If you liked the cover of my book, <strong>ROTTNEST</strong>, please vote for it for the Cover of the Month contest on AllAuthor.com! </p>
                    <p>I’m getting closer to clinch the "Cover of the Month" contest on AllAuthor! I’d need as much support from you guys. Please take a short moment to vote for my book cover here:
                     <a href='https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/14727/' rel="dofollow"><img src="https://allauthor.com/book/big/516720220520172050.jpg"> Click to Vote!</a></p>

It’s been described as ‘delightful’, ‘fascinating’, ‘intriguing’ ‘unique’.

You can read a review of Rottnest by the author, Cheryl Burman here: https://cherylburman.com/rottnest-by-ev-faulkner/ and another by Ajla Medanhodzic here: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/rottnest-e-v-faulkner#review

You can buy your very own copy here: https://www.amazon.com/ROTTNEST-V-FAULKNER