Mrs Finnegan’s Almanac: Special Halloween Issue
If Halloween doesn’t make you as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs you must have nerves of iron…
Readers Take What They Want…John Steinbeck QUOTES FOR WRITERS
A man who tells secrets or stories must think of who is hearing or reading, for a story has as many versions as it has readers. Everyone takes what he … Continue reading
Words are Dangerous…in this Comedy Sketch
This is one of my favourite YouTube videos. I gather it’s become a regular feature in many High School classrooms. If you know of any others that have made you … Continue reading
Mrs Finnegan’s Almanac: You’ll be Surprised What a Few Cloves Can Do
Onion skins, very thin. Mild winter coming in; Onion skin is thick and tough. Coming winter, cold and rough. An Old English rhyme. Winning the Battle Against Bedbugs A housekeeper … Continue reading
People Watching for Writers – Nora Zelevansky QUOTES FOR WRITERS
I study the people around me and think, “Someone, somewhere, was once in love with you.” Then, based on anything I can assess about their appearance, what they’re carrying, the … Continue reading
Mrs Finnegan’s Almanac – Offered: a Job Where You are Obliged to Do Nothing
As a non-riding equestrian, I have very SERIOUS advice for ladies riding side saddle which will prevent injury. The saint of the week has wings and there’s a job on offer…
The Difference Between Novels and Films – Nathan Bransford QUOTES FOR WRITERS
Novels need to make more sense than movies. That’s because when we read, we’re busy co-creating the world in our own heads. When it’s unclear why exactly a character is … Continue reading
Learn to Write a Sijo and Enter a Free International Competition
Poets! Discover a new poetic form and have a go at a free-to-enter international competition
Mrs Finnegan’s Almanac – Beware of treacherous fruit
One sip ROBBED me of speech, turned my mouth into a desert and left the DISTINCT impression that my teeth were covered in fur…
Bringing a Setting to Life – Don Maass QUOTES FOR WRITERS
Powerfully portrayed settings seem to have a life of their own, but how is that effect achieved? Make your setting a character is a common piece of advice given to … Continue reading
How to Breathe Life into a Science Report – Anna Farro Henderson QUOTES FOR WRITERS
Read this if you ever need to write a formal report and discover how passive verbs can drain it of life and make it less readable.
The Best New Library in the World
I LOVE THE SOUND of the Biblioteca Gabriel García Márquez in Barcelona which has just won the Best New Library award for 2023. In the Exiample district – not far … Continue reading
Mrs Finnegan’s Almanac – Get a Thistle and Find A Husband
Mrs Finnegan, housekeeper at The Regency Town House in Brighton, author, almanac-ist, bookkeeper and wife, is today preoccupied with thistles,…
One Word at a Time – Matt Bell QUOTES FOR WRITERS
…. you may have to pretend that what you’re writing doesn’t matter, that it’s for you alone, that it’s not that important: not chapters, but scenes; not scenes, but scraps … Continue reading
BRIDGET WHELAN writer 