Thoughts and words

Nostalgia as inspiration

At least 3 of my novels have been partly inspired by nostalgia. “The Poor Singer of an Empty Day” came to life while I was living in Herrenberg, Germany. One morning I woke up feeling nostalgic for England and, in particular, for my childhood – hence the dedication and the... Read more →

The importance of theme.

The theme of a novel is the heart of the story and will have a universal human appeal. Your theme must not only appeal to the reader, it should animate and inspire you if you are to spend so much time working with it. Examples of themes in my own... Read more →

Nostalgia 4: favourite novels that deal with nostalgia

There are many novels dealing with the theme of nostalgia. What are your favourites? You are very welcome to put your contributions in the commentary box! My own list would include: The Garden of the Finzi-Continis by Giorgio Bassani - concerning the lives of Italian Jews in the northern Italian... Read more →

Nostalgia 2: Be careful - nostalgia bites!

There is little doubt that nostalgia can be a useful spark for writing a book. Evidence is the market for memoirs and books that deal with the twenties or with WW2. But if readers are looking for a better place than the present, they need to watch out! Was the... Read more →

The Power of Nostalgia

At least 3 of my novels have been partly inspired by nostalgia. “The Poor Singer of an Empty Day” came to life while I was living in Herrenberg. One morning I woke up feeling nostalgic for England and, in particular, for my childhood – hence the dedication and the fact... Read more →

Thoughts and words

Where do authors get their ideas? What inspires them to spend all that time writing a novel that, perhaps, only a few people will read? These questions – and some suggested answers – will be my subject in this blog. I’ll share the source of many of my ideas and... Read more →

Robert John Goddard Thoughts and Words blog

So - who am I? I was born in Thames Ditton, Surrey, in 1952. I attended the local school until 1963, passed the 11 plus exam and went to Rutlish School, Wimbledon. I have a B.A. in History (1976), a Postgraduate Diploma in International Marketing (1990), and a Masters Degree... Read more →