I'm in a rut. After the poet and the health "scares" (waiting for my final check up in January before jumping for joy) I seem to have arrived in a place I'm finding it hard to get out of. The house is a disaster not just the fact it needs painting ... Read more

As you are all aware, due to some kind of cock-up, Writelinkers magazine went out minus a contribution from our good friend, Rosie Brown. The piece had been selected for inclusion and it's a mystery as to why it went AWOL. I think my pork pies m... Read more

It’s been a while since I have posted anything other than a review of David R’s rather wonderful novel, The Handshaker, on either the Arena or as a blog. It’s not that I’m not writing anymore, although some might thing that is... Read more

Just received my advanced publication copy of Lambs For The Freezer, the book I spent the best part of last year writing.  They have made a superb job of it so I’m hoping for lots of sales!   The book isn’t due for publication... Read more

Exchanging comments with Bushman (I'm sorry, I still don't know your proper name) on his blog, got me thinking about the way things have improved for your average scribe over the years.   When I first put fingertips to typewriter, it was ... Read more

Great, aren't they? Show don't tell. Dispense with the adjectives. Start in the middle, show any backstory along the way. Reader's on a need-to-know basis. Oh, and write active, not passive. Who's wrist hasn't been slapped for that last one. Don'... Read more

I've been a member of Writelink since 2005. Members here talk about the green site. When I joined, it was the blue before the green. I've made a lot of friends, had a lot of laughs and my writing has improved thanks to my membership. If this so... Read more

  People seem to do it, so I will too… make a small song and dance and crow over ill-gotten gains. Nabbed my first ever cash prize the other day with a runner-up place in the Xmas chillers comp here on Writelink! Ah, you always remember ... Read more

Despite good sales figures and more good reviews in writing magazines and on the Net than you can shake a stick at, Lorraine and I had to wave goodbye to the original ABC Checklist for New Writers – or rather to the original publisher. L... Read more

The worry has affected my communication skills and apart from work, when I have to talk and listen full time, and children, I have found myself not wanting to share thoughts and without my surge of feelings which result in decent poems.   Now ... Read more

It's not often you hear me say this, but I need help. Those who have followed my recent posts will know that I have been diagnosed with COPD and that I need to stop smoking.   I actually stopped in 1976, but I have such a busy schedule tha... Read more

Hello again.   Pottering about here and there, I read an awful lot about book trailers and how we need them to help sell our work. I've always been a bit sceptical, but last week, twiddling thumbs to the degree of a Gordian Knot, I though... Read more

Unbelievable breaking news: my story has come first in the www.strictlyshakespeare.com April competition! All because you wonderful people took the trouble (in some cases, time and time again), to vote for me. It's my first ever outright competition ... Read more

Woodland in Gisborough Priory Gardens has been undergoing restoration work since 2007.  On 27 February  2011 the Woodland Garden was open to visitors to view both: The Monks' Walk; the carpet of snowdrops and the early buttercup relativ... Read more

“Can I just stop you there…I’m actually on holiday this week.”  “Well, I’m not in the office just now. I’m on holiday.” “Is Geoff there? Well ask him to help. I’m on holiday no... Read more

I’m not talking economic crisis solutions, just private sulks.   Traditional female antidotes such as a tub of ice-cream, chocolate and shopping simply don’t do it for me – in fact likely to make things worse. Instead: &nbs... Read more

There are those of us who hide behind a nickname and those who don't. Why? Personally I had a bit of an embarrassing experience replying to an article in a national newspaper, it was (let's say) a bit personal and I didn't realise my full name would ... Read more

I popped in to the newsagents, and had a quick browse through That's Life Summer Special.  Would you believe it, the one and only time I send out a bit of a risque letter, it goes and gets published.  Which just goes to show that we have to... Read more

Pleasant surprise this morning when the postman brought a letter containing a cheque for £25. Eventually worked out it was for a tip I had submitted to a magazine - but which tip?   At the end of last year I found I was writing several d... Read more

For those of you who remember (or care...) I self published a book in October 2010 (with the help of a very kind gentleman in England who also recommended this site to me) with lulu.   It was quite an amateur attempt, but there was some good s... Read more

Middle-aged ladies are invisible. It occasionally drives me near to distraction. But in August my outrage turns to joy because the actors, entrepreneurs, critics, musicians... go on discussing whatever was holding them fast regardless of my presence.... Read more

Accidents by their very nature tend to happen out of the blue, but with hindsight, I might have guessed I was in for something special!   It began last Friday when I walked backwards into the top half of an open stable door.  As I was... Read more

Ten words and phrases that should be abolished. Recently it occurred to me that certain words and phrases are being overused in the media and in everyday li... Read more

It's that time of year again, new beginnings, resolutions and hope. Last year I said I would try to eat healthily, stop smoking, be more tolerant and try to write more. How did I do? Not terribly well. I do try to eat healthily most of the time w... Read more

I was just about to review a certain novel (which shall remain nameless) by describing it as one of those books written for girls, by a girl. I don’t dig them generally. Any more than I go for novels by boys for boys (think Sabastian Faulk... Read more

It's six o'clock on a wet August morning. This is the fourth washout summer in a row.   As a younger man, I used to find inspiration in miserable weather like this. Possibly because back then I liked to be out and about and the rain kept... Read more

Poetry is the key to good writing. Think about it. The most important tool in a writers box is the ability to understand and use language in a way that excites and engages the reader. And the key to understanding language is poetry. Where else is lan... Read more

I had an interesting email from Jeanne this afternoon asking where I've been and why I don't visit and blog as often as I used to here on Writelink.   Twenty minutes after I replied to her, I received another email, from an American publi... Read more

I just feel so incensed, that I had to put pen to paper, or rather finger to keyboard. How can these so called rioters, when interviewed, justify what they have done.   "We needed the money. We followed the others.  We haven't got a cha... Read more

It seems as though the arena is becoming a bit of a graveyard of late. In the last few months I’ve only read stories from Tess, Tachles, Scoop (the last of which was a witch’s story but my computer crashed before I could review it) and mo... Read more

I know pancakes are traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday which isn’t until the 8th March, but I can’t resist posting this recipe which I tried to fob off at a recent dinner party as Crepes la mûre.   “What’s that... Read more

You have no idea how industriously I've been blogging in the last few weeks, because unless you're an expert at mental telepathy, you'll have missed it all: the exigencies of transporting the frozen Christmas pudding to Sydney in 300 heat; making a C... Read more

Does anyone else find it a bit frustrating when having posted something on either the Arena or Challenge section nothing else is heard about what happened to your work. I remarked on this some time back and feel the situation has got worse. Does... Read more

A QUESTION – or TWO!   Have the celebrations for the New Year taken over from Christmas? For the past week I’ve not had time to get onto the site and check up on all the blogs but there do seem to be far more about New Year celebr... Read more

It's that time of the year when we look back to see what we have or haven't achieved with our writing. My Mslexia diary arrived yesterday, and I always like to think up a slogan that will be my focus for the year ahead. I need to be more flexible w... Read more

I’ve had it. 14 pieces in the last 12 days, written and submitted. It's got to stop.   It’s all very well, practising, trying to build up a C.V., tightening up and writing to deadlines but it’s getting ridiculous. I&rsq... Read more

Here’s a little contribution towards the run-up to Halloween – was just musing over Bob’s excellent post and remembered our own little suburban house in the UK which certainly had its peculiarities.   Very ordinary place, ju... Read more

During the past week we have negotiated several mazes - in the interest of research of course. As the subject of my very first published article back in 1991 which was the Year of the Maze I have always had a soft spot for mazes and labyrinths... Read more

I’m starting to wonder. Especially in light of the recent spate of comments on Arena postings. It seems people feel ‘guilty’ at not commenting – means, by implication, it’s a chore. Chore??? I feel I have to be restraine... Read more

Where does the time go?  Since my son returned to the nest, I never seem to be able to catch up with anything.  Supposed to be retired from full time work, I'm getting up earlier to make him a packed lunch and take him to work before... Read more

  About 2 years ago Virtual Tales, an American publisher, put out one of my novels in paperback. Understandably chuffed to bits at having my name on the front cover of a real book, I was nevertheless disappointed with the result. At Virtu... Read more

Yesterday our latest issue of Best of British magazine was delivered and one piece was very familiar.   Back in 2006, at the end of a story involving cycling, the editor requested other cycling stories. I had a piece written by my father descr... Read more

Well, my first grandchild was due two days ago.  I know it could still be another ten days or more, but since my daughter was born eleven days early, I have been 'ready' for almost two weeks.  The house is tidy, I've allowed stocks to run d... Read more

‘I’m going down to the shops to get some mozzarella for tomorrow’s risotto – I forgot when I was at the supermarket earlier.’   ‘Would you get me some antihistamines while you’re at it?’ &n... Read more

Hi, I just thought I would put a little piece about myself, so others who read what I post can hopefully have a bit better understanding of where I am coming from. My name is mike, I'm the big 50 and for the last four and a half years I have lived i... Read more

Tonight, just before 7:00, when I switched on the tele I caught the end of the BBC Look East news.  The interviewee had obviously been asked a question about education because his answer went some thing like, we don’t teach children how to... Read more

Well friends. Here's the first  post of the New Year and it's packed full of news.   It's no secret that I've been self-publishing on the Kindle and Smashwords for the last year or so. If any of you are as frustrated as I was with pu... Read more

... that I even contemplated flying (aargh!) to England for Christmas, but was saved by the fact that Eurolines run also in winter and had an extremely cheap offer on.   So, I asked the children if they'd like to make the trip again, then aske... Read more

This year the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness is fulfilling its promise in abundance. Many mornings have seen the mistiness that leaves tree tops severed from their trunks. Back in early September I blogged about windfalls from a crab apple t... Read more

Today I had an opportunity not given to many. I found myself quite genuinely in a position to say the report of my death was greatly exaggerated.   I've been in Sydney, you see, and when I got home, I had a message asking me to call the local ... Read more

There’s been a few postings on the site lately about the moronic customer service we run into from time, but thankfully I’ve managed to steer clear of those experiences until today ...   We use the Alliance & Leicester busi... Read more

Not much time, but I want to report the good news. My son has had his operation and it was successful.  All the brain tumour was removed and there are no signs that it has spread. I'm now caring for him in his convalescence.  For th first t... Read more

Hello All, My article on words that should be abolished is on page 25 of Words with Jam.  How exciting is that? I had a letter back from People's Friend today.  They didn't want my article on camping in the l960's, which is dissapointing,... Read more

It’s boiling over here in Oz but I understand things might be a bit chilly in the northern hemisphere. The main giveaway is the demand for stories spooky and supernatural.   It’s a tad hard to sit in a study over a busy road in th... Read more

  … is what it feels like. Just when I thought the chores were though with, there was a kid’s Halloween party to arrange (you’ve never seen so many children wrapped in so much toilet paper as mummies, eating so many sweets), ... Read more

DavidR hit the proverbial nail on the head by saying that very few people tend to reply to posts on the Arena. Some time ago, I also made a comment about this - it didn't improve. Writelink is fantastic site, and is evolving, but is it at the expens... Read more

Has everyone been carrying their towel around today? Fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy will know just how important a towel is; indeed it is 'about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have' -  and 25 May... Read more

BBC radio Nottingham want me to go in on Monday afternoon to be interviewed on their 3 o'clock spot. It's all to do with the 100 stories for Haiti book. As I'm a local author and have  a story in the book (Dinner for Two, first shown on Arena :... Read more

Our winter solstice walk proved a wonderful occassion as usual.  This year the weather was fantastic!  Clear blue skie, sparkling frost and snow and brave sunshine which resulted in an unbelievable sunset. I managed to get a poem out of ... Read more

 Well, I've done it. Today I decided it was time to plan my migration. This morning I got up, shivered, and decided it was time to think of warmer climates. So fired up my computer, onto the Brittany Ferries site and did it. I booked a cros... Read more

Hello everyone, Back in March I posted that my poetry book ENCOUNTERS was now available in print. At the time it was only available via Lulu.com.which, given their astronomical P&P charges, was not an ideal situation. I can now happily report t... Read more

I almost contemplated a breakdown last night. Lying in my bed, in my living room, my prison.   There was a loud noise, you see, from outside. New Year's Eve, normal I'd say. but my imagination almost took me down a one way street and I feare... Read more

OK, in response to the 'trailer' post in the 'resources' section... here's a trailer for my proofing services that I just made, blind drunk and in about an hour. I'm hanging onto that glass and have no intention of getting sober any time soon! http:... Read more

I'm posting pics of Menorca all over the place at the moment.  This one is of the harbour at Fornells in the north east of the island.   The reason I'm doing this is because I'm joining the honoured ranks of Writelinkers with my first pie... Read more

  This is something I've pinched from another blog. Might raise a chuckle. (Is it an American thing to put an intial cap after a colon?) An English teacher wrote these words on the board: "woman without her man is nothing". The ... Read more

Ok, so it looks as though my questions and answers still haven’t gone on the forum for October’s WOM. But I still have my piece. Here it is. I had to hold it back because it only took pace on Friday night. It’s not what I wanted&nbs... Read more

Day one of our holiday.  We found ourselves on an expensive but pretty minging caravan site.  This was made up for by the wonderfully scenic situation just south of Berry Head. We took the Western Lady ferry service to Torquay and I reminis... Read more

Well, it's really opened my eyes, but possibly not enough :-)   First of all, my basence from the site has been due more to my state of worry for my health than the dating, but at the same time I managed to meet for a coffee or aperetif a few ... Read more

This has been adapted from an article featured in the Guisborough Life magazine.  Thanks to Derek for letting me publish this on my blog. We were delighted to find that Derek Brown, who is one of our neighbours, has a close connection wit... Read more

    I'm on the short-list for the 'Strictly Shakespeare' April prose competition. Now I have to get the most votes to win. That means YOU clicking a button. (Sorry, I don't really know what voting involves as I'm not allowed to vote for m... Read more

Have you been caught by a Zenith sales person yet? I don't know how they find them, or train them, but they are incredible. I can't stand them, but I have to admire them. I fell for the spiel on the phone again yesterday and agreed to have a qu... Read more

My son found out yesterday why his left hand limbs and torso have been going numb over the past 10 months. The diagnosis is a slow-growing tumour in his head. I freaked out when I heard, although his consultant was at pains to say it's not life-threa... Read more

Yesterday we were back at Blenheim enjoying a brisk walk in the grounds. As this has become a regular occurrence I am sometimes challenged to find new things to photograph (and afford myself a brief rest following the steep parts of the wal... Read more

David’s heads-up on the Smashwords promo was an educational experience. I was going to just post a reply on his blog but found it too long. (MUCH too long).   Trawling through the acres of free books on the site and filling up my cart wi... Read more

Since Moosey nominated me for WOM I thought I had better add a new Blog entry quickly! In my reply to her questionnaire I wrote a bit about using photos to inspire and even suggest article topics and I certainly use this way of working a great d... Read more

 I thought I would share my news .  Do you remember  I said that I had joined Fanstory I'm still a member of writelink and I 'm active in both sites. My nick name on fanstory is Cookson2. My news to you is, I have won my fi... Read more

Hi All, I recently had a go at writing a complaint letter for a competition. I'm quite good at complaining, especially when it comes to writing things down. You can read my gripe here, http://www.complaintletter.org.uk/too-much-spilt-m... Read more

Poetry written in rhymes, unless it's the funny stuff???   I am a little uptight as I was reading (and answered to, using a word that then found didn't exist, alas! 20 years here are taking their toll on my natural language!) the comment to a ... Read more

Or my lack of one!   Don't get me wrong, even though I have no sense of fashion or style, I don't dress badly... I just always end up dressing plainly or buying things that I wear for the occasion and dare never wear again!!!   My siste... Read more

This week sees the 21st celebration of Apple Day on 21st October. Originally aimed at drawing attention to our dwindling apple varieties it has become a fun event for all the family at many venues across the country. The celebrations have spread... Read more

Was going to post this as a blog response to ‘running and writing’ but reckoned it would be too long as usual. Now, I don’t run myself but I’m trying to go to the gym (hateful as it is) to dig my waistline out of the recently ... Read more

I'm doing some work for a copywriter and she asked to write some website content.  She always gives me a good brief, although limited by what she can get from the client and the designer.  This one is for an interior designer and my first&n... Read more

I was trawling the Internet yesterday looking for something interesting when I stumbled on a site of supposed images of ghosts caught on film. Some of them were pretty good; while others looked as though they were little mini movies made out of devil... Read more

When she was about six, my daughter Luisa said 'Don't worry, mummy, I shall learn to be a mummy and when I know, I'll teach you.'  Now this isn't something my memory has embroidered over the years:  I wrote it down at the time in our kiddie... Read more

The libraries in and around the area where I live, have been selling off books, priced at £1 for a carrier bag full.  Altogether, I filled three carrier bags (as if we haven't got enough books, we're drowning in them!).  They we... Read more

  ‘So why do you skip?'   My interviewee is a 24-year-old law graduate, now studying for a Master's in International Law at a reputed Midlands university, and hoping to go on to do a Ph.D. She's athletic: she's a passionate s... Read more

A recent TV report showed a chap who had been stopped by police for taking a photograph of a Police Station. Apparently he has an American friend interested in police memorabilia and he took the photo for him. Just the one shot, nothing more. ... Read more

Writelinkers:   "I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our writing community, ... Read more

I can’t say it hasn’t had its rocky moments, but Nearest & Dearest and me are still batting on, hopefully for another 35 years of marital bliss.  As that will make us 93 and 92 I can’t see us donning elf costumes for anothe... Read more

Several months ago I got bored, drank wine, and wrote this. It was published in a magazine who paid me the grand total of zilch. Poetry it seems, is not a career option. But then again, the wine was mighty fine that night...   Clearing O... Read more

A month ago I would have answered no to that question. But now, if I'm truthful, I can't. Every morning, about fifteen minutes after I get out of bed, you can find me with at least one arm around a particular tree that's at the end of the little wood... Read more

It'll soon be Christmas   And guess what. We're not inundated with submissions for the Christmas magazine.   You have 18 days to get your work to us.   I think, so far, we've one just one submission.   YOUR WRITELINK N... Read more

Carol Ann Duffy claims that: Poems are a form of texting.  I knew this texting lark would come back to haunt me: http://tinyurl.com/45xj28d    

We have a lot of debate concerning reviews. Many people won't because they "don't feel qualified." I've always said that is nonsense because we all know what we like and don't like.   The purpose of this post isn't to rail against members or t... Read more

Yes, I'm tired but happy, with a new baby in the house waking us up at the crack of dawn.  Why did we get her just before the longest day of the year? Thanks for all your comments on my previous post and for all your encouragement. In the pictu... Read more

It's been ages since I posted anything here though I did clock up a whole heap of visitors to my Writelink blog the other night when I posted a link to my 1970s Pop Quiz on Twitter.   Aside from helping out with the 100 Stories for Queensland... Read more

I won't tell you what they are, except that yes, those are giant rubber ducks... in a harbour. What stories can YOU come up with?

BAD DAY   I still can’t fully believe what happened yesterday. The day started out as normal – and later we went up to our youngest son’s place, up in the forest, to deliver some stuff and have lunch. Just as lunch was being... Read more

Did you ever have a Slinky? I never did, but I just landed with an excellent specimen in my hands. Really well-made, heavy. Daughter just had huge birthday party and it was a present. (She's in bed now, which is why I can get my hands on her Slinky).... Read more

A year ago my wife and I returned from Tenerife after celebrating my 60th birthday. I collected Max, our beloved Westie, from the kennels on Sunday, January 24th and I noticed he had a cough. Not to worry, I told myself. A touch of kennel cough.... Read more

I was intending to post here bemoaning the fact that, despite being semi-retired, all my family and work responsibilities are eating so far into the time I have available to write what I want.  When I looked at Moosey's blog I see I am not alone... Read more

I've spent ages trying to get my photos uploaded - the blue line runs across the bottom of the screen but nothing appears. I've tried all three upload boxes and still no success. WHAT am I not doing right all you experts who put photos on t... Read more

  Sometimes I need a reason to get me out of the house.  I got one today.   My son was late up because his alarm didn't go off.  In his rush to be out of the house by 0625, he forgot his weekly train ticket.  I called hi... Read more

I’ve been watching a lot of Bear Grylls on one of the Discovery channels lately. For those of you who aren’t familiar with him, he’s ex Special Forces, and in his show he gets dropped into some of the world’s most inhospitable... Read more

Just had to share this. Was our 13th wedding anniversary yesterday and we treated ourselves to some whalewatching. Breaching humpback! Fab!   (p.s. yes, we DID take that photo, not just an upload from a magazine, I think I'll apply at once to ... Read more

It's a week or three since I last had a moan about my health and since I'm suffering, I don't see why you shouldn't suffer too.   To recap, I had a suspected heart attack in January, which turned out not to be a heart attack. No one ever... Read more

This is my first blog so before I start, hello to anyone who cares to visit. I just wanted to share the fact that I have been getting this increasing urge to have a go at something a little longer lately. By longer I of course mean novel, but that s... Read more

Is it just me? I’m not furious, I’m not even angry, I’m just disappointed at having my work edited in such a way. Who cares? I’ve been paid haven’t I? Yes. I’ve been published? Yes. But… I made a serious ... Read more

There’s a good chance our little Anniekins will get her two front teeth for Christmas as the bottom two are now showing up like a couple of little pearls.  The rest of the clan have somewhat different tastes! For some reason most ... Read more

Well it's that time of year again when all the little pains in the butt come knocking on my door chanting "trick or treat." My response is always the same. "Clear off or I'll treat you to a neat little trick involving my boot and your backside."... Read more

Ireland's Own magazine have accepted TWO of my pieces. My Christmas story , the one that MW, PF, and WW, rejected because it didn't show the female in a positive light, has been taken, the editor thinks it's 'relevent to modern times.' grin. He als... Read more

  Where have all the Writelinkers gone?   I've had much trouble with the Homepage and still haven't got it back to where it was a few weeks back. I've changed my default search from Google Chrome to IE, then  to Firefox and they ... Read more

Hello everybody   You may have noticed that it's about month since I last posted here. On the other hand, you may be thinking "thank the lord for that. A bit of peace and quiet."   Actually, I call in every day, usually to chuck th... Read more

FB is great for authors with book launches. I've recently bought 3 books for my Kindle, all of them authored by other Writelinkers or people I've met on the web through my contacts here. The first - The Handshaker, by our own DW - wasn't technicall... Read more

Many thanks for all your comments on previous posts.   Tenerife was, as usual, an enjoyable and relaxing break, but we've been there so many times now, we've run out of places to visit and things to see, so we'll be looking to pastures ne... Read more

Resolutions lead to an overwhelming sense of failure - usually around day two, maybe three - if the open box of chocolates doesn't have any ginger flavoured ones in, so I don't give the brain any conscious signals that they've been made. Diet - havi... Read more

Good morning Writelink friends and anyone else kicking around the site.   You'll forgive me, I hope, for having a bit of crow, but I am well pleased. That makes a hell of a difference for me because I'm usually the curmudgeon upon which a... Read more

  T.V.   A bit of a rant! When we returned to the UK I was really looking forward to some good, dramatic television programmes. I must have been living under some sort of illusion to think that it would be any better here than the stu... Read more

I haven't been posting recently - but I 'm back now...       Why can’t they dancewith the rest of us?Must their belliespoke out like that?Why can’t theyswirland dipand riseand fallto a viennese waltz?What’s wrong ... Read more

After a couple of weeks savouring the smell of the ripening quinces it was finally time to trial quince jelly. After consulting recipe books from several decades and of varying levels of sophistication I decided on a very simple version of quinc... Read more

...forced to glitter, forced to be gay... Well not exactly (that\'s a line from the musical Candide, by the way) but I\'m certainly forcing myself to get out there and do something. I\'m on a mission, and my daughter Jane tells me that in order t... Read more

...here's the thing, people. Last year I wrote a novel, and as I mentioned at the time, had wonderful fun doing it and no intention of trying to get it published. So for the last twelve months it's been sitting around doing nothing.    Ex... Read more

Talk about a windfall these days and people probably think of financial gain yet for many country people in particular a windfall offered easy pickings for fruit as the wind had done the picking job for them.   In the past week we have see... Read more

A few years back we removed several buddleia plants that had self-seeded into our drive - a drive covered in pavers I might add, not gravel. A few years before that we removed a Russian Vine. It was recommended to us when we moved into the house... Read more

Alongside a steady supply of new books it seems this year is to be one of experience prizes. After the Wales/England rugby match and an outing to the Cheltenham Gold Cup yesterday saw us at the NEC for Gardeners' World Live where there is also a... Read more

It’s strange how real life has a habit of mimicking art.  I’ve spent the last few days working on a couple of folklore articles featuring the Summer Solstice which I’m sure you all know occurs on the 21st June! This is the... Read more

I know it’s only been a few days since I set up my little story-blog, but it’s proving enjoyable past all expectations. Well, to me, that is. I’ve got some great feedback already, and many thanks to those who’ve subscribed / c... Read more

Just like last year, managed to make the long list for this year's Fish flash fiction prize. Alas, I never made it onto the shortlist. So I'll massage my ego with a couple of beers and a Marks and Spencers mini melton mowbray (or two). On an up note... Read more

We don't watch much TV on channels with adverts, but last night the adverts almost put us off our viewing. Every advert break saw chocolate being poured or whipped or smoothed into moulds and for once we felt you could have too much of a good th... Read more

  Fancy a chuckle with a dash of non-gory horror? Maybe you'd like to tune in to my new blog serial, The Diary of an Unexpected Zombie.   Here's an overview.   Four years after being cursed by an alleged voodoo shaman/conman, ... Read more

I was walking my dogs today through my local wood, my mind skipping over story ideas, when I was reminded of an incident that occurred in 1990. I’d broken my arm in two places, although that’s not exactly true. It had been broken for me... Read more

I rarely complain about my health, have not had great reasons to do so, so last year it was a bit of a shock to the system finding "syringomyelia" apparently it's not degenerating, and two hernias all pressing on my spinal chord and giving me ba... Read more

Like thousands of others around the country we have been counting the birds in our garden for RSPB annual garden bird count this weekend. This is something we have been involved in for many years and it serves to highlight the changes happening in th... Read more

The engineer has been and for a blissful hour the light may have shone unobserved on our Broadband home-hub. We were having lunch upstairs. Come the phone call from the call-centre to find out how it was for us and up goes the 'no-broadband' connecti... Read more

Floodwaters have begun to subside in Queensland and the clean up operation is under way in Brisbane and the surrounding areas, where 18 people are known to have died, many more are missing, and 30,000 properties in Brisbane alone have been swamped... Read more

You may have noticed a theme running through my recent blog posts - five book reviews - and every one of them has a Bangladesh connection.    Why the sudden interest?  Well, from 15 January, Dhaka, a city of 12 million peop... Read more

Sometimes, one stops and wonders: why bother? Hubby and I have been taking turns every weekday morning (I'm talking 6 a.m. sharp, here) to go to the gym before the day gets under way. (One of us has to stay home with Kiddo, see.) So there we are, bea... Read more

It isn’t often you get a real bargain, but we were certainly blessed a couple of days ago with these two little cuties!   Twins are not very common in cattle, we’ve only ever had one set in 15 years of keeping them so we were s... Read more

    It wasn't even a “Poetry Slam”, from what I gather, just the regular Thursday night session of poets reciting. But the bare emotions displayed in verse have to be right up there with conversations overheard in a therapist... Read more

My rhymes are my poems. So, when something comes out that has no apparent rhyme and very little rythm, having not learnt what real poetry stuff is all about, I am at a loss as 1) How to change it to make it become more poem-like and 2) How to define ... Read more

On our travels last week we came across a surprising amount of poetry. This was not the usual display of familiar works but the outpouring of feeling from people, often in extreme circumstances.   The oldest example was written in thanks t... Read more

TW3. It's not as many of the older members may remember, That Was The Week That Was, with Bernard Braden and the rest of the team.  It is my week in 3 parts. P1. Productive. P2. Disaster. P3. Agonising. P1. Having been away for so long... Read more

In recent years the National Trust has widened its choice of exhibitions in their properties offering some intriguing and often surprising views of the families who once occupied them and Upton House near Banbury is a good example.   It i... Read more

The house is overrun with scraps of paper. I keep gathering them but they sprout like mushrooms, there’s a fresh crop each morning. My daughter must be the most prolific author since Barbara Cartland.   She started off a few months ago ... Read more

I was at the hospital again yesterday, and it's official. I've been declared a national disaster and the relief fund should be in operation any day now, which will save me having to type out the begging emails.   For the uninitiated, pre... Read more

Not as in distance but in time. Today I'm going back to England for 10 days. I sold my gold and used next month's bill money so I and the children could visit my parents who I haven't seen for 8 or 9 years (out of choice). What is so interesting ab... Read more

They say marriage is a fine institution. So is Strangeways, but would you want to spend the rest of your life there?   In truth, marriage is the biggest con trick in the book. On the day, you only pay for the ceremony, but you pay for marri... Read more

So I got this text the other day from my daughter-in-law. While it does seem incredible that there are so many chat abbreviations such as mobile texting, facebook, twitter and instant messaging, I thought I had nailed, well kind off understood most... Read more

That's the trouble. After years of 'writing to order' with near impossible deadlines to meet, I'm finding it exceedingly difficult to write for 'me'. When I used to write for me many years ago, it was relatively easy to create pages of stuff at the d... Read more

No action chez Sweeney since I wrote about his departure on 12 April ... until today.  I have mentioned that his is a glass penthouse in the building beside my apartment block.  There are six glass panes in lieu of a wall, facing my apartme... Read more

Happy New Year to everyone!  Hope you like the snow shape images.

Our next posting, Kigoma, is the one that stands out in my mind as the most exciting. My memories of my three years there, from when I was four to when I was seven, fill me with a sense of freedom, of space, and of the beginning of my independence. ... Read more

Having spent the past few weeks working on a series of articles for different magazine but on a common theme I have come to a natural break and decided to fire off a few quick filler items that would make the work submitted list look better. I have a... Read more

I originally came from Essex, then moved with my family at the age of 16 up to Lincolnshire. We moved to a small village just outside Spalding called Gosberton. This was a culture shock for me, as up until then I thought veg was grown in bags ready f... Read more

Sublime! Can a reviewer say fairer? Last night's trip to Glasgow's Theatre Royal, home of Scottish Opera, to see the play that is credited with puting American drama on the world map was a real high spot in my theatre life. Long Day's Journey Into N... Read more

Hubby has been away looking after his mum following her knee replacement. Whilst he's been away, Lara and I have developed a routine for the mornings. She wakes me up between 6 and 7am, shouting 'Wakey wakey, Mummy,' I make the morning drinks and th... Read more

Well, I never thought the day would come when I would be asked to write something to be performed on the stage, but that is exactly what happened earlier this year. I recieved an email from the Murcia region drama group to write a poem about holidays... Read more

After spending a lot of time not writing for one reason or another over the last few months, I am now writing on a daily basis, which is one of the reasons I haven’t spent a lot of time on here lately. I’ve been busy working on a couple o... Read more

Tailor a piece of work directed to a particular magazine or market? How does it work? Some writers advise to write naturally?  Apart from the obvious things like word count, guidelines and errors some writers say “Write what you want&rdquo... Read more

I took this picture at this time of year in 2009 and you can see quite a few people still enjoying summer beach activities. I really don't know what to make of our weather at the moment. We're getting dire warnings of damaging winds and gales, but th... Read more

Aside from attempting to write, I sing with a Gilbert and Sullivan amateur group too (Jorvik G&S company staging 'Princess Ida' in York on September 14th-17th, any takers?) Anyway, we all had a good laugh at the last practice, since the plot... Read more

Ok! Bu...er it! I'll admit it! I write my blogs when I'm feeling alone...   Whatsmore, although I enjoy the feedback, and would like some more, I post my poems on Arena as much for the company as for anything else...   Pathetic? Not in ... Read more

The rain seems to have stopped, thank goodness. The heavens have been open all morning and the flood in our back garden is exceptional. This morning at 8 am I dropped off my son in a farmyard in the back of beyond and he legged it to the temporary re... Read more

Exchanging pleasantries with our new member Phil a little earlier, I mentioned Flatcap, and it reminded me that I'd forgotten to remind you all (or those who may be interested) that Flatcap's new home is up and running.   Going under the ... Read more

First it was the 3rd June, then put back to the 20th but my new book, Lambs For The Freezer was officially published yesterday!   I’ve checked the web and most sites are still listing the 20th except for the publisher’s site wh... Read more

Hi Writelinkers, I've been having a great time as writer of the month for May, thanks Bob for that. I'm now in the process of handing over the job to someone else. I have the perfect person for June, just waiting to see if they're up for it. Will... Read more

Lurkdom has its attractions but they can become addictive. I decided a few weeks ago that I didn't have anything new to say on the writing front and, as I don't tend to write this blog up as a 'life or diary' one, I went silent. I've been checking in... Read more

Hi Writelinkers. I'm thrilled to be the writer of the month for May. This has given me an idea. My new pen name is going to be May Kinler. Obviously the May is from the month, and Kinler an anagram of Writelink. I'm hoping May Kinler will have... Read more

  I could never under stand this saying when I was a child.  Why should you want your cake if you were not allowed to eat it?  Even when it was explained to me in words of one syllable, I still found it difficult to get my head around... Read more

Not sure about where you are, but its raw here and has been for the past couple of days, but spring is definitely around the corner! I needed some up to date photos for a couple of articles I'm working on so have been out and about with my camera.... Read more

This week has been one of the hardest of my life. It was the culmination of what has possibly been the worst year of my life; a year in which I have lost my health and as a consequence, my livelihood, and now one of my best friends, after Max, o... Read more

With a Royal Wedding in the offing and Zara's engagement announced to her long-term boyfriend, we can safely say "Romance is afoot." Perhaps it's an antidote to the gloomy news that invades our daily lives, or the alignment of the planets. Either w... Read more

  I tried to retire, but it hasn't happened yet. Although I don't need to earn my living any longer, I must admit I enjoy supplementing my pension through my writing. For that reason, I'm only doing the “fun” things now. Despite my ... Read more

As you may know from previous Christmas postings, I have a tendency to run into trouble when it comes to Christmas cake making.  However, I’m happy to report that this year, so far, everything has progressed without a hitch … well a... Read more

Things have been pretty quiet on the writing front recently and then, like buses, three things came along at once. I had a letter published in a writing magazine on a subject which had already been the theme for an article elsewhere. Then I le... Read more

The only sure way to get out of a committee is death but moving from Edinburgh to Bristol proved quite as effective - for the woman who handed me the file. Now, I've set you up for a complaining rant but you're going to be disappointed. In true scr... Read more

The ocean's very loud tonight. It's past midnight, the town's asleep, and all I can hear is the tick of my pendulum clock and the waves breaking. The day's been quite cloudy, but the stars are out now and the air has that cool, clear feel of a spring... Read more

It's been a mixed bag of weather this week but Monday was one of those bright sunny days with no wind and we opted to make further use of our annual pass to Blenheim Palace and take a walk around the grounds. This was a regular walk for us in th... Read more

Education! Gone Mad? The seven year old boy in our family has started his first year in the Junior School. After having romped through his Infant years with enjoyment, and a great enthusiasm to learn, he was shocked to find just how different life ... Read more

I have four Dutch language certificates. The last one even has something like a distinction.  But does it mean I can speak Dutch?  Not at all.    First of all, my certificates date from the eighties.  When we first arrived ... Read more

A couple of years ago, I posted a blog on the old site called Donate your tummy tuck to World Vision. It pointed out, among other things, that in a single year, major western countries had spent £7.5 billion on cosmetic surgery, while th... Read more

While we were up in Whitby last week we took the boys up to the paddling pool. At first, they were the only two in there. As they played in their dinghy’s another boy came along with his parents. He was bigger than my two, but soon they were pl... Read more

  And it always has done.   Aside from that, I'm thrilled to announce that I've teamed up with Greg McQueen's Big Bad Media for the multimedia publication of my supernatural thriller, Voices.   No doubt you want to know what the... Read more

    　 My partner and I have been together for two years. In this time, we have contentedly retained our own rented flats, staying over at each others homes but never entertaining the idea of actually moving in together. Personally, I... Read more

Well, goodness knows I keep enough blogs already but oh well I suppose it can but sink into digital oblivion at the worst. I’ve been flummoxed once too often perhaps for where to put a stray thought – why, even the smallest of them must h... Read more

There was no way we were going to pass up the chance to go for a pootle yesterday with the first really warm and spring like day we have had. Aiming for a National Trust property that didn't open until 2 meant we had plenty of time to explore ... Read more

These images of Mo's memorial mosaic I took a few months ago. The tribute to the ex-Redcar Labour MP, who died aged 55 in August 2005, was paid for by a £14,000 appeal fund.  To read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/8321... Read more

I’ve been twittering. Possibly it was tweeting?   Supposing twitter to be a useful way of promoting myself, I finally, and with a little cajoling, took the plunge and joined up.   I hit a stumbling block within the first ... Read more

Ever been so bored that you read the adverts displayed in the right-hand column of your Facebook page? C'mon, somebody must have.   I'm assuming these ads are geared to the individual and dependent on the age and sex of each member. That being... Read more

Just received my gratis copy of Ireland's Own Christmas edition. The've done me proud. My story, 'Desperate Measures,' has a two page spread with a quote box and a sub heading.I'm really pleased with it. The cheque, I am assured, is on its way. LOL ... Read more