Every good novel needs more than just the classic hero and villain archetype. They also need side characters that provide depth, especially in psychological thrillers – which happens to be my genre. My current work in progress has a side character who is stalking my main character, but this stalker offers much more than a…
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…
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…
The children were squabbling before they had even got out of the car… “I’m going to see the sea before you,” boasted Alison as she clambered over her brother.“Yer, well, you’re such a girl, I bet you won’t go in above your knees,’ taunted Edward, trying to block her path. “Sshhhh..” Their mother Jayne was…