Blog

SAntiago de compostela

10/5/2019

A group of musicians in Pamplona A sculpture at Puente La Reina The main altar at Burghos
along the Pilgrims Way Cathedral

Recently I was lucky enough to be taken through North Spain from Bilbao to Santiago de Compostela, via St Jean Pied-de-Port in France, the entry point for most pilgrim routes heading for from the rest of Europe.
No, I didn't walk the 800 kilometres; I just hadn't done the necessary training. Pilgrims walk 28 kilometres per day for a month to cover that distance! Instead I was driven along the pilgrim route.
The group I travelled with, like me, were intrigued by what such a trip might produce for them, if anything. There were people from all walks of life. All I can say was that they were not the same people by the end of the trip. They seemed more open to adventures of the day, less self-contained. For example, we met a huge group of Mexicans, Chileans and Colombians dining at neighbouring tables all singing "Happy Birthday" in several languages. My group decided to join them by singing the song in English. Then they invited us to enjoy a giant millefeuille birthday cake that had been ordered beforehand. This would not have happened at the start of the trip.
It was fascinating to see the towns in Navarre (Basque country) all the way to Galicia, of Celtic origin and the final destination. This green belt reminded me of the mountainous landscape in Switzerland. Some of the main towns I passed through were Pamplona, Puente La Reina, Estella, postcard-picturesque Laguardia in the Rioja wine-growing area, the large city of Burgos, and trendy Leon with a Gaudi townhouse. The hilly regions of the far north contrasted with the flat countryside around Burgos and Leon. Of course there were many monasteries to explore including one that served free wine to pilgrims - Monasterio de Irache.
It was the local food that was a treat at lunchtime. Imagine a large slice of baguette covered with 2 cm thick crab meat all topped with a large langoustine and dressing - and a glass of wine to go with it. Mouth watering. All for 2.50 euros. Perhaps the bars had pilgrims in mind, though what wine would do to their rigorous walking routines, I can't imagine. Restaurants all provided a menu of the day for pilgrims at more modest rates than their main Menu of the Day. During the breaks in our journey we would jostle to announce the cheapest rate for lunch that day.
I even joined in the spirit of the Camino ("the Way of St James") by leaving a perfectly good pair of shoes on one of the stalls en route which was festooned with notes with words of wisdom, colourful scarves, spare clothing and even books.
Perhaps the lesson of the journey was to live in the NOW - in the present moment - and live each day as if it was your last.

Gorgeous La Guardia in the Rioja Pilgrims from Austria arriving at the Compostela de Santiago
wine-growing area forecourt of the St James Cathedral

LINKS TO MY BOOKS

To buy 'True to Herself' click:
http://getbook.at/TtH

To buy 'Moving from Grief in Cornwall' click:
http://getbook.at/FCttA

To buy 'South America: Under the Skin of a Foreign Country' click:
http://bookShow.me/B00Y8SY57O

To watch the VIDEO of "South America Under the Skin of a Foreign Country" click:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P1As7ylWdU

0 Comments

Facing problems when writing a book

9/9/2019

0 Comments

This month I'm sharing two books for writers that I found useful when I became stuck with the book I'm currently writing. No, I'm not affiliated with the authors or SKILL BUILDERS SERIES; I'm just sharing what I found useful. The first book has a particularly useful grammar section for those who were never taught it at school. Like drawing in art courses, grammar in English courses comes in and out of fashion in the teaching syllabus. The second book explores the "show not tell" strategy more fully than it is usually handled.

Walks, doing inspirational writing exercises, listening to music, reading a zany short story are some of the usual recommendations to unblock being stuck with writing. Blocking often occurs when one has been faithfully turning up every day to write and one 's writing becomes stale. When I was recently blocked I turned to another aspect of my book, the "show don't tell", hence the second book, "Understanding Show, Don't tell".

For people who aren't writers here is a very simple example of both telling and showing:
X felt paralysed with shock" is an example of stating a fact or telling.
X's heart started beating, her mouth was dry while her knees buckled is showing the effects of shock rather than just stating the fact. WE as writers are encouraged to "show not tell".
Chekhov put it so much better by saying?
Do not tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass.

I had an interesting discussion with some writers about the pros and cons of planning a book in the last month. A writer such as Robert Ludlum plans his book in great detail. Stephen King begins with the hook in Chapter One and with no planning reaches the end of the novel. Which way is right? Neither. In most cases, writers use both methods at different times, and then add their own variations on a theme. All work in cycles of rewriting as new ideas come and go and a lot of them agree that routine can kill off creativity. So what do you do?

Many writing courses support the idea of writing a first draft in full, before any kind of editing takes place. The argument goes that with a first draft you've got something on computer to edit. It's hard to edit if you have nothing in front of you. I would point out writers who are contracted to publishing houses have their first draft changed by three or more editors before the book is published. That's a lot of rewriting for the original author.

LINKS TO MY BOOKS

To buy 'True to Herself' click:
http://getbook.at/TtH

To buy 'Moving from Grief in Cornwall' click:
http://getbook.at/FCttA

To buy 'South America: Under the Skin of a Foreign Country' click:
http://bookShow.me/B00Y8SY57O

To watch the VIDEO of "South America Under the Skin of a Foreign Country" click:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P1As7ylWdU

0 Comments

July 2019

7/30/2019

0 Comments

This month I return to my travel hat!
Photos above: Andre Rieu with his Stradivarius and orchestra. also his castle

I took a package deal with Andre Rieu Travel to spend a short stay in Maastricht as a birthday present to myself. Until three years ago I hadn't heard of him - but then I was living in South America. Three years ago, by a fluke I attended a direct telecast from Maastricht in my local cinema. The rest was history. I made sure I could watch every telecast available to me. So often on television and in the cinema we see only negative depressing things. It's a pleasure to see so much fun in Andre's show.

His orchestra is best known for its rendition of Strauss compositions including, waltzes, hence the name of his orchestra - "The Johann Strauss Orchestra". But being the excellent showman that he is, his concert programs include Opera, music from films, and even disco music, of late. He encourages audience participation with plenty of jokes thrown in.

He is always smiling and comments that music is beyond the boundaries of nationality, religion, Brexit or the European Union. It has the power of uniting people and he acknowledges that his audiences leave the concert hall with smiles on their faces and this gives him joy.

He is always introducing young talent to his show, giving them a chance not only, to travel worldwide, but also giving them their first big break, their chance to appear before large audiences.

I was privileged to have visited his castle home (I would describe it more as a French style chateau). One of his sons, Pierre, greeted us with a handshake, then a talk about how his father runs his business. He was quick to point out with a chuckle that his father did not necessarily keep to his budget. We were welcomed with an interesting ballgown show in the castle (all the ladies in the orchestra were dressed in ball gowns, with little jackets on hand should the evening turn cold), and after that it was afternoon tea/coffee with the most delicious pastries in the beautiful garden surrounding the castle. Dutch hospitality at its best.

After a gourmet dinner in the Kruisherenhotel where we enjoyed a performance of a couple of hours with five musicians from his orchestra playing in the background, we met together outside to start the eight minute walk to the town square. I couldn't believe that were were to be ushered into the Vrijthof Square with a sixty piece brass band, immaculately dressed in their uniforms and playing their hearts out. The walk took longer but what did it matter when we were waved to by people hanging out of their windows, diners relaxing at their meals in restaurants, and general public standing on either side of the road to the square. What a great introduction to the evening concert which started at 9pm.

It finished at 11.30pm but then Andre likes to play the game of "It's time for you to go home".
"No," the audience cry out.
"Yes, " he says.
and the game continues after each encore, finally ending the concert at midnight, Cinderella's going home time.

Back at the hotel we were welcomed back with "White wine or red, sir/madam?"
What a nice way to spend another two hours chatting with newly-made friends about the evening, enjoying bites of savoury, freshly-made food accompanied by wine.

Needless to say, I've been letting my friends in South America know about the forthcoming September concerts in Colombia.

LINKS TO MY BOOKS

To buy 'True to Herself' click:
http://getbook.at/TtH

To buy 'Moving from Grief in Cornwall' click:
http://getbook.at/FCttA

To buy 'South America: Under the Skin of a Foreign Country' click:
http://bookShow.me/B00Y8SY57O

To watch the VIDEO of "South America Under the Skin of a Foreign Country" click:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P1As7ylWdU

0 Comments

BGS Writers conference in Dublin 2019

7/1/2019

Laurence O'Bryan, the organiser of the conference and the founder of BGS
(Books Go Social) is the speaker on the left.

On the right, a group of authors from the US and the UK at the gala dinner on Saturday.

Most people are aware that writing books is a solitary activity. But these days there are a lot of ways of contacting other writers and readers - through Facebook author groups, through Twitter groups and other social media including YouTube, so why would I be interested in going to a Writers' Conference which necessitates substantial travel costs and time?

For me the face-to-face approach is essential. It adds humanity to the process of networking; it allows me to meet valuable publishing experts physically, to hear about innovative approaches to the writing process, and to share ideas, all in a narrow time frame. I like verbal communication; it's quicker than typing, and answers are received immediately. In addition interacting with other writers whether in groups or individually, can be a pleasant social experience with a glass of wine or two, adding cultural interest if in an other country.

In the conference information, Books Go Social stated that it was designed to "improve your writing craft, publish successfully and plan the marketing". Their venue was the easily accessible Academy Plaza Hotel off O'Connell Street, in central Dublin, a great literary setting in itself. The conference lasted three days. For the first time, there was a second streaming of material and speakers for writers who wished to have their books made into films, with a workshop on creating the right pitch for film producers.

I was delighted that Michael Hirst, English screenwriter and film producer, (the writing force behind the films "Elizabeth: the Golden Age" and "Elizabeth", as well as the award winning television series "The Tudors" and "The Vikings") was to speak. Ken Atchity, film producer from Los Angeles, with a total of thirty films behind him, was back again to hold a workshop about pitching books for film producers.

The Gala dinner on Saturday night was buzzing with attendees. Traditional Irish flute music played by a soloist was a calming background to their intense discussions. The atmosphere was warm and friendly.

All in all, the conference was a very pleasant and inspirational time, most conducive to engaging with writing on the return home.

Some local colour - A typical Irish pub with its ghostly interior decorations

LINKS TO MY BOOKS
- To buy 'True to Herself' click:
- http://getbook.at/TtH
  
  To buy 'Moving from Grief in Cornwall' click:
  http://getbook.at/FCttA
  
  To buy 'South America: Under the Skin of a Foreign Country' click:
  http://bookShow.me/B00Y8SY57O
  
  To watch the VIDEO of "South America Under the Skin of a Foreign Country" click:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P1As7ylWdU

The tricky ISSUE of Book Reviews

6/15/2019

Writing book reviews can be fun but it behoves us to remember that in this day and age of far-reaching social media writing a book review is a big responsibility.
All writers know the importance of book reviews by readers on Amazon. The more reviews an author has the more Amazon are likely to promote that book to new readers. And writers are readers of books themselves so I thought I'd share some tips by Laura Brown Ph.D (She wrote "How to Write Anything") which I came across recently as they best summarise the main issue..

DO
Give your review a title that reflects content of the book, not just the title of the book.
Consider your audience for the book. Is it a specialist audience? or a general one? Or put another way, what kind of reader would get most from reading the book?
Do include some description of the book as well as your opinion of it.
Take a stand and make a recommendation. doesn't have to be 'yes' or 'no'.

DON'T
Don't go on for too long unless you are writing a review for the New York Times.
Don't summarise the the book.
Don't trash the book just because it wasn't what you expected. It's the reader's responsibility to understand what he/she is buying before buying it.
Don't use SPOILERS when reviewing fiction, i.e.don't give away key developments in the story.
No need to be nasty as a reviewer. Explain why you were disappointed in the book calmly and unemotionally.

I know that some readers(including writers) just won't attempt to review a book that deserves 1/2 stars. They prefer to contact the author directly and explain why they are not doing the review. As a writer I still read massive amounts of books but I only review books that re worth 3-5 stars on Amazon.

LINKS TO MY BOOKS
To buy 'True to Herself' click:
http://getbook.at/TtH

To buy 'Moving from Grief in Cornwall' click:
http://getbook.at/FCttA

To buy 'South America: Under the Skin of a Foreign Country' click:
http://bookShow.me/B00Y8SY57O

To watch the VIDEO of "South America Under the Skin of a Foreign Country" click:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P1As7ylWdU

PORTUGAL

4/20/2019

My blog is several weeks overdue but I haven't forgotten you, the reader.

A few weeks ago I was writing my book daily, in a disciplined way, but after a few weeks, my thoughts bogged down in the trivia of cliches, ideas went wonky and I knew that something radical had to happen.

In desperation, I went off for a couple of weeks to trawl through Portugal, a country populated by over 10 million people, most of whom live along the coast. Travel took me from Porto in the north to Lisbon. As I ventured further inland, I experienced problems with my iPad and phone, hence the delay in writing a blog until I returned home.

I once read a message on an aircraft from the CEO of LAN part of which read as follows:
"Dear Passengers,
I invite you to take this flight as an opportunity to journey inside yourself, to get in touch with your feelings and live in the moment . . ."

I very much identify with these words as an approach to life and when I travel I usually write in a journal-style, about new perceptions, and what the travel reflects back to me about my personal growth. Also, stretching my mind to embrace a new language, and connecting with the locals, is not only stimulating and refreshing but pleasurable as well.

Did I write several next chapters for my book while I was away? No. Did I get any fresh ideas to develop the mystery part of my book. Yes.

More significantly, what did change were the feelings towards my themes and story when I returned, and that was enough to trigger me back into writing the book from a fresh perspective, with new twists to the story and greater depth in character development.

In other words, I wrote from the heart rather than the mind and found inspiration in memories of stays in different parts of the country. I was able to free up my thinking and not worry too much about expression after all this was only my first draft. My time abroad was fuel for clarifying my writing journey as well.

I have five photos to share with you. The three photos at the top of the page are: the Belem Tower, the Porto former Stock Exchange and gardens below the magnificent Cathedral in Braga. At the bottom of the page is a part of an incredible organ located in a 16th century church and typical white and blue tiles outside a building.

LINKS TO MY BOOKS
To buy 'True to Herself' click:
http://getbook.at/TtH

To buy 'Moving from Grief in Cornwall' click:
http://getbook.at/FCttA

To buy 'South America: Under the Skin of a Foreign Country' click:
http://bookShow.me/B00Y8SY57O

To watch the VIDEO of "South America Under the Skin of a Foreign Country" click:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P1As7ylWdU

A Writer at Work

4/4/2019

When I started writing my fourth book, the sequel to "True to Herself", while on holiday in Cyprus recently, I was delighted to have started the process of writing a book after a two-year break. It was also very brave  to face a pure white blank page.

It was important to establish a routine and to follow it every day: a kilometre swim, breakfast and a writing session in a lounge somewhere in the hotel away from the bustle and noise of tourists. Simple. I wrote my manuscript longhand because this way of writing frees me up to scribbling, doodling crossing out words. Later, it would help with untying the knots in the plot.

When I returned home to Cornwall, other commitments vied with my early morning routine but the writing process continued in a pot pourri manner, in other words - whenever I could slot it into the day. All went well, I talked to the orchids on my writing desk; they blossomed and I created a story. All was well. The feel good factor was present.

As background, I was still going to use West Gidding, a village near London, and Sydney, Australia but the next generation in the book was going to spend considerable time in South America to add some panache to the story. After all, I had over ten years of life experiences in Latin America, to draw from.

However, three weeks, and 20,000 words later, I was stuck with the plot. I had plenty of ideas but none held the WOW factor for me. What was I to do? I decided to go for a walk and admire the flowering azaleas; a walk to clear my mind. Was I being too disciplined with my programme of writing? I had read somewhere that routine stands in the way of creativity. It was time for a change in my approach.

In the meantime,I went to see the streaming of the opera, La Forza del Destino from the Royal Opera House. It was magnificent. Emotionally I was moved. Maybe the unblocking of my emotions would help the writing process. Next morning, my story was even more static and felt somewhat trite in comparison to the drama in the opera.

Perhaps I needed to do character studies. You know the kind of thing: hair colour, mannerisms and so on. This was easy as I already had several characters from "True to Herself". Of course, these characters had changed dramatically from the year 1985 because the new book, was set in the new millennium. A golden opportunity to stretch myself language-wise and describe the changes the passage of time had wrought in theses people's lives.

I sketched a diagram mapping the order of events in the new book, in particular, "the point of no return", and the halfway point. Dangerous ground, as ideas have to be supported by the writing and I knew instinctively that I might change my mind about the mid-point of the book. However, I'd broken through the writing block.

The sun was shining for the first time after the rains of the last few days. I was torn between needing to follow my muse and sitting in the sun. The problem was solved when I changed into sun-baking attire, opened the French windows on my balcony, set up a folding table and proceeded to write.

Switching places where I worked physically led me to new ways of working. I felt excited. Discovering that the "not knowing" what was coming next in the plot, freed up my ideas. The mental composting of the last two years was now paying off.

This morning however, I woke up with the smell of coffee strong in my bedroom. Strange - because I'd stopped drinking coffee in 1983. I was used to finding solutions to life or writing problems when I woke up; sometimes they come as dreams, sometimes as single words. So it was straight to my writing desk and orchids, and a paragraph about drinking coffee was inserted in the appropriate text

By the way, at present I only have names for the characters from "True to Herself". Would anyone like to suggest a name for a nineteen year old woman, related to Moira, who is trapped by the administration in the convolutions of south American bureaucracy?

LINKS TO MY BOOKS
To buy 'True to Herself' click:
http://getbook.at/TtH

To buy 'Moving from Grief in Cornwall' click:
http://getbook.at/FCttA

To buy 'South America: Under the Skin of a Foreign Country' click:
http://bookShow.me/B00Y8SY57O

To watch the VIDEO of "South America Under the Skin of a Foreign Country" click:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P1As7ylWdU

The South Downs , background to much of the walks in West Sussex in Book 1 "True to Herself"

Starting the First Draft of a Book

3/22/2019

''The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better'
Stephen King, On Writing

These words are true of a writer resuming writing after a long break as much as of an artist facing a blank canvas. For me, the book writing process began 18 months after the last book - at a time when I was visiting Cyprus. No more excuses about 'to do' lists or other distractions such as socialising. No planning of meals, food shopping and cooking. I just had to turn up after my swim in the morning and write. I didn't have to write for blocks of 5 or 6 hours, after all I was on holiday! About 90 minutes every morning would suffice.

I was writing longhand rather than using a computer. At first, my thoughts flew willy-nilly on to the blank page. I'm happy to believe Stephen King or J.K. Rowling when they say that the first draft is rubbish. Therefore scribbling was fine, as recording racing thoughts required speed, and my typing wasn't fast. I could silence my over-the-shoulder editor. Later, when the draft manuscript was posted on a computer, I would have the chance of re-editing what I had written.

Of course the rest of the day was filled with watching the world go by while I had my coffee in a cafe, talking to people I 'd met in Paphos, exploring, visiting world heritage sites, doing all the fun things one does on holiday, and I could feel sanctimonious about my date with early morning manuscript writing! Life was fun. Writing was fun.

Experiencing a new culture always shifts my perspectives on life and changes me on a personal level. I'm inspired by the different tempo of the music, tasting the exotic flavours of the food, and feasting my eyes on the new environment. I find new solutions to old problems. Exploring is fun. The entire process of writing is stimulated by the word fun. Writing was fun.

When I arrived in Cyprus, I'd do some meditation and then some journal writing after my swim in the morning, and thought about starting my book. By the time I left Cyprus, my journal writing had become my meditation, and I was writing my journal, a blog and the book almost simultaneously. The shift in my writing was welcome.

The areas away from tourist spots were beginning to work their magic.. The scribbles became fewer, the thoughts flowed fluidly, and the pen skimmed across the smooth surface of the paper. Of course, living in foreign cultures, and travel feature strongly in all my books.

Now that I'm back home in Cornwall, the "busyness" of the "to do" things in life is taking over, but I hope to recapture the creativity I developed on my holiday. Let's see if I can believe Stephen King when he writes:

'. . . the first draft - even - a long one - should take no longer than three months . . .'
Stephen King, On Writing

<<Previous

SAntiago de compostela

Facing problems when writing a book

July 2019

BGS Writers conference in Dublin 2019

The tricky ISSUE of Book Reviews

PORTUGAL

A Writer at Work

Starting the First Draft of a Book

Archives

Author

9 HOT TIPS for Travel in SOUTH AMERICA?
Leave Email below

Archives

Author

​​9 HOT TIPS for Travel in SOUTH AMERICA?Leave Email below

9 HOT TIPS for Travel in SOUTH AMERICA?
Leave Email below