Inspired by the idea of the interior decorator’s best friend, the Mood Board, I began to beg, borrow and steal magazines and leaflets from my family and friends. Well, actually, I didn’t steal them because you never know when you might need that friend or family member so better to not risk offence. I didn’t …
Category Archives: Writing
Changing Times
One of the words that has changed dramatically, even since my parents’ generation, is ‘high’. They would have referred to a high mountain or described a kite as flying high. Now we have abbreviations such as hi-tech, hi-vis, hi-fi and wi-fi. Where is it all going in such a rush? We were the last generation …
Inspiration for Characters
The sources that inspire characters are as varied as the characters themselves. A lot will depend on the setting you have chosen and the period. A demure young virgin might fit better into a Victorian drama, than into a racy modern rom-com but there is a need for caution in all eras. We have all …
Looking for Inspiration
At the May meeting of the Whittlesey Wordsmiths, we started to look at how we would choose a location to provide a setting for our stories/novels. The main considerations were: Suitable for the story Do you need a particular building, such as a library or a shopping centre, or maybe a tower block? This would …
Let’s be SENSE-IBLE Part 5
As most stories are told in terms of what we see, these five articles have covered the other senses, so our final part is a look at the sixth sense which is still a bit of a mystery to us. Much has been written, and even more passed down the generations by word of mouth, …
Let’s be SENSE – IBLE
A lot of what we read (and write) is description of what the characters see. We call it ‘setting the scene’ or ‘backdrop to the story’. The other senses are often overlooked or not used in the best way to promote our understanding of the characters. In the next few posts I will be looking …
What do we mean by ‘Character Building’?
Blog June 2021 As my novel takes shape (slowly), I am still enjoying ‘meeting’ new characters. This is perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of writing. It feels like making a new friend who will accompany you on a journey. Of course, this may be a short journey with minor characters but some of …
Looking Forward
Wishing everyone a happy new year seems a little ironical this month as we head towards the threat of tighter restrictions, so perhaps a wish for a productive new year would be more appropriate. During the coming months I will try to put forward some ideas to make us all feel more positive about our …
At the end of a remarkable year and looking forward
As Christmas approaches, we look back on a strange year of lockdowns, social distancing and self-isolating. A year ago these were terms that had never entered the vocabulary of most of us. All of the above have touched our lives in one way or another. Our local creative writing group has had to adjust quickly …
Continue reading “At the end of a remarkable year and looking forward”
What I didn’t mean to say…
As we continue to be thwarted in our efforts to meet – we almost made it this week, planning to book a room for the first face-to-face meeting since March before the rule-of-six overtook us – we are trying to keep our spirits up and our brains engaged. We don’t want the ink to dry …
Wendy Wordsmith 