Read HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS if you’re coming to my new writing course, or even if you aren’t…
I’ve handed out copies of Hemingway’s famous short story to students I’ve met who are enrolling in my new course and I thought I should also mention it here. It … Continue reading
Write on Brighton Beach again – another course starts next Tuesday
Here are the details from a bijou art gallery a pebble’s throw from the sea. Swimming in Words invites you to join a 5* week writing course with acclaimed London-Irish … Continue reading
FIRST DRAFTS WRITING COMPETITION for unpublished novelists and short story writers
One of the best ways for new writers to get their work noticed is through entering competitions. Now in its eighth year, First Drafts is an annual event organised by … Continue reading
You need a motive to write & a bit of self-delusion…advice from a non-fiction author QUOTES FOR WRITERS (and people who like quotes)
Three guidelines from American non-fiction writer Michael Lewis It’s always good to have a motive to get you in the chair. If your motive is money, find another one. I … Continue reading
Moon Madness by Andrew Wyeth: art for writers
A painting by one of the most popular American artists of the 20th century, Andrew Wyeth (1917 – 2009). A writing exercise linked to this painting has to be about … Continue reading
Write in South West France
Originally posted on AT A GENTLE PACE – Bridget Whelan's lifestyle travel blog:
Do you have a week spare at the end of May/beginning of June that you’d like…
Why there will always be books with cardboard covers and paper pages – Neil Gaiman QUOTES FOR WRITERS (and people who like quotes)
As Douglas Adams once pointed out to me, over twenty years before the Kindle showed up, a physical book is like a shark. Sharks are old: there were sharks in … Continue reading
Capturing a sense of character in the land and in the sea – Art for Writers
Looking at this wonderful seascape, I am reminded of the words of American novelist E.L. Doctorow: “Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader—not the fact that it … Continue reading
When and Why You Should Stop Reading…Hari Kunzru QUOTES FOR WRITERS (and people who like quotes)
I used to force myself to finish everything I started, which I think is quite good discipline when you’re young, but once you’ve established your taste, and the penny drops … Continue reading
A much-loved painting of a small, out of the way place….Art for Writers
I’m guessing that any New Zealander reading this will recognise this picture of a remote railway station painted in the 1930s. It has become an iconic 20th century image and … Continue reading
So, the theory is that I don’t HAVE to read anything ever again…because I’m going to die
Over at Literary Hub, Emily Temple has worked out how many books you are likely to read before you die – combining life expectancy tables and working on the basis … Continue reading
Grief, Ignorance and Slowly becoming a Writer – Viet Thanh Nguyen QUOTES FOR WRITERS (and people who like quotes)
…I learned about grief as I worked on that damned short story collection. I did not know what I was doing, and what I also did not know, facing my … Continue reading
Looking at yourself – Inspiring Art for Writers
I hadn’t heard of Joan Semmel before I came across this painting and I can’t help feeling that is a failing on my part. Wikipedia tells me she is an … Continue reading
Write on Brighton Beach – my confidence-boosting 4 week course
When I say on I don’t mean we will be sitting on fat sand (ok, pebbles) or deckchairs. We will be in a small, but perfectly formed, gallery facing out … Continue reading
BRIDGET WHELAN writer 