Work on the next book continues and I am struggling. For a book about variety theatre, it’s not very colourful. I decide a research trip is in order. While my two main characters are mainly dressed in suits for their acts – a boy impersonator and a comic – the rest of the acts are… Continue reading Dr Sketchy’s Nottingham
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Launching a novel…
I’ve sat in the audience for author events before, listening to someone rad their words aloud. I’ve also organised author events – I have been that person who takes your picture with the writer you admire, who always carries Sharpies, who makes small talk while they sign stock copies. But this week were my first events… Continue reading Launching a novel…
Circ – a Ten to One novel
I am attending my first ever author event tomorrow. My first ever where I’m the author, I mean. It is being held at the brand spanking new shiny Library of Birmingham, currently perched among the Frankfurt markets like a glorious Christmas cake on a table of Lebkuchen. The event is the first of a week-long programme to… Continue reading Circ – a Ten to One novel
Review – NottWords workshop with Lara Elena Donnelly
There’s something decadent about knocking off work early to go to a writing workshop. And so it is with a light heart that I bid my work colleagues a good weekend and appear at the door to Nottingham Writers’ Studio on Friday afternoon for Lara Elena Donnelly’s workshop Who is your City? Lara starts us… Continue reading Review – NottWords workshop with Lara Elena Donnelly
Writing maps
In the endless stream of articles and posts about curing writers’ block, there’s lots of advice about writing anything, just anything, to get your shift on. Morning pages. Free writing. Notebooks. But what about maps? Writing maps are a lovely little resource that come in handy handbag sized packets. Each map contains a series of… Continue reading Writing maps
Review: Mr Mac and Me by Esther Freud
How I long for the days when I could spend a long afternoon curled up on the sofa in a book. These days, 20 minutes of snatched bus journey or late at night with a book torch are more likely reading situations. The quality of reading is necessarily affected by having to check where you… Continue reading Review: Mr Mac and Me by Esther Freud
September has come & I wake to questions about my favourite poem
September has come and one Twitter exchange this afternoon has made me consider poetry. Which I rarely do. Still, Megan from Writers’ Greenhouse posted a link to Autumn Journal by Louis Macneice today – my favourite poem. Why is it my favourite? Well, I love it because I was born in September and my nature… Continue reading September has come & I wake to questions about my favourite poem
Nottingham Festival of Words blog hop
I’m very pleased to join Nottingham Festival of Words’ blog hop – thanks to Rustic Writer for tagging me next. What’s your connection with Nottingham and its written and spoken words? I’ve lived in Nottingham now for 14 years, and I moved up here because of words. Well, kind of. I moved to transfer to… Continue reading Nottingham Festival of Words blog hop
Plotting…
I went to a workshop at Nottingham Writers Studio last night. It was called ‘Plot your novel in an hour’ and was part of their summer taster workshop series, short sharp shocks to draw in the crowds and boost membership. It was a packed room full of folk keen to learn the basics of plotting.… Continue reading Plotting…
Review: Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell
I was walking to work through a university campus the other morning, wearing a tatty pair of sandals I can’t be bothered/ can’t afford to replace and listening to my ipod on shuffle. On came Britpop favourite Nice Guy Eddie by Sleeper and I sang to myself as I made my way down the road.… Continue reading Review: Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell
Susan E Barsby 