Every great story needs both a protagonist and an antagonist: it’s the conflict between these two characters that keeps the audience invested and pushes the plot forward. What is an Antagonist? In simple terms, the antagonist is ‘the baddy’. Every story has a protagonist (usually the main character) and a contrasting antagonist. In fiction (especially…
Mark Dawson’s SPS 2023 I dug my heels in and made every excuse why I couldn’t go to the SPS at the Southbank Centre in London. My disability would make travelling alone difficult, I couldn’t afford the extortionate price for London hotels and I wouldn’t know anybody. But then, after speaking to D J Bowman-Smith…
There are many crossovers in the arts, especially during the creative process. This came to light recently whilst editing and putting the finishing touches to my upcoming book The Hoax at the same time as my husband was directing Evita. A show that I am proud to be involved with. I am in the chorus of Evita whilst being…
Have you ever wondered what separates a thriller from a horror story? Well, the first clue is in the title. A horror story intends to horrify the reader, whereas a thriller wants to thrill and excite the reader! The experience A horror film/book sets out to make you feel afraid. Really afraid! If you think…
With the final edits taking place on my new novel, I have pondered how to best serve my readers and give better content. After a lot of soul-searching, I began to realise that it is time to move away from my memoir ‘Catch Me If I Fall’ and the trauma within the pages of ‘A…
There are many types of criticism, but for the purpose of this post, I will deal with the two main types – constructive criticism and negative criticism. But what separates criticism from judgement? Being a writer, I’m paying particular attention to the criticism or judgement we receive when publishing our work. Difference between criticism and…
When I started fiction writing last year, I learnt from the oh-so-helpful Twitter writing community, that ‘clichés’ are a no-go area. I did my best to resist them in my latest novel, ‘The Hoax’. Yet, as I worked through my manuscript after its first edit, I discovered that my editor had removed many of my…
Marilyn had made more effort with her appearance than usual. She would never leave the house without her warpaint applied each morning, carefully choosing the right outfit to impress the mothers at the school gate. But tonight, was a special occasion; it called for her blazing red lipstick, extra thick lashes, and stiletto heels. First to…
I did a great deal of research whilst writing my memoir ‘Catch Me if I Fall’. Having never written anything before (other than thank you letters, and Christmas cards), I had a lot of ground to cover, both with grammar and structure. Something I discovered as a top tip for a great memoir, is to…