Literature declines to eradicate one truth in favor of another…says George Saunders QUOTES FOR WRITERS
Fiction is a kind of compassion-generating machine that saves us from sloth. Is life kind or cruel? Yes, Literature answers. Are people good or bad? You bet, says Literature. But … Continue reading
Tears and Temper and Dear Old Ladies ADVICE FROM THE 1830s BRIGHTON HOUSEKEEPER AND AGONY AUNT
Mrs Finnegan’s Chronicles: the Celebrated Authority in affairs of the HEART and HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT At present she is meeting with six people from one household, or visiting six households, or … Continue reading
START THE WEEK with a writing exercise: a character lucky dip
I love the random nature of this exercise. Most of the time it is just writing practice, exploring how to reveal emotion and develop character, but it is a bit … Continue reading
Why reading is good for us and good for everyone else…Chris Riddell QUOTES FOR WRITERS
READING allows us to see and understand the world through the eyes of others. A good book is an empathy engine.Chris Riddell
Change is afoot! along with picnics and eye infections… Advice from the 1830s Agony Aunt
Mrs Finnegan’s Chronicles: the Celebrated Authority in affairs of the HEART and HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT At present she is only occasionally stepping out from the elegant confines of The Regency Town … Continue reading
START THE WEEK with a writing exercise: Creating a Dark Character
AS WRITERS WE NEED people to do bad things: they create story. They may not be the heart of your writing, the central core, but they kickstart action and reaction. … Continue reading
David Bowie on why it’s important to be selfish QUOTES FOR WRITERS
All my big mistakes are when I try to second-guess or please an audience. My work is always stronger when I get very selfish about it.David Bowie Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash
A saint, a sinner and a chemise…advice from the 1830s Agony Aunt
Mrs Finnegan’s Chronicles: the Celebrated Authority in affairs of the HEART and HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT is not leaving The Regency Town House in Brighton and Hove, a town rich in art and entertainment … Continue reading
START THE WEEK with a creative writing exercise and your main character is drunk…
Write two versions of the same scene. The setting is a work place and the main character is someone who turns up very, very drunk. First version: write in the … Continue reading
When it comes to writing big emotions ‘show and tell’ isn’t enough…Donald Maass QUOTES FOR WRITERS
BIG EMOTIONS often fall flat on the page. Trying to evoke them through showing can fail to work any better. Tiptoeing down creaky stairs into a dark basement doesn’t necessarily … Continue reading
Written a short story on the theme of solitude?
Indy publishers Everything With Words are publishing a book of short stories in spring 2021 on the theme of solitude.Submissions should be between 2,000 and 6,000 words long. There is … Continue reading
Protect yourself from the sun and learn how to be the perfect housekeeper …dependable advice from the 1830s
Mrs Finnegan’s Chronicles: the Celebrated Authority in affairs of the HEART and HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT is staying alert at The Regency Town House in Brighton and Hove, a town patronised by Royalty and … Continue reading
START THE WEEK with a Creative Writing Exercise
A very straightforward creative writing exercise …all you have to do is write and keep on writing until you’ve managed to incorporate all the words on the scrabble board. To … Continue reading
It is all in the details – Stephen King QUOTES FOR WRITERS
Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it’s work. … Belief and reader absorption come in the details: An overturned tricycle in the gutter of an abandoned neighborhood can stand … Continue reading
BRIDGET WHELAN writer 