Recently I visited one of the locations in my current work-in-progress, Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire to be published by Amberley Publishing in 2022. The subject matter of the book varies widely but is largely about curious events in the physical world, based in known fact; however, the first chapter is devoted to strange and spookyContinue reading “The stories of people who believe they have had strange experiences”
Tag Archives: believe
In Search of Authenticity: Our True Selves and Our Essential Need for Community
How can we be true to ourselves? And how can we live in ways that are true to what we believe? And how can we mix up our inner and outer worlds, so we are not compartmentalised like a waffle, but rather, more like a bowl of spaghetti? These were just three of the questionsContinue reading “In Search of Authenticity: Our True Selves and Our Essential Need for Community”
The Lovely Bones Film – New Insight Onto a Terrifying Subject
What could be worse than losing someone you love through untimely death? And what could be even worse than that? Losing them through murder. And then worse than that? Just imagine – the person you love, who is murdered, is a child, with all life and hope ahead of them. This is the nightmare scenarioContinue reading “The Lovely Bones Film – New Insight Onto a Terrifying Subject”
Why Les Miserables Is So Popular
How is it that the story of Les Miserables has tapped into the emotions of so many? I first read Victor Hugo’s novel in my late teens/early twenties, and a central idea stayed with me over the years (though not necessarily in the exact words Victor Hugo used): You have been taken away from evil,Continue reading “Why Les Miserables Is So Popular”
Men Into Monsters – Spidermen, Octopuses, Lizards and Aliens – Why Do We Love Them in Books, TV Dramas and Movies?
Who’s the most compelling character in a Spiderman movie? For me, it’s Dr Otto Octavius (Doc Ock) and Dr Curt Connors. As I watched “The Amazing Spiderman” DVD again the other day, it was Rhys Ifans in the role of Dr Curt Connors, that my eyes were on. Rhys Ifans is an actor I loveContinue reading “Men Into Monsters – Spidermen, Octopuses, Lizards and Aliens – Why Do We Love Them in Books, TV Dramas and Movies?”
The Core of a Successful Novel: The Ring of Truth
Q – What is the core of a successful novel? A – You can in some way identify with it; you recognise it as relating to your own life experience. And this doesn’t mean you need to have experienced exactly the same events that the novel describes: simply that you recognise the truth in theContinue reading “The Core of a Successful Novel: The Ring of Truth”
Defining Moments of Life: Journey To a University Open Day
The beautiful Cambrian mountains – spectacular scenery to drive through, to your daughter’s first university open day. A misty, rolling, dreamlike landscape – ideal for a journey, but not a place that many find easy to live in. The route took us from the Midlands through the England/Wales border country, to Aberystwyth on the west coastContinue reading “Defining Moments of Life: Journey To a University Open Day”
The Writer’s Journey: A Satisfying End to the Story
The way in which a novel ends is critical to its success A satisfying end determines whether readers will go away and say to their friends, “I’ve just read this fantastic novel!” I believe that a novel is defined by the way it ends. The theme becomes clear, and the focus of the story shinesContinue reading “The Writer’s Journey: A Satisfying End to the Story”
Currents, Backwaters and Muddy Tributaries in Fiction: and the Fascination of the One Star Review
Reading a novel is like going on a voyage down a river. Sometimes the water’s smooth and calm, sometimes rough; occasionally you may find yourself in whitewater rapids; and ultimately it flows into the sea. If your boat gets ambushed by a rogue current and becomes snarled up among tree roots and rushes in aContinue reading “Currents, Backwaters and Muddy Tributaries in Fiction: and the Fascination of the One Star Review”
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