BRIDGET WHELAN writer

for writers and readers….

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…

September 26, 2023 · 9 Comments

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

September 17, 2023 · Leave a comment

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

September 16, 2023 · Leave a comment

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…

September 13, 2023 · 7 Comments

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

September 10, 2023 · 2 Comments

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.

September 3, 2023 · 3 Comments

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

September 1, 2023 · 12 Comments

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,…

August 30, 2023 · 5 Comments

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

August 27, 2023 · 6 Comments

A Chance to Write for BBC TV

The Open Call is the BBC’s once a year submission window. It opens at 12 noon Tuesday 7th November 2023 and closes at 12 noon Tuesday 5th December 2023. They … Continue reading

August 24, 2023 · 8 Comments

My Son the Poet…would Byron be rapping if he were alive today?

It may not be your kind of thing, but you might like to try by pressing Watch on You Tube . I’ll be honest and say it is going to … Continue reading

August 21, 2023 · 2 Comments

Historical Fiction Should Reflect the Things that Concern Us Today – Tim Weed QUOTES FOR WRITERS

As a reader of historical fiction, I’m looking for something bigger than a simple reconstruction of history. I’m looking to experience a new world, to enter a new and de-familiarized … Continue reading

August 20, 2023 · 2 Comments

Mrs Finnegan’s Brighton Almanac – the Perils of Hair Washing

Mrs Finnegan, Brighton’s Regency Housekeeper, advises on hair washing (Don’t!) and tells the story of poor St Rocco. Mrs F is making a personal appearance next Saturday do come and say Good Day!

August 15, 2023 · 2 Comments

We Make Sense of our Lives through Stories – Heather Webb QUOTES FOR WRITERS

History isn’t just a series of bygone eras, littered with a mélange of fascinating and horrific events and people. It’s a detailed map of who we are and what we … Continue reading

August 13, 2023 · Leave a comment

Archives