I was never one of those people who announce Hey, I’m taking a social media break, see you on the other side! and then make a big Hey I’m back when it’s over. When I need a break I just… Continue Reading →
I never posted these faux news snippets at the time – a week when lockdown in the UK was beginning to ease/fall apart after the Dominic Cummings debacle, cafes were opening for takeout coffee and the Black Lives Matter protests… Continue Reading →
Written for the daily microfiction challenge vss365, and the imaginary history of the lost county of Hookland. The prompt was #verdant. There is a tune to this but I can’t write musical notation so imagine something old, with stamped foot… Continue Reading →
If you have ever wished someone would answer your front door and pour you more tea, in between standing unobtrusively in your parlour awaiting your command, then look no further. Here is the Butler Generator, which will supply you with… Continue Reading →
I just read an article about a study of Mills and Boon (Harlequin) romance titles. It suggested that the prevalence of certain words in the titles revealed women’s key desires. Therefore Doctor, Baby, Marriage. It’s like a romance workflow. But… Continue Reading →
I’m currently writing something which you could only describe as fantasy – not the elves and magic kind, but the he’s-secretly-a-billionaire kind. You know the deal: the heroine steps into a world where money is no object and everything is… Continue Reading →
One of my biggest challenges when coming up with story ideas is the perennial ‘give your characters a problem.’ This is something writing advice tells me I must do, yet it seems so difficult and I’m not sure why. Then… Continue Reading →
I spent some time today discovering the most frequently used words in romance novel titles (Thanks, Mills and Boon catalogue!) and used my new knowledge to update my Romance Novel Title Generator. Find a link to it here. My research… Continue Reading →
The last few days have not offered much in the way of creative sustenance. Countries either side of the Pond appear to be disintegrating. Unity is at an all-time low with divides over race, education, membership of various international agreements,… Continue Reading →
Since the virus started up in Europe in February I have hardly written anything. Big life changes like working from home, shopping in tape-demarcated two metre stages, schools closed and distant family now completely inaccessible – not to mention the… Continue Reading →