What is your idea of heaven? If asked to draw an image of it, what would you come up with? I’ve found that people may often be unwilling to either say exactly what they think heaven is like, or to create their own image of it. And then they seem held back by ideas ofContinue reading “Our Picture of Heaven – Static and Changeless, or Wild and Dynamic?”
Author Archives: SC Skillman
Good Friday, The Magic of Believing, and Success and Failure
Once I tried to live by the magic of believing, in which positive thoughts always attract good circumstances into our lives – until I realised success and failure in this world cannot be understood in such a simplistic way. How straightforward life would be if that was so. The truth is none of us knowContinue reading “Good Friday, The Magic of Believing, and Success and Failure”
The Wailing Wall, Sacred Space and Topol
A recent 24/7 prayer weekend at church created a “sacred space” in a room, where people could come and reflect, and paint and write and draw, and meditate in a tent or tie a leaf to a tree or write their angst on a paper chain then break the chain and tear it to pieces andContinue reading “The Wailing Wall, Sacred Space and Topol”
An Artist’s Feeling for Light and Relationship with the Creative Writer
“Show don’t tell” is one of the most common pieces of advice given to a writer; and this is the case with artists too. Yet sometimes we like to hear an artist explain their method of working. And so the other day I listened to Phyllis Davies, Painter and Textile Artist, as she discussed her art at aContinue reading “An Artist’s Feeling for Light and Relationship with the Creative Writer”
Welcome To My Blog – About Me
Thank you for visiting my blog! I write psychological, paranormal and mystery fiction and non fiction. I’m a member of the Society of Authors and the Association of Christian Writers. My new book Paranormal Warwickshire is out now from Amberley Publishing. It’s available everywhere good books are sold. If you’d like a signed copy sentContinue reading “Welcome To My Blog – About Me”
The Pessimistic Optimism of the Long-Distance Creative Writer
After being turned down by numerous publishers, he had decided to write for posterity – George Ade It is a truth certainly acknowledged by the author of the above quote that many creative writers struggle for years, enduring perhaps decades in the wilderness of submissions and rejections, before their persistence finally pays off. Most would-beContinue reading “The Pessimistic Optimism of the Long-Distance Creative Writer”
Highly-focused, intense, and brilliant: The First Hunger Games Film
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins provides a very exciting, stirring read, engaging young adults – and now of course adults too – with major issues in today’s world. I saw The Hunger Games movie having read the trilogy a couple of years ago. I found the books compelling in their narrative of horrific events, in the endContinue reading “Highly-focused, intense, and brilliant: The First Hunger Games Film”
Wisdom from Hermitage, Cave and Monastery
Sometimes you hear people say “What’s the use of being a solitary contemplative?” How can any of humanity’s problems be resolved by those who withdraw from the world, to live the life of a hermit or a monk? The vital role of the sadhu or holy man is long established in Indian tradition; and renewed interestContinue reading “Wisdom from Hermitage, Cave and Monastery”
Literary Criticism, Joseph Conrad Corns and Jane Austen’s Irony
A friend recently asked me this question on behalf of her daughter, an Eng Lit A level student: “How do you analyse a novel?” And I tried to be helpful… but what strikes me most about literary criticism is that even though you may analyse a novel on many levels, according to the personal preference of theContinue reading “Literary Criticism, Joseph Conrad Corns and Jane Austen’s Irony”
Favour, privilege, and royal fairy dust
My son mentioned to me that he had learned from Newsround that Garry Barlow of Take That had asked Prince Harry to sing a line in one of their songs. And that Harry had (so far) refused. This led to thoughts about royal power and privilege; especially as I later watched the excellent TV programme “She-Wolves” presentedContinue reading “Favour, privilege, and royal fairy dust”
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