“Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.” My nana, a small and quiet yet resilient Scottish woman, used to regularly say this phrase to me. My mother often echoed the sentiment as she got older. I’ve been told it’s a Scottish proverb of sorts. Regardless of where it comes from, it
Inspired by the late David Bowie’s 100 Favourite Books, I’ve recently been adding to my own list of the one hundred books which have inspired me, changed me, thrilled me or simply mean a whole lot to me. I’ve finally finished it, and it’s a real mixed bag. I read a lot from a wide
My regular readers and followers will know that I frequently write for mental health. I’m also aware that this often turns people off too. “Oh great, she’s going on about depression again.” “Why does she always focus on the serious stuff?” “She must be pretty unstable if she has to keep focusing on all that.”
I’m tired. I don’t want to admit it, but I am. I promised myself last year to pay more attention to my ‘give-a-fuck’-budget, and by that I meant that I needed to consider whether something was really worth my time, my energy or my money. I also said that if an event I was invited
Writing is hard. Oh, certainly, the act of writing is easy enough; you start with a word, and you add another, and then another, and another after that. Eventually, you form sentences and paragraphs. If you keep going, you might end up with pages and chapters, and beyond that, entire stories. Just like Dr Frankenstein,
Last week, I had an online chat/interview with fellow horror and speculative fiction writer, Penny Jones. We talked about why we write creepy stories; the issues women face when writing the horror genre; and the things modern horror can tell us about society and people today. With massive thanks to Jim Mcleod at Ginger Nuts
There will be times when the world seems too much for you. Too loud. Too angry. Too demanding. You will lose all your words in the chaos, Rediscover them in all the wrong places. Those moments may spur you to recede, to withdraw from the uproar and disruption. You may seek your peace in solitude,
I am going to be doing something very new this year which challenges me and frightens me, but also invigorates me and excites me. I will be offering workshops for women to help them find their Wild Voice. I wrote this last year when I was just beginning to find my own Wild Voice and
Sometimes, when I’m struggling with a larger project, a smaller idea will worm its way into my head and give me a palate cleanser. It helps me to refocus and just get in a little bit of writing practice without worrying about it having to go somewhere or be something. This one came about when
I could not write or create without music. Music fuels me and inspires me and can turn a slow and unsatisfying writing session, into one that flows smoothly and without hesitation. A good playlist can make all the difference between getting those recommended 2,000 daily words down, and committing only two lines to the page.