Thoughts and words

Inspiration - do new year resolutions work?

Well, good resolutions can work in literature and film and, what's more, this change can form the linchpin (what a wonderful word) of the plot. I am asking this question because now is the time for those end of year resolutions and new dawns. I'll stop smoking, lose weight, spend... Read more →

Inspiration from fake lives

Yes, I am as guilty of this as everybody else. "This" concerns what I put on social media. I may be unhappy, disappointed, miserable, depressed and feeling lonely and isolated. After all, it is Christmas and I am thinking of the past, my parents, lost opportunities and chances never taken,... Read more →

Are we all crazy or what? Inspiration from personality disorder

Yesterday, in my blog entitled, "Inspiration from contradiction - double identities or simply human?" I wrote that for writers, the topic of flawed heroes is both fascinating and inspiring. Should our characters be wholly good or wholly bad or a mix of both? Doesn't the latter reflect reality? In other... Read more →

Inspiration from contradiction - double identities or simply human?

On 31 October 2018, I finished my blog on political correctness with the words, "I do not doubt that the original intention of political correctness was good. Unfortunately, I would argue that effect of political correctness has been to make everyone avoid sensitive topics altogether and that political correctness has... Read more →

Inspiration and muse or just another job?

I have heard it said that sonatas, plays, poems, sculptures and even sentences and phrases for our books are waiting for us to find and release them. Apparently, Michelangelo said that he released his David from the rock in which he found him. It certainly looks like the figures in... Read more →

inspiration from the man-child.

This individual's story is an inspiration for the struggling writer. His life is a wonderful example of character development and a way to hook the reader to take his side against all the odds. Our story is a classic rags to riches story. Biographies suggest this man was born and... Read more →

Inspiration from onions - know them

Reading a variety of newspapers has been a habit of mine since studying History at university. Reading widely offers me a wide range of views and perceptions so that, in the end, I can better make up my own mind and decide for myself. This is, perhaps, the most important... Read more →

Inspiration from the adult orphan

Most parents love their children. I say "most" because I am sure we all know that parents can also hurt and disturb their children. Nonetheless, for most adults, losing parents hurts. And when they are gone, you become an adult orphan and this is something few people can imagine until... Read more →

Who do you think you are - part 2

I wonder if it is the market economy that is persuading people that they can create the person they want to be. Go to anyone bookshop chain and find the self-help section. You can be sure that the shelves will be full of books telling us that life is not... Read more →

Who the hell do you think you are?

Are you fundamentally the same person you were when you were a child and/or a young adult? How, if at all, are you different? These are fascinating questions to approach for anybody and not only writers. And when, as senior citizens, we look back at our younger selves, how accurate... Read more →