Progress, or a Pause?

A break from the relentless imperative of the internet is calling. It refreshes the spirit and reclaims sanity. I’ve produced posts to fill the gaps while I’m away: scheduling is such a useful device! So, before I go I’m indulging in some unapologetic promotion of my books. The best people to comment on books are …

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The #Write #Word? Post 35

Struggle to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? Occasionally, so do I. Perhaps, in trying to improve my own work, I can help you. Today’s words: Bacchanalia, Blend together, By means of, Barking up the wrong tree, Bastard. Synonyms are alternative words that might say exactly what you’re trying to convey. Bacchanalia: is a …

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Creative #Writing #Contests Table Updated

Time to remind you the writing contest table has been updated. It lives on the ‘Resources’ page. You’ll notice there remain some details for 31st August. That’s because this post had to be scheduled, as I’m away from home (and therefore offline) until 4th September, when I’ll delete the older lines. I’m at the launch …

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The #Write #Word? Post 34

Struggle to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? Sometimes, so do I. Maybe, in trying to improve my own work, I can help you. Today’s words: Ardent/Apathetic, Afford an opportunity, Ahem, Adronitis, Author Antonyms: words that express the opposite of other words can be hard to find, because thesauruses usually give no examples. When …

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Where Now?

It’s an odd situation for me, though I know many writers visit this apparent desert frequently and often for prolonged periods. But I appear to have hit that dreaded void known as ‘writer’s block’. But is it real? And, if it is, what causes it? I’ve spent the past few weeks catching up on all …

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The #Write #Word? Post 33

Struggle to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? So do I, sometimes. Maybe, in trying to improve my own work, I can help you. Today’s words: Zenith, Zestfully, Zap, Zealot Synonyms are alternative words that might say exactly what you’re trying to convey. Zenith: Roget lists the following alternatives as headings: superiority, serial place, …

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What Next?

Best laid plans… I woke last Thursday intent on starting a new short story. My usual method is to gather two or three characters, get to know them, select a theme or two, and begin writing, allowing the story to unfold. It’s worked in the past, so, although I haven’t done it for a couple …

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The #Write #Word? Post 32

Struggle to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? So do I, sometimes. Maybe, in trying to improve my own work, I can help you. Today’s words: Yawning, Yell loudly, You only live once, Youth Synonyms are alternative words that might say exactly what you’re trying to convey. Yawning: Roget’s lists these sub-headings; deep, opening, sleepy. …

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The #Writing’s Done. What Now?

I’ve spent the better part of three years on a project, writing a novel each year, and found the void at the end of that process strangely debilitating. So, what do I do know? Fantastic Books Publishing launched Blood Red Dust, book 1 of the Generation Mars series, on 18th October 2016. War Over Dust, …

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My Review Stats, as Provided by BookSirens via Goodreads

I was recently given a chance to have my reviewing activity revealed in charts and diagrams. I thought it would be interesting, for me, and for my readers. Here's the link to the result on BookSirens.  

The #Write #Word? Post 31

Struggling to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? You’re not alone. Maybe, in trying to improve my own work, I can help other writers. Today’s words: Xanthippe, Xeric, Xenophobically, Xenophobe. Words beginning with ‘x’ in English are few, and almost all stem from Greek. In fact, in my copy of the Shorter Oxford English …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

It’s done! It’s out! It’s available to buy (and review)! Right now! Okay, so an overindulgence in apostrophes. I’m excited. Delighted. Eager. The book is no longer a Work In Progress, so this is the last post in this series. There’ll be more on the book, of course: I’d like everyone to read it, after …

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What Would a Muslim Say?, by Ahmed Lotfy Rashed: #BookReview.

Religion and Spirituality/Islam 156 pages Subtitled ‘Conversations, Questions, And Answers About Islam’, this slim volume is an introduction to the Muslim’s view of Islam. It’s also an attempt to separate the actions of extremists from the doctrines on which they base those actions. And an effort to educate non-Muslims in the way the religion is …

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A Fortunate Man, by John Berger, illustrated by Jean Mohr: #BookReview.

Biography/Medical Memoir 177 pages. I came to this extraordinary piece of writing via an unusual route. The village hall hosted a short dramatic presentation by ‘New Perspectives’ introducing the book using visual aids, a soundtrack and the skills of two actors to explain how the book came into being. Although that drama was flawed, it …

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The #Write #Word? Post 30

Struggling to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? You’re not alone. Maybe, in trying to improve my own work, I can help other writers. Today’s words: Waggish/Serious, Wetly, With reference to, Weather the storm, Writer. Antonyms: words that express the opposite of other words can be hard to find, because thesauruses usually give no …

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