Days and Weeks Passing By The days are passing by and so are the weeks.…
Gill James
Stage of revision 11: Point of view
Introduction Getting the point of view wrong or inconsistent is one of the biggest mistakes that…
Anne Forrest
I’m pleased to welcome to my blog today Anne Forrest, whom we have published on CafeLit. …
Stages of revision 9: dialogue
Consider the following: It should not be too natural If you listen to a conversation and…
Stage of revision 8: Does the pace vary?
We like pace. Then modern world moves fast. Have you noticed how short scenes are these…
Stage of revision 7 Is there conflict and tension? Are there peaks and troughs?
The role of conflict and tension It is so often the tension between characters that…
Stage of revision 5. Characters
Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay Are they consistent? Do they develop? Do you know everything about them that…
Stage of revision 4: Overall time scale
Image by Couleur from Pixabay Naturally we don’t want any two year pregnancies or characters maturing…
Barking up the Wrong Tree by Philip Ardagh, illustrated Elissa Elwick
Sally Stick has a dog called Fetch. He understands what she says and she knows what…
News 1 November 2019
Image by Oli Lynch from Pixabay Course at MMU That’s Manchester Metropolitan University. I attended…
Stage of revision 2: Is the resolution satisfying?
Image by Gerd Altmann As a publisher, editor and creative writing teacher I frequently notice that…
The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas by David Almond
This story is told in three parts: life for protagonist Stan after his uncle is made…
News 2 September 2019
Troubling Times Extinction Rebellion activists are clogging up a main street in Manchester. All over…
The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy Boston
Lucy Boston’s stories abut the house at Green Knowe are based on her own home, The…
Event Planning
Alongside my writing I enjoy arranging events and find this as creative as the writing itself.…
Editing: a never-ending process
In a Facebook Group I belong to we recently discussed when you should give up on…
Night Birds on Nantucket by Joan Aiken
Dido Twite has been shipwrecked but is picked up by a whaling boat. She sleeps for…
News 1 August 2019
Playwriting Course I’ve signed up for a playwriting course at MMU. I hope my friends…
Tulip Taylor Take Another Look by Anna Mainwaring
Tulip is obsessed with make-up. She is a competent well-followed vlogger. As in many texts for…
The School at the Chalet by Elinor M. Brent Dyer
This story brings at once the familiar and the exotic. 1920s’ readers will be familiar with…
An Interview with Philippa Rae
I’m very privileged to welcome Philippa Rae to my blog today. We’re delighted at Chapeltown to…