Writing Prompt: Alphabet Soup

As a writer, I'm also a reader. I read everything and anything that catches my attention. Novels, newspaper, how-to books, magazines, cereal boxes, blogs, forum posts, song lyrics...anything. One of the most important things in writing is expanding your vocabulary, so I study the words and expressions of others searching for inspiration. Funny, the book...

Writing Prompt: Creating the perfect fit

My tastes in books tends to be a bit eclectic. I have Japanese thrillers, historical fiction, contemporary British, history, philosophy, fantasy, horror and science fiction (to name a few).  There is no predicting what will capture my attention on a given day when I wander into Waterstone's on Princes Street. When I go in, I...

Sonnet 147 – William Shakepeare

My love is as a fever, longing still For that which longer nurseth the disease; Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill, The uncertain sickly appetite to please. My reason, the physician to my love, Angry that his prescriptions are not kept, Hath left me, and I desperate now approve, Desire his death, which...

Quote for the day

Write to be understood, speak to be heard, read to grow... ~ Lawrence Clark Powell

Quote for the day

Drama, instead of telling us the whole of a man's life, must place him in such a situation, tie such a knot, that when it is untied, the whole man is visible.  ~Leo Tolstoy  

Writing Prompt: Putting words in the blender

When I sat at my computer, the blank screen in Word taunted me. I rested my hands on the keyboard, fingers at the ready, twitching to be set loose on the keys. I waited. Nothing happened. I began to think of things troubling me, of relationships I'm worried about, about the future. Too much, I...

Quote for the day

A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the other one.  ~Baltasar Gracián

Worth remembering

When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.  ~Enrique Jardiel Poncela

Writing Prompt: Ghosts, Ghouls, Goblins and Gremlins part 1

Fantasy and Science fiction writing can be difficult. You need to create an alternate reality whilst ensuring that scene, characters and plot remain convincing enough to engage the reader. I've loved horror and science fiction stories most of my life (this stretches into the realm of film as well) and have tried to write horror...

Writing Prompt: Your opening line

One of the most important things you can do to engage a reader is to grab them with the first line. It is the initial impression that will attract a reader's attention and keep them hooked. By starting your story with a powerful opening you accomplish several things. You establish scene, mood, theme and point of...